Mom’s Weekend at Washington State University

Mom’s weekend has been a WSU tradition since 1927, but it took us until 2010, the year of Peter’s graduation, to finally find out for ourselves what all the hoopla is about. 

Turns out it’s well deserved hoopla!

We headed east after work on Friday, heading through Snoqualmie in order to avoid Friday afternoon traffic in Seattle.

We headed over the Cascades before dark…

… and got to Pullman just in time to – well, it IS a party school, after all. 

Tom’s sister’s daughter Tina also attends WSU so we used the opportunity to have a mini-reunion of sorts.  It was great to see them!

Yes, those are, in fact, “big red beer cups” because… well, it IS a party school, after all. 

And it WAS MOM’s Weekend!

Let’s just get the “this is how college students live” pictures out of the way right now, shall we?

   

This is Peter and his best-friend-since-third-grade housemate, Scott with their beloved “keg-erator.  “Work hard, play hard” is their motto.

Uh-huh.

Early on Saturday morning, the three girls headed to the Macy’s shoe sale – all shoes for $20 a pair, in honor of Mom’s Weekend!  There was just a wee bit of a line…

…but we cleaned up!

Then we went to go see the bears.  Yes, the bears at WSU.  No, we weren’t drunk; there are bears at WSU!  What do you expect from one of the best veterinary schools in the nation?!  (I agree… not bears!)

After a short nap we took some requisite family photos…

…before heading out to the big event of the weekend, Jay Leno, live!

He was hilarious, of course, but a bit frenetic and he almost seemed to be on auto pilot.  He really could have personalized his show a little bit for WSU.  Sheesh!

After the show we did the whole parents-trying-to-relive-our-college-days-again thing and… well, yeah, you guessed it. 

 

Fun times!

Before we knew it, Mom’s Weekend was over and it was time to say goodbye to Peter and his cute little college house in the cute little college town…

…and head back through the Palouse.

For a good hundred miles it feels like driving through a “whole lotta nuttin’.”

And 100 miles away from WSU it’s still considered “Cougar Country”!

Once you cross the Columbia River…

…things begin to feel more familiar.  Seeing the Cascades loom in the background, I know that we’re close to home.

It was a great weekend!

 Thanks Peter!  Love, Mom