Freshman Orientation!

 I am a mom who has taken her COLLEGE FRESHMAN to his ORIENTATION. YOU GUYS. Harry is leaving for college in LESS THAN FIFTY DAYS. How is this real life?

One thing I have noticed about college today versus college in the olden days is that kids are encouraged to declare a major before they even start classes. I think this is because college is so freaking expensive, and parents are really concerned about time to graduation. But! I personally think college is about growing up and figuring yourself out MORE THAN it is about a program of study, so I … don’t really care about a major?

Anywho, after his last round of AP test results, Harry decided to lean into what he loves and already has a semester’s worth of credits for and declared political science with an economics minor. He is thinking about adding a communication certificate. After he stopped at the undergraduate research booth on Saturday and a really nice Spanish professor asked him what he was studying, and all he could say was poli sci, he thought more about a sound bite encapsulation in the car on the way home. He wants to study how voter perceptions of US economic policy are both communicated and understood according to socioeconomic status. OK, THEN. PROCEED.

We learned a bunch of stuff about the campus, walked up the infamous hill to the dorms (NO JOKE YOU GUYS OMG WHO MAKES A COLLEGE CAMPUS ON A CLIFF???), got Harry’s books for the semester. (The university says textbook rental is included in tuition, but I still had to buy a book that’s not a rental for $150 grumble grumble). We also bought more Eau Claire stuff because of course. And! We listened to a whole morning of programming about joining in and belonging (separately) and then declined the group lunch and went out by ourselves. Erm.

I did take the provost’s advice to lean out and stop getting up in my kid’s life business and just be a supportive encouraging person who can direct my kid to resources when Harry showed me his schedule that includes 4 days of a super early class and also a huge break 3 days a week before his last class of the day. DANGER DANGER. But, you know what? Not my problem. He is going to have to figure out how to get down that freaking MOUNTAIN by 8 am and also climb the eff back up if he wants to eat in the cafeteria and then climb down and back for his last class of the day. I suggested that if he wants a later start or a shorter break, he should email the advisor who helped him sign up and left it at that. I think maybe more important than the algebra or economics stuff he is learning is the lesson in how to be a grown up who juggles things and learns about the kind of schedules he needs/likes/thrives on, you know?

Also when we got back from our lunch to do a lap of the resource fair, it smelled like vomit all around the ballroom, so we were glad to be not joiners.

His classes are all in the two buildings in the background, so at least once he climbs down the mountain, he has an easy time of it.

THAT’S US!! WE ARE A BLUGOLD FAMILY!!!

No one was around (because everything smelled like puke?) so Harry let me take his picture here finally!

And then! The guy with the guy in the mascot suit asked if we wanted a BLUGOLD picture, and I was SO DELIGHTED because I asked him like 5 times to take a pic with the bird, and Harry was SO EMBARRASSED. Maybe the highlight of the day.

Stairs up THE HILL. Gorgeous. But so steep.

SO BEAUTIFUL

There were SEVERAL flights like this.

At the top!! (Where we immediately climbed ANOTHER flight of stairs-- concrete this time and not old saggy wood!)

Midway down.

We also drove around and found the closest urgent care and Walgreens (he is going to have to be in charge of his own prescription refills!!). I talked to a rep from the health center to find out what Harry needs to do when he has chest pains, and I am calling our insurance this week to figure out providers and he’s meeting with his cardiologist to ask all of the questions. THIS IS HAPPENING, you guys. 

All that is left besides buying most of the things and hauling them up the stairs in his not-air-conditioned dorm and driving 175 miles AWAY FROM OUR KID is nagging the heck out of him until he gets a job on campus. Just 8-10 hours a week! Checking in library books or lifeguarding the campus pool or swiping IDs at the rec center— SOMETHING.

We cut out early (not joiners) and made it home for Jack’s last home dive meet of the season. The golf course restaurant was closed for takeout, and we almost cried. But then we rallied.

Grilled cheese and a vodka lemonade— WHAT COULD BE BETTER

Jack was fabulous and almost beat is own high score again

I am missing a dive and might have the same one twice, but I am on the YouTube struggle bus.

Speaking of total inanity. Teaching days 13 and 14/27!!

Old old old Anthro dress that is too tight and too short but I wore anyway:

Not to be outdone by an Old Navy babydoll dress older than my house:

(I have NO FOREHEAD WRINKLES AT ALL thanks to Augustinus Bader's The Rich Cream -- it is a MIRACLE FROM HEAVEN).