Samantha is 19!
18 to 19 is a pretty big transition. Within the last year Samantha graduated from high school and started going to college. She attends a college that's just an hour down the road, which is great for her and us. She seems to have settled in well; she was cast in a play, was the fight captain for that play, and has made friends--many of whom seem to be on the Ultimate Frisbee team. She also got good grades in her first semester, and for second semester she picked up a job at the campus library. (That starts tomorrow.)
She's been home for winter break for the month, and it's been nice having her here. For her birthday she requested donuts and game playing. I went to pick up donuts from Dunkin' and, while they did have HER order (glazed and a Boston creme), they had nothing else that anyone else wanted. So I went to HyVee, which was similarly bereft of chocolate long johns. The HyVee bakery lady had no idea what was going on or why there was a run on donuts; she said people were just buying them by the dozen.
We played some games after lunch; our usual game of Dragon Sorry!--which is the game of Sorry!, but with added dragon rules; Code Names, and Mario Kart. After dinner we also played a modified Telestrations; modified because we don't actually own the game--we just used folded up pieces of paper.
She had wanted to go to Mirabito's in North Liberty for dinner, but it was apparently closed for a family wedding (who gets married in January?), so after some digging into the best pasta in the greater Coralville area, we landed on Mellow Mushroom. Not pasta, but the food was good, and the service was exceptional.
Samantha has told us she's terrible at proscratinating; she likes to get things done right away. This will serve her well at her school and in life.
She's been home for winter break for the month, and it's been nice having her here. For her birthday she requested donuts and game playing. I went to pick up donuts from Dunkin' and, while they did have HER order (glazed and a Boston creme), they had nothing else that anyone else wanted. So I went to HyVee, which was similarly bereft of chocolate long johns. The HyVee bakery lady had no idea what was going on or why there was a run on donuts; she said people were just buying them by the dozen.
We played some games after lunch; our usual game of Dragon Sorry!--which is the game of Sorry!, but with added dragon rules; Code Names, and Mario Kart. After dinner we also played a modified Telestrations; modified because we don't actually own the game--we just used folded up pieces of paper.
She had wanted to go to Mirabito's in North Liberty for dinner, but it was apparently closed for a family wedding (who gets married in January?), so after some digging into the best pasta in the greater Coralville area, we landed on Mellow Mushroom. Not pasta, but the food was good, and the service was exceptional.
Samantha has told us she's terrible at proscratinating; she likes to get things done right away. This will serve her well at her school and in life.