Long Distance Parenting

This child always came with her own little set of blessings and trials.
From very little, geez, even birth, she made the rules and set the boundaries.
And raising her with manners (yeah, you can see how successful THAT was), morals, kindness, charity, love, compassion, God like qualities and everything else she would need to make it in this life as a good adult citizen has had it's challenges....
NOW...add thousands of miles between us and the parenting continues while she's away at college. And the phone calls come at literally all time of the day and night...and early early mornings.
This morning...5:00 a.m. OUR time...meaning 4:00 her time. I knew it was her..just because I'm a mom and I know Kathryn. Her toilet was broken...and she needed to pee. Common sense tells her to call dad to fix it. But obviously she's forgotten dad's thousands of miles away and can't just get out of bed and fix it so she can pee. But she still expected him to. So, I hear Del for the next ten minutes discussing the situation and possible resolutions with Kathryn before he finally gets off the phone with her and gets up and dressed. He's now awake for the day.
It's these kind of things all the time with Kathryn.
She cracks me up...when home, she is able to use her common sense and independent streak that runs through her. But you put space between us and it's like she can no longer function without our opinion, advice or counsel. I wish she were so easy to raise while local...but NO...she has to wait until we AREN'T able to help to ASK for help.
Examples: DRAMA!! Kathryn says she doesn't DO drama...and yet...she finds herself right smack in the middle of it at any given time. Geez, DRAMA is her middle name. Mostly with friends...ie, roommates, girls etc.
Refrigerator broke two weeks ago...what to do??WHAT TO DO??? Well..tell your apartment manager!! Take the food out and try to put it in a neighbors fridge..or Jordan and Lexi's...or...something! But call came to us.
A squirrel bit her finger. Yes, you read that right. I didn't say ALL of Kathryn's calls are unfounded...but I WILL say that each and every phone call supplies me with plenty of information to write another chapter in my hilarious parenting book on 'How to Raise Kathryn'. Kathryn decided to go out and feed this adorable little squirrel in her apartment patio area. Little adorable squirrel decided to take a chunk out of her finger though...and she called and frantically sent pictures to show us all the blood and need for an immediate visit to the campus Student Health Center...for a tetanus shot and bandaging up. I still shake my head in wonder as to how she gets herself in these stories. But she makes me laugh...
This next one is slightly suspicious to me, but it worked for HER! She climbs this big tree in her yard...but can't get back down. (that's the part I question) SOOOO...two really cute guys have to come and help her get down, for which in turn, she makes them yummy brownies to thank them for their kindness...I NEVER SAID SHE WAS STUPID, did I?????
But she is able to get herself in the middle of some situations that I honestly, sit back and ask myself, 'How does she DO that???'
The thing I love the best though is that the thousands of miles between us don't make a difference to her. If she wants to ask me something, she calls...doesn't matter how significant or trivial the question may be, if she wants to talk to me, she calls. If she feels something at a certain time and wants to share it, she calls. If she finds something funny, she calls to share it with me. If she's crying, she calls. If she's laughing, she calls. If she's 'pissed off', she calls. If she's frustrated, she calls. EVERY MOOD..merits a call.
AND I LOVE IT ALL!!!!! She's always been high maintenance..but a maintenance that I have always been willing and wanting to take care of.
I love her...dearly.
So...no matter WHY she calls...or what TIME she calls...we take the call.
She makes me cry...makes me laugh..makes me frustrated...concerned..all of it.
But she also makes it worth it...by being Kathryn; my baby dolly.