DS made it home. We’ve already been to Chipotle (e-coli free, hopefully) and now he is playing Xbox with his brother. My heart is full. 
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
P4Wkid has boarded the plane (a few text exchanges during charter bus ride and boarding) and it took off 18 minutes ago according to FlightAware app.
He also had lunch at the airport using debit card based on the bank website (cyberstaaalking mom.)
I was asleep so I couldn’t respond his text of
“Do I need anything other than electronics, phone, wallet, boarding pass, extra clothes, and student id?” [longest text ever]
Question to students - What do you pack for break trip home??
I might send him back with a neck pillow for return trip.
For my air travels, I pack - neck pillow, noise canceling headphones, pills (sinus, advil,) band aids, gums/chewable candies (for ear ache), packable tote bag (for extra stuff), light sweater (for when AC is strong), purse stuff (wallet, id, pens, phone), socks (for walking past xray), umbrella (weather check,) printed/screen-captured itinery/reservations, kindle or ipad for reading, sun glasses, reading glasses…
I don’t have a flight or anything, but I’ve found that I need to pack clothing! All my clothes are at school, save for last year’s underwear and some old t-shirts.
P4Wkid is safely home. Hooray! What a light traveler! I told him it’s cold with this morning’s snow and all. And of course he arrived in a short sleeve T-shirt. At least he wore shoes not flip flops. I guess the temperature didn’t hit 30s in the East yet so he’s been wearing shorts to classes.
@payn4ward Argh! I’ve been wearing sweaters and my winter boots. :-?
umn… its hit below freezing :0
The government has become my kid’s mom and dictates what he wears. At least I know he’s got a warm coat and closed-toed shoes and is forced to wear them. Do you guys know how odd it is to never have to deal with your kid’s wardrobe ever again? He has a salary and his own healthcare and a place to be for at least the next nine years. We are just guests in his life now. He hasn’t been home since June. Yeah, I’m gonna make the most of every minute I have with him.
Congrats to all of you who have your kids with you already. Hold them close and have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving.
DS2 arrived home on the train last night from St. Andrew’s DE. It was his first solo long distance trip. He was signed up for the wrong shuttle to the station and would have missed his train if not for the quick thinking and kindness of two of his awesome teachers! He arrived on schedule and all is well : ) He is now enjoying lots of extra sleep and comfort food! (Thanks to all the CC vets for the advice on what to expect on re-entry - so far, so good ; )
DS1 arrives home from college tomorrow. We have a couple of days at home and then a short drive for the annual family Thanksgiving feast. I am looking forward to having a house filled with sibling banter, laughter and other shenanigans for rest of the week!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
DS entering the house says ‘Everything’s small!’ - The doors are smaller, living room is smaller. (No need to climb up three flights of stairs.) I guess he is now living in a bigger “House” (dorm.)
DS brought his next door neighbor, who is from southern Mexico, home with him for the nearly two week break - we had about a week’s notice. It is fine, he is a nice kid. Having 2 16yo boys in the house suddenly is a bit of a shock to all of us, most certainly to my grocery budget. So far they’ve slept about 18 hours each day, rising to eat a meal or two, and watch some sports on tv. I worry we’re boring the poor international student, but he seems quite content to sleep. OK, I guess… I sent his mother a picture of us at dinner last night, and she texted me back that that was the first photo she’s seen of her son since August…he apparently is as non-communicative as ours is, and thus is so very grateful for any info I can pass along. Teenagers are the same, apparently, whether they are American or otherwise.
GK made it home EARLY Saturday morning (Instead of late Friday night) thanks to the snow in Chicago. His flight was delayed for a little under 2 hours, and from what I’ve heard, it was lucky they got out. We ran him ragged Saturday and Sunday, and now he gets to sleep. Although on his instagram where he says he’s coming home, there are about a dozen girls all says “we need to hang out”. So, I may have seen the last of him until Thursday.
One of the downsides of BS for ChoatieCadet is that, eventually, he completely lost touch with all of his elementary/middle school friends, and we moved to another part of the valley last year. So, over Christmas break, he’ll be attending the All-Academy Ball hosted here by the parent clubs without a date as he no longer has any girl friends to ask. 
@ChoatieMom , you could solicit for him on CC. I’ll bet there are quite a few moms here who would be happy to offer their daughters for a date with CK.
Going to see HBKid for the first time since Family Weekend. We are meeting in New Jersey to see extended family and then back home. Last week we had a 1 hour phone conversation…so I am expecting a few father-son fireside chats. I’m going to keep things extra-curricular (i.e. no pressure on grades, school, et c.). Any advice on topics for connecting with a 14 year old boarding school student? Perhaps summer plans?
@heartburner - My wife and I had (have) totally different styles of communication. I’m more like the FBI (a nice FBI) and wanted to ask endless questions about everything. But my wife, who would rarely ask any questions at all, would always get all the answers, freely given! I always aspired to be “cool” like that but failed miserably. Anyway, you might have the most success letting HBson captain the conversation-ship.
I agree with ThacherParent! My experience as a parent (and BS dorm parent) has been “The less you ask, they more they tell.” 
Thanks for advice. I will be the strong silent type and wait for him to tell me stories.
P4Wkid said he sat next to students from his school in the plane.
Me: So where were your school friends going home to?
Son: I don’t know. We didn’t talk much. They were juniors.
Me: Then what did you talk about?
Son: Well, they asked if I know so… and so [other juniors in his dorm] and I said, yeah…they asked…I told them I’m going home to Colorado and they said they are going home to California.
DS doesn’t like to answer my questions but if I let him talk, there are answers to my questions.
I have often shut down the conversation by getting excited and asking direct questions… it’s a fine art… you MUST sit on your hands.
Sitting at the airport waiting for ChoatieCadet. Due to security alerts, he’s wearing civvies. As soon as I see his face, I’m going to lunge!