<p>Mother’s Day is around the corner and If you order with 1-800 flowers its free shipping right now. Saved $14.99</p>
<p>Back to regularly scheduled programming</p>
<p>Thank you Avon…those dates help bring it into perspective. Less time that we realize…</p>
<p>One thing we all can look forward to in the late spring/summer next yr is the ritual “fouling the nest” which helps alleviate the Kleenex. </p>
<p>Our K1 was totally chill since the acceptance for the U came early and so Sr yr/last season with team/SO/prom/APs were on the brain and not apps…and K1 was gone all summer…and home only 2 weeks til launch…</p>
<p>K2’s journey will be different. Different kid on the couch, different list. Waaaaay different tempermant. </p>
<p>I will be here for the college app obsession/moral support as well. And with K2, we become an “empty nest” or as some call it “free birds”.</p>
<p>So K2 arrives home and I ask about the schedule the GC sent…evidently K2 is NOT happy with the schedule. We spent a good part of last night discussing options. The hs (a private) does a lot well, though by the time they are Srs…there may not be enough in the way of options/electives. K2 may explore getting an independent study lined up.</p>
<p>I’ll just chime in with fog & AvonDad saying they are dead on… we all did this together in fall of 2011, our 2015’ers now finishing up their second years. Hard to believe they are halfway done!!</p>
<p>I will never forget standing in that tiny cinderblock dorm room saying goodbye. I teared up a bit but did pretty well, made it down the dorm hallway and outside until I just lost it. DH stopped right there but we had to keep moving, we were right under S2’s window. DH half-guided, half-carried me sobbing, the terrible ugly cry, all the way to the stadium (almost a mile). We literally-physically bumped into one of our oldest, dearest, friends who had just dropped his DD at another dorm (a best friend of S2 since they were 5). To see the tears in his eyes and slumped shoulders just killed me. We did the only thing we could…go for drinks.</p>
<p>It was terrible for a while, I’ll admit it. The first time I heard S2 refer to his school as ‘home’ something inside me just sunk. Fog is right, this is what we want, what we’ve raised them to do…go off and be independent, happy, productive, adults, finding their own way. I asked if he could have two homes. He humored me and said yes, even though everyone knew it was simply to make me feel better.</p>
<p>I don’t remember when I stopped crying at drop off’s. He won’t be here this summer, but we are so exceptionally thrilled for the opportunity he has. I still make way too much food but have learned after one night of leftovers to freeze the rest. We may or may not be empty nesters when S3 launches F’14. Our oldest is at home but will probably move out this year, so big changes. Even though we’ve done it before I don’t think launching S3 will be much easier, perhaps just different. S3 was exceptionally good to me when I was missing S2 in the early days as he missed him desperately as well. I won’t have that this time. A puppy has been suggested. I’m not so sure that’s the best idea. :)</p>
<p>My older two never did this. It’s not universal. Leaving them was tough and the adjustment was tough. But, I’m happy for both. The best thing for me was remembering my time going to college - and how happy I was. I always wondered why my mom was in tears. I know now.</p>
<p>Fogfog, BI -Stop It!!! I’m getting teary eyed just reading!!! I remember kindergarten drop off. I did just fine, made it to the edge of the building and ran into a friend that was crying. That was it for me! Had to join her! Almost hoping none if DS’ friends go to same college just so maybe I can make it out without seeing anyone! ;)</p>
<p>yes, drop off is tough. and it can be weird when and how it hits us too…I remember dropping S1 ('12) at the airport his second year, as he flew back himself, and I could barely drive away I was so overwhelmed with sadness. sometimes it hits us each differently. </p>
<p>I’m finding myself feeling some anticipatory loss as we prepare for D’13s upcoming college graduation in couple of weeks. S1 and D1 did good job at fouling the nest, but was still hard to see them leave.</p>
<p>I’ll chime in as one who will have an empty nest after DS '14 takes off. Well, maybe - we have a returning chickadee '06 who is home pending law school/whatever else may be in her future, after she spent a year teaching abroad. Doubt she’ll still be here in a year, but you never know… I have learned to be thankful for every moment they darken a doorway of our home, as you just never know when they’ll be around again! The “being thankful” part helps greatly during the “fouling the nest” part! And both our girls were experts at the latter!</p>
<p>I’ve got a D21 on deck so no empty nest here. But hopefully a few years break from CC after launching S14.</p>
<p>Funny, I wasn’t sad dropping off D11… but it was a tough launch and she didn’t stick. I was trying to be extra pulled together for her. She was home two weeks later.</p>
<p>beadymom, she worked for a year while getting her AA at a local school. (We talked her into quitting after a year as the hours were getting crazy.) Both experiences were great for her, and she is transferring to a local 4-year university this fall as a junior. She has been assigned a suite with three sophomores. Fingers crossed that the maturity and experiences of two years will see her through the re-launch!! At least with this school, she can come home whenever she needs…</p>
<p>We will join the empty nester club in August of 2014 when we drop off DD-14 (with tears and kleenex!)</p>
<p>But the first empty nester trip is scheduled for October and we are excited about that! Let’s hope DD-14 settles in OK and is enjoying her fall semester. :)</p>
<p>Maryjay - I’m so glad to hear you say that! I have a DS’13 leaving for college this August and while all my other 13er forum friends are getting so sad, especially about the “lasts” of everything, I am kinda ready for him to go. He is incredibly bright, and we have lived with the issues that come a long with a highly gifted kid for many, many years now. (Including lack of an excellent work ethic, constant questioning of authority, etc.) They really think they know so much, and well, they are usually right! I’m hoping the college work load really teaches him something about how to organize his time! Our therapist tells me we will get a long much better at a distance! I pray he grows into a successful, young adult as your daughter did! </p>
<p>My DS14, instead of 10 years behind, is only one year behind, so I have the unique opportunity of witnessing the huge list of final decision schools grow ever larger over on the '13er board, and then on here, we are discussing SAT and ACT testing, commenting on college tours, counting down days til the Common App, and stating in wonder that one year from now, we will all know where our 14ers will attend! Then 2 years later I will do it for my '16er, and then - finally - the nest will be empty. I honestly would not mind if my husband were to be deployed somewhere at that time. (he’s not even in the military, but a girl can dream!)</p>
<p>Oh, and I’ve already calculated an approximate $650 in milk savings! There’s also the tennis clinic and lessons we no longer have to provide, as well as the fact that he eats twice what the other two kids eat combined! Laundry - Definitely less. And water and sewer bills!!! (they are connected - water bill goes up and sewer bill goes up) and he likes to take 1/2 hour showers!) Now Duke can pay for his water and the overly priced meal plan will pay for his milk! (of course, that’s just us paying again…)</p>
<p>ahhhh^ HOT showers for Me! YES!
My k2 takes 1/2 hr showers…and can drain a 50 gal hot water heater! The heater is new so I know its the kid :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Coffee and homemade egg mc muffins w turkey sausage/thomas corn muffins are on the counter. Help yourself.</p>
<p>We have a 2nd grader so we’ll not be empty nester yet. Not sure if I can do this again in 9 years. Too much stress and anxiety. See, I’m the worrier, my wife is the mellow one. I’m the helicopter parent.</p>
<p>Good luck to our kids taking SAT I and SAT II tomorrow. My daughter informed me yesterday that she’s not taking Chemistry tomorrow, just Literature. She said that she’s not confident about it and not sure if she’ll have a decent score. She already took Biology and Math II last year so I guess it’s OK to just have 3 subject tests. I heard that more is not necessarily better. Is that true? How many subject tests your kid’s planning to take?</p>
<p>2018Dad–Re: # of subject tests. I don’t know enough–really anything–so should leave the commenting to someone who has been through this process…but my guess is that the test results are slotted into some sort of standardized form/cover sheet and that there can only be so many slots in which to record scores. I know that Hopkins & Georgetown like to see subject tests but I haven’t heard of anyone looking for more than three.</p>
<p>I think your D’s approach is sound b/c I believe that all subject tests taken on same day must be reported. (Someone please correct me on that if I am wrong.) There is always Oct if she learns there is another specific subject test she absolutely must take. Just my musings…</p>
<p>I think only the Ivies and Georgetown require three subject tests. Some schools, such as CMU and RPI require specific subjects, but only two in aggregate.</p>
<p>NovaMom–am I correct that scores of all tests taken on same day must be reported? As in, one can elect not to send a specific day’s results, but cannot suppress results from one test taken and then report results from another test taken same day? I realize that there are exceptions (Cornell) who require that all scores be sent, but want to ensure that my understanding is otherwise correct. Thanks!</p>
Then 2 years later I will do it for my '16er, and then - finally - the nest will be empty. I honestly would not mind if my husband were to be deployed somewhere at that time. 
(he’s not even in the military, but a girl can dream!)</p>