<p>another way to find out what they are up to is Facebook (if they have it). That’s where I find pictures of D and how great college is! :P</p>
<p>We tried the vornado and had to return it. Just too noisy for my family. May have got a noisy one? Not sure. Returned it and picked up a regular fan which everyone seems to like.</p>
<p>D has been on add/drop this morning. Can’t wait to get home from work and see what she ended up with. She didn’t want to try to explain it on the phone.</p>
<p>The over the door hooks are also great to hang over the end of beds, especially if they are lofted. They can hold wet towels, heavy winter coats, purses, etc. Some kids use a hall tree if they have floor space in their rooms. Found some nice chrome ones and colored ones at TJ Maxx and Marshall’s.</p>
<p>All these organizational tools sound great, but my fear is the floor will be S’s storage space!</p>
<p>Okay, 3M hooks added to list. What’s the best “stuff” for putting up posters,etc., these days?</p>
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<p>cpeltz - that sounds just like my D! I don’t know why I expect her to be any different at college. I just hope her roommate is tolerant (or equally as messy!)</p>
<p>adding over-the-door and 3m hooks to the list. Zetesis, I think 3M also makes a sticky-putty that works well for posters on the wall.</p>
<p>the vornado sounds great. do they make a tower version? I thought that was the best idea for space-saving reasons…?</p>
<p>the good thing about my having to wait until D gets home to shop is that you all will have everything figured out by then :D</p>
<p>No shopping here. If S2 doesn’t already have it and use it, he can’t imagine why he would need to get it now. His brother takes the same minimalist approach to packing and it works fine for them. </p>
<p>Communication-wise, I’m hoping for an email once a week but probably will leave him be as long as we hear something every 2-3 weeks. He isn’t the chatty type, so no reason for that to suddenly change when he leaves home.</p>
<p>He has gotten his list of books together but hasn’t ordered them yet, which is the next thing from my perspective that needs to be done sooner rather than later, so he finds what he needs at a good price.</p>
<p>3m command hooks are fairly reasonable at amazon (come in bulk packs)–I bought a pack of large and medium. Also picked up an over the door hanger at Kohls. I think that was only $5 on sale last week and with my 30% off even a better deal.</p>
<p>We ordered all the books for D’s core class from Barnes and Noble with AAA discount. Price difference wasn’t significant from my other sources and with free shipping wasn’t a bad deal. Have no book lists yet for the other classes (of course sign up isn’t until Friday).</p>
<p>We never got the weekly call home from DS. Would expect less hassle from DD. I did manage to keep in touch with DS through IM (he has AIM account) but now that he’s graduated he tends to keep it off. Oh well.</p>
<p>We bought the over-the-door hooks for S1’s room. However, the dorm door was one of those vacuum-seal-not-sparing-a-half-inch-because-of-fire safety-rules door and it did not fit! When S moved into 19th century apartment last year with a door so poorly fitted that he could slide a text book underneath it, the over-the-door hooks were GREAT!</p>
<p>D managed to pick up the calc II class that she wanted and then filled in with a couple of other classes. She will watch the classes she wanted through add/drop to see if anyone pulls out of the classes that she really wanted.</p>
<p>For hanging posters my D uses that blue tacky stuff (3M I think) in her room at home. I’ll send her with a supply. Seems to work here and cleans up well when they want to move things around. Wouldn’t work for anything heavy though.</p>
<p>My DS is not a talker and is so independent…I know it’ll be rough in the beginning, but I’ll be darned if I beg for or demand calls. Even tho my heart will want him to call, I won’t set a schedule. Surely there will be things he needs advice about (even if it’s just how much laundry detergent, etc.) and we’ll talk then.</p>
<p>All this talk of hooks and hangers is freaking me out. Who will teach DS how to use hooks? He uses the flat surface system.</p>
<p>I bought a great bathroom organizer with a flexible handle and vents for drippiness. “Look, this is for your shampoo and shaving cream and other toiletries in the dorm bathroom,” I said excitedly. DS took one long step back and looked at me as if I had lost my mind.</p>
<p>We looked at the calendar last night and son has 5 days free between now and drop off. He has designated ONE day for packing and shopping. “What’s the big deal, mom?”</p>
<p>Breathe in, breathe out.</p>
<p>So exciting! Am I a dork or what?? I bought two matress toppers. Egg crates made from mem foam. regularly 70.00 each I got them for 28.00 each and in a twinXL!!!
Kohls makes me 
:D</p>
<p>re the calls I think whatever works for each family is what is right but it is definitely as negotiable a detail as spending money, parent contribution and anything else you go through on the way to their adulthood.</p>
<p>egmom…lol on your son’s response to your enthusiasm</p>
<p>3M also makes velcro hangers for light weight stuff. I use them at Christmas.</p>
<p>eggmom–haha, flat surface system! This is one of the many ways boys are different from girls, I think. I remember my Barbie doll and all the cool little do-dads that went with her (pearl necklace, cute shoes, clutch purse)–it was so fun! That’s like gathering all these cool things, too, isn’t it? But the boys–not so much. My DS says I can just go get what I think he needs, no shopping please, and less is best. </p>
<p>Must control urge to acquire cool cutesy things!!</p>
<p>eggmom, ShawbridgeSon is going to be in your son’s camp. The horizontal closet will be sufficient. He’ll take sufficient t-shirts and cargo pants to last until October break or Thanksgiving if we assume that no wash will be done (though just in case I’ve optimistically purchased the little laundry Dropps as he doesn’t remember how much detergent to put in and this seems a little better). </p>
<p>With regard to eggmom’s bathroom organizer, ShawbridgeSon would say, “That’s a really thoughtful offer, Mom, but I think I’ll manage better without whatever funny thing it is that you are holding. But, I will take the shampoo.” </p>
<p>He’s got the intense focus strategy. “I will devote time and energy to something if it will a) help me succeed in school; b) be fun to do with friends; or c) be absolutely (and I mean absolutely) necessary to survive. Otherwise, I won’t pay attention.” As a consequence, we’ll supply shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, zit cream, razor, blades and shaving cream for a semester. I’d hate to think about what would happen if he ran out. Plus, he has a lot of herbal medicines in a box (survival here). Incidentally, my wife tells me I had a horizontal closet and essentially the same strategy when I met her which was well after college.</p>
<p>The only thing he asked for was a new backpack that had special protection for his laptop. We shopped online together and he was very appreciative when it arrived. He actually wants nothing else, though we’re planning on getting him a pair of hiking boots and a new pair of sneakers (he wears the same pair until they are holey (or is that holy) and never asks for a new pair and NEVER shops). He climbed to the top of Mt. Jefferson in the White Mountains today in a pair of sneakers, which is always easy on the sneakers.</p>
<p>But, we’ll purchase what makes sense (I’ve got hypoallergenic mattress cover, hypoallergenic sheets, mattress topper, risers, laundry Dropps, and we’ll add the shoes) and he will use. Anything else we’ll wait for a request, which he might make if he desperately needs something. I’m waiting for the socializing influence of a girlfriend, but who knows.</p>
<p>DS is on the 4th floor of his dorm and even said that moving in was going to be a pain. Made laugh as he will have so little that I bet one trip with the 3 of us from the car to the room will be all it takes. 2 at the most while DD had so much it took forever to get it into the room and then set up. I will probably make sure his bed is made and a few of the nicer clothes hung up but it will not be nearly as much fun as helping set up DD room while she was at a meeting.</p>
<p>Oregon 101 which dorm?</p>
<p>Well, we just had the big dorm room move-in/supply talk…here I thought I was helping asking about ordering the fridge, loft, TV, sofa, etc…no dice, apparently I’m being too controlling. SOOOO, all the brochures are in his hands and he and his two roommates can figure it out. He does want me to get bedding, etc., and I’m going to rebel and order hooks too.</p>
<p>Letting go is hard. Very.</p>
<p>What are laundry Dropps? If it is detergent that you just “drop in” instead of having to measure & pour which is what they sound like, where do you buy this product? Thanks. Today my d made the decision to join marching band which puts her up at school a few days early and means her parents get to pack the car, drive to school, and unload without her having to lift a finger! Band kids do not get to move in early so she’ll fly up and we’ll meet her there. She was so undecided re: band I think the thing that forced the decision was realizing she didn’t have to sweat during move-in!</p>
<p>crzymom, that’s fabulous that your D has decided to stay involved in band! Well, great for HER anyway. :)</p>
<p>The last post-grad weeks have been so relaxed, but the reality of our kids leaving is becoming difficult to put in the back of the mind.</p>