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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
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Posted: Sun Aug 17th, 2008 06:14 pm |
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In eight days we take our third and last daughter back East to Bryn Mawr. After our second left for college a reality hit: They grow up. If she wasn't the third, I doubt I would have been so nonchalant about her applying on the opposite coast. It is so far she won't be able to come home for Thanksgiving. I pray someone invites her to Thanksgiving dinner. The thought of her eating take out in her dorm is too sad, but I am hopeful someone will have her over for turkey. She was admitted to a waitlist school in the end and tossed it in the trash with a smirk and giggle. She is 100% Bryn Mawr now.
Moving across the country has proven interesting. Bryn Mawr has allowed boxes to be mailed there. Bed Bath and Beyond has allowed selection over here with a special scanner and pick up in Pennsylvania (that is SO cool!). The only glich was that about a quarter of her chosen items were not available on the East Coast (different styles, the sales lady said). So, she will need to choose a new shower caddie as the deep purple one with the soap dish holder and swanky curve is not available over there. We have allotted one full day in PA to shop for last minute things like a minifrig (no way to ship that!). We have not bothered to purchase winter clothes as she is coming home for Fall break in October. She will bring her CA jacket and a couple sweaters. I think she may need an umbrella? Oh, we didn't buy one! Will she need one? She usually uses a waterproof wind breaker with a hood here. Do young people use them over there?
Over all, it has been much less shopping than I anticipated. They really do not need much. We did make a special effort to hunt down her favored academic planner in case it, too, is not available back east. The Bryn Mawr bookstore will have notebooks and things and there is an Office Depot and Target near campus.
Our gps is ready to go, hotel and car and plane reservations lined up and some tissues in my bag for the inevitable tears I will shed. It is just like when you take them to the first day of kindergarten.
How is everyone else doing in these last few days before leaving?
Last edited on Sun Aug 17th, 2008 06:20 pm by outwest
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CarolynLawrence
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
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Posted: Sun Aug 17th, 2008 06:42 pm |
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This week is going to be nutty in our house, as we simultaneously get both kids packed off to their respective colleges. Our D. will be leaving on Tuesday, and we'll be heading out with our Son next Friday.
Parts of our house resemble a garage sale at the moment as the kids sort and pack various belongings. My son, however, is definitely taking much less to school than our daughter did two years ago, so it shouldn't be too bad. He's also not into all of the dorm gee-gaws (no shower caddy for him!  ) so that's made getting ready easy. We'll make a quick stop at Target after we get there for some daily necessities, and that should be that.
It is, however, bittersweet to be seeing both kids off - the house is going to be very quiet! But, it has been a very nice summer, with lots of special family time and memories, so that makes the parting a little easier.
Last edited on Sun Aug 17th, 2008 06:48 pm by CarolynLawrence
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limner
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| Joined: | Sun Jul 16th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tennessee USA |
| Posts: | 831 |
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Posted: Mon Aug 18th, 2008 05:49 pm |
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Oh, gosh, I got teary just reading about you packing tissues, outwest. 
Reading your posts definitely brought back memories. outwest, I think the rain jacket versus umbrella is a personal decision. Although, I'm not sure where in the west you are. I have found that Northwesterners tend to be shocked at the velocity of rain in the east. We don't get it constantly, but when we get it, it comes down hard. Still, my guess is that the Bryn Mawr bookstore stocks umbrellas.
Good luck to you both and enjoy the drop offs!
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CarolynLawrence
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| Location: | USA |
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Posted: Mon Aug 18th, 2008 07:54 pm |
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Well, everything must be catching up with me.
Last night, I dreamt that when we got to Son's college, we were told that he hadn't been admitted - just put on the waitlist! 
I woke up in a cold sweat, and it seemed SO realistic, that I nudged my husband from sleep and asked "he DID get in, didn't he?"
To which my groggy husband said, "Well, they cashed the check, so I guess so." 
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limner
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| Joined: | Sun Jul 16th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tennessee USA |
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Posted: Mon Aug 18th, 2008 08:01 pm |
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CarolynLawrence wrote:I woke up in a cold sweat, and it seemed SO realistic, that I nudged my husband from sleep and asked "he DID get in, didn't he?"
To which my groggy husband said, "Well, they cashed the check, so I guess so."
Aha! They cashed the check, so you've got them either way.
My youngest started middle school last week, and I think it was far more stressful for me than for her. I just had a constant, low-level buzz of anxiety the whole week. Such is parenthood.
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WestrnMom
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| Joined: | Fri May 26th, 2006 |
| Location: | West Coast, USA |
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 02:43 am |
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I'm alternating between tears and excitement because my son can't wait to get back to school. I'm delighted he's so happy about his choice and looking forward to next year. I'm somewhat excited about getting my house back in order. No matter how hard my children try, when they are home it's always a mess. I'm sad because this is probably his last full summer at home with us, at least until he graduates, due to the need for internships.
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Canadian
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 05:53 am |
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| Carolyn, hysterical!
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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 06:17 am |
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We are from SoCal, Limner. Just your words 'velocity of rain' sounds like she is in for a surprise.
Yes, Carolyn, waking up in a cold sweat thinking he was waitlisted was just too hilarious!!! BMC cashed the check, too, thank goodness. I never will have to live through another March of senior year, even in my dreams (I hope).
Today I went to work and gave my D money to go buy first aid type stuff. She bought ibuprofen, bandages, vitamins, yadda, yadda. I looked at her loot and told her she did a good job picking needed sundries. Then I held up a tube of Desitin. She said there was no way she would ask to borrow Desitin if she got a *&%% rash from humidity. I think she is getting paranoid.
Last edited on Tue Aug 19th, 2008 06:19 am by outwest
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HijinksAndSue
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 04:42 pm |
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I'm on my last brief road trip before the big day and have already alerted my DD that when I get home we get started packing ... we leave a week from Saturday but I think we need to pack to figure out what we're still missing (which probably isn't much but she hasn't done the cosmetic/sundries run yet ... I've been clipping coupons like a maniac and found a few good discounts on her favorites).
Plus, she went and lost about 20 pounds this year so a lot of her clothes don't fit anymore.
We've been using the guest room as a "staging area" and I admit to getting a teeny bit choked up when I walk in there and see it filling more and more with her stuff such as a big photo collage she just made. We've rented a minivan for the eight-hour drive because as a musician she has a LOT of equipment she's bringing (two guitars, a bass guitar and a keyboard as well as keyboard stand) that wouldn't fit in the car with clothes and bedding etc.
The good news is she FINALLY got her roommate assignment and has been in touch with her roommate and she seems VERY nice and VERY compatible (same major, same principal instrument in voice, but different accompanying instrument so they should complement each other well). PLUS her roomie already has a minifridge and microwave she's bringing to share ... turns out a LOT of girls got triples so my DD is very lucky to have gotten a double, but it looks like all the girls she's become friendly with via Facebook are on the same floor in the same dorm so she's very excited.
As far as my empty nest woes, I'm not more worried about my husband ... got my work travel schedule and it looks like we get home from dropping her off one night, and I leave two days later for a 10-day road trip, after which we go BACK to see her for her birthday two days later. So HE will bear the brunt of the empty nest before I do. He said he's OK with it because he's used to it from when she'd go to camp and I'd be on the road ...
I'm glad I'll have that work trip to act like empty nest methadone.
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CarolynLawrence
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 5th, 2006 |
| Location: | USA |
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 06:47 pm |
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outwest wrote: Then I held up a tube of Desitin. She said there was no way she would ask to borrow Desitin if she got a *&%% rash from humidity. I think she is getting paranoid.
Tell her the chances of getting a rash from humidity are small, but the chances of getting one from heavy winter clothing rubbing her the wrong way are larger. Desitin was a smart choice!
I went back and forth about a med-kit when my daughter headed to college, but it was a good thing she had one. Within a month of being at college, she'd used just about everything in her med kit, including bandaids from dropping a mirror in her room, neosporin for burns suffered when she put a coffee cup in the microwave and discovered that it had metal on it, and cold medicine for a sore throat acquired from playing in the rain (for my So.Cal. kid, rain was a HUGE thrill at first).
My son's kit is already put together and ready to go!
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Canadian
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 06:56 pm |
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I'd appreciate it if people would do some more posting about what they are putting in med kits. I can hardly believe that I didn't even think about this!
I got him a tool kit at Target. They have pink-handled ones there for girls.
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limner
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| Joined: | Sun Jul 16th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tennessee USA |
| Posts: | 831 |
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 07:26 pm |
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Canadian, it probably depends on the kid, but I got this stuff for my son:
thermometer, advil, tylenol, allergy/sinus med, cold medication, bandaids, neosporin, tissues.
Last year, I got him a small tub to keep things in, and this year we'll order what he's out of/short on from drugstore.com and have it shipped to him. This will include shampoos, deodorant, etc. That way, he won't be lugging all that stuff with him, especially since he's heading to see the gf in Chicago, then his grandmother in Cleveland, then on to Northfield a week early to work at his work/study job. (His boss asked if he minded coming early, with room and meals paid for, which he was happy to do. He'll get to move into his dorm room a week early.)
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HijinksAndSue
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 07:54 pm |
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thermometer, advil, tylenol, allergy/sinus med, cold medication, bandaids, neosporin, tissues.
All of the above ... plus a little jar of Vicks, immodium/correctrol (she can hide it if she wants but I assured her if she needs it she'll be very happy to have it there), two different scented cans of Febreze (said she'd let her roomie pick which she prefers since they share a private bathroom), hydrogen peroxide and cotton applicators, gauze, and also (since she's a singer) throat coat.
She also got the pink-handled tool kit from Target and is SO proud of it.
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limner
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| Location: | Tennessee USA |
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 07:59 pm |
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Ah, immodium. thanks Hijinksandsue. That's something I forgot . . .
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CarolynLawrence
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Posted: Tue Aug 19th, 2008 09:53 pm |
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Limner - love the drugstore.com idea! 
Other supplies that can come in handy: tweezers (my daughter thought I was nuts with this one --- until she needed to get a splinter out of her hand), small bottle of cough syrup, antacids for after-effects of dining hall food and late night pizza.
My son is one of those kids who gets sick, sleeps for 24 hours, and then is fully recuperated, so his med kit will be smaller than my daughters. Like Limner, I put it all in one of those plastic storage boxes.
And, this isn't a med box thing, but DON'T FORGET THE DUCT TAPE!!! My daughter uses it for all sorts of things, from quick fixes for hems to keeping electrical cords in place. She even used it to create a halloween costume one year. It was the first thing on my shopping list for my son! And, funny thing is, even though they're now in college, it still comes in handy for keeping my own mouth shut when parental nagging kicks in. 
Last edited on Tue Aug 19th, 2008 09:54 pm by CarolynLawrence
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Thumper
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Posted: Wed Aug 20th, 2008 01:32 am |
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I remember packing my kids off to college. This summer is the first that I haven't had a living room full of someone's college "stuff" all summer long. Neither of my kiddos were here. Both, however, will be here next week...DS for three days and DD for two weeks. So...just about when you all are saying "goodbye", I'll be saying a brief "hello".
Re: the med kit, both kids have them. We put the usuals in them...bandaids, cough syrup, Nyquil, Tylenol, triple antibiotic ointment, hydrocortizone cream (great for anything that itches), an extra small scissors, an ice pack (that got put into the freezer) benedryl and an ace bandage (which BOTH had the occasion to use). It all got put into a small tupperware type vessel. Both kids used the stuff, and became well known on their floors for having the medical necessities.
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outwest
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| Joined: | Sun Mar 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | CA |
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Posted: Wed Aug 20th, 2008 05:08 am |
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My D bought bandages, ibuprofen for headaches and muscle stuff, tylenol for a fever, cough drops, sore throat spray, robitussin DM, vicks, qtips, tweezers, an ace wrap (she tends to sprain ankles), triple antibiotic ointment, a small roll of duct tape, Benadryl cream for insect bites, vitamins (multi, vit C and Zinc- she is a big believer in zinc for colds), rubbing alcohol, midol, rolaids,thermometer, blistex and melatonin. I don't think she needed the melatonin (used for jet lag, but PA is only 3 hours difference), but she wants to get into the swing of things right away and we have had great success with it. Oh, a minisewing kit for repairs and the Desitin, too.
She has not had a cold in a year, but is convinced she is due for one, especially living in the dorm and cooped up in classrooms.
Her biggest concern right now is rain and humidity. Ever since she looked up PA and it apparently has rain every month of the year (even in the summer months), she is a little paranoid. It hasn't rained here in months and months. It is supposed to be in the high 80's next week, which is fine here, but she is not so sure there. She bought two more tank tops today just in case. LOL. It is amazing how different the weather is in this country. All she knows is sun. She is already talking about seeing it snow. I made sure she knew you make a snow angel on your back, not your tummy like Carolyn's SoCal D did the first time.
It is exciting!
Last edited on Wed Aug 20th, 2008 04:34 pm by outwest
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limner
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| Joined: | Sun Jul 16th, 2006 |
| Location: | Tennessee USA |
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Posted: Wed Aug 20th, 2008 03:30 pm |
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outwest wrote:
"
Her biggest concern right now is rain and humidity. Ever since she looked up PA and it apparently has rain every month of the year (even in the summer months), she is a little paranoid. It hasn't rained here in months and months. It is supposed to be in the high 80's next week, which is fine here, but she is not so sure there. She bought two more tank tops today just in case. LOL. It is amazing how different the weather is in this country. All she knows is sun. She is already talking about seeing it snow. I made sure she knew you make a snow angel on your back, not your tummy like Carolyn's SoCal D did the first time."
LOL! I hadn't heard that snow angel story. But at least her angel had a *face*!
outwest, your D is right about the difference the humidity makes. The high 80s will definitely feel a lot warmer in PA than CA. Regarding the rain (again), I walk a lot, and I usually like to have an umbrella, even though I also have a rain jacket.
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outwest
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Posted: Wed Aug 20th, 2008 04:38 pm |
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Last minute items for today: socks, a sweater and an umbrella. I am not sure we will be able to find an umbrella in the middle of summer here, but we are giving it a try. If not, she can take one of the ratty ones we have.
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ellenrch
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Posted: Wed Aug 20th, 2008 07:39 pm |
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We moved our son into his dorm yesterday, and already all the packing seems like a distant memory (thank goodness). Here's advice from the other side:
1. We brought home quite a few clothes. He packed too many.
2. He refused to buy plastic drawers for his closet, and he was right. He needs closet floor space for his camera equipment box. Instead, he got two stacking bins, which fit on his closet shelf. Lesson: Let them decide what works.
3. But he also resisted the under-bed box. I prevailed on that one, and he's really glad he has it.
4. The BBB pack & hold thing was a great idea and saved us so much time.
5. He loved the medicine/first-aid box I made for him, and even added some items of his own choosing.
Now the house is a wreck, littered with all the things he decided not to pack! I'm about to collect everything and put it in his room. I'll tackle the room some other day--or week.
On the emotional front, my heart is aching. I know this feeling will pass. We are so excited for him and the great things that are ahead. Being on campus with him and feeling the buzz, I guess I forgot that I was going to be sad. I'm just glad I had that extra-large Kleenex box in the car.
Good luck to all!
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