<p>Honestly, stradmom, you’re right;I always feel like I’m looking at " RoboDaughter" since the feed isn’t as smooth as I’d like, but at least it’s a way to see that she “is”! Our Scottie and her cat enjoy watching the screen too! Since D has a very large double-double, they all have their laptops arranged so that the parents have a limited view anyway.
When D was going for the absolute “must haves” when we packed our car, she evidently left out a long,flat, undebed storage box which had her other sets of sheets and towels- she took one set of everything along. I’ve been after her since Thursday to spare ten minutes to go over exactly what she wanted me to send along today. Her answer boiled down to “the clothes on (my)bed and all of the food in the boxes downstairs, and be sure to include(her) green high heels and the stuffed ballet-dancer pig”. Will do, no problem. My cell phone rings tonight and she says, “But you forgot my sheets and towels!”. Major trauma! I had no idea that I “forgot” anything because I didn’t know she left them behind. although the storage box is ideal, I can only imagine that to ship that would cost me a small fortune, so does anyone have an idea for shipping these things? I have been sending things via Priority Mail, where you pay accoding to the size of the box you buy at the PO, but these aren’t going to fit in even their largest size. I can put them in a carton that I have- UPS, PO, FED EX?</p>
<p>Oh, Don and MM, I have decals too!! Couldn’t wait to put them on my car when I got home. Also got a little string backpack thing and a set of pens for my S’s old Orchestra teacher. They must make a killing on selling that stuff to parents. I drew the line at that point, figured I’d go for the t-shirts on Parents Weekend. Have to save something for next time!! Don and Mrs. 9992, we will have to meet again in the bookshop.!</p>
<p>We never got into Skype, you have to sit in front of your computer to use it!! Hard to get up and walk around while talking, although you could just use the head set I suppose. My S1 has lived overseas for 2 years and I find IM is great. We can have an hour long conversation but not have to be at the computer every second. I just set the volume on high so that I can hear the ding when he replies. And overseas skype phone costs the same as a phone call from home so it’s not worth it. Can’t text cuz international text will bankrupt us. He did use Skype with an old girlfriend, but I guess they were more committed to sitting directly at the computer. </p>
<p>I find texting S2 works very well, he is a man of few words and it gets right to the point, and he actually replies. He is not much of a conversationalist, a few grunts and um hmms is the usual fare, of course unless he needs something. After I get the reports about how his first days of class have gone I will wait for him to call me. </p>
<p>Quiet here at home but have a few projects lined up to keep me busy. The dog has been nesting among the stuffed animals left on my S’s bed. October seems like a long time away.</p>
<p>I use skype to communicate with my sister overseas and it’s totally free since she too is signed up with skype, but maybe I’m misunderstanding the type of overseas skype call to which you’re referring, slovesviola.</p>
<p>Mezzo’s Mama - If you had to mail it, take it to one of those pack/mail stores and they can figure out the best way to do it. But you also might want to look into seeing how much it would cost to buy one online (at Wal Mart, or BB&B) and have it shipped directly to your D. You can send the towels and sheets in a normal size box then.</p>
<p>I understand having extra towels, but the extra sheets would be completely wasted by my kids. If and when they wash their sheets, they go right back onto the bed out of the dryer. (That’s how we do it at home, too.)</p>
<p>As far as Skype - my camera doesn’t work - don’t remember why. Some incompatability problem with gmail. (I was going to use it with g-chat). Skype is okay for talking to my H when he is overseas, but otherwise, I find it annoying. Lots of dropped calls, etc.</p>
<p>Last Thanksgiving was fun, though. My D was home, my boys were together in DC. My oldest S and my D have Macs with built-in cameras. So D, H, and I gathered around D’s computer, and the two boys were at the other end. It was a lot of fun talking and seeing them. But I couldn’t do it regularly. I need to be able to move around and do things while I talk on the phone.</p>
<p>I guess I don’t move around much when I’m on the phone, I never really thought about it much. But when he does call I really don’t do much else, I’m very focused on that call. So for the 10 minutes or so of a skype call I’m glad to sit at the computer! Maybe the newness will wear off. We seem to get a very good picture, maybe it’s our locals.</p>
<p>Flew DS with wife from midwest to Los Angeles for Popular Music major at Thornton Shool of Music at USC. 8 pieces of luggage and carryon’s inlcuding two guitars. Lined up craigslist visits and secured pristine Kurzweil keyboard and related stuff as well as used bike. Move-in was great. Attended reception with Dean of Thornton and he continues to impress me. One week of classes later son is in heaven, has great group of friends on his dorm floor (non-music) and in his program. Says he likes all of the 20 kids in his program except one “minor dbag” (his term) that he can handle and I suspect could be a good kid who is insecure and so acts a little cocky. Some exceptionally talented kids, but he feels he can hang in with them. Peter Erskine (with a TA) for drumming for a non drummer (required class, but son would want to take anyway). Anne Farnsworth for vocal and keyboard private lesson. Sitting and visiting with Lamont Dozier at Popular Music mixer. Great “jam out” room with drums, keyboards, amps, mics etc to make it easy to get together and jam (moving drums and keyboards is a major effort particularly when you only have a bike). One funk band in progress of forming, at least one other likely to follow. Very positive early impressions of the program and nothing questionable at all. Son is feeling a little spoiled and guilty to be enjoying life this much. He’ll get over the guilt all too soon I’m sure. </p>
<p>Thought it might be useful to provide some early returns on the USC program.</p>
<p>Also installed camera and mic for skype, no outcome yet except the camera makes me look old and I couldn’t find a fix in the help documents :)</p>
<p>“Sitting and visiting with Lamont Dozier at Popular Music mixer.”
VERY COOL
Keep us posted on the new program—I am sure there is a lot of interest!</p>
<p>
And therein may lie the key. I get quick calls occasionally (like yesterday: “I forgot, Mom. Did you want me to use my own money to buy books, or the credit card?”) Those are hard to schedule on Skype. And the regular Satuday calls run more towards an hour apiece (3 kids). No way can I sit still for 3 hours.</p>
<p>Binx, LOL! While I can sit still, I don’t think I could do it for 3 hours either.</p>
<p>raddad - that USC program sounds really as amazing as presented! your son must be very talented to have been chosen.</p>
<p>Facebook has become the primary means of communication between the D and me now that she’s finally friended me. It gets supplimented by occasional texts on the our mobile phones, but it seems to be the easiest. If we actually want to talk, our mobile phone plan doesn’t dock us minutes when we talk to each other so why would we not do it that way?</p>
<p>BTW…okay, I’ll admit that I also did spring for the Eastman “Proud Parent” t-shirt. The best reaction I’ve had so far was a guy at work who took one look and said: “That’s an expensive shirt!”.</p>
<p>Got back last night from taking my son up to Crane. Official move in was Friday. It’s an 8 hour drive so we went up on Thursday, moved him in Friday. I hung out with him for a while and then left to do some shopping then back to the hotel for the night. Went over to school to meet up with him on Saturday afternoon, did some more little shopping and fixed a printer glitch for him. SUNY Potsdam allows parents a free meal with the kids on move-in days so I had a nice dinner with him and some of his friends and I got to sample the meal plan food. I was very surprised at the diversity and how good it really was.</p>
<p>Crane does something interesting and has a Freshman concert on the first Saturday night. So I stayed for that. The kids separate into three ensembles, Chorus, Strings and Winds and rehearse for 45 minutes and then have a casual concert. The place was packed and each ensemble played a few pieces (total about 45 minutes or so) and then a small gathering in the lobby with profs and such. Very nice touch overall. Said goodbye at that point and headed home the following morning.</p>
<p>I’ve had stickers on my car since the deposit went in. I We all have neat sweatshirts and such as well.</p>
<p>The student bookstore is also diiscontinuing plastic bags and everyone gets a tote. When you shop with the tote you get 5% off on anything you buy for the whole year.</p>
<p>The bookstore also has a 50% off rack that we frequent which represents nice savings on things like $50 sweatshirts !!</p>
<p>No sweatshirt…no sticker…no keychain…I’m starting to feel left out…Tight security at DD conservatory and I didn’t have one of their fancy security passes to get past the front door…(I guess I could look on line…naa…don’t want one that bad)</p>
<p>Operamom - Son interceded at bookstore to stop Mom from buying “Mom of…” sweatshirt. Allowed generic school sweatshirt only which evidently is an acceptable level of embarrassment for son.</p>
<p>I’m a bad mom - no stickers, no keychains, no embossed wooden chairs, no coffee mugs, no little pens or hats or scarves or shot glasses or illustrated histories of Old Main or … But I do get a t-shirt once it’s clear that the kid likes the school. D3, however, buys enough that I’m confident the economy will somehow survive without my (direct) input!</p>
<p>LOL rad and strad:</p>
<p>Really how would they know if you wore “mom of … sweatshirt”…my kid is 3 1/2 hour plane ride away…</p>
<p>still don’t feel any pressing need to get one…I’ll be reminded everymonth when I send the dorm fee in</p>
<p>The one thing I got (besides the car sticker) when D1 went to school was a mug. When she’s away at school, I drink coffee out of every morning. I think of it as having coffee with her every morning.</p>
<p>My D gave my mom pink squishy heart shaped pillow that says, “Someone at JMU Loves You.” She loves it.</p>
<p>cartera, how sweet! You’ve raised a good girl!</p>
<p>Thanks - I agree.</p>