<p>Oh My! I have no other words after reading everything except Oh My! Time is going too fast and I wonder if Nerf realizes they are missing a key target audience…college age boys.</p>
<p>just found out that my H’s first cousins daughter is a librarian at Tulane, where D is going. I never heard of her before, didn’t know she existed, but glad to know that “family” will be where my d is, 16 hours from home.</p>
<p>And, sorry for all of the typos in my previous post. I had just been to the doctor’s office and had been pricked and bandaided on two of my left hand fingers. The bandaids are gone now and my typing skills are sort of back.</p>
<p>I have a feeling nerf knows about the college-aged boys. ;-)</p>
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<p>Hilarious. That and the ThinkGeek shirts sounds just like my son. I made the mistake of telling him about your son’s packing progress, since I knew he’d be amused, but I should have anticipated his subsequent response: “I gotta get some more Nerf!” D’oh.</p>
<p>What a day. DH, DS and I got up early. By 11am three big boxes were packed and sealed, ready for afternoon drop off at UPS. We also had suitcases packed for our 11 day journey north from Florida to Boston. A wonderful calm came over me. Four years of effort and hard work by DS and me to arrive at this moment. It feels great. Tomorrow we’ll spend with my parents. Sunday DS’s college has an open house for students living in South Florida. Early Monday morn we are off, on our way to the next chapter in our lives. Priceless. Thanks to all of you for helping us get to this place.</p>
<p>Have a great trip, FlMathMom! I am sure you are going to LOVE your time in MA.</p>
<p>Good luck to this week’s embarkers! I hope all goes smoothly.</p>
<p>I just posted on the “Move-In Day” thread something that might be relevant over here. A mom is ambivalent about staying for the convocation ceremony at her S’s school because her younger S is having surgery and she feels she should get back quickly (although he will be in the safe hands of H). </p>
<p>I suggested that she stay for the ceremony. D1’s school had a matriculation ceremony, and at the time I thought, OK, this is nice, but all they’re doing is moving into a dorm, after all, how big a deal can it be? But this spring when she graduated and the college President reflected back on what he said that first day, and how the past 4 years have passed. Both H and I found it meaningful remembering that ceremony while we sat at graduation. </p>
<p>We’re grateful D2’s school does a matriculation ceremony, too, and that we can have something of the same experience. So it you’re thinking it’s just “one more thing,” I hope you enjoy it. It makes the experience more than just-say-goodbye-and-leave.</p>
<p>I will miss the “convocation” ceremony since we are dropping and running a good 8 days before that ceremony happens. I suppose other people can come back if they are local but it really isn’t in the cards for us. Good thing is I have 3 others in the wings and maybe I will get the experience one of these times!</p>
<p>My house suddenly filled with the obvious aroma of a freshly squirted skunk last night around 11:15 (remember, this is past my shut-off time), 5 sleeping-over girls (dd2) came running in off the deck from the tent outside screaming, two dogs went ballistic and then 11:30 ds texts me from bf’s grad party asking whether he can sleepover. And I, in my infinate wisdom, say yes. Ds comes back this am to tell me how it was educational to see how stupid people act when high. “I just watched” he says - I tell him about second-hand-smoke, and his eyes get all buggy.</p>
<p>**The next new student move-in is the University of Alabama Alabama Action) and NC State on August 13th.
Move-in day is TODAY!!! Where did the summer go? :eek:</p>
<p>[ul][<em>]University of Missouri (Mizzou) move-in is just 1 day to go (for sorority recruitment).
[</em>]Millikin University move-in is just 3 days to go.
[<em>]University of Southern California, University of Missouri, Emory, Baylor and Pitt (band camp) move-ins are just 4 days to go.
[</em>]University of Colorado, Lawrence University (tennis), Harvard (outdoor program), and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) move-ins are just 5 days to go.
[li]Juniata College, University of Alabama, Pomona College, University of Puget Sound, and University of Virginia move-ins are just 7 days to go.[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>Last new student move-in is the University of Southern Oregon on September 22nd<br>
Move-in day in 40 days.</p>
<p>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>If you son’s or daughter’s move-in dates and schools are not listed please add them to the list.**</p>
<p>So, just be prepared, the nerf thing may go on long after college :-)</p>
<p>[The</a> Great Office War - YouTube](<a href=“The Great Office War - YouTube”>The Great Office War - YouTube)</p>
<p>Oh, amanda, no rest for the weary, eh?</p>
<p>Colleges all do things differently; we’ll be 1000 miles away from most of D2’s experiences (as with D1), so we’ll miss a ton. I was responding to someone who wondered if she should stay that one more night or go home. A week is a VERY long interval!</p>
<p>I’ve been pondering the permission issue. It is such a quirky spectrum. On the one hand this is an opportunity for them to try things they’ll be doing a few weeks from now, but still under our supervision and advice … and on the other hand we all have households that still need order and standards. When there are younger kids, I think parents make different decisions than if the new college student is the last (or only) to go. </p>
<p>My D1 had to adhere to some frustrating rules of the house for about half of college - we eased up quite a bit as D2 got to be 17, 18 herself. D2 won’t have that element; she’ll just have to behave with respect for parental lifestyles, schedules, etc.</p>
<p>I’m pretty much in the camp of letting them live as college students even when they’re home, as much as they can. I think the family who found out their S had an alcohol allergy - while having a drink (legally) with his parents - are a great example of that. Not only do they get experience and an opportunity to talk about it with parents, but it also prevents a wall going up between their “real life” and the life they live with the family.</p>
<p>There are so many little details that complicate this, of course. But I’ve been thinking about it a lot because in these last few weeks I have had to deal with the contrast between my image of D2 as a launching college student and who she really is. She’s done some, not all, of her reading, is going to have a nightmare getting these 2 papers done in the time she has left, etc. Not all that unusual, as I’m seeing from other people’s stories here - and I have faith that all will work out in the long run (as with the music audition story told a few pages back). I don’t want to be the enemy here - not that I’m avoiding conflict, but looking at everything through the lens of “soon she’ll be dealing with all of this, including the consequences, on her own.” And the last thing I want to do is break down communication.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s working … yesterday she wasn’t defensive and didn’t accuse me of interfering, actually was able to talk about strategizing getting the papers done (it’s more that she doesn’t like the book and is having trouble reading it - I suggested working in the other direction, skimming the book for the parts that will address the essay questions) without getting mad. </p>
<p>Same thing with cleaning her room, although I really don’t expect a happy outcome in that project! I’m already setting aside time this fall to do the final purge there myself. D keeps moving piles around, but doesn’t seem to like the idea of actually getting things out of there. But maybe she’ll surprise me - I learned during the college app process that typically I’m a week or two ahead of her on any task, and she does have 2 weeks left for this one.</p>
<p>@ParentofPeople…ROfLMAO. Reminded me of my budget meeting on friday!</p>
<p>Hello everyone!
We came back from a long vacation only a few days ago…
I have completely lost track of this great thread and there is no way I can catch up, so for now, I will just say that I feel sad for all the the ones who are missing their children (especially the empty nesters, as I will become one myself on August 21), and I am looking forward to hear about them in the future and sending my best wishes to all.</p>
<p>D surprisingly didn’t want to go out last night with her friends, spent it with H and me on the couch watching Say Yes to the Dress and Four Weddings (poor DH!) and having me scratch and rub her back. After DH conked out she confessed to me that she is having alot of anxiety about the amount of change coming in the next week. D has alot of OCD type behaviors when it comes to having a strict routine. This will definitely be a challenge for her! Was a very sweet evening!</p>
<p>Afternoon everyone.</p>
<p>EmmyBet I hear ya!</p>
<p>Kiddo is so chill…and I know the move in info and orientation info hasn’t been read…and so on…</p>
<p>I so don’t want to be in a car loaded to the gils, or standing on a curbside asking “so where do you pick up your keys”? Keep repeating-- " not my problem, not my responsibility, it is part of the learning process…they have to learn…"</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>What"s the “drink of the day” ?? haha
Cheers</p>
<p>my d is far from chill. Has been shopping and organizing all her stuff! I think it is her way of dealing with the stress.</p>
<p>hollie - you are so right that these kids are going through a massive process all their own. They don’t really need us to remind them; even for the kids where it doesn’t sink in until they get there, it WILL sink in when they get there. We all might as well be nice to each other, and keep our expectations reasonable.</p>
<p>D’s photo collages are really lovely. She meant to make them for her party, but has really been taking her time and doing a terrific job. I look at them and see her whole life - our whole lives together. D2 isn’t the type who sees her younger self as some weird kid she barely remembers; she has strong recall of herself at so many ages, in so many experiences. </p>
<p>Spending time with D1 last week I had the strong feeling I often do that she was my first baby; looking at these pictures I get the equally strong feeling that D2 was my last baby. Both sweet feelings, in different ways. I’m so proud of both of them, just for becoming the people they are.</p>
<p>EB-definitely giving D the space to do what she needs to do this week…connecting with friends, spending time alone, watching tv etc. What needs to get done will happen. I am also hoping that we will all be kind to each other on move-in day. The logistics are bound to be messy and it will be exhausting carrying things up to the third floor!! (OY!!!) Want this to be as easy an experience for D as it can be. I remind myself that while it is going to be a change for me not to have her here, she is going through much, much more change than I am and is rightfully stressed and anxious about it!</p>
<p>For the record, the Nerf collection fits in a 110-quart storage box from Target. </p>
<p>We are making progress with the packing, 30-minute sessions at a time. Looking forward to two nights of family dinners on our patio tonight and tomorrow night with DS2’s favorite meals. We have all been traveling so much this summer that we have not been able to grill our favorite foods and enjoy our own yard. Went to the Farmer’s Market today to get fresh veggies and corn. It’s a lovely weekend, so we plan to enjoy it! Hope you all can do the same.</p>
<p>Back from a lovely and much needed holiday on the coast of Maine. Was able to go back and catch up, but it did take a while. Hurray for our newest cadet and those that have been launched to college already. </p>
<p>I can see my D is “processing” the upcoming move- mostly by planning all of the linens she will “need” to pack (hand crocheted doilies? really?). But if this is what brings her comfort, ok then. She has already found that she cannot stand the book assigned to the first years and so has devised a way to deal with it- strategic reading, indeed. :rolleyes: Her paid job ended this past week so she has two weeks to plan, veg, etc. and she is happy about it. She is less happy with a lingering foot/ankle injury so we are getting it checked out on Monday in case there are steps that need to be taken. The shopping is pretty much done with the exception of the first aid/toiletries which can be handled in one fell swoop. Then it is up to her to pack and clean her room- if she fails at the latter I think we may be buying a few more plastic tubs to dump the mess in for her return. I am NOT looking at a mess for the next few months. She plans on coming home once a month for a weekend and I do not want that to be a time of discord so for the price of some plastic containers we can finesse that. </p>
<p>Glad I am sharing this time with so many that are going through a similar experience.</p>
<p>Tonight DH and I shared our “move–in” experiences with our student–about how we packed, traveled and so on…</p>
<p>If you haven’t shared your stories–you might find it worth doing–whether it was fun/sad/memorable etc- how ever it went for you- and it gives some first hand acct of something similar for your student to consider as they approach this transition…</p>
<p>;)</p>