<p>I thought this would fun to recount here about last minutes before leaving home .I had such an unexpected experience, I figured others might as well .My D's friends had arrived around midnite as one had just returned from a vacation.They stayed up all night,and in the AM when it was time to go for my D,they were sitting outside on the street literally on the roadway in a semicircle, singing "Eidelweiss" from the Sound of Music at 6:45AM! Grateful the neighbors didn't call the police,as it was a bit noisy .My husband left with her as he would take her to her bus to Boston,before work .And now the house is silent,but it has a sense of a more permanent silence as this isn't summer camp,and I am so sad right now......I know I will feel better later ,but it's so awful now .We move her stuff there next week,but now she is going up alone for a pre-orientation program .I know she will be fine,but this is a significant moment in our lives.The last one is gone of my 4.</p>
<p>OMG. I can’t even think about what that last hour is going to be like. I have 6 more days. I think I should buy stock in Kleenex.</p>
<p>Hugs to you, I know it’s hard.
I am taking my twins to a pre-orientation and I tell myself I will see them in a week, so it’s like “camp” but then one of my daughters said, “yes, but I’m not coming home…”
I am going to pour myself into cleaning their room and painting if I have time and exercising more, for me, that helps with stress. I will miss them very much, we were close.
I am also thinking of what little things I can send to make them smile. It’s hard, but it does get better.</p>
<p>I already redid her room this summer when she was in Sweden on a farm .I’m know she’ll have the whole new experience of COLLEGE to occupy her -orientation, new faces,endless stuff to keep her busy.What do I have,other than her mess to clean up, right now?</p>
<p>Wow - your daughter has a wonderful set of friends! I’m sure she makes new friendships in college as well - it must feel good to know that! </p>
<p>I find my eyes welling up 20 times a day over all sorts of little things, and my son doesn’t leave for four more days!</p>
<p>I have under 24 hours until my last hour - my stomach is in knots, I doubt I’ll sleep, but this is typical of how I deal with nerves/stress/excitement/sadness. This will be my first experience and we’re ready but I’m not ready too - a bal of complex emotions that can spill at any time! That would be me :)</p>
<p>My youngest is moving today to begin her junior year. Right now, I never want to see her again - LOL. Trust me, after several years of several kids going back and forth and their stuff all over your house in the summer and them coming and going at will…
Her Dad is helping her move but she expects me to drive 120 miles after work to have dinner with her tonight and then go home.<br>
Argh!!!
Don’t despair, the circle of life demands their return, even after you have begun your new life!</p>
<p>Seriously, have fun moving! Be proud of the job you have done as a parent in enabling independence in your children - that is the goal! {{{Hugs}}}</p>
<p>^^^ Bust a gut on that Justamom! We take DS1 back today to begin his sophomore year. This time last year it felt so… monumental…this year it’s just part of the back to school routine.</p>
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<p>Yeah, that would have gone over well - a neighbor calling the cops on some teenage girls singing Sound of Music songs …</p>
<p>***Police: Yes sir, what seems to be the problem. </p>
<p>Neighbor (Ed): there are some teenage girls sitting around the street singing.</p>
<p>Police: Yes sir. What are they singing? </p>
<p>Ed: Some Sound of Music song and I want it stopped. </p>
<p>Wife: [in background]. Ed! Get off the phone, you’re such an a$$hole!</p>
<p>Ed: They’re singing ‘Edelweiss’ about a girl leaving her homeland when the girl’s not leaving her homeland and I’m the a$$hole? It should be ‘Climb Every Mountain’ if they’re going to do Rodgers and Hammerstein. </p>
<p>Wife: What mountain? She’s taking the bus to Cambridge, at best there are a few hills.</p>
<p>Ed: It’s symbolic of the college challenges she has ahead of her.</p>
<p>Wife: How about the song “I have Confidence” as she goes on to a new challenge?</p>
<p>Ed: Maybe they don’t know that song, do you know all the words?</p>
<p>Wife: What about “So long, Farewell” Now that’s appropriate.</p>
<p>Ed: Agreed. That would be better … but Edelweiss?</p>
<p>Wife: Ed! They’re teenagers!</p>
<p>Police: So, it’s really the selection that’s the problem sir?</p>
<p>Ed: Harvard brat!</p>
<p>Wife: Ed! I’m warning you!***</p>
<p>Our last hour with DS was on Monday. The airline agent was very kind and volunteered to give DH and me passes so that we could go to the gate with DS. I sat next to him and managed not to cry. When he got in line, I went over and hugged him. I meant to say, “I love you,” but I was so choked up I couldn’t get any words out. I had to turn around and leave quickly so I wouldn’t embarrass him! We won’t see him until Christmas break. It’s very hard.</p>
<p>oh geez, I hope no one sings Edelweiss anywhere near me when DD departs. </p>
<p>:(</p>
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<p>Skype is your friend.</p>
<p>OP, that’s such a nice moment to remember! I hope you’ll get to help her on move-in day, even though she went off to a pre-O program. Or maybe you’ll get to the Parent’s Weekend?</p>
<p>It’s been a lively summer here too. Once my DH and I went out for a walk and when we returned, we came back to find a lively group of (6-7) teenagers at our house, playing Monopoly.</p>
<p>D1 is leaving this morning to go back to school, and she is a senior, so there have been many good-byes. Last night as we were sitting there chatting after everyone has gone to bed, she put her head on my lap as she’s done so often while growning up.</p>
<p>ctyankee, you made me cry…but in a good way! :)</p>
<p>You people are choking me up! I have another week till our last hour…</p>
<p>I still have three weeks to go til we say goodbye to S and all of these stories are choking me up!</p>
<p>Awwww you guys!!
Moving the first was so different than moving the youngest…</p>
<p>My oldest - My youngest (who was 11 at the time) and I moved her. A sister was at camp and Dad bailed on moving to pick her up from camp. He couldn’t deal with his emotions.
School was 2.5 hrs away - easy peasy. We had a great day, got her settled, met the roommate, parent meetings etc. 5 pm time to go. Little D hugs big D then starts bawling. Hysterically. She refused to get into the van. I put her in the van and buckled the seatbelt. I barely got a hug with all the comotion. Little D cried for 45 mins until she ‘mercifully’ fell asleep.</p>
<p>Fast forward - two years ago. Youngest is in complete control of the move, packing etc. She needs no help from me and we needed to leave by 8 am to make our appointed move in time - 2 hrs away. She was leaving bf of 14 months for the first time and sad. She dawdled on packing and when I went to bed at 11 pm she was just beginning to box up stuff - bf was visiting. I woke up early and headed to the shower and gave a knock on her door. She opened it and was sitting in the middle of her room -finishing packing. Then something moved - it was bf sprawled out on the bed sleeping. She was up all night packing and he got tired. I was furious. She giggled. Standing there in my nightie (whew!) I ordered him out, told her she had 30 mins and got in the shower. No time or mood for emotions.
I hope I have perfect kids in my next life. ;)</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your thoughts.Yes,I took about 30 photos of everything,especially the girls in the street singing.My 4 kids are extremely well-documented,and their baby books don’t miss much,starting with early ultrasounds ,the little cards that came on baby gifts…the first day of school with their name in dots,regular handwriting samples,counselor notes from camp,1 son’s letter about being in a fight-I think I am the original scrapbook person!I am feeling much better now.Yes,I will see her at move-in day,Parent’s Weekend ,etc but the sadness is about going off for a lot of time,not just camp,being done with the at-home mom phase…</p>
<p>To JustAMomOf4,</p>
<p>Hopefully when you walked in your youngest wasn’t singing, “Oops, I Did It Again”. ;)</p>