I’m the proud parent of a college student.

Well, that’s a strange thing to find myself saying, now isn’t it? Not the “proud parent” part; I’ve been that for a number of years now, since I have two awesome offspring. It’s the “college student” part I’m still wrapping my brain around. Not that we haven’t known it was coming. Alex applied and was accepted to DigiPen a while ago, with financial aid sorted out a few weeks ago along with the living situation.

On Sunday, however, he actually left Portland. The Seattle area is his home now and will be for at least the next four years, potentially much longer. (That’s where a lot of the jobs are, after all.)

Funny thing is, I was fine up until Saturday afternoon when the kids got on the #9 bus for home at the end of what was the Spud’s final weekly parental visitation time. We hugged, and they got on the bus, and I damned near lost it. Fine time to get emotional, eh?

Mind you, he turns 18 about ten days from now. That’s not the part which makes me feel odd. (No, not “feel old,” because my failing joints take care of that very nicely, thankyouverymuch.) It’s that he’s off to school in another state and just plain doesn’t need his folks anymore. (Miss, possibly. Care about, certainly. But need? Not hardly, except for making sure his pesky finances are covered. Heh.)

I guess that means we did our job right… right?

Now all I have to do is help get the younger child up on her own two feet and my work is complete… insofar as parenting is ever really done, of course.