<p>Sunday morning we hop on the plane. S is coming back tonight from a trip. That leaves 1.5 days (I'm subtracting tomorrow morning for sleeping late) to organize, pack, get a haircut, take care of final shopping needs, and finish his graduation thank-you notes. :rolleyes: </p>
<p>But packing is starting to feel like the least of my worries. I've gotten myself prepared, as best I can, for the moment when we walk away from the dorm. I had forgotten that I'll need to keep it together (or not) when we walk out the door to leave for the airport. Too much. Then there's the dog, who hates it when we pack suitcases and gets all sad-eyed and clingy. It's going to be an emotional couple of days, that's for sure. </p>
<p>Tonight a neighbor whose D is also going to college, but later in the month, knocked on the door just to ask how we're all doing. I take solace in the fact that there are so many of us--online and in person--who are in the same pre-departure mode right now. Good luck to everyone who's on the "early shift" this weekend.</p>
<p>Leaving Sunday a.m. for the big drive back to SC from NY.Had to convince S to make Friday the last day of his internship and leave a day free for packing,tossing in the car,whatever.I don't know how he thought he could do otherwise, as he works days and nights in minor league baseball..did he think he would come home at midnight Saturday and be ready to leave at 7 on Sunday??
I havent touched the stuff in his room except to wash what's dirty. I've gathered the other belongings in piles in the living room.I figure this will be the last time home as hes moving into an apt there so we're driving with him,seeing his new place, and spending a few days on Hilton Head Island.No other kiddies left to worry about at home so hooray for us!!</p>
<p>Catching ZZZZs- every trip made to/from campus for the past two years, with/without friend was sleep time for son (and friend)- regardless of which parent, when left- the only exception was bringing friend's girlfriend once, she talked, they stayed awake! </p>
<p>I think many husbands are used to organized wives who have been managing trip et al preparation for so many years they are oblivious to what is involved- things get done under their radar, like magic. Of course they can all wait until the last minute, because mom has done all the prep work, as usual...</p>
<p>I threw a pack of tube socks on "the pile" (found them, unopened, in his drawer). He told me that he no longer wears tube sock (now wears the ankle things) so threw them off the pile. He's now starting a "what I am not taking" pile comprised largely of stuff he rejects from my "things to take" pile. Still nothing has made it into a plastic container or duffel.....</p>
<p>I don't know how much sleep I'll be able to catch up on during my drive, as my parents will expect me to drive once we get out of L.A. (none of us are comfortable enough with my freeway skills for me to drive through LA at the tail-end of the summer.)</p>
<p>It is now officially one week until I leave. Most of my stuff is packed...really all the packing i have left to do is the stuff I use every day (clothes, toothbrush, other toiletries, etc.). I also need to make a pharmacy run and put together my own little first-aid kit to keep with me...cold medicine, benadryl, neosporine, bandaids, etc. And ESPECIALLY Claritin, since I do get some seasonal allergies and I'm moving to a new climate...so I'm not sure how that'll work out yet. Better safe than sorry!</p>
<p>My nephew is leaving for college with his family on Sunday. As of this moment, only his younger sister has packed. No one else in his family has started any packing & Saturday will be consumed by my niece's wedding, which they'll all be attending. It should be interesting. He & my D both got their graduation thank you notes out today to everyone.</p>
<p>I reminded my sister-in-law that flat rate boxes are always available for whatever gets forgotten & they have great stores in LA anyway (where he'll be attending school).</p>
<p>wis75, your post made me laugh. Just a few minutes ago I told my H that he isn't allowed to get up tomorrow (the day before we leave) and announce, "Well, I think I'll waterproof the deck today."</p>
<p>We have a growing pile in the dining room of this that will be packed for S2. I am adamant that we will go through his room and remove everything that will go and clean the rest. After S1's departure, I went through his room and threw out 8 leaf bags of trash! We're doing most packing, at my insistence, this weekend for a Friday departure. M-T-W will go by too quickly and Th we need to make a trip to nearby city (2 1/2 hrs) to pick up the rental van, and I think that will probably take most of the day.</p>
<p>I'm doing laundry all this weekend so that I can pack a majority of my clothes (except for what I'll wear this week). Then, Thursday, I'll do some more laundry and be ready to go by Friday. :)</p>
<p>"After S1's departure, I went through his room and threw out 8 leaf bags of trash! "</p>
<p>I made older S do this before allowing him to go away to college. </p>
<p>Somehow younger S managed to go to college without getting around to cleaning his room. However, I made it very clear that he had to clean it before going to college soph year, and his last days at home this week were spent doing that. Still isn't squeaky clean, but it's a lot, lot, lot better!</p>
<p>He had the choice of doing it or me doing it after he left. In all fairness, he left is a big hurry, finally moving out for grad school, because he only got an assistantship at the last minute.</p>
<p>tango,
I hope you don't feel you had to defend yourself. After all, I was the one who let younger S go off to college leaving a room that was so cluttered that no one could even walk into it. :)</p>
<p>One friend of mine had no idea her high school son drank or was sexually active until he left for college and she found empty "handles" (huge alcohol containers) and condom boxes under his bed. Luckily, she had a good sense of humor about it. My own son is going to be very sorry to be spending his last days at home cleaning out the room. Hope the waves are bad and the weather is overcast or he will be even more miserable. I have bigger fish to fry... have to decide how to redecorate as soon as I get back from dropping him off.</p>
<p>^^^ Oops!!! Guess that teaches him that he should clean his room!!</p>
<p>In our house we have slowly BEGUN TO PACK!!! WAHOO!! Most of the stuff I bought got put, with s's assistance (and oversight--removing the dryer softener sheets that smell too "girlie") into one plastic container and a duffle. We are done for the day (and he is gone for the evening) but it is a start!</p>
<p>ACKKK VH-- I can't type. Thanks for pointing out my booboo (the "s" is too close to the "d" on the keyboard.) I fixed it, but watch for more typos to come. Time for me to sign up for the Mavis Beacon typing program!</p>
<p>Do they make keyboards with big keys for those of us who are typo- challenged??</p>