<p>Bajamm - I would have been freaking out. Your poor hubby. Perhaps Santa will bring him a GPS for Xmas.</p>
<p>Everyone sounds so wistful talking about their weekends. I’m sure we’ll all be perkier tomorrow. Sounds like most kids are happy to go back to school so that is wonderful.</p>
<p>As great as it was having D and S home, it was equally great hearing them say they were excited to go back to be with their friends. Especially with S, who is a Freshman, who wanted to take a late afternoon train so he would be at school to have dinner with his buddies.</p>
<p>Shaw - it sounds like we both got the best version of our Ds this weekend. Congrats!</p>
<p>I just read a FB post by D describing her “wonderful” break. She even mentions that it included homework. What genius said that 6-8 weeks is the natural transition period, and that in most cases by Thanksgiving they’d be happy and excited about school? </p>
<p>We’re seeing some posts on this forum where those two magic landmarks haven’t worked out - of course some kids are having more serious trouble than just the normal adjustment to becoming a college student, whether it’s a mismatch with the school or something more internal going on. I hope there aren’t people who are afraid to post that their kid’s situation isn’t working out. My best wishes go out to anyone going through a rethinking or any kind of crisis with their kid. I know it happens, and it could be any of us. We are here for you.</p>
<p>Well I might be the last sendoff-he left this AM to take the commuter train back. His dorm is right across the street from a station-what a sweet setup. </p>
<p>We had a great visit with my bunch. My daughter if you recall couldn’t wait for him to go to college…well the visit home got off to a good start when she sent him a text on Tuesday that she was excited he was coming home. He got in Tuesday at 6 and left this morning at 7 so we had a good long visit-I am really happy he goes to school so close and so is he. I am glad when he made his decision he realized how important that was to him.</p>
<p>AK I do think our sons are very similar. I could have posted the same about his visit-and it was so wonderful to see how my daughter has changed in their relationship-it took him being gone for her to realize what a great big brother she has! :)</p>
<p>I need my frying pan though for the rest of my family. I really am at my wits end and all my patience is gone. I finally was honest with a sibling about her child after so many years of trying to help to no avail. I am done-how can you help someone who tells you they can’t change?</p>
<p>D headed out this am at the same time I was leaving for work. She was happy because she gets to have her car on campus for the next two weeks to get to a performance to fulfill a class requirement. She was also delighted because she got texts and missed calls asking if she is back on campus and how/when to meet up. She counced around saying, “I have friends!” It was so cute.</p>
<p>The ONLY reason she was not looking forward to going back is the ongoing food issues with food services. She recently made friends with a girl who gets food made to order because of her food allergies. The two of them are going to start to go to meals together so the girl can introduce D to the food preparers so D can start getting some specially prepared food. She has been spending all her work study money, plus lots of time, on fending for herself food wise. If she can get hooked up with food she can eat at the dining hall, that will take some pressure off (both financial and the juggling entailed in not having a convenient, clean kitchen in which to work and wash dishes). But she is going back to school armed with dr.'s documentation re her food allergies (preservatives, caffeine, etc) so she and the same girl can petition housing to get into an apt next year. We are hoping that will work. </p>
<p>But it was great having her home, even though her room is once again a pit. Oh well.</p>
<p>We had a great visit with D…she just wanted to hang out on the couch, hang out with family and cuddle her puppy. She seems happy and content. There isn’t any more discussion about transferring but there has been lots of talk about where and who she wanted to live with next year. Like Pepper, we had a nice long visit but she was ready to get back to her new life.</p>
<p>We ended up with 24 for dinner on Thanksgiving so I was busy busy busy…but I loved having a houseful. Lots of fun and laughter among the cousins…We also put up our Christmas tree - we went fake years ago after our tree started to smoke one Christmas AM! And although I didn’t shop on Black Friday I did go to the mall around 8:00AM on Sat…there was no one there and most of the Black Friday deals were still in effect…so I knocked off 2/3 of my shopping in about 3 hours! I do not enjoy shopping so I am very relieved to have a lot of it done. Happy Cyber Monday to everyone!</p>
<p>Another short but sweet visit here. Picked up D at the airport Tuesday night, home in time for a late dinner, with one of her BF’s stopping by for the evening. Most of Wednesday with friends, then with her Dad Wednesday night and Thursday (sigh). Most of Friday with friends again, then off to the airport early Saturday am. Interesting to hear about so many kiddos having moved on from HS. While D is very happy at her school, she definitely misses her (small) group of close HS friends and really looks forward to hanging out with them when she’s home.</p>
<p>Her break schedule is not great: only two weeks for winter break, then a week off after January semester (more time with me since none of her friends will be home!), a long Easter weekend, spring break, then not home until late May. She’s far enough away so that driving home is a big production (almost 7 hours) and plane fare is not cheap. So we’ll see how all these short breaks play out - she may wind up staying at school for some of them. She’s made some good friends and loves loves loves all her classes, but she’s not as passionately happy as some of her friends seem to be at their schools. But it’s still early on, and I’ll settle for really happy (as opposed to over the moon happy) for now!</p>
<p>Kinder–good luck to your daughter with the food situation. That can be really difficult. Does she get migraines from the preservatives? My DS avoids preservatives and especially MSG due to migraines but has been able to control them through good food choices. His food service is good and he hasn’t had issues at school.</p>
<p>Sent DS back last night. A bit sad for all of us. He is working REALLY hard to do top work in his classes. He spent Thursday with us, Friday with friends and Sat/Sun studying. He is taking mutivariable calculus. I guess his professer isn’t the best, so he spends another complete class timeframe watching videos from his university that are taped from another teacher who does reviews. DS finds them incredibly helpful, but it’s like taking the class twice in the same semester. He wasn’t looking forward to the test he has on Wednesday. He’s pulling a “b” in the class but it takes an incredible amount of work to get that grade. He’s looking forward being done with that class! Good news is he love, love, loves his biology class so they balance each other out!</p>
<p>He’s already talking about roommates for next year also. He gets along really well with 2 of his 3 roommates, so they may room together next year. They do a lot of things together. I’m glad he’s comfortable with them. He has friends from other areas also, so who knows how it will all shake out. They don’t choose until spring.</p>
<p>We were all in the car to take him back to the train when he said “wait” and jumped out of the car saying he forgot the three most important things. Seems he left his wallet, phone and keys in the house. Some things never change! ;)</p>
<p>VAMom, I don’t know if this is too late in the semester to be of help, but both my boys took multivariable their senior year in high school and got so much benefit out of the Kahn Academy calculus videos, (google search it if you think he needs another source of help).</p>
<p>Glad to hear everyone made it back safely. I had a slightly similar close call experience to bajamm’s, only what I did was misread the departure time of S2’s plane as 7:45 am instead of the actual departure time which was 7:25 am, so a leisurely drive to the airport that got him comfortably there at 6:50 am was followed up as I exited the airport with an annoyed phone call from him after he frantically raced through security, out on the shuttle trains to the gate and literally walked on to the plane. I guess that should teach him to read his own boarding pass :)</p>
<p>And I might need to buckle down and get my eyes checked- thought I didn’t need readers, but now I’m not so sure…</p>
<p>No countdowns today. :D</p>
<p>It sounds like everyone managed to survive the Thanksgiving break, all be it with a few tight moments getting to or at the airport. Winter breaks start in about 2 weeks with the last finals ending around the 21st.</p>
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<p>Yes, the preservatives give her migraines, and some “fats” give her day long stomach aches (e.g. she can’t eat commercial gravies). She also is a carnivore on a small campues that is 60% vegetarian or vegan. They stretch the animal proteins by chopping them up and putting sauces on them; never just simple roasted chicken or the equivalent. I must admit I admire her stick-to-itiveness in taking care of her meals (of course with her stubborness I am not surprised). </p>
<p>Your S is lucky re his food services. I am sure with a larger campus it would not be as big as a problem, but there is only one dining hall and early on D gave up on it. I really do hope meeting the new friend with food allergies (soy, gluten) will help her make the best use of what is available to her.</p>
<p>HI All
wow our thread was on the tail end of page 2…</p>
<p>Well I have been just getting started on the whole Christmas shopping thing…
Thankfully I have several items for Kiddo1 ordered.
Am working on Kiddo2… I asked for a list from kiddo2 and got a well prepared thoughtful list of a variety of items–with the links no less! 
DHs TBD</p>
<p>I am wondering about the MiL and my parents…
In years past I have done Omaha steaks, several versions of the Wine Country baskets, Frontier Soups baskets, Edible arrangements, restaurant gift cards, donations to charities…</p>
<p>MiL has everything she could need/want and doesn’t really cook big meals anymore…so we have tried various options for her…and still she will give it back to us. Maybe I should just send a case of vodka ! haha Seriously, I am stumped. I thought about something from Harry and Davids yet I don’t think she will eat it…</p>
<p>My parents–its hard because my parents do cook and may or may not make use of what we send…I do my best to consier what/how they eat and my mom’s needs. Have sent gift cards for a local restaurant one year as well. My mother a long time ago told me to send them consumable stuff since they have a housefull and don’t need things. My mom is battling late stage 4 cancer --I dont think they have used the gift cards for a nice restaurant in their town, nor the movie coupons they have long had. </p>
<p>Ideas? For parents/inlaws???</p>
<p>Everyone I know is getting jelly (HA!), but short of that kind of luck, I have given Kiva gifts. If you don’t know what Kiva is, basically funds at Kiva are loaned out to individuals and groups around the world, small loans in third world or developing countries - and paid back over some time (although sometimes people default and that’s a risk involved). It’s microfinance. So…it’s like a revolving gift that you loan, get paid back, reloan out to someone else… Kind of fun for those who have everything to go through the descriptions of what the loan requestor is wanting to do with the money (like buy a motorbike to start a taxi business or buy more piglets). BUT, the gift requires some action on the part of the recipient, they need to pick people to loan the gift out to and continue to re-loan once it gets paid back. If the person leaves the funds idle for I think 2 yrs, the funds go to Kiva’s operating budget.</p>
<p>I’ve been going to our local farmers’ markets & buying goodies to ship to family/in-laws. So smoked salmon, jams/jellies/other preserved fruit stuff. I’ve eaten most of the stuff, so I know it’s good, and it’s a way to support the small farms in our area. As an additional plus, most of the stuff is grown organically/sustainably.</p>
<p>AmandaK: LOVE that idea! I’m going to look into it for my inlaws. Might be too hands on for them, but I’m going to take a look. Thanks!</p>
<p>dizzycat, amandak, great ideas. For parents/inlaws we have given theater or symphony tickets (or gift certificate, depending on whether I wanted to alert them in advance and get a safe date or not)</p>
<p>For parents, my sibs and I get together and we give them a small fake tree (the kind you can get at CVS and it sits on a table) and tie gift cards and lottery tickets to it. Throughout the year my Mom will mention - Oh, we are going to lunch at so and so, we are using the gift card you gave us…one year they won $2K off the scratch tickets, other years $5…they have everything and travel frequently so sometimes we may give them on-board credits for an upcoming cruise that they are booked on or we will spring for a special excursion while they are on their trip.</p>
<p>Pepper - sorry for your family troubles; {{{hugs}}}</p>
<p>Kinderny - I hope your DD can resolve her food issues. It sounds like she may be onto something.</p>
<p>MomofBoston - I’m close to being done with my shopping also…doesn’t it feel good? I am usually still running around in mid- to late-December so am happy to have made a lot of progress this weekend. I"m down to a couple of online orders that I will complete this week and a few stocking stuffers. </p>
<p>Fog - I’ve struggled with gift ideas for my parents and MIL for years and have sent several of the things you named. I finally just decided to send them a VISA gift card since they all live on fixed incomes and I want them to spend the money in whatever way they want/need. One year, my parents bought themselves a decent sized flat screen TV but most years they just use the cards periodically for eating out, Barnes & Noble shopping sprees, etc. It felt impersonal to me but I finally made peace with the fact that I am too far away from any of them to really know what to buy them and this gift allows them the most freedom of choice.</p>
<p>We all made the decision years ago that as adults no need for gifts - so none to/from parents & us but Grandma still gifts the kids. Usually now it’s cash which is always useful. Asked DS what he’d like during Thanksgiving and he said, “Nothing.” Well…he really needs nothing given all that we did to stock him up for school including computer, iphone, and spending money. He does love ridiculous t-shirts so perhaps a few of those…</p>
<p>I totally love Christmas, but the shopping stresses me out to no end. I have 10 nieces and nephews on my side of the family, and 2 great nieces. My oldest niece is 30 and the youngest nephew is 17. D2 is the youngest of the bunch, and she is 15. I have 4 sisters, all are married, but 2 do not have children, so they insist on still buying presents for all of the kids. My married nieces do not expect gifts at all, but I still get them something. My sisters with kids have attempted every year to cut back on gifts for the kids, but we have not been able to.</p>
<p>One of my nephews is 26, attended 3 different colleges, never graduated, nor has he worked a day in his life aside from helping at his father’s business. He puts things on his list such as “Armani jacket, Hugo Boss jeans…” Sorry. I don’t spend $250 on a pair of jeans for myself, I certainly am not going to buy some for him. I will most likely just get gift cards to ITunes or a place for dinner, but even then they can be so picky!</p>
<p>My mother is easy. I can get her clothes or jewelry. Even though she is 88, she is still pretty styling!</p>
<p>My inlaws are an entirely different story. We have done the Entertainment books, gift cards to many different places, Harry and David several times, and the old stand by “Hickory Farms.” No matter what we get, they complain somehow. “You spent too much, the pears were soft, we don’t shop at Macy’s…” Every year for the past 26 years, they have written us a check for the same amount. One card, one check, no effort or thought at all. I will let my hubby deal with it this year.</p>