Noodle Goes To College

Today my baby goes off to college. Of course, my baby is 18 years old so she is really not a baby. Nonetheless she is going off to college today and life will never be the same for she or for I.

How can it be that she has gone from this

to this

in what seems like days instead of years. How can it be, I ask in a whining plantive voice. She is leaving me.

We are so proud of Shoe Queen. She is independent, smart, funny and capable and I guess that is really what you want your kid to be when you send them off into the big, wide world.

She was the only child at home during the day when she was little because there are three years difference between she and The Engaged One and four years difference between she and Cartoon Girl. They went off to school and she stayed home and kept me entertained. She was the "sunniest" of our girls. NOT that Cartoon Girl and The Engaged One weren't sunny, she was just the sunniest. Her favorite phrase was, "I do it MYSELF!" That made for interesting fashion choices when she was younger. There was a purple dress that she latched onto when she was about 3 that she wore every Sunday until the dress was was too small and the lace was a tad "tattery". It was a sad day when we had to retire the dress. The ladies in the church nursery just new her as "The girl in the purple dress" for a long time.

Shoe Queen's fashion sense is greatly improved now as are her choices when it comes to shoes. She is definitely still an "I do it MYSELF" girl but then so are Cartoon Girl and The Engaged One.

So today we will move her into her dorm room, we will meet her roomie who we actually know by sight as they graduated together. We will help her unpack and get her started on all the other things that need to be done today. And then this evening we will leave for home and leave our baby all alone to start her adult life. Yes, I know that she won't actually be alone but you know what I mean. Who will I go to for fashion advice. Actually, I am starting today to wear horrible things because her influence is waining. I have on PLAID bermuda shorts. It is scary.

So, Shoe Queen, we love you loads. We are so proud of you and the young woman that you are. Go forth and make others laugh and bring your sunny disposition to others. Study hard, play hard (but not THAT hard) and know that we love you and support you in all that you do.