I always feel sucker-punched when he leaves (he’s packing up as I write this). I feel like I didn’t get to say all the things I wanted to say to him, and he’s at a stage where he doesn’t want to hear anything mushy from mom. The post-holiday blues aren’t helping either.
Hugs to all of us today. Sniff.
Yup. I hope you don’t mind collective hugs while sniffling. Are all kids as gleeful as mine to go back?
I think mine were happy to go back, @GoatMama --especially my DD. Ignorance is bliss when you haven’t lived through a Northeastern winter. :-S
Mine is ready to go back, but he loves his alone time/privacy here. There is absolutely zero of that at the academy. As an only child who had a single ten of his twelve semesters at Choate, the “togetherness” of the Corps has probably been his biggest adjustment (can you say, “community shower rooms?”). He burrows deep into his man cave while he’s home. I will spare you the details of my cleaning schedule today.
The weather back east doesn’t look too bad, and he has a non-stop this time, so he is relatively calm and happy this morning. Unlike BS where, if there were a possibility of being late, a phone call to the Dean would suffice, being late back to the academy means he’s AWOL and subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. No pressure there. Usually, he schedules his flight back a day before he has to report, but the Corp was given an extra day due to the Army/Navy win, so he wanted to take full advantage of that.
Anyway, safe travels to all of our kids.
Where is @gusmom with the bourbon?
DS is soooo happy to have the boarders back and to be back at school! BS break was so much longer than his local friends’s PS break, his sister’s PS break, and our time off of work. He actually got bored of Madden (WHAT!! Could that be true???) and was not thrilled by the extra household chores we gave him. DS had a bad cold all of break and is also finally healthy. So, @GoatMama , yes, he is positively gleeful to be back!
Group HUGS =(( =((
It is snowy and freezing in 11 degree here.
I hope S2 locates his snowboots and jacket before the cold front reaches him Saturday. Last winter was mild so he did not used them. He forgot he had those and asked for boots during the break. I told him they are somewhere in his dorm room, under the bed or in closet.
Well guess what I had to do a mere few hours after putting GoatKid on the plane - overnight Bean boots, tall boots, sweater, and several other items that SOMEBODY forgot to pack in her case…
@ChoatieMom , we pulled our moods out of the same barrel today. I always feel like I should have used our time together in a more meaningful way. Which would be enormously distasteful to DS.
Text says “Mom, I need the textbooks from home by tomorrow.”
LOL. Visited the post office myself the day after they left. It is really amazing how much one can shove into a Medium-sized Priority Mail box. BTW, the soft, fluffy items (such as new wool scarves forgotten at home) should always go in first.
:))
Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to get better with age. While cleaning our son’s room after his departure back to CO for college, we discovered he had left his snow jacket here. This item was relatively important as he went back early from Christmas break to snowboard with friends. I do love those priority boxes.
Sorry I’m late to the party! 
We actually had tears at the drop off on Wednesday. Sophomore year, mid winter…someone was NOT looking forward to going back to class. As of last night, he seems to be back to himself, except he is ssoooooo tired. As an incentive to “feel better” we promised to do something fun over winter long weekend (instead of just hanging around P-town.) What’s fun within a couple hours of the city of brotherly love?
@gusmom2000 Tickets to a Philly sporting event or concert, snow sports in the Poconos, trip to NYC, museums etc in Baltimore…
Depending on where you live and ship to - look at Regional A and B boxes for mailing from the USPS. You might have to order them from the Post Office (for free - they will deliver them to your door), but they are flat rate boxes, so great for books and other heavy items.
@gusmom2000 – Manhattan?? It IS within a couple of hours. Agreed with @carpoolingma --museums and shows.
You could take the Amtrak from Philly right into Penn Station. I just booked a room for only $169 a night for our Winter Long Weekend. A Marriott Doubletree property in Midtown right off 5th Ave and walking distance to Moma, Bloomies, Madison and (ha ha!) Trump Presidential Tower North.
I know, not glam, but if we want to do Park City (DRIVING there) for Spring Break, that’s where we’re at on the GLAM (or lackthereof) factor.
At least its more exciting than WALLINGFORD, CT.
I never even thought about Amtrak…I just know I hate driving in the “big city” and NYC driving especially scares me! We can do ether NYC or DC, for the same price. Thanks for the idea!!! I’m excited now, and I’m waiting for him to tell me his choice. We’ve all been to DC, so I’m hoping he picks NYC!!
Well, I know that ChoatieKid did not spend 6 years in HS, so I think you mean trimesters.
I don’t know how it is in the US these days, but when my dad was in the military across the pond, he said there is nothing that promotes brotherhood as having no privacy in the bathroom and having 5 minutes to, to use euphemisms to avoid violating College Confidential rules, “get ready in the morning.”
Train train train!
I will not drive in NYC and with busses, trains, NJ Transit, Amtrak, Subway, cabs, uber…there is no reason to!
Parking and tolls and aggravation cost so much, way more than your public transportation tickets.
“Trimesters” it was, of course, @skieurope. Though I wish he were still at Choate. Sigh.
I’m just sitting here gloating…my kids are still home. 