@momreads Not finishing the math major doesn’t free up enough time. She’s got one class and then the capstone left for the math major but would need 5 classes, beyond the studio class she has for next semester, for the art. She can take art classes beyond the minor, of course. It’s so weird to think that she has just 12 courses left and she’s done with college.
DS is home for a week for Thanksgiving. I love having a full house again.
^^ DD is home as well for the holiday week. The house is much more active when she is around!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Hard to believe that the Thanksgiving break is over so fast. We took DD out for dinner to celebrate her 21st birthday this evening. Her actual birthday is in early December but this was the closest we could get to it to celebrate together. If we wait for the mid-term holiday break, we will be celebrating on top of the Christmas holidays. She will be back home in 22 days and we leave to visit her grandparents and family in Australia for two plus weeks on the 20th. The end of the year will be very busy for all of us as she has to be back on campus on the 11th for the campus wide rush program.
@AvonHSDad Wow, 21st birthday!
We dropped DS off to the airport late last night - much cheaper ticket to fly back on Sat night then Sunday (even first thing in the morning). It’s hard to believe they are now more than 1/2 way through their college life.
Got several texts from Son '14 on Thanksgiving. He was under the weather — what a surprise, he always seems to be under the weather at school. He chose to spend most of the day sleeping. No one in his fraternity was in the house, so he got some good rest. One of the sorority girls who lives locally called him. She brought three plates filled with food. That made his day. Then, the next morning, he felt better and jumped in his car to drive drove about three hours to meet up with his older brother. They had tickets to the Alabama-Auburn game. His older brother reported that they had a great time … and he also made sure that Son '14 got some sleep before and after the game. Exams start this week. Son '14 only has three – exempt from one and a project exam for the another. He should be home in less than two weeks.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving with DS, who brought along his girlfriend, who is just lovely. We see DS again in 3 weeks when we all meet up in California for Christmas with the grandparents, after which we head to Europe. He’s home until Jan. 15 before he starts up his co-op on the 16th. DH and I will see him on separate weekends in February for Mom’s/Dad’s weekend at his fraternity and then the next visit after that is TBD. He is going to his girlfriend’s vacation home (sans parents ha ha) in Mexico for spring break and his summer plans are undetermined He is hoping that his co-op will be extended in which case I have a feeling we’ll be making our way to Ohio to help him move into summer housing.
Their flight was yesterday morning and I miss him already!
Just thought I would drop in and say hello! It’s been awhile. Just got go2boy through the SAT on Saturday! Hard to believe he’s in the testing saddle! go2girl is in the throes of finals and not happy. How is everyone’s kid?
@go2mom I just saw one of your posts on the 2018 page…looks like we are on the same schedule…S14 starting Finals on Wednesday and D18 just did SAT.
DS is studying for his finals in Scotland. He has 3, spread over 2 weeks. Can’t believe how fast his semester abroad has gone! Only 12 more sleeps until he’s home, but only for 10 days. Still, I’ll take what I can get.
Finals next week. Trying to balance that with internship interviews. Three offers so far. Waiting to hear on another federal one, but the process is SLOW. Didn’t get a confirmation about last year’s until March. Home for break, and that’ll be nice, but I imagine the cat will be the happiest of us all. At long last, he’ll have a warm body in “his” daytime bed until noon or so.
My son is in midst of writing final papers and studying for a final in Scotland, too, at the university of Edinburgh. The semester did go by quickly and he loved his study abroad trip…the classes, the city, all the new ppl he met, and the travel (spent weekends in Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin, Milan, and Prague. But he’s worked hard too, writing a ton of papers for philosophy and English lit classes. It will be good to see his face again. Happy holidays to all of you!
D14 is gearing up for finals as well but will be taking a break this evening to celebrate as she turns 21 today. 
Heard from Son '14 last night. He has spent the past day or so sleeping most of the time, as he pulled an all-nighter to make sure he knew everything for two finals on the same day. He is pulling together the loose ends – returning rented textbooks, cleaning his room, doing his laundry – before heading home this weekend. He has an appointment here with the ENT to see if he needs his tonsils removed – they may be the cause of all the illnesses over the past few years. So Christmas Break could be interesting! He also is planning to work at the bank where he had his internship over the summer. He needs the money, too, since car insurance and fraternity dues are coming up. He is also supposed to speak at his high school about college life. One math teacher friend said she hopes the kids will listen to him, because she cannot get them to understand the importance of studying, time management, etc.
But it will be good to have him home. He and his dad already have plans to go and see a couple of hockey games together. And I’m sure there will be a list of what dinners he’d like me to make.
DS unfortunately has finals on the last two days of finals week which means he gets a late start to his break. He’ll join us in California at my parents house for the holidays and then a post-holiday vacation. Like @momreads son, his summer employer asked him back so he’ll be working for a couple of weeks after the New Year and he also has tickets to a hockey game. Wouldn’t it be funny if they unknowingly went to the same one (I assume it’s a Caps game)!
It seems like he has such a short break in comparison to others because his finals are so late. He goes back Jan. 15 and starts his co-op the next day. I’m a little worried about his commute in winter but I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’ve told him that if there is poor weather he should stay at a hotel near his co-op rather than trying to drive through a winter storm and that I’m happy to pay for it. I’m a bit of a worrywart, but I suppose that’s just what parents do, even when their kids are nearly grown.
Today is the last day of class for DS. Next week is the reading/final week. Then he will be home for the holidays. He was home for Thanksgiving so I have not missed him that much! 
D14 will be spending her vacation helping dear old mom who is having knee replacement surgery on 12/20. She’ll be home on 12/16 or 12/17 after a late final. We (just the two of us) live two flights up in a row house so I am so grateful she’ll be around to help. I was fortunate to see her for Thanksgiving where we joined our small extended family, 5-6 hours from home and 5-6 hours from school. If all goes well, I should be home for us to light the Chanukah candles on the first night, which happens to fall on Christmas Eve. This is the first year we will celebrate the holiday together and I am very grateful for her help.
One of my 2014 daughters forwarded her Spring '17 bill, and I realized she’s almost done - only two more bills! She’ll be home for 4 days but is then going to SE Asia for 10 days, will return for about a week, and then return to school. She might spend 5 minutes looking for a summer job while she’s here.
The other 2014er is preparing for a semester abroad. She’s left a lot of things to the last minute so is running around campus now getting health forms and financial aid forms and housing releases signed. She has an airplane ticket and a passport, so what more does she need? She might be getting ready to break up with her boyfriend too (he doesn’t want to go to a wedding she’s in on NYE), and that would be a bonus for me. Then she’d be available to marry Prince Harry if he should ask while she’s over there.
@twoinanddone Where’s your D going? England? Just curious.
DS had his first final today in Scotland, and he said it went “really well”, but his hand was aching. I realized that with all of his math and programming classes, he probably hasn’t had to hand-write too many lengthy finals (the writing classes have mostly involved papers that get typed on the computer).
He’d purchased a prop gun (doesn’t work, but looks realistic, albeit historic) on one of his weekend forays, and yesterday he found the post office and figured out how to mail it back, so he doesn’t have to worry about TSA, customs, and all that. Now he’s looking for someone who wants the pillows he bought over there. Can’t believe he’ll be home in 10 days. (And I’d better get moving on my Christmas shopping!)
@RenaissanceMom How wonderful that your son was able to travel so much! Mine wasn’t so inclined. He did go vist his friend in Wales, and met him for another weekend in York, but I couldn’t even persuade him to go to London. He insists that he enjoyed his time in Scotland, but I don’t think he made many friends (ar least not ones who wanted to travel). I’m hoping that when he gets here I might actually be able to get him to tell me more about what he’s been doing for the past few months.