5...4 3... 2...1....SENIORS!!!

..Earlier this summer in Louisville,  I had a chance to  visit my friend Jill for the first time in over two years. She was at home, recovering from  a broken kneecap and a captive audience for the type of educational chatter we  had always loved. 
 I entered her home and for several minutes entertained myself  looking around her stylish living room, recalling   the many times previous visiting there. She was occupied on the phone and kept apologizing  for the phone call that was taking way too long......
She hung the phone up, stared at me for a moment and simply said . "SENIORS."
"I know,right?" ,was all I could say...
In that moment, we were back, to meeting when our kids were just kindergarteners .   We didn't delve to deep into  how we are feeling..yet...After all there was a ton of catching up to do and stories to tell. This seemed easier, safer in many ways then going into the depth of emotion for so many of us, in that word. I left there later that day and drove the all too familiar drive back to Cleveland replaying all the conversations from my    visit.  This even included my favorite comment of the weekend, from one SENIOR (a lifelong friend of Katrina's) when I asked where she was applying to college, " I will be  keeping that a secret...It's less stressful that way..."   ... I laughed and  glanced back in the rear-view mirror just in time to see her grin.  I then selfishly  requested that she make it  within one hour of Katrina's college..She said she would see what she could do...Ha!! :}

As the countdown to first day of Senior Year continues, I can't help but notice the differences in what we are conversing about in our family . We are trying to schedule the last of the college visits,  fill out  Common Ap, , search for scholarships, look at timelines for school projects with an eye to the future... so much to do..but there's time , right? still lots of time right?? Some days I am just fine with the process.. and there are moments..just a few..where my eyes tear up.....I guess that's what friends, past and present are for ,right? They're  guides through these days we aren't sure we want to count...

Vacation Preparation @ our House

Again reflecting.... 16 years of preparing for vacations with Keith's family.  From that first time @ the Outer Banks where we watched one year olds eat sand and marveled at  trying to get three one year olds to pose for a photo shoot in fancy outfits, it has been   so ......stuck on the right word to use here as it has been so many different things..
No longer worried about how  to squeeze carseat, pack-in-play and  strollers into  the vehicle, we  pack differently, bring more or less baggage to the table. Literally and figuratively we have never been the ones to pack light.... Often accused by many of over-packing, we have always been the ones to  prepare by  thinking ahead to what "could" happen.

And the conversations have changed ..no longer consumed with chatter about how we are raising them, there seems to be to be endless talk with friends and family about what  they will do now...

 I am realizing that we have packed, unpacked and taken the last of these type vacations before Katrina leaves for college. This means life suddenly begins to move a little more quickly that we are ready for...and 335 days may seem endless but daunting!!