<p>Good luck, oregonianmom! I have never been able to even hum that song without getting misty. We’ve passed the one-week mark here (yesterday). Things are settling down. I’ll clean his room this weekend. There are things about our “new” life that I like: no more high school (I don’t miss it), the calmer morning routine, the neater living room, the dinner menu chosen by H and I alone, the restaurant bill that’s 30% less (though of course that money just tranferred over to his meal plan!). Mostly I miss the simple sound of his voice and anticipating that he’ll plop down in the chair in my office and tell me stories about his day. It’s awfully quiet around here. And the dog has been more neurotic than usual.</p>
<p>I just came up with a nice little upside to having both kids at college. I called my auto insurer and got $1000 per year cut off my rates by having daughter insure her car at her school address (Ohio) rather than at our home address (New Jersey) and by having son listed as an occasional driver, since he does not have a car at school (Pennsylvania) this year. All those of you who are sending kids off to college may want to call their insurers to see if you can save some money yourselves.</p>
<p>Welcome, RippleStillWater! I’m glad you found this thread. Please let us know how dropping your son off goes today.</p>
<p>If we’re going with Peter, Paul and Mary songs, how about Puff the Magic Dragon? “A dragon lives forever but not so little boys…” Oh, that will have me lunging for the Kleenex box! </p>
<p>My son called this morning. He’s been at a pre-orientation program and finally got to move into his permanent room today. I hope it goes well. He’s in a suite with one double and the rest singles. He’s in the double–with a roommate who checked off the opposite extreme when it comes to bedtimes. I don’t know what the housing people were thinking. Actually, I’m not sure they were thinking. Oh well, the guy seems like a super nice person.</p>
<p>This is also taking this thread slightly OT, but a quick follow-up to the “what were they thinking” comment 2blue made about the roommate assignments. DS’s hall (on the guys side) has 7 rooms (14 guys). The RA’s first name is XXX, and 9 of the 14 boys on the floor (including my s) have that very same first name as well! It was funny for about 5 minutes. Now its just annoying. That was really stupid, IMO. Ironically, on move-in day, one of the mothers of one of these same-named kids was calling to her son by his first and middle name (ie “John Stuart”). Turns out his middle name happens to be our last name, so my s was befuddled as to why this lady was constantly calling for him!! I believe they will be working on coming up with nicknames for each other, to deal with the multiplicity of same names. DS rejected my suggestion of “Skippy” for him :)</p>
<p>Now that reminds me of [url=<a href=“http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/bruces.htm]Bruces[/url”>http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/bruces.htm]Bruces[/url</a>]</p>
<p>Exactly, Bassdad! Actually, it reminded me of George Foreman! </p>
<p>DS said there is a floor (wing) on the girls side that has a similar issue, with 5 girls having the same first name. In their case, the first name isn’t a very common one, so these were obviously intentional, and not some random computer fluke.</p>
<p>We are finally done with moving. We drove our D to her college last Sunday.
When we got there, her roommate had already arrived and had her side of the room organized. It looked amazing and looked like something out of a catalog. (That could be another thread altogether.) In any case, I helped my D unpack and organize her closet. My DH set up the computer stuff. Everything was done in an hour. We had plans to stay with her for dinner. But my D declared that she is going with friends to a musical event. That was it… She went off with her friends happily. We drove back home feeling sad. The house seems to be empty without all her bags and books all around the house. My D also left the next day for one week business trip. I am staying home waiting for their calls. Oh, I wish I had a needy child.</p>
<p>BassDad, thanks for sharing. We will call our agent to make the change. I need things to do now.</p>
<p>I emailed S2 yesterday to ask how he felt about me texting him sometimes. Here is his reply:
“I think I should also clarify mom that as long as you aren’t calling me multiple times during the day or during class I’m happy to hear from you. Don’t worry that I’m trying to get away from you.”</p>
<p>Yeah, right. ;)</p>
<p>Just returned late last night from dropping S2 off. He’s happily ensconced in his room with most of his stuff put away, his bed made (I did that) and his clothes put away (I did that, too). Finished everything by about 1:30. There was a parent Q&A session with departure scheduled at 4:30, but we were sitting there just H & I and S & roommate, and we figured it would be better if we were on the road (16 hr. trip) a bit earlier rather than sitting there watching him read and mess with his stuff. Didn’t think we needed the parent orientation either. </p>
<p>I was fine during the whole drive and over night stay (watched the convention on TV) until last night when I got ready to go to bed and walked by his empty room. I’ve had a lump in my throat every since. Fortunately, S1 is still home for a few weeks and the dog always wants attention. Shopping sounds like fun, but we also returned home to the second tuition bill.</p>
<p>My DS is leaving for school on Friday. He intends to pack Thursday. You can’t make this stuff up.</p>
<p>Killing time as S1 and DH move into the dorm. I could not accompany them, and am oh-so-distracted at work. Cried/thought about them yesterday as they drove, but am more melancholy today. Just spoke to H: “Are you making his bed?” “He can make his own bed.” Well, of course he can. But still. . . H is not even sure he’s staying for the incoming student welcoming ceremony this evening. What’s wrong with him?</p>
<p>Nothing’s “wrong” with your H–we all have different ways of dealing with seperation and maturity. Many of us are “nurturers” and want to help our young ones “nest” in their new surroundings while others prefer to give the kid the basics and let them do their own nesting. Neither is “wrong,” just different. That’s one of the things that makes us humans so fascinating–our different approaches to the situations we face.</p>
<p>Well, S1 finally found a rent for the school year…YAY…so the boxes he packed before flying out last week are on their way by DHL as we speak.</p>
<p>Now I can start perusing overstockdotcom for cheap housewares and bedding to send.</p>
<p>jym626–Skippy! I’ll suggest that idea to my S, who has the same name problem. Through 12 years of school, he never had to be called “xxxx x.” (first name, last initial), and now he’s in college and it starts!</p>
<p>The charger for the laptop.</p>
<p>Duh!!!</p>
<p>geezermom-
DS informed me that he was dubbed “scooter”. I actually fell for it before he reminded me of what a gullible fool I can be sometimes…</p>
<p>This is gonna sound weird, but I hope that all those same-named kids are back on the 11th floor with him in a week after Gustav blows by… I am still anxious and nervous about this storm and its effects…</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>We have made a practice of checking all outlets before leaving anywhere or calling a final close on packing. Have left too many chargers over the years. The habit has rubbed off on all the kids, I think. We’ll see.</p>
<p>Well, I figure that will be the last time he forgets his laptop charger.</p>
<p>Of course, there’s always the phone charger, and the iPod charger, and, and, and . . . .</p>
<p>I hope so too, jym. How nerve-racking to have a child possibly in the storm’s path.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My sister happened to have “the” popular name for her birth year, and as the freshmen girls were sitting in the dorm introducing themselves, girl after girl popped up with the same name. Time for sister to speak, and she suddenly re-named herself. Has used that nick-name for the last 30 something years. Of course now they all see each other’s facebook before arriving so the chance to re-invent oneself is limited.</p>