<p>@Overtheedge Ugh, I can totally sympathize with the pharmacy nightmare! I too have been working very hard trying to get all the prescription stuff in order so that D won’t have any snafus or additional stress dealing with that. It’s frustrating because she is switching to the student health insurance, and although her coverage started 10 days ago she still does not have an ID card!
She also has a controlled-substance scrip but her doctor said that they normally have the parents fill and mail those, so I guess I will be doing that at least for the short term. kind of a pain, but hey, it gives me some excuse for contact with her, right? :)</p>
<p>Our car is packed to the gills and ready for last-minute things to be wedged in, and we’re off tomorrow. With this tremendous heat, and the fact that D’s dorm room is at the very, very end of a looooooooong hall on the second floor, it’s definitely going to be a sweaty move-in!</p>
<p>Her roommate is international (from Uzbekistan, they requested each other) and she’s arriving today. It’s all very exciting!</p>
<p>Hugs to everyone who has successfully launched and to those who are still waiting for college to begin.</p>
<p>Back home after a 1,000 mile drive, move-in, 3-day orientation and 5 hour delay at the airport to fly 2 hours home. I am exhausted. I had all of my tearful moments before we left on our drive down, so just hugs yesterday when she dropped us off at the airport. Even though she hasn’t found her tribe, she seems settled and that makes it easier. Yesterday at breakfast she told us the story of a friend of a friend at Colorado State who after 4 days is transferring to her home state university! </p>
<p>Spygirl’s college seems to have this orientation thing down cold and the school goes all out to make sure the freshman & their parents are as situated as possible. For three days they had non-stop classes and seminars for parents including a delicious welcome dinner buffet, complete with wine and beer, and a sit down luncheon the next day. </p>
<p>The students are kept busy with their orientation team, mandatory classes on drugs, alcohol and sexual assault, and of course the fun activities late into the night. Registration is tomorrow, and she has been told by upperclassmen that all of the classes she wants are full Classes begin Wednesday. </p>
<p>School for Spykid begins September 3 so that gives us only about a week to enjoy the last few days of summer. It sure has gone by fast. </p>
<p>Reading all these posts makes me feel better, that we’re all going through the same emotions.</p>
<p>D was moved in successfully yesterday. She and her roommate moved in at the same time and all of their massive belongings were piled in the hallway. All the sophomore volunteers were snapping pictures of the huge pile, which I believe will be part of the “Don’ts” part of the “Do’s and Don’ts of Moving Into Your Dorm” brochure. But everything ended up fitting into their room.</p>
<p>Roommate’s dad made me feel good when he told me he was so happy my D was the roommate, partly because she wore Shakespeare socks on move-in day. Yay for appreciating the quirkiness!</p>
<p>And I loved the school’s tradition of the entire class running through the gates to officially welcome them to the school. And then the parents had to leave campus. And go home to cry, just a little bit.</p>
<p>I took an extra day off work to rest. As I was lying on the sofa, I thought I heard someone coming up the back stairs and thought for a second “that must be D.” Then I realized it couldn’t be D. I wonder how long it takes before you stop expecting to see their sweet face come through the door? </p>
<p>@Overtheedge I think it takes a couple weeks. Then when they come home for a longer break, you kind of go through that again, but it doesn’t last as long. </p>
<p>I’ve been feeling kind of panicky all day today and I don’t know why but I think it must be this anticipation of the empty nest. Then again, I really was thinking about what I’ll buy at the grocery store and the only thing I can come up with is diet pepsi. Maybe some pasta now and then. I’m thinking about getting one of those food sealers, going to the really good butcher shop where I can pick out a hunk of meat that they’ll slice into steaks for me. My friend got 17 t-bone steaks for $70 recently. Freeze them individually and I’m set for a few months for steaks. I might make a huge lasagna and do the same- freeze it into individual portions. I think I can do that with a lot of things, actually. Maybe I’ll cook once a month? Otherwise I’ll end up eating lunch meat ham for dinner or something silly. </p>
<p>2016BarnardMom, I just stocked up on Lean Cuisine (on sale at the supermarket this week). I did cook a few times since I came back last Wednesday night. I remember the week before last when I realized that I would really have to revise my shopping list!</p>
<p>I find myself wandering up and down the grocery store aisles with a vague feeling that I ought to be buying more stuff! It’s so strange how one boy’s appetite dominated my grocery shopping habits!</p>
<p>The boy called tonight to report on his first day of class. He says everything in physics and chem was already familiar to him today so atbleastbhe can ease into those classes. We’ll see how math goes tomorrow since theoretically that should be all new material for him.</p>
<p>Things are going well for him athletically also. As of yesterday he is #2 on the depth chart at his position and he’s quite pleased with that.</p>
<p>D moved in last Wednesday and all went well. She had 4 days of orientation which she said was a lot of fun. Classes started today and I received 3 calls about books and which account and card to use but she got it straightenend out. Roommate situation is working very well so far. They could be sisters based on their likes and dislikes. </p>
<p>Moved S-11’s stuff into his off-campus house on Saturday evening and spent most of yesterday helping him set-up the room and move his stuff from the basement storage area to his room. The summer sublet finally got her stuff out late Saturday so we had the room on Sunday. He reported later that he had used 3 Swiffer pads and only had half the floor in his room cleaned. As we were both hot and sweaty after all of the moving yesterday he offered me the shower before I left for home. I told him I would need a bio suit to go into it. I don’t think it was cleaned all summer or possibly all of last year. Part of our trip to Target was for heavy duty cleaning supplies and a new shower curtain liner.</p>
<p>D-14 called home with laundry questions this evening. She has only been there 4 days. Last year S-11 probably went a month before he decided to look for the laundry room in his dorm building. (eek!)</p>
<p>The only reason my grocery run was normal this past weekend was because I picked up some things for my older son and brought them along for our visit. But, that will not happen too often as he is swamped at law school with readings. I should see a huge drop in the grocery bill without all the cereal and Greek yogurt purchases for my younger son. Meanwhile, the clean out continues, but my husband looked at what we still need to do, and said that we will get around to it this fall when we have time. So I will not be worried. This organization thing will get done.</p>
<p>I saw Boyhood last night. Of course it has its own thread but I had to identify with the end, in which the boy (son of a single mom) has his first day at college.</p>
<p>Much less food being consumed here, too. Most recipes are designed to feed four people. This past couple of years, I have had to double the recipes in order to feed DH, DS14, DD17, myself, and have some leftover for my lunch next day. Since DS launched, I only cook one batch of what recipes call for and sometimes still have a small amount left for my lunch.</p>
<p>It is so nice to read all the stories of the other parents who are sharing this experience. We only had this one child, so it is a first and last experience for us, with all the empty nest ramifications.</p>
<p>Last week I wrote about S’s disappointment in learning that his roommate would not be coming, and I am happy to report that he has gotten over that and begun to make the most of it, first off by making himself a king bed out of two twins and otherwise rearranging everything to make his room more of a large single. He also doesn’t seem lonely and is happy with the new friends he has made, such friendships being facilitated by and one of the goals of Rice’s O-week activities. And he is feeling fortunate that he got all the classes he wanted, which apparently was not common among the group of students he is socializing with.</p>
<p>DW and I are adjusting, but it is sometimes difficult. It feels very strange not to have to pick him up from school or other activities. Though, similar to what others have experienced, that grocery shopping bill sure does look a lot smaller, and that’s a good thing.</p>
<p>@austinareadad, it’s so nice to read your update. I’d been thinking about your S after reading your last post. I toured Rice but don’t remember they had suites. Sounds like your S has the King suite now!</p>
<p>@4beardolls Thanks for that. I don’t know whether all the residential colleges at Rice have suites, but his does, and it is one of the newer and nicer ones with fairly spacious rooms. He now has over 200 sq. ft. to himself and another 200+ square feet of a common room to share with two other students (suitemates). I hope that he appreciates that he is living in relative luxury for a college student in a dorm setting. </p>
<p>Ugh, this waiting is difficult. D has been mostly all packed since Sunday, and her job ended Saturday, so she has been just waiting, sitting around, in limbo, for 48 hours now. She hates this feeling (I do too! Too distracted to really do much productive… just waiting for the big event.) I wish I’d planned some necessary errands for today, but I didn’t want to leave things till the last minute. Now we have 2-3 more hours to kill before it’s time to leave.</p>
<p>I’m enjoying reading about everyone’s new beginnings. Go2girl is getting settled–a few mishaps along the way–but nothing that can’t be fixed. Classes are good, friendships are being formed and we’re getting sporadic texts and phone calls. Trying to be good and not bug her but it’s lonely watching Bachelor Pad in Paradise by myself! LOL Go2boy starts high school on Tuesday–today we pick up his books. I suppose what’s keeping me sane is that we have parents’ weekend in just 16 days! It will be here before we know it!</p>
<p>@go2mom it is great to hear that other parents survive the departure. You also remind me the DS17 has book sale day today at the HS. He has been working book sale with the service club this week. And DH is back to work. So no time to be sad yet.</p>
<p>We head to Boston on Friday for Sunday move in. Driving in the northeast on Friday and Monday will be crazy. There is no good way around NYC and Connecticut. DD is really nervous/scared. If she cries I’m through. They don’t cry do they?</p>
<p>We managed to avoid tears here until the final hug at airport security. Although I managed to hold it together, go2girl did get misty. I think it’s the overwhelming sense that they are starting this great big adventure–saying goodbye to the comfort and security of home. Once she was there getting her room ready (according to go2dad) she was fine. Best of luck on your drive to Boston, Evergreen1929!</p>
<p>Yeah, they most certainly cry. I’m getting just a bit of whiplash from watching my D’s emotional state. She called me earlier today sobbing. She has a pretty extensive to-do list to take care of departmental requirements (clearances & fingerprinting as she is going into education & will work in schools) & feels like she doesn’t understand how to do them all. Later she went to a class that she really liked & posted on FB about how awesome college is. I’m just trying to hold on tight as the boat rocks all over! </p>
Classes begin Wednesday. </p>