<p>Anybody done the BB&B order then pick it up at the store near school thing yet? BB&B looks much cheaper (and, no doubt, better) than the linen providers given by the schools. I’ve got my 20% off coupons stacking up…</p>
<p>missypie
LOL you go first!</p>
<p>But yes, we are going to undo the bow and stern lines and let him drift…to a point. I mean if he can’t get the engine started or figure out how to use the paddle, we will throw him a lifeline. But if we tow him in, I think he will have to stay on solid ground for a while, until he learns to stay afloat…
So how’s that for metaphor!?! LOL</p>
<h1>TM, I love it. For some of us, the lifeline will need to be a little shorter and the ship-to-shore communication more immediate, at least at first.</h1>
<p>I cannot believe I’m now obsessing about his dorm and trying to pretend I’m cutting some ties. That said, here is the savior for our college-bound kids (just saw a commercial and it’s SO timely) - Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets - the detergent and fabric softener are all in one sheet…detergent comes off in the wash and the softener is built into the sheet that gets transferred to the dryer. How perfect is that?</p>
<p>Leftovers are almost gone – still some cake in the box. Son was a sweetheart – came back to the school today to help me and his AP English teacher pack up our rooms. Then, he got his first “you’re not welcome here” from some quiz bowl teammates. Seems they are holding some informal practices at another location. They wanted him to work as a volunteer coach. Well, when he offered a suggestion, one or two jumped down his throat. He came home a little ticked – to say the least. He thinks he might know a little about the sport – he played four years and ranked in national tournaments. Oh well. So much for him offering any pointers. I told him that things are better left unsaid.</p>
<p>Another good product is color catcher sheets for the laundry (I think Shout makes them). They look sort of like dryer sheets, but you put them in the wash. It picks up excess dye that might wander over to whites/lights from darker fabrics. I use them regularly when there are new jeans in the wash, and they really do pick up residual color. I’m generally pretty anal about laundry sorting, but sometimes I have just a few items I want to throw in instead of waiting till the next load. Anyway, I’m planning to send my D off to college with a box. I like the sound of those Purex deals!</p>
<p>We’ve used the BB&B service with both older boys and just registered S3 yesterday so we could get it over with. It’s great and I hoard those coupons!</p>
<p>Another good suggestion to bring with–gallon size ziploc bags to hold open snacks so six-legged guests don’t come to share. They can be a real problem in some dorms.</p>
<p>My sons have used hanging sweater bags in the closet to fold jeans (and of course, sweaters) because you can store a lot of jeans/khakis in a very small space.</p>
<p>momreads–sorry that happened to your S. Nice of him to volunteer.</p>
<p>ok, I want the zebra print stole too…and your sons fold their jeans boysx3!!! I am so jealous. My 3 boys’ definition of folding is stuffing them into the drawer, or piled on the floor. True story: The inlaws were coming to S2’s graduation last week, but were staying in 15 yo S3’s room. We seriously mucked the room out, he donated a boatload of clothes (finally because he’s grown about 6 inches in the last 18 months) mostly from the pile on the floor of his room, and the rest went down to the laundry. To his credit, he actually DID the laundry, then left it in a pile in the basement. He came home to an immaculate room, where I had folded all his clothes and put them neatly in his drawers. He was in his room after a shower, ran downstairs, then back up demanding to know where his clothes were. It never occurred to him they might actually be in the drawers. </p>
<p>Golden retriever day two: some level of detente with the resident cats.</p>
<p>posted same on something else. D’2 moratoriium on FB paid off on finals All A’s. yay for her. She had an adjustment to new school worked hard all A’s. Geometry almost croaked her emotionally, for kid who took skipped pre algebra in 7th grade, geometry freaked her out. but she overcame it. really proud of her. I am sure your math kids would laugh but she got one of the highest grades in english by a notoriously hard grader.
I keep thinkiing about our worries. I think the kids have to learn from mistakes hopefully they have all profited. fingers crossed.
That man cave seems like Nirvana.
enjoy your golden,ours is so loving and protective. I can’t imagine keeping himin the garage,he would be so hurt. I moved his bed in my room and he was so put out. all they want is to be with you. Enjoy him the cats will adjust it must be funny to watch them obtain detante hopefully.</p>
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Yes, those are reminders that they really be living away from home, aren’t they? </p>
<p>I love the zebra print stole!!!</p>
<p>Found out yesterday that S has another bling for graduation – besides medallions, the students in the academy at his school also get special cords. Because it’s a law-based academy, the medallion is on a purple ribbon and the cord is purple, also.</p>
<p>Congrats to all the graduated parents (and those who will be soon!)</p>
<p>Good news at our house today…D finally got her learners permit!! AND she actually said that she could go back in 2 weeks to get her license…WHAT??? Did she think some actual behind the wheel practice for a while might make some sense?? Sometimes, you gotta wonder! No job yet but have been making her ask everywhere we go if they are hiring. Figure it’s at least a start…</p>
<p>SJTH–laughed at the 15 year old that didn’t consider clothes might be in a drawer. I recently went through my 15 yo S’s dresser hoping to clear things out a bit–top drawer, full of dvds and video games, middle drawer had old sports uniforms, bottom 2 drawers had clothes that were a few sizes too small. The things he actually wears were all “stacked” up in his closet–oh well…</p>
<p>DD goes to orientation on Monday and Tuesday. Tonight she started coming up with some tentative schedules. She asked H and I for suggestions for a couple more classes. Our very different responses were pretty reflective of how each of us went through college: one took “fun,” interesting classes (H) and the other took courses that met requirements for various programs. I hope she does both really. She’s still debating between the easy introductory computer class that would meet a requirement for a management program for LA majors or the more difficult CS class. I suspect she should take the more difficult now class since math, etc. will be fresher for her and she’s not certain if she’ll do the management program. It will be an interesting 4 years for her. I’m so excited for the adventure she is about to begin despite the personal tears. </p>
<p>RE: zebra stoles–perhaps CC moms could make a tradition of wearing zebra stoles on drop off day??? Might be easy to identify one another.</p>
<p>Still two more days until grad. The NHS kids don’t have their stoles yet b/c the school “ordered the wrong ones”. I was hoping they got the zebra print ones and it would be too late to return them. No such luck.</p>
<p>Coveting those zebra print stoles! Congrats to all who’ve made it through graduation and parties. D is concerned that they don’t get their caps & gowns until rehearsal Friday morning, which does not give her adequate time to practice cap-appropriate hair styles before graduation Friday night. Can you tell she’s done with exams and has too much time on her hands?</p>
<p>Downtoearth, I wish you strength and good health at this bittersweet time.</p>
<p>Best wishes to all with graduations still to come and congrats to those who are done!</p>
<p>D’s graduation 3 weeks ago is a distant memory. She is away at her camp counselor job and I am fussing at her via email and texts b/c it is time for her to start registering for classes. I am hopeful that she is on top of it, but not knowing is driving this trying-not-to-helicopter mom crazy :eek: </p>
<p>geek_mom, I am going to adopt your mantra:
</p>
<p>Cali_mom - had to laugh at your D finally getting her driver’s permit. My D finally got hers the day before she left for camp, not because she wants to start driving, but because she needs photo ID with her birthdate so she can go to a hookah bar when she turns 18 in two weeks! I remember hookahs when they were used for… um… non-legal substances in my youth 
Apparently now they are used with fruit-based tobacco and it is all legal as long as you are 18 …?</p>
<p>downtoearth - you are in my thoughts daily.</p>
<p>FINALLY, graduation day has arrived for us! D and her best friend are co-val’s and will be giving a joint speech. I don’t know how it will work (D hasn’t previewed it for us–wants us to be “surprised”–I’m not a big fan of “surprises”). My only suggestion was for them to remember that not everyone goes off to college and so they should be inclusive.</p>
<p>650 kids will be graduating tonight! Last year, the whole ceremony took less than an hour. :eek: They must have the band play Pomp and Circumstance on 78 rpm!</p>
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<p>We were looking for Son’s youth choir polo shirt. I looked in his drawer. Son said, “You know that polo shirts go in the closet, not in the drawer.” Sure enough, it was in the closet - not hung up of course, but in a big pile of shirts on the floor.</p>
<p>I tossed and turned last night worrying about dorm move-in. For some ridiculous reason, they move in starting at 4 pm…do you know what the temperature will be at 4 pm in central Texas on August 14th? Probably 105. Seriously. Why not 8 am, or 9 am, when it’s only 80 or so?</p>
<p>Yikes, missypie! Move in at 4pm in Texas in August?! Whose idea was that? </p>
<p>Here’s what is keeping me tossing and turning at night: move-in starts at 9am but we get a one-time parking pass for the dorm. So what happens to my plan to run to Target or BB&B for the things we forget or the space-saver things we can’t buy until we measure the space under the bed or the dimensions of the closet? Do we go have to schlep those items from the satellite parking lot?</p>
<p>Between now and then I’m sure I will need to take many a chill pill (aka a margarita) ;)</p>
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<p>It worries me that I have not seen the dorms - Son and Husband have but I haven’t. No photos or floorplans on line. I don’t know what he’ll need, where things will fit, etc.</p>
<p>downtoearth, I’m also thinking of you during this very complicated time for you!</p>