<p>What a day yesterday was - I was in charge of the first company-wide layoff we’ve had, and personally had to lay off all nine people. I’ve been dreading it (duh) for a couple of months, but am happy I was able to put together great packages, and almost all of the group were sad and nervous, but pleased with their severance. It’s been a huge distraction from getting S ready to fly the nest.</p>
<p>We leave on Tuesday, and most of the shopping is done, at least what he’s given me permission to buy! Absolutely zero packing so far, but he’s a minimalist of the highest kind, so that should be pretty easy (i.e., two pairs of shoes which he still thinks is one pair more than his two feet require). Still won’t talk about getting a coat since he never has wanted more than a sweatshirt, nevermind that he’s moving from Los Angeles to Wisconsin!</p>
<p>All the talk about goodbyes is so hard to believe. Remember last year when we were wringing our hands about applications and acceptances? If only we knew!</p>
<p>eggmom, I know what you mean about cleaning out the room. I asked son several times over the summer to start tackling his piles, but nothing’s moved in there yet. H, who is usually the tough one around here, says to forget it and he and I can tackle that when S is gone. I predict more tears in the future from mom when I run across Pokemon cards and transformers!</p>
<p>cpeltz, i feel for you on handling the layoffs. my company has been downsizing since late 2007 and I have had to make many of my remaining staffers very unhappy with new schedules (nights, weekends) and less desirable assignments. Most of them realize they are lucky to still have work, but some take it out on me.</p>
<p>And I’m with you on the Pokemon and transformers. Actually, I am hoping that the Pokemon collection will pay for my retirement. I wonder if they are collectors items yet?</p>
<p>Yes - the room!! All summer to weed out and organize…and hardly anything done. I agree that it seems to be too much for them to handle right now. But S2 is moving into S1s room when he leaves, so the weeding out will fall to, yes, yours truly. And the tears that will flow… And on no sleep - is anyone else waking in the night worrying about every conceivable thing? I am comforted by posters who say sophomore year is easier. I have hardly seen S, which seems to be the norm I know, and we are at 48 hours til departure. I feel like he has already left…</p>
<p>Cpeltz, now THAT is a bummer–glad it all cam eout “as well as could be expected.” </p>
<p>Shopped with S2 yesterday–who knew it would be so hard to find jeans for such a tall skinny guy. Levi’s slims, ultimately, but had to order. Also got slippers to hide the dorm floor ick and some great Timberland boots for cold winter. This is the extent of my “fun” shopping, but we had a nice day–lunch and all. Today we ship a box off to hopefully arrive next Tuesday in Ohio. </p>
<p>My best friend left with her son for Miami yesterday and most of their luggage got lost…argh!</p>
<p>D flew back to Orlando Monday on her own. On Sunday, she told me that there won’t be any friends available to pick her up from the airport so I had to schedule car service for her. Supposed to be a sedan but ended up with a limo, riding in style for check-in! She said she felt a bit uncomfortable being alone in a car with a stranger, but I told her it was ok, rather have a contact and records from a car service than give her cash and tell her to get a cab.</p>
<p>Once she arrived on campus, she connected with her friend and her dad and they helped her move her stuff in her new dorm. That was nice, told D to send a very nice thank you card.</p>
<p>She’s in sorority recruitment this week, bid day is Saturday, and classes start Monday. In the meantime, she has no computer because she “sold” her netbook to her younger sister and wanted to buy a Mac on campus. Ugh, why are these so expensive!?!?</p>
<p>You *will *feel better. Really truly. And Centraleagle, the night I got home from taking Son to school was the first time I’d slept through the night in ages. No problems sleeping anymore. (Last Saturday night was the worst - Son was sleeping his first night in the dorm…I was awake from 3 am until 6 am…hotel AC had two settings - blastissimo at 60 degrees or unplugged. When I finally unplugged the thing, that’s when H’s snoring became loud. So I turned the hotel TV on low and scanned the infomercials and commercials for *Girls Gone Wild *and finally watched my first ever episode of Law and Order. But now that he’s at school, I’m sleeping so well.)</p>
<p>Cpeltz, so sorry about the layoffs. Such a very difficult thing to have to do.</p>
<p>sjth - we’ve had luck with Levi’s slim fit 514s at Macy’s. Sometimes they are even on sale. But it is hard to find 31x34, so I pay full price if I can find 'em.</p>
<p>Ah, the room. Some progress has been made but I think it will all be lost before next Tuesday’s leave date. Emotions are high so I’m trying not to worry too much about it. </p>
<p>The flurry of goodbye parties continues. I can relate to the hovering without much to do. I’m glad to be able to go to work, but I’m not accomplishing much at this point. I’m hoping for a renewed spurt of activity and inspiration once we have returned from dropping D at school. </p>
<p>I’ve come to realize that so much of my emotion is about my loss of my identity as a parent. I don’t think of myself as a parent of college kids or even more difficult as a parent of adult children. Those parents are older than me! I am thankful we will still have S around for a few more years to help us with the transition out of active parenting. I still have the fall new start cycle as I work at a college, so I’m planning on the new school year as a time for new activities and new plans.</p>
<p>Try looking for 28x34 jeans! The best we luck we have is 29x34 at LLBean, Lands End and Old Navy, and usually in the sale pile.</p>
<p>I am hoping S1 will finish cleaning his room when he comes home in ten days (he has three weeks home in September before leaving for soph year). I went through all the senior regalia and culled a lot of stuff, but there is still a sizeable pile. Perhaps he will be a bit more ruthless this year with what clothes he wants to donate, too.</p>
<p>Ah yes, waking in the middle of the night. It’s the defining feature of parenthood. Starts when you’re pregnant, continues through waiting for them to drive home from a party, to wondering how everyone will survive this next transition.</p>
<p>When Son was an odd size, we bought all the jeans and other pants from Old Navy online. It saved a whole lot of time. They charge a flat rate for shipping (used to be $5; I just looked it up and now it’s $7.)</p>
<p>D13 was a 00 34 last year; now she’s filled out a bit and is a 0 34…still, the only place we can find jeans to fit is Delia’s online…they have lots on sale and the odd sizes are always left. I ordered 7 pairs of pants for her yesterday for $162 (including tax and shipping.)</p>
<p>But why was I not as smart about it this time as when I was pregnant? During my pregnancies I got so used to waking during the night that I became on old pro - that’s how I finally got through the Memoirs of Catherine the Great…the “read a boring book until you fall asleep” method. This time around I just laid in the bed and worried…not smart!</p>
So true here. We actually put her on a plane yesterday with only a backpack and small carry on; she is going to an orientation rock-climbing trip and next Monday we are driving 2 days to do the drop off, parents’ orientation/move in and some family visits on the return. There is a PILE of bags and boxes that will fit in our minivan–and I KNOW it is too much for her room. But I decided that I would rather drive it home again when she finds it doesn’t fit than spend the last 2 days having silly arguments over what to take. She is actually a good traveler and sensible person and I think wanting so many familiar things is part of the leave-taking. But I empathize with how hard it will feel for your daughter and you to have to cull things out on the eve of departure. </p>
<p>In any case, we will all make it through this with some tears and smiles too. Our house is VERY quiet this morning (departed child is our youngest) and my husband is giving the dog massive amounts of attention. Since we get to see her again in a week yesterday was a “soft” departure but definitely good practice.</p>
<p>Sleep…who needs sleep!! Worried through the night about my drive OOS today to watch game. Will have to drive through the night after game and return in the early morning hours! Haven’t done this for years! Got the UGG slippers at Bloomies since Nordstrom and Macy’s didn’t have size I needed. Made bars to take. Bought three pairs of Target Flip flops on clearance for $2.48 a piece (the peace sign ones sre so cute!). Hoping she plays and is happy to be there. Whew…heading out in a few minutes. Have a nice day all!</p>
<p>I’m paying close attention to the discussions of girls and clothes since I have a rising junior who wants to go to school as far away as possible. I think I’ll start dropping hints of “you can’t take very many clothes if you have to fly to school instead of drive…” Maybe that will keep her a bit closer to home!</p>
<p>On cleaning rooms: D1, who graduated from college this spring and is on to grad school, was home for most of the summer. She “cleaned” her room. I thought it was all sorted; but it is apparently all “piled” – she’s gone, and we have to go through it. There are piles of stuff to be given or thrown away; piles of papers and stuff in all the corners and nooks of her room; bags of what might be garbage? Apparently we are supposed to understand this. E.g., she told me yesterday she had left some information for me in a white envelope at the foot of her bed … aaargh.</p>
<p>I’m trying not to be annoyed – for the way she left things; and for us not realizing sooner that we should have pushed a bit harder to get the room actually cleaned. She, however, resisted parental “intrusions” into her life this summer; so we let it go, but realize we should have made it clearer what we wanted to have done.</p>
<p>For better or worse, I might have to resort to digging out the xanax rx. I never take them, but just knowing I could saves a lot of people from their heads rolling around at their feet.</p>
<p>S and H are driving back today and hoping to stop at some outlet outside of Chicago. I honestly think all the stores in those places are the same but better out of H’s checkbook than mine.</p>
<p>Missypie… you have NEVER watched law and order? Oh my word. I love that show. It’s why we have the rule for our kids that if they are ever arrested for anything, be as polite as you possibly can and request an attorney no matter what the bad cop/good cop promises you.</p>
<p>modadunn, I don’t want to sound like a druggie, but Xanax really saves the day for me. I just take a half a one. It makes me a little bit sleepy, but the real benefit is that it allows me to shut off my brain, which, when stressed, is like a TV that is flipping from station to station with worries, To Do lists, and all kinds of brooding. Xanax somehow takes the mental remote and hits the Off button. Then I can relax and fall asleep with no ill effects o the morning. That said, my husband can take a quarter of a pill and be in a fog the entire next morning. So it’s a very individual thing. Any time I’ve been prescribed Vicodin for pain, it’s been no help at all. Go figure.</p>