<p>I didn’t make it through all 20 pages I missed but wanted to say hi to all the newcomers and old-timers alike.</p>
<p>Can I share my sadness? Just saw the sked for all the events on move-in day, and we’ll have to miss almost all of them. The latest flight we could get out would mean leaving campus no later than 3:30 and all the parent info events are at 3 and on through 7:30 p.m. I’ll miss the parent sessions about student life and financial aid, the welcome in the chapel with all the freshmen, the official goodbye with your kid, the parent reception. Dh doesn’t want to miss another day of work, even if we could get the extra night in the hotel and change our flights. :(</p>
<p>Hope all of you in the areas affected by the heatwave stay safe and cool. </p>
<p>D and I are booking our San Francisco trip today. Lil D is in “Multiplication Boot Camp” and is more excited about the end of the summer ice cream party that they’re having. S is still looking for a summer job hoping to make a little $ before he leaves. In the meantime, he’s helping the HS band drumline and we’ll be attending SOAR at his college in early August. </p>
<p>Thanks for the dorm beddig info! I’d never heard of bed bug spray!</p>
<p>YDS, that’s terrible. Is there a parents’ weekend in the fall you can attend?</p>
<p>I am about to start on the laundry lessons. Any advice on setting ground rules? I really do not want my laundry room to turn into a disaster area with spilled powder on the floor, clothes left in the dryer, piles of dryer lint that don’t quite make it to the wastebasket and unfolded messes everywhere. I am certainly not a neat freak, but a couple weeks ago I decided to turn the laundry room into a beautiful oasis…new paint and curtains, new matching baskets for everything and fabulous art work. I guess I should have waited until after school started.</p>
<p>We can’t afford it, lilmom. I gave ds the option of having both of us there for move-in day or one there for move-in and one for parents’ weekend. He picked us both dropping him off. Already, ds2 is angry he doesn’t get to go see his big brother’s college. I told him maybe when he’s a senior (in two years) he can do an overnight with him.</p>
<p>You do what you can do.</p>
<p>I did think about spending an extra night by myself, but I’m not sure I can even get a hotel room, what about the rent car, etc. Too complicated. Will stick with the original plan. I just wished I had thought move-in day through a little more and told dh he need to just miss two days.</p>
<p>Well, attending a school that’s somewhat close to home (2 1/2 hrs for S) presents its own problems. S is already talking about coming home two weeks after school starts to play for a benefit concert here in town. </p>
<p>YDS, I totally understand the budget limitations. Sometimes, it’s better to keep things simple.</p>
<p>Kajon, let ME know when you figure the laundry room lessons out! Mine is a disaster area! One thing that helps for me, is liquid laundry soap - not powder.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear about your missing out on the formal activities. I would evaluate carefully the options however. Could you get a hotel room just for you that one night and then get a shuttle of some kind to the airport? Often times they are cheaper than a rental car for just one person - and you won’t need the car that evening.</p>
<p>I will say that from past experience however, the formal activities are far less important than the setting up the dorm room activities which you will get to take part in. That’s when DS will meet the roommate, figure out how to put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag, and make his bed for the first (and only time this semester).</p>
<p>jingle, veewhitty, Pengo and somewhereinga - WELCOME!!</p>
<p>Kajon - My D picked up one of those cheap striped rag rugs at Big Lots on Saturday. It cost $4 and is super cute! And for laundry, I am stocking her up on those all in one sheets you toss in the washer. No mess no fuss!</p>
<p>BT - Once again I am LOLing at your post. Guacamole sounds yummy! Maybe Mexican for lunch today!! And I now have visions of a very colorful “clothes rug” in your S’s dorm room.</p>
<p>DB - One million years ago I was a psychology major. I took 6 hours of statistics and have actually continued to use what I learned throughout my career, even though I don’t work in that field. </p>
<p>lilmom - Oh my! Multiplication boot camp? I would also be looking forward to the ice cream! Hope your S finds some type of summer job to help with that spending $$.</p>
<p>Yds - Sending HUGS to you! So sorry you will not be able to stay as long as you like. But I know your S will love having both of you there for move-in.</p>
<p>D spent hours last night rehearsing the dance they learned yesterday. Only 12 rehearsals 'til opening so she wants to make sure she has everything down. And thanks for the shout outs - she did get props crew!</p>
<p>Sending thoughts to all our east coast friends. Take care of yourselves!!</p>
<p>YDS, hugs to you…I would look into your options as scualum mentioned. If you can’t change your plans, check with the residential life office and see if they have a parent handbook they can give you. If they do it should have the same info that is given to the parents during the parent sessions.<br>
Don’t you have a sister (or sister-in-law) that lives nearby? Can she attend those parent sessions that you will miss and then send you the info? She could also be a stand in so that your son has someone to say goodbye to during that part of the evening too…</p>
<p>We went to BBB yesterday and got a ton of stuff! Very satisfying. We had already picked up the memory foam $20 bed topper from Target, however I think I am going to go back to BBB and get the $99 one - I got D a really nice memory foam bed topper for home a few years ago and she swears by it. We also bought a comforter in a twin size (because she liked the color) but I saw one at BBB that was the right size and a similar color…it’s just going to take some time to work this all out. Also, I had been accumulating the 20% off coupons but forgot to bring them on the shopping trip (and didn’t realize until we were at the checkout) and the employee at BBB told me I could bring my coupons and receipt in later and they would refund me the discount! Pretty cool!</p>
<p>Pretty hot here in the Midwest, but I think the worst of it is on the east coast. DH does NOT have to go to NYC this week, and he’s happy about that!</p>
<p>YDS - Having done this once before, I can assure you that you will be there for the important part - actually moving your S into the dorm, meeting the roommate, etc. That’s the time you spend with your kid, as opposed to the time spent listening to speeches, etc. When D was a freshman, I left somewhere in the middle of the afternoon. This time, it was much cheaper for me to fly home the following morning (even with the added hotel room) so I will be able to fill you in on anything you want to know about the events.</p>
<p>As long as your S knows the plan, he will be okay. It sounds like you will be there for the important stuff. This move-in day thing makes me shudder when I think of it. Many of us are going to be a mess.</p>
<p>YDS- they have all those parent time fillers because the kids will be off doing stuff in their dorms at that time. Your S already knows about the official goodbye. Don’t beat yourself up, he’ll be fine and you can have a more intimate good bye than the big official one. It is good that sometime in the future S2 will hopefully have a chance to visit. Our D2 is also not going to move in, I think next year maybe she can take a trip out.</p>
<p>It just hit 100 degrees in downtown Baltimore. Poor H. He’s shooting a TV commercial at Raven’s Stadium as I type. Son and some friends are there as “extras,” too. Ugh. What a day to be working outside. :(</p>
thoughts to all our east coast friends. Take care of yourselves!!</p>