The Halls of Higher Academia

Sometime, back during later winter, Mr. Man applied to MIT to take a summer class. Among the programs they offer to HS students, is one called Junction. It starts in late June, and runs through early August. It involves a 2 hour class beginning at 5pm Monday-Thursday, followed by dinner 3x a week, and then a week long seminar after and ends at 9pm. He had to write an essay and fill out an application, and when he told me about it, I nonchalantly replied with an offhand, "Yup, that's great".

He got the email in May saying that he was chosen for the course and they were looking forward to seeing him in June. I think he was more surprised than I was. It wasn't that I didn't think he could get in, he's just not a really good essay writer, and I thought maybe that would hinder him. It seems however, that HE never thought he would get in. We have scrambled and planned and plotted to make this work for him. He had a rough year at school, and in life, and I think this summer program is just what he needs to get back into a good groove again.

In order for this to work, with The Boy™ and I both working this summer, and one vehicle between the two of us, he's going to stay with my in-laws, and commute back and forth every day. (Did I mention there's no on campus housing for this course?) There are two possible ways for him to get there. One is the bus, which goes down to South Station and then he'll hop the red line up to Kendall SQ/MIT. The other, is the Commuter Rail on the Haverhill line, which takes you to North Station, then you get on the train down to Park St. and pick up the red line over to Kendall SQ/MIT. Yesterday, we drove out to the train station he'd get on and took that route in to see how it would work. It's an hour and a half to the train station from here (forget that we could've gotten to MIT in an hour and a half from our house) then another hour or so to get to MIT from there. We visited the building where his class will take place, and then came back. It was a long day.

His class starts tomorrow, which is The Boy's™ birthday, and we will take him to my in-laws, drop off his stuff, then pick up that same commuter rail and make the first trip down with him. We have to pay for his class, and drop off his papers, then we will entertain ourselves for the duration of the class (I believe there are no seminar's this week as it's only 2 days) and meet up with him and go back to my in-laws, then come home without him.  Mentally I haven't quite wrapped my brain around this, as I thought I had a few more years before I had to deal with any of it, but we are very proud of him and excited that he has such an amazing opportunity before him. In my heart, I am ready for him to go, but in the secret place in the back, I want him to be 4 again so I can keep him home with me longer. I'm not quite ready to let him go yet.