For Aunt Jan

Take lots of pictures before the big event...

because it's difficult to get a good picture at the ceremony!

The Week in Preview

Monday: Go to work, pick up my girl at school, stop by the grocery store, cook dinner, wash dishes, do a load of laundry.

Tuesday: Go to work, run home and warm the left-overs, wash dishes, attend a school affair, do a load of laundry.

Wednesday: Go to work, pick up my girl from school, run to the university and see my son for a few minutes, pick up dinner, eat dinner, wash dishes, do a load of laundry.

Thursday: Attend the graduation ceremonies of my oldest son,
celebrate,
savor the memories,
acknowledge his accomplishments,
appreciate the sweetness of this semester,
shed a few tears and use a few tissues.

Friday: Go to work, bask in the beauty of grace, pick up my girl from school, shed a few happy tears, stop by the grocery store, bask again, cook dinner, shed a few more tears, wash dishes, do a load of laundry, bask in the beauty of grace one more time, watch a movie, fall asleep at peace.

Did you know...

...that my sweet son is now a college senior,

and his devoted dog is becoming seriously sad over the thought that Steven will soon be moving on and exploring the world without her.

As am I.
As is his dad.
And his brother.
And even his other sister.


...that our sweet son wants a plane ticket to Pamplona as an extra special graduation gift.

...that Steven has an internship this semester at a local office of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is thrilled!

...that our sweet son recently purchased his first car.

...that I will edit photos to smudge out dings and dents!

...that every second
of every minute
of every hour
of every day
Dale and I both realize
the implications
of living with VHL.

...that not a day
nor an hour
nor a minute
nor a second
goes by
that we don't give thanks
for the life that our sweet son
lives.

Back to School

We drove Steven back to Tallahassee yesterday.

What great mind of the ancient Greek mathematical society decided that "4" was an even number?

Pythagoras maybe?

Well, he was wrong.

Four is an odd number.
Without a doubt, four is odd.

Another First

Today was Steven first official day of college. I had an email when I got home from work that said, "art class will be cool because of content. honors psych will be great because of content and prof."

I knew that he would be very happy to start classes.

Steven's copy of the summer reading assignment for incoming freshman at FSU...
the dog truly ate his homework!

Catching Up

With Steven,

The most wonderful aspect of sending a child four hours from home in this day and age is that we never really lose touch. Between phone calls, IMs and emails, we consider ourselves lucky to have daily contact with our sweet boy.

The latest news:

Steven has a few schedule changes already. He has added a soccer PE class and switched his math class from "Math for the Liberal Arts" to "College Algebra". Yeah for being brave and leaving options open!

The major has been switched once again, but if I were to share the details your head might hurt as much as mine from all of the twists and turns.

Tonight on campus they are featureing Cosmic Bowling!


Mary,

Today Mary gave the school bus driver eight names for referrals.
Is it possible that bus patrols have quotas?


and David

Lets just say that I will be David's personal driver for the next 1 1/2 years...and with Dale as his sidekick, I think that 18 months might be a gross underestimate of his penance.

For Aunt Jan

Who is also moving her oldest into the halls of academia this weekend


Steven has a U-box address. He would love some mail!

Steven, out to dinner in Tallahassee...August 18, 2007

Address mail to:

Steven Angotti
U Box # 62318
Tallahassee, Florida 32313

I also have an address for packages, but it requires adding his room number and dorm. Email me if you want that!

Best wishes and happy thoughts for Marty!


Anyone else thinking of sending Steven mail...please do!

My Son

At FSU

We took my sweet boy to college yesterday.
He is moved in to his new life.

This new adventure that we worked so hard to insure has left us slightly rattled and a bit lonely.

But I know that these changes just require some time and adjustment.

This morning I checked beds, as I do every morning upon waking, and I was taken aback by the fact that Steven's bed was empty.

And the odd silence that surrounds the absence of my quiet child is deafening.

But it is exactly what we wanted.
This sort of emptiness is just as it should be.
It is exactly right.

And it is good.

Countdown

Three days

We never let the dog eat our food.

But he really loves his dog, and his dog really loves him.

So tonight Daisy feasted on grilled steak and salad from Steven's plate.

I think Daisy already realizes that she is going to miss him.

Happy Feet

Getting in touch with his feminine side

Steven and I ran errand after errand this morning. And with every step taken and every mile passed, I grabbed the opportunity for some heart-to-heart conversations with my son. We talked about dorms and roommates and the logistics of televisions. We spoke of college majors and future plans. We were able to discuss hopes and dreams and finding new joys. We were able to talk about this new and really huge step toward independence.

And I was able to express my reality of missing him, missing him every single day.

Our last errand included delivering lunch to David, my working child, at 1:30. As Steven jumped back into the car, a sign caught his eye, and his face literally glowed.

"Mom, lets get pedicures!"

Seriously, on any other day I would have turned him down. I don't like one thing about pedicures. I don't like people attacking the skin around my nails with sharp little objects. I don't like someone rubbing lotions into the bottom of my very sensitive feet. I don't even like the way those little pumice stones feel against my skin. I simply don't like pedicures.

Today, however, after our long and meaningful morning talks, there was no way I was going to be able to say no to my boy! I simply couldn't say no! I had to agree!

And as I sat in that chair grimacing and squirming, little cries escaping with every twist of the nail-techs hands, I had to admit that I was enjoying every single moment of the torture!

Every moment!

Responsibility

The Master Plan

While preparing your son for college, this is the very last conversation you want to hear:

"Mom, I'll need 14 pairs of underpants."

"Fourteen? Why?"

"Because I'm only doing laundry every two weeks."

He also plans on visiting home every other weekend.

I think I see the strategy, the general blueprint, for the college years.

He definitely has a plan.

College Life

He might just like it!

This past Sunday Steven and I helped Vanessa move into her dorm for a summer session of classes. We trudged, climbed and sweated our way through fifteen boxes of fluff!

But the results were wonderful!

Last night Steven had a chance to visit Vanessa and her new friends in the dorm and partake in a little bit of revelry before his big push into collge life.

He came home enthusiastic, eager and absolutely gushing over dorm life!

Maybe I need to remind him that he won't be living in a girl's dorm!

Tomorrow?

Yesterday

Today

This transformation is easily explained.

Steven registered for fall classes this morning. I should have known that the interaction with advisers, the smell of a classroom, the thought of new ideas and the lure of a book would bring Steven back to his senses. He is now ready to give FSU a try, and today his major is...

anthropology!