<p>Probably the case, chemusic. I can totally see my S eating the same all you can eat breakfast with great glee. Happy that his dorm is off campus so that he has a good walk in there every day.</p>
<p>I saw this story this morning and thought some here would enjoy it: [An</a> Empty Nest Brings New Context To Old Voicemails : NPR](<a href=“An Empty Nest Brings New Context To Old Voicemails : NPR”>An Empty Nest Brings New Context To Old Voicemails : NPR)</p>
<p>Thanks for the link Suzy100. Very nice story. Reminds me of something similar. I work in a museum, and when my two children were about 9 and 11, they recorded a children’s audio tour. I periodically have to check that the tour is working, and when I hear those little voices, it amazes me. Completely different from their voices now (ages 18 and 20) but yet so familiar. Also, I found a note in my bureau yesterday from my D, asking the “tooth fairey” if she could keep her lost tooth. Said it meant a lot to her. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry - probably my original reaction, too.</p>
<p>I wish that “all you can eat” would appeal to my son. He has never been much of an eater, not even during his growth spurt! One of my many concerns with him being away is that he won’t eat and then will get ill as a result. He thinks nothing of eating one meal a day. I am hoping that the social aspect of the big dining hall will encourage his appetite. He needs to gain a minimum of 10 lbs (for him to not look so emancipated to me). His doctor had a talk with him a few weeks ago about making sure that he remembers to eat so that he doesn’t get sick this year.</p>
<p>I cannot understand a person who forgets to eat. I have never, ever, forgotten a meal!!!</p>
<p>Totally with you Seiclan! I’m the same way (as you!) as is my son (as yours). And unfortunately he has a mandatory 19 meal plan that I’m going to come out way behind on. He’s definitely not someone you ever take to a brunch or all-you-can-eat meal since he’s fine with going through a line, getting toast and a strip or two of bacon then wondering why I get frustrated with him and whine at him to go get more food! He would happily subsist on poptarts and cereal, and still may, which is particularly annoying since I’m paying so much for the meal plan. And he’s also the 6’2 and 145 pounds type so not eating doesn’t go that well. Actually I don’t think he’d forget to eat but “healthy” (meaning not poptarts) would be unlikely. I think he’ll end up going to meals whenever he’s in the building for them but will think nothing of going down and getting a donut and taking it back and calling that breakfast. Meanwhile I’m like “look, made-to-order omelets and Belgian Waffles” and he’s rolling his eyes! I’m probably the most jealous of that part of the whole college experience - the elaborate dining halls they have with so many choices. Although I already have beyond the Freshman 15 and I’m sure would triple that if I had all that available to me! ;)</p>
<p>I hear you ladies. S is also 6’3" and a twig.</p>
<p>One important thing that came out of my lunch with him yesterday…I asked him if he’d gotten the local coffee shop gift card I sent him the first week of school (no, he doesn’t check his mailbox…). But he said he would because he’d love to have that for breakfast since he’s “been skipping it because he didn’t want to ‘waste a swipe’ on just coffee and a light snack at breakfast”.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”, I asked.</p>
<p>Turns out he thought he only had 2 meals a day on his plan and wanted them to be lunch and dinner when he’s hungrier. </p>
<p>I assumed he knew…ALL residential freshman at his school are required to be on the highest level “225” plan, they all have 3 meals a day provided. After this year they can go to a lower one if they like. I KNOW we discussed it because I found out at summer orientation that if he does skip a meal during the day, he can use a swipe until midnight at the campus sandwich/burger cafe that’s open late. We discussed this but somehow he heard that as “I only have 2 swipes a day” rather than what I said which was “if you only use 2 swipes during the day you can use a third one late at night”.</p>
<p>Sheesh…boys.</p>
<p>S2 has always been the one to eat his vegetables first and he would not complain - he is almost 6ft and about 155 lbs (tall and thin) - maybe he is having another growth spurt. S1 grew almost 2 inches his first year of college. Maybe all that cereal I fed them during their first 18 years stunted their growth! More Mom guilt…</p>
<p>He hasn’t contacted me so I guess he is feeling better…</p>
<p>First upsetting phone call after a string of happy days. DS missed a seminar. He got confused about the time. He was sure he knew when it was and he was wrong. This is something he used to do as a child – switch information in his head on occasion. He’s the the absent-minded professor type. By high school it seemed to be a thing of a past, but I am not surprised at all that this would happen when everything is new and overwhelming. He was very, very upset. I told him to email the professor and apologize and talk to fellow students to get caught up. But he’s really upset that he missed something he was looking forward to and he’s always very hard on himself when he makes a mistake. It’s never been easy to offer solace when he’s in that place – he just doesn’t want it then. Much harder to be 3,000 miles away and not be able to make it better.</p>
<p>Tall and skinny - When S was a freshman, he was 6’3" and wrestled in the under 161 class. Very unusual build for a wrestler! You could tell it really threw opponents - they just weren’t used to what he could do with leverage, and how far his reach went. He had one move that he did that involved kind of climbing onto the opponent, wrapping his long limbs around them in some twisted way I never did figure out, and immobilizing them and slowly wearing them down. I could never shake the vision in my head of a big preying mantis attacking an unsuspecting insect and devouring it. :eek:</p>
<p>mimk6 - sorry to hear about the missed seminar. You and I know it’s not the end of the world, but I can imagine exactly how he’s feeling!</p>
<p>(((hugs))) mimk6 So hard when you aren’t right there to help make it better.</p>
<p>Wife texted D last night around 11 and got the surprising news that D and her 3 roommates had already gone to bed, wanting to be well rested for their first college classes ever. Or maybe just to have the day come sooner.</p>
<p>Thanks for any suggestion… my D is turning 18, how can we make this special when she is so far away at college – nothing for the dorm (that’s all done!), can’t deliver a cake to her room either, jewelry is difficult (no valuables in dorm) – anyway, we just don’t know!! Thanks parents for your ideas, please reply privately if you wish ;);)</p>
<p>I found a local bakery to deliver cupcakes to D’s dorm. They are hand delivered so I know they will get there, and they have a stellar reputation so I’m happy. The bookstore on campus also has a service where they deliver balloons or other things to dorms for special occasions-- maybe your D’s school has something similar?</p>
<p>I ordered the birthday box from Divine Delights. It was a hit. You just need to know the address where UPS deliveries are made.</p>
<p>I have sent gift cards for places like Buca de Beppo, Maggiano’s, or Cheesecake Factory so that my sons could take a group out on me to celebrate his birthday.</p>
<p>I once also sent a singing telegram but it was really hard to set up.</p>
<p>Re “special” birthday . . . I just send a card with a note from mom & dad AND SOME MONEY! ;)</p>
<p>Just got off the phone with DS. He actually called to chat! I am floating on cloud nine ( or cloud gin and tonic since DH and I were having empty nest happy hour when he called).
He sounded wonderful. First wonderful call (others were all help me with class scheduling issues) and he seems to be getting in the swing of things. He does claim to be eating and says he looks better ( he was really too thin last week at launch). He is exercising and meeting new people. He is enjoying the company of the manyinternational students in his dorm, for some reason there are quite a few. He likes his classes so far…even the one that is outside his comfort zone. </p>
<p>“A mother is only as happy as her least happy child.”</p>
<p>Life is good.</p>
<p>I put a like on seiclan’s quote.</p>
<p>I am wondering about the “college kid” brithday as well. S will be 19 at the end of the month. Want to so something special but have no idea. He just got around to spending some of his graduation $ so that wiped a few things off the list.</p>
<p>I am putting a like aon seiclan’s other quote, “empty nest happy hour.” I think I will teach H that one!</p>
<p>My S is also lean (just under 6’ and 153 lbs) so he can gain a little weight, but I hope he doesn’t go too crazy in just his first semester.</p>
<p>Now off to start ENHH.</p>