No, because we have no clue. I blame Boy Scouts, testosterone, and too much Call of Duty. Seriously, this came at us out of nowhere. Right up until a week before junior-year dropoff, he was dead set on USC for film school. Then, he sat us down and said, “Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you…”
@ChoatieMom Oh wow. Thanks.
My daughter is also home and all is right in my world again after not seeing her for 90 days! She’s sleeping in as I type this! Just knowing she is here in the house…well it’s just amazing! I hope all of you have a wonderful time with your kiddos this week!!
@RuralAmerica : I think my D slept for 3 solid days during freshman year Thanksgiving break! She emerged for food occasionally, but was not really able to participate much until she had caught up on sleep. It’s a huge adjustment!
We had planned to do some fun things today, but woke up to about a foot of snow and ice that we weren’t expecting ( was 62 degrees here yesterday!). So maybe we’ll be staying in and watching movies instead. Doesn’t matter… As you said, it is amazing just having them home.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
@AppleNotFar I think @i70sband with DS at Episcopal High School is pursuing service academies. He might be more helpful.
Our refrigerator is (fixed and) stocked. 
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
@payn4ward thank you for the suggestion. DH and I would like to take DC on some informal college visits and wondered if we should swing by any of the academies.
If your DC is interested in the service academies, you should definitely arrange a tour. Either @i70sband or I can answer questions about the process. I just can’t tell you with any real insight why our son chose this path, only that he did, he’s doing well, and very happy with his choice. What I can tell you upfront is that if your DC wants this path, the application process has many moving parts and takes a lot longer to complete than applying to civilian colleges. Also, many components will not be under your applicant’s timing control, so the sooner s/he gets started on the process, the better. I recommend serviceacademyforums.com as the place to go with questions. The are forums there for each academy as well as the ROTC options and the nomination and DoDMERB (medical) components.
The biggest gate in applying to the SAs is securing a nomination from a member of congress; without a nomination, the application dies, so that is where the initial effort goes. Also, the interview with the congressional panel is critical. The message that needs to come across loud and clear is that the applicant wants to serve as an officer in the military. Any other reason (I want to fly jets; I want to be a doctor; I love the idea of free tuition and I know I will rock that uniform) will not cut it.
Getting off topic. Feel free to PM.
That’s a big help @ChoatieMom thank you!
I can’t believe how fast this week has been going, but also how much I’m enjoying every second of it! I’m even enjoying the hint of teenage of teenage sass! 
I can’t even believe how much she has grown up in these past 90 days too…it’s unreal!
Late to this party! . . . how is everyone feeling about tonight, the Calm Before the Holiday Storm? While I am SUPER happy to have both kiddos home for the holidays (don’t get me wrong!), I have to say DH and I have been getting used to the quiet house, no schlepping to activities, eating what we want when we want, and our always-tidy home.
aka our freedom 
P.S. after numerous forwarding of emails, just received an emergency text from DS asking what his flight number is. (at11:30 PM the night before a 5:00 AM school shuttle pick-up). Sigh. Hope he and DD make that shuttle!
The school changed the calendar so mine is not home yet. DS flies home late Wednesday 21st night and returns January 4th.
Time to stock up the refregerator. I haven’t finished Christmas shopping. 
Boys may get their gifts after Christmas though, from newegg or other electroncs vendors.
The weather is slowly defrosting as temperatures rising from single digits. B-)
Hope everyone has a peaceful and joyous holiday season! ~O) :x <:-P
Both kiddos home and driving to and fro to see friends and family! And Friday’s stocked refrigerator is already 1/2 empty.
AND. . . Happy to report that both kids made that dreadful 5:00 A.M. Shuttle last Friday (in spite of one of them having to be woken up by an adviser)
Happy Holidays to all!
THE FOOD! OMG, THE FOOD!
(happy holidays)
We have been grocery shopping every.single.day.
SUCH a rough day today for me emotionally! They leave tomorrow at 6:25 A.M. 
We’ll be back for the Winter Long Weekend in six weeks. Too long . . . and cold. . .
Hugs @itcannotbetrue . One of the things they don’t tell you – it’s not just the first time you drop them off that’s hard.
More hugs, @itcannotbetrue. I’m spared until Wednesday morning. And then Spring Break will be here before we know it!
HUGS to everyone =(( =((
S2 leaves Wednesday morning. =(( No more groceries. Just ordered more dorm supplies from Amazon.
Yes, I discovered last year that returning DS (11th grade) to school after Christmas was just as hard as dropping him off in Aug. Not sure why - as we’d had several hellos/goodbyes in the interim. He’s home for another full week, then back to school Jan 9. Hopefully he’ll be home for long winter weekend in Feb so that we can do some college tours; he’s traveling abroad over spring break.
HUGS to everyone who dropped off their kids and are feeling the absence today.