@readingclaygirl X( X( X(
Sorry about that @readingclaygirl. I donāt understand why some people feel the need to express their opinion when it surely wasnāt asked.
@lexieAnn Iāve been concerned about the stores near D16ās college being wiped out when we get there, especially since there are five colleges in the area. I ordered a microwave to be shipped (one less thing to put in the rental car) and today we went over her Target registry. Target will hold items for four days (five if you contact them before the four days are up). My plan is to pull the trigger on her Target cart a few days before we leave and use the 15% off completion coupon.
So today I came in from work my sweet girl greeted me in the basement were her dorm mountain is organized and ready to go. āMom, I went through my duffel bags again and realized that I donāt really wear or need much of the clothesā¦so I took them out.ā Also, āyou know mom, I really donāt need all those shoesā. SHE talked to ME about all she was thinking regarding packing the car and staying organized while sheās at school. āYou know mom, itās just easier to stay organizedā. Mom āI organized all of my makeup and things in this binā¦it will be easier to keep all of it organizedā.
As I listened and watched her I realized that a week from tomorrow I wonāt see her until October. :(( :((
@Undercovermom1, thanks for the Target insight. Maybe Iāll go that route. I keep seeing things I could buy here, but I donāt want to get too much and have it not fit in the car. Iāve looked up all the stores we may want to shop at up there, so at least Iāll know where weāre headed.
@sseamom Have a great trip!
We now have reached the summit of Dorm Mountain. The only thing missing is the Psych textbook which is being shipped to us (hmmm, better double-check on that one).
D16 spent the day packing and reading the stack of graphic novels she intends to finish before move-in so they can go back to the library. I helped pack and did some job-work from home (am taking vacation days until D16 leaves). Ordered in a pizza when Dad got home. Tomorrow is a mom-daughter vacation day with a carnival, art museums, and bowling. Pretty basic summer stuff for these waning days of this era of our family life together.
I definitely need to make a punch list for the countdown week to-dos. So many loose ends to tie up before next Friday and Iām feeling a bit unorganized. Still need to finally produce those POAs, for example. Move-in day feels like itās rushing toward us now. Just keeping calm and trying to pace myself. D16 seems to be, too. Dad is doing his usual, going to work, doing chores, watching a bit of the Olympics nightly.
I hope that tomorrow, D16 will have some time to read a long letter I wrote to her about her transition to college. It was a response to her recent questions about why (some) people have to go to college ā āwhy college?ā I wrote it Monday when stuck in a cafe waiting for her while she was in a 2-hour meeting. I had forgot my smartphone. See what happens when you forget your phone? 
I canāt believe so many of you have arrived on the other side of move-in. Just amazing! Congrats!
@HappyFace2018, your girl is perfect, indeed! Iām beginning to think youāre pranking us! :))
@EastGrad Oh no! If you would have seen her room on any given dayā¦there were many words in her vocabulary but organized was not one of them :))
The juxtaposition between her school materials/notebook/locker and her bedroom were funny. It wasnātā terrible and she tried to stay on schedule with cleaning her bed/bathroom once a week. That became very difficult for her to do with all the IB work and activities. On Fridayās my hubby would go through her room changing sheets, dust, vacuum and organize everything then clean her bathroom. Being an empty nester will be difficult for both of us but for himā¦itās proving to be a little more difficult. Heās been a stay at home dad since she was five. The other day he remembered when heād have to help her get things down from the top shelfā¦while sheās now 6ā0 and has been getting things herself for some timeā¦itās all just hitting him :((
We move DS in today. We are in a hotel a small distance from the school. We got through the goodbye with the GF at home with minimal tears and everyoneās dignity intact but I know there has been much communication (text and phone) since then. I just hope that DS embraces college life and all the opportunities that will be available to him rather than keeping to himself in his room. I really like the GF but know that the next year will be as great or miserable as they let it be. I too dated my HS sweetheart while in college, so I get it. We have committed to getting DS home for her Homecoming and I do like that it means I know when I will see him again as well. I will treasure those rides back! 70% chance of rain at move in time. Letās hope our packing strategies will keep things dry.
Good luck with move in @Cheeringsection .
Hope you have a smooth move in @Cheeringsection!
Good luck @Cheeringsection ! Hope the rain holds out during move in.
Cheering for you, @Cheeringsection! 
Our sweet girl is getting her first massage today! Iām sitting in the quiet room enjoying a little lunch and reading our familyās first edition of āGW Magazineā. Next itās off to get her mani/pedi. As a past board member of a regional youth organization, sheās been asked to give the opening remarks at the organizations annual fund raising gala this evening. Sheāll have a ball while Iāll be balling :((
On the plane, which was delayed. We got all of Sās things packed in the samsonite duffle, a large LLBean rolling duffel, a 21 inch carry on (dress shirts and nicer clothes) and his Northface backpack. Tonight we will hit Target and BBB.
Best of luck with all the move in stuff! We got the last of things today. I canāt believe itās only 5 days.
We had a fast visit with our D, then stopped back to see S on our way home. We picked up a few minor things (āI think I need a combā) at Target, which was in full swing college mode, people everywhere. We saw S for a little while, then dropped him and his roommate off at an event and headed home. I did pretty well on the ride home- until we pulled in the driveway, and I glanced up at Sās room (front windows). I feel so lost in this big house. It has lost a little of its liveliness with each childās departure. I guess we will muddle through until we find our new normal. Very happy that older S is coming home tonight for a visit!
Hi, I have been lurking here for a while.
The information I am getting here is so useful.
Has any of you bought Studio 3B furniture sold at Bad Bath and Beyond?
What do you think of those?
Are they sturdy enough?
Was it easy to assemble?
Just made it home from move in. We sat in the car in line for over an hour while it absolutely poured rain. They had to stop unloading for a while because there was so much standing water that carrying things was not really safe. Rain had nearly completely stopped by the time we got to the front of the line so DSās things made it inside mostly dry. DH got to be on campus long enough today that he agreed it is the perfect place for DS. HE just had not gotten to see DS completely at ease there yet since he could not do the last two visits. Departure was easier than I thought it would be for exactly that reason. DS hugged us goodbye with an extra squeeze that I took as a thank you and a big smile. I only cried a little once we were on our way. As long as I focus on what a great fit it is for him. I am fine.
Thanks to all for your support. It has helped a lot through this process.
As Iām surveying Dorm Mountain in D16ās bedroom, Iām recalling all the things I bought for her as a newborn during my ānestingā phase. Yeaā¦she rejected the Baby Bjorn and the sling, canāt recall using the Diaper Genie (maybe Iāve just repressed the memory), and so on. Now I wonder if anything in that dorm pile will be coming home at the end of freshman year unused.
Just for fun: What did you stock 18-so years ago when building your Nursery Mountain? What turned indispensable and what was a dud?