<p>Does anybody have any stories to share about the onslaught of college kids into their previously peaceful homes? I have a freshman s, but my younger two are 13 and 9 so life is decidedly different when the college kid arrives. How was it for you?</p>
<p>Winter break was busy, hectic, lots of eating, lots of laundry, lots of fun! All because youngest was home from college. He and his friends were like a swarm of locusts, roaming from house to house, eating everything in sight. It was great to have him home and catch up with all his friends. All at different colleges and all very happy with their choices. Grades in and they all did about how they did in high school. </p>
<p>Great time for the kids to reconnect and relax. Things are pretty quiet around here now!</p>
<p>It was wonderful having S around. He helped me with my computer, baked delicious cookies from scratch, co-hosted a games party with all of our friends ranging from age 20 to people my age, cleaned the roof, went to the movies with me, worked out, read some books, and did the majority of the work painting a living room wall.</p>
<p>He still didn’t clean his own bedroom, which is a wreck. He also didn’t do much to look for a summer job except meet twice with people at the place where he has worked part time over the summer (but he needs full time employment!). Still, overall, his presence was a delight, and I really miss him.</p>
<p>It was wonderful to set the table for 4 again… even if only very briefly (younger s was home for 3 weeks, older s only for a day or 2 as he came in and both boys went on vacation together for a week). Now we are back to setting it for 2. It sure is quiet around here… </p>
<p>I am sad that what was supposed to be a family vacation ended up as a week long vacation for the boys without us (as I’ve posted elsewhere, SH broke his leg/ankle in Sept so he couldnt ski, and we let the boys, ages 18 and 22, go without us) but the boys had a wonderful week together and hearing them rave about the trip (well all but the part about my older s’s broken nose-- that was not a fun part of the trip) make my H and I feel great that we were able to offer that to them, even if we couldnt be there with them.</p>
<p>Were they actually here? They were in and out…by that I mean either IN the bed or OUT with friends. S1 went on a almost weeklong trip w/ friends to NYC. S2 slept as much as is humanly possible then out the door to meet his friends somewhere.<br>
I think the four of us had three meals together the whole break. One of those was Christmas day and the other was the day after because were were traveling home fr. Grandma’s! Dh and I did have several meals with each boy separately though which was nice because we could sort of personalize it for each S. It was senior S’s last real “Christmas break”. He’ll be joining the real world in May so no more month long vacations…kinda bittersweet.</p>
<p>So now they are gone. The house is back to running on it’s orderly pattern with just DH, me and the dog here. I love seeing them but have to admit that now that we have gotten used to both being gone, it is nice for DH and I to be able to just be on our own schedule (or non-schedule) again…doing laundry less often, eating (or not) when we want to, going to bed knowing we won’t have to think about being awakened when they drag in at whatever hour, ordering take-out food that they don’t like but we love, taking spur of the moment weekend outings without having to keep their schedules in mind. </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong. I love’m to pieces and can’t wait to see them again but there are perks to them being back at sch too.</p>
<p>It was wonderful. We only get to see S for a couple weeks at Christmas and a month or so in the summer. He doesn’t have many friends in this area, so he hung out with us the whole time he was home. This year, he was very into decorating the tree, and helping his sister with other decorations, so it was lovely for her, and very gratifying for me to see them working together. </p>
<p>He did spend a weekend at either end of the break with some friends in California, so he got a fair amount of socializing, also.</p>
<p>I’d describe it as heartbreaking for me. She literally breezed in and out a few times, but spent the majority of the three weeks, including every single night at boyfriend’s parents house. I don’t think she would have come over at all if there hadn’t been presents to pick up. It’s time to have a heart-to-heart that if you don’t live in my house by my rules, you can start supporting yourself because I’ve had it.</p>
<p>D is never at home when she is back, I am glad to see her whenever I have a chance. H did not see her for several days after her arrival. So not much difference for us, except that when she decided that she would like to talk to me, it was about 1am. However, I was still very happy to have a chance to be with her even in a middle of the night. At the end, she was sad to go back to school saying that she will miss us, the house, her room and her friends terribly.</p>
<p>S was only home a few days but it overlapped with D & her husband visiting, so we had a nice houseful for a while. Before that we all went to Chicago and after that some of us went to Va. so it was a pretty full vacation.</p>
<p>S, when he’s home, catches up on his sleep and spends most of his waking hours on the laptop but I’m not complaining. I know he works hard when he’s in school!</p>
<p>Lots of girlfriend and friend time here, and sleeping, of course. We see him enough, and he’s fun to be around. There’s a lot on the agenda during his last week, including a doctor’s appointment, a haircut, and (I hope) a promised trip to the laundromat to wash big bedding in the industrial-strength washer. Given his enthusiasm for the coin laundry at school, I don’t think that’s too much to ask ;). The dog expects him to be here at all times and will miss him when he’s gone again. So will we. Note to self: schedule a nice dinner out for just the three of us.</p>
<p>I forgot–he did get a haircut! And I swear, a casual observer couldn’t tell anything had been cut off. :D</p>
<p>What’s funnier is his father did the same thing at that age (I knew him in college). Paid big bucks for a haircut (not at the barbershop) and you could hardly tell anything was missing.</p>
<p>I guess as long as you have it, you should grow it. Someday he’ll be near-bald like his dad. :)</p>
<p>S2 was here for an all too brief 3 weeks. It was so nice. Lots of practicing. Sometimes we just muted the TV so we could listen to him. We have missed that so much. I didn’t even mind scales. </p>
<p>We took him several times to his favorite restaurants and made some of his favorite foods, although he didn’t seem to be overly interested in food.</p>
<p>Not too much friend time. Previous best friend dropped out of college mid semester and I think they don’t have too much in common any more. He was very anxious to get back and informed us he’s not coming home for spring break, but will stay at school. We’ll probably go there to visit him for 2-3 days as we have the same break.</p>
<p>S spent the four weeks sleeping, hanging out with his girlfriend and his best friend. He did have a dr’s appt and a haircut and he went to visit some family several states away for about a week. He wasn’t home very much at all unless he was sleeping!</p>
<p>My son was only here for six days, but that was enough for several good conversations with him. He’s not all that communicative by e-mail or telephone, so it was nice to be able to talk to him in person. I probably won’t see him again until summer at least and maybe not even then (he’s a graduate student on the opposite side of the country).</p>
<p>My daughter, who is a sophomore in college, has been here for almost a month and will leave on Thursday, weather permitting. In between dutifully showing up for multiple medical/dental appointments, getting her hair cut, doing some necessary shopping, and filling out applications for 24 summer internships, she did have a little fun occasionally – probably not often enough. She seems to be losing contact with her friends from high school, which makes the long winter breaks kind of dull. I like having her here because she’s an interesting person to talk with, but her real life is at college. </p>
<p>My life is very different when both kids are gone than when one or both are home, but I’ve gotten used to living in two different modes.</p>
<p>Ours was way too short to complain about…I miss them and can’t wait until they are home again</p>
<p>Man… I have GOT to get some sleep!! I read this
as this :
LOL!!!</p>
<p>AdvMom–Even though my son tends to hang out here with friends, it doesn’t really offer much opportunity for interaction. I can usually lure them up from the basement with food, but then I end up talking to his friends more than to him. It was great fun to see all of them and he was having a terrific time, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wished for more time alone with him. It wasn’t a very satisfying break for that reason. We did lure him for an overnight family trip to Chicago. If we had the means–and who does these days–I’d definitely plan a family vacation for part of break. I mentioned spending next Christmas in Massachusetts with my brother and ds said he’d like that, but then ammended it to,“as long as it doesn’t take up too much of my break.” Can you pry her away from boyfriend with something like that? I think this is a very tricky area, because on the one hand you want to teach them to be thoughtful and considerate but on the other hand, will the time you have together be pleasant if it is something you had to force? I said this in one of my earliest posts when I was lamenting ds never calling from school–if I’d known all my devotion and hard work would be rewarded with me being discarded like an old sock, I might have spent more time on the couch with a tumbler of bourbon and less time baking cookies. I feel your pain. </p>
<p>The last few days of break he had invited a “friend who happens to be a girl” to stay with us because she got back to campus earlier than eveyone else and didn’t want to be there alone. I think as her visit progressed she actually evolved into being a girlfriend. It was a very strange experience. I’m pleased he felt comfortable enough to invite her home, and of course I knew he’d meet girls and date in college, but I didn’t think it would happen so fast. I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it. He had a couple of girlfriends in high school but he was never really into spending all his time with them. In fact, if it had been an option for either of them to stay here for 4 days and nights, he would not have wanted that. He must realllllllly like her to have wanted to spend his last days with her rather than with his friends. This is probably a whole other topic…</p>
<p>Played some bridge and some Blokus watched a fair number of old Firefly episodes. Mathson spent most of the time setting up his new laptop or playing games on it, but occasionally begrudgingly got his old laptop set up son it’s now my new laptoip. I think he’s put enough stuff on it that I can even pay him what I agreed to . 
He was pretty agreeable, though he tends to hide in his room a lot.</p>
<p>Bittersweet-- soph S was in town for less than a week. Attended the parties and formal and informal family get togethers. Spent a little 1 on 1 with the old man. Then “outta here.” </p>
<p>Skiing, skiing, skiing. New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Remember a burning passion for something and zest for every minute? It was sort of like a contact high. He does it and I get a rush.</p>
<p>Not one request for money. He figured it out on his own. Crashing with friends. New Years Eve in Jackson Hole sledding and having a ball.</p>
<p>Freebird, fly high and away, but I hope you occasionally find your way back here.</p>
<p>Marian - <strong><em>24</em></strong> summer internship applications? Eek! I thought college apps were bad. My fingers are crossed that at least one terrific opportunity comes her way!</p>