<p>So, I’m curious as to how many CC’ers detected differences in their offspring returning home for Thanksgiving break? good/bad?</p>
<p>I must say I think I talk to her more now that she’s away at college than I did when she was home, so I have to say no surprises here. It was great to see all the HS friends again. Tomorrow will be hard at the airport. She’s not exactly thrilled to be returning to college.</p>
<p>S was always sweet, but seems to be even kinder and more thoughtful than before. This is delightful.
He did tend to tease younger sis a lot in H.S., and now has no interest at all in that.
So much more mature (or at least, a good pretense of it)</p>
<p>But, yeah, a constant flow of friends through the house, every night they go out to movies, bowling, then walk into our house at 11:00 p.m. to chill for a few more hours.</p>
<p>He is even more thoughtful in terms of straightening up after himself He also was very kind and patient in teaching me ballroom dancing by showing me what he has been learning in a class at college. He definitely did not get his dancing talent from me, and I appreciated his encouragement.</p>
<p>He also showed even more comfort and happiness than usual playing with some young kids on Thanksgiving. Little kids have always liked being around him, but in the past, he didn’t seem that confident about what to do with them. I think that his confidence about this has grown as a result of some of the volunteer work he has been doing.</p>
<p>My once very shy son has also developed a very nice facility with being able to connect with people of all ages. </p>
<p>It has been very nice to see him, and I will really miss him when he returns to college tomorrow.</p>
<p>One thing I saw was just alot of “appreciation” - I don’t know how many times she has said since she has been home for break (she’s been home 10 days) “I love sleeping in my bed” " I love just sitting and watching tv with you guys" " I love having a whole refrigerator of choices to eat" “I love just being here!” . Tomorrow will be a tough day - it’s so easy to have her home again - but I know she has a great “family” to return to at school - the text messages and phone calls she has received from both the guys and girls on her dorm floor are great - they are really connected and care for each other.</p>
<p>We just dropped D off at the airport after four happy days together. She’s a freshman, and we hadn’t seen her in three months. Definitely too long! But the time apart has enabled us to see that she has matured a great deal; that’s apparent immediately. She’s more articulate and seems to go with the flow more than before. She went on a mini job interview today and wasn’t nervous at all. Even as we hated to say goodbye at the airport, we’re happy that she has made such a good adjustment to living on her own. We can’t wait for next month!</p>
<p>D goes back in about 21 hours. She’s been here since Tuesday afternoon. Not nearly long enough but a nice visit. When D is home she is cocooning. Other than her best friend she sees no one and goes nowhere. It’s sleep. Play with her animals. Work on a paper, homework, a major scholarship app, study. (Her work is very impressive looking. I can’t comment on whether it’s any good or not because , in large chunks, I have no idea what she’s writing about.) Watch DVD’s with her mom. Sit on my lap a little. Home is “safe” or “base”. You can’t tag her here. LOL. She’ll light the wick again when she hits the campus and will go into final burn. </p>
<p>If anything is new it is the realization that there is in fact a limit, even to her “limitless” potential. A schedule that must have been selected while having delusions of grandeur, coupled with her active campus life including her sorority and club team responsibilities, has brought a grumbling acceptance of the inevitably of limits. Everyone has them. Some just find them sooner than others.</p>
<p>Ds is thicker in the neck, and bigger in the biceps. He also eats more than he used to. 
He da man!</p>
<p>Same old same old. DS is still dear; DD is still vivacious and fabulous. I think DM (dear mom) is the one who changed.</p>
<p>Haha! I seem to need a little more time to myself!</p>
<p>No fights (D and H often do). A miracle!</p>
<p>Several viewings of Hairspray. Tried to get to the new Dylan movie, but we never made it.</p>
<p>The French are right: Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose at my house. (Apologies to Marite, no diacritical markings or accents.)</p>
<p>I thought it was: “Plus ca change, plus ne change rien”, or something like that. (Forgive me; I haven’t had french since 1979.)</p>
<p>D is more thoughtful and considerate, did not shoot me down when I offered advice. She even scolded her 12-year old cousin for being rude to her mother! And she hasn’t scattered her stuff all over the house like she used to.</p>
<p>My S is little thinner, about 10 pounds. I guess I need to send care packages more often. It is wonderful to see him! He is liking school but could use more of a challenge. Oh well, next semester should bring him some more difficult classes. He hasn’t pushed us on the time he needs to be home from seeing his friends. He also seems to understand that we want to spend some time with him. </p>
<p>It will be hard to send him off again in the morning.</p>
<p>S was glad to be home to relax, catch up on Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel (“Mom, I have NO time to watch TV at school!”) and see all his high school friends. </p>
<p>I’ll miss him when he goes back tomorrow, but it’s only for three weeks.</p>
<p>My D is into her 3rd year. There seems to be a recent change. She is just plain getting tired of school. She has a lot of work to do over the next 3 weeks and one course is not looking good. Maybe after the December vacation she will be enthused again. With luck she will only have 17 credits next semester so she should finally have enough time to enjoy life.</p>
<p>Sigh. S just left after squeezing in another dance lesson for me. I miss him already, but am so glad that he’s enjoying his college experience.</p>
<p>S#1 was only home from Wed 2pm till Friday 4pm–had to get back to campus for athletic practice—we are heading up to his school today to see his hockey game…hopefully we will sneak a quick visit in with him too as the Thanksgiving break was too short</p>
<p>He too seems sweeter, more appreciative but still really messy!
LOL!</p>
<p>Daughter says that the food at college is better than at home, and her dorm room is nicer than her room at home.</p>
<p>I have eaten in her dining hall and I have been in her dorm room, and I have to say that she is right on both counts.</p>
<p>My younger brother just came back from MIT from his first semester for thanksgiving. I’m not a parent but I’ve noticed that he has become far more responsible and far more concerned with the issues surrounding society. As opposed to running to play ps3, he came home and immediately looked through some of my books, and ended up reading the latest edition of The Economist. Whatever they are doing down there in MA they are doing it right.</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about that. I am a junior too and know where she is coming from. At least in engineering I am finding junior year to be far more thought provoking, first 2 years I took about 20 credits per semester. This semester I am finding 16 to be just as demanding.</p>
<p>Our S talked a lot about his time management, which made me very happy. He has found the proper balance between studying and relaxing. Of course for the past 5 days he got a lot of relaxing in and his day starts long after I have had breakfast and lunch. Oh well he loved sleeping in his own bed, and having his own bathroom…Did I mention that he left the bed unmade and wet towels on the floor? So he is still the same ole lovable slob. And I can’t forget about the 3 loads of laundry he brought me home.</p>