<p>^ Thanks! Compared to the last one, which was hades, this should be gravy!! Amazing what previous experience will do for a little perspective. This one is actually a very good thing!</p>
<p>Hello friends. Once again that pesky work thing has kept me from posting for a while. I used my lunch hour to day to try to catch up on happenings in my virtual world. </p>
<p>DS2 is coming home for the weekend. He wants to make a Halloween costume and the next three weekends are packed on campus. (Zombies vs. Ninjas next week, Centennial Homecoming the following, another football game the following.) He has requested meatloaf for dinner and that I stock up on pretzels. It will be nice to have him sleeping in his bed tonight. Can’t wait to see his reaction when he sees how clean his room is!</p>
<p>Some of you may remember that I volunteered to start helping the top students at his school with finding/applying to selective colleges. The principal and guidance office gave me “office hours” during seminar hour on Thursdays. First week, no one showed up. But this week, two young ladies came eager for my help. They are both applying to Stanford, plus a combined list of Duke Northwestern, Washington U, Princeton, Columbia and Harvard. Their safeties are Creighton and Mizzou. I’m glad they have safeties because their test scores are a true stretch for their reaches. </p>
<p>One has asked me to review her essay and offer suggestions. She says it’s 900 words right now. (Ouch!) The other has asked me to help her make a spreadsheet of what she needs for each school so she doesn’t miss something. I think she is in way over her head. Wants to double major and double minor because she can’t decide. I told her “let’s just work on the applications and not worry about the major.” </p>
<p>I have no idea how they came up with their lists. Neither of them has visited any of the campuses except Creighton and Mizzou. But they are most first two “customers” and I think we will all learn from the process.</p>
<p>Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. It is a gorgeous fall here and we plan to enjoy it!</p>
<p>Blue: Congrats on the surgery date! I can hear your joy through your writing.</p>
<p>OWM: You’re such a sweetie to help these students. Sounds like your first customers might be a bit of a challenge!</p>
<p>It’s five oclock somewhere…adult beverages and snacks all around :D</p>
<p>Just think…this time last yr–it was all about essays and procrastinators etc…</p>
<p>^what a difference a year makes!! Cheers! <em>clinks glasses with fogfog</em>
Happy weekend everyone!</p>
<p>First week without the kid in the house (last move-in of the group, here). A little odd, but we’re acclimating. Funny that I was the one sniffling all the way home from move-in, but midweek or so it was DH who was feeling anxious that DS hadn’t communicated every detail of college life.</p>
<p>“Has he <em>ever</em> told you everything that’s happening, as it’s happening?” No. The answer to that question is definitely “no.” DS has always needed time to process how he feels about stuff, and this is no exception. But man, eighteen plus years of having the kid around is a hard habit to break.</p>
<p>Yes, this time last year we were just starting the whole crazy process…nice to be on the other side!!</p>
<p>Happy birthdays, momjr (or D thereof) and arisamp.</p>
<p>On relations with kids when they come home, our deal has always been like emilybee’s. If you’re responsible, you get freedom. Responsible is to tell us when you are coming home, let us know if you are leaving our exurb for Harvard Square or Boston, be honest about plans, and call if you will be miss the agreed time. No curfew. ShawSon has been fabulous about informing us. ShawD OK but could use some work. </p>
<p>We just took ShawD out to dinner. It was a bit of a schlep, but we left her with the case to her ipad and her winter coat and the latest batch of Concerta. She is absolutely loving her school. ShawMom and I were a little concerned as to whether she’s fully grasping what will be expected of her. Right now, she’s finding it easy and not pushing that hard, but I think it will get much harder. Still wants to transfer to nursing. Part of the push came from an organic chemistry unit in her chem class which she found incredibly boring (not hard, just boring).</p>
<p>No sign of freshman 15. Still guarding her figure – has made a deal with a friend not to eat dessert from the dining hall all year (but going out for Ben & Jerry’s is still OK).</p>
<p>Hope your D’s birthday was a fun one, momjr! </p>
<p>Emilybee, so sorry about your necklace. I hope it turns up this week-end–so upsetting when that happens.</p>
<p>BlueIguana, congrats on the surgery date although writing that seems like an oxymoron…I am sorry your S has to have surgery.</p>
<p>D called last night and her minor frustrations with her roommate appear to be not so minor any longer. I know she needs to work this out on her own but my suggestions of talking it out with the RM or going to the RA fell on deaf ears…I need to remember to just make soothing noises and be supportive as I listen to her and not try to solve her problems!! I’m practicing my “don’t advise” mantra so when she calls I’m better equipped to respond!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the birthday wishes for my D. As BI pointed out, it was harder for us to have her away on her birthday than it was for her. She was very happy with the cupcakes we sent and the Edible Arrangement her sister sent. I’m sure that she’s very popular in the dorm at the moment.</p>
<p>Shawbridge: I’m glad that you had a nice visit with your D and that things are going so well for her. </p>
<p>CHS: I’m glad that you’re acclimating to your empty nest. </p>
<p>BI: I’m glad that the surgery date worked out, but sorry about the surgery.</p>
<p>Collage: It is tough to just listen! I hope the RM issues get resolved.</p>
<p>We’ve been hearing from D1 a lot lately. She’s applying for jobs through the On Campus Recruiting program at her school. It’s a very intense, time-consuming process. It reminds me of the college application process, but with more face-to-face evaluations. </p>
<p>Have a great weekend!</p>
<p>**<em>♪♫</em>Happy Birthday To Momjr’s wonderful D and to Arisamp <em>♪♫</em>
**</p>
<p>BI~On getting the date for Jr surgery!</p>
<p>OWM~How wonderful for you to help those young people. It is such a different feeling when you do not have a horse in the race, isn’t it?</p>
<p>Pepper+Collage~Hugs to you~</p>
<p>Have a great Saturday y’all</p>
<p>Quick note as I’m headed out the door, but I keep forgetting to ask…</p>
<p>For everyone that’s on the shutterfly site, let us know if you’ve posted pictures so we know to look. I have a hard time telling who’s updated their albums. :o Sometimes I pop on and see pictures that I’ve missed for a while. :(</p>
<p>Anyhoo, have a good Saturday. Hope to check in later!!</p>
<p>Having a great time visiting with boychild. Dropped off his bike at his dorm thenwe all headed to Walmart to geta bike lock, Starbucks for a cup of coffee and then a walk around campus. Dinner last night at a fab restaurant then boychild dumped us for a party in one of the houses, so we headed back to our hotel for a nightcap. </p>
<p>DH is outdoing a run, then we’re headed back to campus for brunch, then to Freeport and LLBean as the weather is not cooperating enough for us (me) to go to the football game.</p>
<p>What is immediately striking to both DH and me is how happy boychild is with everything - from the kids to his classes and everything in between. </p>
<p>Will go out again tonight for a less fancy <em>expensive</em> dinner, then say are goodbyes as BC has a geology field trip early tomorrow. We will head to Portland for the dayand meet up with niece’s in law for dinner down at the seaport.</p>
<p>Emilybee: I’m glad that you’re having such a great visit and that boychild is so happy. Isn’t is great when our kids go to college in places that are fun to visit?</p>
<p>Emily Bee ^ Sounds like you are having a great time. Know you were wondering “why” you were going and thought it might not be worth it–Glad it is so worth it and a grand time is had by all!! :D</p>
<p>BI~The settings on the site are such that the last edited album is first.I just saw your beautiful pictures, you are a true artist!</p>
<p>Emilybee~So glad you are having a great visit, love visiting my kids!</p>
<p>Glad your visit has been so nice, emily!</p>
<p>collage - I hear you. D seems to have found some balance with her roommate (mostly because everyone tells her RM is impossible to deal with, which is some comfort), but it really complicates her life.</p>
<p>Went to our HS play last night. D’s BF has the lead, and he was great. He’s such a sweetheart; I can definitely imagine why she misses him so much. It also was a good/strange experience for me - I do like staying connected, but on the one hand I was SO happy inside that we are done being active parents there, and on the other hand wondering if D2 might have wanted to be able to drop by, see the show and say hi. I also knew that deep inside the last thing either of my Ds would want is to be the grad that is always showing up at things … ahh, life goes on.</p>
<p>Another strange experience: I met the new band teacher, a fairly new grad. Said hello to her BF, who is a musician D1 was in an ensemble with when she was a 9th grader and he was a senior. Wow - my D’s peers are now the teachers??? How weird is that??? And how old does that make me???</p>
<p>Emmybet: I know exactly how you feel about the HS stuff. We went to a HS football game last night. It was fun to catch up with friends, but it feels so freeing to be DONE with HS.
It’s interesting that others say that your D’s roommate is impossible. I seem to recall that she is a sophomore. I’m guessing that she couldn’t find a friend to room with. I have a horrible freshman roommate, but survived the year by making other good friends on my hall. Good luck to your D.</p>
<p>**53 days to Thanksgiving break ** </p>
<p>(Based on kids touching down at home on the Wednesday before TG. Some kids may get the full week and will land at home sooner.)</p>
<p>Ha ha - momjr, she is a junior! D is in a triple with a sophomore and a junior. There is another bedroom in the suite with 2 more sophomores (this is honors housing). We thought it was weird that a junior was in a triple; we also should have sniffed something when Jr RM said she hadn’t gotten along with any of her RMs the first 2 years … although of course she said they were all “weird.” </p>
<p>D gets along great with all of the sophomores in her suite. She might have preferred living with freshmen, just for the social side, but there are other benefits to this situation. The sophomores also go home almost every weekend, and the Jr (whose family lives 15 minutes away) NEVER leaves. And she is a big attention-sucker (we noticed this at move-in; she cornered H and me with lots of talk, TMI, and some other weirdness), so D finds it hard to ignore her. </p>
<p>D knows a solution is to be out a lot, find another place to be on campus, but honestly she always has been a “nester” and that would require a big adjustment for her. So she’s working on solutions. I’m glad that she’s also gone to some adults for advice. This girl also is in her dept, and so D gets a lot of volunteered info (and sympathy) from other students for living with her. As I said, that really does help.</p>
<p>D knows she could consider a move at semester, but is waiting it out, trying to find strategies. I do think it’s hard on these kids when they can’t find that comfy “home base” like their room so they can recover from lots of work and stress. But it’s certainly not all that different for my D than with any other college kid. </p>
<p>I’m a big believer in singles, always had one myself. But they are not available to my D. So she’ll just deal. Getting away to a hotel room with D1 and then with me in the next few weeks will really help.</p>
<p>Has anyone visited the HS Class of 2012 thread? I thought I’d jump in and add my 2 cents, but I got so stressed reading the posts, I had to leave. I feel like I still haven’t recovered from the application process!</p>
<p>We are thankfully chilling because S’14’s baseball double header, in Brooklyn, was canceled (field was too wet). The one for tomorrow’s still on. I don’t think I knew how much baseball you could pack into one weekend…</p>