From The Past: June 3, 2005

Today is Ashley’s 9th birthday. I will say what all mother’s say, “I can’t believe it! She is growing up so fast!” It may sound cliché, but I really do feel that way. The years seem to be slipping right through my fingers. Here she is on the bike we bought for her:

We went to the theatre yesterday and saw Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. It was a great movie, but what surprised me the most was that none of us had to get up to go to the bathroom throughout the entire thing! As a mother, I try to get the kids to drain every, last ounce of pee out of their bodies before the movie starts. It kills me to pay $50 for a movie and then have to get up to use the bathroom. Yes, it literally cost us $50. It was over $25 to get in and another $25 at the concession stand. Now you know why we borrow the free movies from the library. Yea, they may be older, but they are still FREE!

Currently (2021): Ashley turned 25 today. I am so proud of her accomplishments. She has her Master’s Degree in Reading and her ED.s (Education Specialist Degree – which is between a Master’s and a Doctorate). Her plan was to earn her Doctorate beginning this summer. She had applied and been accepted into the program and was set to go. That was, until she realized she would be deep in student loan debt without a substantial pay increase. Unfortunately, money talks and it wasn’t enough money for her to get into that kind of debt.

She is not upset about it though; she actually feels free. She’s been going to school without a real break since kindergarten. Maybe one day, she’ll decide to go for that doctorate, maybe she won’t. Whatever she does, I am and will always be proud of her.

This is how I see Ashley most days now – happy and free: