5 on a Friday: Big! Life! NEWS!

 1. Ok, so, you guys remember when our work/life balance shifted last year to be much more WORK FORWARD?

2. Well, I have pretty much stopped complaining, and Minnie has absolutely THRIVED at preschool 5 mornings a week, and I figured out how to make time for everything, etc etc etc. Cooper barely missed a night of diving. Dorothy's dance attendance record is commendable.Things have been mostly just fine. Very life-centric again. Date nights. Movie nights. Lots of goofing off. Family days. We found our sea legs. Except.

3. Ben REALLY MISSED academia. It turns out, the stories Ben really wants to tell are about universities and why they're awesome. He missed talking to college students and their parents and being part of a bustling campus and mascots and alumni celebrations and parades and sports teams-- the whole ball of wax.

4. Soooooooooo... starting THIS VERY MONTH MY GOODNESS, he is AVP of marketing and communications at our alma mater BRADLEY UNIVERSITY!!! The place where we met each other at camp when we were in high school! The place where we spent the funnest 4.5 years of our LIVES (we took a victory lap our senior years to the tune of PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION. because that's how fun college was!)

5. YES, BRADLEY IS IN NOT-MADISON, and, yes, that is a logistical conundrum since. my job is in Madison, and so is our house and all the kids' friends and the D1 diving facility where Cooper trains, etc etc etc. (ALSO MY PENSION). So, I mean, there are a few wrinkles to work out. Bradley is in my hometown, and we have friends there, and we both deeply love the college and its cityp, so we are not saying never in terms of relocating. But! FOR NOW, Ben is remote part of the week and on campus the rest, and you know what? It's going to be great because he is so freaking excited, and I have already volunteered my Lydia cosplay services whenever they are needed (IYKYK).

The day of his on-campus interview, our Wordle starting word-- the one we both use EVERY SINGLE DAY-- was the answer, and Coop found a 4-leaf clover when he got out of my car at drop off, and and and! The lottery-admission magnet middle school where Dorothy got a spot for the 2024-2025 school year but Cooper did not (the same place where Jack and Harry went and where we planned to send Dorothy even though that would mean 5 kids at 5 separate schools) called to tell us COOPER GOT IN, TOO, making our entire year manageable for one parent to get everyone where they need to go most days. (I mean only one parent will be here most days-- the kids will go where they need to be every day LOL) THEY CAN RIDE THE BUS IN THE MORNING, and I can pick them up, drive literally 8 minutes to dive (instead of the 26 minutes we drive now) and take Dorothy to dance on my way home.

BUCKLE UP, FRIENDS, we are doing this!! Because seriously WHY NOT have your oldest kid go to college and also your husband live out of town part of every week and work a full time job and have 4 other kids INCLUDING A PRESCHOOLER at home? SOUNDS SIMPLE TO ME. LET'S GET A PUPPY.

LOOK, the old bronze lady is SMILING-- even she is happy for him!

We are so proud and excited, you guys!!