Tonya Fleetwood - Homepage

If you'd like to contact me: TMF222@YAHOO.COM

Growing Up

May 21, 2005 - 12:26 am

These past few weeks have been wonderful! When I went home for Eric's prom, I had such a great time. My mom and aunt Bonnie met me at the airport. We had dinner together on the long drive home, and then as we passed through Bedford Mom made a detour to the bar. It turns out that a few friends were waiting there to hang out and share a beer with me. I was tired, but it was really nice and comforting to be welcomed back to Iowa that way, right off the bat. We only stayed for about a half hour, but I had a lot of fun.

The next day was Saturday, the big day! We spent some time with my aunt Karen and uncle Jeff. Karen is doing better, but more improvement needs to be accomplished and not just physically. While we were at their house, Eric and his girlfriend, Annie, came over. This was the first time that I met her, and I have to say that I was very impressed. Eric hasn't had a girlfriend that I 've really approved of, so Annie was a pleasant surprise. She's extremely sweet and very pretty. Annie left to go to her hair appointment, and then Mom, Bonnie, Eric, Wayne, and I went out for lunch. We ran into Bix at the restaurant, and that was fun.

So the time finally arrived for Eric to start getting ready for his prom. I made the journey across the street. When I got there he was already dressed in his tux. I was overwhelmed! He was so incredibly handsome. I started taking pictures immediately! Annie's dress was pink, so Eric decided to get a pink vest. Have I mentioned how handsome he looked? After Eric finished styling his hair we all headed outside to take even more pictures, then off he went to pick up Annie. A bit later we all met up at Jeff and Karen's house. Annie was SO beautiful. Her dress was absolutely stunning! And the two of them looked so adorable! After more pictures were taken, Eric and Annie left for the dinner while the rest of us just hung out until it was time to go to the school for the Grand March.

We finally got to the school. I couldn't wait to see Eric and Wayne, my favorite boys! I hadn't seen Wayne in his tux yet. We got there really early to ensure we'd get a good seat, and we succeeded! While I was waiting for the big event to start, I ran into some people I hadn't seen in a while. That's always nice.

The Grand March is this small ceremony-type event that is a part of our prom. It takes place in the large gym of the school right before prom officially starts. Each couple walks down a special carpet while their names are announced. It's such a great event, because it allows family members and friends to get to see how the kids have grown; kids they've known since birth. And everyone gets to see how fancy the kids are dressed. It's a great photo opportunity too! So this finally got started, and it was a while until Eric and Annie walked down the carpet. Wayne and his date were right behind them. Wayne looked very nice! It was really surreal watching Eric walk down the carpet. He's really getting older. I need to accept that!

A large amount of pictures were taken after the Grand March. Mom couldn't figure out how to use my camera, so that caused a small amount of drama. I took so many great pictures though, despite my camera-drama. I got some special combinations of me, Eric, and Wayne. Pretty soon Eric was extremely tired of taking pictures, and he got frustrated. Needless to say, not many pictures were taken after Eric had had enough. I went into the smaller gym to see the prom decorations while Eric and Annie had their professional pictures taken. We said good-bye, told them to have a nice time, then Duane, Mom, Bonnie, and I went out for a really nice steak dinner. Yummy!

I was flying back to New York the following day. It was such a short trip, but I'm extremely glad that I came home. Money was really tight too, but I still managed to afford a ticket. This was just too important of an event for me to miss. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I'd of missed it! I hung out a little with Eric that day, and I finally got to meet the ducks. They aren't really babies anymore, but they are so cute! Then back to the airport and back to New York. What a great weekend!

The following weekend my parents flew out to New York. I was moving that weekend, so they came to help. They came to my job as soon as they got into the city (well, after they'd dropped off their luggage at my apartment). They met a good handful of the people that I work with, which was really fun. They're very supportive parents and have visited every single job that I've had. They always take an interest in my job choices and want to see the environment and meet my co-workers. I love that about them! They took me out for lunch, and then when I got back my boss let me take the rest of the day off to spend with them. It was so nice! We went out for dinner that night, and then went to a bar afterwards. The hotel room that I'd rented us was really impressive too!

So the next day was complete hell! COMPLETE. HELL. It was my moving day, and we were doing everything ourselves! Zach, my cousin who now lives in the city, helped us. Duane tore down the shelves in my apartment (shelves that were attached to the wall), and then he and I set off to get our U-Haul truck. It took us an extremely long time to get the shady truck and to drive it back up to my apartment. Luckily we found reasonably close parking, and then we all went to work carrying all my stuff down the stairs. It was SOOOOO much work, and just thinking about it makes my muscles ache. I didn't even carry the really heavy stuff either. After I was all packed up, we made our way to the East side to pick up my brand new mattress. My mom had found a new one on craigslist. Our next destination was my new apartment in Harlem! Zach met us up there. Then we started lugging everything up two flights of stairs. It was raining all day too. Yuck, soooo much work! I was so exhausted! We set everything down in the living room, and then quickly returned the U-Haul. It was such an adventurous day! I will definitely, without-a-doubt be hiring movers if I ever decide to move again. I will not do that again, and I WILL NOT put my family through that again. So the plan was to return the U-Haul, then go out for dinner. We insisted that Zach come along to dinner with us. He helped us so much, and a dinner wouldn't even be enough to repay him.

We filled up the truck with gas, then returned it. My friend Hector was ironically at the U-Haul place when we got there. It was so weird that he was there at the same time we were. There are tons of U-Haul places too. Then we took a cab to Hooters and waited for Zach to arrive. Yes, I gave in and let Duane take us to Hooters. He's a big fan of the chain, and I'd never eaten there before. It was an interesting experience. Zach finally came. We had some beers, ate our really good dinner, then took a cab back up to Harlem. We were all way too tired to make the journey via subway.

I spent most of the next day unpacking. Duane put my shelves back together and secured them against a wall. It was a challenge to make them free-standing since they'd been attached to the wall before, but Duane can handle stuff like that. He can do anything when it comes to that. It's such a talent! I was completely unpacked by the end of the day.

Mom and Duane left the next day. It was slightly stressful, because SuperShuttle was late. It was first day making my new commute too, and I was worried I'd be late. SuperShuttle just isn't reliable sometimes! Mom and Duane eventually made me go to work despite the fact that they were still waiting. I hated doing that, because there aren't any cabs up there and they wouldn't know how to get to the airport if SuperShuttle decided not to come at all. But Mom called me right as I reached the subway to tell me they'd be picked up. Whew! So, despite the weekend being heavily occupied by physical labor, we still managed to have a good time. I love having my family in New York! The weekend was definitely not long enough though...

That night I got to sleep in my new, much bigger bed for the first time. I literally woke up smiling! It's honestly the thickest mattress I've ever seen. It has a thick cushion on the top and the bottom. Plus I put an egg-crate foam piece on top. It's SOOOO soft! I love it! And I'm completely in love with the apartment. It's the exact opposite of my old place. It's new and clean and spacious! And I live with Cherish again! We have a good time! Since then I've just been enjoying the place. Everyday I can't wait until I get home, just to be in the apartment! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Right now I'm back in Iowa. Eric's high school graduation is on Sunday. I'm having such mixed emotions! I'm not ready for him to graduate, and it's making me very emotional (in a happy way, of course)! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it for the last week. I even made myself cry on the subway! He's my little man, and I'm not prepared for him to be an adult. I keep thinking about him as a toddler and then when he started kindergarten. Seeing him wear his cap and gown is really going to start the water-works. That's when it'll really be official. I want him to graduate, don't get me wrong. This is a very happy and proud time for me. I'm just having big-sister anxieties. I'll be ok. =)



Go to Older Entries Directory If you'd like to contact me: TMF222@YAHOO.COM Growing Up May 21, 2005 - 12:26 am These past few weeks have been wonderful! When I went home for Eric's prom, I had such a great time. My mom and aunt Bonnie met me at the airport. We had dinner together on the long drive home, and then as we passed through Bedford Mom made a detour to the bar. It turns out that a few friends were waiting there to hang out and share a beer with me. I was tired, but it was really nice and comforting to be welcomed back to Iowa that way, right off the bat. We only stayed for about a half hour, but I had a lot of fun. The next day was Saturday, the big day! We spent some time with my aunt Karen and uncle Jeff. Karen is doing better, but more improvement needs to be accomplished and not just physically. While we were at their house, Eric and his girlfriend, Annie, came over. This was the first time that I met her, and I have to say that I was very impressed. Eric hasn't had a girlfriend that I 've really approved of, so Annie was a pleasant surprise. She's extremely sweet and very pretty. Annie left to go to her hair appointment, and then Mom, Bonnie, Eric, Wayne, and I went out for lunch. We ran into Bix at the restaurant, and that was fun. So the time finally arrived for Eric to start getting ready for his prom. I made the journey across the street. When I got there he was already dressed in his tux. I was overwhelmed! He was so incredibly handsome. I started taking pictures immediately! Annie's dress was pink, so Eric decided to get a pink vest. Have I mentioned how handsome he looked? After Eric finished styling his hair we all headed outside to take even more pictures, then off he went to pick up Annie. A bit later we all met up at Jeff and Karen's house. Annie was SO beautiful. Her dress was absolutely stunning! And the two of them looked so adorable! After more pictures were taken, Eric and Annie left for the dinner while the rest of us just hung out until it was time to go to the school for the Grand March. We finally got to the school. I couldn't wait to see Eric and Wayne, my favorite boys! I hadn't seen Wayne in his tux yet. We got there really early to ensure we'd get a good seat, and we succeeded! While I was waiting for the big event to start, I ran into some people I hadn't seen in a while. That's always nice. The Grand March is this small ceremony-type event that is a part of our prom. It takes place in the large gym of the school right before prom officially starts. Each couple walks down a special carpet while their names are announced. It's such a great event, because it allows family members and friends to get to see how the kids have grown; kids they've known since birth. And everyone gets to see how fancy the kids are dressed. It's a great photo opportunity too! So this finally got started, and it was a while until Eric and Annie walked down the carpet. Wayne and his date were right behind them. Wayne looked very nice! It was really surreal watching Eric walk down the carpet. He's really getting older. I need to accept that! A large amount of pictures were taken after the Grand March. Mom couldn't figure out how to use my camera, so that caused a small amount of drama. I took so many great pictures though, despite my camera-drama. I got some special combinations of me, Eric, and Wayne. Pretty soon Eric was extremely tired of taking pictures, and he got frustrated. Needless to say, not many pictures were taken after Eric had had enough. I went into the smaller gym to see the prom decorations while Eric and Annie had their professional pictures taken. We said good-bye, told them to have a nice time, then Duane, Mom, Bonnie, and I went out for a really nice steak dinner. Yummy! I was flying back to New York the following day. It was such a short trip, but I'm extremely glad that I came home. Money was really tight too, but I still managed to afford a ticket. This was just too important of an event for me to miss. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I'd of missed it! I hung out a little with Eric that day, and I finally got to meet the ducks. They aren't really babies anymore, but they are so cute! Then back to the airport and back to New York. What a great weekend! The following weekend my parents flew out to New York. I was moving that weekend, so they came to help. They came to my job as soon as they got into the city (well, after they'd dropped off their luggage at my apartment). They met a good handful of the people that I work with, which was really fun. They're very supportive parents and have visited every single job that I've had. They always take an interest in my job choices and want to see the environment and meet my co-workers. I love that about them! They took me out for lunch, and then when I got back my boss let me take the rest of the day off to spend with them. It was so nice! We went out for dinner that night, and then went to a bar afterwards. The hotel room that I'd rented us was really impressive too! So the next day was complete hell! COMPLETE. HELL. It was my moving day, and we were doing everything ourselves! Zach, my cousin who now lives in the city, helped us. Duane tore down the shelves in my apartment (shelves that were attached to the wall), and then he and I set off to get our U-Haul truck. It took us an extremely long time to get the shady truck and to drive it back up to my apartment. Luckily we found reasonably close parking, and then we all went to work carrying all my stuff down the stairs. It was SOOOOO much work, and just thinking about it makes my muscles ache. I didn't even carry the really heavy stuff either. After I was all packed up, we made our way to the East side to pick up my brand new mattress. My mom had found a new one on craigslist. Our next destination was my new apartment in Harlem! Zach met us up there. Then we started lugging everything up two flights of stairs. It was raining all day too. Yuck, soooo much work! I was so exhausted! We set everything down in the living room, and then quickly returned the U-Haul. It was such an adventurous day! I will definitely, without-a-doubt be hiring movers if I ever decide to move again. I will not do that again, and I WILL NOT put my family through that again. So the plan was to return the U-Haul, then go out for dinner. We insisted that Zach come along to dinner with us. He helped us so much, and a dinner wouldn't even be enough to repay him. We filled up the truck with gas, then returned it. My friend Hector was ironically at the U-Haul place when we got there. It was so weird that he was there at the same time we were. There are tons of U-Haul places too. Then we took a cab to Hooters and waited for Zach to arrive. Yes, I gave in and let Duane take us to Hooters. He's a big fan of the chain, and I'd never eaten there before. It was an interesting experience. Zach finally came. We had some beers, ate our really good dinner, then took a cab back up to Harlem. We were all way too tired to make the journey via subway. I spent most of the next day unpacking. Duane put my shelves back together and secured them against a wall. It was a challenge to make them free-standing since they'd been attached to the wall before, but Duane can handle stuff like that. He can do anything when it comes to that. It's such a talent! I was completely unpacked by the end of the day. Mom and Duane left the next day. It was slightly stressful, because SuperShuttle was late. It was first day making my new commute too, and I was worried I'd be late. SuperShuttle just isn't reliable sometimes! Mom and Duane eventually made me go to work despite the fact that they were still waiting. I hated doing that, because there aren't any cabs up there and they wouldn't know how to get to the airport if SuperShuttle decided not to come at all. But Mom called me right as I reached the subway to tell me they'd be picked up. Whew! So, despite the weekend being heavily occupied by physical labor, we still managed to have a good time. I love having my family in New York! The weekend was definitely not long enough though... That night I got to sleep in my new, much bigger bed for the first time. I literally woke up smiling! It's honestly the thickest mattress I've ever seen. It has a thick cushion on the top and the bottom. Plus I put an egg-crate foam piece on top. It's SOOOO soft! I love it! And I'm completely in love with the apartment. It's the exact opposite of my old place. It's new and clean and spacious! And I live with Cherish again! We have a good time! Since then I've just been enjoying the place. Everyday I can't wait until I get home, just to be in the apartment! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Right now I'm back in Iowa. Eric's high school graduation is on Sunday. I'm having such mixed emotions! I'm not ready for him to graduate, and it's making me very emotional (in a happy way, of course)! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it for the last week. I even made myself cry on the subway! He's my little man, and I'm not prepared for him to be an adult. I keep thinking about him as a toddler and then when he started kindergarten. Seeing him wear his cap and gown is really going to start the water-works. That's when it'll really be official. I want him to graduate, don't get me wrong. This is a very happy and proud time for me. I'm just having big-sister anxieties. I'll be ok. =)