<p>You guys are all so calm and organized. I’ve been too busy unpacking my classroom this week to pack the mountain of dorm stuff in my dining room AND I just keep crying over wierd things and in wierd places. Like in Publix over babies in shopping carts and watching Harry Potter as a family for the last time.</p>
<p>Babies…don’t get me started on babies!!!</p>
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<p>Hey, Rose, free therapy awaits you right over the Koolaus whenever you need it. :)</p>
<p>Just a year ago we were in the same boat, feeling the same anguish. But within weeks we were getting glowing reports from our son, stoked that Bama was even more awesome than advertised. </p>
<p>It’s all good. No, make that great.</p>
<p>Roll Tide.</p>
<p>Oh, gosh, it’s almost here. Now, all the sudden, all the workmen we’ve been trying to get all summer are knocking on the door. Sorry, guys, you’ll have to come back August 23rd, because I’m in Getting Ready for College mode now!</p>
<p>We did the trial pack of the car last year, and will do it again this year.</p>
<p>So, no, cement guy, you cannot break up my driveway right now, I’m going to be using it a lot in the next two weeks!</p>
<p>H is very sad, as he wanted to put in a garden with son before he went back to school. But the mud and sod guy won’t be here in time for that to be done. I’ll be back to CC looking for Christmas planting tips then!</p>
<p>Dad - hope you, your sweet daughter and your family have a great and safe trip! One thing hubby thought of - twist ties for putting the cables together.</p>
<p>How did this time get here so quickly…when you all mentioned the tears I can chime it! Next week we are going on a last minute vacation to Schlitterbahn with several families. The kids have bets on how soon it will be before one of the moms tears up 
Y’all are absolutely correct. It’s the little things that really get to us!</p>
<p>Be careful everyone; see you in Tuscaloosa. Roll Tide!</p>
<p>Crimsonmomtobe, SCHLITTERBAHN IS AWESOME!!! Sorry, its my fav waterpark in the world Gosh I can’t believe it’s almost time! Also, it seems like just yesterday I was a freshman. Ah nostalgia. This time I’ll be moving in on my own. Half the stuff is coming back with me from Georgia, the other half is getting picked up from self storage in Northport. Hope my car doesn’t bust with all the books I got this summer!</p>
<p>Ladydianski…I tend to wake up earlier than everyone else in my house. Toy Story 3 came on one morning, and as my DH and DS came down in the morning I was crying my eyes out!!</p>
<p>uh I know, we went out for a last family dinner out since it was H’s b’day. We probably won’t have time for it next week. S invited someone from South America who was with him in the summer college program last summer to stay for a few days next week, so I’m sure very little will be getting done. I think this weekend is about it. I bought S a frame now I actually have to print out 4 pics to go into it. Leaving one week from tomorrow.</p>
<p>Went to Walmart today…saw all the back to school lists and teared up…back to work and there was his senior pic and teared up…driving home from work, turned down our road and teared up! Walked in the door and he asked “when are you going to have done?”…maybe an empty nest won’t be so bad as I think it will be!! All kidding aside, seeing this last child off to college is a little bit hard on Mom!</p>
<p>DD is the youngest of four…everyone kept asking “will you be ok” I always answered “yes” but there was this nagging in the back of my mind…but yes…my “to do” list started to get done and DH and I had a blast doing so many things together we just hadn’t had time for before. Did I cry when we pulled out of the Tut parking lot…yes …but have to tell y’all…remember this…we raise them to spread their wings and fly…look at what wonderfully successful young men and women y’all have raised…watch them fly and then pat yourselves on the back…job well done :).</p>
<p>I’ve been a mom for 32 years, so it’s going to be a little tough to lose my day job! I will have to watch Toy Story, I heard it was tough. I should do it now before he leaves. I am beginning to get a little melancholy though.</p>
<p>Idinct: Don’t watch it now, wait…it will tear your heart out…</p>
<p>Well, we thought this would be our last week before DS left, but he got a multiple-resistant strep that was so bad they tested him for bubonic plague (yes, we still have that in New Mexico). He’s recovered now, but not quite full strength, so we cancelled Outdoor Action:-(</p>
<p>The only problem is that I’d arranged everything so that I could just stay home and cry while DH took DS to Bama. Now, with the changed date, I have to be the one to do the drop-off… something I tried REALLY hard to avoid, since I knew that neither DS or I would enjoy a tearful scene. </p>
<p>Does this get easier after the first time?</p>
<p>My mom and I dropped lil bro off last year. As he walked away from the car the last time my mom let the floodgates open. I think she cried the whole way back to the airport. This despite the fact she was going to see him in a few weeks as we were coming back for the Penn St game. I guess that last one leaving the nest is hard. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure she didn’t cry when I went to school though. In fact I think the whole family had a party as soon as I drove away :-(</p>
<p>NMxCloudFX: Sorry to hear that your son will miss outdoor action due to his illness. I hope that he feels better soon. But, probably better to get this illness over before the semester starts. When you get to campus take a drive to see where the student health care center is -in case he needs to go there. I have found that sometimes strep needs a second round of antibiotics if it is bad case (just my experience, not a doctor ) Make sure he has his insurance/prescription cards with him. </p>
<p>After you drop him off, go do something fun…it will take your mind off leaving your son at school. </p>
<p>Answering your question “Does it get easier?” Yes and no. Each semester is more exciting in different ways and it seems not as hard to say goodbye but then there are surprisingly unexpected moments when you just MISS them. </p>
<p>Good Luck with move-in!!!</p>
<p>Roll Tide!</p>
<p>NJ were you mean to your family before you left? My D is picking fights with EVERYone in the family. I think she feels like it will make it easier for her to leave. I wish she would stop!! I would much rather cry for a few minutes than feel like singing HALLELUJAH when she leaves;)</p>
<p>Funny, so much has changed in the 30 years since I left for college. First, me and my roomate (HS buddy, who also ended up being my Best Man) loaded up ALL of our stuff in my VW Scirocco … including the 3 “big items” that we bought that very morning with our own money: mini-frig, 12 inch B/W TV, and a boom-box. Then, I think we left at like 3:00 in the afternoon, while all of our parents were still at work. Bang … we were gone! No drama. No tears. No immediate connectivity back to family with FB, cell phones, texting, etc. Just the land line phone in our room. Personally, as much or as little as I “see” my D now, I may actually have a better chance of communicating with her more regularly AFTER she’s at school! We have threatened to turn off her cell phone if she doesn’t talk to one of us at least once every other day! I will be sad, no doubt, but it sure is fun to see her so happy and excited. Roll Tide!!!</p>
<p>Me mean? Never I already had an older brother off at Penn St and an older sister off at Kean University. So it wasn’t really a big deal for another one to be leaving for college. </p>
<p>I’ll bet your daughter is just stressing and taking that stress out on the family. She’ll settle down.</p>
<p>Hey, I sat in the lobby area of the 3rd floor at Lakeside West and cried on the shoulders of the lovely RAs! But it was all mixed up happiness and saying ‘goodbye’ to my child’s childhood.</p>
<p>Try to remember: Its all Good and MUCH BETTER THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO LEAVE HOME! </p>
<p>(The ones I really cry for are the parents with the 30+ still living at home and not necessarily by choice!)</p>
<p>Do sign up for SKYPE so you can talk to your child on-line with video:) Its fun and you can see the dorm room, too ! (Loved the bike being used for miscellaneous clothes…)</p>
<p>We take DD down next Saturday as well. We did a massive amount of shopping this afternoon. Now just a few more things on her list to buy here in town: TV, mini toolkit, curtains, and a few minor little things. After we get her stuff intothe dorm room, we’ll head out to Target and/or Walmart to get basic cleaning supplies, food items, and stuff we just don’t want to waste car space on.</p>
<p>She’ll have her car with her, so she can get whatever else she or her roommates might Ned at any time.</p>
<p>We’ll hopefully be taking just her car and one of ours. Her boyfriend moves in 3 hours later, and his family is driving their huge 15 passenger minivan down, so he’ll bring all her overflow.</p>
<p>She’s insisting on bringing the 6’ tall bookcase from her room, complete with all her books, DVDs, and flute sheet music. Thank goodness we’re only 2.5 hours away, so it really won’t be a huge deal to go retrieve things she wants to send home or take her anything she forgets.</p>
<p>Her latest thing is she wants to take one of my sister’s black labs with her. She probably would also like to take at least one of our cats, especially the new kitten. Butmthosemthings she’ll just have to do without. :)</p>