Day 11 — A Photo of Me Taken Recently

Yeah, I skipped Day 10, too. For now. Still trying to find the "right" photo. Ha!

As cheesy as I am, I'm usually taking the photos rather than IN the photo. But this is literally one of two photos taken of me this month. The other has K in it and he really doesn't like when I post photos of him on the interwebs, so I try to respect that. Mostly. Sometimes it can't be helped. I wish it didn't look like I was bald in this photo. My own worst critic and all that...


Anywho, this is from April 2nd taken on the deck outside of one of our new favorite restaurants, El Arbol. We were celebrating J's 20th birthday. Again.

You see, I had driven up to see him at school on his actual birthday and took him to lunch. That's just the kinda mom I am. I also bought a cheesecake for him to share with his friends at the weekly potluck that takes place in their apartment, which happened to be that night, too. We visited the Rachofsky House while I was in town, something he had planned to do with several of his arch buddies. I was really just tagging along.

He then decided to drive home for the weekend. Funnily enough, I've also sent him two packages in the last couple of weeks as belated birthday gifts and I have another waiting to send. We sure are dragging out this celebration thing!

The following Monday, we had our "fight." My, what a difference a day makes. LOL/Ugh. Life certainly does move on, doesn't it.

If I had procrastinated on this post for a few weeks more, I probably could have shared a photo of me on the beach in Aruba. But you're stuck with this one.

And now I'm stuck daydreaming about mai tais and white sand beaches....*sigh*....believe me, I'll be sharing the lowdown on the trip after the fact, but until then here's a sneak peek at where we're staying, specifically a room like this!

Just Another Title

So, I just finalized all the paperwork on my end for my baby to get an apartment.


No, he's not literally a baby. That would be weird.

And no, I'm not kicking him out. He just doesn't want to live in the dorm come Fall 2010.
Spoiled much? Probably. Okay, yes.

But even though he's (gulp!) nineteen years old and holding down a full time job this summer, I'm not quite ready to admit that he's an adult. I was just getting used to the "empty nest" that he left me and K with last fall. And I haven't seen much of him since classes let out in May. In fact, once he moved back into the family home for the dog days of summer, he hasn't spent much time here. The first couple of weeks he hadn't started work yet, but he had to cram in visits to and from all his friends that were home as well; some were only home for a couple of weeks before they headed back to classes, internships and the like. Then there were a couple of weekends dedicated to training, so the few weekdays he had left before "the old grind" claimed his freedom, he spent swimming, playing and an impromptu camp trip.

Gone are the days of lazing in bed until mid-afternoon, because he's out the door by 7:30 a.m., unless it's his week for pre-camp pick-ups which has him leaving closer to the butt-crack of dawn. Okay, more like 7a.m., but for this night owl it may as well be dawn's early light! And, yes, I'm up just as early because I'm making a lunch for him to take with him. 'Cause I'm a good mom like that. (Read: sucker!) Actually, I feel like it's the least I can do especially since I get up to prepare K's lunch anyway. (Read: DOUBLE-sucker!)

So, the prospect of him living in his own digs come August has gotten me all melancholy for the days of yore.
The days when he'd strip down to his Blue's Clues Underoos because his pants were "disturbing" him. Halloween nights of "trick-treatin'" (he never could remember the "or"). Singing Barney songs over and over and over..."play it AGAIN, Momma!"..."Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease."


Days when he'd march into the living room with Scooby Doo skivvies and mimic Yul Brynner in "The King and I" proclaiming "Etc.! Etc.! Etc.!"

Days surrounded by Pokemon cards and viewing operations on Discovery Channel.

Times when he'd just call me "Momma" (or "MOM!") and not "Guarantor." Well, he hasn't actually called me "guarantor" yet...and personally, I hope he never does. I much prefer "Mom."

Where Life is Unbranded...Welcome to Maverick Country

So goes the latest advertisement for UTA.

The time has come. Josh is off to college. And loving it.

So far...well, he's only been there just shy of a week. We packed his car (with a bit of overflow in mine) on Thursday morning and made the three-hour trek to the monsterplex. We arrived right around lunchtime but he wanted to get settled first. So he checked in at his residence hall, got his keys and the necessary paperwork then we were off to locate his home away from home for his first collegiate year. How exciting!

He's on the first floor so no waiting for elevators or climbing steps. Whew! Now to unload the car in 100+ degrees of full-fledged Texas heat. Ugh! However, there were tons of volunteers on hand to help and dollies/push carts to sign out for use. We flagged down one of the handful of golf-cart drivers and headed to the parking lot. We were able to get all his gear loaded on the cart and dolly the first time around, so now it was just a matter of unloading it then getting it all into his room. And I thought girls packed a lot!

Three hours later, he was all unpacked. J has two roommates and they all have private bedrooms in their "suite," sharing the living room/kitchenette area, the vanity area (2 sinks and mirrors), the restroom and the separate shower. Here are the first pictures of dorm life, they're not very big but it'll give you an idea anyway.

Each residence hall is divided into sections or "houses" and Joshua is assigned to Hawkins House. Each RA (Resident Assistant on staff) is responsible for decorating with welcome signs, name tags, etc. Here are the three name tags on their outer door.

Here's a shot of the living room and kitchenette, this is what you see when you first walk in. You're standing in the living room and the kitchenette is to your right. Ahh....mini-fridge, coffee maker, sandwich maker and a microwave, the appliances of fine dorm food everywhere. Got Ramen? (That's like pot noodle for you UK folks.)


W's room, left of the living room...and T's room, next to J's.


The sinks, just behind the kitchenette...and you can see the "water closet" to the left.


This is the hallway, to the right of the living room, leading to J's room next to the wall mirror and T's room just beyond that. The room at the end of the hall is where the shower and towel racks are.


This shot of J's closet, was taken standing by the window. The pantry/bookcase/linen closet is right inside his doorway, taken from the hall facing towards W's room and the living room.


And here's J settling in...already logged onto Facebook. Priorities.


I apologize for the poor photo quality. I committed the cardinal sin of bloggers and forgot to bring my camera. These photos were taken on J's new camera, but then loaded to FB, where I then "lifted" them and saved them to our home computer. I'm sure there was an easier way, but this was the quickest option I had at the time. Anyway, you get the gist, yeah?

All-Purpose Post

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.
Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”
~ Greg Anderson

'Tis true, Greg. Here's a quick rundown of things going on in and around my life this past month:

• Some good friends of ours celebrated TWENTY years of marriage recently. WOWEE! Congrats, Tony and Karen! Also celebrating anniversaries within the last month or so are The Farrs (10 years) and the Martins (8 years). Congratulations to some wonderful couples!
  
• Made a deposit on a condo rental in SPI...so vacation IS in my/our future. Woooo and indeed hooo!
• Joshua saw three (that I can remember) concerts this summer. Dangit! To be young again.
• We've had several little mini-pool parties this summer or, in other words, I've served two or three dozen pitchers of white sangria. I won't say exactly, in order to protect the innocent. I must say, I can get used to this kind of lifestyle.
• In business news: We went through a rough time in the spring when one of our employees passed away. Something I hope to never have to go through again. We recently hired another employee, extended contracts on a few others, had to let a couple more go and one just moved to another state, so we're now a multi-state employer. Business is going well so far and we really feel blessed. There are things in the works that could potentially increase our size and I'm really hoping it works out. So many people are out of jobs or just plain struggling to stay afloat, believe me, I know how lucky we are right now.
• Joshua has new-found ambition...he attended a leadership retreat in Glen Rose a couple of weeks ago. He wants to change the world and I say "Go for it!" Also, he found out on Saturday that he was accepted into F.L.O.C. He had his interview on Friday and felt pretty confident, but he also knew his peers were also giving good interviews. There were 120 who applied and 50 of those were accepted. Three cheers for J! Hip hip Hooray!
  

I guess that's it for now. A couple more posts to come... and then I'll be caught up!

What's Behind Door #3?

I remember the days of yore when living rooms were filled with the sound of Monty Hall making endless deals and finally asking "What's behind door #3?" Hopefully it wasn't a "zonk" but instead maybe a new washer and dryer, or a trip to Bermuda...or even a shiny new car!

I would have loved to have been able to play that game with Joshua to see just how much he would have gambled. Lucky for him I don't have a soundstage and a big curtain or over-sized boxes to hide the surprise we had in store for him.

We had been searching for a few months to find what would be his first car. One that was reliable, safe, with good gas mileage, relatively new and/or in the best possible condition for its age. Keith found a really good deal online one Saturday and I followed up with the dealer on Monday.

The guy said it was still available and I told him I'd be there in twenty minutes. As I drove onto the lot, I saw one of the salesmen showing a potential customer what I thought was the EXACT car I was there to test-drive. What?!?! Sure enough, that was the dealer I had spoke to on the phone and those were the keys to THE car...and that was some other person driving off in it. Nooooooo! The salesman was apologizing profusely and explaining that this other guy was here over the weekend, saw the car but wanted to drive it again. He also said that there was another car that had piqued that other guy's interest so I immediately started praying that the second car was the one he'd end up driving off the lot for good.

Guy comes back and test drives the other car, I get behind the wheel and test-drive THE car, pull over, call Keith, discuss the financial situation and strategy. What to do? I get back to the dealership and the other guy is leaving, telling the salesman he has a few other options he wants to check out first. SCORE! I was able to give the salesman a check for "earnest money" or a down payment, telling him I'd be back at the end of the business day with the hubster to finalize the sale.

Now. To keep from bursting and spilling the beans to Joshua until then.

We finalized the paperwork and payment with the dealer. Easy peasy. Since we had gone to the dealership in Keith's car, I drove the new car home. I forgot that this car didn't have a toll tag and breezed through the toll plazas without paying. Sorry TxDOT. I'm sure you know where to find me. Anyway, we had planned for Keith to get Joshua out of the house and I would drive up in the new car. Luckily, I had my camera for the momentous occasion.

"Is this for me?" I think he was holding back the excitement, just in case it wasn't.

I think he's happy with it. He said he wasn't expecting his first car to be this nice. Believe me, neither were we. He got lucky!

And he's off to go show some of his friends. He's never home anymore!

Graduation!

Onwards!

After several campus visits, scholarship offers and tons of junk mail from affiliates of each university, I'm finally getting around to letting you know where Joshua decided to go to college.

He chose the University of Texas at Arlington
and their School of Architecture.


Over the last several years Joshua has cultivated an interest in art and architecture. He's looked at buildings with awe since we lived in DFW. He wanted to take pictures of every building we saw in England. Serving as the President for his newly-formed chapter of National Art Honor Society at school has been one way that he has honed his skills and interest. So when the applications needed to be filled out for college, he had a pretty clear idea of what he wanted to study and with encouragement from us to stay within the Lone Star State he knew where he'd be studying it. (Have you SEEN what out-of-state tuition can run you lately?!? Forget an arm and a leg, you'd have to throw in both sets AND a first-born!)

We looked at the University of Texas (in Austin), but J was capped because of the 10% rule. That's where a state university is required by law to accept a student that places in the top ten percent of their graduating class. Joshua is in the top twenty percent, but not the top ten. Still quite an achievement for a class of 400+ students.

We visited the University of A & M, about a 90-minute drive up the road in College Station. He was accepted into the university, but the Architecture program was full for the fall semester. His options were to a) start at A & M as a general studies major (where he wouldn't be able to begin taking any of the freshman level architecture and studio courses), keep a 3.5 GPA or higher, and then change his major and hope he could still get in to the College of Architecture which would in essence put him "behind" about a year as far as coursework is concerned; or b) go to another university that HAD accepted him into their School/College of Architecture, begin taking freshman classes that were degree-specific, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, then TRANSFER in to their college. We all agreed the TRANSFER option seemed the most logical.

We then visited my alma mater of Texas Tech University in his birthplace of Lubbock. I encouraged him to go to Tech even though it was the furthest from home and would be harder for me to visit or for him to come home as often. Honestly, I thought that would be seen as a "plus" for him. I had a great time at Tech and enjoyed college even if it wasn't conventional since I was a single mom at the time; a rarity, I'm sure or at least I didn't meet many others, back then. He liked the program and everything else about Tech, but I think the deal-breaker was the dorms. I tried to get him to look past that, but to no avail. To be honest, I really don't know what else changed his mind against Tech.

Then, lastly, we were off to Arlington, minutes from our previous "home" in Euless. I had no idea about UTA, had driven through campus many times when we lived in the area, but never really gave it a second thought. I liked the idea of a smaller college and how smaller, more intimate classes could better serve J's education, where he wouldn't feel lost in the shuffle which can happen at larger universities. But were the opportunities as plentiful there as they were at a "major university"?

We did the same thing we had done at the other colleges: toured the campus, visited the dorms, and talked with people in the architecture department. I didn't see any vast difference, other than the size of the campus itself. Facilities seemed appropriate to its size. There were newer buildings that proved money was coming in and there was growth. (Student body population is right around 25,000 and according to their respective websites Tech's is listed at about 28,000, A&M's at 48,000+ and UT's at 50,000+.) On the surface, it seemed comparable. However, something happened in Joshua that set off a spark. He seemed to be more excited about going to college, looked forward to the fact he was going to finally be able to study something he was interested it, wanted to get to it. Something happened and he was "sold"...and that was all I needed.

The final selling point was definitely the financial aid. Joshua was awarded an Outstanding Freshman scholarship for $6,000 that was renewable for up to four years depending on grades and such. That won't pay for everything, but it'll take a nice chunk out of the bills.

His plan is to utilize the scholarship, study hard, work diligently at creating a damn fine portfolio and then look at transferring as a sophomore into UT or A&M, a little closer to home. His dream of studying at Rice hasn't completely faded so I may still have to sell an arm or a leg at some point. I'm just glad that he's got a bit of focus and a goal set.

Now if I can just come to terms with the whole empty nest thing that's facing me...

Shiny!

Senior Prom. A photo op for all parents to prove that their children have grown up into adults. That their kids CAN be clean. And that they can clean their parents' wallets out in the blink of an eye.

I still have no idea why the prom tickets were so expensive. It didn't even include dinner!

Anyway, it was nice to see everyone scrubbed down and dolled up. And not even one pair of boxer shorts peeking over a single waistband. A proud moment indeed.

They wanted to take pictures at a park before the big event. I wanted a ride on the swings so it all worked out.

(I did forgo the ride though in order to play paparazzo.)









Here they are being sassy...








...silly...











..."gangsta"...









...and, well, formal.














I guess I'm lucky that Joshua lets me into "his life" even if sometimes I have to fight him about it. I'm glad he's got some great friends, they are all pretty good kids. I'm not naive enough to think that there's not some rebellion going on, but all in all they've got good heads on their shoulders and bright futures ahead of them. I hope they all succeed in their endeavors and give me the chance to say, "I remember him/her as a child."

After all, I believe the children are our future.

We Are Pleased To Announce

That J received acceptance letters from
and
We're still waiting on two more. Watch this space.

Finally!

Joshua got his license in the mail last week...and we should be getting the bill for insurance. YIKES!

(Yes, I played with the photoshop...I needed an excuse to and erasing "pertinent information" was just enough practice.)

Just an update...nothing fancy.

This is just a brief update of what's been keeping me busy lately, so you can keep up with the tour!

8/18 - Joshua and I went to College Station, Aggieland. The road to college begins....

As a Red Raider (GUNS UP!), this was pretty difficult to do. As a mom, bittersweet.

There are 5 or 6 universities that Joshua is looking at for next fall because of their architecture programs, where he ends up is dependent on acceptance, affordability...and location, location, location. The list includes Rice (YIKES-expensive! competitive application acceptance!), UT (hard to get in just because of the number of those who want to), A&M (do-able), and Tech (do-able but "far" from home).

I'd love to see him attend Tech to keep the "legacy" going, but am I just being selfish? Probably. The real "downside" about Tech is that from here it's a 6 hour drive (or more) and the 90-minute flight isn't as cheap as it used to be. If something terrible were to happen while he was away, God forbid, getting out there could pose some problems...whereas the drive to A&M would only be about 60-90 minutes. As for its program, I don't think it's ranked as high as it has been, but still a strong choice. A&M is ranked higher. As for UT, its program is pretty strong, too, and being in town makes it convenient, but I think it'll be difficult to get in because of the numbers that apply.

We've still yet to visit Rice and will probably do so at some point before the holidays. Rice is ranked #2 in the NATION for architecture and I don't doubt that he'll get the education we pay for...because it will be pricey. This is where he REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wants to go. I guess I'll have to start playing the lottery and praying for the big payout!

We'll see what happens. In the end, as a mom, I want wants best for him...wherever that may be.

8/22 - Joshua gets his driver's license. The worry continues...

Not that he's a bad driver...he's actually pretty cautious...so far. Let's hope it stays that way. This is also a bittersweet event. As a mom, I've been the taxi to his games, social outings, and errands. That all changes when your "baby" grows up and gets licensed! Relief!...and yet worry as well. I know it's silly, but I even shed a few tears last night when he left for the movies...he's becoming more independent, more his own person, more the man I'm not yet ready for him to become. I couldn't be more proud of him though.

8/25 - Had a guy come to the house to design a pool for us.

This is actually pretty funny to me. Keith got a wild hair to see about building a pool. Keith ...doesn't...swim. Regardless, we called a guy and he came out to measure and look at our backyard. He then sat down and basically designed a pool area while we said what we "wanted." We really didn't know what we wanted...we pretty much just winged it. We also asked him about tiling our back patio and adding an outdoor kitchen, which we've always wanted to do since we moved in to this house. A couple of hours later, we had a great design with an outdoor kitchen, a pool, a hot tub, a fire pit, the works! We got the plans and proposal with all the costs last Friday. I think our eyes were bigger than our budget...I've always had champagne taste on a beer budget! We'll do a little tweaking and see what we end up with...even if it's a plan to do part now...part after the lottery win. Watch this space.

8/26 - First day of the last year of high school for Joshua. Where did the time go??

Funny how I have a lot of friends with children beginning Pre-K or Kindergarten. I don't feel old. Much. I've read all their emails and blogs about the big milestones in their children's lives. It makes me feel old to think while they're all heading for school for the first day ever, or the first day of middle school, my son is entering his first day as a senior. He's really looking forward to being a senior....and to finishing it...to getting on with college. I remember that feeling. I know now I should have really savored it...my youth...but I'm also glad I've lived my life...and have been blessed with a son so I can share in his.

8/31 - The end of the first year that our business has been on contract. Wow!

We made it through our first year! Without problems or major hiccups! Whew! We started with a team of ten and ended with a team of fourteen and two others that had finished their work with us before year's end. Pretty good, especially considering the current economic climate. (Did I really just say that?? What do I know?) Anyway...

I didn't really know what to expect when we decided to become "business-owners" in March of 2007. I feel like everyday since has been an education in something whether it's payroll, taxes, health insurance, etc. Things I never thought I'd have to worry about so much. Believe me, it's been a pretty easy year, but definitely not a stress-free or worry-free year. It's a lot to think that not only do MY bills need to be paid, but we're responsible for paying others so they can pay THEIR bills, too. Yikes! Is that an ulcer forming as I type?

Anyway, I look forward to this new year with a bit more confidence, but I'm still going to worry. I can't help it. I'm a worrier.

That's really it for now. Just waiting for Keith's parents to visit at the end of this month and a trip to SPI next month. That should keep me busy, huh?

What's new with YOU??

Way to go, Cheek!

Some of you have already heard the news, but for the vast majority of you the grapevine hasn't quite threaded its way to you yet. This past weekend my "baby" turned 17...I'm still stunned at the quick passage of all those years. It was the first time he wasn't home for his birthday. We had to postpone the festivities (minor as they were) to Sunday night when he returned from his weekend away at Camp Enterprise.

For more info on Camp Enterprise, you can go here: http://www.rotary-austin.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=77
There were over 200 students from all the area high schools interviewed and about 100 of them were invited to participate, four were from his school. Over the course of the weekend they listened to lectures, learned how to create a business plan, conceptualized a product and then proposed it all to the "judges," made up of Rotarians that sponsored the weekend. At lunchtime on Sunday, he called to say that his team were in the Final Three and later that afternoon he told us that his team of ten were awarded the scholarship money! ($700 !! EACH!!) So, we are very proud of him as you might well imagine.

In thinking about how he's grown up over the last seventeen years, I can't help but reminisce about the things he did and said as a small child. Things that made me warm with pride, laugh until it hurt, marvel at the way his growing and curious mind worked, and even those moments that broke my heart. The things that have shaped his humor, his interests, his fears and his strengths. And although I'm the first to admit that my memory is one of the worst to behold, there are events that shine brightly in the darkened halls of my mind's library.

It's funny what phrases come to mind and it's always fun to hear things that my long-time friends seem to remember about him, those moments that they hold precious even though he's my son. Here are a few of my favorites:
"I have to take them off! My pants are disturbing me." - This kind of haunts me actually. I used to joke while he was still "in my belly" that I was planning on raising a nudist, at least for the first five years of his life because kids seemed to grow out of clothes so quickly it would save on my barely-existent cache of cash. However, when he plainly announces at the age of three that he can no longer bear to wear his jeans for another moment because they "disturb" him, regardless of the fact that there are non-relatives in the vicinity, I can't help but laugh it off and wrap him in a blanket.
"I LOVE Chinese pizza!" - The other day a friend of mine reminded me of this one. She says it's one of her favorite memories of the little J. It refers to the pizza served on the children's portion of the buffet at a favorite local Chinese place. Not all kids love "trees" (aka broccoli) or the like that can be found mixed in with some of the usual Chinese buffet fare, but he did like the ambiance (okay, the decor) of said restaurant and it was one of his favorite hangouts with Grampa.
"Cheek? That's what she calls me sometimes...it's short for Cheeky Monkey." - I overheard this one day whilst picking him up from another busy day at after-school daycare. I didn't even realize I called him that in public, it was my little family nickname for him thanks in part to Mike Myers and his Simon skits on SNL. Stated so matter-of-factly by my son that the audience he was addressing didn't feel the need to question it any further, not even so much as to ask "What IS a Cheeky Monkey??" It was also the moment I realized that he had learned the greatest ability to take things in stride, that although his mom was a little quirky and sometimes embarrassing he was alright with that and that's when I knew he would be strong enough to remember not to take life too seriously, that you pick your battles, and some things just aren't worth sweating. Ok. Maybe not all that profundity at once. But it didn't bother him and I took that as a good sign.
"Etc. Etc. ETC!" - I like to bring this up from time to time, somewhat as a tool of embarrassment that I use on the grumpy mono-syllabic teenager that possesses my child on occasion. Imagine if you will a four-year old decked out only in his Scooby-Doo Underoos with a severe case of "bed-head" mimicking the stern voice of Yul Brynner in "The King & I," hands on hips for emphasis. It's a great image and one I hope to re-create in any grandchild that might bless my far-off future. Let me get the hang of this parenting thing first before I tackle the joys of being a grandparent, please.

Some other moments I cherish (and potential blog topics for the future):
Learning to swim.
Home Alone Redux
That's a LOT of poop.

There are many more and I would love to collect your memories as well. Please share any you might have, you know how to get in touch!