Dear Noah........driving.......and college admission testing......

I cannot believe how well you are doing and how fast you are becoming a young adult man. Does not seem possible to me. Since you decided you wanted to go to college we began that process. Next year for your senior year you will actually be doing college courses for college credit that you can one day transfer towards a degree you have tentatively picked out. Since a photo ID is required...and  you decided to start driving now after all instead of waiting till later...we decided you may as well go take your written test and get your temps so you can have a photo ID and start driving.

You did very well on the test...and now have your temps.

Next up was the Compass test for our local/state community college admissions requirement. You took that on Thursday afternoon and finished in like half the time it normally takes and you passed it very well.

Even though you would not have to take the ACT test..or at least not now...we had scheduled you for it anyway so you took that today. You feel you did very well on it...but we don't have those scores yet. Time will tell.

However, with each success your confidence is building. You become more comfortable with yourself and growing up...with driving...with realizing you are learning and retaining things here with homeschool......and it is wonderful to see all this come to pass right before my eyes.

Looking back I often wondered what things might be like when you got older. I am becoming much more confident too that you will accomplish anything you set your mind to.....and you will be just fine.

You certainly have lots of plans.....and while our lives are changing and maybe even our roles to some degree....I am so thankful I have you in my life and have been able to share it with you and be able to teach you here at home. I really have loved that. We don't spend nearly the time together now as we did in the past...and I do miss that...and yet I know it is inevitable and something I need to just accept and go with that flow...as it prepares to take you down the waters of your life one day.

SO my little man........I wish you only the very best life has to offer.

I love you more than ever.

Mom
XOXOXO

Dear Noah.....high school and getting ready for college

I still cannot believe you are a junior in high school and now you have changed your mind and DO want to go to college...and not just like a local community college, but you would like to go "away" to college, like Ohio State University's MEGA bucks college. "Away from home." Key words for me...AWAY from home.

My job as your MOM has been to continue to homeschool you but also teach you life skills to get you ready to be on your own one day, which would probably be difficult enough with your high-functioning autism, but now we add into the mix getting you ready to attend college, and possibly "away" from home one day. We have a lot to do and we are busy preparing you now to begin college next year locally as part of the College Credit Plus program. We are hoping you can complete 2 years of local college here and then you can transfer if you still want to and have financing arranged, to OSU one day. This will allow you to bypass some of the more traditional university requirements, and hopefully be a slightly easier transition. I still have a lot of anxiety not only about the living away from home, as there are many things you still flat our refuse to do for yourself, but also some of the more stringent requirements any college will place in your lap.

So, we are moving ahead, getting a little more anxious sometimes as time passes but trying to hang in there. This year you will also probably begin to learn to drive, trying to time that just right for many reasons, including insurance, financial, etc.

Taking a big, deep breath here.........and let's just try to do this!

I love you!!  Always will.

Mom
XOXOXO