Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Big Changes

Our baby bird has left the nest. It's been 456 hours and 47 minutes since we moved him into the second floor of Harmon Hall at Kalamazoo College. (48 minutes...not that I'm focusing too much on how long he's been gone.) We fit his staples of survival into two SUVs. He packed the bare minimum and I had to step in and play the mom card and insist he pack more than he thinks he needs. I just didn't see him surviving with 5 pair of underwear and one bath towel. I knew there was NO way he'd be doing his laundry every 3-4 days. He pretty much thought he'd be fine with a few changes of clothes, his TV, chair, and the futon. Shopping for supplies was another battle. He's definitely a minimalist.



So, we arrived on the campus of K (what everyone calls Kalamazoo College and what I'll be calling it from now on since it's just easier to type one letter) bright and early one morning to move him into his new life. We lucked out with a perfect moving day...sunny and 70 degrees. There was a long line of vehicles waiting to unload and we got in line. Keaton jumped out to go get his registration information and I waited for a spot to open up so we could unload the vehicle at Hoban Hall. One opened up right in front of the main door and I was thrilled we were so close! (K is VERY hilly and I wasn't looking forward to lugging all of Keaton's stuff up and down hills...or watching Matt stumble and fall with Keaton's TV.) Matt was able to pull right in front of me and we started to unload Keaton's stuff. Well, that's when Keaton called to tell us that we were at the wrong dorm...Keaton should be moving into another dorm (Harmon) down the road. So, we put everything back in the vehicles and rolled down the hill to the next dorm to meet him. He said that he read his dorm assignment and thought it was Hoban...back in June. He never looked at it again all summer. Sometimes I worry about him. If he decides to study abroad, I'll be totally freaking out that he'll plan to go to Spain and will end up in Sweden - he'll tell us it's an easy mistake...they both start with S. Ugh.

So, we moved him into his room and got him unpacked for the most part. He shares a bedroom with one guy - a fellow basketball player - and he shares a lounge with two guys - one football player and one tennis player. We didn't spend much time unpacking before it was time for brunch and separate seminars for students and parents. They were informative and gave us some insight into campus life. I will say that I honestly think Matt and I were the youngest parents on campus. After the seminar rounds were finished, it was time for the convocation. It was a nice ceremony and the professors all wore their robes and cords and lined each side of the sidewalk and applauded all the freshmen as they walked by to go to the chapel to sign their matriculation. It was all very regal...full of pomp and circumstance. Afterwards, Keaton came out of the chapel laughing saying that he felt like he was in a Harry Potter book. He can always find something funny about every situation.

                                     


                                       


After walking back with him to pose for a picture by his dorm, we hugged him, kissed him and told him we loved him. Then, it was time to leave. I had a flashback as we were walking back to the car. Keaton had the same expression on his face as he walked toward those big double doors of his dorm as he did back in kindergarten. Just like in kindergarten, he walked into the building full of excitement and confidence. No worries. My heart gave a little hiccup, but no tears. Matt was happy as he forgot to bring the box of kleenex in case I had a breakdown on the drive home. I will admit that I had a hard time sleeping the first week. I had a thousand worries on my mind...the "what ifs" kept me up a lot that first week. But, they slowly went away as Keaton would email or call and relieve my worries. He was adapting to campus life and was happy.

So, now we're about three weeks into our separation and I have to admit that I'm not drinking nearly as much as I thought I would be. It's taken some getting used to, but I think we're adapting to Keaton's absence. The dishwasher doesn't run as often, my loads of laundry are definitely smaller, and I don't seem to go to the grocery store as often as I once did. Yay! Cyrus used to run to the door the first week of separation anytime a car drove by...expecting to see Keaton. It took a little while for Cyrus to realize Keaton wasn't coming home anytime soon. So, he's taken to being under my feet that much more and doesn't let me out of his sight much. I don't like going into Keaton's room and it squeezes my heart a little whenever I do...it's just so empty. But, Keaton came through town for a quick visit over the weekend on his way to see his beloved Elizabeth (she's up at Grand Valley State University) and he chattered a mile a minute and seemed very happy with his classes and life in general. He just seems so grown up all of a sudden. He stopped by again on his way back to K to lie on his bed (he said he misses being able to stretch out his arms) and grab his Zetterberg jersey (he's going to see the Red Wings at their season opener on Friday night).

Matt and I have been trying to get ready for winter. With my directions and a lot of Austin Powers maneuvering, Matt was able to park two vehicles in the one-car stall in the garage. It is pretty impressive. Getting them out might be another story, but they're all tucked away for now - safe from snow. Matt and I are planning a camping trip to Fort Custer over the weekend. Saturday is Matt's adventure race that he's been training for - biking, canoeing, and orienteering. As always, I'll be back at the campground supporting him with my book and drink in hand. We went on a ghost tour last weekend, but were disappointed not to see anything. We did hear some whispering that was recorded by the West Michigan Paranormal Society earlier in the week at the historical haunted house, but I didn't hear much except a lot of white noise. Oh well. We went to an art festival in Grand Rapids over the weekend and found it very interesting. There were all sorts of mediums - metal sculptures, paintings, cloth, mosaic tiles, wood carvings, and some things that I'm not even sure what qualified them as art. Some things looked like a preschooler made them. Some I just didn't get at all...sod as art. Even enclosed between a frame, it's still just sod. But, I'm glad we went. We're not art connoisseurs, but we know what we like...and it isn't sod.

I have our Halloween costumes all ready for us to put on in a few weeks. We'll be wearing them during K's family weekend (it's Halloween weekend - maybe because K's school colors are orange and black). Keaton just shook his head when I told him what we're dressing as and that we'll be wearing them on campus. He's used to us embarrassing him...as a matter of fact, I think he's just accepted it over the years and just expects it. Plus, we've been dressing up since he started trick-or-treating so I don't see why we should ever stop. It's fun to dress up...even the dog gets into the act. He's really looking forward to it...yeah, right. Poor dog.