Finally saw my kid yesterday. She's been at her Dad's all week, and between her dance & my work we've missed each other after school. (Her Dad lives nearby, and -- as anyone who knows me would expect -- we've never had a schedule. We all get along great, so we wing it based on every-changing activities. At 17, Maddy comes and goes between homes as she chooses.) She stopped by my office, ostensibly to work on college applications, but after we caught up, she fell asleep. (The mono is improving dramatically, but the rainy day & cozy couch were too inviting.)
We realized we're talking about college plans a lot. Seemingly all the time. Weighing incessantly the options -- big school, small school; close to home or New England or those places where her favorite bands are currently touring (suggesting a Cool factor, not necessarily to turn groupie, although reminiscing about the 60's & 70's and the current delightful lives of my once-groupie friends, perhaps that's not a bad option?) (The gigs are in California and Washington, by the way.)
All this talk is becoming a bit repetitive and annoying, particularly since we don't seem to resolve anything.
So our best friends & we will dedicate Sunday to Concrete Action. Maddy & Laurie will complete applications while Debbie & I sort through FAFSA and scholarship guides. We will schedule more visits and any required auditions and portfolio reviews (Laurie is an amazing artist). I'm thinking we'll also need to bake chocolate chip cookies, some comfort sustenance through all that tactical engagement.
Maddy has banned all college-related conversations until then.
