Tuesday, May 5, 2009

She's Home

Please join Emily and the others at Chatting at the Sky , where we're unwrapping the extraordianary gifts found in ordinary days. You can get there by clicking the button below.







JD3 and I woke up early Saturday morning with a plan. We would drive to College Town, take our sweet baby girl to lunch and then, while she was taking one of her final exams, we would visit with my mother-in-law. When she had aced the exam, (which I was sure she would do,) we would meet her at her dorm, load up all of her non-essentials, kiss her goodbye and drive home. She would stay behind with just the bare necessities and come home Tuesday after her last exam.

That was the plan. This is what happened. We did drive to College Town, and we did take our sweet baby girl to lunch in a beautifully converted old train station. While she was taking her exam, we did, indeed, visit Granna (my dear mother-in-law.) She had just moved in to a new apartment, so we spent some time unpacking boxes and moving furniture. And talking. And talking some more. We talked about family - the good, the bad, and the ugly. And the just plain weird! We talked about the contents of the boxes and whether the couch should go here or there. We wondered which lamp would look better on this table and would the cord be in the way if we put it here. We talked about lots of things, including our plans for the day. At some point during all of this talking, Granna wondered why we couldn’t I had the brilliant idea to just move Anna and all of her things home while we were there. College Town is just over an hour’s drive away. She could come home for a long weekend and then make a day trip back Tuesday to take the exam. So that’s what we did. We loaded up the cars, waved goodbye to dorm living and headed for the green, green grass of home.

Once again, three opinionated, stubborn, sarcastic people, (two of whom are hormonal females,) are living in our little house. Once again, the bathroom shelf, (the one in the only bathroom in the house,) is too small to hold all of the schtuff we need to make us look pretty and smell good. We run out of toilet paper faster. Groceries cost more and mornings are 5’ 9” grumpier than they were before. A mini-refrigerator is living in the back of my car and I have the unparalelled good fortune to have a driving coach, (“You know you can change lanes, don’t you?”) and an editor, (“Do you always double space there?”) living in the same house with me!

I love it! I love it because she’s home! Home for what may be the last summer that she actually lives here. In July, she will move into her first apartment and I know that this move will be one more little snip in those old apron strings (not to mention these old heartstrings.) But, being the good little Southern girl that I am, I'm in touch with my inner Scarlett O’Hara, and I won’t “… think about that today. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

Today, I’m going to celebrate our renewed three-ness. I’ll get a goodnight kiss every night and I’ll go to sleep knowing that she’s just on the other side of that wall. I’ll boss her around and I'll let her boss me around. We’ll laugh and cry and talk. And every morning, when I walk into the bathroom, I’ll smile. Because her toothbrush will be right there in the glass beside mine and her daddy’s. It’ll be a little gift to unwrap every day, a little reminder that, for at least this summer, she’s home.



20 comments:

southerninspiration said...

I clicked on over from Emily's and found your blog. I loved this post....next Tuesday I will bring my middle boy home from college for the summer. Yep, once again darling daughter will have to share the upstairs with her brother, and he will be home again. But, like you said, college changes them and it's likely to be the last time he will actually live here.....and dd will be gone in a short year, too. Again, loved reading and agreeing with all your feelings about it!

suzanne

roxie said...

bee, you are a terrific writer. I love your stories and pictures. Awsome girl....

Julie said...

Great story! When my oldest daughter went to college she had done her best to cut all the apron strings way way before that day...and did a darn good job of it too. Not only did I not cry...I told her it was her life...successes and failures and she would either "fly or die"..obviously meaning succeed or not.

Abbie said...

I too lived with my parents one last summer before my first "real" job started and it was hard, but good. And then before I knew it I was married and moving to another state. Glad you can enjoy each stage of your daughter!

jenn said...

how sweet! i know, that soon enough, I will be sending my little ones off to "college town"
all these bittersweet moments are the ones that make up our lives! enjoy your summer!

jenn

Dawn said...

what a story!! i love when life takes a turn for the brighter and surprises us with exactly what we need!
and you remind me that my time is not too far off... when i don't need all of the fingers on one hand to count the years until college, that wave of sadness breezes on past...

emily freeman said...

Well...I'm crying. But that's no surprise as I'm a crazy sap. I love these messy, imperfect, loving, wonderful moments of togetherness. Thanks for sharing your life and giving me a glimpse into my future with girls. Loved it.

JulyG319 said...

LOVE IT again!!!! It's funny because I can almost hear my mom's voice as I read it, as I'm sure that's how my mom felt when I'd come home from college.....
"and mornings are 5’ 9” grumpier than they were before".....LOL

Rebekah said...

Oh! I can hardly stand it! I tell my husband all the time, "Soon they're going to be in kindergarten/highschool/college/not living here." And he always replies, "Yes, but right now they're here." And I'm so glad they are.

southerninspiration said...

haha...you funny girl. Congrats on having a husband who doesn't like brown?????
Oh, ok, I understand about the couch....notice I've only shown pics of the new ones!!! :)

suzanne

Kristi said...

Thank you for your sweet words on my blog! I loved your unwrapped tuesday post! Of course I cried, as usual! LOL It reminded me of my mom and me my last semester I lived in the dorms. Good luck with next year! And reminded me that one day my little boy will not be on the other side of the wall....he'll be at college.

Rox said...

Thank you so much for your comment oon my blog!! I am Southern too... And what you said I totally got... completely and totally.. :)
Thank you again,
Rox

Scooper said...

thanks for your sweet comment on my blog. i just read this post...precious. makes me want to cherish every day with my daughter, now 8 but soon to be 18.

Melissa Stover said...

very sweet. enjoy the summer!

lcbannon said...

Love the pic you used with the 3 toothbrushes. Enjoy your time together. It will be a special memory for all of you. Thanks for the comment.

mamamia said...

this was wonderful! I always loved coming home for the summer, and the toothbrushes are a perfect way to tell how many heads are in the house. so great!

Cindy said...

Yes you will get to see the finished project. It is my granddaughters prom dress. My Daughter in law said I was just too patient....I think I wanna scream? LOL
Cindy

kidsinthecastle said...

Look at how polished your blog is! How many comments you have! Do you remember how nervous you were to start it?
You are a natural......you're sort of an addiction, actually. *_*

Caren

Bonita said...

Bee, I'm so happy for you! And you are one heck of a writer, girl!

Unknown said...

what an honour to read such mother love

 
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