Homecoming

Alyssa poses with Noah before the Homecoming dance.  Alyssa and her friends didn't have dates, but they made quite the night of it.  They went out to a great seafood restaurant for dinner before the dance.  After the dance they went to a scary haunted house that's put on by a friend of ours.  One girl got right up to the entrance and freaked out and couldn't go in.  Then they all had a sleepover.  Needless to say she's exhausted and went to bed before 8 tonight.

What a lovely group of ladies.  What are the boys at their school thinking?

But who needs boys with this much energy and silliness?

So Hard to Get a Good Photo

Alyssa wanted this shot of her and Noah in their blue and gold.

Noah's eyes are closed. Forrest isn't smiling.  I'm gritting my teeth.  Alyssa looks OK.

Forrest still isn't smiling.  The kids and I look alright.

Noah's eyes closed again.

Three out of four look good here.

Alyssa is the only one who looks good here.  I don't know what I'm looking at, and Noah's eyes are closed again.

Maybe there's a Christmas card photo in this bunch. Or maybe we'll have to try again.

This is it, the end is in sight

This week Alyssa mailed her final two college applications.  She has applied to four schools.  Two state schools; Eastern Washington U and Central Washington U and two private schools; St. Martin's and University of Portland. Because she applied early she didn't have to pay the application fees or write the essays for the private schools.   Her transcripts have been sent, and now she just has to wait for acceptance  letters and offers of aid and scholarships.  She will most likely attend Eastern unless St. Martin's offers an amazing aid package.

Alyssa's yearbook photo has been submitted.  She still has to choose her quote and we have to send in a baby picture by the end of October.  Her Homecoming dress has been purchased and so has her ticket to the dance.  She is attending the dance with 6 girlfriends.  None of these beautiful, intelligent girls have dates. What are those boys up there thinking?  Her senior year is seeming to fly by.  She's retaking the SAT this weekend.  Her scores from last year are strong enough to gain her entrance to all of the colleges she has applied to, but she wants higher scores for scholarship consideration.

As Alyssa is getting ready to move onto college, Noah will be starting high school next year and we'll get to do it all over again.  I'm feeling very old that my kids have reached this point in their lives.  I can't possibly be old enough for all of this.