Friends

Food Bronwyn of Blogwyn at 8:54 PM 0 grey Labels: Boy

2009-09-29T19:47:16Z

With two days left I don’t have the heart or the energy to harass him about it. Fortunately I didn’t know that he wasn’t already home until the dog started freaking out when he pulled in the driveway. When he hit the top of the stairs I asked, “Is the dog inside, Arthur?”

“Yes, I put her out and now she’s in. Good night, Mom,” he replied.

“Good Morning, Arthur,” I shot back.

He snickered and said good morning. In my imagination I could clearly see the impish grin on his face, relieved that he apparently wasn’t in trouble, his mother too sleepy to be combative.Many friends and family members have extended well wishes, prayers, and support for Arthur’s departure to college. Many are asking how I’m doing. I’m really doing fine. I keep anticipating emotional moments that have yet to overwhelm me.

This departure feels like a natural progression. It has been The Plan for a while and we are executing The Plan together as a family, step by step.

I am excited for Arthur, remembering the new adventure of my own migration from Illinois to Minnesota to attend Macalester College in St.

Then we will attach the bicycle rack trailer hitch

2009-09-27T19:47:14Z

He has made some good choices about what to leave behind. He’s probably taking too much - but Montana is a long drive and he won’t be home until Christmas break.

This evening Dale and I headed for the river and took a sunset cruise in my boat with my dog. It was completely worth the trip in spite of the clammy, cool humidity. We saw a pair of proud American Bald Eagles on braches adjacent to their nest as they encouraged their young one to take off and fly.It was a significant learning moment for me. The fledging Eagle was shrieking and making a terrible racket. The parents, perched to either side and facing opposite directions, calmly looked on without comment. Finally the young one dropped from the tree and took flight. The parents never moved other than to turn their heads and watch, both remaining on branches near the nest. We saw the young one about five minutes later gliding over the river, headed back toward the nest, fully confident of a welcome home.

I hope I can maintain my calm, non-anxious presence as we deposit Arthur out of the nest this weekend.

I’m SOOOOoooo glad Dale and took that boat ride tonight. I am so thankful for this huge river that blesses my life with lessons and peace and wonder.

I didn't expect to see him until the morning. The dog started barking

2009-09-26T19:47:13Z

It was Arthur coming back into the driveway. Pretty soon I heard from the stairs,

“MOM! Where’s my tent?”

“Ummm, in the back of your car? That’s where I remember putting it,” I responded. But I had a funny feeling about it, so I went downstairs and started checking some of the camping stuff stashed in the laundry room. Sure enough, it was in a dry bag from when we’d been out on the river.

We got Arthur squared away with his tent, some Thermarest and Coleman sleeping pads, sleeping bags, and a fashlight.He was off to spend the night somewhere on Luke’s farm with their buddy John. It was their last night with the three together before Arthur and John leave town for college. I’m glad they seized the moment.

Arthur checked in to let us know that his girlfriend’s mother was making supper for them. Very thoughtful. Very sweet. He came home after dinner to finish packing. He’s got all of his stuff contained in the following manner:
5 stacking plastic tubs with lids
2 duffle bags
2 backpacks
1 stuff sack
1 Grizz Box (doubles as a chuck box/end table)
1 ski bag
1 ski boot bag
1 helmet bag
1 printer in it’s original box
1 office box
1 dish tub
1 carboard box for last minute stuff
and a small couch.

It is my sincere hope that he can get it all crammed into the back of Grampa’s pickup, which happens to be a four-seater cab, but a short box.

I guess baptism by fire

2009-09-25T19:47:11Z

Perhaps that’s fitting for a state with thousands of acres on fire right now.

I’m challenged with the transition from floods to fire. I pray all will be well in the morning.
food Bronwyn of Blogwyn at 10:21 PM 0 grey
Thursday, August 23, 2007
No Days Left

Today is the day we go.

Arthur made it home safely around 4:45 a.m. The dog didn’t even grumble.

Just as we’re getting used to his night owl hours, he’s leaving.

He leaves behind a messy room, his car, his best friend, and his girlfriend.Last night he said he was “kind of excited” about moving out.

So here we go - halfway to an empty nest.

I wish I was an Eagle . . .
food Bronwyn of Blogwyn at 8:32 AM 0 grey
Labels: College Countdown
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
One Day Left
Last night Arthur and I cleaned out his closet and sorted through his “desk.” It was fun discovering some of the junk from his childhood. It was also amazing to see how much trash this teenager has stowed away in his room over the 10 years he’s lived there!

After we got a good amount of sorting and packing accomplished, and some laundry started, he took off with some friends.

But I could feel my heart rate increasing in

2009-09-23T19:47:09Z

I was SOOOOOOOO pissed. I said in my total bitch voice,

“Dale, read this.”

His face fell and he walked straight to the Residence Assistant at the desk. I went outside to tend to the dog, practice my deep breathing and relaxation, still too pissed to even attempt a prayer.

We were warned by administration officials in JUNE that this might happen due to the fact that the Financial Aid, Scholarship, and Loan information may not be as quick as the class registration computer.It softened the blow no less.

What a way to welcome a kid from 1200 miles away. His first piece of mail is crap about hassle with classes and money. UNBELIEVABLE!

I’ve had two beers, two long walks, two encounters with beautiful whitetail deer in the woods behind the hotel, and I’m still all energized and heated up about it.

I’m trying really hard to not be a “Helicopter parent.” But shit like this just infuriates me. It is counter to EVERYTHING they talked about in the way of welcome, and hospitality, and “helping transition your child into independent life in college.

I believe the last volume is 750+ pages long. I read and read

2009-09-21T19:47:07Z

We paused for commentaries and sharing theories. Now and then we had to rely on Joren-the-human-encyclopedia to remind us of the back-story. I was a complete sobbing mess, having to breath through the death, funeral, and burial chapters. (That doesn’t spoil anything that the rest of the world has already spilled for those of you who have yet to complete this read!) I was on record and correct about Severus Snape. I sobbed again when Harry kissed the snitch .So we finished today before we got to Butte, Montana. Butte is about 115 miles southeast of Missoula on I90. It was a good book. And so ends the childhood tradition of bedtime stories in this nuclear family.

After checking in to the hotel we headed over to campus and met Arthur’s roommate, who introduced himself as “Jae.” He’s very good looking, polite, helpful, and fluent in English, although he admitted that our currency and a few words trip him up now and then. I think they’ll get along just fine.

As we were departing for dinner Arthur checked his mailbox. It had an orange card in it that said . . .

“Your classes have been canceled due to . . . ”

I haven’t had an anxiety attack in a good long time, even driving across tall, old, bridges in Minnesota.

Life is good. Thanks be to God. food Bronwyn of Blogwyn

2009-09-20T19:47:05Z

He did not call me that - I admit to it myself. My sons are both better at packing than my husband, specifically loading the designated objects into the vehicle in a logical, orderly, accessible, space efficient fashion. Of course no one does it as well as I do - but that’s another Blog topic for another day.

Yesterday afternoon we departed with final stops for lunch at Grand Ole Creamery with Lynn, and a sweatshirt delivery and hug goodbye for Joscey the GF.Then we were off, departing Hastings around 3 p.m. We were only three hours behind our target departure time. Not bad.

We had rain and horrible traffic on our way out of the metro area. It was perfect for reading the final installment of Harry Potter. We have read the previous six books aloud together over the years. We decided this summer that reading “The Deathly Hallows” in the same family fashion would be a cool thing to do the summer before Arthur departed for college. So we began reading at 3 a.m. the night we acquired the volume from Barnes & Noble in Apple Valley.

Trying to do bedtime story style reading with teenage boys is a whole different challenge than reading “The Half Blood Prince” over two years ago before the boys had a social life, transportation, and girlfriends! So it’s taken us the whole summer to get to page 457.

It's a surveyor's transit marking a Continental Divide. The signs

2009-09-20T19:47:04Z

It was not the Lousiana Purchase that brought the territories now known as Northwestern Minnesota and North Dakota into the United States, but our success in the war of 1812 and the following treaty. The raised platform at the base is a sculpture of a flint arrowhead representing the thousands of Native American Indians who inhabited the area long before British and French explorers claimed it.Who knew?

We made it home around 3 p.m. It was too late in the day for a nap, so we headed for the river. Tom and Beth joined us and we went back to the Eagle nest. The young one was flying around, checking us out, and making some noise. Mom and Dad were no where to be seen. The young one must be old enough to leave home alone and Mom and Dad were out on a date. It was a beautiful evening for it. The stunning sunset was immediately followed by an equally spectacular moonrise.

If not, his new-best-friend, Dave

2009-09-18T19:47:02Z

I’m not holding my breath, but I am praying. This, too, shall pass.

Dale and Joren and I had a largely uneventful Road Trip home. We opted for a “balls to the walls” trip home, copping a two hour nap at a rest area at dawn. We played a little bit of “Sunset with Dave Letterman” while still in Montana. We tossed a watermelon out of the truck window on a desolate piece of I94 in eastern Montana while traveling 80 miles per hour.It was a spectacular scene, but the noise it made was the best. Joren does a pretty good imitation. Next time we pull a stunt like that we’ll video so we can make a UTube segment.

The Puppy Dog, Nessie, proved to be a great road-tripper. She was no problem at all and provided good muscle stretching at our gas and food stops.

Every trip we stop somewhere along the way and learn something. This time we noticed an interesting piece of functional looking art near a truck stop somewhere between Fergus Falls and Alexandria.

Phew! food Bronwyn of Blogwyn at 8:22 PM 0 grey Labels: Mighty

2009-09-16T19:47:00Z

I’m so sorry to leave you hanging.

On Saturday morning we went back over to the U and Dale met with the Registrar. It turns out that everything is in order except one simple click. Arthur, having failed to complete the “Finalize” button at the bottom of an e-mail that was sent to him, has to recall his class schedule and “do over,” so to speak. This could not be accomplished on Saturday because the computers were down.Of course! One could argue whether or not he A) actually received the suspect e-mail or B) clicked the “Finalize” button but our dial-up timed out his connectivity to the CyberBear system, or C) he blew off the e-mail because he only uses TEXT on a cell phone to communicate with the world! We will never know.

He has been able to reclaim all the classes he selected. He should be able to complete the “finalize” click on Wednesday morning.