<p>John just sent his mother an email. She was ecstatic. It was three pages detailing how he “beat” Halo III, and he sent it to her and not me or his brother. She is practically levitating with joy.</p>
<p>She also received a verbal job offer (formal to follow) for a position that she wanted. Frankly, she’s happier about the email.</p>
<p>WashDad, was there anything in that 3-page email relating to actual college, classes or learning? 
:)</p>
<p>Lovely! Oh the joy when we hear from these kids!
They will never understand until they have their own.</p>
<p>Precious! Thanks for sharing! I would absolutely die if I ever received a 3-page email from my DS. Although if it were about beating Halo III I guess I could see one that long. Well, maybe not… S has Aspergers and is definitely not the “chatty” sort, unless he is talking about something he loves (like Halo). In fact I just received a pretty “long” (for him) email this week but short enough to duplicate here. On Monday I had sent one of those random in-between-phone-calls emails with nothing really important and not really expecting a response since we had just spoken about a week ago; I got the following response yesterday (my final sentence was “How are things going with you?”):</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Couple of background notes: S is majoring in Chem Eng, he had something of a bumpy first year, esp calculus and needs to get his GPA up in order to keep his scholarship; he saw a math tutor during the summer to basically “relearn” last year’s calculus so he would be caught up this semester. AlChE is a Chem Eng society. Connections is the computer lab where he has a work study job. I had not asked him any personal questions in my last email but from some of his statements he was obviously trying to “read my mind” and tell me things he thought I’d want to hear about (yea! for him since seeing things from the perspective of someone else is not exactly a skill he has mastered!). He is in an on-campus suite this year but still has a limited meal plan so doesn’t have to make all his meals. And the quarters are for laundry so obviously he’s been doing that; he brought 3 rolls = $30? </p>
<p>Short and sweet, and certainly reflects the Aspie side of him, but what more would a mom really need to know, anyway???!!!</p>
<p>Well, who said that video-gaming is the death of human communications and family life? Three pages! And to mom! Congratulations are due all around.</p>
<p>Freshmen WRITE email? Mine just calls…she doesn’t even READ my emails.</p>
<p>this has been my point all along- that contacting mom- however its done-email, text, voice, im for a few minutes once in a while brings such JOY to mom types, and takes nothing away from the growth, independence or anything from the student</p>
<p>there are those that think, well if I call or bother to answer an email, then somehow it implies I am not taking care of myself and business, which I always found to be hogwash</p>
<p>a simple message- taking two or three minutes at most can make others so happy, you would think students would see that</p>
<p>my D called to tell me about a meeting for an weekend long event she was doing, she wasn’t asking, she was informing, and was paying, but wanted us to know time wise and expense wise</p>
<p>did that take away from her making a decision- nope</p>
<p>good for washdads son!!! such a simple thing can mean sooo much</p>
<p>I got an e-mail today. It said “I haven’t got it yet.” In response to an e-mail from me saying I’d send him his last paycheck from his summer job. I’d be thrilled with a three page e-mail, even if it was about Halo, or Scanmom’s paragraph.</p>
<p>Older and I had a heart to heart conversation on the phone a few weeks ago. I was in the “mom” mode- asking about this and that, demanding that he take care of this and that (money, administrative stuff), and generally giving him sort of a hard time about it all. Finally he said something like, “Mom, can you just… can you… just… can we just talk?” It was like he could hardly get it out, he was almost choking on his words, and he really didn’t know how to put it. But I knew what he was saying. He just wanted someone to talk to, to vent to, to love him, to support him. He has plenty of friends, but no one is “mom”. </p>
<p>My heart nearly broke. It hit hard, because I forget that before H, I didn’t have that sounding board and unconditional support. Sure, I had my friends, but it’s easy to be a “yes” man and say exactly what someone wants to hear. It’s harder to really love someone, and they know that when you tell them something, it’s really honest advice and not just BS. I wanted that unconditional genuine advice and support. I keep telling myself, my sons need me, not for the kick-in-the-pants stuff so much anymore, but now for the support, confidence, and… the PURE ENTERTAINMENT value.</p>
<p>Wow, washdad, three whole pages! Recently freshman son sent a three word e-mail. I tried to forward it to my husband along with a sarcastic comment about “the man of few words”, but goofed and hit “reply” instead of “forward”. I was embarrassed that I got caught being sarcastic behind son’s back. But I decided he deserved it when I got an immediate e-mail response of 2 letters!</p>
<p>“Eh?”</p>
<p>Wash Dad…you owe us. No fair. Send it to CC…Community property rights. We will all read it and savor it.</p>
<p>I sent my S an ecard for Labor Day… got notification that he just opened it today.</p>
<p>Good funny bone, that midmo boy^^</p>
<p>One of mine is very enthusiastic about his very male sport. Many emails to Pop about the intricacies of that sport (Pop also participates in the sport) and a few to mom as well. It’s the equivalent of writing to mom about Halo, believe me. <em>eyes glaze over</em></p>
<p>My favorite line from the weekend was from the other boy: “Mom, I am not going to talk to you about this stuff” followed by a rapturous description of some darling young girl.</p>
<p>fencersmother…you are killing me.</p>
<p>That is Classic.</p>
<p>I can’t post the email because he totally spoils the ending of the game!</p>
<p>(says the 44 yr old mom) Yeah dude, I’m like totally dedicating my whole weekend to Halo 3 so don’t spoil it for me, ya know. Hahaha</p>
<p>But I’m sure enough kids on here would take your son’s info and run with it. Obviously you know that he spent a chunk of time working the Halo game to have completed it…my s has been hinting for months now that he NEEDS to have Xbox in his room. Ha! </p>
<p>I love the emails, as short and sweet as they are. I emailed s yesterday that I had sent a care package to him. Did I get a “thanks Mom” or anything along those lines? Nooooo, he emailed back, “What did you forget?”</p>
<p>My S is in his third year of college. I can safely say I have never gotten 3 emails much less 3 pages. I think I got one with 3 words once,lol. Congrats to WashMom on the nice email (and the job).</p>
<p>S,a soph,just had a birthday. His dad and I put togther a package part B-day and part care package, full of good stuff, clothes, books, gift cards, ect. Dad baked him a batch of his famous cookies. We told S to check the school post office for package and let us know. The day AFTER his b-day I got an email stating he had package, hadn’t had time to open it yet but would email me later. The next day got a quick email, thanking us for the lovely gifts(nothing specific) and that he and all of his friends had eaten all of the cookies and to send more!</p>
<p>I have been following this board closely for awhile now and laughing at loud at some of the responses we get from our kids.I decided it was time to post my own little story. Our one and only S is a freshmen this year. The week after we dropped him off darling H and I went on a long overdue vacation with friends to Ireland. Since we were without our laptops or cell phones for the week, I just had to call him to see how things were going. So keeping the time change in mind, I waited very late in the evening to contact our darling son to see how the classes are going. He answers his cell phone and promptly asks CAN I CALL YOU BACK MOM? I AM KIND OF BUSY RIGHT NOW… after assuring him that he could not call me right back he assured me that everything was fine. I am now finding that the only time he contacts me is for 1. “Just letting you know I don’t feel well” or 2. “I got this bill and I am going to send it to you” or lastly 3. “I had to spend money on something”
It is such a joy and relief to know that my darling S is just like everyone elses. I hope to be able to share more with you all as we progress through this new experience.</p>