College Acceptance and Reality Setting In

Yesterday afternoon the mail arrived later than normal for a Saturday. I was getting cleaned up to go and watch the Alabama/Vanderbilt game with friends when I saw the mailman stop in front of the house. I scooted out to the mailbox and pulled out a big stack of mail. There amongst the bills and junk mail was a big fat envelope from the admissions office of Princess Penelope's first choice school. Princess Penelope was not at home and was a good hour away at a Pumpkin Patch with friends. I laid the envelope on the dining room table. And there it sat, taunting me. I finished getting ready. And still it sat there.

I tried to call the Princess on her cell phone, but alas, she had no service at the Pumpkin Patch. I tried again. And again. And still the envelope sat there. I knew that I would be leaving the house before the Princess got home. So I tried Princess's friend's cell phone. No answer. Crap. The envelope still sat there. I finally gave it and began to open it just as the Princess called back on her friend's phone. So, I opened the envelope --- a quick scan and the word "Congratulations!" popped out! She had been accepted to her first choice! Squeals from both of us abounded and sent Thing 1 and Thing 2 into a flurry of barking and jumping (can't blame them since minus the barking I was doing pretty much the same thing!). The Princess and I chatted on the phone and then she hung up to get back to the business of the Pumpkin Patch. A minute or two later she called me back, asking me not to tell her Dad because she wanted to. I stood in the kitchen and started trying to call my friends since I couldn't call family because Princes wanted to. And you know what?!?!?! No one answered. So here I was, ready to burst, and NO ONE was answering the phone! Couldn't post it on Facebook because family might see it. So, I posted it up on Google+ since my friends group is much smaller there!

Anyway, after posting it up, one of my friends asked me on Google+, "And how is Mom?". And that's when reality set in. I looked back over the information in the envelope and gulped audibly. This is going to cost a very pretty penny. Time to get serious regarding scholarship searches. Time to buckle down with the spending. Time to start researching laptops. Time to start putting aside the college essentials. Time to figure out exactly how we're going to pay for this. I've got some money put aside, but not nearly enough to cover 4 years at a reasonably priced state school. Time to figure this all out. I know we can do it. Its just a part of getting us there.