Thinking It Through

The day we left to take Job to college, he spent some time alone at the top of the treehouse (well...treehouse in progress). I couldn't tell if he was praying or just thinking, but I could feel the poignancy of the moment. He seemed to be saying goodbye...

To what exactly?

...childhood?

...our home?

...us?

I imagine only he really knows...and that's fine by me.

Much Love. Take Care.

 

Off To College! (Part 2)

We took Job up to college on an August Thursday so he could participate in a pre-orientation retreat before the actual orientation began that following Sunday. Only Craig, Maia and I went up for this leg of the journey, and we were packed to the gills with the necessaries of setting-up a dorm room. Getting keys, finding the right dorm, and finding the right room in that dorm was so exciting...for all of us!

Figuring out how to actually work the key card and code thingy on the door took some doing...and finally, after a few unfruitful attempts, some instruction reading.

Maia tried her best to wait patiently in the hallway while Job figured it out...

...but finally I think she couldn't stand another moment of waiting to see what the dorm room looked like and just had to get actively involved!

Success! We finally made it into the room and got our first glimpse of where Job will be spending the next year of his life.  Small but adequate (and actually better than we had anticipated from the college website photos)..but more importantly, totally his space...well, his and his freshman roommate, of course.

Maia gave it a thumbs up!

After many trips back and forth unloading the van, Job realized the job was done at last...

...and headed back inside to his new abode...

...but graciously posed for a picture for his dear old mom, waiting, as usual, with a camera in her hand.

I think this bright young man looks ready for his future...sturdy backpack, black briefcase, glasses, and...uh...is that your ninja sword? Well...who knows what the future may hold, right?   ;o)

The building has some interesting architectural features...

...that Job thought might lead to a shortcut inside...but nope...it's main entrance all the way for this dorm!

After finding his way back to his new neck of the woods...

...he and Maia shared a moment...

...or two...

I think I'd call that a "happy dance"...wouldn't you?

Much Love. Take Care.

The Elders POP+

I love this photo of Job and Maia,

a POP (Post of Previosity) from April 1995,

when Job would have been about 21 months old and Maia almost 9 months.

It's one of my all-time favorites!

What I love is that it shows the natural inclinations, personalities

and sibling relationship of these two...even today.

Job tends to be focused on the activity of the moment, and the tools and items related to that activity, which for him in this picture is clearly the sippy cup, the drinking of the juice, and the wearing of the sunglasses. Maia tends to focus on the people of the activity of the moment and relating with them, and thus the items of the activity of the moment are kind of unimportant to her...she was simply wanting to "talk" to the nice mommy lady standing over her with the flashy-light-camera-thing.

Job has usually tended to exhibit a degree of reserve. Maia has usually -- well, almost always -- approached situations with a desire to dive right in. Job has tended to have his mouth closed much more often than it's open. Maia has tended to have her mouth open communicating something much more often than it's closed. Job tends to be methodical. Maia tends to be a bit freestyle.

Yet, with all of their differences, or maybe because of their differences, Job and Maia have always been very close siblings, and I think are even closer now than ever before. Perhaps they balance each other? Either way, as a mother, their special relationship has warmed my heart again and again over the years. And...the funny thing is that in recent years they seem to have started rubbing off on each other. Job is a whole lot more social these days and enjoys getting to know new people in new situations, and actively seeks out those opportunities. Maia is now contemplatively reserved in situations that warrant it, and has a greater appreciation for methods and procedures.

But I still sometimes manage to capture a few photos,

like this one from Job's graduation day,

that take me right back to April 1995...

...classic!

Much Love. Take Care.

Off to College! (Part 1)

So...the long anticipated day finally arrived, and our-baby-no-more Job, now a "six-foot-two" handsome and very capable young adult, headed off to college!

I have been negligent here, for some time, by not posting the news of his final college choice, which we were sure of way back on May 1st when we had to "sign on the dotted line" per say, and confirm his spot in the...

Carnegie Mellon University

Class of 2015!

We have delighted with him, over the part several months now, in this decision, believing CMU to be a great fit for Job. And while I must gratefully and proudly declare that he had many wonderful options from which to choose (even the awesome Johns Hopkins University, right here practically in our back yard...no really, I'm serious, it's that close...hmmmm...maybe that's why he sent them a "Thanks for the acceptance, but I will not be enrolling" letter!), we are all very happy with his choice, especially because he is so happy with it.

For Job, the choice boiled down to an excellent mechanical engineering department coupled with an excellent visual arts department, and the opportunity to continue his studies in arguably the country's best graduate robotics program. Knowing that he really liked the campus and the city of Pittsburgh from a 6-week summer program stay there last summer didn't hurt either. Not to mention the fact that Carnegie Mellon has squash courts right on campus, and a 30-something percent ethnic diversity figure. It all added up to a win-win formula for Job.

His parents really like the fact that he is only a four-hour drive away. Yessss!!!

This is how Job's CMU acceptance info creatively came in the mail...

...and this was the letter he found inside...

So, of course we drove up for the accepted students' weekend in April. That was so exciting for all of us. This trip it was just Job and I and a good friend high school classmate of his, Elliott Taft, who also had been accepted, and Elliott's mother, Val. Seeing the huge "Welcome Class of 2015" banner was exhilarating!

Job and Elliott stayed on campus, hosted by current CMU students that weekend, while Val and I shared a room and chilled at a nearby Pittsburgh hotel. We did the full round of accepted family giddiness, from posing with the "Congratulations! Welcome!" folders...

...to posing with the CMU Scottie Dog Mascot...

...to enjoying the various student choirs singing at the welcome dinner....

(that's Job down front in the yellow shirt)

...to enjoying touring all the great eatery areas on campus...

..and posing next to random Carnegie Mellon signage!

The guys had a great time and ran into various friends they knew from the CMU summer program the year before, like this young lady...

Everyone was all smiles. If you've never been the parent of a high school senior, diligently and stressfully guiding an almost-but-not-quite-adult teenager through the minimum six-months-long process of identifying colleges of interest, visiting them all (almost), SAT prepping, battling-senioritis-grades-management, endless applicationing, and finally the brutal and agonizing months of admissions-decision-waiting...just wait...or better still, just trust me...those smiles on our faces were WELL EARNED!

We feel so blessed that our son is able to be right where he wants to be for this season of his life. How awesome! I'll post some photos from dorm check-in day later this week (hopefully!).

Meanwhile, here's a link to a neat little Carnegie Mellon bragbook of ideas and innovation:
http://www.cmu.edu/social/brag/bragbook.pdf

Too wonderful!

And one little Carnegie Mellon fun fact: the university's official school colors are PLAID. Yes, that's right, not green and gold, or orange and blue, or burgundy and black, but PLAID! I just love it!

Enjoy it all Job! You've earned it!

Much Love. Take Care.

August Swimming...Lessons?

The kids and I headed to the pool again this morning, for Montgomery and Johngideon's swimming lessons. It was nice that everyone "wanted" to go...or at least they did by the time they got there.  ;o)  While Montgomery had her lesson, Maia continued with her water exercises, and the boys threw each other around in the shallow end, or rather the youngers attacked Job and he delightedly threw them around. I got to sit and chat with a friend I'd been trying to connect with for a couple of weeks, but we'd been delayed by things like life and the stuff of schedules.

After Gommy's lesson was over, it was Johngideon's turn. I think because it's August, a good number of families are on vacation, so Johngideon's lessons this week have so far worked out to be private affairs. Which would be a delight for a family of seven, such as ours, on a reasonable budget, such as ours, to have paid for group lessons yet wound up with private ones, except that Johngideon decided today (as he'd done Friday) that it was too chilly for swimming lessons, so spent quite a lot of time on the side of the pool, huddled into himself, while his two -- yes, I did say TWO -- instructors stood over him trying to cajole him back into the pool. (Needless to say, his mother was not amused.)

See, there he is above, the small bundle of red miserableness at the far end of the pool, between the two -- yes, I did say TWO -- instructors standing on either side, promising him all manner of things if he'll just get back in the water. (Meanwhile Maia is peacefully and thankfully obliviously swimming her laps.)

And again, hunkered down into a small ball this time (to the left of the lifeguard this time...who is watching this scene in amused disbelief), having brought one of his instructors to her knees (I think the poor girl just gave up!) (oh, for a better zoom camera to capture the expressions on their faces!)...

True, there was a bit of a wind today, but it hadn't seemed to bother him too much thirty minutes earlier when he was joyfully and shriekedly being thrown all over the water WWF-SmackDown-style by his big brothers. Hmmmm.....

While Johngideon was causing his instructors to think it would probably be easier to have a class full of twelve kids instead, Montgomery was snuggling under a big towel on a lounger by her other brothers, enjoying a little sun-warming time while they tossed a wet towel at each other.

When Johngideon finally had endured the full-length of the excruciating 30-minute(!) (really?!) lesson, he dragged himself (shivering violently for effect) back to a lounger and "thawed out" in the sun...which was exactly what his older brothers were up to by now. Isn't it funny how the boys' feet hang through the threads on the loungers...

Job was actually just trying to stay on the thing, I think, because he seems to have grown longer than it! Montgomery, meanwhile, had headed off to the kiddie pool to play with some new friends.

Speaking of Montgomery, Craig has been teaching her to swim all summer long, and wow, has she learned! She went from a kid just walking around in the shallow end, to a bonefide deep water dogpaddler! Last week in South Carolina, she was sliding down the slide all by herself and "swimming" to the ladder. And late last week at swim class (her first professionally taught lessons in months), she jumped off the diving board for the first time in her life!...

and "swam" to the side...in 11-feet-deep water!!...
(Maia was a super-smiling big sister watching from the water, you know, just in case.  :o)

and then Gommy lined up (chilly but proud) to do it all over again, and again, and again, and again...

(even though she was completely submerged with each jump)

until after the lesson ended...and again...and again...until we had to practically force her from the deep end!

I love it!

Take Care. Much Love.

 

Early Morning Collaboration

I awoke to a beautiful sight early one morning last week. The boys were all up and already outside, working on the treehouse together.

Job had a work-related activity to attend that evening and wasn't going to be able to work on the project after he got home from his camp counsellors job, so they had gotten up early, like 6:00 a.m.(!!) to try and finish the look-out platform's base.

It warmed my heart to see them cooperating and valuing each other's input...and even hearing the youngers so cheerfully following Job's instructions. Everyone had a job to do and was eager to do it. Brotherly love abounded.

In the lulls where there was nothing readily available for an 8-yr-old to do, Johngideon would take a swing break.

Then he'd be right back in business when there was a job for him.

Just awesome.

Take Care. Much Love.

 

 



Working on The Tree House

My children have wanted a tree house since several years before we moved from our old house...and we moved three years ago. We knew immediately which tree it would have been at our old house, and then again knew exactly which tree here at the new...well, three years ago "new." So, with Job heading off to college soon, and with him loving to design and build, I thought it would be wonderful if he built the treehouse for his siblings before he left...as kind of a daily legacy of love to them. Fortunately, he thought so too. So, after a few delayed starts (life, work, you know), he got off to the building, and just this past weekend secured the supports for the swing beam, which will swing no fewer than 4 children! Which is awesome, as there are usually at least four children outside wanting to swing at the same time, between our two youngest and our neighbor friends, and our current swingset only accommodates two.

When the initial framework was finally secured, Job climbed up and gingerly inched along the brace, wanting to make sure it was as sturdy as he thought it was before he got too comfortable up there.

No worries...its rock solid...even by my over-the-top cautious mother standards. Craig is helping Job as he goes with extra hands and advice, as is our highly talented neighbor Todd, who is a builder by trade but an artist by birth. I think for Job the planning and research has been the most cumbersome, especially because his mother keeps saying to him things like, "I just need to know it's going to be safe" and "If you're going to err, err on the side of caution" and "Be careful with that saw...are you sure its turned the right way?" and "The question to ask yourself is will it hold up ten years from now?" and "Trust me, it can never be too strong; I see what the plans call for, but why don't you use the thicker wood instead." Needless to say, I think Job much prefers Craig and Todd's advice. To his credit, despite my running peanut gallery commentary, he seems more determined than ever to finish, and hasn't walked out on the job yet.

These pictures are from just the successful swing beam support structure attaching. Turns out the swing beam itself is a special order piece of lumber, so that will be several days coming. Today, he added on by affixing the first support for the cantilevered platform, which will be a 4'x5' lookout deck on the south side of the tree, and also the highest point of the whole thing, which hopefully will end up with several levels, an enclosed "house" section and a few other goodies. I was on the front porch and heard a shout from him and looked in the backyard to find him jubilantly swinging from the cantilevered beam (not yet pictured here). He was thrilled to have successfully designed and attached it so quickly.

Not that Job will be able get the whole kit and caboodle built before he ships off to school, but I think he'll have some good, solid, playable railed platforms completed, which will truly delight his youngest siblings throughout the fall.

(By the way, its the camera that was tilted here...not the tree and braces!)

Here's to a project well-begun!

Take Care. Much Love.

 

Say it ain't so!

Be still my heart!

Attended the Seniors Mother/Son Breakfast this morning at Job's school.

S-s-sssnniiiffff!!

Had a nice time, got the graduation invites, learned the ceremony details, admired the sentimental mementos and customized M&M's, got prom info, gave donation checks, [wo]manned the dessert table at the sports day cook-out, took lots of photos and a bit of video, smiled and chatted with other moms, ate a burger and some cookies, smiled and chatted with teachers, took more photos, fielded crazy phone calls from the other kids home for Spring Break, smiled and chatted with Job...and wondered where all those years went...

...so quickly.

Take your time moms...enjoy the ride...try, try, oh try to stroll...one day you'll look up and realize it's only 44 days 'till your "baby" graduates from high school.

Much love. Take care.