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I saw this bumper sticker on a car when we were dropping off Will at Texas Christian University, home of the Horned Frogs. I thought it was so funny!
Saying good-bye to his sister. Not happy that Mom has already pulled out the camera on her phone!
Arrival at TCU in Fort Worth. They had an impressively organized system for checking in new students, handing out room keys and ID's and assisting with unloading cars
I took this picture of the student center and, lo and behold, I captured Will and Robert returning with his room key and a pass to let us into the driveway by Will's dorm for 15 minutes
The University provided these laundry bins and a lot of upperclass volunteers to assist with moving things from cars to the dorm. Robert, Will and a volunteer got all of Will's things to his room in one trip while I parked the car
Will checking out his new bed (his bedding, that I ordered from The Company Store over a month ago, shipped on the 11th but has not arrived yet - grrr). Will has two nice roommates from Tulsa, Oklahoma and Newport Beach, California
"Ok, Mom, you made my bed and took my picture. You and Dad can go now..."
We met Will's roommate from Tulsa. He was very polite and personable. The roommate from California arrived after we'd left, but Will texted me that he is "really nice"
Posing with mom by his desk. I gave Texas flags for graduation presents last year, thinking boys might like to hang them in their dorm rooms. The roommate brought the nice TV, prompting Will to request that I send his XBox and games with a friend coming to TCU later in the week
One last picture with the 'rents. My phone is on Will's bed because he thought one picture with Dad's phone was sufficient. "He can email it to you, Mom."
Will's freshman dorm at TCU - doesn't it look amazingly calm for move-in day?
I cried on the way home. Can't believe my boy is old enough to go to college...
With Vivian improving every day, life is returning to normal at our house, but we are definitely not quite there yet. (Though factoring in Will's impending departure for college, I fear life as I knew it is in the past.)
Friends have kindly brought us delicious meals throughout our ordeal with Vivian. I can't adequately express what a huge help this has been as I have had neither the appetite nor the energy to decide what to eat much less to gather ingredients and actually cook.
I've been easing back into the kitchen, however, with breakfast foods. My kids love French Toast and pancakes. Vivian, in particular, enjoys muffins.
Yesterday I fixed a batch of Six-week Bran Muffins, which are great because, like the name implies, the batter can be kept in the refrigerator and baked when desired. The muffins smell fabulous when they're cooking and are hard to resist straight out of the oven. They are great for crowds or a small group as you can prepare as many as you'd like (if I am baking fewer than a full tin of muffins, I place an ice cube in the unused cups to prevent them from scorching).
Six-week Bran Muffins
1 c. All-Bran cereal
1 c. boiling water
½ c. butter, melted
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
2½ c. flour (sometimes I mix whole-wheat and all-purpose flour)
2 c. Bran Flakes cereal
2½ t. baking soda
1 t. salt
Pour hot water over All-Bran and let stand. Mix sugar and butter well. Beat in eggs and buttermilk. Add hot bran mixture, stirring well. Sift together flour, soda and salt and then stir in Bran Flakes. Combine dry and liquid mixtures. Batter thickens as it stands. Store in refrigerator up to six weeks (I don't think mine has ever lasted longer than a week).
Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
Makes 3 dozen muffins.
I store the batter in a pitcher, although it cannot be poured once it thickens
Yesterday I baked the muffins in my heart-shaped muffin pan, but I didn't fill the cups full enough. This morning I baked them in my regular muffin tin
Yum!
