<p>D was just here for 10 days. Since we moved in June to a smaller place, she doesn’t really have a room of her own and had to sleep on an air mattress behind the couch. She left last Sunday for Chicago to spend time at an aunt’s house near Chicago (and to sleep in a real bed.) She will leave for Honduras from Chicago on Saturday. She will be there for a week with Tulane’s public health program to build latrines. She will go back to her aunt’s house on January 10, sleep there until the 12th, then drive herself 13 hours or so to New Orleans to start her spring semester on Jan. 13. </p>
<p>My head just whirls when she was here. Life just doesn’t slow down until she is gone.</p>
<p>I feel bad for my D - she returned to Nashville last night, a little sad about leaving her boyfriend behind, sad about leaving Texas, and her school is tough - now I see that it is going to be 7 degree high in Nashville on Tuesday! Yikes. Not exactly a warm welcome. 3 more semesters, I keep telling her. One thing that I think is sometimes forgotten in the crazy search/application race - the reality that top schools are very, very tough and demanding, and can be extremely stressful at times. I have been encouraging her to go to the career development office, get a coach there and take advantage of everything they have to offer. I think this might help her see the big picture a little more, and provide some motivation.</p>
<p>@bajamm - glad to see your D is taking advantage of Tulane’s programs. How does she like it there? My S1 is an alumni and now is a 3Y Law School student. S2 has been accepted EA and really wants to go - however Mean Mom is making him to apply to 2 other schools to compare FA programs. Our income has increased a bit since S1’s near full ride (combo of merit and need-based aid), which is good but the net price calculator for Tulane is showing too much loan component for my liking at present.</p>
<p>D really likes Tulane. She is a junior Spanish major and public health minor, also taking premed classes. She went on a semester auxillary campus as a sophomore and is thinking about doing a semester in Cuba next fall through another Tulane program. Tulane has very good merit aid (as you likely know!)</p>
<p>I had a smile and not moment today and I didn’t really feel like having it. How does one make these go away?</p>
<p>I was talking with my dad on the phone and he asked what medical schools D wants to apply to. I first told him that she has decided to take a gap year, then I told him a handful of schools that she had mentioned being interested in. None of the schools she really wants to go to are our instate public, though she will apply there as sort of a safety. I had the same sort of reaction from my dad as when D was in high school refusing to go to our instate school for undergrad. “Oh, our state and it’s schools isn’t good enough for her? Why not?” This from the man who taught all of his kids to be curious about the world and made us want to see more. So, I in turn taught that to my d.</p>
<p>Besides the fact that as a younger teen she had major lung issues. She finds it very difficult to impossible to breathe in the very cold Iowa winters. She needs to be where she can breathe.</p>
<p>I am getting tired of explaining this over and over and I am not sure how much longer I can be patient.</p>
<p>Ok, vent over. Regular programming is now resuming.</p>
<p>How about “her doctor says she should live somewhere warmer”. Sometimes parents can be dealt with via (possibly fake) appeal to medical authority. :)</p>
<p>Speaking of cold, D texted me that Vandy was closed today due to single digit temps! It was about 7 when we spoke, and she was about to layer up to go find food…</p>
<p>College girl is not happy that she has classes. We have record lows ( for GA), most schools are cancelled. She texted that it was 61 in their living room even though the thermostat was set at 69. Brrrrrrrr</p>
<p>And back they go, eh? My son left for Dublin early Monday evening for his Spring study abroad there. Unfortunately, his bag didn’t go with him. It’s been located at EWR and should go out this evening. He’s being a real grumpy pants about it too. Hopefully, the bag will come in tomorrow morning. </p>
<p>It’s extremely cold here too - 9 degrees right now, and that is supposed to be the high for the next two days. Schools were cancelled. </p>
<p>bajamm, sorry that you’ve been having difficult conversations with your Dad. My only suggestion is to say something like, “We talked about this before.” and than quickly change the conversation. </p>
<p>Took S back to Washington for his full second semester move-in as he was abroad first semester. Left snow and 3 F at home on Monday and arrived in Washington late Monday aftertnoon to 27 F and no snow but very windy. It got down into the single digits last night (warm by comparison to many midwest and northeast cities) but the Embassy Suites we stayed at was barely 60 in the lobby this morning as the large glass atrium roof was radiating the cold faster than the building could heat the space. It was rather odd to see the front desk staff and the kitchen/dining room staff wearing jackets and hoodies while working inside. :eek:</p>
<p>Move-in was successful and the drive home was clear with very little traffic on any of the roads in Maryland, PA or OH.</p>
<p>My car has so much salt spray and road crud on it from the trip to school on Monday you can’t even tell what color it is! :eek:</p>
<p>Took my D back to school for move in last weekend as she was abroad, also, fall semester. Glad it was ‘only’ 30 below v. the freeze rain they are predicted to get tonight/tomorrow. I prefer sunny cold driving. Like AvonHSDad, my car was pretty much a new color with all the road ‘stuff’ on it during the drives. Also found out when she smashed two fingers moving dorm furniture around that out of network deductible is a ‘sweet’ 300 buckeroos v. 75 dollars at home. Ah, well. At least she is settled, has survived the first week back, etcetera. :)</p>
<p>And all her teachers showed up for classes, cold or not, since they are supposed to be used to it/prepared for it. Told her she’s an ‘adult’ now, and isn’t some kid waiting for a school bus on the corner in the frigid wind chills.</p>
<p>D flew back yesterday. Texted this morning to say she woke up feeling sick. Keeping my fingers crossed that this is just a cold and the blahs rather than flu!</p>
<p>It was really nice having her home for a month. It’s going to be a crazy busy semester for her and she was partly looking forward to it, partly dreading it! She loved being home and “not stressed”!</p>
<p>Nice to catch up and see how well our kids are doing!</p>
<p>I have a HS Junior and I have returned to CC! Life for me as for many of us I am sure has been challenging for a while so I haven’t been able to check in here much-</p>
<p>I can’t believe these kids are in their third year! Or some have graduated-wow!</p>
<p>My son is on a 5 year program so he isn’t a junior he is called a middler-I think-although I may be wrong. He is doing very well-he started classes last week, is living off campus, and has gotten very involved with student government of all things-he continues to surprise us with the directions he is going in but he seems very happy-at least at the moment!</p>
<p>Pepper! Nice to see you here after a long time! Great that your S is doing well - hopefully, you haven’t needed the frying pan too many times :)</p>
<p>Welcome back Pepper. There are a few GC’s over on the Parents Class of 2014 thread that could use a healthy dose of that cast iron frying pan that we tried to wear out back in 2011! :D</p>
<p>The frying pan has been used sparingly but my wonderful daughter is going to be seeing it a lot I am afraid! </p>
<p>When he was home for break I must confess I wanted to use it on him more than once. This is the first visit home where I was sad when he was leaving but also realized he was better off going back as it was very clear this time home that his life isn’t here anymore-it’s in Boston right now. That makes me happy since he is so happy there-and I feel that in spite of all the struggles and challenges and things I wish I had done better over the years-that somehow he came through it in pretty good shape and has been able to make the separation and so have I.</p>
<p>I also want to put everyone in a time machine and go back 10-15 years. It’s a weird time of life this middle age.</p>
<p>I still have the frying pan-let me know if you need to borrow it!</p>
<p>I could use the frying pan for my S (class of 2016). He goes to a private boarding school and has decided that he doesn’t need to tell mom everything or even keep in touch regularly I guess it is something to do with being 15 and also being away…</p>
<p>D still keeps in touch regularly - usually texts at least once a day about something random! She raised the bar too high for S :)</p>
<p>Prayers please for our friend Pepper who lost her father a few days ago. She’s been such a good friend on this thread to all of us and I know she’d appreciate all your support (and I hope she doesn’t hit me with the frying pan for mentioning it here)</p>
Ah, well. At least she is settled, has survived the first week back, etcetera. :)</p>