Alyssa's Home! YAY!

If someone would have asked me last September whether or not I would be looking forward to having Alyssa home for ten days in March,  I probably would have rolled my eyes and fussed about the power struggle that would ensue... but, oh what a difference seven months can make! I am astounded by the change from then to now.

During the Christmas break, Alyssa worked so many hours at Hollister that I rarely saw her. She worked, she slept, she worked, she slept some more, and then she worked again. Her goal was to make enough money to pay her sorority dues, and so she asked for double shifts at the mall - and double shifts is exactly what she got - but that meant no time at home other than to sleep between shifts. In the end, she did make enough money to pay her sorority dues, so all was well in her world, in spite of the fact that we barely saw her during the entire break.

Last month, upon my insistence, Alyssa came home when she was sick - same thing... sleep, sleep, sleep. I didn't see her at all, other than to offer fluids and more flu medications. As soon as she felt  better, back to school she went. And that was that. I hardly even count it as a "visit home" considering that she was dead to the world.

Which brings me to now... ten days of having her home again. Needless to say, I've been beside myself with anticipation. In fact, I've set aside the entire week so that I can "go with the flow" and do whatever she wants to do. I feel like a child at Christmas... waiting for Santa to come so that I can finally see what delights are in store. All these months she's been away, and I've missed her so very much each and every day. Having her home is exactly what my heart needs at this moment in time. Bonus that she seems as anxious as I am about spending time together doing the mother-daughter thing for an entire week.

We started her spring break with this -

a very long line of parents waiting in the No Parking Zone to pick up our college students. What a joke... too many parents... students in no rush... and no place to go other than sit in line and wait. But what were our options? We could either, 1) leave our kids at the college campus instead of waiting, or 2) wait for our students to get in the car. I think that waiting for our students was the obvious choice in this instance. And so... we waited... and waited... and waited some more.

I enjoyed watching the students eventually begin to meander to the parent's vehicles - the parents were so obviously anxious to see their student, but to be honest, these freshman have no sense of urgency at all! They were officially on Spring Break and their actions showed that their intentions were to cease the insanity of college life and ease [very slowly] into the ten days that are officially known as Spring Break. I laughed out loud as I watched the parents tapping their feet and the students not giving a damn at all. At least I was not alone!

When we finally arrived home, after a wonderful lunch at our favorite diner, Alyssa loved on the dogs until they were nearly beside themselves with glee over seeing her again, and then she turned to me and said, "Let's take a nap... what chair do you want?" That's my girl! She knows how to nap and she knows how to make her momma happy.

And so we napped. I gave her the sofa and I chose the napping chair.  I snoozed for a couple of hours. But Alyssa... she slept, and slept, and slept some more - four hours of napping for my tired college girl. I think the stress of mid-terms finally caught up with her because she took to the sofa as though it was the most comfortable place on earth (it's not!).

When she finally woke up, we watched two hours of America's Next Top Model (so much like old times!), and then we watched a dance movie that I've never seen, "Honey", with Jessica Alba. <--- fun movie if you enjoy dancing.

And so begins an entire week that I plan to dedicate to my growing up daughter. She is so much fun to be with. And, in fact, I do believe my eye rolling days are over and that she and I will once again be friends. Joy, joy, joy over that small, and much welcome, miracle, because, to be very honest, I don't know if I will ever recover from the Momma-Trauma that was so much a part of her senior year - man was that not fun!

But finally, we can put the past traumatic days behind us, and our plans for Alyssa's Spring Break include a sewing project - she wants me to make a template of the Greek letters for her sorority and then applique them onto tee shirts, which might turn out to be quite challenging, because although I am proficient with applique, I am NOT proficient with sewing things on tee shirt fabric. We'll see how this goes.

Additionally, Alyssa wants to make a quick trip to Pennsylvania to visit Lon, Debbie and Casey. I'm up for that! I think we will take our road trip on Tuesday and Wednesday. It should be fun. (John is going to throw a fit when he finds out that he is excluded from this road trip... and I am so not looking forward to dealing with that nonsense).

I guess the moral of this entry is this: they do grow up, and they eventually become our friends; absence really does make the heart grow fonder; and finally, my almost grown up daughter is a delight. I am so thrilled to see her again and to have the opportunity to spend one-on-one time together. And even if she decides to sleep the entire ten days, I'm just happy she is home.

Comments

[keely]

Kelly, your blog entries always touch me. i've just read your last 3 or 4 entries. i'm thrilled to see a picture of you and your husband. honestly, for the longest time i thought you were a single mother. it is great that you protect his privacy, but he sure is cute!! the email message from your girlfriend is wonderful. my son is 15 and i know we've got difficult days ahead of us. your experiences help me so much. it is impossible to step back and have perspective when you're in the midst of the drama. i haven't joined the facebook world. it frightens me. i'm still close to my home town and keep in touch with a few friends. getting in touch with others frighten the heck out of me - those insecurities from high school. i wish we had had a swing choir. i soooo would have enjoyed that. i was in concert and madrigal choirs. i also sewed my own clothes. i remember some really hip plaid elephant pants!! keep up the good work with your etsy shop. most of all, enjoy your week with alyssa.

[Barbife]

Kelly I loved your blog today. From the parking to pick her up to the sleeping and the sorority applique. I once made this pillow with my boyfriend and my greek letters meeting in the "pi" in the center. OMG I was kinda queer, but I remember it so fondly. I used fabric to applique it to linen, and then created a pillow out of it. WHAT FUN. Can you take some photos and show us your miraculous work?! :) XO

[pcsmart]

thanks for giving me hope that my eye rolling days do have an end in sight!!!! have a great time!

[slammie]

Have a fabulous time and a safe road trip! Can't wait to see what you come up with for the shirts!

[Grace2882]

This brings back so many memories of when my daughter was in college. Now she is married living 6 hours away. She is coming in next weekend for my grandson's birthday. I can fully understand how you are feeling.

[Susan]

Sewing Greek letters on t-shirts (and anything else) is SO easy... Cut out the letters from whatever fabric you want and then apply that iron on fusible fabric stuff you get from the craft store (I can't think of the name right now). It comes in sheets. Then iron the letters on where ever you want them (t-shirt, sweatshirt, tote bag... front, back....) Next, use a tight zigzag stitch on your machine to "outline" the letters making sure to catch some of the shirt and some of the letter... mostly letter... and since they are already ironed on in place with the fusible fabric stuff, no need for pinning!! I made letters on t-shirts in college for some extra cash. :) Happy sewing!!

[Rockester]

Yeh! I know EXACTLY how you feel about seeing your dd again. I consider mine indeed a dear dear friend. (She is 19) My Jenny comes home for break on this coming saturday. :) Have a great break with yours!
Rockester

[Kim B.]

I so feel your excitement. Liz made it home yesterday. We went to lunch and mall. Today she's off to the zoo with her dad and little brother. I'm going to miss it because I am headed to my monthly stamping up workshop. Tonight's it's her favorite dinner on the grill. I do love this new side of them.