<p>I have accepted the fact that I know nothing and I never was 15, 18, 24 or any age until I became “ageless” in middle age. I have noticed that they have a poster sale in one of the main areas the first weekend school starts. So while I have a couple things “bookmarked” to send to S as a surprise/care package, we’ll see if he hits up the sale or what, but I am taking myself out of the equation. The only thing I did was confirm some furniture in the lounge area so I wouldn’t have to think about it. I will say however that setting up the room might be a challenge due to doors, windows and closets taking three of the four walls. </p>
<p>All I can also say is son seems to be missing a lot of clothes this summer! </p>
<p>Me: What happened to that cream colored polo?
Son: I never had one that color.
Me: Beg to differ since it was worn in one of your senior pictures
Son: Oh. Then I have no idea.</p>
<p>Repeat conversation for brand new khaki’s and numerous other things. Such a goof! He’ll be naked come December.</p>
<p>Got back late this afternoon from dropping D off yesterday. As fireflyscout (?) said, it was SO hot and humid in Massachusetts yesterday. And who woulda thought we’d be worrying about a hurricane? Luckily, Bill headed out to sea and we were spared the rain.</p>
<p>Bed Bath and Beyond pick-up worked just as advertised - I am very impressed by those folks. Fitting it all into the car that was already stuffed must have been amusing to watch. In fact, a woman in the parking lot joked that she was taking notes for when her oldest heads to college next year!</p>
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<p>Modadunn - I could have written those words! Actually, my H doesn’t think he can do it better, he just predicts (over and over) that I won’t be able to get it all in. Extremely annoying :mad:</p>
<p>Move-in went very smoothly. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of storage in the room; the only thing she had too much of was clothes. Imagine that ;). </p>
<p>D and her roommate seem like a good match. When we left she was all smiles, eager to get back to her room to change for dinner. We shed a few tears on the way home, but it was really tonight, coming into the house still strewn with her stuff, talking to D2 at dinner about her first day of school, without D1 at the table, that it is beginning to sink in. I just can’t believe that those years of two kids in the house all the time are over. Sigh.</p>
<p>Safe travels and happy launches to all of your headed out this week :)</p>
<p>Well, clothes are packed, but not until mom had to make a trip to the mall. When all his clothes were out, there were 11 tee shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, one sweatshirt, one pair of shorts. Hmmm…so, now there are 18 tee shirts, 5 pairs of jeans, but only one of the sweatshirts was deemed acceptable. Oh, and only two pairs of sneakers. No jackets, no button down shirts, but what the heck, he’s only moving to Wisconsin!</p>
<p>Still to come, text books, miscellaneous dorm room stuff and the gaming machine. Don’t know how that’s going to work without a separate suitcase for each at $25 a pop. </p>
<p>I hear you about the loss of stuff…</p>
<p>mom: Do you have all your gift cards?
S: Yes
mom: including Target, Ikea, Subway that you got for graduation
S: No, where did you put them?</p>
<p>IHe’ll be fine, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll learn to be more organized?? ;)</p>
<p>We had a good conversation with Son. I was worried that he’d have people overload. He’s found a good solution. His school is known for its yellow bikes - bikes the school owns that stay on cmpus for anyone to ride anywhere on campus any time. Several times he has taken a bike an his iPod and ridden the campus. Pretty good solution, I think.</p>
<p>good luck to all still launching…historymom–double good luck ;-)</p>
<p>my d is okay,thank you all for all the good wishes. and I’m sorry I haven’t been here…got sick after coming home, and been catching my breath- it was quite an ordeal going thru that the whole week before she left. grateful for healthy outcomes. I was proud she was so resilient when I dropped her and set her up, she was in pain and couldn’t lift anything, pack or unpack, but her mood was great. open to orientation experiences, and roommates. she had to sweat out the first couple days at school til we found out. whew! she says she loves her school, and has been tooling around w roomate, so I am very relieved…</p>
<p>the emotions of it all kind of hit me the last few days. miss her tonight. she called telling me vegetarian food plan is leaving her hungry…and she still needed some items. (thats my girl) I felt like driving up there (3.5 hrs) and just hugging her. haven’t seen her since the good results. younger s keeping me hopping and my older s leaves in 10 days. </p>
<p>lindz–great news! What a brave young woman you’ve raised.</p>
<p>missypie–I’m sure you are very proud of your problem solving son. Good for him, and good for you too! </p>
<p>It’s so exciting to hear about the already launched and how well they seem to be doing. </p>
<p>This morning’s anxiety has kind of disappeared. D is packed, but tonight she did ask me to hem a dress we bought a few weeks ago. We never got around to it before. That simple domestic task was pretty calming for some reason. Maybe it was because it required the reading glasses and some concentration. Whatever it was I feel better having done it. Is this why people knit??? </p>
<p>Good luck to everyone tomorrow and Wednesday.</p>
<p>Ditto to what rrah had to say to both Lindz and Missypie. In fact, I am very impressed with Missypieson and his ingenuity to find his center. This is a skill most people are trying to figure out for a lifetime!! </p>
<p>Son broke up with girlfriend who handled it so badly they got back together for this last week before they leave for school. I honestly hope they are not planning on trying to stick it out with them both going to school. It absurd… and sure to result in bad feelings on both sides sooner or later.</p>
<p>rrah, I know what you mean about the sewing. DS’s blazer and tux both needed buttons reattached. I felt supremely at peace sitting with my sewing box, needle and thread and doing that simple task.
DS was away all weekend. The weekend served as a very good preview for each of us. DS took mental notes about organizing dorm room space and even took an interest in shopping today for storage shelves and towels. I experienced being alone in the house. (No other kids, divorced also, but I do have two cats). It wasn’t as bad as I expected though I did shed a few tears. I think I’m adjusting, but maybe I’m just fooling myself.</p>
<p>About the husbands who seem oblivious, is this just a type of denial?–ex-husband has been out of town, due to return today to help with the move in. Has gone completely incommunicado, apart from the ipod that he sent to DS for a graduation present. No sign of him yet.</p>
<p>lindz, I’m so relieved. You know you had a lot of people pulling for you all here. I hope you can find some time for yourself after this. I know everybody’s keeping you hopping, but maybe you can scoot out with some girlfriends for lunch or get a pedicure or something that’s all about you. You deserve it. Hugs to you.</p>
<p>Of course, on a campus that small, there is always the chance that he will gain the reputation of the oddball who always rides the bike around, but I guess that beats the rep of being the guy who talks to himself.</p>
<p>Lindz, thanks for the report and I’m glad it’s good. </p>
<p>I am resisting the temptation to send a “witchy” email to the school. We all laughed at the laundry jokes at parent orientation…were told that if they bring their dirty laundry home, to send them back with dirty laundry. But now it’s not so funny. They’ve been on campus for about 12 days now and are all realizing that the two washers and *two *dryers shared by *three floors *of students are woefully inadequate. Son tried to put in a load at 9:30 yesterday morning…nothing available. I guess they eventually either figure out a time when everyone else is in class or find the local washateria and some quarters. But it’s a ridiculous situation.</p>
<p>missypie: Saturday and Sunday mornings before 9:00 are usually a good time to do laundry since most students are sleeping in but agree that the laundry facilities in your S’s dorm sound inadequate. I suppose that as they year rolls on things will improve and kids will get off of the same laundry schedule. Most probably came with two weeks worth of undies and now that they are getting closer to day 14 there is a bit of a rush on the laundry room. Frustrating for now though I’m sure.</p>
<p>lindz, so grateful that prayers were answered! Is your D vegan? Sounds like it’s time for a care package :D</p>
<p>Karen my parents are Oxy alum too! I couldn’t get my girls interested but I love it!</p>
<p>My D’s dog made a political statement in the night, lifting his leg on the BB and B bag. He has done this sort of thing frequently over the years. When the girls leave him behind he lets us know that he is displeased, when they have slumber parties…well lets just say the guest know to keep their bags up off of the floor. He is one of the reasons we have no carpet!</p>
<p>The girls and I had fun yesterday running to Staples, Ross, and Big-Lots for last minute gift card spending and bargain hunting.</p>
<p>Tonight we will eat down by the pool with the other set of cousins and grandparents. Then tomorrow at around noon we head out.</p>
<p>Oh and it turns out that DH will have a job in the dorm rooms afterall. His parents are giving the girls both TVs…bah! Oh well…</p>
<p>Last night H and I were discussing how nice it is that Son is close enough to come home several times during the semester.</p>
<p>Of course, D16 wants to go out of state…I was looking at schools for her in the *next *state … she didn’t like that idea at all…she wants to be far away…</p>
<p>Back from another whirlwind OOS trip where we drove home through the night after watching D2’s game. Can anyone recommend an eye cream that makes under eye bags disappear? She seems to be a little happier, smiled and laughed when we went to dinner with some teammates and parents. Got a smile and nod of the head when I said we thought she was more friendsick and boyfriendsick than homesick. She has been busy making her space cute as can be. Hung her curtains by herself and still working on the wireless router for the apartment. Loves her new lime green and zebra print fleece blanket! Got her roomies to walk the campus searching for classrooms so they would know where they were going once classes start. Their parents laughed at how organized she is. Everything seems to be coming together (quick, knock on wood!)…just following her normal “slow to warm” schedule. Goodness… Thank heavens she will have been at school for almost 5 weeks before classes start!</p>
<p>Wow… so many emotions flowing in this thread.</p>
<p>lindz – happy day! Congrats on the good outcome for your D! What a relief that must be for you.</p>
<p>missypie – Kudos to your resourceful S. We visited a campus with yellow bikes, but I can’t remember which school it was. I thought they were a great idea, as long as you can find one when you need it. :)</p>
<p>ok…parents of boys: My good friend is just starting to look for stuff for her S who leaves for school on Thursday!!! He needs a shower tote/caddy. None in Sears, BB&B, multiple Targets and Walmarts, Marshall or TJ Maxx. All sold out. No time to order online. Any alternative suggestions??? I thought small mesh diving bag might work or a travel shaving kit, that can be opened and hung??? Any ideas???</p>
<p>Darn, I’ve got one that needs to be returned to Marshalls! </p>
<p>Try a hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot…they not only have “dorm stuff” but all kids of plastic paint and tool caddies that might work. (I personally used a small bucket in college, as did everyone else…I guess that’s before the Shower Caddy Industry was born.)</p>
<p>We bought ours at Ikea - a small plain white plastic carrier with metal handle. But if she isn’t near an Ikea, I would recommend those hanging toiletry bags you mention. DH and Ss all have them and like them. Or look at an outdoor/camping store - they have lots of sturdy, light, plastic things. Or as last resort - how about a kids play bucket for the beach?!</p>
Won’t see my S until Thanksgiving. :(</p>
She seems to be a little happier, smiled and laughed when we went to dinner with some teammates and parents. Got a smile and nod of the head when I said we thought she was more friendsick and boyfriendsick than homesick. She has been busy making her space cute as can be. Hung her curtains by herself and still working on the wireless router for the apartment. Loves her new lime green and zebra print fleece blanket! Got her roomies to walk the campus searching for classrooms so they would know where they were going once classes start. Their parents laughed at how organized she is. Everything seems to be coming together (quick, knock on wood!)…just following her normal “slow to warm” schedule. Goodness… Thank heavens she will have been at school for almost 5 weeks before classes start!</p>