<p>The anecdote about the super market rings true here. I recall last year in the first few weeks following the drop off of my oldest child, that I felt teary eyed in the market and hoped nobody was looking. It hit me that I did not need to think of foods that child would want after all these years of doing so. This year, will be worse because in about a week, I will be kidless. And then like you related, I will be a basket case at the market, plus what to cook for just two people?? It is harder to get motivated to just make dinner for two. </p>
<p>We are in packing mode here to take the youngest off for her first time in two days. You guys have reached the other side, lol. It's tough....I'll join ya in a week after taking my second (older) one off days later after the first one. </p>
<p>Kat - hope you've appeased the litter by now!</p>
<p>It's verrry quiet around our house. DH is traveling this week, and the teenaged juvenile delinquent puppy has no clue why he has suddenly become the center of my world (I think I hear him wrestling some pillows off the bed as I type!)</p>
<p>On the bright side, I've managed to get a few of those spring cleaning jobs tackled this week - you know - the ones we never seem to get to in the spring (or last spring, or the one before....)!</p>
<p>Damn, I'm going to start tearing up. Only son is going away on Saturday to UT Austin . Only 2 1/2 hrs away. We keep thinking that we will run over there every weekend. We won't, but it makes it easier to think so.</p>
<p>My son sleeping till at least 2:00 pm and staying up late saying goodbye to everyone. How do you get them up so early?</p>
<p>S moves into his dorm after 4 p.m. on Monday. I don't think I'll be staying long because he'll have to eat dinner before the opening session of his week-long community service project. Instead of leaving and going back to my hotel, I'm going to walk over to Fenway and see if I can get a ticket for the game that night. I'm sure I can get a bleacher seat, at least. I won't be alone and the noise, crowd, and game will be a distraction. As a native NYer, I don't like the Red Sox, and S is a Yankee fan. But it's always fun to go to a major league game. It'll delay the separation reality.</p>
<p>(sigh) I don't remember reading a thread like this on CC last fall. Perhaps I just ignored it as a rising HS senior's parent.</p>
<p>This feels heavy, very heavy.</p>
<p>Son met his freshman academic advisor today and also got his meningitis shot at the office of our family physician. He also had to complete an AlcoholEdu test after taking an online course in alcohol education. He claims it was common sense and was "annoying" .... of course. </p>
<p>Nothing is packed, yet. Less than 72 hours to go.....</p>
<p>36 hours to go here. Nothing is actually <em>packed</em>, but the boxes are lined up in the upstairs hall, there are piles next to each of them (according to the now-famous lists), the cinching straps have been bought for the big soft duffel bag (to try to pull it into airline size neighborhood), and almost all the loads of laundry have been finished. He's had the good-bye parties, the farewell parties, the end-of-summer dinners with friends, the favorite meals cooked at home, and the going-away lunch with service project mentors. His profile even appeared in the newspaper today! (Weird timing.) He's out delivering copies of the service project data to the guy who's taking over from him, and making sure the guy knows how to do the work in his absence. His head is drifting further and further away.</p>
<p>mootmom, I just talked to a friend whose S is leaving tomorrow for college. He has not done ONE THING to start packing! She said his room is still like a hurricane and nothing is even started yet. The college is only 20 minutes away so maybe he thinks he can just come home to get whatever he needs. I told her that sons are just different from daughters (and their moms.)</p>
<p>It's 11pm, and my son just shooed a friend out the door. The friend needs to go home and pack for his 9am departure tomorrow. (He has packed nothing yet!) The funny thing is that this friend has not been here in several years... yet he's here tonight. The boys were good friends in elementary school. And this was visit was preceded by a rare video game session with different friend... my son never plays video games, and this one was "Goldeneye", dating back to about 6th grade.</p>
<p>A couple of nights ago, another friend (from kindergarten on) stopped by from 2am to 4am. He was on his way home from the city when he got my son's call, so he just came over for a while. They have stayed friends all this time, but haven't socialized much in recent years. I can't remember someone coming over here at that hour, ever. </p>
<p>Isn't it funny who you connect with as the days count down? And as more and more kids depart, the ones still at home are socializing with kids from other groups, as their numbers dwindle. I wonder what will happen tomorrow... setting up the Brio trains? Maybe I should make some blue jello to have on hand.</p>
<p>If it helps any, we were at BB&B starting at 9:30 pm the night before flying. (When S finally looked at my purchases, they weren't satisfactory, and some things he needed to pick himself). Campus stores thrive on selling all the items we don't think of.</p>
<p>I wonder how many friends will remain friends with S after another year. So many friends chose the state school, and will be seeing each other all the time.</p>
<p>I dropped son#1 off after a 13 hour carride - what a tense car ride. Wept the entire time I there at parent orientation, then had the long car ride home to cry again. Once home, walking by his room, food shopping (definitely) and even setting the table for 3 instead of four stimulates tears. I don't know how many of you work but I mentally reviewed our harried lifestyle and cried some more about that - they grow up too fast! OTOH, as his GC said Monday, while discussing S2, I wouldn't want him to stay at home until he was 40, right! Um, right, I think.....</p>
<p>My D has been so busy and coming and going so much the past 9 months that in many ways it doesn't feel any different to ahve her gone, yet have a jillion calls one day & no calls the next. But, in my heart I know it is different. I feel strong & empowered, I know soon I will be kidless (youngest is 11th grade) and able to do all those things I've only dreamed of, but right now, i cannot remember what they were and why they seemed important :(</p>
<p>My D had her summer rite of passge, she and a group of friends went bungee jumping- she called me from the line, "Mom, should I just fall or do a back flip?" Ack, you should call me to tell me you've survived!</p>
<p>I am with you Sooz & Kat, it is the grocery store that is the real killer...I still reach for favourites of my oldest (4th year uni), now I have to filter out the two oldest menu favs and rework plans for only 3...I hope the youngest decides to have over many friends who I can cook for, as I am sure there will be enough to go around and I will feel more useful!</p>
<p>S told me today we were almost out of popsicles...there were two left in the box and we are leaving Sunday morning but I bought another box anyway. I asked him, "If I make more ratatouille will you eat it tomorrow and Saturday?" So I made the last batch. Finally, the duffel bag is out in the family room and his stuff is all over the place. I am trying to decide what I am taking in my luggage because I'll be gone for 10 days visiting friends and my D at Evergreen on the way home to California. I hope all the bags fits in the car on the way to the airport. Poor H is taking us at 3:30 a.m. Sunday.</p>
<p>Enjoy the game, Kinshasa. Have some peanuts and beer for all of us...we'll be there with you in spirit.</p>
<p>Making progress here - the house is clean (amazing how things stay 'cleaner' longer with less people in the house) and 3 closets have had a major overhaul, the likes of which they haven't seen since we moved in. I've got a nice pile of goodies for the women's shelter and Goodwill growing by the garage door.</p>
<p>I just cried again reading all these posts--dropped son (oldest child) off yesterday. I was overwhelmed by the moving in process! I couldn't go into the dorm--had to walk around the campus and let hubby take over. As I walked around, I saw several other moms doing the same thing I was doing! I managed to get up to the room and chatted with his roommate's parents a bit, but I had to leave again. I knew it would be an emotional experience, but I wasn't prepared for the intensity of it all. I am glad to see I'm not the only one!</p>
<p>Hey guys, all you parents being emotional at the supermarket - let me tell you....it is an emotional time right now. But a year from now, you will be happy you have less to shop at the supermarket. And if any of you have health problems: I've lost almost 18 pounds this year because both hubby and I are eating healthy and a LOT (LOT) less snacking because son is not here and we have an empty nest. Trust me. It does get better. In my case, though, it was onset of type 2 diabetes that made us health conscious. BUt still, it is a lot easier.</p>
<p>achat-
Good news that you are eating healthier since you're not snack buying for kids.<br>
But our son is a chicken, salad, and very few snack kind of kid.
I have no one but myself to blame for my too large ice cream thighs!
I have been doing laps at our town pool, so at least the thighs are brown from the sun!</p>