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In 1994 Allen and I drove out to Pullman for the Apple Cup. It became known as ‘The Snow Bowl’ because it was dumping snow during the game and we vowed we would not go back to Pullman because it was a TERRIBLE game…for the Huskies.
Kate, being the rebel that she is, made us eat our words. We like to give her a healthy amount of crap for this decision but she knows we are thrilled for her. The campus is so much nicer than I remember and you can feel how much the community embraces the students. She feels so at home there that she’s been counting down the days until she could move in.
This weekend was the time! Kate got the earliest move in time on the very first day. The university was ready for us and they made the process really efficient. We had a lovely community volunteer (Valerie who also has an 18 year old who will be a Cougar.) help us load all of Kate’s stuff into wheeled laundry bins to be pushed up ramps all the way to the third floor. We unloaded, ran back down the ramps and did it all again until we had everything in her space.
Kate is so organized that she had a plan drawn out on her ipad for furniture placement. While Valerie and I pushed carts up and down all those flights Allen and Kate pushed the furniture around so it was ready to go by the time we had all her stuff in the room. Then it was just a matter of lining drawers, unpacking boxes, hanging lights, making beds and setting up her desk. Within a few hours we had her completely in.
Which is great because that was about the time the sun started hitting her windows. While the building she is in has the biggest two man rooms on campus, it is also missing AC. (Actually most of the dorms there don’t have it.). That is unfortunate because August in Eastern Washington easily means temps in the 90’s most days.
We took Kate for lunch and a Target run and then had a little hang out time in our hotel until we met her roommate Tara and HER parents for dinner. Such a fun night getting to know them all! By the time we were done with dinner the sun was down so we dropped Kate off at her dorm for her first night in her space. It was a balmy 91 degrees when she got in there but it cooled down fairly quickly once all the windows were opened and fans were turned on.
The next day we hit a popular brunch spot before saying our goodbye’s. Normally this would be the typical time for waterworks but Allen and I have got this down. We’ve managed to hold it together for all three kids mostly due to two things. One of them is a hard stop time. If we have to leave by a certain time there is no time for lingering or tears. (WIth Kate we didn’t HAVE to leave but it made sense so we got out of dodge.). The other thing we do is write a letter. When I say WE I mean Mr. Fun. I’ve always written the birthday blog posts so it was his turn to officially put into words how proud we are of them.
I’m so glad we started this tradition. I’d read about this before we took Jill to college and it was the perfect thing to do. Not only does it mean we don’t have to say all these lovely, emotional things during a super charged goodbye, but it’s also a good way to make sure we say everything we want AND it’s something they can keep and reread if they are ever lonely or doubting themselves.
I can’t remember if I shared the letters we sent to the other girls but here is what Mr. Fun wrote for Kate…
Kate-
We are so proud of you! I cannot believe you are headed off to college already. You have persevered thru several crazy years… not just your “normal” High School career. You have overcome friend challenges, a pandemic, and health issues all while holding several jobs and meeting your savings goals (more than Ellie).
Your hard work is paying off… not just the dollars but more importantly the work ethic and confidence. We love to see this and hear how your coworkers appreciate you. You have the knowledge and experience that you can overcome anything, meet new friends and be ready to take on any challenge that stands in your way! You are ready for WAZZU and this next phase. We are excited to hear about the new experiences and watch you thrive and succeed.
This quote from Randy Pausch seems appropriate, even if it is not on a sticky note: A parents job… Encourage kids to find a joy for life and follow dreams.
Check! We know you will keep working hard and follow your heart… this will bring your dreams to reality. You have already made some friends, Tara seems like a great roommate and I know you are excited to make more. Remember to enjoy the experience and most importantly, HAVE FUN!
Go Cougs! (Except the Apple Cup)
Love, Mom & Dad
Kate is on her way and we are so excited to hear about all her adventures!
And lest you think we are crying in our beers, on the way home we stopped for a fun ‘Welcome to Empty Nesting’ dinner. I think we are ALL going to be ok!