The fourth week of June we had college orientation. We drove the 5 hours to Oxford, where Miami U is. I was thinking on the way down how will this go, seeing that Andrea did not want to attend Miami. I remember her putting a bag of high heeled shoes in the car, and I told her that she would not get a chance to wear them, seeing that we will be walking all over the campus. That didn't make her take them back into the house... she kept them in the trunk.
The drive wasn't a bad one after all. It was a straight shot, and I didn't get lost or turned around until the last few miles, in the farmland... looking for the college. I remember when we were passing through Eaton, which is a small town near Oxford she looked out and said "Lord help me!" LOL! I couldn't help laugh because I thought Eaton was a nice sized town. It had a WalMart and a lot of other stores and restaurants and stuff there... but it wasn't a Cleveland!
and of course what we saw of Oxford was smaller...
We got to the campus and checked in. The students were in a dorm, and their parents another. She got to her room and pushed the twin beds together, determined not to share the room with another student! I told her that the orientation paperwork said that they would be sharing, and she was adamant that she wasn't going to share her room!
We then met to go and find something to eat. We drove "uptown" as the students call it and found a BW3 ordered wings and fries and took them back to the dorms. I found out that I had a room mate too! (hey I didn't want to share either!) she was from Solon and her daughter was coming to Miami. She was nice got up early to run the next day. I wished I was an fitness person, Lord knows I need to get rid of this belly that's been creeping up on me... oh well..
I believe we then went to sleep and met up for the orientation the next day. It was a long, looong day and we had orientation together, and then a part the entire day. I think it was after 9 when we were done! whew...
she did not want to be there and her face and body language showed it. You would think that she would at least act like she was ok with it since she was there, but no... In one orientation at the Business School she sat in the very back of the lecture hall and had a scowl on her face the entire time! mind you she was the only African American student in the whole hall! I know the instructors noticed her! You couldn't miss her!
Boy I was so, mmm... I was upset and really feeling that this was emotional enough coming here to see where my child will spend the next 4 years or so, but to have her there and acting
unappreciative, bratty, disrespectful, that just added to it. I was mad too because I would have loved to been able to go away to college and experience college life, and she has the opportunity with supportive parent(s), and she's acting like this! Boy I was ticked! I wished it were me going to live on a college campus!
We ate lunch and dinner on campus the first orientaton day. They really have some good nutritional food at that cafeteria. Wow! The next day when we met for breakfast, I noticed that she was wearing the Miami U t-shirt that she had gotten the day before in her orientation package. I mentioned it to her, hoping that she had softened a little after the first day of orientation. She said "I slept in it!" What?! There goes my "softening up" theory.
After breakfast we went to an information fair, then to register for her classes. She met with her advisor, picked her classes, registered, and it was off for home. What a long three days it was!
I hope that after she starts she would really like going there and thank me. We'll see. A girl can dream can't she.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Graduation
Well it's been about 5 weeks after graduation. I should have written before now, when the memories were still fresh. anyway... here goes.
Graduation went well. It was held in the Palace Theatre, and of course as it would be, we were sitting way, way, waaay up in the nose bleed section... almost touching the ceiling! I kept looking up and thinking I am closer to the ceiling than I am to the floor.
It was packed out! I mean packed. The entire theatre was full from top to bottom. Andrea's Dad and Aunt had come in to see her graduate, and they ended up sitting in our row, and behind us.
When we were leaving I kept hoping that someone didn't start shooting, or a fire broke out because many of us would have been doomed. We couldn't hardly move and it was hot in there... many would have been trampled to death! I had my grandson and he kept waving and touching people... he had a good time seeing all of these people in one place.
The ceremony didn't last too long. (thank God) I do not like graduation ceremonies, because there are usually too many speakers and too many names to call out, and they seem to last forever... but we got through it alright. mmm...I may be thinking about college graduations!
I had to go down to the balcony section to take pictures of her as she walked up the stage... wow! finally my youngest was graduating. I've been waiting on this for years, like 18! It was awkward trying to hear them call her name, aim the camera and trying to clap and cheer at the same time, all the while I'm standing in front of some man and trying not to fall over the balcony! but I managed somehow. Afterwards it took around 15 minutes to get from way, way, waaay up in the theatre, down the stairs, and out of the lobby to the outside! the air felt great! we managed to find Andrea and take some pictures of her and her friends under the theater marquee that had SHAKER in red letters! YES! this was it... my daughter and youngest have graduated high school! WAHOO!!!
We had a small cake and punch reception at the house afterwards, and her friend Ashley and her mom, brothers, aunt, and cousins came by. Later this summer I plan on having a combination graduation, 18th birthday, and off to college celebration.
Guess what, you know how they just give you the cover to your diploma and you have to pick up the diploma later. Well, you know I ended up picking it up from school just a week or so ago because she hadn't picked it up yet! when I got to the office there were at least 3 boxes of diploma packages that the students hadn't picked up! What?! 18 years or more, some less of school and you haven't picked up your proof of hard work?! I figure that the parents will end up picking them up, sooner or later, because they know that they worked just as hard to get their students through school as the students themselves did! Her diploma is at home now, displayed on the buffet in the dining room. Proof of hard work, sweat, tears, ups, downs, encouragement, disagreements, disappointments, etc. etc., and I am not talking about her, I'm talking about me!
Graduation went well. It was held in the Palace Theatre, and of course as it would be, we were sitting way, way, waaay up in the nose bleed section... almost touching the ceiling! I kept looking up and thinking I am closer to the ceiling than I am to the floor.
It was packed out! I mean packed. The entire theatre was full from top to bottom. Andrea's Dad and Aunt had come in to see her graduate, and they ended up sitting in our row, and behind us.
When we were leaving I kept hoping that someone didn't start shooting, or a fire broke out because many of us would have been doomed. We couldn't hardly move and it was hot in there... many would have been trampled to death! I had my grandson and he kept waving and touching people... he had a good time seeing all of these people in one place.
The ceremony didn't last too long. (thank God) I do not like graduation ceremonies, because there are usually too many speakers and too many names to call out, and they seem to last forever... but we got through it alright. mmm...I may be thinking about college graduations!
I had to go down to the balcony section to take pictures of her as she walked up the stage... wow! finally my youngest was graduating. I've been waiting on this for years, like 18! It was awkward trying to hear them call her name, aim the camera and trying to clap and cheer at the same time, all the while I'm standing in front of some man and trying not to fall over the balcony! but I managed somehow. Afterwards it took around 15 minutes to get from way, way, waaay up in the theatre, down the stairs, and out of the lobby to the outside! the air felt great! we managed to find Andrea and take some pictures of her and her friends under the theater marquee that had SHAKER in red letters! YES! this was it... my daughter and youngest have graduated high school! WAHOO!!!
We had a small cake and punch reception at the house afterwards, and her friend Ashley and her mom, brothers, aunt, and cousins came by. Later this summer I plan on having a combination graduation, 18th birthday, and off to college celebration.
Guess what, you know how they just give you the cover to your diploma and you have to pick up the diploma later. Well, you know I ended up picking it up from school just a week or so ago because she hadn't picked it up yet! when I got to the office there were at least 3 boxes of diploma packages that the students hadn't picked up! What?! 18 years or more, some less of school and you haven't picked up your proof of hard work?! I figure that the parents will end up picking them up, sooner or later, because they know that they worked just as hard to get their students through school as the students themselves did! Her diploma is at home now, displayed on the buffet in the dining room. Proof of hard work, sweat, tears, ups, downs, encouragement, disagreements, disappointments, etc. etc., and I am not talking about her, I'm talking about me!
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