<p>TM glad it worked out.</p>
<p>That is good news, #TM. Moda, D is sick as well- sick enough she went to the health center. Hope she kicks it before break but it sounds very similar --a horrible cough that results in a raspy, squeaky voice. I hear about some courses but not others–and those are the ones that worry me. I’m trying to restrain my urge to be a helicopter parent, pretty unsuccessfully I might add.</p>
<p>I’ve scoured the school website and see absolutely nothing about housing deadlines. I asked Son and of course, he knows nothing. Typical. (I aslo asked Son if he thinks he’ll be allowed to come back an he assures me that he will. [Still skeptical].)</p>
<p>Moda, I was thinking of your D today. My princess got a haircut today and came out all smiles, saying she loved it, so I left a large tip. We got in the car and she said she hated it and went home and put her hair in a ponytail and has been in a beastly mood all day. Can we switch daughters?</p>
<p>Missy… I will never forget the time that exact same thing happened to us! I left a nice tip since D was saying how she loved the new look, which had taken me by surprise because it was really short (at her shoulders). We got out to the parking lot where she proceeded to burst into tears about how much she absolutely hated it. She couldn’t even pull it in a pony tail. And oh! She tried to blame me because I had made the appointment. I am thinking you’d be switching back within the hour.</p>
<p>Oh, haircut hell. How well I know it. DS has had his hair cut at the neighborhood shop by the same nice stylist for the last 15 years. </p>
<p>She has seen him through the little-boy burr to middle school shoulder length to high school emo and now college i-dont-know-what it is. He has fine, straight hair and wears it long in front and short in back. It is impossible to make it match the look he has in his head, but she tries. He grumps and growls and has NEVER liked the end result. I quit going along years ago because I was so embarassed by his sour behavior.</p>
<p>She has kids, too, and takes it all in stride. I think she considers him a challenge. Recently when DH saw her, she shared an amazing story. Apparently the last time DS went in for a haircut, he paused as he was leaving and APOLOGIZED to her for his YEARS of bad attitude. She was floored (as was DH).</p>
<p>I think we call this EDM?</p>
<p>Just got back from D’s Parent Weekend (Fri/Sat). They had very interesting seminars from some of their most popular professors. We saw D for meals. Had a surprisingly good lunch at one of the dining halls. Not overly large selection but the quality of the ingredients was excellent. She took us to a local Caribbean restaurant that was a lot of fun. We had hoped she would be able to spend more time with us but she has some mid-terms next week and is a little stressed. We had to be satisfied with meals but she was very happy overall. She has a very flexible part time job and they have told her that she can have it all through her four years. Very exciting. It’s about 10 hours every week, pays very well and entirely flexible. Who could ask for more?!</p>
<p>She never ceases to surprise me. She is on a quarter system. We were asking about her professors and if she has gotten to know any of them. She had an impromptu meeting with her professor that teaches classes for an interdisciplinary degree (and is the department chair). She took one class last term and another this term because she thought they sounded “cool”. It turns out that she is the only freshman in the class of about 100 junior and seniors. After this term she will have fulfilled the core requirement for the major. The professor was so surprised and impressed with her. Apparently this has never happened in his recollection. He has offered to help her plan additional classes and customize the major for her. She’s not sure if this is the major for her but she enjoys his classes. </p>
<p>Stumbled on a great deal at the campus bookstore. An HP printer/scanner/copier for $19.95. For her needs, it is perfect.</p>
<p>We are a bit sad. The house is so quiet but she is where she belongs.</p>
<p>Hello all! Quick question: should D leave her laptop in the dorm over spring break? The residence halls are open but her room locks.</p>
<p>She is going on a trip with some friends to stay at my brother’s home in Kentucky.</p>
<p>She has joined a sorority, has a boyfriend, and has a summer job offer. I am pleased, proud, and praying, all at once.</p>
<p>Mom4 - If she does, tell her to put it inside a t-shirt, folded, and away in an unexpected drawer, with a compy lock on it. Better yet, if she has an under-bed lock case, that works too. Most campus crimes are ones of opportunity. Fortunately, McSon’s room is such a chaotic mess he’s never been targeted 
(Heck, I won’t even go in there.)</p>
<p>Morning, all. I was thrilled to wake up this morning to an email from the parents in Cleveland who are hosting my son and, apparently, both of his roommates as well, over spring break. They shared the transportation plans, contact info, etc. Much more info than I would have received from my son! I’ll be calling later to see what, if anything, I can do to help, but am happy he’s heading someplace where responsible people reside!</p>
<p>Cpeltz, that’s really very nice. S&Friends are supposed to go out to inlaws and I was wondering the same thing (if it was something I should do although I won’t be there and it’s not really my place). When son went to friends house in NY over winter break, I really had no idea where they were going or what the situation was. It all worked out fine, but at the same time it would have been nice to know more details.</p>
<p>Not sure how I feel about the computer left in the dorm, but I would definitely be hiding it if I was. I remember a time when my sister (When she was a teacher) went with the students on a weekend retreat leaving her car in the parking lot. All of these cars were hit except my sisters probably because it already LOOKED hit. She had left her wallet in there, a 35mm camera and I am sure other stuff as well but who could tell with all the lacrosse stuff, athletic paperwork, books, water bottles, etc strewn all over the place!!</p>
<p>Speaking of theft…they caught at least one of the person’s involved in the thieving of wallets and other stuff from S’s campus. I talked to the police the other day because I had spent the day putting a watch on son’s SS# and health insurance while I also was told to file a complaint with the FTC and the credit bureau. And so I needed the police report number and had called them. The whole thing… pain in the butt.</p>
<p>cpeltz - what a great idea. D is bring home 1-2 friends during their spring break. I think I should contact the parents. Wonder how that will go over when I ask D to get the parents email addresses. Would also like to cook something for each that they just love. Maybe the parents can send a recipe…</p>
<p>RM - While a great thought… I would have no idea what kind of recipe to suggest for my son if asked. I wouldn’t want to impose either and would rack my brain trying to come up with something he liked well enough that wouldnt be an imposition on you to make or most important, assume on son’s part, so then I would have to ask him, which he would respond, “I don’t care” and then cause some sort of issue. 
Just sayin… of course, girls are very different. So while I would perhaps contact the parents to say that they were coming and so glad to have them and get to know them, I don’t honestly know what I’d do about food except for getting everyone’s breakfast’s favorites at some point. I will have to ask son what they did about food when they stayed at friends house over winter break. I think HandD will be out there prior to their arrival so maybe they can stock the fridge.</p>
<p>Oh great… now I am obsessing. Sheesh…</p>
<p>Folks, I did hear from Owlice yesterday. She is well and just away from CC. Hopefully to return! My overactive imagination went into high gear and I was fearing the worst, but happily she is well.</p>
<p>So glad Owlice is fine and hopefully tempting people IRL with food!</p>
<p>There’s no way S could or would cook for his hosts during spring break, and since Los Angeles is a long way from Cleveland, not sure what I could do either. Any ideas? I thought I could maybe order a cold cut platter from a local place, or send a coffee cake or something, but don’t want to assume anything…my guess is that they’ll say there’s nothing they need when I call, but now that I KNOW where he’ll be, I feel like I need to do something!</p>
<p>Personally, I would send a smallish flower arrangement to the host mom. But then again, I totally get mired in the perception of this stuff. If I choose to send a platter of something (like honeybaked ham or Harry and David) , would my attempt be seen as a show of no confidence that the hosts were capable of feeding all these kids? See? That’s where my mind goes. However, if it were sent to me, I would assume good intentions so… that idea would twist in my head too much. So instead of driving myself nuts, I’d send something spring and lovely to the mom and just say… thank you for having them.</p>
<p>^ which is exactly what I will do for my mother-in-law. My question is now do I send before they arrive or after they leave? One is clearly a thank you in advance and the other might be an apology after the fact!!!</p>
<p>oh sabaray thanks so much for letting us know! I have been worried too that something dire was keeping her away. Am so glad she reconnected.</p>
<p>cpeltz That was very nice of your S’s friend’s parents to connect with you that way. Too funny to be spending spring break in Cleveland.</p>
<p>ours will be home and H is taking them up skiing for a few days midweek as I have to work.</p>
<p>Today is a beautiful day and I think I will get some long over due gardening done. :D</p>
<p>Moda,
When I don’t know what to send I always end up sending one of those arrangements made of fruit and chocolate…just a suggestion</p>
<p>Oh another suggestion is snacks like from <a href=“http://www.mrsfields.com%5B/url%5D”>www.mrsfields.com</a> or <a href=“http://www.stoshskettlecorn.com%5B/url%5D”>www.stoshskettlecorn.com</a>. That way you are augmenting her snack supply and in no way diminishing her ability to cook a real meal. Not that she would moda but my brain does a similar dance.</p>
<p>We love Edible Arrangements in this house and have sent them to the school for kid’s birthday’s (on long home room days), but they are not in every town and sometimes their delivery is limited… as is the case with my inlaws (we’ve tried). However, for a couple years running this is also what I’ve gotten for Mother’s Day and I can say that the thing is gone by the end of the day, especially choc covered strawberries.</p>