Gulp-its off to college shopping!

Ever since she could write, Ashton has always loved filling out forms, she always asked if she could fill forms out for me. She has been thrilled with all the forms required for college. Last Friday she had an appointment with an oral surgeon and practically pounced on the clipboard to fill out all the paperwork!

Ashton always loved looking through this magazine whenever she was in a waiting room, so for old times sakes we looked through this one together at the oral surgeon's office while waiting.

By the way, the wisdom teeth are staying put for now, at least until she sees her orthodontist for her yearly check-up. After the appointment we headed home, somehow managing to stop at Target....First we had to stop for a coffee coolatta and Ashton suggested we toast to a fun afternoon. We had a nice day together, lots of talking about serious stuff and the future. Sometimes we have the best talks when we are in the car together!

The girl can shop and shop and shop....
The Jeep was packed full with necessary supplies to furnish her dorm room. In shades of pink of course. It was a very bittersweet shopping trip for me, we didn't look at the aisles of pencils, pens, rulers, notebooks, binders that she has always needed for school. No looking at back to school clothes or shoes, but instead storage units for her new home-a college dorm- in about six weeks. Ashton couldn't wait for the back to school supply list to be published in our weekly paper for each grade's needed student supplies. Once it appeared off we would go for a big shopping adventure. Each year she had to have a different theme or Disney character or whatever the craze was at that time. And of course picking out a new LLBean backpack. Now its picking out new sheets and a comforter for her dorm bed, towels and shower totes, reading lamps and clothes hangers. How am I going to survive when she goes off into the big wide world?? I am so happy and proud that she is going to school to become a nurse but the image of my little girl with the big eyes waiting for the school bus on her very first day of school, hanging on to her brother Benjamin's hand when the bus stopped to pick them up, her little face pressed against the window as the bus pulled away. Me walking down the driveway crying.