<p>Opened our door to what we thought was the last kid out for trick or treat. Turned out to be S who decided to drive the 7 1/2 hours home and surprise us. </p>
<p>Apparently, the fire alarm keeps going off at his apartment complex and he decided to come home where he can get some sleep.</p>
<p>What a nice surprise, seccat!!</p>
<p>^^What a nice surprise for you - definitely a treat!</p>
<p>Awwwww, seccat, that’s awesome! Happy Halloween!</p>
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<p>My son doesn’t have a fall break- the UC’s don’t start until late Sept. He is a freshman and he told me all summer that he was positive he would not get homesick. I guess he knew what he was talking about, because we have not seen him, and are lucky if we talk to him 2 min. a week. He is only 3 hours away but we may not see him til Christmas. We are OK with it-he is the last of 4- and are happy he loves his school and is doing well! At this point he says he will never leave San Diego. With daily surfing and soccer we are surprised he has time for school, but so far, so good!"</p>
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<p>Loved it! :)</p>
<p>100% jealous Seccat!! You have a great son and I hope he enjoys a good nights sleep!!</p>
<p>MikeWozoski, NO KIDDING! I know for the next time! Mums the word for sure! </p>
<p>Heck, it’s been 2 weeks and she still hasn’t called me, my mother. Not even for my birthday. All because the kid that was not even in town for 48 hours did not come by to see them. Oh well… </p>
<p>What is this “Chicago Mix” you speak of?</p>
<p>TxNCM, it is a popcorn mix of caramel and cheddar. It is the best popcorn ever.</p>
<p>Mine is going with some of her sorority sisters on a bus trip to initiate her new sisters in their sorority colony at UT Chattanooga…a " once in a life-time event!. "</p>
<p>She says she is doing laundry tonite before they leave…ahem.</p>
<p>TxNCM, [Learn</a> more about us | Garrett Popcorn Shops](<a href=“http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/about/]Learn”>http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/about/)</p>
<p>I brought a bag to NRDMOM this summer. She took one look at it, turned up her nose, and said “Who would eat that?”. By the next morning, though, it was gone.</p>
<p>We must have been awful for our parents. None of us even came home during the academic year except for the summer. I didn’t even want to come home then but dad insisted. He was a smart man–that’s one of the reasons I moved back to HI after graduating from law school–had great job offer from top HI law firm. </p>
<p>My kids have only come home for Christmas break and some time in the summer. Feel fortunate we can visit them. In fact, am traveling with D now to visit S in DC. (She’s graduated but not yet employed and he graduated and works in VA.) d is probably going to spend Tgiving in LA with my best friend and her family.</p>
<p>I really am happy that mine is happy being away. I am thrilled to be at this point in life, with a little more flexibility now that I don’t have any school age children living at home, and I am so very blessed to have the unexpected bounty of friends made through my son’s college journey. It’s just a little bittersweet when you see the cute kids in costumes knocking on your door and you realize those days as a parent are over.</p>
<p>Hmm, may have to order some of that “Chicago Mix”. Sounds tempting. At the popcorn place by us I have to talk myself out of going in there. I LOOOOVE their red hots candy popcorn. </p>
<p>Still have one at home but she is not into trick or treating. She has always preferred to stay and handout the candy.</p>
<p>TxNewCollegeMom - my daughter did that once, came home for a really quick trip. we didn’t tell anyone, because she didn’t want to have to spend her time visiting this or that grandma. when you are only home for a couple days, there is not enough time for all of that.</p>
<p>of course, we let it slip later that she had been home. oops!</p>
<p>I’ve learned my lesson! Never again! Heck, besides the friends that are younger than her that she saw at the football game she only saw ONE friend the whole time that also came home that weekend. The one she went to a quick dinner with on Saturday night. Then they came back to the house and visited with us for a bit before calling it a night. She even had friends that were here texting her about seeing her while she was in town and she told them she didn’t have time. Grandparents seem to think she had all this free time while she was here. Oh well. Next time I won’t be spilling any news about her coming home, er, I mean to visit. Afterall, she now calls Tuscaloosa “home”.</p>
<p>I feel that I am one of the “lucky ones”…</p>
<p>When we moved S into his apartment in August, no concrete plans were made as to when we would see him next. Husband and I offered to come visit earlier in October, when our daughters were on break, but S mentioned that he was swamped with homework…gotta love the ENGR curriculum. I responded with my most supportive “happy voice”, but I was certainly sad inside as I knew that we wouldn’t see him until Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Much to our surprise last night, midway through trick or treat, up the driveway comes the red Civic…WHAT A SURPRISE! I had been counting down the weeks until Thanksgiving break, but apparently S had planned for the last 3 weeks to drive home (8 1/2 hours) to surprise us. He’s a keeper.</p>
<p>Now, not to make him sound overly perfect…one of the motivations for his return is a birthday party tonight for a good HS friend of his who attends a college about 2 hours from our home. SOOOO…yes, he has left to spend the rest of the day and tonight with friends. He will be home tomorrow, and then back on the road Sunday to return to Ttown.</p>
<p>I, however, feel so blessed to have this unexpected opportunity to hug my son. I used to hate it when people would tell me to enjoy my kids while they were little because the time would go so quickly. I have to bite my tongue to not say the very same thing to young parents today.</p>
<p>For everyone here who is enjoying their Bama kids at home this weekend, for everyone wishing they could have seen their student this weekend, and for everyone who is thrilled that their student was happy to stay on campus and/or spend time with college friends, hang in there…time does fly, and Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks will be here before we know it!!!</p>
<p>I never came home in college except Thanksgivjng and Christmas and was gone every summer… My S is only an hour from home so he has been home on away game weekends… However I rarely see him because he is usually with his friends… We do have a party tomorrow night with a bunch of his friends and parents but the Aiburn boys are on a pledge retreat …holidays will be here before you know it!!</p>
<p>I want to join the party.</p>
<p>DS had to stay for crew – they are en-route to the Head of the Hooch.</p>
<p>Bad enough I know T’Giving will be spent visiting all his high school, but just learned yesterday his girlfriend will come home during her finals in Dec for his birthday. Dang, I thought we had at least a day or 2 in December before his HS friends hogged him.</p>