A Halloween fashion show, of sorts...

Okay, I already warned you guys that this was guaranteed to evolve into The Year of Being Sappy, right? Well, so far the beginning of the new school year had been fairly effective at helping me postpone being caught up in any overwhelming waves of melancholy or throes of panic about the...(I'm just gonna say it...c'mon, you can do this...deep breath...here goes...) Countdown to College. (Gulp...) What with all of the soccer mayhem (for the Freshman) and academic hoopla (both 9th and 12th grade)--not to mention the application-palooza that needed to be addressed, in order to advance the potential future plans of a certain High School Senior...it's really no wonder that it took me this long to suffer my first official bout of...Mom-stalgia. (Huh--I must not be too bad yet, if I can still make up words, yeah?)

Anyway, it occurred to me today that this will be the last Halloween Derek will be spending at home (or at least..."close by"--more on that later). I know, I know--what a silly thing to get all misty about...and don't get me wrong, I'm not sobbing into my bowl of chocolate, or anything (if only because that would ruin the candy...DUH!). It's more of a "realization", if you will, that things are changing from here on out, so I should make even more of a concerted effort than usual to pay attention, remember, and record as many moments as possible, in the upcoming months.

However, it also got me thinking about...the Ghost of Halloweens Past...which inspired me to look back through old photo albums and dig up some snapshots of young Derek and Riley in their seasonal finery. This turned out to be an absolutely fabulous idea, as I greatly enjoyed myself, giggling my way across the years of costumed cuteness. And because I'm such a sharing individual, I'm going to let you in on some of the festivities. (Lucky you! Or, that's your cue to run screaming in the other direction. It's your choice--no judgment if looking at other people's kids in goofy get-ups isn't your thing. Either way, I suggest you cue up a selection of your favorite All Hallows Eve treats...you know, just in case...)

So, let's start at the beginning, shall we? Derek's first Halloween: Husband had the cow costume from "way back when", and I swear he manufactured any excuse to wear that thing. (No, seriously, there are pictures of him skiing in it, among other activities. As you may have guessed, many of them involved adult beverages. That's all I'm gonna say. Just. Don't. Ask.) Therefore it seemed like a no-brainer to buy a mini-bovine-version for his firstborn son. The results, as you can see, are both ridiculous...but also kind of freakin' adorable...

Next we have the legendary dinosaur suit, which I bought at a Children's Place outlet store for, I believe 20-bucks, and Derek proceeded to wear for the next THREE years, because he loved it so much. (This still reigns in our household as the Best. Clothing. Purchase. Ever. and is unlikely to lose that title any time soon...also, when Derek finally outgrew it, Riley smoothly took it right over, and kept the tradition alive. And you know, that fuzzy full-body-fun-suit never fell apart--I finally just donated it to a thrift store when both boys had to admit they were too big to squeeze into it anymore. Sniffle...)

Speaking of the younger brother, the year that Riley came along, Derek started preschool, so we have the infant dressed as some sort of monster-type-thingie, aaaannnnd Derek rocking...the dinosaur again. Well, at least he made it easy on us!

I don't recall exactly whose idea this was or why, but when Derek was in Kindergarten we apparently decided to make him a King costume. (King of what? Eh, your guess is as good as mine.) Trust me when I tell you that this represents the extent of my...creative crafting abilities. (Yep, I drew on a turtleneck with fabric markers. Fortunately, he was 5, and didn't know any better, and thought it was awesome...so yaaayyy, us!) Meanwhile, Riley wore a firefighter ensemble that had been a Christmas present the previous year. (So to recap: homemade cheap outfit, + something that already lived in our toy box = winning!)

By 2006, Derek was firmly into his Music Phase. It just seemed like a natural choice to combine his love of drumming...with the iconic character known for his wild antics in the Muppet band. The shirt was from Target...the microphone his own...the hair sculpted by Mom, with the help of a whole lotta gel...and the expression? Pure, unadulterated Derek...ness. And then there's Riley...who at this point had clearly entered what would turn out to be a lengthy, dedicated, passionate Thomas the Tank Engine period of his life. (As you'll see from the next 2 years, in which he stubbornly wore the exact same costume, refusing to even entertain the notion of switching things up. (What can I say? The boy knew what he liked...)

Second grade Derek and preschool Riley opted for a traditional Orioles player...and the train dude again. (Hey, you can't say I didn't warn you...) The next year, Derek chose a Star Wars theme--because you can't go wrong with a Jedi, obviously. And...the familiar engine-with-a-face for Kindergarten (because his new friends probably hadn't seen it a million times....or whatever...)

And finally, the last year I actually have photographic evidence of the boys dressing up, we have vampire Riley and ninja Derek. I have no earthly clue why either one of them chose those particular items, but I seem to remember that--unlike when they were little, and just threw on the same delightful combination for several consecutive holidays, it was becoming more difficult to figure out what they wanted to transform into for the magical night of make-believe. Especially with the dual additional challenges of my admitted ineptitude in the Project Runway arena...and unwillingness to shell out loads of moolah for pre-made stuff meant to be worn once. So...yeah...the Halloween costume streak eventually ran out of steam, allowing the boys to instead shift their focus to the true meaning of the special day...that's right, obtaining and consuming as much sweet stuff as humanly possible in the short window of time slated for such endeavors.

As such, I'll wrap up with the touching note that was left for me this year:

(You'll see that neighbors' names have been skillfully redacted, to protect the....overly-sugared...) Yes, they each had plans--one to greet trick-or-treaters and pass out candy at a friend's house, and the other to eat pizza and watch some of the World Series game with his own group of buddies. As for me, I manned the door here at Casa WestEnders, chuckling over the heartwarming memories of byegone Halloweens, doling out goodies to visiting kiddos...and eyeing up the LEFTOVERS, so I can drown my sorrows with the proven healing power of Hershey's at a later time, if need be! (Whew--sounds like an excellent scheme! Now I can move on to figuring out how to deal with Thanksgiving.....siiiighhhh...)

Halloween 2017--just being...themselves!

Warning: not for the faint of heart (or...stomach...)

There are many truths about growing older--some good, others...not so pleasant. For instance, the wisdom, experiences, and self-knowledge one presumably gains with passing years can be a wonderful by-product of aging. On the other hand, the body might begin treating you to a chorus of creaks and pops, an array of aches and pains, and a miasma of minor medical...stuff and nonsense. Eh, we can get all philosophical, and view it as a variation on "the price of doing (life's) business", right?

Okay, that sounds all healthy and well-adjusted, and whatnot! Except...for one teeny thing: at a certain birthday, the healthcare community advises you to undergo a routine test, just to get a baseline reading, if you will. Now, this procedure's reputation precedes it, from the many who have successfully completed the process--which is a positive thing, of course. However, it does tend to strike a hefty dose of dread into the hearts of those who must soon succumb...such as, oh, let's say...ME.

You've probably already guessed that I'm tiptoeing around the subject of the (whispering without moving her lips) colonoscopy. (Don't worry, I'm not going to use that word again. From here on out, I'll refer to it by the pseudonym "The Exam". Which will make us all feel better. But especially yours truly...) Yep, it was (unfortunately) time to pull on my big girl pants and schedule that sucker...so I held my breath and just made the call....then promptly put it out of my mind, because what's the point of worrying for months?

Then the paperwork showed up in the mail, reminding me that the date was approaching. Oh...goody!? That was my lukewarm-at-best reaction before I began reading through the instructions. I got as far as the page where it told me what I could and couldn't eat, 3-and-2-days beforehand...and was shocked to a dead stop. I'm not kidding--the list of foods one is allowed to consume consists almost entirely of...white items. As in, it specifically states NO fruits, vegetables, nuts, or whole grains...but things made with white flour are apparently hunky-dory. (Raising my hand) "Um...excuse me, gluten-free vegetarian, here! You've just banned my entire culinary repertoire--what the...HECK...am I supposed to eat?" By reading between the lines, I determined that the answer apparently is: "rice (excluding the brown variety)... pasta (but not the kind made with chickpeas that I usually enjoy)....bread (you guessed it--white only)...cereal (devoid of fiber)...dairy products...nope, that's it, soooo, good luck with that!"

Oh. Good. Heavens. That is literally a guide to exactly the OPPOSITE of how I normally go about nourishing myself on a day-to-day basis. But, I'm nothing if not a rule-follower, so I buckled up and prepared myself for two days of...colorless, low-fiber, nutritionally deficient, bland...junk, basically. For breakfast, I ate a yogurt, and pumpkin spice Cheerios (gluten-free, with only 2 grams of fiber--which technically counts as "cheating" a little bit, but whatevs, 'cuz a girl's gotta eat...something!). For lunch...white rice with butter and goat cheese. Seriously? It occurred to me as I gazed upon my snowy bowl of...mush...that I had been reduced to the diet of an extremely picky...small child. Yummmm....not. Dinner was gluten-free white bread with butter (again--which now probably marks the most of that condiment that I've EVER used in a day) and cheddar cheese. (I was so discombobulated that it didn't even occur to me to make a grilled cheese out of it...until just now. Ha! I'd make a terrible toddler...or college student...)

I pretty much repeated the same menu the next day, except for switching out the rice for pasta--made with rice and corn (but still topped with butter and cheese...Oy....). But wait, it gets even more ridiculous! For the final day before The Exam, you're supposed to eat (drumroll) ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! You may drink clear liquids throughout the day, but you're not permitted to consume any solid foods whatsoever. This, my friends, is going to--how shall I put this?--hmm, let's go with the succinct option: "suck". Knowing this, I even took a sick day from work, predicting that I'd be 1) extraordinarily grumpy and likely to bite one of my co-workers' heads off if they tried to talk to me, which they totally don't deserve, since they're lovely people, and 2) utterly freakin' useless anyway, after two days of cruddy nutrition, followed by a fasting period.

And you know what? I'm gonna spare you any discussion about what comes next...except to tell you it's the oh-so-delightful...ahem..."cleanse" one must self-administer before showing up for the actual imaging session. (Oh yeah, you're welcome!) I get to do that later tonight, and I've heard horror stories about it, so it's safe to say I'm eversoverymuch NOT looking forward to this particular activity. Afterwards, however, I'll supposedly just be able to go to bed, since I'll be weak with hunger, and also have to get up obnoxiously early to get this sucker over with at 9 a.m.

People who've gone down this path before have also assured me that The Exam itself is relatively quick, completely painless, and (perhaps most importantly) not-remembered, since you're under anaesthesia during the whole shebang. Meaning: hopefully the worst is behind me at this point? In any case, I can hold onto the notion that, when I'm finished, I''ll be free to scarf down Whatever. The Heck. I. Want. None of which will be the pearl-colored...or doused in butter...or blanketed with cheese...I can promise you that! Wish me luck, and keep your fingers crossed, y'all!

Was it really only ONE week? (Sheesh...felt like more!)

This week turned out to be kind of a chaotic one, and as such, when I finally sat down today to ponder how best to corral the events into any kind of unifying theme, even what I considered my most promising attempts still lacked...cohesiveness. (Translation: "sounded like a rambling mess". Wait, some of my posts end up like that anyway, don't they? Eh, let's make that "even less comprehensible than usual" and we'll just go with it, okay?) Thus I decided that the only real option was to use a hodgepodge approach-- which honestly is more indicative of how things unfolded--so without further ado, here goes:

--Riley's first season playing for his High School soccer team was supposed to have wrapped up on Friday...and it would have, if Monday's game hadn't been postponed until next Wednesday, due to the wet, squishy field conditions. (See, wasn't that confusing? Welcome to my world...) The finale was scheduled--as it usually is--against crosstown rival East Chapel Hill. Those of us rooting for the home team were rewarded by a hard-fought 2-0 victory, meaning that the JV Tigers and Wildcats split the series this year, each prevailing on their own turf. With only the makeup match to go, Riley has told me that--while he's definitely enjoyed being a part of the squad--he's feeling the fatigue from the combined effects of 3 months worth of nightly practices, and getting to bed late because he has to tackle his homework afterwards. He admits he's looking forward to a break--and he'll get it, all right...for about 2 weeks, until his club workouts begin. (Siiiighhhhhh....for both of us....)

--Meanwhile, Derek, having apparently internalized the Perils of Procrastination when frantically scrambling to complete and submit his first 2 college applications, said something along the lines of, "I'd really like to finish the next 2 that are due at the end of October before this weekend, if possible." (Pause: HAAAA-LE-LU-JAH ! Continue...) Aiding the process, one of them was already partially done, since it involved the Coalition App, which he'd "turned in" (you know, electronically...I just wanted to say that, because it amuses me in a nostalgic kind of way...) for University of South Carolina. One more pass of proofreading the demographic and other pertinent details...some Optional-But-Mom-Says-I-Have-to-'Cuz-It'll-Make-Me-a-Stronger-Candidate documents (which is an absolutely terrible name, right? I really should tighten that up...oh, yeah: "Recommended". Doh!)...and an edit of his autobiographical essay, to cut it down to the word count limit so he could include it as an also-not-required-but-why-not-it-can't-hurt Personal Statement....and that was that.

Oh, and the other one was substantially simpler, since they didn't really want any extra materials outside of his transcript (request already filed with the Counseling Department) and test scores (already ordered from the ACT program). Sooooo, the official count now stands at: 4 down, 3 to go...and the deadline for those isn't even until November 30th. Aaaahhhh....

--Switching gears: in seasonal news, we answered the doorbell on Friday night to find a plastic cauldron full of treats on our front porch, with the explanatory note that we'd been...BOOed. Not surprisingly, reactions around Team WestEnders varied, with Husband shaking his head and proclaiming it "silly"...and the boys more vociferously ranting about how they wouldn't support such nonsense, and couldn't believe someone had done this to us, an there was no way they'd follow the (very detailed) instructions and reciprocate. Whereas I walked into the kitchen to see what all the commotion was about and immediately exclaimed, "Oh, how CUTE! We're totally going to keep it going--who do you think should get BOOed next?" (Derek was predictably mortified--he gaped at me for a moment before snapping his mouth closed and retorting, "See? I KNEW she'd say something like that!" in his best tone of mock outrage.)

Hey, in my defense (if I needed one, which I DON'T, right?) our cul-de-sac street wasn't part of an actual neighborhood in Maryland, so while we often saw the evidence of these kinds of things, we were never included in them...and yeah, I'm excited to participate, so what? Anyway, I began considering what to purchase at Target to put into a basket for whoever we chose to "trick" the following night...but Derek brought the discussion to a screeching halt when he crowed, "Hey, I've got an idea! Let's just make it easy--put in 2 cans of beer and leave a sign that says 'You've been...BUSCHED'!" Oh. Good. Heavens. (You see what I have to work with? And this is why, my friends, I NEVER consult the Male Trio when planning holiday festivities...)

--And finally, since we're already sharing Derek's...ahem...razor-sharp-wit...or what have you...we'll bring this to a close with tales from the Senior's recent educational adventures. You see, he experienced not one, but TWO field trips this past week. The first involved a visit to a Health Careers Symposium at UNC Hospital. On a side note, Derek reported that--even though the High School kids' activities were confined to the medical portion of the campus--it was still interesting to be at the university when the undergraduate students are in attendance, and to witness the atmosphere that occurs during a semester.

As for the actual event, he got to participate in some hands-on lessons--for example, one involving fake (dummy) patients and the practice of health care techniques. The directions said to "administer a solution of sodium chloride." At which point my beloved child tells me that he turned toward his friend Mac, who was across the room, and called, "How about we just give them SALT, instead?" (Face...palm... ) Of course he was kidding, and achieved his desired result, which was reducing Mac to hysterical laughter. However, when recounting this to me he commented that, "Now a bunch of kids from snooty private schools think Chapel Hill is full of idiots!" He sounded entirely too gleeful--and satisfied--about this, if you ask me...but at least he had a good time? (Whatever...he didn't get thrown out, and I didn't get a call from his teacher, so we'll just move on...)

His other excursion had him traveling to a spot in Durham on the Eno River, to collect soil samples for analysis by his AP Environmental Science class. Beforehand, he was entirely unthrilled by the prospect of wading, in late-ish October. When he returned, though, he admitted that it had been fairly amusing--even if the only reason was because he missed yet another day of confinement in the actual school building, and instead got to advance his knowledge in the Great Outdoors.

So, there you have it: a week full of sports...Halloween shenanigans...school stuff (both K-12, and higher learning varieties). And now, for a weekend full of....N-O-T-H-I-N-G...whoo hoo!

That's two Carolinas...checked off the list!

This will go down in the history of Team WestEnders as the week of %$*& College Deadline...Distress. First off, I did mention in a previous post that the applications were all available more than 2 months ago, right? And that the Senior (bless his heart) procrastinated until the calendar read October before actually, you know, beginning to take any steps to complete them? (Which is the reason why it has become a code word in our family--if anyone mentions putting off a task, or not having enough time to do something, someone will cut them off by yelling "AUGUST!", effectively silencing their complaining and letting them know there's no sympathy for those who wait until the Last. Possible. Minute. Yeah, we've heard that word a LOT in this house lately, as you can imagine...)

Even though the actual applications are now online (unlike when I was doing them, and had to copy the details by hand, over...and over...), they still involve a great deal of information, and therefore take time and effort. (I mean, seriously--name, address, parents, blah blah blah...sure, those are tedious, but make sense. But is it really necessary to enter each and every class you've taken in High School...one at a time? When you're getting an official record sent to you separately anyway? I'm asking for a frazzled friend, of course...) Also, we were dismayed to discover that, after all the big talk about the Common App, only one of Derek's potential schools actually uses it. Another two use the Coalition App, but that still leaves 4 unique submissions he's going to have to manage. (Bottom Line: more work. Yaaayyyy....)

Then there's the fact that he neglected to ask for recommendations...until 2 weeks before they were due. "Um, honey? It would probably be in your best interest to give your very busy teachers more of a cushion...to come up with and write down complimentary things about you." (Since it's your future, and all....just sayin'...) Aaaannnnd, the transcript requests, which the Guidance Department would process and send out...with the properly completed form, an address (email or physical), an envelope if the particular university demanded a paper copy rather than an electronic version...and the designated fee, of course.

But before we could even turn in those "please send my transcript to X, Y, and Z institution" papers, Derek informed me we had to sign...the FERPA. I'm sorry, the what, now? (All I could think of when he told me was the Disney cartoon, Phineas and Ferb, and I couldn't imagine what they had to do with higher education. In my defense, it was nearing midnight in the midst of a grueling session of college...stuff...and I was a little loopy at the time....) Anyway...I would say that both of us are intelligent, computer literate, and sensible people...and I'm here to tell you that it nevertheless took our combined efforts, 2 different attempts, and about 30 minutes of precious time to locate that stupid FERPA thingie, nestled deeeeeep within the Common App's endless pages of data. Aaaaarghhhhhh!

But with that having been digitally accepted--by simply typing your name into the box, thank goodness--we could once again move forward. Um...where were we? Oh, yeah: checking to see whether Derek's test scores had already been sent to the various schools...which at least for the ones due this weekend, was a "yes". (Whew! We'll order those other ones...soon....) And then, I kid you not, Derek finally faced the writing portion of his job. You heard me: the day before the deadline, he composed 2 short answer responses and modified a longer autobiographical essay his AP English teacher had assigned at the beginning of the term...for just such an emergency. (Wise man, that one...remind me to thank him profusely...)

He then asked me to proofread/edit/make suggestions--which I was quite willing to do, of course. However, he was probably...less pleased...with my actual comments, since they involved such things as, oh, reworking entire sections, adding more personal examples, and in one case....starting over from scratch. (Yeeeahhh, it was a loooong afternoon o'fun, I tell ya...) Oh, and let's not forget the crucial step of--how shall I put this? "Cutting the fluff and tightening things up" to meet the strict word-count requirements of those unforgiving boxes in the online applications. Oy. I'm pretty sure it's the left side of my brain that hurts at the moment. (So what am I doing in my free time? Yep, writing about it...that's it, I've officially lost my marbles, y'all...)

Finally, at long last, there was only one step left: pay the piper...er "Admissions Office". Could it possibly be as easy as entering the credit card number and clicking "Submit"? Hahahahaha--of course not! The Common App caused us a bit of panic, since after we'd dutifully, thoroughly "Reviewed" the details...no magic "Continue" button appeared to guide us along our way. Derek and I each tried...multiple times...even clearing the browsing history and closing down Chrome to see if it could be a random glitch in cyberspace. When even those drastic measures failed to solve the problem, we abandoned Derek's computer to try another machine...which for whatever reason cooperated beautifully and allowed us to finish the process. ("I don't know, honey--maybe it's something in your security settings....you know....cookies...or whatever." Yeah, they don't call me Tech Support for nothing...snicker...)

Derek and I looked at each other--somewhat weary and shell-shocked--and suddenly broke into huge grins, and high-fived. "Whoo hoo! Two down, buddy! Doesn't that feel great?" He agreed that it did, indeed...and what he tactfully DIDN'T say was that it was also a huuuuuge relief that now his mother could quit nagging him about it for a while...or at least until the next 2 are due...at the end of October. GAH! But for the moment, he's earned some video game time, and I'm gonna spend a quality evening with whatever light and cheerful TV programming I can find. And just maybe...do some preliminary testing of the Halloween chocolate...all with the goal of resting up and mentally preparing for Round 2, naturally!

A Day in Durham

Friday was a gorgeous October day--warm but not scorching, brightly sunny, lightly breezy--that just screamed, "Get outside, spend some time in the fresh air, and enjoy this weather!" But first, there were things to do, of course...a physical therapy session...unavoidable Target and grocery store excursions (darn my family's insatiable demands for food...and personal hygiene products! Wait a minute, scratch that last one--it's true that the Male Trio doesn't require many toiletries, but I'll happily purchase them...for obvious reasons...). By the time I finished with the Must Do list, it was already noon, so I didn't want to venture too far afield for my entertainment.

Hmm....where to go that's relatively close by...offers an opportunity to walk around and sightsee a bit...and most importantly, provides lunch options, since by now I was starving? Well, when you put it that way, our friendly neighbor known as Durham seemed to fit the bill. Besides, I feel like I almost never go there, which is ridiculous, since it's right next door, so to speak. So I grabbed my camera and saddled up--um, "hopped in the Subaru""--for a short drive to the Bull City.

I used my phone's navigation app to direct me to an address "downtown", because the only place Team WestEnders goes on a regular basis is the DBAP for baseball games...but I needn't have bothered, as the parking deck where I left my car turned out to be within sight of the ballpark anyway. (Yeah, it turns out that "downtown" isn't all that big--file that useful little tidbit away for future jaunts!) Therefore I recognized where I was, for sure, but still hadn't actually strolled the sidewalks of that particular area before--so off I went.

Aaaaannnnd, Durham did not disappoint. I think what I appreciated most about it was the charming mix of history--as evidenced by the well-preserved buildings and commemorative statues sprinkled throughout the center of the city--and modern cool, with a seemingly endless variety of hip coffee shops, trendy boutiques, and unique restaurants.

In fact, it was while I was snapping pictures in front of one of the former (a grand, stately post office) that an intriguing sign for one of the latter caught my eye. From a distance, it appeared to show a..blue...chicken?...and I stood there for a moment, pondering out loud several things that were running through my mind. Such as, "Why is the poultry blue?" "Why isn't there a name of any kind on the banner, which might explain...anything at all about it?" And finally, "I wonder what kind of establishment that actually is?"

Clearly, I had to find out! (And I also figured it would be best to move on, before people started looking at me funny, since I was standing in the middle of the sidewalk...essentially having a conversation with myself. If I'm being honest, I do this probably more often than is strictly, you know, "normal" One of these days it's probably gonna come around to bite me in the butt. Until then, I'll make the most of my freedom to be out and about in the big, wide world...without appointed supervision...)

Anyway, the answer was: a small cafe called Scratch (which was helpfully noted on the OTHER side of the sign), serving what appeared from the menu to be delicious organic, farm-to-table types of dishes. Um...yes, please--this has ME written all over it! The chili-roasted sweet potato salad (on a bed of local lettuces, with bleu cheese vinaigrette and pecan cornbread croutons) called my name...and it was deeee-licious. (Bonus: my children would have been utterly horrified by the...let's call it "crunchy granola tree-hugger nature" of this place, so the fact that I got to savor a meal here on my own was hugely satisfying...)


And for the icing on the cake, if you will, when I emerged back into the sunlight from my lunchtime rest and refresh and took a good look around, I instantly knew where I was...a mere block or so away from an awesome venue called 9th Street Bakery...where past (scrumptious) experience reminds me that they sell a mouth-watering vegan, gluten free pumpkin bar. But since they make everything in-house, it remained to be seen whether they'd be stocking those fabulous sweets on this given day. Sure enough, when I walked in the front door, holding my breath, I immediately spotted them in the display case...and BOOM, my Durham adventure was...sweetly complete.

Suffice it to say that I was one happy camper as I headed back to my car. Photos, food, and fun...on a free Friday--what more could I ask for...except maybe another pumpkin bar? (Man...next time I'm buying TWO of those things...) Thanks, Durham--and peace out, for now!

"Applying yourself" (or...not...)

Well, folks, here we are...T-minus-12 days and counting until the first bunch of Derek's college applications are due. Okay, okay, there are only 2 of them in this initial batch. And admittedly, this deadline is for "Early Action"--that is, if you want to get your name in, have your credentials evaluated, and be informed in January, rather than wait longer, with the kids who go the regular decision route and hear back later in the Spring. So honestly, there's no actual penalty for missing the October 15th date, per se...but (this will come as a HUGE shock, I'm sure) I've been prodding Derek since the Summer to just to ahead and get stuff out of the way.

Why the...parental pressure? For one thing, at each of the campus tours we took, the Admissions Office made sure to highlight the fact that they tend to select a large portion of their Freshman class from these Fall submissions...and consider them for the full range of potential scholarship monies as well. (C'mon, say it with me--cha-ching!) Furthermore, let's face it, Senior year isn't going to get any easier, the deeper into it you get--not with 3 challenging AP courses on your plate, anyway. And finally...wouldn't you just prefer to find out how you stand--one way or the other--sooner rather than later?

With these compelling (says me) arguments in mind--and also because it's no secret that I'm...super-obsessively...organized (notice how I'm using the most positive spin?) even if my son isn't...I organized a Word document for Derek, listing the due dates and required materials for each of the schools he'd selected. (I know, I know, "Of COURSE you did!" And also, "Aren't you coddling the teenager? Shouldn't he really be doing this himself?" And I reply: "Yes...and yes." And in my defense....ish...I've already copped to the Type A personality, right? So I kind of can't help myself. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it...)

Besides, in theory, Derek should totally have his act together...since I'd dragged him along with me to the High School's Senior Parent Information Night in September. When I informed him he'd be accompanying me, you should have seen the flabbergasted look on his face. His voice rising incredulously, he sputtered, "You mean...I have to GO to that?" My rationale was something along the lines of, "It'll do you good to actually hear the presentation yourself, rather than me coming home and just telling you about it." (Which I'm sure he'd vastly prefer, but at least he had the sense to refrain from saying it...out loud...)

Aaaaannnd, you can probably guess that I got quite a bit out of it--as my copious notes attest--but he didn't retain many of the pertinent facts. Mostly he sat beside me and produced a steady stream of smart-aleck comments under his breath, causing me to shush him repeatedly so I could pay attention. (Sigh...I swear, how is it that sometimes our beloved almost-adult children can seem to be 17...going on 4?)

Oh well..at the very least, it prompted him to seriously ponder his pool of desirable universities--and even chat with some of his buddies who are in the same...pre-collegiate boat, if you will. For example, Derek relayed a very useful tidbit from Mac--namely that NC State requires you to apply to a specific major, rather than a general studies track. Also notable, Mac reminded us that State is known for several specialties (among them, Engineering, Architecture, and Veterinary Sciences)...and therefore, if you don't happen to want to do any of these things, you might not be happy there.

Sounds like the basis for quite a thoughtful and mature conversation, doesn't it? Would you like to hazard a guess as to how Derek actually conveyed this newfound intel to me? He'd just come home one evening from working a shift at Subway...and was headed to the shower when he bumped into me in the hallway and shared his NC State revelations. After getting all of that out in somewhat of a rush, he paused and grinned, "But we can talk about this more later. Because I probably shouldn’t be making any important college decisions... at 11:30 p.m…in my underwear!" (Um...it probably goes without saying, but I completely agree...)

Anyway, the result of these and other discussions was that a few institutions disappeared from the Master List, one was added, and the final tally came to: 7 (of which only 2 of them needed to be completed by October 15th, as I previously mentioned). However, did I leave out the fact that the applications generally become available around August 1st? I'll give you, oh, one guess as to how much effort Derek put in...before the school term began? Or, in September? That's right, WHY NOT wait until less than 2 weeks before all of the pieces are due, and THEN start thinking about preparing your writing samples, filling out the online demographic data, requesting letters of recommendation from teachers, gathering transcripts and counselor statements, and forwarding standardized test scores? (Seriously, dude, are you TRYING to drive your mother out of her ever-loving mind? 'Cuz it's working!)

Ay yi yi. The good news/bad news of the situation is that UNC is one of the first up....and also by FAR the most rigorous application among Derek's choices. So...he'll be hustling to wrangle all the parts in time...but then he can relax when it's finished? Fortunately, the only other one due right now is the more southern of the Carolinas...which has waaaaay less stringent demands. He can't exactly take too much of a breather, though, as a couple more of his schools have November 1st Early Action dates. And then--whoo hoo--he has the entire month of November to get the final 3 turned in--which by that point should be a piece o'cake, yeah? (Fingers most definitely crossed...)

Whew! The upshot is: someone has a LOT to do in the next fortnight or so...which realistically I expect will also involve me, in some kind of support capacity--even if only to enter the credit card details for each university's application fee! Hmmm...come to think of it, I feel like I'd better check what I wrote down from that presentation last month, as I vaguely recall something about a form I'm supposed to complete, describing my child, so the counseling department can familiarize themselves with him before sending references to colleges, blah blah blah. Oops--looks like I have some homework of my own to do, to keep this process moving forward! Sooooo, I guess we'll suck it up and suffer together...Mother/Son bonding, here we come....yaaaaayyyy...