<p>A tee shirt purge sounds like a much needed idea here. S goes through the top layer, they get washed, replaced and worn again - I doubt he has any idea what is two layers down, much less four!</p>
<p>While graduation isn’t for another month, Grad Night at Disneyland is tomorrow night, from 9 pm to 6 am. I’d be snoozing on the Carousel by midnight these days, but fondly remember my own Grad Nite at Disneyland.</p>
<p>I’m planning to partially reclaim S’s room once he leaves. I don’t care if he leaves things he’ll use behind, but some of the stuffed animals at the back of his closet need to go!</p>
<p>CountingDown, just hearing about SAT testing again makes me shudder.</p>
<p>I think the vast majority of kids at S’s school, and 100% of my co-workers who have seniors, are staying in State. We have a great University of California system, but with the state of the budget crisis, I’m happy it worked out that S’s best option is an OOS private.</p>
<p>He has a bag of “zoo balls” that were popular 10 or so years ago, they’re tennis ball sized decorated as animals…I have fond memories of throwing those around, so I’ll let them stay behind.</p>
<p>I am having a tee-shirt pillow made for my d, made because I can’t even sew a hem let alone a pillow! But, it’s a surprise so I have to wait until I can sneak all those old shirts out or until she packs for school and leaves them behind. I was going to do a quilt, but I think a pillow is more practical (and cheaper!).</p>
<p>All those partial sets of old dishes or silverware are in the corner of our basement that my wife calls “the country house.” I’ve been saving up the stuff for a country house. We share one, but I’ve been waiting to buy our own and just haven’t gotten around to it. But, we’ve retained a house full of the stuff.</p>
<p>I’m with chintzy. We handed down some old pots and pans to DS when he furnished his college apartment. </p>
<p>The issue isn’t housewares it’s clothing and shoes that don’t fit or won’t be worn, papers from classes nobody cares about, old stuffed animals (beanie babies – lots) toys long outgrown etc.</p>
<p>what if the cheap ugly dishes that Husband brought into the marriage disappeared?</p>
<p>ha ha ha , we have those too. As much as I hated thoses dishes, we used them for years. When the kids were little, I didn’t care because they wouldn’t break:D A few years ago, I went out and bought a nice set of dishes. Probably should have waited, because apparently nobody knows how to use real dishes. They are almost all chiped, cracked or broken:(</p>
<p>Regarding college plans in our area: I don’t have actual statistics, but apparently, going to college at all, much less out of state is not standard fare here. We are in one of the more rural county’s of the state. I found this out after embarrassing myself a couple of times. I tried to talk to other parents to get a feel for how many schools kids applied to, and basically any pointers for a first timer. I got lots of blank stares and remarks indicating the local CC didn’t turn anybody away:) This is one of the reasons I turned to the CC website. My one friend who totally understands the college thing didn’t need to hear me whine and ask 6 schmillion questions, over and over again:D</p>
<p>Last night I walked by D’s desk, and rubbed her tight neck a bit, and when I walked away, she grabbed my hand and said, “no stay.” I said, “Neck really tight?” She said, “No, I just like you here.” </p>
<p>I almost lost it. What is she – what am I – going to do when she’s gone next fall? </p>
<p>Sometimes when I think about it all, I can hardly stand it – I’ve been waking at 4 virtually every morning just worrying (will the dorm be okay? will she make friends? did we choose the wrong school?). Is it that moms just don’t believe their babies can actually manage without them??</p>
<p>Zetesis, you are not alone in thinking this. My wife refuses to take them to college because she knows she’ll lose it through the whole trip. It will hard enough for her to survive saying goodbye at the airport. Rest assured that you’ll both survive the experience. I’ll be taking our fourth and last to college and his three brothers have done okay. Phones are great and hopefully a daughter will call more often and not just with problems (mostly minor, fixed with additional calls or funds transfer).</p>
<p>I almost lost it too, just reading that! You have no idea how different that is from what goes on in my house with my S. I’d be much more likely to get a major flinch and a “don’t touch me!” Boys…I hope mine grows into an adoring son like my brothers both did with my mom, but it’s difficult to visualize at this stage.</p>
<p>I know one survives; we did with our first D. Maybe I’m forgetting the summer before she left – my H and I used to lie awake at night, and say, “what are we going to do without her?”</p>
<p>But we knew and know so many people at the college she ended up at (from the president to students). Maybe that’s part of the problem – D2’s college is more of an unknown to us. </p>
<p>WOW Zetesis… I am teary eyed right now … my DS got his course packet in mail today. I am starting to realize there are just a few short months left… And I also get the “don’t touch me!” He was such a mushy hug able child when little.</p>
<p>Somehow it was easier to send our D off last year. She was so ready to be on her own and I was very confident that she’d make friends, excel in her studies…just make the right choices. I bawled my eyes out leaving her and going home without her, but I knew she’d be okay. I’m having a much harder time thinking about our son going off this fall because he is quieter and I guess just younger than our daughter. He is excited, but he is also apprehensive which makes me worry. I too wake up at 4 AM thinking about this.</p>
<p>PlantMom – yes, D2 seems much less engaged, much more apprehensive – and I internalize this. Maybe once the year winds down here that’ll change. But it was easier to leave D last time – even though I too bawled my eyes out. </p>
<p>All four o’clock wakers – send prayers up and encouragement out!</p>
<p>I focused on how happy my D#1 was when I left her, 17 hours away…and knew that she was excited and ready to be where she was. Plus I did have D#2 at home waiting. So…now SHE is off about 12 hours away…so this time I am focusing on her excitement and what a great city she’ll be in for me to visit. It is working so far but I will really miss them. Takes some energy, but focus on the new beginning they are having and all the wonderful experiences that lie ahead, and it helps.</p>
<p>another 4 oclock waker here
was more relaxed w s launching last year, (16 hrs away)he’s cautious, little older, independent and more serious by nature, knew he could handle any number of tough challenges…more concerned w d this year, (under 4 hrs away)but while anxious, she feels so excited and thinks she’s ready to leave the nest, so thats a good sign…</p>
<p>Another 4 am waker here. Although my D seems so ready for this move, she’ll be so far away, and I’ll miss knowing the details of her life. We went to supper tonight and she talked with us about the fun and exciting things she has ahead of her next year. It was great to see her excited about what’s ahead of her, rather than stressed about applications, tests and homework.</p>
<p>I keep telling myself how much our world needs all of these wonderful, capable kids and they need this time to become independent and able to tackle the challenges that are facing us. Doesn’t mean I won’t shed a few tears along the way.</p>
<p>Well just as I was beginning to feel positive again, we get a letter from the principal saying S’s name has been removed from the list of students who will be allowed to walk with the class or be allowed to go on the senior trip or allowed to attend Sr Sober. This is because of the F in the required SS class. They say they will add him back in if he brings his grade up and passes his final. That date is the day before the trip, but that is the day AFTER the awards ceremony. So no recognition for anything he has contributed (which is not minor), no bragging rights for him.
I’m sorry to be such a downer. I am sure you are sick to death of this roller-coaster. I know <em>I</em> am. But I need your collective shoulder
I do think he will still get a diploma, but this last thing is just the perfect topper to a hideous public school experience. I love this area where we live but I feel like we did our kid a grave disservice moving here. He has had nothing but heartache and thus so have I. My heart literally aches.<br>
We’ll get by it, and maybe he’ll actually “walk”. Stupidly, I still keep hoping.
I am trying not to be angry at H for lobbying so hard against testing. I am trying not to be angry with S who COULD have asked for help sooner than the twelfth hour. ( well, actually, he never even asked, I heard from his teacher) I am trying not to be angry at the school for its rules that do not accommodate anything but the mean, and I am trying not to be angry with myself for insisting S go to this school and not wanting to send him far away from me, somewhere better, where I am sure he would have gotten the help he needed.
Boy, it is what it is, and what it is sucks. The tentative blossom of hope has been crushed. And I can’t help but cry over it.</p>
And I also get the “don’t touch me!” He was such a mushy hug able child when little.</p>