<p>DS just texted me that he is there and fine. I guess we were both sad when he left this a.m…I know the two of us(we both hate goodbyes), he planned to get on the road at 9, but @ 8:30, as we were talking in my bdrm, we both knew we were dragging out the inevitable, so I told him to go now. I gave him a hug, and started my mantra just keep walking! Walked back in the house and cried, got up to his bedroom, because he said he left me a present, and broke out into laughter. The bed wasn’t made, hangars on the floor, wet towels, etc. That was the best present he ever gave me and he knew it! All summer long I would say to him, any plans to make your bed today (my pet peeve) or put away your laundry. So when I walked in and saw the room, it reminded me that I wasn’t going to miss him as much as I thought! Off to clean up the mess and have a room that doesn’t look like a bomb exploded in it! Only G*d knows how many soda cans and empty pop tart wrappers I will find :p</p>
<p>A little bit of crying off and on for the past week, but mostly when our daughter (his younger sister) talked about how much she was going to miss her brother. </p>
<p>He has arrived safe and sound and is in the process of unpacking three very large, expandable pieces of luggage, a box (that we shipped prior to his leaving), and a refrigerator we had delivered today. He seems very overwhelmed with the size of the room. It seems the room is oddly shaped with the bathroom or closet (don’t remember which) creating an awkward shape. His roommate moved in yesterday, but will be out for a couple of days, so he doesn’t think he should rearrange furniture without him there to try and create more space. We may end up lofting, if it’s still available. He said he wants to completely unpack then figure it out. </p>
<p>I am really going to miss him and his lively group of friends that popped in and out. I think their goodbyes last night made me the saddest. I cried the most when they were leaving because they were saying goodbye to me and the family along with DS. </p>
<p>I’m sad, but happy for all the opportunities he’s been given. He cannot wait to pick up his i-Phone tomorrow!! DH thinks we will see more of DS 1600 miles away then we did when he lived at home with all the internet/phone capabilities.</p>
<p>You are making me tear up because I remember that last yr. It is strange how we become attached to their friends too.</p>
<p>DS has called me 4 times already with the OBTW can you bring XXX tomorrow? He also was a terrific brother and called his younger brother to wish him luck for his 1st away football game. He also texted his sister to apologize for fighting over the cinnabon rolls last night :D</p>
<p>I am sure I will hear from him everyday for the next week to ship him something that he forgot, but after the first football game I will not hear from him again until he plans to come home or when we go for homecoming. He has already asked me to contact him before we come for the game so he can give me his grocery list.</p>
<p>I got to go and make Puppy Chow. For all of you this is a great recipe that ships well, but do not do it until around Halloween since it can melt.</p>
<p>9 c. of Rice Chex or Corn
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. marg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. powder sugar</p>
<p>Melt choc., p.b. and marg for 1 min in micro, stir until melted add vanilla. In large tupperware container, FOLD Chex in, make sure all of the chex is covered. Add sugar and cover with lid. Shake softly, open seperate pieces and re-shake again.</p>
<p>If your kids love Reeses pieces or M&M peanut butter they will love this.</p>
<p>Also don’t forget, Ratzies is on line and you can surprise them with it…I do Sat or Sun afternoon instead of them going to the dining hall.</p>
<p>My son doesn’t leave until Friday. Part of our dining room is now the dorm room staging area. And yes, I’ll cry. But we only live 40 minutes away, so I figure we’ll get to see him occasionally.</p>
<p>I’ve already talked to DS more times today on the phone than I have the past two days when he was home (not physically -out roaming). So, that’s a plus…for now!</p>
<p>Update on the room is that it’s fine now. He’s totally unpacked and organized all in less than an hour. I’m amazed considering it took threats and a weekend to get him to straighten up his room here! He said he is working with the odd shape of the room and he’s fine with it. The first thing he unpacked was the the stereo and speakers to listen to music while he unpacked. He filled the ice trays with water, disposed of all trash, organized his desk, hung his clothes (needs more hangers), etc. I am SOOOOOO proud!!!</p>
<p>He’s in Queen Anne’s Hall. Just called me again. He’s exhausted. He walked to Chipotle, then CVS for a few things he forgot (not me) : ) and bought the rest of what he was missing at the bookstore before the crowds arrive. I think he’s really missing his “beast” right about now.</p>
<p>I did much better today when I dropped off his stuff…no tears, not even a welling up. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I did laugh because his room is already a mess, but his bedroom at home is now spic and span! My mom called last night and asked for mailing address and I told her to email him. She called later on to say she was impressed because he emailed her back within an hour with the address. I laughed, and said because he’s not stupid you will send him goody packages so it is worth the while to spend 15 seconds! :D</p>
<p>One question though. I guess it applies mostly to Bulletandpima. I see you saying “DS” and “DH” all the time. I have used my amazing reasoning skills to assume you mean your son or daughter but what exactly do those stand for? Thanks :)</p>
<p>BTW I also need to say when I asked for it about an hour before my mom, he said I’ll get back to you. My Mom actually gave me the address, again it shows how intelligent DS is because I absolutely stink at mailing anything, so he knows it useless to give it to me unless I ask for it. I guess it is because I know I will see him in a few weeks!</p>
<p>I will also say it was very touching as I was driving very slowly through the campus due to traffic, and you saw the child give hugs to the folks, and then you watch the parents walk about 50 feet, and the Mom breaks down and the Dad puts his arm around her and makes her still walk forward. The kids never saw it because they were already back in the dorm.</p>
<p>Cute thing, take a look at the UMD buses in the front where they state their route, they all say WELCOME HOME CLASS OF 2013!</p>
<p>Next year I am going to start a pool of guess how many balloons are on campus? I am sure somebody there would answer it. If we all put in a buck, it might make a dent for books. Ours were high this year at 471.</p>
<p>I am really enjoying y’all’s posts. Will be in your shoes next year, just don’t know which school yet. </p>
<p>Have to laugh at the A/C comments. When we visited Marquette, I was shocked to learn the dorms didn’t have A/C. Of course, in Milwaukee, who needs A/C? </p>
<p>However, I was with son in DC last year in August, and I must say, I would not want to be without A/C at that time of year. </p>
<p>Hope y’all get a cool spell real early!</p>
<p>Have a great year. And oh, yes, I am looking forward to not picking clothes off the floor. If only I could train husband to not do that, too.</p>
<p>Damn it, Pima…your description of the parents made me cry and I’m not even there yet! I read it outloud to DH and S2 as we are sitting around talking after loading up the minivan.</p>
<p>I’ve been so good this week while DS is at NROTC O-Week probably because I know I get to see him tomorrow at the O-Week graduation and then move him into the dorm. But I guess it’s just delaying the inevitable and now I’m sure tomorrow is going to come and go so fast I’ll barely get to talk to him. (Okay, taking a deep breath and wiping the tears away…I’m gonna be brave and not embarrass him by crying, argghh!)</p>
<p>Haven’t officially “left” yet…just up in Baltimore for a couple of days with H. I thought I’d be fine, but seeing the farewells on the sidewalks did me in a couple of days ago. </p>
<p>I just found out that a close friend is embarking on a cancer fight (with excellent prognosis, however). That will help after the initial goodbye with D. It’s hard to feel sorry for myself, knowing what he’s got facing him in the next 6 months or so. Perspective is always a good thing. (But bring on the kleenex until I at least get south of the beltway!)</p>
<p>No crying <em>or</em> jumping for joy. It felt very different this year: my H flew to UMD with S yesterday for the start of sophomore year. I did not go with them. S was very anxious to get back, because he has a girlfriend there whom he has missed very much over the summer. He moved into his dorm last night. Today they’re finishing setting up the room and doing some shopping and visiting. Tomorrow H flies home.</p>
<p>It was nice having S home for the summer, but honestly, he was ready to go back the moment he arrived home. Quite a change from last year, when he was half-reluctant/half-excited to go off to college.</p>
<p>Well, I didn’t cry or jump for joy either at least not at the college. I cried a bit after I got home (several hours later) but I’m okay. I didn’t helicopter, but DH and DS rode up in the elevator with a mom who just wouldn’t leave her son alone…they were both shocked at her comments, esp. in front of other people (like “Do I need to mail you clean underwear every month?”)</p>
<p>All in all, I think the move-in was well orchestrated and pretty smooth for us. We got there near the end of the second day so it wasn’t too frantic.</p>
<p>That reminded me of DS moving in ly, his roommates parents and gparents came, he was so embarrassed as they tried to show him out to make his bed and how throw pillows should place on the bed. I think it was also intimidating to him because here he is standing in front of Bullet (ret AF flyer), myself and DS (AF cadet), while we were like okay, do you want us to help you unpack the boxes or you okay? He is not a stupid child, he wanted us to help empty the boxes on the bed so he didn’t have to carry them out…notice bed!</p>
<p>While we did that, his roommates mom, pulls out the swifter and gives him precise directions on how to use it, gmom argues with him that the fan needs to move because too much cold air will be hitting him or making his papers on his desk fly when it is on, gpop wants to make sure that the tissue box is somewhere close, and dad is pulling out his shower shoes teaching him how to spray lysol on them .</p>
<p>I walked out thinking I am the crappiest mother in the world b/c I did not send lysol, swifters, or tissues. Bullet laughed at me telling me we are the best parents for not embarrassing him, and that if DS doesn’t figure out that tp works as well as tissues than he should not be in college!
The irony is they had the messiest dirtiest room that I have ever seen in my life whenever I came to visit. Roommate’s mom was probably horrified.</p>
