Thank you so much for your insight. Masking to protect all seems to make sense. I am being very careful, like your family is being!
Iām not going to enter any debate about what is appropriate or not. Iām not a healthcare professional and while I closely follow WHO/CDC/etc recommendations and various news releases, I just feel it is too early to know in any absolutes. My opinion only and no judgement on anyone who feels differently. I try to respect all opinions as there are too many unknowns.
As far as our family, we are comfortable following any recommendations and being more conservative with masking if that is what it takes to have in person classes and activities. My D is more careful about masking than I am (and even before recent masking requirements were put in place, I was pretty careful about indoor masking) and I respect her decision and just want her to be comfortable. We will have a problem if classes go back to 100% remote, especially if the students have to return home. So basically we are okay with whatever it takes to have a āsomewhat normalā freshman experienceā¦ in person classes, dance, theatre, clubs, sports, within reasonā¦ parties/Greek life (I know this last one may be controversial to some).
As of now, my Dās college requires vaccinations for faculty, staff and students (religious and medical waivers are allowed with masking and distancing). Masking for all is required for large gatherings, but otherwise vaccinated individuals are not required. This policy was put in place in June so I expect some sort of update soon. I just hope that it will not affect move in or parentsā weekend plans or most importantly, student experience.
ETA: Did not mean to reply to @CTTCā¦ just a general comment as parents sharing our concerns for our kiddos.
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Hi, Iām just dropping in from the 2019 parentsā thread - seeing you all talk about mattress toppers makes me feel very nostalgic! (Seriously) Regarding the mask discussion, it has been my sonās experience at his LAC that masking is not a big deal and is something that people are happy to comply with if it facilitates in-person learning and an otherwise more normal experience. It does now seem that, thanks to Delta, the fall semester may be somewhat less normal than we all hoped, but it will be fine. Our kids are resilient and in many cases are probably better at dealing with this strange situation than we are. My sonās biggest hope is that they will let him do the spit test rather than the swab up the nose!
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Itās so quiet around here, is everybody packing? 
Just got the news that Boulder is requiring masks for everyone in public buildings. They do not have to wear them in dorms though. I told D21 and she just shrugged and said, āOh, I didnāt know they ever took the mask policy awayā so she is not bothered about it.
S23 started junior year today, his first time back in person since March 2020. By 12:30 there was a Code Yellow because of the possibility of a student with a weapon, great start. 
We are packing and my S will sign his legal docs tomorrow with the notary. Iām watching hotel prices as well. Some locations are trending down. We only have about half booked in advance. Praying nobody gets a breakthrough case before we go or on the way. We have had a mask mandate indoors since Friday here and the tourist restaurant my son works in is indoor/outdoor at the ocean, so hopefully heāll be protected.
We fly out Sunday! I canāt believe itās almost here. I think S could use more cold weather clothing for sure later but I feel good about where I am with the dorm ordering/shopping. Husband and I discussed that itās hard to look ahead beyond this big event. Iāll be relieved when heās delivered to the other side of the country, but emotional too.
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Iām in the car, an hour from hotel arrival near S21ās campus. We had a slight delay this morning. Had the car all packed and only about 25 minutes behind when we pulled out of the driveway. Got on the road and a mile from the house, my tire pressure light came on. My husband turned around to head home where we have one of those portable things that can fill tires. He got it out and discovered a huge nail in the tire. We drove to our mechanic and thankfully he squeezed us in and fixed the tire. By the time we got back on the road, we were at least 90 mins behind. Iām just so thankful we discovered the problem a mile into our journey and not much further into our 8 hour drive! We are meeting S21ās roommate and parents for dinner when we get there and had hoped to have a little cushion for chilling in our hotel first.
Move in is tomorrow at 9am. Lucky us - supposed to be in the 90s and humid the next few days. Thankfully S21ās dorm has A/C.
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I was just about ready to start washing all the sheets and towels today for my daughter and just found out some of the classes at her school have moved to online. None of hers have changed, but now I donāt feel like opening new packages after seeing that. Supposed to leave next week but this news sucks. Buzz Kill.
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Starting to wash things and make piles to get better visual of how much is being packed.
We seem to have limited motivation. 
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Iāve washed & packed all bedding and towels, and have one and a half IKEA bags packed. Everything else is in bags and bins in the dining room as we figure out how best to strategically pack/organize it all: school supplies, toiletries/first aid stuff, hooks, fans, chargers, etc. Weāre driving and should have plenty of room; I just want to make unpacking and setting up the room as stress-free as possible.
Also, S changed almost his whole schedule around for two classes he really wanted. Heās so happy about his schedule now, BUT he now has an 8am class all week, at least 15 minutes from his dorm. This is my night owl kid who still doesnāt always wake up to his own alarm clock!
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@momtogkc Its quiet because Iām kinda in a paralysis with all this crap in the staging area.
And @123Mom123 knows I talk a good game of being organized but to actually do it nowā¦argh. I think tonight Iāll wash some sheets.
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Iām not kinda in paralysis mode, I am in it up to my eyeballs! Not knowing my Dās housing yet isnāt helping, but Iām still sure that we have too much stuff since most rooms for first years are ācozy.ā I think my husband has finally conceded that we may need to ship a couple of boxes so that we can all fit in the car. Calgon, take me away!
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S21 doesnāt have room assignment or roommate, yet. But itās out of my control. Instead of organizing and packing like I should since I got the things early, Iām just staring at everything and deciding Iām overwhelmed. I just asked s21 when we think we will be in the mood and he said heās more sure but is asking for a camp out tomorrow for friends since a couple of them leave for Berkeley this weekend. Theyāre just squeezing as much out of life as possible at this point.
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Hah, I think I am the same which is why Iām posting more on here. I keep sitting on my couch staring at the bags that are half packed, checking and double checking the online shopping list to make sure I didnāt forget anything in my Target order, looking at the pile of paperwork and laundry that were supposed to be done but Iām just not doing them - anything to procrastinate. Problem is tomorrow is our last day so I need to get going.
Meanwhile I have barely seen D the last day and a half- she is spending every minute with her boyfriend and friends. Itās sweet, and they did all come here for diner last night, but she still hasnāt packed any of her clothes and she was trying to plan a day trip to Miami tomorrow! 
I can already tell tomorrow night I will be up super late helping her stuff everything into her suitcases.
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D19 got on the road back to school today. Sheāll have a car there for her junior and senior years. That makes me a wee bit stressed. Loading the car and driving with all her stuff is so much easier than packing for a flight. A friend is helping her with all driving, then flying back.
D21 is avoiding getting more ready by sleeping away a massive number of hours. We leave on Saturday, and I know sheāll get it done (no choice!), but itās more last minute than I had hoped it would be.
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Packing and wrapping up last minute things for S21: getting copy of his glasses & contacts rxās, got his car cleaned and detailed and officially handed the keys and his car to the twins to use this yearā¦(that was fun lol)ā¦heās waiting until the last possible second to pack up his computer and monitor. Iām starting to feel emptyā¦all of his friends are leaving one by oneā¦itās been a trickle of boys coming over to say byeā¦S21 and one other (who is also going to Texas Tech!) are the last from their group to go. These boys have been inseparable since KG and are now all scattered at different colleges 
On a bright note, I have 3 trips planned for myself over the next month lolā¦My sister and I are going to Nashville to see her daughter Aug 29-Sept 2ā¦My husband and I are taking a trip somewhere (donāt know where yet!!) right after labor dayā¦weāre going to play the Non Rev game and just pick a random destination lolā¦and finally, going to Boston end of September for my birthday with some girlfriends.
Iām hoping that will keep my mind off of missing my first born!!!
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Is anyone elseās āsoiling the nestā situation going into overdrive?? This is not how I imagined my last week with my youngest duckling. Sigh.
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I canāt decide if mine is in denial or just chill. We are having all of his favorite foods from local restaurants - largely Mexican food. The only sign of mental preparation aside from college required online stuff is the working out. He did check out a new chat last night so I guess itās somewhat on his radar. No nest soiling. I find myself celebrating that he is still here each time I locate him in the house. Sigh. 
Iām also feeling a little bit nervous about being in a big crowded airport. I havenāt been around crowds indoors since before Covid. 
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Everyone masked in airport and on planes.
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If I buy a small windowsill plant, am I dooming it to certain death? I was just thinking there might be something nice about taking care of a plant for one personās developmentā¦ Winter break, 3 weeks would be fine, but then thereās summer, probably flying.
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I know itās kind of irrational Iām just less than excited about cramming into places with people, especially if they have the nose poking out. 
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