Thanks buddies! I knew that picture of the bear would get to you ….. or was it that pale and somber one of me?
I was telling Wendy, Daughter #1 has had that bear since the day she was born – actually a few weeks before that date – we were living in Michigan, I was nearing the end of the pregnancy and taking advantage of the department store’s (Hudson’s) air conditioning when my eyes locked onto Ted – it was love at first sight! I don’t know if I was more upset to see her go or him!
Anyway, by all accounts she is having a great time. Loves her roommate, loves the dorm, says the food is okay and is enjoying all of the orientation activities. I have been keeping tabs on her through her away messages.
I would say the strangest thing about her being gone is The Boar. Throughout his fatherly career Boar has been great – loving & supportive. But the fact is, he has left me at the helm of the ship and has largely taken on the role of money-doler-outer and fixer of all things mechanical or possessing a mother board. And occasional back-Ann-up-cause-she’s-about-to-blow sort of part. I have been the organizer and discipliner, nutrition provider and schlepper.
Well, Boar is freaked out. It has thrown him way off kilter. On the second day she was there, Daughter #1 was invited to an off campus party (her roommate’s older sister is a junior at the university), D#1 has also met loads of people – including many of the boys in her cooed dorm.
All of this has Boar wigging out! At first I thought he was joking around, playing up the father of daughter type of concern. Why all of a sudden is her growing up throwing him off balance? He has never quite known what is going on, so how is this any different?
He knew that I did. You know the ‘I don’t need to know how the car works as long as it starts’ type of thing —- he knew that I knew what was happening and that was good enough for him. (believe me – he does the same for me in other areas … blissful ignorance works in our relationship)
So anyway, now that I only have a sense of what is happening in D#1’s life, Boar is less than thrilled. I know he wanted her to be happy ….. but maybe not quite so ecstatic.