<p>With two away in college now - we downsized a car. Anybody else done that? Lost the SUV - bummer because it was great for moving stuff, but we rarely drive anywhere with all the kids and now, with two out of the house most of the year (and when they are home each drives somewhere alone to be with friends) we just don’t pile into one car as a family - it is sad in a way . . . but easier to park.</p>
<p>@collegetime18 Not volunteer, but my regular job. Was on campus last night when another employee say me and asked if I minded coming up at night. I had to say no. I mean, not like there’s much going on at my house right now. H has always had a lot of evening work, so I would have been home alone. I don’t think I’m feeling overwhelmed, though. I just don’t want to clean, and I don’t like what’s on TV. </p>
<p>"My roommate must be so annoyed with me. Every ten minutes or so i just whisper “I’m so happy” "</p>
<p>My daughter posted this on her facebook page yesterday. I guess that makes it all worth it.</p>
<p>Mowing here never ends, but it does slow down a bit in the winter. (Hey, at least there’s no snow shoveling; for that I <em>am</em> grateful! and even more so for the absence of windshield scraping; nothing worse than those sheets of ice that form when it’s been melting then frozen into rock on the windshield overnight.)</p>
<p>Skype-chatted with S yesterday. He’s beginning to get a bit stressed by the workload and organizational challenge of having two ‘every day’ classes (a new language, French, and math) and a PT job, but he seems to be taking it with a good attitude. He’s never been a fan of foreign languages - at least the spoken, non-computer-code ones - and I think the intensity of a college-level language course is a bit challenging for him. But I like his attitude - he said, “If I didn’t have French and [my job], it would be a piece of cake, but that’s not what I’m here for.” He has always had difficulty with things that he hasn’t ‘mastered’. He never colored as a child because he was frustrated that he couldn’t stay in the lines; he didn’t babble, waited until he could say actual words before talking; and he never even tried walking until he could stride all the way across the room - this has been his hallmark, and his biggest challenge, to accept being less-than-perfect at something and still keep at it, so as to actually get better. His biggest stresses at his first job, as a lifeguard, arose from this, and now he’s facing it again in his new job. But I am so pleased to look back and see how much he has grown, how his attitude has changed over the years, how much better he is now at dealing with being “the noob” at something, and realizing - truly ‘grokking’ - that you HAVE to do it while you are not the best, if you ever want to BE the best. While we are facing and dealing with these struggles, day after day, year after year, it’s easy to lose track of the big picture, but now I realize that wow, all that we did (and all the hard work that HE did) to get that lesson across, was all to good end.</p>
<p>I’m missing my D terribly, but I do not have the “cleaning gene” so I am definitely not filling my time doing that. She is happy but has her moments when she is down. She is realizing how much I did keeping her schedule straight and even though she is uber organized, she is now understanding how complicated it is to keep all the non academic moving parts together. She is my only, so its just me, her dad, and our 100+ German Shepard.</p>
<p>She is very introverted and is missing her friends from home. However, she reached way out the box and auditioned for the Step Team - and she made it!! She was very happy. I am so glad since she did not make club volleyball, despite being the “star” of her championship team for 4 years. Last night she called and sounded a little down. I think she’s tired. Also, she is vegan but eating vegetarian at some points just to have enough to eat. I am worried that she may not be eating right and may be anemic.</p>
<p>We talk often - mostly when she texts or calls me. I very seldom initiate contact, I want her to call when she wants to and if I had my way I would be calling every hour. Well, maybe not that often, but often. Today was raining. She said she got wet. Told her that she is going to have to pay attention to the weather, she no longer has me to prompt her to wear appropriate clothing. She also needed a raincoat. I went online and found one at the campus store, called the store to see if it was actually in stock, and then called her to go get it. Which she did.</p>
<p>I will see her next week on the 26th when I go to the school for a major reunion for my residential college. I can’t wait to see her. Then I will see her again for parents weekend and then again for another anniversary (it is a coincidence that all these anniversaries are happening her freshman year but I am a very involved alumni who always has gone back for functions like this the last 32 years) the weekend of October 17. She then comes home Oct 21-22 for winter break.</p>
<p>She already has told me she plans to go to Germany for the summer (she is taking German) so I am going to enjoy these times because I probably won’t see her most of the summer.</p>
<p>Its good to see that others feel the same way I do and that their children are having their ups and downs. Helps me to understand that this is all normal.</p>
<p>My son just wrote that the food is too bland and he wants to buy Tabasco sauce. He asked where to buy it…guess he still needs me! </p>
<p>Hey, can I throw a question out there to you folks, regarding my Class of 2017 child? DS is very quiet and very introverted, like me in real life. Today he came home pretty stressed about English because he is required to write an essay listing all of the friends he has ever had, and marking the ones that are his “best” friends and the ones that he has lost touch with. Then he has to <em>share this with the class.</em> Is it just me being my usual introverted self, or is this incredibly intrusive? I see nothing good coming of this.</p>
<p>Would you approach the teacher? What would you say?</p>
<p>@mdcmom - wow, yes, that sounds out of line to me. So many ways this could go wrong - competition between the kids for who has more friends, seeing if the ones you marked “best” also marked you as such. Very very personal stuff. I would not have like this as a high schooler, and would probably like it even less now!</p>
<p>@mdcmom - I agree it’s intrusive and insensitive. It also doesn’t sound like much of an “essay” to make a list of friends and then identify best friends and “lost” friends. I would encourage my child to approach the teacher. If he doesn’t want to do that, does he want you to talk to the teacher (my D didn’t like me to run interference)? One option may be to broadly define friends to include acquaintances, or even to create fictional friends outside of school. Who did he sit beside in first grade? Or play with at recess? Neighborhood kids, online gaming friends, outside EC or church friends, etc. </p>
<p>So, it was an eventful day. D sustained a head injury and has a concussion. She had a CT scan at the ER (a small facility near campus) and then was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for a MRI. I really wish I was there with her. With D’s health issues, I’m always holding my breath to an extent, but I didn’t see this one coming. </p>
<p>@Overtheedge Oh my, I hope your DD recovers quickly. That must have been quite a jolt for you to get that phone call. Sending virtual hugs to you.</p>
<p>@Overtheedge, sending hugs and good wishes towards your way. Hope she recovers soon. Were you able to talk to her? </p>
<p>Thanks 2014novamom and @chrysanthMum! Yes, the very nice nurse at the ER lent D her phone so we could talk (I Really need to get D’s cell coverage switched!). Then, D had cell service at the hospital so we were able to talk after the MRI. I also spoke with the neurologist directly. D’s roommate was an angel and drove her to the ER then picked her up after the MRI and brought her back to the dorm! </p>
<p>@overtheedge that must be so scary. Hope she gets good test results and heals soon!</p>
<p>Oh, dear, @Overtheedge! I hope your DD recovers quickly and with no lasting effects! That must be extra nerve wracking for you!</p>
<p>Oh gosh! I’m so sorry, head injuries are scary but it’s even harder when you aren’t there to see her for yourself. I hope she recovers quickly.</p>
<p>Oh no. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. </p>
<p>@overtheedge, so happy to hear that you were able to talk to her and she has a great roommate. I hope she recovers quickly. </p>
<p>D is settling in the college, she has a nice roommate and a small group of friends that she is comfortable with. </p>
<p>She absolutely hates the Chemistry. She is taking Physics even though she could have bypassed and likes the class. She hates the physics lab though, not happy how the students are forced to update the labbook a certain way. </p>
<p>Add me to the cleaning binge list, I have been giving away so much stuff, didn’t realize there is so much of crap (ok, may be not crap when we got it but most of the stuff hasnt’ been used in a long time)</p>
<p>Need to go through another round of cleaning this weekend. </p>
<p>@overthehedge, good thoughts being sent your way. Today my D said she was most excited about a circus group she has joined. I was kind of hoping for her becoming a doctor, but now I may be getting a circus performer. Those liberal arts colleges, what are you going to do?</p>
<p>We are off to parent’s weekend to visit D this weekend. We will leave tomorrow evening, drive part way and then finish the drive on Friday morning, arriving around noon. S-11 is coming up to join us for dinner so it will be good to see both kids at one time. :"> </p>