After a couple of days in South Dakota, which involved (on my part) unpacking, arranging, fluffing, and meticulously organizing Todd's dorm room (I'm sure it will stay that way, right??), Ladd and I finally hugged our youngest goodbye and left him at college today. I'd been anticipating the moment for months, and while it wasn't the hysterical cry-fest I feared it would be, it was absolutely, one hundred percent as excruciating as I'd imagined. Not to be a drama queen or anything. But oh...it hurt!
I did my best to put on a brave face, but my eyes were welling with tears and the lump in my throat felt like a watermelon.
We're gonna miss Todd. A lot. We've had a year-plus with just the three of us at home, and it's been such a wonderful year. He's just a dang pleasure to live with. No kid is perfect, including Todd, but he made things pretty easy for Ladd and me. Our family of three was just dandy! Haha.
Ladd and I are back home now. I walked into the house and went straight to Todd's room, and the tears started flowing immediately. There was an air mattress that was inflated in Todd's room about 90% of the time, for whichever of his good friends spent the night at the ranch on any given night of the week---Tyrel or Noah or Will or Trayven or Mason or John---and that made me cry harder. I let the air out of the air mattress, rolled it up, and put it in Todd's closet, then Ladd came in and saw me bawling and I told him in between sobs that I just deflated the air mattress for the last time and it was too much for me to take. Then I started laughing, which made me cry harder.
All of this said...I'm so excited for Todd.
He's got a great adventure ahead of him, between school and football and new friends and experiences, and Ladd and I will be his biggest cheerleaders. Be good to him, South Dakota! Make him wear his heavy coat!
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
