@rosered55,
I could relate. DS has been on the other coast (how many miles coast-to-coast?) and we could see him once a year, each time for a couple of weeks only. Sometimes I wrote a little bit too much about him likely because I missed him – not so much because I wanted to keep helicoptering him.
I feel the exact same way as you, @abasket . Thrilled, but in some ways not. I really turned a corner after they went back to school for the spring semester. I found my new PT job, and am much happier. I have my routine during the week and DH and I are now accustomed to it being just ourselves. I love not having to consider what all of us want to eat…my oldest may be back, too. I like sitting where I want on the sofa and turning to TV on to what I want. Simple everyday things that I enjoy about empty nest hood will have to be tucked away.
I’m actually surprised how quickly I’ve adapted. It went SO fast. But I am giddy to have them back. I will be interested in seeing how we all are at the end of the summer. I’m sure it will be bittersweet. The drastic change of having them home, then having an empty house probably won’t be easy at the beginning for each scenario.
I almost resurrected this thread yesterday too. It is hard to believe that the first year is almost over. Our daughter has had a great year academically, emotionally, and socially. She has grown so much and had so many new experiences. Because we live so far away she has had to do so much on her own and has managed things well. She did not get an internship offer for the summer so she is flying here next week and will hang out with us until we all travel to the US for our summer vacation in late June. Even though she can’t really have a job here, we have a substantial “to do” list of things to do. We can’t wait to have her home.
We don’t have to deal with her stuff, all the moving and storing it. She will come with what she can carry in her suitcase and a carryon with her computer and flute. Her roommate’s parents have offered to store not only my daughter’s stuff, but the stuff of the other two students from out of town who will also be rooming with their daugther next year. So packing up and lugging is going to have to be done by our daughter and her friends.
I agree with all of you, the school year went so fast.
^ really nice of the parents to do that!
Wow, what kind parents! ^^^^
I’ll definitely take my D home over the loss of my own “new” routine - summer is sort of a new routine anyway, right?
I have gotten used to this routine, but I also miss D a lot. I’ll pick her up in 2 weeks but it looks like only for a couple of weeks as she has an internship in the town she goes to school in (just waiting for word on funding). Then hopefully again at the end of the summer. And maybe i’ll visit her.
Not looking forward to move-out, but am excited to spend time with her. Even the 11+ hour drive home sounds great right now 
My nest will also remain empty and that’s not something I had contemplated, and I’m not very happy about it. I wasn’t one of the weeping parents dropping D off because I knew we’d have the holidays and the summer together. That was until she was chosen for a summer research project. Now it feels like we’re doing the separation I had thought would be when she graduated from college, not from high school. She will be home for less than two weeks end of May and then again for three weeks end of summer. More like a vacation than “coming home”.
Is she finishing freshman year NEPatsGirl??? 5 weeks is better than nothing!
@abasket, yes she is, how time flies! And, yes of course 5 weeks is better than nothing but I had assumed it would be nearly four months (May 10-Sept. 5), quite a difference.
That’s very fortunate to get a research opportunity as a freshman - good for her! (not so much for you!)
@abasket, this is what I’m gathering. She really wanted to come home too but felt that it was an opportunity to good to pass up. And I’ll brag a bit…they came to her and asked her to join the group and then awarded her a scholarship for a decent summer stipend and free room and board. We just found out last week that it also includes another $2500/year for travel and expense reimbursement to attend future conferences. Yes, the big fish in the small pond is working out for her.
Well I’ll take both my boys too, of course. But it’s nice to vent here and be totally honest.
Congrats to your daughter @NEPatsGirl! My daughter applied for three REUs in New England, all very selective long shots, all “try again next year.” So we thought we might have your kind of summer schedule, a few weeks on this end and a week on the other. So, now we get the four months. But we like her a lot so we don’t mind. (And my husband was kind of hoping she wouldn’t get one–so he got his wish). I fear this will be our last summer with her home, so am going to savor it. She’ll be here a week from Friday night. I am looking forward to her piano coming alive again.
Yeah the roommates parents deserve some kind of big present! We are grateful.
I am thrilled that I’ll get a few weeks with D before she leaves for her summer internship. We’re hoping for a family vacation at the end of the summer.
Thanks @abasket for revisiting this thread. I was thinking of updating my life since my original post as well. I will be picking my first-yearer up from school tomorrow. Like you, while I’m thrilled to have him home, I’ve sorta gotten used to NOT having him around. I like the new life I found when he was away. Never would have thought it, but it’s amazing.
My daughter will not be coming home for another 3 weeks. The year did go by fast , and not entirely as expected , but all in all it was a good year. She went through a tough adjustment period. Her school was not where she wanted to go, so that affected her attitude. My husband and I are relieved that she is finally settling in ( now that the year is coming to an end )
She came home more often than we anticipated , but that was nice. I hope some of the parents of the class of 2016 take a look at this thread and it helps them with the anxieties some of us were experiencing last year !
Project return home completed - at least she and all her stuff is in the house! Move out went smoothly - and we even were able to get a sneak peek of her (their - keeping the same roommate!) room for next year!
Three years in, after having some anxiety when our S first went away, it is very natural not to have him there, we have our rhythms and so forth. His first summer he was in China for a couple of months, last year he stayed in Boston for a good part of the summer then came home for a month, this year I don’t know what he’ll do, he has a month between end of school then starting a 6 week fellowship that will last until Mid August, wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see much of him this summer, depends on what he wants to do. I can tell you that the time flies, it seems like yesterday we were driving him up to school with his stuff, and poof went through first girlfriend, the fears and adjustments of being at school, of feeling like the toadstool of his studio, of finding his legs, then losing them (I am talking metaphorically),it just blazed by. Going to be weird thinking of him going to grad auditions, remembering his ones for UG, and likely it will all be his game (which is how it should be). I am just hoping he’ll spend some time at home, so we can go to some ball games and go to Jets training camp in August, we have done that a number of years, my wife says it is so we can unleash our mutual cynicism.
Happy anniversary everyone!
@abasket and others… D finally got home this past weekend. She made a quick stop at her Dads and saw her boyfriend and will be arriving at our house this morning! I know these three weeks will pass by very quickly so I plan to take some time off from work and re-connect. I’m happy to report that she hasn’t stopped talking about the upcoming sophomore year and all her plans! After a somewhat tumultuous freshman start, she’s finally comfortable and making a ton of friends.