UNF Orientation

Drove to Jacksonville last night so we could be at UNF bright and early this morning for an all-day orientation.  I have to say, having orientation for the Honors College a week and a half before AP exams seems contradictory to me.  Registration is scheduled for tomorrow.  As the Imp has States Regatta tomorrow in Sarasota, she can't make it.  Originally they said she'd have to go to register on May 1.  That really makes no sense.  Asking an Honors student to miss 2 days of school right before finals and AP exams?  She got an 'exception' and was suppose to register today.  Alas, the computer system had not been reset to allow that action (the original date was tomorrow).  Bureaucracy at its best.  Overall, it was a good day for the Imp.  Hubby and I found it too long with the speakers allowing too many personal questions.  The Honors College freshmen Colloquium sounds fabulous.  Hubby and I want to take it.  The professor talk to both groups (parents and students) and we were all impressed.  The Honors college also offers many opportunities for Study Abroad, from 5-day long weekend trips, to 10-day over Spring Break trips, to a 6-week course in Greece (led and taught by the Colloquium professor), to a whole semester abroad.
The hard news to take was how much college tuition has gone up in just 3 years.  Tuition for Fall 2012 is 40% higher than is was in Fall 2009.  Florida started an awesome program in the 80s when they began the lottery.  Students who earned a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1270 on SAT got 100% of tuition paid at a state university.  The idea was to keep the best and brightest in FL (many were going out of state for college).  The Bright Future's no longer pays 100% tuition (although through a semantics game, they say they do).  They pay a flat fee per credit hour that has remained the same the last 3 years.  So, whereas, the Singer and the Imp are receiving the same 'scholarship', the Singer paid no tuition, but the Imp will be required to pay about 50% of her tuition.  Ouch.  Can't complain too much.  She won't need to take out student loans (barring unreasonable rate increases in the next 3 years).  Still it was not fun to see the real numbers today.
Tomorrow we head to Sarasota for States Regatta.  Gotta be there by 7 am for the coxswain meeting.  A good show by the Women's Varsity 8 and we'll stay overnight and race in the finals Sunday.  I'll need next week to recover from these 4 days.

Beans

The best looking bean plants I've ever grown are producing ample beans for Hubby and me (and the Singer when she gets home).  The Imp doesn't eat green beans (or many other foods that are green).
She's enjoying Spring Break, even though she has crew practice every morning at 8 am.  She'd much rather sleep in, but she's been napping in the afternoon.  She has a few projects to finish for school.  I think seniors are down to 19 school days (then exams).  Incredible.  I remember when we moved into this house she had just turned 2.  While she is still impish, that was when I started called her such.  She adds so much to our very serious-minded family of concrete-sequential people.  Abstract-random is such a good description of her.  But don't let that fool you into thinking she doesn't have a plan or goal, she just might not be able to draw it out in 287 steps the way her sister would be compelled to.
The Imp and her boyfriend are making dinner for us tonight.  I'm looking forward to it.  They're using my green beans.  Yea!  She made him a birthday cake, loosely based on a picture my sister-in-law (my brother's wife's sister) published on her blog.  Modifications were made, mainly that the cake is not cake but is actually brownies.  Looking at the cake, the word SUGAR jumps out at you, and good black coffee as a compliment to the richness becomes a must.  I'm thinking a sliver will set your blood-sugar sky-high.  I'm sure the Imp and her boyfriend will eat much more than that and promptly burn it off as a factor of being 18 (and the fact they're both on the crew team helps too).
I'll have to post a picture tomorrow.

Rays Sweep the Yankees

Rays sweep the Yanks!  Life is so very good! We're soooo glad Pena has returned home!  Rays 3-0, Yanks 0-3, Red Sox 0-3.  Life is very very good.  Now only 159 more games to go.  (And I'm thinking NY is going to want to beat up on Baltimore after losing to us.)

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Easter Sunday.  Wonderful.  Holy Week is my favorite week of the year.  Palm Sunday is always inspiring with the joyful welcoming of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Then the Chrism Mass (which I didn't make this year) with the priests of the diocese renewing their commitment to their vows.  Holy Thursday, after Easter Vigil, is the most powerful Mass.  Watching your pastor wash the feet of 12 'regular' parishioners gives a glimpse of what it would be like to watch Jesus wash his apostles' feet.   Then experiencing the entire Eucharistic Prayer with the Last Supper in mind, it's hard not to be emotionally moved.  Having the Mass not end, but instead having the Eucharist processed out of the church, and spending time in adoration before Tennebrae at 11:30 pm.  Good Friday service includes the veneration of the cross.  No musical accompaniment, the church bare of decorations, the baptismal font empty of water, the crucifix covered.  The starkness cannot be ignored.  Then the reading of the Passion.  That we know the end of the story, makes Good Friday very hope-filled, and the waiting between Good Friday and Easter Vigil truly feel like being in limbo.  Then the celebration of Easter at the Vigil Mass.  The senses are overpowered...by the lack of light into light.  The elaborately decorated church, the powerfully song Gloria, the incense.  Watching adults being baptized is very moving.  Last night we had a whole family entering.  There weren't many dry eyes.  Then Easter Sunday filled with family (and of course, chocolate).
Today has been very relaxing, doing nothing but preparing our feast.  A great day before our schedules start to get a little out of control.  I'm missing the Singer, who's spending the day at my brothers' with his lovely family.
The Imp is off this coming week, but has crew practice every morning at 8 am.  She's not real thrilled with that, but with Districts on the 21st and States on the 28th, they've got to practice.
From not 'till June, our schedule is full.
Friday I fly to Connecticut for my sister's wedding on Saturday.  The next weekend is Districts for crew. Wednesday the 26th we all drive to Jacksonville, for  the Imp's orientation at UNF for the Honors College.  Friday night (the 27th) we drive back home, to get up early Saturday, since we have to be in Sarasota for the 6:45 coxswain's meeting for States.  Finals for States are on Sunday.
And we hit May running.
I leave on the 10th for NC for the Singer's graduation from Belmont Abbey on the 12th, and drive home (with the van full of her stuff) on the 15th.  Hubby and the Imp drive up on the 11th after the Imp takes an exam.  They'll drive home (with a car full of stuff, too) on the 15th so that the Imp can take her AP test on Tuesday the 16th.
Hubby's brother and his wife arrive on the 17th (They're the Imp's godparents).  The 18th is my last day teaching for the homeschool group.  The 19th we're hosting an Open House for the Imp's graduation.  The Imp's godparents have to leave on Sunday the 20th since her godmother is an 8th grade teacher in charge of the annual trip to DC.  They leave early on the 21st.  The Imp actually graduates on the 22.
With school over for both girls, life should slow down, but it won't.
Memorial Day weekend is Nationals for crew, and there is a high probability that the Imp's team will be traveling to NJ (Princeton) for that.  The Singer takes off for Illinois and a 5-week training for her job with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students).  
So maybe I can relax in June.

the Imp's Prom pictures: