<p>Thanks for the giftcard idea. I sent one for Friendly’s since I know the staff frequents a Friendly’s near camp from time to time. Boys have and use flashlights, but we sent along extra batteries originally at the beginning of the summer. He has a “summer reading” book and I sent one other book earlier in the summer. I doubt he will find time to read much more than that. I also sent a deck of cards earlier. Thanks again!</p>
<p>How about some thinking putty? [Shop</a> For Putty](<a href=“http://www.puttyworld.com/products.html]Shop”>Collections – Crazy Aaron's)</p>
<p>**I have taken the first and last move-in dates for this countdown from the list on this thread. To try and list all of them would be overkill to say the least.</p>
<p>First new student move-in is the University of Georgia on August 9th.
Move-in day in 10 days. Less than 2 weeks! :eek:</p>
<p>Last new student move-in is the University of Southern Oregon on September 22nd<br>
Move-in day in 54 days.**</p>
<p>If there are earlier or later move-in dates, please post them so that I can pick them up and adjust the countdown postings. The link to the Move-in Date Thread is <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1141579-hs-class-2011-college-class-2015-move-dates-5.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1141579-hs-class-2011-college-class-2015-move-dates-5.html</a></p>
<p>I would send thinking putty to school, but not to camp :)</p>
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<p>kathiep - We had a large rental tent with tables and chairs in the backyard along with the food serving tables. We put our “bar” in the back on the patio where we were able to control the beer and wine. One of my part time employees’s son is a local police officer and he was hired to tend bar and control access. This worked very well as he was also able to deal with the parking complaints we got from a couple of the neighbors! We put the soft drinks and water bottles in coolers that were scattered around the patio. We didn’t have any alcohol or related problems with any of the kids.</p>
<p>The 3 best things that S said made the party a big success were a vollyball net in the side yard, two cornhole games in the back yard, and the firepit on the patio with s’mores. About 25 to 30 of the kids stayed until nearly midnight listening to music while sitting around the firepit and eating s’mores.</p>
<p>We set up the photo board table with a gift card box and all of S’s awards inside in the family room on a six foot table. This gave all of the party guests a chance to come inside from the patio. AvonMom found a large stuffed dog at Hallmark that came with marker pens for use for wishes, messages and autographs from all of the party guests. S was a bit cool about it but his friends, particularly the girls, thought is was great and everyone had fun signing it. Now he is happy to have it.</p>
<p>Good luck with your party!</p>
<p>fog–I was also troubled by just how many people felt it was okay to offer unbidden their opinion that the private U my S1 (and now S2) are attending is “too expensive.” In addition, there is a cross-town rivalry between the great public U and our kids’ private one. So I suspect there may be a bias there–implication being why would anyone pay a fortune for one school when one just as good (or–implication by bitter rival alumni–better!) is so much cheaper. So ggrrrrr.</p>
<p>With S1, I grew to love this wonderful U, so I didn’t like answering on the defensive that his major is so selective and perfect for him or he’s getting great internships or dive into the difference in campus cultures that make a private U work for him or even that he has a full scholarship because it seemed like arguing against their prejudices was not my job, and certainly not a topic of friendly chitchat. (As many here have posted–it’s a topic of serious study and a 3 year cc addiction!) And who wants to take on the whole world about education?? Instead, I simply used to say: He’s in a fabulous program and we’re thrilled he has the chance to attend. For those people (and there were several) who still would insist on telling me (!) that the cost is ridiculous, I would smile and say: It’s lucky we’re crazy rich. </p>
<p>Now, however, with S2 (smaller-than-full scholarship), I’m thinking about simply shortening this whole conversation to the equally accurate: we’re crazy.</p>
<p>ohiomom24–thanks for taking the trouble to look for the soft sheet info at BB&B. vtmom–thanks for your link to those Costco sheets. I had shown those to my S, but he’s not sure about the pattern. AY!!! lol.</p>
<p>BI - may G-d bless you with lots and lots and lots of granndaughters who are girly and love PINK!</p>
<p>mathmomvt - wander the $1 store-sure to find something good</p>
<p>I am with AmandaK - LOL! It does take a village…</p>
<p>OWM - your vacation sounds wonderful!</p>
<p>When people ask me about paying for private U I just say “I hyperventilate daily thinking about it…” That tends to shut them down…and when they ask why isn’t she attending state U, I just say, they don’t have her major.</p>
<p>The biggest offender is my mother. She just can’t grasp modern day life…she means well but she does feel entitled to know everything about everyone. So, when she starts poking around, I just say we are trying to figure it out, do you have a donation? She usually rushes me off the phone and that is the end of that…lately she has dropped the subject.</p>
<p>AK
That is hilarious–</p>
<p>YaleMom15…Hadn’t thought of that… I don’t offer the info, and usually get pinned down…
they ask where…I say north…
they ask where exactly…I say CT…
then they say UConn?..I say, New Haven…
One parent started this in the grocery line. Hadn’t seen her for YEARS as our kids went to K-5 together…She was bragging on her dd and the big big U and asked about our student…she was visibly annoyed…when after she told me how her dd was getting all this AP credit. It is a U that was far too large for kiddo…not a good match.</p>
<p>Smile and nod.</p>
<p>OWM- your vaca sounds divine. Absolutely lovely.
Sorry that sometimes your mom/mil is a debbie-downer. FWIW, my MiL and my mother can both be that way. My mom used to be alot of fun, though in recent years with meds for advanced cancer, she is not nearly herself…and my MiL can be that way, sometimes she is great fun, other times, not so much.</p>
<p>On COA, frankly my DH was all in shock with the “list” until he did the research and realized that all of the schools were alot more per year than he realized. He just hadn’t kept up with what it cost. I think part of the problem is people don’t realize how much many schools cost today. And financial aid is a private thing.</p>
<p>SunnyDayFun
Did you/he take the notes somewhere for scanning, or scanned it at home? Thats a good idea. Kiddo has some things that were on the “to go to U pile” that a scan might be better</p>
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<p>madbean, I think you meant to write “insightful and highly intelligent rival alumni” 
Hey, some of us have our allegiances spoon fed to us with our first solid food. :)</p>
<p>momofboston, my FIL can be the same way about how much things cost. Several years ago we had a home improvement that in the long run will end up saving us $$$ on our utility bill. He kept on asking me how much it cost. I’d dodge the question, saying that yes, we expected the payback period to be “awhile”. He then told me that I was being “very sneaky about it.” So I told him that I didn’t care to discuss the details. Most people will pick up pretty quickly that their line of questioning is offensive, but a few clueless types won’t back off.</p>
<p>I am stuck in the Land of Indecision with dorm shopping. Cheapest is to buy some things on sale here, and stuff them in luggage. After all, 4 people flying to East Coast on Southwest means a lot of free luggage. On the other hand, we are doing about a week of vacation prior to move-in day, and I don’t like the idea of lugging all of that along with us. I also don’t like the idea of leaving it at our hotel near D1’s school, since we’ll be on the road. And I don’t want to burden friends either, or have to do a mad dash to pick up stuff hither and yon on the eve of move-in day. So easiest, though certainly not cheapest, is to just use BBB’s pick-up service.</p>
<p>Anyone who has already purchased a mini fridge and has it in hand, would you mind posting what kind of energy draw it uses at startup and while running? Cornell dorms require: it does not draw more than 3 amps [300 watts] to start and 1.5 amps while running – but I am finding it hard to find out that info without having the fridge in front of me. Will try calling manufacturers next week I guess.</p>
<p>MaryOC - thanks for the link on the Coppola brothers story. My injury is in the same area. It is hard to believe the second and third brother continued to play football after the first brother’s injury. I wish them all a long, healthy life.</p>
<p>Re: moms asking about money. Over the past few years, we have renovated several rooms in our house. My mom cannot understand why we got rid of perfectly good peach and green flowered couches and a pink formica bedroom set in perfect condition. She says “Are you made of money? How much did this cost?”. I promised her I would not send her the bills!</p>
<p>I think our parents’ are all reflective of their Depression era upbringing. I know my father and mother had vastly different experiences and that shows in how they dealt with money, saving things (bits of string, boxes…) vs. spending…living for the moment vs. living in fear of change.</p>
<p>For those bemoaning the cluelessness of their boys, there are benefits. ShawSon takes it to an extreme. He sets priorities and in effect ignores everything else. He does this in part because he learned to do it to perform well with extreme dyslexia (and, it turns out, sleep apnea, the latter of which has been ameliorated surgically). Freshman year in college, it was showing himself and us and his professors that he could perform at a top level at an elite school. He didn’t worry about neatness (never has), lots of basic creature stuff (I’ll wear whatever I have and won’t think about clothing including, I suspect laundry). A few friends, no girlfriends, dates, or evidence even of interest. He didn’t even friend back these pretty girls who friended him. He won a prize for academic performance and also worked hard to be a decent debater. Sophomore year, he still wanted to perform at the top academically but cut back a little and added social stuff. Much bigger group of friends, whom he organized for the upcoming year into a 10 person suite. Two girlfriends (for a while simultaneously, oops). Still, no neatness. Didn’t worry about a summer job. I had to remind him that he missed to invitations to meetings about fellowships (Rhodes, Gates, Marshall, Fulbright) and to call the fellowship czar and meet with her. … . This summer, he has worked for me, which has turned out quite well, and he decided to attend to his health. Has lost 20+ pounds and worked out 3 hours a day and is getting stronger. He’s cooking his own food (a lifetime supply of protein every meal plus salad). Neatness (no). He attends to about three things and nothing else exists. He would appear to be clueless. ShawWife is always apprehensive because we haven’t given him a budget and, while he spends very little, he doesn’t seem to think much about money. I just say, “When he needs to solve the problem of achieving success given financial constraints, he’ll be able to do that.” So, he does an outstanding job on those two or three things and the rest does not get any attention.</p>
<p>I was probably the same way (but I would have been too clueless to know). I think it was school, friends, part-time job and sports. Nothing else existed. I was/am incapable of packing or organizing. I hire people to provide complementary skills around me – I always hire a executive assistant whose job spans business to personal (setting up meetings and travel for me in KY, Stockholm, London, Vancouver, … to filling out forms I have to fill out for kids’ passports to vacation planning to suggesting and then ordering flowers to be in our hotel room when we arrived in Paris for our 25th anniversary trip to entering the kids’ school schedules into a family calendar). That way I can focus on the things that the world thinks I do well. </p>
<p>With luck, over time, the clueless boys will be able to array the right help around them and it won’t be their mothers.</p>
<p>I have to give a shout out for my wonderful MIL. When D1 started college, she mentioned that she knew how expensive it was, and asked if we needed help! My in-laws have lived with Depression mentality, always saving a nickel whenever they could, but they are incredibly generous with their children and grandchildren.</p>
<p>momjr, what a sweet MIL! </p>
<p>Our parents were clueless about college costs until now. It’s just such a different world than when we were in school. They were also shocked that we would qualify for any need-based aid because we make a comfortable living, but when COA is 55K/year, a “decent” salary doesn’t cut it! </p>
<p>We haven’t really gotten any rude questions, fortunately. The only people who really asked were the same ones to whom we had said things like “now we have to wait for the financial aid offer and see if we can afford it” so that makes it a fair question IMO :)</p>
<p>ShawBridge - sounds like you learned to maximize your strengths and hire others to help you do things you are not so good at (bet you are better than most tho). Sounds like my marriage. My DH and I have very different strengths and weaknesses. Works great for us. He shops, cooks, cleans up, caretakes me, son (when needed), dog and my parents. I do all the financial, legal, computer, renovation, travel planning, organizing stuff. We hire out cleaning, yard work and all repairs. When kids fall in love and decide to get married, I doubt many of them take these things into consideration. Maybe some heading down the alter for the second time.</p>
<p>slitheytove–if there is a smiley that connotes someone sticking out their tongue and giving a raspberry, I’d use it. This coming from an instructor at the University you learned to love in the womb. 
Still!</p>
<p>shawbridge, thanks for your post. It really gives this mom of 2 wonderful, talented and organizationally challenged young men more than a little hope. I will now urge them to consider choosing professions that allow them to hire miracle assistants as you do. In fact, wish <em>I</em> had one myself.</p>
<p>Like parents, sometimes, like child.</p>
<p>One week from today, my D will be leaving for college. I am not counting that as officially “leaving” because I will be there a few days later to officially move her in. She purchased books today using her money from her summer job. It was less than $200 for her 4 classes. I think that’s pretty good. She got most on Amazon and only what was needed for Stat class from the bookstore. I was really surprised that I only had to send her one email reminder. Normally it takes several emails and prodding before she does anything. Which brings me to another thing…I have been asking all summer for her to make sure she had her list of things and check things off as she gets them. Today she decides to make a list of what things she knows she still needs. I hate doing things last minute but she thrives on last minute stuff. So we have made one of many I’m sure runs to Wal-mart. It doesn’t feel real yet but I am sure it will sink in when she packs up her car a week from today. We will spend this weekend doing some of her favorite family things…including a Braves baseball game. I envy those of you who still have weeks to go, the summer went by so fast :-(</p>
<p>gamomof3-I think $200 for books is EXCELLENT considering my son’s Calculus book (used) is $140 on Amazon and that is the cheapest he has found so far. I think his books will be more in the neighborhood of $600. YIKES!</p>