I use a pre-workout too. It’s called caffeine, er, coffee. 
8 Likes
We are here in the college town across the country, picked up the bb&b, crammed a lot in the suitcases and the rental car. We still had to do more shopping today and will pick up a few plastic items tomorrow after we start dorm move in. The locals are very friendly and talk more then people at home. It’s a very small town but the campus is gorgeous.
Have mixed feelings, as it is a relief to get him delivered after a long college process. But we will see him again after preorientation so I haven’t started crying yet. Strangely I find myself thinking I can’t believe my little kid is gone, he won’t be living with us any more, and wondering how college will change him. S seems ready except he still isn’t checking his email enough. Sigh.
8 Likes
@NateandAllisMom good luck! Glad you made it across country and hope the move-in and goodbye goes smoothly.
2 Likes
I use a post-workout. It’s called beer. 
12 Likes
@skieurope LOL. Thanks for the crazy Monday afternoon laugh. That cracked me up so much.
@NateandAllisMom I’m so glad you made it there and BB&B worked out. Is pre-orientation the same week you’re there or is that a different time?
My older daughter prefers Vega protein powder when she uses a smoothie as breakfast. She can’t have dairy, so whey protein is a no-go for her.
My younger daughter is having a really down day. She went to the going away party for one of her friends last night- friend is going away to a great college for ballet. Then this morning she found out another friend (same age as her but a rising senior this year) is moving to Chicago in two weeks to train (ballet) there for her senior year- she’ll be living on her own there.
She said she suddenly, for the first time, felt jealous that her friends are going off to fresh starts and she feels like a failure staying here as a trainee and starting at community college. We talked about how her staying was her choice and that she had options. She lamented that they weren’t the caliber of options she wanted and she hopes to work hard enough to audition for a different set of programs after her AA.
Knowing her she’ll bounce back quickly and dive into training, but today she’s been uncharacteristically moping since she got home this morning. I guess it was bound to happen with all the changes her plans went through.
4 Likes
We are vacationing near here while he is on preorientation (planned pre-Delta).
2 Likes
Well, my D is off on her pre-orientation canoe trip…will be an interesting four days, as they are to be In lakes and a river in central Virginia, sure to be in the path of tropical storm Fred! The group may bond more within tents than on the water, if the weather forecast is accurate, but whatever happens, they will have plenty to remember and laugh about later.
7 Likes
Oh man. I just wrote a letter to my daughter which I am going to hide somewhere in her dorm. That was a hell of a lot of emotions and tears just now. It was sort of a stream of consciousness letter with random funny snarky pieces of advice mixed in to lighten the load. It was just effortless and poured out of me. I’m excited for her to find it and read it. I’m excited for this next chapter for her. I’m grateful I got to share space with her for the last 18 years. This parenting thing is NO JOKE!
13 Likes
Ballet is really tough…it can be heartbreaking. Wishing all the best for your D!
3 Likes
What is your D’s ballet goal? Ballerinas in the top companies are “recruited” as 14-16 year olds as I’m sure you know. We know some dancers who went to college (Butler, Utah, etc) and got apprenticeships after graduation at pretty good ballet companies (Ballet West, Pacfic Northwest, etc) but it’s a struggle. Two of the ballerinas we know, with bachelor degees in dance, are already done dancing and are in their mid-20s and now teaching for very little money, teaching Pilates on the side. It’s a hard road and the most successful are taken early.
The three successful dancers we know who might actually make something out of it were given scholarships to the Royal Ballet as youngsters. I think D gave up that dream around age 14 knowing we weren’t going to pull her out of school, home school her and get her recognized at YAGP.
I just worry about all of the dancers! It’s a dream for so many but very very few make a living dancing.
3 Likes
I bet they’ll have the very best of times!!!
1 Like
Keeping my fingers crossed! As I understand it, they won’t get to shower for most/all that time…they’ll just get the sweat off by swimming in river water…which will definitely be a first for my D 
. We noticed that soap and shampoo were not on the packing list but my D snuck a little in anyway (hopeful thinking).
4 Likes
This will be an amazing way for her to start off college bonding and memories. So nice that the college has this opportunity available. 
3 Likes
Well D21 is fully ensconced in the good-bye tour as all of her friends and cousins leave for their respective schools. She is wrung out from all the tears! She is still a full three weeks away from move-in day, has not been assigned a roommate or dorm, and classes are not chosen until they are physically on campus. She was accepted so early in December, so time is just dragging for her at this point. Hoping for some updates this week!
Wishing all who are packing, moving and dropping off their 21s the very best. Come back and share how it goes …. I will be sipping drinks at the waitlist to move-in bar!
8 Likes
That’s so tough. My D just got her housing on Saturday and leaves on 8/30. Maybe NESCAC stands for New England Slowly Crawling Association of Colleges! These last weeks are truly bittersweet!
1 Like
My D doesn’t have those kinds of lofty goals, tbh. She wasn’t even doing ballet at the ages you mentioned- though it doesn’t seem many are recruited quite that young anymore (not for companies anyway- some, but not many), so those kinds of high spaces aren’t for her (and wouldn’t have been even if she had been dancing from birth, as her body is not a typical ballet body).
She wants to dance in the kind of company that she’s in right now- but she wants to be paid for it, and just for a couple of years. It’s a very small regional company and they treat their dancers well- and they’re not stuck on ballet looking exactly as it did in the past. They don’t even accept company auditions unless you’re a college graduate atm though, so she’s a trainee at best for at least three more years while she’s in school.
She knows that even if she auditioned for the Chicago program and even if she got it, we couldn’t afford it (not even close). She knows she wouldn’t get into Butler (where her friend is off to) and never will, but she also knows they danced the same trainee corps roles in the same company at the same time last year- I think she regrets not starting earlier, or maybe that she’ll always be slaying dragons about her weight- her successful friends all certainly look the part (not a detraction from their talent/hard work, but it’s not a huge extra hurdle for them).
She just wishes she had maybe chosen a different path when she had her options in front of her (when she was deciding what to do about college- both times- ha!). I think she in all likelihood chose correctly, but I also think the second guessing is totally natural for a bit.
6 Likes
NESCAC: No Escaping Slow Correspondence and Communication! 
5 Likes
Dang, I must be the only mom who’s trying not be aggravated by my child with two weeks left but can’t help but go a little nuclear since he’s never home and is asleep when he is home at all sorts of hours. I think I’m over this and the three millionth going away party for the friends he’s seen almost everyday for the last 2-3 months. How many more going-away’s are there when I can’t even friggin get him to put away dishes or his laundry?!
12 Likes
Today I sent my D21 a long text message at 3:30 AM because I needed to tell her so many things! She hasn’t been around and I didnt want to forget anything! I hope she thinks that her Mom has started to become slightly insane. Maybe that will help.
5 Likes