<p>Samuck~ I agree with all the above. As a guest never shows up empty handed (flowers, chocolates, wine…). If you can send her a nice flower arrangements beginning of next week do so.To have a nice bouquet to look at while preparing for guests always put a smile on one’s face. One nice gesture is to leave a handwritten note on your bed as you depart. :)</p>
<p>It is hard for non-american to get Thanksgiving and understandably so…I still remember my first Thanksgiving dinner </p>
<p>BI~LOL my boys left with a year supply of toiletries :)</p>
<p>Yalemom~Did I say congrats on your S1 internship :D</p>
<p>~Congrats to Coack Mike Krzyzewski on his 903 wins ~Go Duke~</p>
<p>We just finished watching the game as well 2edu! Congratulations to Coach K indeed!! What a class act and so well deserved. It was so great to see him with his former coach and personal mentor Bob Knight who held the record until tonight.</p>
<p>blueiguana, the toothbrush idea is simply brilliant. Never thought of including one, but as soon as I read your post (actually right around the “common bathroom floor” part, not even the whole way through!) I put it on the list of “things for him to take back down to school with him after Thanksgiving”! Especially as he was sick with a cold last week. Awful to not be able to put the back of my hand on his forehead to see if he had a fever; he tormented me with short, uninformative answers about his condition and then stuck the knife in by posting a photo of “this is me with a cold” on Facebook. He looked miserable! Fortunately the cold seems to have passed and I did remind him of the various remedies in the first aid box.</p>
<p>BI a toothbrush? I never would have thought of that-you are amazing!</p>
<p>Good to read all the good news here-the not so good stuff…well as the saying goes “This too shall pass”.</p>
<p>I am now noticing a pattern in my contact with my son. If I don’t hear anything that is very good…but if there is a problem I know about it right away. When I get those messages-and it isn’t often as more time passes-I just direct him to his adviser or suggest he talks to his professors if it is class related. He doesn’t share much of the social info with me other than to say he misses his friends and even though he is happy there with the people he doesn’t have that closeness-I remind him that takes time.</p>
<p>Good morning all. Coffee’s on so help yourself (to a second or third cup if you’ve got a head start). Glad my toothbrush phobia was a hit! :D</p>
<p>It is a grey gloomy day here and I have the motivation of a snail…I pick the boys up next Tuesday so while I am excited I am not feeling the rush to get things done yet. I better assign myself a few things for today or I will curl up with my Kindle and escape. I’m sure I’ll check in later. Have a great day everyone!</p>
<p>Chs2011 - It is cruel how they like to taunt moms with “this is me sick” faces isn’t it? Just mean, if you ask me. </p>
<p>Ds is full of “I love it here” but misses home, his sisters, a house with a kitchen, green spaces. I filled him in on my father now that he’s doing better and I could hear the anxiety and relief all in one sentance. It was nice to be able to keep this one secret but I know when my parent’s did the same because I was at college and busy with exams, I really didn’t appreciate it. Don’t know what the right answer is.</p>
<p>For care package ideas, I have only sent two - first was things he forgot and comfort foods. Second was polarplus sheets - which we all absolutely love. Cheapo at TJMaxx, Marshalls, and feel so comforting and warm. Hard to stuff into one of those flat rate boxes, but worth it.</p>
<p>Blue - I’m with you, grey gloomy, no motivation…blah.</p>
<p>We have a much-loved family cookie recipe that requires boiling something and then putting the finished cookies in a fridge. D1 has a microwave and fridge in her room, so I figured I could send her the ingredients for said cookies (along with a few needed kitchen tools, courtesy of Amazon prime shipping) and let her make them. Entertainment and comfort food together.</p>
<p>I also threw in the letter she got here at home from the AARP, asking her to join. That was apparently a huge hit.</p>
<p>How are everyone’s kids doing with class selection for second quarter/semester? It seems to be easier this time around.</p>
<p>Ahhhhh, the simple joys of the first Caramel Brulee Latte of the season. :)</p>
<p>Bluejr just registered for spring semester yesterday. I think it went better then this summer (where the advising was less then helpful). The e’school kids have a pretty set schedule which in a way makes it easier. He got the classes he wanted with the profs he wanted with the exception of Econ. The e’school kids are currently blocked from registering for Econ. My guess is this is a pre-req for the Commerce/Business school which is highly competitive and they want to make sure all the CLAS kids get a shot (which is fair). Hopefully in a week or so he’ll get a shot at it, otherwise he’ll have to choose something else to fulfill part of his humanities requirement.</p>
<p>This weekend is the ‘First Year Formal’. I think Bluejr’s looking forward to it and actually found a really cute way to ask his gf (no, he didn’t tell me but there was a picture on fb ). I know Yale has been having the House Screw parties. Do your kids school’s have fall/winter formals of any sort?</p>
<p>My DS actually got fairly stressed out over class registration for spring (not figuring out his core courses, but the humanities elective and PE class he wanted both had only a handful of seats left by the time freshman registration started, and one of them required him to go line up and get someone to sign off on it or something, at right around the same time that online registration was opening…) Anyhow, he ended up getting the classes he wanted, but not without a good deal of stress. There was a technical elective he wanted that conflicted with a required class, so he just got another required class “out of the way” and will keep that one in mind for later. Like many others, he did have better advising this time than for first semester registration.</p>
<p>Ak my Son only wants to know when my parents are in danger. The last time I contacted him about my father he was in very bad shape and it could have gone either way but it really upset him not being here. My parents have each had several close calls in the last few years and it is very stressful handling it for me so I sometimes forget it is hard on everyone. It’s a judgement call. </p>
<p>He has his schedule. He did it without even consulting me! He put it together and then went over it with his adviser. No issues other than he has classes everyday but he’s ok with that.</p>
<p>From an email sent from S’s U parents organization:</p>
<p>"Massage - the ultimate study-stress reducer!</p>
<p>RecSports offers a variety of massage treatments including table and chair, hot stone, aroma therapy, hot towel and deep tissue offerings. Additionally, a 30 minute Spa Express package is the perfect in and out for the busy student!" </p>
<p>Do college students know what real stress is? I am so amazed!</p>
<p>OWM: Good to hear from you. Fingers are crossed for your son!</p>
<p>BI: Please don’t make me go “there” with the toothbrush. I’m happy to send another toothbrush but will assume that he needs a backup because of the common bathroom floor scenario.</p>
<p>arisamp: Hope your son’s procedure went well and that it wasn’t too painful.</p>
<p>Care packages: To my older son, over the years I’ve sent a mini Christmas stocking with a gift card to local eatery, mug with the fixings for hot chocolate – hot chocolate mix and marshmallows, homemade cookies, microwave popcorn, a mini Christmas tree and decorations. </p>
<p>S2 completed his scheduling on Monday. He was a little disappointed that the freshman writing class that he wanted was full by the time he registered, but was happy overall. He consulted with his advisor, so I’m assuming all is well.</p>
<p>Still no news about Alumni Association Student Board. My recent graduate friends tell me this is a good sign. Apparently, the tradition may be to knock on the selected members’ door on Friday morning before Thanksgiving and take them to breakfast. Then those not selected get an email that morning.</p>
<p>I am investigating places that deliver to the dorms as a surprise for finals week. I know DS’s favorite is Hot Box Cookies. A dozen fresh baked cookies delivered in a small pizza box. </p>
<p>I love the toothbrush idea–primarily because I have seen the dorm suite after five football games now and would not want to imagine the use of a toothbrush that had landed on the floor!</p>
<p>Just found out that my d’s friend has decided to stay on campus for ‘me’ time. So it will only be four of us, unless my son decides to change his mind and come down. Told my youngest, who is the only one left, that she can help me plan Thanksgiving menu today. Both oldest and youngest like to cook and the one in the middle (2015 class) is not so thrilled with it. Of course, it doesn’t help that she has access only to a microwave and an oven, no burners at all in her dorm. She knows how to cook a bit but nothing like her siblings who love to cook.</p>
<p>I’m on my 16th cup of coffee – flew in to Switzerland yesterday on an overnight flight, took a shower at the airport and a train and taxi to my client’s office, worked with a small team all afternoon, then dinner and finally back to the hotel to catch up on other work. Today, up early prepping for all-day meetings with client team. ShawD actually woke me up with a call at 5 AM Swiss time to ask about charging train tickets. Uggh. Tonight some client calls. Then, tomorrow, work on my own summarizing what we’ve done, meeting in early afternoon and then flight to Brazil for some meetings and the wedding of a client.</p>
<p>ShawD’s room swap now officially blessed by the bureaucracy without any parental intervention.</p>
</p>
That was apparently a huge hit.</p>
). I know Yale has been having the House Screw parties. Do your kids school’s have fall/winter formals of any sort?</p>