<p>This is us with middle son. He enjoys sharing with us. I’m certainly not going to tell him not to at this point! I’m glad he loves sharing details with us. With oldest we barely hear from him. We talked with him yesterday for the first time since August. He’s still alive and well, just prefers being far more independent. Such is life. I’m glad middle son shares more personally. Granted, I doubt we know everything about his life, but he enjoys sharing about his classes, grades, job, and general dorm life. He calls us about once a week and e-mails once or twice during the week.</p>
<p>As for plane tickets - we bought those a couple of weeks ago. Right after we bought them the price dropped $45 (RT)… but it’s since gone up higher than what I paid. I’d quit looking, but I have it set up to e-mail me prices when they change.</p>
<p>2016BarnardMom - what Broadway show did your D go to? I hope she’s feeling better!</p>
<p>CPU - I’m glad there’s been some progress made with your living conditions. I hope you continue to feel better, and find some friends you really click with. :)</p>
<p>Had a great parents weekend visit with DDs on what had to be the most spectacular fall weather day. Sunny, comfortable, beautiful foliage. We skipped most of the formal program but went to lunch in the dining hall and went to many of the outdoor performances that went on all afternoon. Got to see D2 sing with both the musical theater group and her a cappella group. Took everyone out to dinner and went home. We also got to see an old college fried of DH whose daughter is at school with ours, and i ran into a childhood friend of mine whose daughter is the same year as D1. Small world!</p>
<p>We seem to now have a regular Sunday evening Skype session with S and I seem to have the regular Monday morning blues over it . It is what it is; he does not initiate contact, however he’s always very happy to hear from us. We leave Friday for Parents Weekend and he says he’s really looking forward to hearing from us. I’m trying to compose an email that initiates the conversation about just how much time we’re going to be spending together…</p>
<p>The airline gods were shining upon us when I was able to change S’ Wednesday-night-before-Thanksgiving flight (booked in June before he knew his class schedule) to the same flight on Monday evening of T’day week for the exact same price (the Wed flight is now listed at twice what it was in June; Southwest is happy to have that seat back I’m sure.) And no change fee! So he’ll be home for 5+ days and I am one happy mom.</p>
<p>As for winter break, poor guy has exactly one final and based on his class time, it’s slotted into the last day of exam week. Since it’s calculus and there are dozens of sections of the same class, I encouraged him to explore whether he’d be able to take it early with another section. Whatever the date, S’ quarter schedule will always have him flying home before the dreaded Dec 15 date when all airfares go sky high for the holiday season. Needless to say, I’d still love to get the booking done sooner than later.</p>
<p>I’m enjoying all the Parents Weekend/Fall Break reports and especially reports of happy kids. </p>
<p>CPU, wishing you a good outcome and soon! Yeah “even” Harvard kids can be a-holes…</p>
<p>Does anyone have a good Chicago restaurant recommendation, preferably in the South or West Loop? TIA…</p>
<p>Thanksgiving tickets and Dec/Jan tickets are both booked. Of course, the day after I booked the Dec/Jan tickets, my daughter told me she “might” need to go back earlier in January. Still waiting to see what happens with that, but thank goodness for Southwest and no change fees.</p>
<p>Mutti - when I went out for parent’s weekend we had tickets for the comedian Friday night, keynote speaker Saturday morning, and I made reservations for a long dinner Saturday night. I just told them that the rest of the time should do whatever or we could hang out together. One had homework and so my freshman and I hung out together all afternoon just the two of us. I thought that carving out some scheduled visit time and leaving the rest to play by ear was a good approach. :)</p>
<p>Pinot, UChicago atually has a relative dearth of Parent Weekend activities. No big performance Friday or Saturday evenings, which is fine though it would be nice to perhaps have student theater or musical or other performance, especially since the school just unveiled their major new arts center earlier this month. And no keynote speaker either though they do offer “sample classes” which are really lectures by interesting professors, something my S and I really enjoyed at Admitted Students Day. They do have a homecoming party and football game on Saturday afternoon. Maybe past experience showed that parents and students scatter into downtown Chicago to see the sights, so on-campus activities are minimal. Personally, I would prefer to immerse myself in campus life and get a sense of S’ new world, even without him, but maybe that’s just me.</p>
<p>Edited to add: maybe more events will be posted once we get to campus. The above is gleaned from the official on-line website for the weekend.</p>
<p>Having some sporadic Internet issues lately. I joined (or rejoined) weight watchers this morning, ready or not. With the nest now empty I need to start working on myself again. I put on ten pounds in the past year and hope it doesn’t take me too long to get it off again. Only issue, we are going to family weekend on Friday and will be eating out all weekend. I am better at maintaining a diet when I have had more time invested. We will see how I do. </p>
<p>Haven’t heard from DS in A few days but resisting the urge to text since we will see him on Friday.</p>
<p>PinotNoir- She saw Peter and the Starcatcher and loved it. </p>
<p>Yesterday, she called twice and kept texting because she couldn’t decide whether to go on a campaign trip with the Columbia University Democrats over the 4 day (election day) weekend. I wouldn’t tell her what she should do because it is up to her! I pointed out pros and cons but wouldn’t give her answer. I think that was making her crazy. She wanted me to just tell her. She would be taking a bus to Ohio to help with the Obama campaign there. I told her to let me know what she decided (after the mandatory meeting for the trip) and never heard back…lol. Figures! Kids!</p>
<p>I bought airline tickets a couple of weeks ago. I was very happy with the price, route and airline we were able to get. DS will be home for Thanksgiving (gets a week off) and then winter break. I didn’t go out for Parents Weekend. He has a fall break at the end of this week but is not coming home. Instead, his older sister planned her vacation back east around his fall break. She is in NYC visiting friends, will take the train to New Haven and spend a night there and then they will return to the city for a few days together. I told her to take a lot of photos.</p>
<p>I still don’t know whether D will want to bring her cello home with her at Christmastime. The cello doesn’t fly easily, so if she wants it at home either she’ll need to arrange a carpool or else I’ll drive up and fetch her. The drive takes ~7 hours each direction, but I’d take the opportunity to stop in on my mom on the way. Without the cello, it’s quicker and easier to fly. Yay Southwest! </p>
<p>I need to remember to discuss this with D when I visit this weekend. (Oh happy happy happy!)</p>
<p>My kids all applied for absentee ballots. They are their fathers children. He is, by nature and by his profession, passionate about the economy and the state of the nation. His children are are well informed and passionate as well. I however, would like to fast forward past the election so that everyone will stop calling us all day and friends will find something else to discuss! </p>
<p>I have been stalking Delta airlines for dec./jan. tickets home and am ready to purchase but need the thumbs up from DS. How long will it take him to pack after his last final exam? The flights leave every 1.5-2 hours but the change fees are exorbitant.</p>
<p>I have been using the debates as an excuse to text S as well . Last night I texted around 10 PM but he didn’t respond until long after I was asleep. Which is why I keep the cell phone charger next to my bed .</p>
<p>One of the few calls S has initiated was last week when he called me and asked me to put DH on speaker as well. Once we did that (and we were very intrigued!) he said “I just voted for the first time.” You can imagine how touched and delighted we were that he shared that milestone with us.</p>
<p>2016BarnardMom: Peter and the Starcatcher is on my must-see list! It’s so great that your D is taking advantage of the city though I speak from experience when I say it can be VERY distracting from ones studies.</p>
<p>Mihcal: I do so love Southwest (if one can love an airline.)</p>
<p>Another cheer for our voting kids! We notarized S’s absentee ballot this weekend and after a bit of nagging sent me a note last night saying he had mailed the ballot. I congratulated him on exercising his most important right/privilege of being an adult. </p>
<p>We had a lovely time at Parent’s weekend. It was fun to see S more comfortable in his environment and he seems to be enjoying his classes. I appreciated a discussion with the dean of his college and other administrators that made me feel like they were on the right path to prepare these students for the changing world that we’re facing.</p>
<p>My S voted absentee. I never have and he did this all on his own. One question though since I haven’t seen the absentee ballot. Does it need to be notarized? If so-not sure that he did that and I hate to ask him about it and lead him to believe that his vote may not count.</p>
<p>I imagine it varies by state. For our state (MN) he either needed to have it signed by another eligible voter from his state or he could have it officially notarized.</p>
<p>DS voted absentee. He didn’t register in time for the primary so this was his first experience. After he voted he realized that he should have voted Yes for the judges. Oh well.</p>
<p>High five to all the voting kids indeed, regardless of battleground state or not. It’s hard to believe this is the first presidential election for most college students, not just our freshmen.</p>
. It is what it is; he does not initiate contact, however he’s always very happy to hear from us. We leave Friday for Parents Weekend and he says he’s really looking forward to hearing from us. I’m trying to compose an email that initiates the conversation about just how much time we’re going to be spending together…</p>
. Last night I texted around 10 PM but he didn’t respond until long after I was asleep. Which is why I keep the cell phone charger next to my bed