<p>DD leaves next Monday for move-in. Trying to think of a special activity/outing to do before she leaves but somewhat limited since her internship goes to this Friday and she wants to see her high school friends over the weekend. We spent this past weekend finishing her dorm shopping. Maybe a nice family dinner at her favorite restaurant will be all we can do with limited time. Anyone else planning anything special?</p>
<p>Just a little bit of advice. Plan whatever you do for Sunday evening, when your D probably won't be doing stuff with friends. It would be a shame for the two of you to get into an argument over something like this right before she leaves for school.</p>
<p>We are doing a local spa day for three of us, which includes her younger sister. Dad feels a bit left out, but he'll be glad to get us out of the house. This is her second year back, but for some reason I feel a bit sadder this time. D said it's because I was keeping my feelings checked last year, this year I am just more open about it. I think this may also be her last summer home, which makes me very sad. D has agreed to say all her good-byes this week and save this weekend for the family.</p>
<p>Not really, we have been doing stuff a little all summer. E.g., going to eat out more at places she like or wanted to try and seeing all the major (well ones she is interested in) movies that have come out (she is a movie buff -- actually used that as an "interest/hobby" on her apps).</p>
<p>Last year one of the last things my D and I did together before she left was a pedicure - I think it helped relax us both for the days ahead and she felt pampered a bit...:)</p>
<p>Another we did last year the night before was to pack as much of the car as we could - we were all feeling anxious anyway and everything was pretty much together, so it helped to save time in the morning and made us all feel better to actually DO something rather than sit around anxiously waiting for the next morning....</p>
<p>We didn't make any special family plans before either of my kids left for freshman year. Somehow, that would have seemed to add to the tension.</p>
<p>I think my parents just took me to a dinner at my favorite restaurant. Nothing too fancy.</p>
<p>I suggested several things to my D, one being a family dinner the Sunday before she leaves inviting grandparents, close aunts and uncles (we all live within a couple of miles of each other), but she is too miserable to the whole family lately for us to even feel like doing anything nice for her. I also offered to throw a pool party for her and she could have all her friends over and have a bonfire. But...she made plans to go camping with friends.</p>
<p>So our biggest thing to do before she leaves is I am accompanying her to the dentist tomorrow for a pre-college cleaning!! Woo hoo...</p>
<p>I am making home-cooked meals all week and letting D2 decide on the menu (to ensure that we are having all of her favorite dishes).</p>
<p>my mom and i went on an 11-mile hike last weekend.</p>
<p>Since my D started preschool, we have gone to tea at the Four Seasons the day before school starts. Her little feet used to dangle off the seat cushion! So we are going this year again, just the two of us, and we will talk about what we always talk about: what happened last year, what's coming up, my hopes for her, etc. It is a lovely tradition, and only once did she ruin it by being a ****ant.</p>
<p>I'm jealous of all of you. My parents have been working 50-hour weeks lately, and while I'm grateful that they're working so hard, I feel a bit forgotten sometimes. I barely even see them anymore! I don't care about special plans, but it would be nice to see them more than--maybe--an hour a day when everyone's exhausted.</p>
<p>I've been making S's favorite foods this week, and H and S are going golfing on Thursday. We leave on Friday :eek:.</p>
<p>"my mom and i went on an 11-mile hike last weekend."</p>
<p>Wow, your Mom is awesome!</p>
<p>I'm hoping our family of four will manage to sit down to dinner together on Friday night. S1 will be just back from a month's training with the Navy and will be here for 2 days before heading back to sch. for his senior year. S2,DH and I will be leaving the next day for move-in day for his freshman yr. I'm not sure I can even remember when the four of us had dinner together (maybe Christmas?). So yeah, dinner will be good enough for me.</p>
<p>My dad and I are taking a family ride to the airport? That count?</p>
<p>I am planning a manicure/pedicure for only chid/daughter and lunch at her favorite place before she goes. :(</p>
<p>We are going out to a nice family dinner Wednesday night. She leaves on Sunday. She says it is not a going back to school dinner but a dinner to reward her for Dean's list last year. Got her a new Wii game to back to school with. Her friends and team mates are very excited! She has been in training all summer so the dinner is much appreciated by her.</p>
<p>Wow you mothers are so nice...</p>
<p>We'll go out to dinner together at our regular Friday-night restaurant two days before we leave. (Now that we're paying tuition, we'll be cutting back to one Friday a month ;) ) Then I have the urge to keep him up all night talking, just to store up some of those good conversations to last me until Thanksgiving.</p>