<p>I so sorry H-mom
Blue and pitiful - two colors that seem to blend.
Hoping you are in the pink soon</p>
<p>I was thinking how I never gave a seconds thought to how my mom must have felt when I left for college. :-(</p>
<p>Son called yesterday. After making small talk about a book he was reading, he mentioned that his car battery was dead. We walked him through what would happen when he called roadside assistance…it took less than an hour to get a jump.</p>
<p>I mentioned earlier that a friend was in the hospital with pneumonia from H1N1…he has spent the weekend on a ventilator, in a drug induced coma. This morning for the first time the doctors are optimistic about his chances of survival…very frightening…one of those guys who is “never sick.”</p>
<p>missypie: Continued prayers for the well bieng of your firend. Truly terrifying that this particular strain seems to go after the apparently healthy. Huigs to you as you breathe a sigh of relief!</p>
<p>been wondering about Cpeltz. Anyone heard from her?</p>
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That can be just as rough, because you can’t get angry and be glad to be rid of him. 
So sorry to you and kmccrindle for the breakups. I guess chocolate cake and oatmeal cookies, and time, cure all.</p>
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Was talking about this with my mom this weekend – well, about how discomforting it is to suddenly not know what’s going on in kiddo’s life and whether he’s doing ok. She said you never get over that. Yikes. Sorry, Mom. I’ve been visiting her once a week for the past month or so; she’s not that far away, and it’s nice to catch up. And she gives me a totally safe place to vent when I get too worried over geek_son. If he only knew, he would thank her endlessly.</p>
<p>owlice, CB, SJTH, #theorymom – love to hear that your kiddos are doing well (spy-level grade secrecy notwithstanding) and the visits were so pleasant.</p>
<p>historymom – Oh, have I been there! Great big hug to you. Sorry you’re feeling pitiful, and hope all of you get over the bug pronto. Maybe your lovely gals are following their instincts and building their friendships slowly. If they are enjoying themselves, that’s what you want for them, isn’t it? And the slow-glow approach may result in some deeper friendships that will live on after they graduate.</p>
<p>missypie – Will pray for your friend. Why drug-induced coma, what was their purpose for that? Also, congrats to your son on navigating the roadside assistance! The small talk about the book is funny, what a considerate conversationalist. :D</p>
<p>Hygiene optional won’t fly here. 
I think I’ll go stock geek_son’s bathroom with extra soap, just to make sure he gets the point. His “bug” was just the result of sleeping through a couple of meals and going too long without eating. I offered to send snacks, but I guess I’ve been overdoing it… “No Mom, I’m fine, really. Please no more snacks!” :o Unlike so many kiddos on this thread, he’s really enjoying the food at Mudd. And having had some of it during orientation, I can say why. They feed 'em very, very well. I only hope he’ll be able to stomach my cooking when he comes back to visit!</p>
<p>I’ve missed you folks. :)</p>
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<p>60 Minutes just had a segment on H1N1 and spotlighted a real life case–hs football player in the peak of health who is touch and go on the ventilator because he got a secondary bacterial pneumonia infection while he had the flu. VERY scary…since D is just recovering from the flu as we speak. We told her to go IMMEDIATELY to the hospital if she has trouble breathing!</p>
<p>
Not here, except for S to say “I don’t know” when we ask. He keeps talking about how profs grade on the curve – which is brand new for this household as neither D or S had that in HS and D doesn’t have that now in college. So, we’ll see.</p>
<p>I saw the same 60 minutes last night and considering my H calls my son “bubba” when the dad called the boy the same name I found myself bursting into tears! The induced coma is so he can breathe with the ventilator (and if he is conscience it is too uncomfortable and so one would fight it). I do so hope the boy feels better soon. Truly, my heart goes out to that entire community. Apparently it spread through the whole team and the opposing team, but for how much it can be exactly like any old flu, it can go horribly wrong for a few. Scary stuff, indeed.</p>
<p>My oldest D went off to college with a BF and while they made it until spring break (I think), it really was a distraction to her cementing relationships where she was. There was always the need to check in and talk and well… I was glad that S and his gf last year (when he was a senior and she was freshman in college) broke up before she left and then too… when he and GF (both going off to college) broke up before going to school. So much new to discover within yourself that it’s very difficult to grow at the same pace when away at college.</p>
<p>As for grading curve, S says there is a curve in his Calc II class to a point. I have no idea what that means as we have never dealt with a curve before. The closest we come is when, for example, a section of a test is dismissed because everyone did so poorly on it that the teacher said he has to chalk it up to bad teaching and go over the material again. Works for D because it took her grade from a high C to a about an A-!</p>
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Most of my undergrad classes were graded on a curve. What it meant – you can’t calculate your own grades, you don’t even try to get more than a 70 or so on the impossibly long and esoteric final, and everybody hates the Asian kids.</p>
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Right – that’s the part I hear from S. Time will tell what that means. But, since what is done is done, I won’t worry too much about it at this point.</p>
<p>Think of a standard normal distribution curve. They center the curve on the grade that they want to be the median. Most of my undergrad tests were centered around 50%. But we always had a letter grade on the tests, so you had some idea of your standing.</p>
<p>Oh, Missypie, so sorry. What a scary thing, and prayers going out for continued uphill climb. I’m hoping to vaccinate this week? Historymom, oh… WAH!! I think you expressed what you are seeing and feeling with heartbreaking clarity. I hope you’re wrong about the roommate…the more days that pass, the more friendships will develop with other people, I hope. Take care of yourself… #TM is right–which of us thought of OUR Moms when we went off to college?</p>
<p>Hi Geekmom, welcome back!</p>
<p>Monday, Monday…</p>
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<p>LOL, my sister and I did. My parents were 43 and 42 when their nest emptied. My sister and I were so worried about them…what ever would they do without us? Well, they did things like take vacations to Door County in October. I know I was missed but they seem to have survived!</p>
<p>Oh…historymom! So sorry you are blue and pitiful! I know that feeling so well! Your Twins sound so much like my D2…bet they would be good friends! D2 still has BF here at home. I do think this has kept her from being involved. She and her favorite roomie have yet to meet their neighbors!</p>
<p>No fall break for either of my Ds. No optional hygiene either. Both Ds quickly found salons close to campus to have haircuts and brow waxes. Both are looking forward to having pedicures after soccer season to get rid of the soccer calluses! Yuck!</p>
<p>No word on whether classes are graded on curve.</p>
<p>: shares owlice’s chocolate chip cookies, the chocolate cake, and the homemade spaghetti with historymom…
…and thanks all for the wishes and stories re: breakup.
Cheers,
K</p>
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<p>I laughed out loud. And I feel bad for the Asian kids. Fortunately, son said they have a study group with what they call TA’s but they don’t really teach the class but are available at certain times in the library or somewhere.</p>
<p>Much like freshman year in high school, I imagine there are certain things that fall under the term adjustment when it comes to freshman year in college, especially when it comes to grades. The thing I know about our son is that few people can be harder on him than he is on himself so it’s best to not question too deeply because I have to believe he is doing his best while ALSO being balanced.</p>
<p>He told H he and some of his friends were taking up squash. He has never played squash, but I am so glad he is finding lots of ways to exercise as that is the surest way to keep my boy sane.</p>
<p>Sorry Eddie to hear about the “pre” Turkey Drop - it is usually that time when the relationships are most tested. D said that a couple of her male teammates are struggling with what/how to tell the girlfriends back home when they are home for Thanksgiving, there is really no easy way to do it.</p>
<p>Missed the usual call last night - D had to host a recruit already so she now knows how it is from the other side. It was the worst timing workload wise but it is an obligation.</p>
<p>A parent in my building (whose daughter is a HS classmate of my D) is in quite the tizzy about what happened at UConn over the weekend (where her daughter is). Honestly I would be too. I hope that murderer is apprehended right quick…</p>
<p>My H’s co-worker brought H1N1 back from a business trip last week, so I am placing him in quarantine : )</p>
<p>hi all! Just reading updates. D is still in Florida, loving’ it! She complained the other day because the temps dipped down to FREEZING, um, 55 degrees but was thrilled to hear they will bounce back to the 80s later in the week. She would have been SO upset if she went to school up north, she’s turning into a warm-blooded Floridian.</p>
<p>She picked her Spring classes and meeting with an advisor today. She’s in a sorority and spends time on that, too. She loves her school, even mentioned staying over the summer! Hmm, I dunno… She truly has not looked back once since she left!!</p>
<p>Summers in Florida are brutal. January and February? Heaven. And while I doubt your daughter is going into meteorology, you’d have to go a little further down the thermostat than 55. That’s downright balmy around here! Perfect fall weather… if only it would stay that way!</p>
<p>My friend is having cardiac issues (and liver issues and kidney issues). I’m worried sick and am not getting a thing done. (Sort of like the days after 9/11 when we went to work and just sort of stared at the computer all day without being able to actually work.)</p>