Stuff

So, I've totally screwed the pooch with NaBloPoMo, eh?

Things bouncing back and forth in my brain like a ping pong game gone astray.

• Mal will be 18 in 12 days. It seems really significant. Like we've taken this person and got her to "adulthood" with only a few psychological bumps and bruises, and little physical demarcation. It's like finishing the marathon. It really seems like yesterday that I held her for the first time. I alternate between wanting to pump my arms in the air and yell "yes" and getting very verklempt wondering where the last couple of decades have gone. How did I go from that phase where all I thought about was sleeping through the night to figuring out how to get another person through college?
• Speaking of college, Mall got her first acceptance letter, and it came with a nice merit scholarship. My guess is that soon we will know where she was headed. Exciting. Proud. Happy for her.
• There is lots of Circle of Life stuff going on. I show my dad how to use Facebook and Twitter, my kids load my iPod, my dad works with Mason on tying his shoes. We're all competent somewhere and clueless somewhere else.
• My aunt made the best cake, it's a version of a carrot cake, but has cranberry in it. Super moist. Super good. I'll post the recipe when I get it.
• Rory has so much more initiative and courage than I did as a teenager. The same could be said of Mallory in some ways, but I'm just noticing in Rory. Rory's dreams are similar to the ones I nurtured in high school. She wants to be a performer. She's following through on lots of things that may make it happen. I'm happy for her.
• My dog continues to be a charming goat. She is so damn cute, but damn she will eat anything. Including barrettes, underwear, iPod covers...there are some people in the house who are less than charmed, I have to tell you.
• We've told Mason that the peeni$$ monster is going to come in the house in the middle of the night and steal his if he doesn't a) stay in bed all night b) leave his sisters alone at 6:00 a.m. c)stay out of their rooms d) leave the tampons and pads alone(he shoots the tampons like rockets in the air). His response? Laughter. Little jerk.
• Oh, and about living the last 18 years over again? I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd hold that little blue eyed-fat cheeked-Elvis baby one more time and say yes to all of it. It's been a joy that words help me fail to describe.

Comments

[dawn]

Wow -- majorityhood! How will you guys be celebrating? And congrats to her on the merit scholarship and to you for getting to take some of the credit for raising her so dang good!!

[Lisa V]

It will be Mal's 18th birthday, and my 46th. So far the plan is a nice Italian dinner early in the evening and then Mallory will hook up with some friends to buy lottery tickets, pooorn and cigs. ;) Bert and I will probably go to the movies or something decadent.

[Anna]

Congratulations to Mal on her acceptance and scholarship, how fantastic! And happy birthday to both of you.