We have all survived our first week with Stephen away at college. Jeff, Diane and Rachel spent almost an hour on "Skype" with Stephen. Skype is an online phone service that allows you to talk via computers for free (or at least without additional charges beyond our monthly Internet connectivity charges). He was in the process of doing laundry for the first time and talked about his first three days of classes. It sounds like he is staying busy and doing well.
He is looking at auditioning for the improv club at school. He had hoped to join the fencing club, but that folded last year. So he is looking at some other options and is considering the improvisation club but you have to audition to join so he doesn't know at this point if that will work.
A beautiful weekend here but it doesn't feel as hot as the thermometer says, I think the back of summer is broken, but it was a pretty weak back this year. I think we only had one day officially above 90 all summer and not very many in the 80s. My tomatoes are definitely pretty green still, so I'm hoping we still have a few more weeks before we freeze. I may cover the plants with black plastic bags if it is threatening a freeze.
Take care.
Diane
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Stephen has flown the nest
Today, we dropped our oldest off at college in Morris Minnesota. There was a fair amount of excitement and a lot of unknown. We are all entering a new phase of life and aren't really sure what we should be feeling. We drove down yesterday and checked him into the dorm about 8:30 this morning. We spent some time together including a tour of the new biomass gasification plant and wind turbine. We were able to meet his roommate and his family before leaving him there as we drove the six hours home. We did stop at a roadside stand on the way home and picked up some fresh sweet corn.
I think the changes won't really impact me until Stephen isn't here for big events in our lives, things like the first day of school, his birthday.
Hopefully we can keep this blog updated better this next year as we document the changes in family life.
Diane
I think the changes won't really impact me until Stephen isn't here for big events in our lives, things like the first day of school, his birthday.
Hopefully we can keep this blog updated better this next year as we document the changes in family life.
Diane
Stephen's at College
Well, we have a kid in college.
Diane, Rachel and I are fresh back from Morris (about a six hour drive) having successfully deposited Stephen in his dorm room at UMM. It was a very interesting day. Timeless, in a sense. I had the strong feeling much of the day that this is one of those moments you just don’t live through twice. Yes, we’ll be dropping Rachel off at school soon (hopefully not too soo. There is this performing arts high school in the Cities, but I don’t want to think about that just yet) but Stephen is our first born. Leaving your first born at college is just one of those things; like getting married or actually having the kid.
The day went about as well as it could. We got a fitful night’s sleep in the Prairie Inn, then got down to campus right around 8:30am. A crew of upper classmen was on hand to haul stuff into Stephen’s room (a tradition at UMM). They were surprised at how little he had, and very impressed by the Xbox and the fencing foil. Stephen is in room 18 of Pine Hall. It’s a pretty standard dorm room, in the basement just like his Mom’s dorm room had been.
We took a ‘Green Tour’ of the college’s biomass heating plant and its wind turbine. They do a fair amount of practical energy research at this school, and are planning to be energy self-sufficient and off the power grid by 2010. Then it was back for lunch and a return to the dorm room where Stephen finally met his roommate, a nice kid from Granite Falls, MN named Andrew. Andrew’s whole family was in the room as well, so we had a chance to chat with them a bit. When they decided to head off to the Student Center and see about Andrew’s mailbox, we took it as our cue to make, ‘The Big Departure.’
Stephen walked with us out to the car, and he looked ready. There had been some nerves earlier in the day, but those had passed, and he was laughing, and joking. He was – well, ready.
Jury’s still out on Mom and Dad.
Diane, Rachel and I are fresh back from Morris (about a six hour drive) having successfully deposited Stephen in his dorm room at UMM. It was a very interesting day. Timeless, in a sense. I had the strong feeling much of the day that this is one of those moments you just don’t live through twice. Yes, we’ll be dropping Rachel off at school soon (hopefully not too soo. There is this performing arts high school in the Cities, but I don’t want to think about that just yet) but Stephen is our first born. Leaving your first born at college is just one of those things; like getting married or actually having the kid.
The day went about as well as it could. We got a fitful night’s sleep in the Prairie Inn, then got down to campus right around 8:30am. A crew of upper classmen was on hand to haul stuff into Stephen’s room (a tradition at UMM). They were surprised at how little he had, and very impressed by the Xbox and the fencing foil. Stephen is in room 18 of Pine Hall. It’s a pretty standard dorm room, in the basement just like his Mom’s dorm room had been.
We took a ‘Green Tour’ of the college’s biomass heating plant and its wind turbine. They do a fair amount of practical energy research at this school, and are planning to be energy self-sufficient and off the power grid by 2010. Then it was back for lunch and a return to the dorm room where Stephen finally met his roommate, a nice kid from Granite Falls, MN named Andrew. Andrew’s whole family was in the room as well, so we had a chance to chat with them a bit. When they decided to head off to the Student Center and see about Andrew’s mailbox, we took it as our cue to make, ‘The Big Departure.’
Stephen walked with us out to the car, and he looked ready. There had been some nerves earlier in the day, but those had passed, and he was laughing, and joking. He was – well, ready.
Jury’s still out on Mom and Dad.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
WOW! Check it Out!
Check out the trailer that Rachel posted on her movie site and on YouTube! It is worth watching. I haven't been all that involved in the production as I have been at work while they have been shooting but have heard about the work at the end of each day. Here is a taste of what is to come.
http://webpages.charter.net/jeffreyamn/freedombird/Welcome.html
A proud mom.
Diane
http://webpages.charter.net/jeffreyamn/freedombird/Welcome.html
A proud mom.
Diane
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