Annika's Octave is complete

And what will Annika do in her 20's?


This is the question we've been pondering all week, beginning with her 20th birthday last Sunday. What will her 20's hold?

Graduate school. International relations. Leadership. Music. Singing, especially. Travel. We had our birthday dinner for her at a French restaurant to symbolize her plans for Paris. NYC is definitely on the agenda.

And who knows what else?

Well, for starters, an International Affairs major at the University of Colorado (Boulder).

We've been moving her in in stages, all week.

Bedroom linens by Marimmekko and IKEA. A trip to Target for a colander, silverware drawer, plates. Groceries from King Soopers. Gifts from friends. A wooden spoon from home.

White board and 3M hooks from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Luxurious blue blanket from BBB, too.

TV from a store in NYC. Desk lamp from IKEA and dad's genius with a screwdriver. Antique blue vases from mom. Christmas lights from the stash in the garage.

New computer battery from Dell. Expensive e-Books from the textbook gods.

And she's in. There are three roommates, four separate bedrooms (with locks!), a kitchen, living room with beautiful, peaceful very un-collegelike art. She has milk and eggs and pasta and peanut butter. I think we forgot bread. She has apples and granola bars and cereal.

Class starts Monday morning - tomorrow - at eight o'clock, sharp. She knows how to get there on the bus.

And so it is. And so it goes. A life-changing transition with a bunch of basic quotidian activities and materials. It went like clock work, simple, straightforward. Piece of cake.

A life-changing transition that takes your breath away. At least it took mine.

Annika's Birthday Octave is completed. And now the 20's really begin. What will they be?

Happy Birthday Annika! Now it really starts! (I love you so much!)