<p>I put my gifts on each of their beds the night before they left, not at school. They each got a copy of “The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Suess. I also wrote each a letter tucked in the book.</p>
<p>Mary13, you rock! Yours is the best idea I’ve heard. DD doesn’t need cookies or brownies; doesn’t like stuffed animals; she would notice anything added to her luggage. I was thinking about putting little notes throughout her luggage, but what if they just fell out and were never seen? The note on the pillowcase notion is beautiful. I may even embroider something - I’ve got some time on my hands during the afternoon. </p>
<p>Have to admit, I had to wait awhile before I could write this reply. For some reason, I couldn’t see the words on the screen.</p>
<p>For my son I left a copy of his favorite children’s book, Goodnight Moon. It was meant more as I still see you as my baby, but he liked it just the same. My daughter received a DVD she was waiting to see; good for getting the girls together in the evening. My husband left money in both kids underwear drawer knowing they would find it shortly!</p>
<p>I wish I had gone more sentimental with my daughter; some of the above are terrific. I will have to save the idea for the wedding.</p>
<p>I wish I’d thought of some of these ideas 10 months ago. At least the next kid will get a nice surprise!</p>
<p>I’m glad I started this…I’m getting some great ideas - things that I definitely hadn’t thought of!</p>
<p>Here’s what I’m leaning towards right now - a nice little “combination” care package: something practical, something sentimental, and something sentimentally practical!!! I’m thinking I might leave a box that has -</p>
<p>SENTIMENTAL: a copy of “our” favorite children’s book (“I’ll Love You Forever” - we quoted that in his yearbook memory ad, and he had no problem with it being too sappy. He likes to point out to me that it was really MY favorite book from his childhood; not necessarily his. But he definitely “gets” the message from the book - it’ll just be a little reminder of how much we all do love him! I think that’s a good thing to hold on to during those first possibly difficult weeks far away at school…)</p>
<p>PRACTICAL: some cash (can’t get more practical than that)</p>
<p>SENTIMENTALLY PRACTICAL: a batch of his favorite homemake cookies (sentimental 'cause I’ve been baking special stuff for him for years, and practical 'cause he can share them with new friends) </p>
<p>Maybe I’ll add a favorite DVD too…</p>
<p>gosh, you guys are making me feel like a negligent mom. </p>
<p>I didn’t do any of those things. We did unload her stuff, set up her futon, take her on a grocery run…but nothing sweet or sentimental. Oh, dear, I hope she isn’t traumatized.</p>
<p>I do, on occasion, mail her a starbucks card and tell her to give me a call and we’ll have a virtual coffee break together.</p>
<p>worknprogress - he’s my second off to college…I’m sure my daughter is TOTALLY scarred by the fact that we did nothing like this for her!!! Just kidding - I think.</p>
<p>Actually, my son is going pretty far away, as compared to pretty close by for my girl child. Beside, I hadn’t heard of CC when she went!</p>
<p>See, now you have me trying to justify the fact that I obviously neglected and traumitized my first born…</p>
<p>My sister’s essay was about leaving for kindergarten wither her Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles lunch box in hand. My mom bought her a Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles lunch box and stuffed it with candy, cookies, and other goodies. She gave it to my sister at our final goodbye. My sister walked off with it just like she did when she left for kindergarten, and a new chapter in her life had started.</p>
<p>My mom also bought my sister a set of flasks to carry Worchestershire Sauce around in, since she ate it on everything. It had her name engraved on it and everything. I thought it was kind of strange, and it definitely didn’t get used for Worchestershire Sauce, but alas.</p>
<p>Well, China, we can have them share a therapy session and split the cost!</p>
<p>Home-baked cookies, brownies, etc.! I even packed a box of DS’s favorite cookies when I visited him when he was studying abroad. Husband thought I was insane (he has a point…) but it was enjoyed by DS and his new friends.</p>
<p>applicannot-
there is sauce and there is sauce.</p>
<p>How about a big jar of peanut M&M’s !-decorative and popular with friends.</p>
<p>My girlfriend’s family had a tradition of leaving notes and chocolate kisses around the house whenever one left on a trip. Last year when her only son went away to college, she left some notes and kisses around his room while she helped him unpacked. One such note and chocolate were in his underwear drawer. Yup, it was hot and the chocolate melted. I guess the kid didn’t open the drawer as soon as she expected.</p>
<p>((Bags of m&ms, trail mix, raisnettes, etc. are excellent pacing material when you send those packages of forgotten items.))</p>
<p>I have been working on this for the last 3 weeks! Sixteen years ago we videoed DS1 singing the fight song to the school he will be attending. (and yes, DH is a proud alum!)
In late March of this year DS2 secretly recorded DS1 going through the mail pile that contained the “Big Envelope” and captured his ebullient reaction.
I have put the two clips on one DVD to leave for son when DH and DS2 and I leave DS1 and return home 1000+ miles away.
This is all the more remarkable because 1. I remembered we had the first video and
2. I actually found it, as we have lived in 4 houses since it was recorded. And 3.
I am hardly tech savvy.
But still the dvd will be attached to a tin of brownies and a $50 bill!
I have made a copy for DH who may “get it” more than DS1.</p>
<p>p.s If you see a woman crumpled up in the corner of the ladies room at O’Hare crying her eyes out around the end of August…that will be me. Don’t worry I’m sure I’ll be fine…eventually.</p>
<p>^^^how will we know which one is you, hkfl? I promise there will be others scattered among all the airports.</p>
<p>You are right, you will be fine, in time. You really will.</p>
<p>I gave both my son, after he graduated from college and moved to New York, and my daughter, when we moved her into her dorm (600 miles from home) this past fall, a framed four leaf clover. I found it in a catalog from a company called “Red Envelope”.</p>
<p>[Framed</a> Four-Leaf Clover from RedEnvelope.com](<a href=“http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/framedfourleafclover-30000302?pagesplit=SplitA&catid=ProductSearch]Framed”>http://gifts.redenvelope.com/gifts/framedfourleafclover-30000302?pagesplit=SplitA&catid=ProductSearch)</p>
<p>I had each engraved with a personal message and then personally handed it to each before I left them in their new “home”. Both loved it - not too cutesy for a guy to display and yet still sentimental and pretty for my daughter to put on her desk.</p>
<p>Son’s dorm has a full kitchen… I think I’ll hide a big tub of cookie dough in his fridge, with a note that the cookie sheet is in the oven. That smell wafting through the floor should help him meet some folks the first few days…</p>
<p>Speaking of four leaf clovers, for graduation a few weeks ago we gave my daughter a Tiffany necklace with four hearts linked together to form a four leaf clover. We told her it was all of us (mom, dad, brother, her) linked together forever to bring her good luck with whatever life brings her. The two of us sobbing kind of interrupted the grad dinner we were enjoying with grandparents, but she hasn’t taken it off yet. At $150 it’s a bit expensive for a “dropping kid off” gift, but I thought I’d pass it along as a thought anyway.
[Tiffany</a> & Co. | Item | Heart Clover pendant in sterling silver, small. | United States](<a href=“http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=22453289&mcat=148204&cid=287465&search_params=s+5-p+44-c+287465-r+101323338-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+]Tiffany”>http://www.tiffany.com/Shopping/Item.aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=22453289&mcat=148204&cid=287465&search_params=s+5-p+44-c+287465-r+101323338-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+)</p>
<p>Tulare,</p>
<p>Thank you so much for that great suggestion!!!</p>
<p>There is a girl that will be showing my son around her college this Fall and this will be a great thank you gift for her. Also, as we are a family of four, we can use that as a graduation gift idea. Thanks for the idea … I love this thread!</p>