<p>Okay, can I interject?</p>
<p>GO LAKERS, AMAZING! Love those guys.</p>
<p>(see, there is more to life than the college search!)</p>
<p>Finals this week. Graduation, weather permitting, will by Friday.</p>
<p>Downtoearth–we DID get the golden, and he’s laying at my feet. A little bit of a stand off going on with the ctas, though. It’ll all be fine! Please take care of yourself–so sorry about the health challenges–we’ll be here for you, but I wish I could transport some soup for post-surgery.</p>
<p>Enjoy your golden best dogs ever, you may need a second vac!</p>
<p>OK – I’m at the beach (sounds better than it is; the weather stinks) and am catching up on CC on my iPod Touch. I must be addicted or something!</p>
<p>Sending positive thoughts to you, downtoearth.</p>
<p>Going to WPI tomorrow for “Advising Day” so S can get some advice on course selection. He finished his math test. Next up – getting his medical form filled out.</p>
<p>downtoearth I haven’t seen a book but on the Bed Bath and Beyond website there is a checklist. I don’t think kids need everything on the checklist but it’s a good list. Also try checking on the college website where your child is going. Most have some sort of a checklist. In my opinion they haven’t been as good as the BBB checklist but I’m sure every college is different.</p>
<p>D has finished classes. Bash is this coming Sat. and graduation is the 25th. No exams so she has all the free time now. Says she is already bored. Guess my idea of getting a JOB might not have been such a bad idea. Now I think she is too late. Most are full already.</p>
<p>I’ve missed tons. Checking back in with good health wishes for downtoearth and congratulations for this past week/weekend’s round of graduates, and patience and strength to those still winding things up.</p>
<p>S1’s graduation was lovely and the dinners and parties afterward were great. I think we’re going to help him host a going-away type party in August. He says that will feel less as if the spotlight is on him, and more as if it’s a party for everybody. I’m not going to argue that one; I’m just glad he seems to want a party.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in the category of ridiculous contrasts, today is S2’s last day of first grade. :D</p>
<p>1st grade to 12th grade - that is a contrast. I just took a picture of my son going out the door on his last day of school. I’ll put it next to his picture taken on the first day of school in the scrapbook I’m making for his grad gift.</p>
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<p>How sweet! Guess you won’t be joining us on the “Empty Nest” thread any time soon.</p>
<p>I just feel numb this morning…can’t concentrate on work. I looked at the Student Orientation Schedule for Son’s school…wondering if he chose the right school, wondering if he’ll get decent classes, wondering if he’ll be able to get up in the morning on his own, wondering if he’ll be friendless and miserable, wondering if we should forbid him from taking a video game console to school, wondering if he’ll succeed in college or if he’ll be back home in December…</p>
<p>^ Video game console == friends socializing in the dorm suite. Add fresh-baked cookies or good popcorn, yummy smells wafting through the halls on move-in day, and he’s sure to meet people. :D</p>
<p>He can do this, missypie! Look at how far he’s come from his first day of high school. Socially speaking, college is almost always easier than high school.</p>
<p>Now, the getting up on time part – can’t help there – that worries me about geek_son. After a terrific couple of weeks of getting up early, rollerblading around the neighborhood, and getting to school early – last week he slept in past noon almost every day. I’ve told him to try and get later classes, but of course frosh don’t get much of a choice.</p>
<p>We’re moms. We worry. We always will. That’s what we do. :o</p>
<p>Well, one of my mantras is that Mother Mary (who had her own set of difficulties) says,</p>
<p>Let it Be.</p>
<p>It is time to Trust them, difficult as it is. And to let them see what happens when we do.</p>
<p>^^ Exactly.</p>
<p>When I hear that from #theorymom, I’ll relax. (We’re both moms of sons where the worst sometimes does happen.)</p>
<p>From the “time to let go and trust them” department… geek_son received his college email account today. All the important correspondence will start going there in a month. So I get to trust him to check his email regularly and handle all his paperwork solo. Y:eek:W!
He can do this, he can do this, he can do this… and so can I…</p>
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<p>Son’s school started putting the important info in their webmail on June 1st…after many pleas to check the account, I finally logged in Thursday night while Son was at work…sure enough, two deadlines were going to expire while he was on a trip unless he took care of the matter the next day…</p>
<p>OK - we have to get our creative juices flowing and start posting those haikus again</p>
<p>Two weeks left to go
One exam, then high school’s done
Many teardrops shed</p>
<p>Mom of son’s- Good luck. Two years later my dear sweet son is not one to readily check his college email. He is living in the run down grunge college apartments next year. He missed the deadline for getting pulled into one of the nicer apartments. I knew it was going to happen. (his housing office most know this is a problem since the email on housing for next year was also sent to the parent email) Even after a few gentle reminders from Mom he didn’t follow through. But he is fine with it.</p>
<p>well–my last few days will have go to under the “what not to forget” thread. We received a letter from the IRS auditing our 2006 education deduction. It tooke me 4-5 hours to figure things out/call the college (D graduated in 2006) and meet with the accountant. We knew we were OK but finding the right paperwork to send in and the invoice from the school…
I can guarantee that S will have a detailed file of every dime/a photocopy of every check/a copy of the invoice, etc. One thing I noticed was that D’s invoice did not have her ID# or name once we tore off the part that needed to be sent in. So–just thought I would pass this on. Now I get to spend hours putting things back into the files!!</p>
<p>S got his dorm assignment, and I’m thrilled he’ll be in all male dorm - 250 freshman guys in one dorm where they converted the dining hall to a “man cave” complete with big screen TV, pool tables, pizza, etc. I think it will be great for him - from everything I’ve read, the guys in that hall really connect, do a service project together, and a lot of the girls come over to hang in the ‘cave.’ He even has a roommate from SoCal (he’s in a triple with a private bath…can you imagine what that will be like since they have to clean it?) as well as one from Milwaukee.</p>
<p>BUT - there’s all this material about lofts, micro/fridge, sheets, futons - it makes it so real that he’ll be living far away. :(</p>
<p>On a good note, graduation is Thursday, and S goes to a science magnet at the zoo, but graduates along with the large (700+?) class. The 10% who go to the zoo wear a zebra print stole! How cool is that?!</p>
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<p>I’m not a science person, but to get to wear a zebra print stole, it would almost be worth going to the science magnet!</p>