<p>VaMom - LOL</p>
<p>VAMom, my S says he doesn’t want flip flops for the shower, so definitely adding the athlete’s foot stuff to our list. Although, he goes 2 months at camp with no flip flops and no problems, so maybe his feet have developed a resistance ;-)</p>
<p>mom jr:
</p>
<p>Mizzou has built nine new dorms in the last seven years–all of them suite style. The boys are fortunate that the four-man suite with LR was still available when freshmen could go online to pick a room. It’s almost the most expensive room type available, but we agreed to it as did his roommate’s parents because they had both earned so much merit money and outside scholarships. There are only three of that style room per floor, but this one is in the Math and Science Learning Community, so not necessarily the most popular place to live.</p>
<p>Best news for us: it’s on the first floor and right next to an exterior door. That SHOULD help on move-in day.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Oh snap…I forgot about that…will add that too. The first-aid/meds items add up!</p>
<p>OWM - I started to wonder if we could possibly be related…this excited me to a great degree! We are missing a family reunion that is taking place in WV because of the timing with bluejr’s move-in. The other details didn’t match up though, rats. 
I can only think of a couple of upscale resorts in WV…enjoy! </p>
<p>I am slowly making headway on the shopping. Every time I think I am almost done I stop by Target for just a few things and it’s $50…how does that happen? Yesterday it was 3M hooks, bug spray, fabreeze, a desk lamp, yada-yada-yada. I went looking for a fan. They informed me they weren’t a ‘college store’. Excellent! :mad: I am sure we could get one at move in but we aren’t going to be there long enough to go shopping. I went last night to the next closest town where I promptly got a flat tire…I guess it just melted due to 105 temps?!? The tire is discontinued so we can’t match it and have to buy a pair…seriously…cha-ching! At least it didn’t blow on the way to move-in in two weeks. That would have been bad.</p>
<p>Bluejr will wear flip-flops in the shower. I’m not as worried about foot fungus as I am about MRSA. There have been several cases in our county over the last several years from kids in the locker rooms. He will be using a hall shower so the contact is with a lot of kids potentially, not just suite-mates.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes, of course–only college students use fans. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>D1 just got off the waitlist for a much desired pre-orientation program. Which is great…but now there is going to be a mad scramble to get her equipped for the program (which involves outdoor activities). Which is especially hilarious when one realizes that there’s been little progress on the dorm shopping front. </p>
<p>On the other hand, last night I decided to live dangerously: I ordered something for D1’s dorm room, and had it shipped directly to the dorm. :eek: We’re up on the high wire here! :)</p>
<p>ST: Congrats on the pre-orientation program. I think that they’re a great way to start college. </p>
<p>My D and I had a very successful (but expensive) trip to Target and BB and B today. Our Target is a “college store,” but the fans looked pretty cheap. We got one at BB and B instead. </p>
<p>My D just found out that her roommate will also be moving in early for a pre-orientation program. That will be nice for D, but it should make our 3 hour move-in window even more hectic.</p>
<p>
Really, it’s not like we haven’t been unreasonably hot this summer or anything… The mgr then proceeded to tell me that soon they would be getting in seasonal things (like I was a 10yo that didn’t realize he was going to try to sell me holiday items in August). I wanted to look at him wide eyed and say “Oh really?! Wow!”. Target evidentially designates specific stores (those in college towns) as college stores and those are the ones that continue to get stock. Everyone else is going to be looking at holiday decorations. They loose so much to Amazon these days because of this crud.</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter on her adventure. Sometimes the ones we have little time to prepare for are the ones that go the best. I’m sure she will do great! 
I’m so glad the space became available.</p>
<p>As far as packing, for those that are driving, what are we thinking…boxes that can be flatted or recycled, or rubbermaid boxes that can be carted out and brought back in the spring? There are way too many options here. I can see advantages to both.</p>
<p>I’m thinking most things in flexible bags to make the best use of the limited car space. Boxes/crates can be harder to fit. I think we’ll bring one crate for under-the-bed stuff, a few boxes with desk supplies, healthcare supplies, etc. but the rest of the stuff in duffel and/or laundry and/or trash bags.</p>
<p>BI: I really like to use the plastic crates that you can find at college shopping time – oh, maybe they’re only available in “college stores”. The plastic crates are sturdy and have handles, so they’re easy to carry. I’ve accumulated 6 or 8 now and may leave one or two in the room, but usually carry them back and forth for move-in and move-out. They take up more space at home when they’re not being used, but I like them.</p>
<p>BI: For driving, try to pack as much as you can in large items you are bringing. We’re going to stuff a lot of stuff into the plastic drawers that will go under D’s bed since they will take up a lot of room in the van. The XXL zip-loc bags are wonderful. They are strong, clear and have a handle on top. We’ll pack a lot of the bedding in them. Wheeled duffles are also good if you will need to schlep the stuff a long way, like we did or D1 (Don’t get me started on city move-ins!). I think that we also used some plastic bins that she kept under the bed for stuff.</p>
<p>Busy (meaning $$) day here as I got the fan combo ordered from Bed Bath and Beyond and I also ordered the TV. Sears had the same one in store that Walmart had online but it was $20 more expensive so I bought online with site to store shipping for free and ADD It Up through Bank of America (anyone care to help me spend my 2% back…lol). But I did get to see it, touch it, try it at Sears which is always important to me.</p>
<p>My family jokes that I overplan, over analyze everything and this is just the same!</p>
<p>I am very excited/sad about our long weekend as I know it signals the beginning of the end.</p>
<p>An easy way to transport a closet-full of clothing that is on hangers is:</p>
<p>Lay a large (king or queen-size) flat bedsheet on the floor; remove 25-30 items of clothing from the closet- keep all of them on their hangers; lay the clothes on hangers in the middle of the sheet towards one end; “roll” the clothes up in the sheet; and tape or tie off the ends of the sheet. You can simply untie & unroll the sheet at dorm and hang the clothes right in in the closet. </p>
<p>Have done this several times and it works very well b/c clothes are protected and easy to hang at destination. The “rolls” can be fit into the car pretty much anywhere b/c they are not rigid.</p>
<p>Here’s what we have so far for a driving move-in:
One xl laundry bag with all bedding and towels (including pillow)
One foot locker with misc (hangars, power strips, hooks, duct tape, etc)
One hygiene kit (which will end up in suitcase)
One backpack with school supplies inside
One small plastic tub with 1st aid stuff
one plastic bag with laundry soap, etc.
One box with fan
One door mirror
One folding chair</p>
<p>DS will pack his clothes, and that’s all he’s taking. So far an easy fit in the SUV. Every time I suggest something to him, he says no because he’s worried about space. I’m good with that because he can always get anything he needs later. Fridge will be on order at walmart and he’ll decide if he wants it when he gets there.</p>
<p>I also bought a charging station with power strip that he hasn’t agreed to–we’ll take it and see if he wants it–again he doesn’t know if there’ll be room (he uses one now at home and it’s where he keeps his phone, ipod, wallet, keys so I think it’s a good idea)</p>
<p>Please note there are no cleaning supplies! Here’s hoping one of the other roommates brings some! :eek:</p>
<p>BI: We’ve transported clothing on hangers and placed them in a large (outdoor) trash bag. Cut a “V” in the center bottom of the trash bag for the hanger hooks to slide through. You can tape up the bottom if you’re worried about things falling out.</p>
<p>We are at 9 days and counting, my H keeps reminding me everyday- Thanks. He is making the 18 drive. The house will be so empty as H is stopping by his d’s on the way back. Just me and the dogs, yippee. I keep looking for an inexpensive plane ticket but think I am out of luck. $365 for a day & a half is too much. H says he is still expecting me to pop in over the weekend. Lucky I booked parents weekend when Southwest was having a sale.</p>
<p>Regarding siblings coming for the move in - our oldest called to tell us that she wants to come. She loves to travel and hasnt seen Ss school yet. I dont know that this is the kind of travel she has in mind. Two days to get there, one day on campus and then two days to get home. But, they dont see each other as much since she lives in an apartment full time near her school, so hopefully they will enjoy each others company. It means less space in the car so we will probably be shipping some things. We didnt do a family vacation this year, so Im wondering about leaving a day or two earlier and making a stop along the way. That would probably mean shipping more stuff, since we would not want to be loading and unloading the car any more than necessary.</p>
<p>Move in is in 2-1/2 weeks and S is not close to being ready. Thats my opinion. S would probably say hes got his laptop, a way to get a refrigerator, bedding, towels, some clothes and shoes -what else does he need? At the moment, I moved past the panic that was threatening last week to match Ss go with the flow" mood. Im sure panic will be back in a few days. My goal is to have everything together in the same room by a week before we leave. I really dont want to spend my last week with S yelling, nagging or running around like crazy from store to store.</p>
<p>vmac: It is 3 weeks til my D leaves and I guarantee you that your S is more ready than my D. No matter what your S has or hasn’t done, he is more ready than my D. </p>
<p>D has been gone since May 30 as a counselor at a girl scout camp. She was home for a few weekends early in the summer, always bringing coworkers home for the weekend with her. She has not been home since July 4. She will be home Saturday, but has a wedding to go to, then has to go back to camp.</p>
<p>I have no clue if she knows, or cares, what she needs to take to school. She only has what an older cousin has given her: a fridge and flat screen TV, otherwise nothing has been collected, purchased or packed.</p>
<p>I guess as long as she has a duffle bag of clothes, a pillow, blanket, and a towel or two, she will survive.</p>
<p>S was to start his shopping today with his computer purchase. It seems a self initiated pre-orientation program with his friends won over so they have been riding roller coasters all day at Cedar Point. His rationale was that he needed to get his money’s worth from his season pass and that he could get his computer tomorrow. :(</p>
<p>If he doesn’t agree to go shopping with AvonMom tomorrow we are going to lay the pink duvet and the Spongebob sheet set threat on him. And if they are out of the Spongebobs, we will look for Barney sheets and towels as that was his favorite as a toddler. I think his idea of this summer is nothing more than “p r o c r a s t i n a t i o n”.</p>
<p>We are down to 3 weeks and a day until we pack and leave for college. :eek:</p>
<p>mommylaw - great idea about transporting the clothes. I wish we could drive S to school. </p>
<p>Idinct - I am not flying out with H & S for the move in. If it was not so expensive to get there I would. But, D & I will fly out with H for the family weekend. And H is good about making sure S has everything, everything is set up and works, etc. </p>
<p>Went to BBB with S. He only wanted one set of sheets. I agrued for 2 but he said he would never use them. He picked out a comforter, blanket, wastebasket, shower caddy, fan, pillows, towels and a few other small things. I can always mail or buy on line another set of sheets for him if he changes his mind. Did not pick up any of the accessory type stuff, like extension cords, toiletries, etc. They can pick that up in collegetown. I rented the fridge/micro combo for him. I am big on sopping around and trying to save money, and I know the rental does not make sense money wise, but it is just the easiest way to get one. Next year we may do something different. </p>
<p>BI - Good thinking about MRSA. One boy on S’s football team had it a couple of years ago. It was a real pain cleaning and keeping things clean throughout the season. </p>
<p>Congrats to ST’s D on the preorientation program. I am also getting ready to start having stuff shipped directly to the dorm. Especially books I buy online. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>ha! I saw halloween candy (jack o lantern marshmallow things) in the grocery store today. </p>
<p>I just looked at S’s checking acct. Money is going out faster than ever. I talked to him several weeks ago about cutting back on the spending. Today I told him I would take him debit card from him if the spending does not get to a reasonable level immediately. I plan on looking at his spending daily. He is making good money and it is all going out the window so he can eat out with his friends, but snacks and lord knows what else.</p>