<p>DS (Univ. at Buffalo) texted me last night and asked if I would bring his passport next time I’m in his neighborhood. I asked him if he was planning to flee the country. He texted back “Yeah im gonna start a meth lab so its good to have in case things get tricky”</p>
<p>Funny right? I told my nieces and they informed me that he’s going to Canada to the girlie clubs-the age is 18 there. Yikes!</p>
<p>We were in pretty much daily contact through texting but things are now slowing down to every other day, which is fine. We are all getting busy. </p>
<p>He’s been asked to play in a trumpet quartet with the trumpet professor and he joined SEDS- Students for the exploration and Discovery of Space. He’s also starting NASA satellite research, not sure exactly what. That on top of band and orchestra and his regular coursework is a lot, I think. </p>
<p>He did get to skip out if having to take any English and is taking 2nd year physics and calc. That must give him a little extra room in his schedule. </p>
<p>Don’t you all just wish you could be a fly on the wall so you could see with your own yes that things are going well?</p>
<p>Oraco, you should order your DS a passport card rather than sending him the passport. It is easier for him to keep in his wallet. (Also remind him not to keep his laptop in his “lab” in case it blows up. Also, that way if discovered, the hazmat crew won’t confiscate his computer as well.) :D</p>
<p>I’ve been in Radio Blackout for the last week for both DS and DD. Gender doesn’t make a difference in my case. Grr.</p>
<p>When I first posted here almost two weeks ago, I was surprised that I hadn’t really cried over D leaving. The tears started two days later and didn’t let up for over a week. This is really hard! I really relate to Carla because I, too, am left with sons who don’t want to do things with me the way D did. It feels very lonely in this house! </p>
<p>D is struggling to make friends although she is very close with one of her roommates. Her boyfriend of almost a year, who goes to a college 15 minutes away from hers, has virtually stopped communicating with her which has been really hard! I think this is part of the reason for my sadness as I suspect a breakup is on the horizon. D will be devastated!</p>
<p>On the bright side, D was able to straighten out her seriously messed up schedule. She really didn’t like the first frat party she attended and has decided that frat parties are not her thing. She was accepted into to three singing groups and will be trying out for a part in this semester’s musical. I’m sure that she’ll be making friends in no time!</p>
<p>EastGrad – Although I do enjoy the finer things in life, my name is a not-so-subtle attempt to get CC members to support the floral industry! H is a florist. ;)</p>
<p>YDS, how did the club interviews go? My ds was doing that this weekend, too. He said it was extremely selective and he wasn’t feeling very confident. I’m glad that he has found a few other organizations that aren’t as difficult to join that seem like a good fit.</p>
<p>Oh…so wonderful to log on and feel normal again among all my virtual friends…thought I was doing well and then this weekend have felt awful…two “dump” phone calls that thru me into problem solve, knee jerk reaction mode (i bit my tongue until it bled though and just listened) and one who isn’t communicating at all…not sure which is worse!
SO, I hung up from both calls sad and concerned and my DH reacted, in my opinion in a less than terrific way, telling me “stop it…they got there and they will be fine”
I KNOW they will be better than fine…I just wanted some support about how hard it is on this end and share some of the feelings that I was having that I, of course, didnt share with them while I was supporting, cheerleading etc…sigh!
So…thank you!!! I am among those who understand!!
I think my reactions to everything are heightened by hormones…how’s this for timing…first hot flashes and insomnia have begun in the past two months and are in full force this week…and, we officially have gotten to the point where it is the longest I have gone without seeing them (until now it was when they went to Europe with my parents)
I miss them this weekend dreadfully!!</p>
<p>Triplet, hang in there. Today, ds1 left for his senior year, so it’s my first day with a real empty nest. I think ds2 is worried about me. He texted today, “How was your first day of freedom?” This is the third time he’s asked about me and what I will do now that they’re both in school. I think it’s sweet. Thankfully, dh is wise enough to give me a wide berth. If he tried to manage my feelings, I’d belt him!</p>
<p>Thankfully, I have a great support system. Last night, a group of us moms got together to tell our goodbye stories. We’ve been getting together for more than a year for regular happy hours. There was a gamut of reactions … some bawled and are still bawling. Two didn’t cry at all, but both of their kids are within 30 minutes! I feel really close to some of their kids, so I’m glad to hear that they are doing so well. So far, no one has had any real trouble adjusting. Hope it stays that way. After that, I went to the HS football game and saw a lot of 2013 parents with younger ones still at the school. All their kids are doing well, too. A couple with kids going to the West Coast still haven’t started school yet!</p>
<p>Very excited about our flight to Evanston tomorrow to meet D1 for the move-in. She’s been hiking Lake Superior for a week (an 83-mile trek!) and the whole campus will likely reek of unwashed (but hopefully happy) hikers. </p>
<p>As I still haven’t seen NU myself and already miss my daughter badly, I CAN’T WAIT!!!</p>
<p>PBF: I love freesia! Sending you a big hug and wafting some freesia-aroma your way. Let’s waft some towards tougis’ hikers too!</p>
<p>3-T: I’m right with you on the emotion/hormone thing. Even when one of our multiples calls, then we always have another to worry about. When they don’t communicate, part of me is screaming “Is it spiraling out of control?” while the rational part is assuring myself “They are just busy and contacting parents is the last thing on their mind.” </p>
<p>So I just clean. And clean. And clean. Got to the laundry area now. Had a box piled high with things that needed a bit of glue, clothing to repair, etc. The toys that needed a little fix…into the trash they go. Clothing is too small now. Never had time, and now it is too late…some toys by about ten years. </p>
<p>Hey, YDS, how did you do the ? </p>
<p>Post script: Oh, copy and paste worked. Are there more of these symbols other than the smileys?</p>
<p>The is the only one I know. It’s made by pushing alt and the number 3 on the keypad on the right of the keyboard.</p>
<p>I wish we had a Facebook group for those of us still posting on here. I know there was one created early on, but it seems most of those people have left and I hear it’s no longer open. Oh, well …</p>
<p>I don’t know if the FB group is still active since I didn’t have time to join. You could PM Walker to see. I think Cara may have been in it too, but not sure. Perhaps they are just having too much fun in the basement… and probably not cleaning. :D</p>
<p>I know someone who is in it and she said awhile ago that it was now closed. But I feel closer to those of you still around rather than those who haven’t post in months, kwim?</p>
<p>I, too, cleaned all day today. Finally got into dd’s room and deep cleaned! I feel bad for those getting the “dumping” calls. I am waiting for my first one!</p>
<p>DH and I are dealing with DSb and his lack of communication much differently. I guess I would make the better astronaut because the black out is really killing DH. </p>
<p>I am convinced that I am the only mom on CC who is sending her kid to college with his dirty clothes bag full of dirty clothes!!! Our washing machine decided to die YESTERDAY and we are three days away from launching DSa. We did manage to go and buy a new washing machine and dryer, but they won’t be delivered until after we return home. I’m pretty excited to finally get a fancy new energy-efficient set in bright red! Not really sure why I need them now that both kids are gone, but at least they will look nice. I guess they will last much longer since they won’t be used nearly as much as the old ones!</p>
<p>I am jealous of those of you who have friends in real life who are at the same stage and you can get together. We only moved here four years ago, so once the kids are in hs, you never really get the chance to meet parents. I am eternally grateful to have all my cc friends. Thank you for being there this past year and sharing the ups and down of this process.</p>
<p>I’m not really into the ultra cleaning, but I did buy an expensive, fancy new iron and I have been ironing everything in sight! I should have made the investment years ago but I guess I just never got around to it. </p>
<p>Good luck to the last few of you launching this coming week. I think this one will be a little easier for me. At least he is 18 and I was expecting this one this year.</p>
<p>Checking in. S3 snapchatted me a picture of him in a banana suit. I think it has something to do with the fraternity. </p>
<p>I have gotten sad, and I miss him terribly but no real tears yet. He is my third so maybe I am used to it. I have not started cleaning yet, S2 doesn’t leave til Thursday. But I have developed a strange addiction to Modge Podge. I made photo cubes for each of the kids on some wood blocks. Then I made two for myself. Today I Modge Podged scrapbook paper onto wood letters to spell “math” for my math-teacher daughter’s classroom. And now I am working on a letter for her bedroom covered with photos.</p>
<p>I am, as usual, the world’s worst parent. My husband wept when we left our son at college. He has, in many ways, lost the company of his best friend. I, on the other hand, am really enjoying the empty nest. I didn’t lose my best friend; I lost the guy I had to drive everywhere (we only have one car). The newfound sense of freedom is practically dizzying. I suddenly have time to cook, read, watch movies…and life at work has become much less stressful. Not gloating – I hope that everyone experiencing the other side of the empty nest comes to share some of this experience. And I expect that I’ll stumble upon some of those feelings of loss at some point, right?</p>
<p>I’m not particularly sad about the empty nest either. I’m sure it’s because we’re in a new place that holds no memories of the kids. But I am a little surprised and disappointed at how rarely they communicate with us now that we’re overseas. D1 used to text all the time and she still does text more than S2 (using Viber) but it seems much less than previous years. I think some of that is because she’s a senior and very busy. Plus, she has never really lived at home since she left freshman year. She’s worked away from home every summer. I guess she’s really an adult now - although she did text me and send a picture of her new pierced ears! She’s been a chicken until now. </p>
<p>S2? Nothing. He dutifully called last Sunday. And we will try to get him to call today. But, really he’s kind of an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of kid. With him, no news is good news, I suppose.</p>
<p>I’m keeping myself pretty busy with projects. While redoing a brick walkway, I missed a call from D. The voice message was full of excitement because she saw someone famous at dinner last night. Even though I didn’t get to speak to her I really enjoyed the phone call. At least I have a piece of information directly from her before someone else informs me of news from Facebook.</p>
<p>Weekends are hardest for me - very little info/communication. DD’s team had “bonding” activities yesterday, so some cute photos went up on FB (proof of life. yay.). I don’t expect phone calls and texts on weekends, since that means she is engaged and having fun. But that’s definitely the part of her life that I now know the least about. Is it ok to ask about the parties, etc? I’m scared to intrude.</p>
<p>I dreamt about her all night. I woke up so confused.</p>
<p>I’d like to get the cleaning bug, but I joined so many new activities I don’t have time haha. actually the project I was saving for this year is doing something with all the photos. I basically gave up when my third kid was born and have 13 years of photos on digital and in shoe boxes. I don’t know how to blend the two formats. </p>
<p>(right with you all on the hot flashes. ick)</p>
She was accepted into to three singing groups and will be trying out for a part in this semester’s musical. I’m sure that she’ll be making friends in no time!</p>
Thankfully, dh is wise enough to give me a wide berth. If he tried to manage my feelings, I’d belt him!</p>