Tom Petty said it best, “The waiting is the hardest part.”

It seems everyone I know with a high school senior has been accepted somewhere. All of my friends’ kids. All of Chandler’s friends. Accepted. Somewhere. Hell, one of my friends just put the deposit down. Her daughter has made her decision.

But Chandler? No acceptance letters yet. He’s still waiting. We’re still waiting.

To be clear, he hasn’t gotten any rejection letters yet either.

Every time I run into someone or talk to someone on the phone (yes, I still talk on the phone) they ask me, “Has Chandler made any decisions yet?” It’s hard to make a decision when you don’t know your choices. Trust me people, when Chandler finally gets his acceptance letters I will be posting it on Facebook just like every other obnoxious STFU proud mom.

Of course it doesn’t help matters that I’m hyper-obsessing on it. I check Chandler’s email ten times a day to see if any notifications have come in from the admissions departments telling him to check his student portal even though I know it’s too early. Yes, I have his email password because he is terrible at checking emails and helicopter mom I need to keep him on track. But I don’t have his student portal passwords (though I’m sure I could figure them out) so I can’t find out before he does. I don’t want to find out before he does. I would never take that away from him. I just want to find out.

I don’t like to wish away time, especially now when Chandler will be leaving so soon, but if there were ever a week to wish away, make it go warp speed squared instead of just plain old oh-my-god-my-son-is-going-away-to-college-in-five-months-wasn’t-he-just-a-baby-five-seconds-ago warp speed, it would be this week. Because next week we’ll know something.

The UC he applied to will be sending notifications to last names beginning with O-S on Sunday, March 15 at 4AM. I suspect my eyes will pop open at 4:01. It’s a good thing he’s an early bird like me. Not 4AM early, but he should be up by 7:00. (Oops, I’m sorry, Chandler. Was I being too loud in the kitchen. *clang clang clang)

On Friday, February 13 the school in Ohio that is a top contender will be snail mailing out its notifications. (Friday, the 13th, really? Is that a good idea?) I’m an optimist so I’m hopeful we’ll receive that letter on Monday the 16th. (Look, I just mailed something to Little Rock, AR on a Friday and it got there the following Monday, it could happen!)

After that the other four should come trailing in somewhere between the 15th and the 31st.

Until then… we’re just waiting.

“The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part”