<p>Good luck to the last to launch, I bet it has been hard on you and your launchees!
As for bike riding, S is also at a school with a lot of bikers, he has used his skateboard instead (well, he calls it a long board) and that has worked out well so far. However, he was there for a freshman summer program and most of the students weren’t there, we’ll see how it goes when the campus is really rocking.</p>
<p>Chicago classes start on Oct 1 but orientation starts Sunday. Good luck to all who are en route!</p>
<p>amtc – Thanks. I’ve heard a little apprehension, but overall, I’d say he looks like he’s “in his element” here.</p>
<p>kathieh1 – Wildcat welcome seems to be going well for S. Only one text, “when are you leaving,” and I think that was to make sure I didn’t forget to pick up his trumpet from the shop. 
I’m not really one for parent orientation activities, so I don’t have much to report except to say that I was crushed to discover Lou Malnati’s isn’t open for lunch M-Th. Move-in ran, as advertised, like a well-oiled machine.</p>
<p>Mom2jl – My S didn’t learn to ride a bike when he was younger, either. No motivation. One of his “host brothers” from a trip to Germany this summer taught him, I got him a bike when he got home, and he’s been riding since; so, there’s hope. From what we saw yesterday, his will be the most securely locked, too. I think he was afraid someone would poke fun at him. I asked him, “what are you going to say to a guy wearing a four-foot Kryptonite ‘New York Noose’ bandolier-style?” He had to laugh.</p>
<p>Not looking forward to the solo drive home. Not so much because of the “solo” part, but because of the monotony.</p>
<p>Wow. Just U of Chicago to go and we’re done! What a wild six or so weeks it’s been.</p>
<p>So now we wait while grades pour in, then the holidays when they begin to come home!</p>
<p>Already DS has had a classmate drop out of school and two of his hs classmates are planning to return home to attend college closer to home. We have had several break ups and even a few get back together. Drama does not seem to have slowed down among his high school set. </p>
<p>I have been helping several young ladies through sorority recruitments,so I still feel useful to DS friends. Now that it is slowing down I need another hobby.</p>
<p>SteveC - a good bike lock at NU is always helpful! Although my daughter “lost” her bike for about 4 months and decided it must have been stolen so she went and bought a new one. Two weeks later she found it right where she left it last. I think some sort of remote locator would be very helpful for her as she is often losing her bicycle. She’s a senior and uses her bike a lot.</p>
<p>MizzBee - I have a few new hobbies - mah jongg (don’t laugh!). I love it and it keeps my brain working and many of the women I play with I hardly knew before and I absolutely love them. I also just joined a knitting group and put together a book group. I am starting my piano lessons again next month and my walking partner just got back from 2 years in China so I’ll be walking much more regularly starting next week. </p>
<p>Try something new, strain your brain, you’ll be happy you did!</p>
<p>Hi, I’ve been following the thread and everyone’s launch. DS actually started early at UChicago, on September 12th as he’s varsity. We are missing him but he seems to be having a blast. Orientation starting Sunday and the last placement tests and class registration. He has corresponded steadily but not copiously!</p>
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</p>
<p>… if they deign to tell us. :o</p>
<p>amtc - we love MahJongg! Hubby is probably one of the few males who play. All of our boys also know and play with us. But I digress…</p>
<p>I’m hopeful to hear from middle son today. He was very busy this past week and I’m hoping he adjusted well to THAT schedule. (You know, studying… combined with work and fun.)</p>
<p>Youngest has adjusted to being here as an only child. He’s getting very involved in school now. Before he mostly lived in his brothers shadows tagging along with them. Now he’s forging his own. It’s nice to see.</p>
<p>Oh, and I reported the spam in the previous post (if you don’t see it, hopefully it was erased - not mihcal’s post!). It’s really annoying to see the same spam over and over again. I suppose someone expects us to be wowed by it if they place it on practically every thread. They really misunderstand the human brain! Normally I ignore one or two spam posts, but that one I’ve now seen way too many multiple times - hence - the report.</p>
<p>I reported the spam too (on another thread, before I headed over here and saw Creek’s post). Grrr, the jerk posted in over 70 threads almost simultaneously, I hope no one fell for it.<br>
S has gone back to school after the break between summer and fall quarter. Did great on his grades and now has enough credits between summer school and APs to be considered a second year, yippee!<br>
If you have a meat-eater, that was what he wanted the most, he said steak was non-existent in the eating areas. He also had a hankering for fresh seafood, just a heads up for those awaiting that first visit home from a firstborn!
His visit was very nice, he spent a lot of time with family, especially his little sisters and also found time to hang out with friends. I had a hard time going to bed while he was still out on the town in my car, but finally managed to fall asleep. I have to admit I snuck and checked on him around 2am when I woke up and was glad to see that he was home!</p>
<p>I also reported it, but I see it is still there. Do people actually fall for that stuff?</p>
<p>Still on vacation here, I’m a little sunburn so I’m chilling here a few before heading out with my 70 SPF </p>
<p>I’ve never played mah Jong but i could use a new hobby, is it anything like bunco? </p>
<p>Tomorrow we check in with son. I’m having a really hard time figuring out how he’s doing. I know he isn’t homesick, but I don’t know how involved he is at school either. My main concern for now is that if he doesn’t feel engaged in a class he tends to not do well. He’s disappointed at the lack of student participation in some of his classes. He’s a real engaged learner and he said some classes he’s the only one talking. As far as socially, he doesn’t drink or like parties and it seems he may not yet figured out what to do with himself on the weekends. I’ll attempt to get more tidbits tomorrow. Hell be home in less than two weeks and it sounds like he’s trying to get together with friends who went to local schools. I just hope we end up seeing him some!</p>
<p>Hello. I am new here. Sorry for the late start. We have a D’12 oficially launching tomorrow, (UChicago). We are excited for her and everyone who has made the transition this Fall. Best wishes to you and your children.</p>
<p>Nice to meet you, momsthebest! Congratulations to your D. I think part two of this journey is going to be as interesting and nearly as fraught as part 1. </p>
<p>D had her first real bout of homesickness yesterday–she has a cold and suddenly had to add another class (one that doesn’t particularly interest her) because of a registration snafu. So she’s anxious, sick, cross-eyed with work and wants to sleep in her own bed. I can’t blame her! But she does seem to be making her way bravely through. She’s soooo happy to be among others who are as serious about theater as she is, and that makes up for a lot. </p>
<p>It’s so interesting to know what everyone else is doing-- students and parents!</p>
<p>I ended up missing middle son’s call today. We were out with a potential pony buyer (we raise and sell ponies in my “other” life outside of school). I’ll admit to being bummed. He did say he’d call back tomorrow though (busy today). The good thing is the buyer lives near Rochester and would want the pony delivered there… great timing for a visit next month, but we’ll definitely have to park the trailer before heading to campus!</p>
<p>eyemamom - I’ll have to ask my guy how his classes are. He loves discussion and the like too. Last I heard he loved Chem and his BCS class, thought Bio was ok (not sure about the prof) and was bored in Calc (he probably should have skipped at least Calc 1, but with pre-med and it being freshman year we were thinking an easy class would be good). BUT, I haven’t heard about classes in over a week except to hear that the Bio test was “easier than I expected.” Otherwise, I don’t know what bunco is, so can’t compare the two games. Mahjongg (the 4 player game) has tiles and you are trying to make a hand from a pre-set group on cards (cards change annually).</p>
<p>Word - thanks for the tidbit about the steak…</p>
<p>Momsthebest - welcome - and happy launch!</p>
<p>Gwen - hope your D feels better soon…</p>
<p>I can’t help but wonder how things are going with General Mom.</p>
<p>Oh Creekland, I know how that feels … I hate missing a call from a kid because the next one may or may not come for a while!</p>
<p>We went to Parent/Family weekend at my son’s school this weekend. We didn’t see him until Saturday, and we tried not to get to his dorm too early, but it was still too early for a college boy. He answered the main dorm door in a t-shirt and boxers but seemed happy to see us. When he hugged me he seemed so tall! We brought him a few things that he needed (tea, a few snacks, a rug for his room, clothespins so he can hang his jeans to dry, and late arriving graduation present from an old babysitter).</p>
<p>He was still recovering from a cold, so he wanted to wake up slowly sipping hot tea while chatting with us in his residence hall front room. How nice to just sit and catch up with my boy … he sounded so calm, sophisticated and gentle. I was worried I would cry when I saw him, but that feeling did not overtake me … instead I was listening to anything he wanted to share because I wanted to understand his new life.</p>
<p>He showed us his campus, we met and talked with his 2 first year program professors for an hour, and had lunch with him. As he ran into friends here and there, a few of them mentioned a bio test on Monday and my son finally confessed that if we weren’t there he would be studying for that. We finally suggested to him that we didn’t have to stay for dinner if he really wanted to get started on studying and he seemed very relieved. We wrapped up our visit by 4:30pm and he seemed happy to get his day back … I mean, 6 hours with your parents is a lot after you’ve been gone for a month.</p>
<p>Neither my H or I was sad driving back home … I was happy to have seen him, so proud of how he was adapting to the new college workload, and relieved to see that he had a few groups on campus that knew him well. I think he’s still learning how to study for college level courses, but I’m confident that he will get there.</p>
<p>Sadly, based on on the stuff he wants to do on campus, I may not see him again until Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Snowflake, that sounds like a wonderful visit! My S seemed taller and more grown up, too, after only six weeks. No see until Thanksgiving for me, either, the longest I have ever gone. H is going for Parent’s Weekend, so he will see S in about a month.<br>
Creekland, your “other job” sounds so cool! Raising ponies must be very challenging and fun. I got a mental image of you showing up on campus with the trailer, very Beverly Hillbilly-ish. I’d be tempted just for the potentially funny/embarrassing factor to my kid, but I probably would restrain myself.
(((Gwen))) It is so hard when they struggle! I hope your D is feeling better soon.
Eyemamom, how did the visit go?<br>
Welcome momsthebest, I hope your launch went well. Is this your first? Any more in the pipeline? I have a HS sophomore and a preschooler, so I’ll be here for a while…</p>
<p>Snowflake that sounds just perfect. Great that you got to really talk to the professors too! Creekland and WordWorld, I won’t get to see D until Thanksgiving either-- she won’t be available at all over Parents Weekend so there’s no point in going. She really wanted to stay close to home for school, rejected options that were further away, but she might as well be on another continent for all we see her! She’s getting over the cold, and thrilled with everything about the people and the work so I can’t complain too loudly. </p>
<p>Wordworld, you have a preschooler!!? I guess you will be here for a while. I envy you! (though I’d be dead of exhaustion, I’m afraid!)</p>
<p>Creek,</p>
<p>Bunco is <em>so</em> much fun! I played it once or twice with our youth group at church. If I recall correctly, it’s a dice rolling game played at large gatherings. </p>
<p>Word,</p>
<p>I don’t have a preschool but I do have a 7 year old. We’re in it for a while, too. :-)</p>
<p>Don’t forget that someone in this group is also pregnant right now. Okay, so apparently I’ve already forgotten who. (obviously it’s not me!)</p>
<p>Hi everyone! I am new but have been lurking since around April of last year. You all have been so helpful and brave to share all of your experiences and I truly appreciate it! My husband and I are empty nesters now that we have launched S2 on August 20, 2012. S2 is now an official freshman at Univ of Pittsburgh. The good thing is that we know and love the school already because S1 is a junior there btw would someone add us to the list because I am very new to forums outside of my online classes? Thanks you!</p>