This is great to hear! And thank you! Husband and son had a great visit to Northfield. My son had already been out there in the fall, so this was really an opportunity for dad to get to know where the kiddo (and the college fund) is going. He left feeling really good about all of it, although he was a little underwhelmed by Northfield itself - and that’s coming from a very rural part of an already rural state. That being said, S25 is not phased by that and is totally OK with most of his social life taking place on campus. My husband left feeling that the school is really committed to helping kids discover themselves and who they want to be, not just want they want to do, in the world. It resonated well with my husband. Kiddo had another great visit, came home with some swag, and seems motivated to close out the school year on a high note and start digging into the class offerings for next year. One downside for all of this: both husband and I wish it weren’t so far away.
Also, I hope your son hears from the service academies soon!
Our kids had some success in actual making the quizlets themselves.
Agreed about physical writing regardless. My biggest hack back in the day was writing a cheat sheet. I never used them (honest!) but it was the creation of same that did the trick. I had to distill as much as possible onto the front and back of a single sheet of paper. Priceless.
It’s official - we have put down the enrollment deposit at NC State! My daughter might already have a roommate lined up as well; I think the two girls are going to settle that question within the next week. I would have been fine with either of her top two choices but I am glad to have closure!
My son is so excited about the Conn Camel Day (he will be there for the second one). Hope yours has a great time! (Sounds like you guys are going for the first one).
Random question that might need its own thread but thought I would ask My S25 will need to ship two guitars to his school this Fall, does anyone know the best way to do that? We could also check them on the plane but that seems sketchy? Advise appreciated!
My husband has been able to gate check his guitars just in their cases. You could also see about getting them professionally boxed up in their cases and if an airline will gate check if boxed or if you need to check if boxed. He looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him about shipping not willing to risk the separation.
We have always brought guitars on as carry-ons and put them in the o rehear bin. But if it’s only one traveler or that’s not feasible, I would have them professionally boxed.
Honestly, we found it easier to load up a rental minivan with all of D22’s stuff and drive it 13 hours to her school. Because she had TEN of the blue IKEA bags, plus a few other odds and ends – and a guitar and a uke. It was too much to fly with!
Really big for a dorm room, actually! This was sophomore year (same room layout as freshman year), but I’m standing by her roommate’s bed to take the pic. They also had a private bathroom and walk-in closet in the room!
D25 has made a decision. She gave her dad and me a slideshow presentation last night to compare the final three colleges head-to-head and argue why her top choice (which means federal loans ) is the best choice for her. But we haven’t made it official yet. The financial aid office responded to our request for additional aid with less than what we wanted, but we can make it work. There just have to be more sacrifices than I wanted any of us to make, D25 included. But she says she’s prepared. I’m going to make college sweat it out a bit longer though because honestly I think they are being ridiculously stingy.
Thanks, this is helpful. My son is the same way about his instruments. If you gate check them, do they just put them in the closet at the front of the plane? Or are they thrown underneath?
Congrats and sympathy to all those who are weathering the decision process. We are still feeling…hungover? is that the right word? from our whirlwind trip to Seattle. Is it right? Who can tell? It feels right. So much can go wrong. So much (everything, really) is beyond our control. And I’m definitely not going to go look at our 529 right now b/c that way lies madness.
Did YOU get to hold a baby ostrich this weekend? I did!
We got back from Seattle late Saturday. The next morning was Palm Sunday for me and an econ exam for S25, followed by a long, sweaty trip in the unairconditioned Subaru to an ostrich farm in the Central Valley, where we got to hold a baby ostrich and then pick three four-week-old quail hens (we hope they are hens) from a pile that were hanging out in a wire cage. He came back and took his Gov final in literally six minutes. (multiple choice) So much angst about these two classes since last summer and in the end, he dispatched them both rather unceremoniously.
I’m not so sure about these new birds. Ours were hatched from eggs in our office, hand-raised in our common area, doted upon. These were meant to be layers, not pets. They are skittish and scrappy and kind of freak out when you touch them. Gizmo is skeptical. But we will see…
Definitely have them in the cabin with you if possible. We’ve had the best luck flying Southwest, as instruments count as one of the free carry on bags (this will probably change after next month, when you’ll have to pay for bags). Pay extra for premium/early boarding on whatever airline you’re on- if you’re one of the first people onboard, you’ll have a better shot of getting overhead bin space. Ask flight attendants about the closet space, too- my kid has had good luck getting his instruments put there for flights. Make sure you have hard shell cases, that way if guitars end up gate checked, they have a better chance of survival.
I bring my violin on the plane and would never check it. I’ve seen people carrying guitars – wonder if it’s possible to do the thing where you put it in the coat closet. You could always call airline and ask? But also – violins get shipped all the time! They just need to be packaged correctly. I bet you could get a local guitar shop to box them up and ship them for you (since you don’t seem like you’re excited about reverse-Oregon-Trailing your way down to Virginia – LOL)
Good weekend here. S25 is finally out of his post breakup funk with very occasional and brief sadness when he thinks about it. It’s definite progress!
Yesterday was the mother-son senior luncheon at his school. It was such a lovely event with flowers, catering, thoughtful speeches and each boy presenting their mother with a handwritten letter. We got lots of great pictures of the two of us and many group shots of the boys and moms together. I held it together during the luncheon and then sobbed on the way home thinking about the fact that time has flown so quickly. And why did I waste time stressing and wishing difficult parenting seasons to be over? At the time I was stressed and tired but oh how I would love one more time with that sweet baby on my lap in the middle of the night.
not willing to risk the separation. 
) is the best choice for her. But we haven’t made it official yet. The financial aid office responded to our request for additional aid with less than what we wanted, but we can make it work. There just have to be more sacrifices than I wanted any of us to make, D25 included. But she says she’s prepared. I’m going to make college sweat it out a bit longer though because honestly I think they are being ridiculously stingy.
