<p>Have been out of internet access for a couple of weeks in the country outside of Montreal. We share a house in a community where my wife grew up. Left DS up there and his friends are joining him.</p>
<p>First, I hope everything goes well for lindz’s daughter.</p>
<p>Second, a neighbor/friend in my wife’s community and my 16 yo daughter told my son he should worry about his clothes (he never has). He said, I never paid any attention to clothes and I’ve always had lots of friends, so why worry. They convinced him that a) first impressions are important; and b) that girls pay a lot more attention to what he is wearing than guys do. With his permission, my daughter and the friend spent half a day shopping for him (he’d rather be poked in the eye with a sharp stick than shop). Both (and especially my daughter) are great shoppers, knew what kind of image would work for him, and with my friend’s help went to places where the prices were really low. On their return, he tried everything on and was actually sincerely grateful. He said he didn’t know what would look good (the clothes are a modest but real upgrade on jeans and old t-shirts with good sayings). We as parents could not have prevailed in this had we wanted to, but the combination of our friend’s quasi-family/quasi-outsider status and our daughter’s enthusiasm about shopping for him (and obviously fabulous taste) were persuasive. He didn’t want to return any of the items they purchased.</p>
<p>At a dinner party, a couple of the other parents in the community thought we were empty nesters because our daughter looks (and dresses) at least 18 yo according to them. She is looking far too sexy for her father’s comfort. </p>
<p>Third, we’ll be going to DS’s school a week early to work with the IT guy on speech recognition software. They lean to Macs but the best stuff seems to be on the PC side (it doesn’t appear close). My son had a PC when he was in HS but I bought him a used MacBook when his PC fried. Now, we may switch back to a PC or just use the Mac as a PC (seems like a waste of a great OS, but oh well). Not quite sure what to do there.</p>
<p>Positive thoughts for lindz126’s daughter. </p>
<p>Hope the move went well, missypie. Good luck to those preparing/in process!</p>
<p>The vast majority of my friends are moms of kids my 7 yo’s age. They are sympathetic about son’s leaving, but I have to analogize it to “the first day of preschool…but worse.” Nice to ‘hang’ with parents (here) who are going thru exactly the same thing right now. </p>
<p>I’m hoping the perspective I’ve been feeling about the need to value the moment, share joy with those around you and create memories (things I dearly wish I did more of w/son before he left) will last. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘busy busy/do do’ but nothing like your child departing for college to remind you that time passes whether you appreciate it or not.</p>
<p>Jolynne, I know what you mean about moms of younger children not really understanding. My youngest is in middle school, so the gap isn’t quite as large as for you, but, really, when high school is the next step for their kids, how can they understand the momentous step of going away to college? They can’t. </p>
<p>My S liked the pop-up hamper. He got a set of two sophomore year, and still uses them (he graduated in May 2008 and lives at home). I still have to get this S one (or two). </p>
<p>I liked the nice bumpy mattress toppers, but he wanted a smooth one, so I got one at Target the other day for $15.99 (his younger brother also wanted and got one). </p>
<p>I was at Home Depot the other night and got the idea to use this empty 5-gal paint container as a garbage can for the dorm room. S goes through a lot of tissues (allergies), so he needs a good-sized can. He almost went to a school with orange as one of the colors, but he can turn the can around to hide the logo and line it. </p>
<p>Yes - it is certainly like pre-school but a WHOLE lot worse . . . you don’t get to see your baby for 3 months instead of 3 hours! We are down to about 24 hours before we leave for the airport. We’re still holding up pretty well, but tearing up as I type this.</p>
<p>Basically, since S has done nothing to prepare for this move to college, I am, at this point, probably in denial. Then too, it’s not like we see him much as it is. I am more worried about finding a fridge or other room staples in a town that has a huge Public that will have started two days earlier! It’s not like we can fly with those things. Did I get said son to go to BBB? Nope.</p>
<p>I’m struggling :(. It’s not like this is our first one to go off to college…but she is our last one to go. Empty nesters…yikes. The feelings are overwhelming…not sure if I should be dancing or crying my eyes out so I’m doing a little of both!! Monday’s the big day!!</p>
<p>I remember when my daughters were born – people said that having a newborn was an amazing combination of agony and ectasy. I’m thinking that having your youngest go off to college (or really any of them going off to college) is very similar. Ectasy may be too strong a word – but despite being sad I really am excited for her to start this new adventure. I LOVED going to college. I hope she does too, but there is also that little fear that she will get there and hate it/be miserable.</p>
<p>oh my, we leave in about an hour. my d had tough time saying goodbye to her friends last night, amid much swirling emotion. I’m sure all kids are ambivalent leaving, but I know she feels vulnerable right now… hope she’s allright once she’s there. I think she will be, planned fun orientation activities.</p>
<p>Results should be in Tuesday. I am faxing an auth to release healthcare info to her doc so they release results to me. the doc’s office was awful in dealing w getting the prescription for the biopsy to the hospital…took a day of frustrating calls and hospital actually cancelled the test until they got it. which freaked me out since she could not have left for college without first having test done. so hope this works. the hospital said they’d release to me if doc agreed…</p>
<p>anyway, I’m proud of my daughter’s maturity and strength, good things to pack for college. not how we expected the last days home to go, but as John Lennon sang…“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans…” thanks for the kind support. good luck to all.</p>
<p>It IS hard to let hem go, but it is the right thing and we all know it. S2 is doing a pretty good job of preparing us (in a positive way) for him to be gone…it’s not that he’s being obnoxious…but…it will seem calmer when he’s gone! And quieter, as there has been a mad scramble to record a CD in our basement before he goes (his indie band) coupled with a few gigs and rehearsals. Monday,Monday is the day we have o begin to FOCUS (I hope) for the last week before we leave. I think we’ve decided to send a box of winter clothes by mail to Ohio, and haven’t quite figured out the other logistics. When we went 2 years ago with S1 to NY, we each took 2 suitcases filled, but that was before airlines charged for the bags. I do NOT want to pay to bring back empty suitcases, so we’re going to have to go the duffel route, I think, so we can stuff them into one suitcase. Am just about to go on and check baggage costs on Delta. He also has to take his cymbals, stick bag and probably wans to take either his guitar or bass, so we have to work that into the equation. On the bright side: no drum set needed YET! </p>
<p>IMHopeful, it may be rough at first or, more typically, a few weeks into school when the kids are in a class routine/the weather changes/the newness wears off, there is often a little homesickness slump, and that --too–is very normal. I’m sure she won’t be miserable - and the schools are really generally very good at the orientation process/getting kids together.</p>
<p>Safe travels to you and happy landings to your D, lindz.</p>
<p>We’re on the same schedule, SJTH. I hear you about the drum set - even moving our S1 by car, we wouldn’t be able to do that. He’s counting on getting drum time in the practice rooms. But the guitar(s) and his bass have to fit in. It’s going to be interesting. </p>
<p>H and I are busy reminding ourselves not to vent all the displaced sadness on each other. It’s an effort. We both seem to have realized at about the same point this past week that while it’s fine to be very open with D (the rising senior) about how much we will miss her when she goes back, we do need to dial it down with S1. I don’t mean that we should pretend we’re thrilled to get rid of him, just that we need to be sure we’re not dwelling on the “you’re leaving,” but on the “you’re starting something great” aspects. This, too, is an effort.</p>
<p>He was impossibly sweet this morning. S2 (the 7 yo) wanted to go to a wolf preserve nearby (we just learned about it), and S1 actually volunteered to come along. So we had a lovely morning among the wolves. It’s almost certainly the last outing we’ll have like that, but because we have a week to go, nobody was focused on that. Besides, the wolves were too amazing to leave room for thinking about much else.</p>
<p>Lindz, hope for the best for your D. She seems like she’s handling this very well. Hopefully the medical news will be good and the paperwork minimal.</p>
<p>We leave Monday morning. Today we were busy packing after having spent 3 hours seeing Harry Potter and then a quick trip to the library for D to say goodbye to the books and pick up the last book we had on reserve for her. Still had some more software to test on the computer. We have a merged list of what we’re bringing and then use orange highlighter once it’s in a bag or box. Still seems mostly overwhelming.</p>
<p>D has finally realized she is leaving. She had her hair cut on Friday and a permanent retainer bonded in. Her best friend isn’t in town so she can’t see her.</p>
<p>We’re off to try the space bag compression for the second time. The tote held so much stuff that we actually had to redo it and put more stuff in. I’m hopeful that aside from the dress clothes all the linens and other clothing will fit in the 2 totes we purchased. As for the wrinkling etc, really don’t have much choice here. Just wouldn’t fit in the car otherwise. Still have some substantial purchase lists once we get to Richmond.</p>
<p>does anyone know if the comforters come out smushed and the pillows too flat if you use that space vaccuum bag thing? I’m pretty excited to use it to make so much more room in our suitcases since we are flying but D is worried what it will do to her comforter and pillow.</p>
<p>SO it finaly happened. Walking in the park with my super senior dogs, and the tears just came. A friend wanted to see a movie, and I told her I was to antsy and just couldn’t sit still in a dark theater.</p>
<p>So off for a class of champagne and ran into a lady haven’t seen it for yours. Very serindiptous.</p>
<p>What set me off was taping up a box of things we are shipping to dorm ahead of time. And Ds best friend moved.</p>
<p>So, there I was, walking at the dog park, trying not to really start weeping. That how it hits me, some thing will set me off, like an old dog, a suitcase, my last batch of cookies</p>
<p>Right now I am in my living room starying at big suitcase, piles of clothes, shower supplies and its mayhem. My h just goes upstairs, too messy. Going to be a little creepy when its always neet after this mayhem.</p>
<p>Good luck to all and I found that taking a walk by myslef, with a hot choclate and I feel better</p>
<p>lindz, I’m hoping for a swift & positive outcome for your D’s health scare!</p>
<p>Also hoping we hear from missypie soon. I feel like we’re soldiers huddled in the barracks in some movie. Each time we send one “soldier” out we wait anxiously for a safe return. So far they’ve all come back successful, just a little worse for the wear (Is that how that expression goes? Cliches always look funny written down). Soon we’ll be moving out in larger and larger groups–maybe those still waiting can start a poker game, or the Chaplain can come in and say something to ease our nerves…</p>
<p>D’s clothes are all packed. She informed me that she couldn’t leave anything for Monday as that is her last day home and she intends to spend the whole day with BF.</p>
What an excellent description, chintzy! Years ago, before my oldest (now 24) was born, a friend said that being pregnant was like waiting to jump off a high dive. Suddenly it’s your turn, and off you go! Maybe having our kids go away to college is a little like this, too.</p>
<p>We don’t leave until September 5, probably one of the last ones here. Next Saturday starts the 14-day countdown, and that is when son’s stuff is going to start to be stacked in the staging area (corner of living room).</p>