Elizabethtown College

Well... I did it!  I managed to drop Brandon off to college without having a melt down.

I seriously thought I would be devastated and crying the entire hour and half home. 

Don't get me wrong, I did have tears. Just not hysterical, Niagara Falls tears.

Seeing how nice the campus is and the friendly faces of other students has made my 

'parent-letting-go' phase a whole lot better.  

Brandon: down in front with black shirt.

Brandon: rear right with white shirt.

I have read on the internet that kids leaving the nest are "launching out", "becoming his own person", "growing independent","becoming a free moral agent", blah..blah...blah.  But they don't always sound so positive and gentle when he's lived out his entire life in our home. 

Library

However, I hate to admit that they are right: my teenager is separating from me and gravitating toward his new college friends.  I logically understand that this process is normal, natural and necessary. I know if I fight it, I will lose. 

Brandon moving away is particularly difficult for me because he is my youngest child.  The first two weeks were difficult for him too.  He was out of his realm and didn't think he'd meet friends or like it there.  His Dad and I encouraged him to stick it out and involve himself with clubs.  He may or may not always take our advice.  We've been lucky that Brandon shares a lot of his life with us.  Of course, sometimes it seems like de doesn't want us around.  I have come to the conclusion that I will be there for him - just in case.

Student lounge

 Originally Brandon was going to work at the Jay's Nest (which is the cafeteria).  He has experience working with food because he had a job at a local pizza shop for a few years.  His first training session at the Jay's Nest was on the grill and things were fine.  However, his first shift they put him on register.  He has never worked a register and felt very uncomfortable.  He spoke to the manager about it and she was really rude to him. He later sent his resignation in an email and said it wasn't going to work out.  The manager wrote back a very unprofessional response. (I know because I read the email she wrote to him.)

Cafeteria

outside of cafeteria

Brandon is a very healthy eater.  He is having a difficult time finding things at the cafeteria that aren't fried or greasy.  Last time he was home I made him a lot of chicken and rice, filled up tupperware containers and sent them back to school with him to put in his dorm fridge.

After his second week - Brandon went on a date, joined the hockey team and also the men's league hockey team.  He has made quite a few friends and is adjusting.  He is a very social person, I knew once he gave the college a chance he would be fine.

Business facility.

Brandon is studying business.  His first business class is Accounting 101.  His first test he got a C and was not happy at all!   The next two he earned A's.  He is learning it's a lot of work and studying, much different that high school.

business department

Business Dow Jones Wall

Classrooms

Math & Science Building

Lecture Hall

They gymnasium offers a lot of sports and activities for the students.  Ice hockey is not one of them.  The boys have to drive to a rink for practices and games.  The rink Brandon will be practicing on is a rink he played at with his travel team over the years.  The rink they are playing games on is a much better rink and is about 2 hours away from my home.  Brandon asked me if I was going to his games. I said Hell Yeah!  I'm not missing one of his games.  I would say it's been a handful of games I may have missed since he has played in 3rd grade.  I had to feel like I was on my death bed before I'd not attend a game.  (Yeah, I'm one of those crazy hockey moms).

Gymnasium Building

Dorms

His dorm is a bit small, but nice.  He likes his roommate, even though they don't have a lot in common.  It's important to get along with your roommate. Otherwise living on campus would be a terrible experience.  

Where outdoor events take place.

chapel

 The chapel is one of the most beautiful buildings I have seen.  Elizabethtown College was founded in 1899 by the Church of the Brethren.  The college offers religious studies.

chapel

 I hope you enjoyed the campus photos of Elizabethtown College.  It really is gorgeous.

Posterior Cortical Atrophy {PCA}

As students are headed back to school, is there a subject would you like to learn at this stage of your life?  
My father-in-law has been diagnosed with PCA.  I never heard of this and it is something I would like to learn more about.

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), also known as Benson's syndrome, is a rare degenerative condition in which damage occurs at the back (posterior region) of the brain. In the vast majority of people, the cause of PCA is Alzheimer's disease.

At first we knew something was wrong, but had no idea what.  My mother-in-law researched and researched until she found a website about PCA.  A dr. appointment was made to a specialist in Philadelphia.  The diagnosis was heartbreaking, but at least we could move forward and help Stan as much as we can. My mother-in-law is relentless in keeping Stan's mind active. The love she shows her husband is amazing and outstanding.

The first symptoms of PCA tend to occur when people are in their mid-50s or early 60s. However, the first signs are often subtle and it may be some time before a formal diagnosis is made.
Looking back there are many signs that we missed.  Simple things like running into furniture or knocking things over. Tripping. Not wearing matching socks.  These things were intermittent and not noticed by us.

Initially, people with PCA tend to have a relatively well-preserved memory but experience problems with their vision, such as difficulty recognising faces and objects in pictures. They may also have problems with literacy and numeracy. These tasks are controlled by the back part of the brain, where the initial damage in PCA occurs.  
When Stan's vision began deteriorate he went to an eye doctor.  The doctor told him there was nothing wrong with his eyes.  It was baffling because there was something wrong with his vision.  After learning about PCA, the vision problems made more sense.  His vision has gotten to the point where he cannot read or drive anymore, focusing on objects is difficult and even talking walks is a struggle.  It is becoming difficult for him to navigate from one room to the next.

As damage in the brain spreads and the disease progresses, people develop the more typical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as memory loss and confusion. There are no specific medications for the treatment of PCA but some people find medications for Alzheimer's disease helpful.  
Stan has more good days than bad.  The good days is like having our father, the man we know and love.  He can remember things back to his childhood and can tell stories about the things his sons and grandchildren have done growing up.  The bad days are sad.  He can become so confused.  It's too hard for me to go into details and talk about.  I can only pray that he can be at peace during this struggle and pray for his family and friends to remain strong.

Click HERE to learn more about PCA.

Class of 2015 {Daniel Boone HS}

My baby graduated high school.   I know this is a cliché, but where did the time go?  

Seriously!  I can still remember his little infant hand grabbing my pinkie.  

Now it's time for me to let go.

It's also time for him to move on and prepare for a new chapter in his life.

Brandon was very social, a good athlete and strived to achieve good grades.  

These things were important to him.

He learned to have a balance between his friends, sports and the academic goals he wanted to meet.

I feel lot of parents and schools have come to focus on awards, grades and test scores. Our society focuses on monetary and material success. But will these things define our kids in the end?

One of the many qualities I love about Brandon is his attitude towards life. Attitude means everything.  I've heard parents say this to their children over and over again (we are one of them).  Everyone says this because it really does!  The kind of attitude your child carries will be reflected in the course they take in life, and in whom they will attract, both personally and professionally.

Brandon and his grandparents

Another quality I adore about Brandon is his sense of humor. The world can easily see it! There is no question that many of his teachers would have preferred to see less of it, but he has always managed to balance the “class clown” act carefully enough to not cross the invisible line into serious annoyance.

Through out high school Brandon has been surrounded by a good group of friends.  They were trustworthy and loyal to one another.  It seems like they were always finding something fun and exciting to do.  Brandon was typically the center of attention and he has a strong level of confidence.  He was not afraid to laugh at himself.  

Congratulations to Brandon and to the Class of 2015 on all the tremendous accomplishments. 

You should be extremely proud of yourselves for your hard work and dedication over these past four years.

Graduation Party {Brandon}

 My friend has her own cake business. 

She made a graduation cake and cupcake tower and O.M.G. they were delicious!!

 I made a board covered with photos of Brandon over the years.

  I was happy that Mommom R was able to join the party. 

(My grandmother and Brandon's great grandmother)

I attached photos of Brandon from infancy until his senior year of high school.   

They hung in our living room for our guests to see.  

Towards the end of the party, some of the balloons sank to the floor. 

This picture reminds me of the Disney movie "Up".

The jousting bounce was well worth every penny to rent!

 As you can tell, the boys had a lot of fun smacking each other around!

  It was a hot day but it didn't rain like it was predicted.  

We had 75 guests who all said the food was awesome! (I was smart and had it catered).  

A huge thank you to all our family and friends who were able to join us to celebrate Brandon's graduation!