The Process of Graduation.

This has been coming for a long time. It started with a big check for $225 in July of last year for "graduation". Silly me. I thought that was it. I am not the brightest person in the group. I am not sure what it covered other than the gown rental. So let's see what else has there been.

Pictures, announcements, after party, dress for graduation, shoes for the dresses, crew fees, transportation and food for regionals, (how can my child not have a pair of white shoes) hair cut, nails, prom- dress, hair, tickets, limo, alteration of dress, parking money for baccalaureate mass, lunches, I am sure there is more I don't remember. I have blocked it out.

But we are at the end. The process is winding down. It has been small steps this week. It started with Family Mass in the Holy Names Chapel on Tuesday. Followed with Baccalaureate at St. James Cathedral. I think it hit me that she IS GRADUATING. Now we are getting ready for the prom tonight. Graduation on Sunday.

This is sort of like labor. Once it starts, there is no way to stop it. Not that one would want it to stop....

Lasts

Last Final, Last Day of School. Last home work, last trip to the cafeteria, last...... All in preparation for firsts. First dorm, first roommate, first day of college... All of it seem like a great big dream. A good dream, but a dream. There is so much that whips by and we don't notice. I have taken time to notice. I always knew she was going to be my only child so I never wasted too much time being blah about it all.

So we are off to baccalaureate, graduation, all night graduation party and the such. Should be quite the adventure as we enter our last/first summer before college.

SHE MADE IT....... and that is all the matters.

Mother's Day 2010

Boring, boring, boring.... Who cares, I am so glad that this is yet another Mother's Day. I spend Friday fighting about Mother's day and the number of hours and who gets what. Seems like an obvious answer...It is Mother's Day. Should not take hours of attorney time and hours to figure it all out. I have decided that it should be the whole week-end. My child, my teenage ungrateful child decided I was wrong. Oh, well I will continue to act like it is my whole week-end. Do what I want, not do anything for anyone else and then enjoy the real celebration tomorrow.

Grateful that I am still a mom and I have a healthy child. I wish days like this did not make me reflect back but then maybe that is a good thing.

Gonzaga, here she comes

So the decision was made, the checks written, one of a million and the rest of the acceptances recycled.

Deep breaths, excitement and much anticipation. Of course today there was a crisis about the fact she did not receive an A on her AP Calculus test but then she is quite the worry wart when it comes to things like grades.

Grades were the one thing that cancer did not take away from her. She is going to college, with honors, with scholarships and with years of great schooling behind her. As I look at the pictures of her schools, I am beginning to see a theme.... First is Holy Names, Second is Gonzaga, third is St. Joseph's. Oh well. Tradition is the old new.