My baby is 19 today! I’m bummed that I can’t be there to celebrate him and also sad that he is sick. I sent his roommate a big box of decorations, gifts, and a few kinds of homemade treats so hopefully that will lift his spirits. His roommate put up the decorations and S will go to dinner with some of the girls on the hall. He’s had a little break from the all-consuming pledge activities since he’s been sick. I think it is likely a bad cold rather than the flu so I’m thankful for that. I hope all the track kids are feeling better!
@elena13 Happy birthday to your boy! That’s very sweet that you sent decorations! I hope the cold isn’t too too bad. This is the time of year. So many kids sick.
S feeling a little better and good, too, because I’m taking D21 to visit him this coming weekend!
@elena13 it is hard, the first college-kid birthday away! Great idea to send decorations! Curious, did you coordinate with the roommate on that? (My older D’s roommates did this on their own, my S19 just had his bday too but I didn’t think to send decorations or really have anyone to coordinate to put them up. It’s weird having a bday with the kid not there. Sometimes we celebrate it at home anyway LOL; congrats to us, we made it through the teen years!
My D’s bday is in July, so her friends got together to celebrate her half-birthday. They decorated a room with balloons and made her a cake, and chipped in on a small gift. I thought it was incredibly sweet since she won’t see any of her friends anywhere near her bday.
Thanks @homerdog! Hope you have a great trip and look forward to hearing about it.
@TS0104 - Yes, I did end up coordinating with the roommate. I had his phone number and since they have become good friends and are pledging the same fraternity, I knew he’d be happy to help so I sent the package to him. S was probably knocked out from cold medicine early this morning, and roommate set up everything and set out his gifts. S has been on a health kick with almost no sweets for the past year, but I still sent a bunch of brownies and cookies, so hopefully at least the kids on the hall will enjoy! 
It’s definitely a bummer not being with him, but I’m meeting a friend for dinner whose only child was one of my S’s first kindergarten friends and they remained friends all through school. The mom teaches at their elementary school and just announced her retirement after 30 years!
@elena13 I love that you sent birthday decorations. I’ll have to remember to do that in April for my D.
I love sending treats and surprises via Amazon. I do this occasionally - not too often - otherwise it’s not special nor a surpeise. This week I sent via Amazon a large box of chocolates (in a red Valentine heart) to each of our kids. I love it because when it’s a parcel they get an email from the school that says they have to go to the University post office window to pick something up (opposed to their small letter size mailbox, which they never check). Hmmm, what did mom send me? LOL. I always get a very giddy text “thank you” from my D. My S always texts me a thank you too, not giddy though, just sincere and very appreciative.
@Stuffedquahog , this brings me back to my college days, it was always a thrill to get a package notification in my (real, physical) mailbox! (Back in the days when packages were rare and special!)
@elena13 Yesterday was my D’s birthday too! 
I also sent a package of decorations to her BFF and had a local bakery deliver a cake. I sent her out to dinner with her friends as well. Because it was a weekday it was hard to coordinate with everybody so she went with 4 friends to a nice restaurant last night and will go out for pizza or tacos with a bunch of people tonight.
I love sending packages once in a while. I get the smallest size flat rate boxes at the post office (about the size of a hard cover book) and send small treats to D and her 4 good friends form high school. So far I have sent them for Halloween, final exams and Valentine’s Day. The packages are about $8 to mail though so I may try check next time and see if it would be cheaper if I used my own boxes and did not do the flat rate.
@milgymfam That’s so sweet the celebrated D’s half birthday. My birthday is in August and I never thought to do that when I was in school!
@homerdog Have fun in Maine! You know I always get jealous when you head out there. I don’t know if I ever mentioned but we have a bar area in our family room that was recently redone. Instead of a backsplash (the rest of the bar matches this kitchen which is open to that room) we used a custom made wallpaper. It is copied from a nautical chart and you can use any chart you want. We chose the area right outside Bowdoin - it is centered on Harpswell Neck. In fact if my ceiling was about two inches taller Bowdoin would be on the wall - it cuts off right where Pleasant Hill Rd. meets Maine Street.
@SammoJ I;m so sorry to hear about your son and his friend. How is she doing? He sounds like a very good friend to be so concerned about her.
@momtogkc What? That’s hilarious about the Maine map! We are flying to Boston because S19 wants to watch his teammates run in a meet at BU so we will meet him there. It’s a reunion of sorts, too, because one of his high school teammates who is at Cornell will be running and his friends at BC are going to come and watch too. After the meet, we will drive up to Bowdoin. Looks like the weekend should be cold but sunny!
@homerdog We knew we wanted the nautical chart wallpaper - we had seen it years ago and had been waiting to find a spot for it. We had a few choices of maps we wanted - all having meaning to us of course. When I sketched out the shape of our area (there are cabinets on both sides which makes the wall basically an upside down T) the Maine coast was the only one that fit and looked nice. We spent a week every year for the past 20 years in Harpswell. Our BFF’s parents had a house there that they let us all use once a summer. We started before we were married and brought our kids up after that (we both have 3 - same genders and ages!)
Even though it wasn’t our family house it is a super special place to all of us. They sold the house last year and we were SO sad. My friend sends me house listings up there every few weeks trying to get us to all go in on something together but that will not be happening with 3 kids and college.
Did you see Oprah did a book club show up there recently - she went to the Dolphin Marina and had her first ever lobster roll. The Dolphin is our favorite spot -we went several times a week! I think it is closed for the season but you will have to try it sometime.
Ugh I had thought about a Valentine’s package but it’s too late now. Maybe I’ll get a card in the mail today though.
And DD’s birthday was right at the beginning of college so her friends/roommate didn’t know in advance and all we did was call her (gave her gift earlier).
BUT, her half birthday is in 2 weeks so I’ll shoot for a package for that!
@bjscheel - some treats from Amazon could probably get there by Friday if ordered now!
@momtogkc - Fun that our kids are birthday twins!
And also, how is it possible that Oprah never had a lobster roll before?! 
I did Amazon treats for D16 a bunch in her freshman year but I have been lackluster for S19. Sigh. But I have been sending ‘get well boxes’…with zinc lozenges, tea, nyquil, and this stuff called KickA** Immune. Tastes wretched (S19 says it tastes like dirt; D16 says it tastes like ground earthworms). But S19 says he thinks it helps.
We also use the flat rate packages to send surprise boxes. I’ve priced it up vs normal mail and it’s definitely cheaper, especially for heavier items. We are fortunate to be meeting up with D19 for Presidents’ Day weekend so no need to send a package for Valentine’s Day though. She also has a birthday in April - its a weekend night so she is planning to take some friends out to dinner.
@momtogkc Thanks for asking. S19’s friend never reported the incident, but she is “considering” counseling. He has worked to get her out and about - they were doing “retail therapy” at a mall last weekend.
Happily, S19 asked us to pick him up tomorrow to come home for the weekend. Doesn’t have Prez Day off, so just a couple of days, but he needs it. Not only to chill, but to pick up a bunch of our camping gear. He and some friends (all girls!) decided they want to go camping the next weekend. He asked me to find a reservation at a family-favorite camping place in the mountains - talked him into a place closer to school, but pretty, with over 20 miles of hiking trails (the girls want to hike). As Mr. Eagle Scout, he is heading up the planning. And, apparently, providing all the equipment.
I did get a card and $10 sent yesterday.
We will see DD in 10 days for another theatre performance, but she is in the midst of her longest stretch away from home. She may end up not coming home for 7-8 weeks. So we are working on getting that bathroom remodel done! Still not sure it will be functional the next time she’s here though.
FYI regarding the USPS Priority Mail flat rate boxes, I found out this week that the Flat Rate envelopes (thin cardboard, maybe 8x11) are allowed to “bulge”, meaning you are allowed to put things other than flat paper in them. I used this for my Ds valentine goodies (a journal, some candy and soap) and it was, I think $8, as opposed to $15 for the medium sized flat rate box. She’s across country so I’ve learned to use the flat rate whenever possible.
There is also regional priority. I used to send my D a nice sized medium box that opened at the top for $6-7 and she got it in 1-2 days!
On a side note, I know we have some Chicago peeps here. Planning a few days visit in summer. Have been before but 30 years ago and stayed with friends. Would love recommendations for areas to stay in that are central/good for walking to sights if possible/family friendly. Is the “magnificent mile” as good as it sounds?!
Also trying to figure out if 3 days is enough or 4 days better. Thoughts?
@TS0104 ! Yes i found that out re flat rate envelopes when my local USPS helped me roll a sweater into one to save postage :lol: