<p>Just got back from moving the kid in…again. </p>
<p>A whole lot different this time. Different dorm, new roomates. Packed lighter. Shipping a lot of stuff. Outfitted a kitchen. Left before the room was prettied up. Next year, we’ll drive by and push her out the car? lol</p>
<p>Miss her much, we still text like crazy, but she has a crew now and they are off and running. Here we go again!!</p>
<p>Juniors’ happy remark: “No more dorm in my life!”</p>
<p>Soph. S leaves in the next couple of days. He’s renting an off campus house with 3 friends.
He was there for both summer sessions so has only been here with us for 3 weeks.
All his stuff is already there. He’s ready to go back “home” (yes, he said that…gulp). Our movin’ days are over.</p>
<p>I still have PTSS from last year’s move of WildChild into the brand new student apartment building. Picture EVERY resident of the 14 story building moving in on the same day off of a city street via 3 elevators. It was truly awful. This year he’s already in and the whole place isn’t turning over, so it shouldn’t be as bad for others. I get down on my knees every morning and give thanks that there is no move-in this year.<br>
Just so we don’t get lazy, daughter/son in law have bought a condo and moving day is August 29!</p>
<p>I’m thinking this apartment move-in is going to be much more work than dorm move-in, primarily because we don’t know who’s bringing what. These are 5 boys, so maybe this is normal. I’m really worried that I’ll be in Target on Saturday and Sunday buying everything because my son won’t have a car or the money to do it after we leave. Or do you think I should just let them “fend for themselves”?</p>
<p>We took D back last week. She is on the 5th floor of a 5 story dorm. No elevator. No AC. We were glad to get out of there! She is baking in the heat. She says her bag of M&Ms melted and even her toothpaste is squishy. The good news is that the roommate has asthma and gets a window AC. It should be installed before Sunday, when the girl arrives. D called and said she was never so happy to hear someone had asthma!</p>
<p>
Perhaps.
Last Sept, S1 was a soph and had no housing lined up because the supposed apartment fell through over the summer. Sent him out (2500 miles by plane) with just 2 bags with classes starting in four days. He not only survived, but found a house, bought a bed and eventually outfitted the place.</p>
<p>This year, he did line up a house to rent with four roommates (well, someone else did all the work, but at least he’s going out with an address already on file). We put him on the plane yesterday with just one bag this year. Theoretically, his housewares are still out there somewhere. And if he needs new towels or kitchen accessories, he’ll find his way to Target or Walmart.</p>
<p>The biggest challenge this school year will be to find and buy a car…that he can afford…and to figure out how to get insurance and register the car OOS. Maybe he’ll call for our advice/maybe not.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If the student rent an apartment, how can his/her parents send a package via UPS (or FedEx/USPS)? A potential problem is that the student most likely will not be at the apartment to receive the package when the package is delivered, and the student does not have a car to pick it up later on.</p>
<p>We take off tomorrow (H is staying home). My S stored stuff with relatives near school, so he’s traveling lighter than last year. He’s in a different dorm with his same roommate and other freshman-year friends, somewhat sorry he didn’t move off campus but planning to do that next year. We have a day and a half to do a little shopping and brave the move-in crowd. (Thank goodness he does have a/c!) We have so much extra time, in fact, that I’m planning on a pedicure before I leave him and head off on a business trip for the rest of the week.</p>
<p>We’ve had a great summer. He had a restaurant job, worked plenty of hours, hung out with friends, and generally appeared to enjoy spending time with dear old mom, dad, and the dog. We had a nice vacation together last week. I never thought I’d feel this way, but I love this age–it’s competing with 6 months for my all-time favorite developmental stage.</p>
<p>AND, it seems to get better as they progress to being a rising junior. Stay tuned for next summer!</p>
<p>Toledo,
Why they did not coordinate? D has been texting other 3 girls. They knew exactly who is bringing what. They have Walmart close by though. Maybe it is girls vs boys.</p>
<p>My son set up a facebook page for his roommates, listing all the items recommended by the university (university-owned apartments). Two guys responded with items, but two guys didn’t respond. They just don’t seem organized, like, “Maybe I can bring this” or “I’ll bring cups”, which my son interpreted to mean he’s bringing dishes.</p>
<p>Yep, we bought dishes and very nice silverware (45-peice “Oneida” just for $20 because one little teaspoon was missing, they had several sets on clearance at “Bath, beds…”). But boys will be boys, it is just the way most of them are, I had one of my own, he is fine now.</p>
<p>Round 4- senior year. </p>
<p>Boys are different from girls- notice which dorm rooms are color coordinated and which have no decorative input. Sophomore year is easier- less stuff. Of course once you have your act together they up the ante with an apt, made complicated by roommates- all clueless men who won’t coordinate much of who provides what (I volunteered my old pots and pans so I could get myself a better set).</p>
<p>Last year son shared an apt with 5 guys. They had added his roommate after signing a lease and both mothers spent the summer trying to figure out a second bed (the other mother and our sons even went to look at a used bed for sale locally) until August when the sons finally found out the apt would provide it. They could have asked! Sometimes you wonder why you let them manage their affairs. He brought home the wrong colander last spring- ie he left the old one I had given him and brought the one someone else’s mother provided. This year he is on his own, currently home for a week after his summer OOS. I had the time and have acquired all sorts of mundane things his roommates provided last year. I would have a lot more if it were a D. Now he needs to select from the dining room piles. After spending the school year in an apt and the summer taking a single suitcase to another one he should have a good idea of what is needed.</p>
<p>It is a lot easier to have stuff when you need it, and usually cheaper. I know from my immigrant H’s comments that there are many things he never realized existed until I bought them and he discovered how useful they were. Yes, he survived without them, but life would have been more pleasant with them all those bachelor years. I might add that I gained state-of-the-art electronics with the marriage.</p>
<p>My big find this summer was the $25 clearance (reg $100) 53 piece good quality silverware set- I’ll keep the extra 8 teaspoons (to replace those trashed with the empty yogurt containers by son years ago) and son will be set for years to come. Cheaper than getting fewer pieces of decent stuff (son’s comment- all it has to have are tines,…). His acquired dorm silverware was also left with the others. Got the $20 Walmart toaster/iron/coffeepot set as son doesn’t need better quality and more expensive ones will also wear out. Now he will have an iron for interview shirts, although he probably could borrow one from a woman near him. He also gets many used Corelle wear pieces- two of us don’t need all I aquired for family use (I gave away the 8 person set I had for our condo- knew son wouldn’t want flowers).</p>
<p>I figure he will be set for grad school and beyond- a mother’s last household help. I still remember my mother outfitting me for college and my first medical school apt. I hated the bargain yellow/gold towels, appreciated the melamine garage sale dishes…</p>
<p>Oh man. A mother of a son was shopping at Walmart and saw my daughter dump an iron into the basket. Mom-of-son directed me to the $20 iron-toaster-coffee maker. She also lamented that son was not interested in shoping … at all.</p>
<p>She has no idea how much I appreciated the set!! lol I felt like I hit the jackpot.</p>
<p>Iron? D does not know how to iron …I do not think she will ever learn. I am glad she actually likes doing laundry, but only when she is not at home.</p>
<p>So much for less stuff!! DD took off for school this morning (4.5 hours away) in her car, which she says is packed to the gills. I will be coming on Sunday with the rest of her stuff (younger DD was supposed to have mandatory Nutcracker rehearsal today but it got cancelled last minute). I inquired as to what I was supposed to be bringing on Sunday and she said “my fridge, my footlocker, my underbed box, and a chair”. What!?! Plus a car that is already full? Holy overpacking batman. DD is not even moving into an apartment (they don’t have substance free apartments or dorms at her school) and has no TV or microwave to bring either. IDK what the heck she packed into her car. Her French Horn takes up some space but she claims she has no room at all left in her car for one more thing.</p>
<p>^ If it were my d, it would have been clothes and food. Some could add shoes as well.</p>
<p>I had to put the kibosh on the 174 stuffed penguins. </p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Junior son left today with Dad and sister in tow. He is slightly better at packing but not much. I can see by looking in his room he forgot his pillow and his alarm clock. He is living in a school owned apartment with two unknown roommates. My son has had absolutely no contact with the other two boys. I don’t know if they are friends or not. My son did email them both 1 week ago but never heard back from them. After repeatedly telling my son he needed to figure out what he needed I backed off. He will be in the fend for himself mode. My H is not the go to Target kind of guy. I did send the toaster oven, a few plastic cups and bowls and an old frying pan and sauce pan. Found an 8 dollar set of silverware at Ross.
His car and room are half cleaned. He feels he is leaving them somewhat decent.
I must admit that this has been the best summer home. More mature and responsible.</p>
<p>Someone PLEASE tell me the “$20 iron-toaster-coffee maker” thing is not one 3 in 1 item"!</p>