5 1/2 Years of Wonder

Today was my last day to babysit for the Taylors as their regular five day a week babysitter. This is so much harder than graduating college. For the past few weeks I have found myself reminiscing about the boys as babies, and toddlers, the pre-talking days, pre-walking days, trying to get G to do tummy time everyday, his love of the mirror, doing everything I could to keep T awake during the day in those first few weeks of his life...

I was glad to have finals to focus on. But the last two weeks I think I've just been blocking it out. Now, here I am, home from the last day. Five and a half years that have changed my life for the better in so many ways. It was Meredith's encouragement that I consider going back to college that got me from thinking about it to taking those first steps. When Meredith first emailed me to ask if I would be willing to babysit for her I had no idea that would be the beginning of such a true and deep friendship.

I am sure in the coming weeks I will write more about this. I know that it is for the best that I take the summer to possibly obtain some piano students and rest before beginning grad school. I don't regret this decision, not entirely. I guess today I regret it, I can't imagine my life without such frequent regular contact and interaction with the Taylor family. And now I must go and cry over dinner. Good tears, only good tears.

Graduamated

Above is a picture of the hammock my husband made. Not only did he make the frame, he MADE the hammock. I had mentioned that I wanted one for my birthday, but he decided I shouldn't have to wait that long, and by then there wouldn't be as much hammock time left. Now I have a whole summer of hammock time!! This was a complete surprise to me, he had been working on something, but I didn't expect this! He probably doesn't know it, but he's continuing a tradition of surprising me with the gift of a hammock which my papa started back when I had my first big garden. :)

So, the grades have not yet been tallied, and the diploma is not yet in the mail, but I am in fact done with my undergraduate work! I am enrolled in the MSU master of music program majoring in theory, slated to begin in the fall. I never heard back from North Texas about my application there, and we had a lot of things to plan one way or the other... so we are going to stay at least another year.

It has been a strange feeling to look back and see all that has changed since I started. I am blown away by the way life works sometimes.

So many people in my life have been there for me over the years, encouraging me and telling me I can do this, even though I'm an "older" student, and haven't cared about getting a degree in my life. I am so grateful to have such supportive a loving people in my life!

Finals.... dun dun dunnnn

This is one of my attempts at taking a picture of my new hair cut. I like it curly best. This is likely the shortest my hair has ever been. There are a lot of things I like about it. But I think I will let it grow out again now. We shall see. I've had about three years with shorter hair, and now I might be ready to let it get long again... time will tell.

I am half way through my finals. It has sunk in at last that I am truly going to graduate. By tomorrow afternoon I will be done with my last final and barring any unforeseen catastrophe my career as an undergrad will be complete. I have been accepted to the graduate school at MSU and plan to start work on an MM in music theory in the fall. This summer will begin with a road trip to see my sister and her family. I hope to find a part time job somewhere. But all in all it is looking like a relaxing summer. I am a little freaked out. It's been a long time since I haven't had to be somewhere or be doing something for school or a job, I don't know what I'll do with myself. I will apply all over the place though, so maybe I won't have to worry about it for too long. :)

And now, back to the books!

May Day!

It's here, May! At last. I love this month! Some of my favorite people were born in this month, Grammy and Helen, just to name a couple. And this May I will graduate. I'm still in shock about this. It is strange, I've been working toward this for nearly five years, and I think knowing that I'm not done even though I am is why I don't know how to feel. I have been accepted to the graduate music program at MSU, and will begin in the fall. That degree will take another two years, and after that I will either apply to do more graduate work, or start working toward a doctorate somewhere. So I have easily 6 more years before I will feel like I'm "done".

But this is a mile stone. Not a small thing. I am not trying to make light of it. I just don't feel like I can take my eyes off that end goal, or the fact that I'll be back at it in a couple months.

I have four more days of classes, then the last final is on the 12th, which is Grammy's birthday. I had wanted to go visit her grave that day, and I may still, we shall see. In so many ways I wish I had done this while she was still completely with us. She always said she was proud of me. Even when I finked out about going to college the first time around. She also always said she would dance at my wedding, as I would protest that there would never be a wedding. She was so right about so many things.

So, in less than two weeks I'll be over a huge hurtle, closing a chapter, and celebrating this accomplishment. Then just over two weeks after that, I will be on my way to visit my sister!!! I can't wait!!