AnneOnParenting

Nothing like we expected, and the decision has been made.  Not sure what Frankie thought, but I expected the school to be bigger.  The campus is laid out like a beehive with the 13-story Muse Hall at its apex (a misnomer as it is actually at the bottom of a hill).  The school is a little more than an hour and a half from our home making it far enough away to not worry about running into us, but close enough to come home when she desires.  She is already planning on burning up the telephone lines when she first leaves.  I predict it will not be as much or as often as she thinks.  The best part?  We can meet at the mall (is actually closer to her than me) and spend a day together window-shopping.  

Frankie played her flute for four instructors in the new Covington Fine Arts Building auditorium.  I sat backstage and thought she sounded fine.  But I am not the one to ask.  Unless you play really off-key I think it sounds fine.  We had a tour of part of the campus and joined the music therapy students in a drum circle.  Before leaving we had to visit the campus bookstore and acquire a Radford hoodie.  Why does it have to get so windy and cold in April?  I thought the winds would stay in March and the showers (which were few) would start for April.  Will be in for a delay all spring and summer long?

Frankie made it into the Honors Academy and this sounds like it is right up her alley.  If When she makes it into the Music Program she will have to decide whether she wants to live in the honors or fine arts dorms.  Decisions, decisions.  I am leaning towards the honors dorms, at least for the first year.  She can always utilize the practice rooms and dance studio without living in the arts dorm.  I will let her make the final decision.

Today I spent some time looking into the cost of college and feel a little better.  It is over $16,000 for one year, but if we can manage some good scholarships and get some low/no interest student loans, this should not be an issue.  Besides, it is far less than what I am paying and I manage somehow.

Boy, has it really been over a month since I posted here?  Amazing how time flies.  March was a busy month in our household.  Lulu turned 16 in March.  My little girl is growing up so fast.  She will be eligible for her driver’s license in June.  Then I will need to make a decision on which vehicle she will get to use.  Benny is officially a teenager.  He turned 13 in late March.  Three teenagers under one roof!  DH also celebrated a birthday in March.  And yes, we have three cakes between the 12th and the 21st every year.  All are ice cream and none last very long in our house.

Frankie has gotten accepted into every college she applied; she was worried she would not be accepted into any.  JMU is her first choice, but she did not get accepted into their music program.  Disappointing, yes, but there is always next year.  She did get accepted into Radford’s music program and their honor’s program.  She is leaning this way.  She auditions for Radford this coming Monday.  I know, how did she get into the music program without auditioning?  I asked the same thing.  They looked at her music experience.  Frankie has been in marching band 4 years, IDL 2 years, Jazz band 1 year, made the high school All-District band 1 year (7th chair concert), and takes private lessons - flute 2 years, piano 2 years.  

Next week Lulu and I will be going to Washington D.C. with the History Club.  This is exciting.  We will get to take a tour of the White House and one day will be spent at Six Flags.  Not sure which is more exciting.  We do love a good roller coaster!  Then there is Easter and I may do our famous egg hunt.  Our house sits on 3 acres and it makes for a fun hunt.   We shall see.  Money is tight and we like to put money in the eggs.  I may do it anyway.

Now I will leave you with the IDLers practicing on the bus without their instruments.  Enjoy!

The other day I spoke about spending the day at JMU with Frankie and her boyfriend Richard.  In doing so I spoke of the stress associated with applying, and auditioning, for college.  In the days that passed, Frankie has become more stressed and somewhat down in her concern over acceptance for college.  She has applied at JMU, Radford University, and Randolph-Macon College.  Frankie still needs to audition for Radford, but will need to schedule an appointment for this.  The up side to this is the shortened day.  There will not be hundreds of others, hopefully, scheduled to audition during the same timeframe.  We can check out the campus and see if this might be a good fit for Frankie.

Now, on to the reason for this post.  Frankie has been accepted into Randolph-Macon College.   It is not her first choice.  Yet, it is a good school.  In recent years it made news when it decided to go coed after years of being a women’s only college.  She also has been awarded a $9,500 scholarship, renewable annually.  The admissions department was impressed with her dedication to music.  She has been a member of the marching band 4 years, IDL (indoor drumline) 2 years, Jazz band 1 year, and participated in the high school musical 2 years.  Frankie has held the office of Band Historian 2 years and was the flute/piccolo section leader this past year.  She does all of this while maintaining a 3.8 GPA.  A parent could not be more proud.

No matter what happens with Frankie’s other college applications it looks like she will be attending a four-year school come Fall.  This could be a really good opportunity for her.  She will be close to Richmond and D.C.  This would be only a short train or bus ride up to New York or New Jersey where we have family.  Randolph-Macon College offers work opportunities for students wishing to work on campus.  There are tutoring positions available at local elementary schools, too.  Frankie wants to be a teacher and this would be great training.  Now I am getting excited.

Congratulations, Frankie!  Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments; I am. 

  Frankie is stressed.  A lot.  Saturday she auditioned at JMU.  As you know from earlier posts, Frankie plays flute.  Richard and I waited while she practiced.  We played a bit of cell phone Scrabble since we left Boggle in the car.  Frankie comes back from warming up excited and pumped.  She was completely ready for this audition.  I send her off with my usual “break a lip” and she smiled as she walked down the hall to where she was to play.

Patiently Richard and I wait.  About 30 minutes pass before Frankie returns.  She is not happy with her performance.  Nerves get to the best of us and Frankie is no exception.  She was visibly shaking.  What she played so well in practice was, in her mind, not so graceful in the reality of her audition.  There were 14 flutes auditioning. There is no limit to the number accepted.  If you are deemed worthy for their program you are in.  By whose definition is worthiness deemed?  Frankie lives and breathes music.  She has wanted to become a teacher since Kindergarten.  Does that count as worthy?

Then we head down to the meeting for those students interested in Music Education as their major.  Only a handful of students were in attendance, but there were two meetings.  Many parents were in attendance, probably due to the long day ahead of them and the college-bound musical educators were busy practicing, auditioning, and testing.  Frankie had to scoot out early to play piano.  Just in case you were wondering, piano is a must for any music major regardless of instrument of preference.  Frankie has been taking lessons on piano for 1 1/2 years.  She was happy to be placed in Music 101; Music 101 is one step up from the lowest class, but shows she was prepared for this eventuality.

 Richard and I finished up in the Music Education meeting and went in search of food.  We had heard mention of free food and drinks in the basement.  We must have been a bit late since we only found a couple vending machines.  Richard had a teeny tiny coffee with sweetener, supposedly.  I opted for a Cherry Coke and bag of salsa Sun Chips.  I was running on 3 hours of sleep and needed something to wake me up.

Then it was more waiting while Frankie attended a music theory testing session.  She felt this was easy and was feeling a bit better about the experience.  Frankie also learned that the majority in attendance were interested in Music Education.  Amazing, so many young people want to become teachers.  Oh, and I know, you are thinking this is an easy major.  From what I learned, this major is just as demanding and challenging as many others.  Maybe not as demanding as medicine or law, but demanding nonetheless.  And it is competitive.  JMU is a leading Virginia teaching college.  It would be good for Frankie.

I must admit part of me is worried about the cost of sending Frankie away to school.  Part of me wants her to spend her first two years at the local community college due to monetary constraints.  But now, my fingers are crossed.  She really wants this and I want this for her.  If money is the barrier, then we will just have to figure that out when the time comes.  Maybe applying for college is stressful for everyone!  

Frankie and I will be making the trek to JMU in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.  She is auditioning on flute for their music program and is not showing any signs of nerves.  Yet.  Her boyfriend Richard will be joining us.  I do not know what he is going to do if she goes away to school in the Fall.  He is a good kid, though.  So, at 5:00 in the morning we set out since we have to be there to sign in at 8:00.  

Me, I plan on bringing my project management textbook and studying for my final which is to be taken no later than tomorrow night.   I just hope Richard does not talk my ear off while I am trying to study.  At least he is courteous enough to ask me if it is okay for him to tag along.  Frankie is making sandwiches and we plan to brown bag it to save on costs.  What a good kid!  

I have turned into a bit of a night owl again and getting up is going to be a struggle for me.  But this will be fun.  Just like the last time when Frankie and I took a trip up to JMU to check it out.  It is a really nice self-contained campus.   She will not need a car if she attends and is already requesting a bike.  That would be a great idea.  JMU has campus buses and contracts with local transit that buses the students to the mall and other stores at no cost to them.  Here is to Frankie getting lots of scholarships!

Guess I should start to wind down and get my materials and other necessities ready for tomorrow.   It is going to be cold and I am not sure if I want to take the Jeep or the Malibu.  The Malibu definitely gets better gas mileage.  And it would be more comfortable for three persons to ride in the car.  Guess we will decide that in the morning.  I am tired just thinking about it.