A sad day for me

[disneyvacationmom]

Well today is the day I left my DS 800 km away from home. He's attending college in Sault Ste. Marie and it was so hard to walk away today. He seems to have met some nice kids on move in day and they all hung out last night. They had some orientation meetings today so most of the parents left. Tomorrow will be a hard day for most of the kids who all seem very worried about what Tuesday will bring. They willl be fine but will the moms? I can't even phone him until I talk to Bell Canada on Tuesday since my phone line isn't touch tone and I need it to access his room. Oh well. I feel for anyone in this position but I'm sure it'll all work out and we will survive.

 

[damo]

Well, today is my day. Good luck to all the kids and parents moving to university!!! They'll be back before we know it!

We've got the webcams hooked up and ready to go so we can chat while she is gone. What a great invention they are. I can also see how clean her room is!

 

[TimNDansMom]

We are just getting ready to leave for Western. Dan is really excited and wants to "hurry up!" We also bought web cams and have mics, so that will be nice to see as well as hear him.

I don't know how I feel right now, sort of numb, I guess. I know he won't be far away, at least and that's what I try to remember.

 

[disneyvacationmom]

Do you really want to know clean his room is????? I got an e-mail this morning and it sounds like all is well. Most of the guys from his program watched a movie last night so it sounds like they're bonding. Good luck to everyone saying goodbye today.

 

[Snowwark]

Sounds like the Moms need a big.....

Here, maybe you need another one!

 

[hockey mom]

I don't look forward to those days. I still have a few years left but I feel your pain.

 

[DisneyLisa]

I know how you're feeling but next year at this time you'll be saying "how many more days 'til you go back?" LOL

When I dropped DS#1 off at WLU 2 years ago, I was suppose to stay over at a friend's in Kitchener for the night but was so upset that DS didn't need me any more (he said "OK Mom...you can go now...bye" ) that I left for Ottawa right away and cried all the way home. I worried for about a month then got used to it and stopped waiting for that dreaded call that something was wrong.

The kids do fine...it's the Moms who have it rough. It's so hard to believe that your little baby is old enough to leave you.

 

[Debbie]

Well, mine was yesterday. After moving my oldest DS19(very fast, little notice) out to an apartment a week ago, we took DD18 to Queen's yesterday.

We went early (left London before 4:00) to 'avoid the rush'. Seems like most people did.

The room that she got wasn't on the main floor, like we'd been informed, it was on the fourth. UP/DOWN UP/DOWN (oh, and the 1st floor is actually ground 0), AND the room was considerably smaller than we had seen in June. We got everything in, though. She'd be empty if it wasn't for: a boxful of bathroom/hair stuff, dozens of pairs of underwear and an equal number (pairs!) of socks.

Rachel has come up with a case of tonsilitis and so she was pretty whipped while we moved in. All she wanted was to go to bed. We did a Shopper's run for antibiotics, while she began the formidable task, I insisted on brunch once we had the room ready, although she didn't eat much. We headed back, she laid down and we said goodbye.

It was hard to leave her, in pain. And of course, as we drove home I had visions of the infant sleeping (and screaming to be OUT of bed when we were visiting), singing The Little Drummer Boy at Victoria Park (10 months old...and she lost her mitten), learning how to walk (I still see the checkered dress and can 'feel' the diaper underneath), nightly 3-4 year old fashion shows (ALWAYS mismatched socks, and it was a ploy to stay up late!), school plays, nightly chats as she came home from work. . .

BUT. . . this is what her Dad and I have worked hard for. A young woman confident in herself to go off on her own. SHE is ready, WE are ready, the FAMILY is ready. I will continue to say a prayer for her each day. . . and MSN will be on while I am on the computer for a change!

With 2 gone in a week, the middle child gearing up for next year, life is changing. Change is not always easy, but it is inevitable. The kids see it as a positive thing, so should we.

Thanks Susan for the hugs. You SAID it!

The kids do fine...it's the Moms who have it rough. It's so hard to believe that your little baby is old enough to leave you.

So, NOW, I can have a little whimper. And life is moving along.

 

[PoohBWV]

When I dropped my oldest daughter off last year, I cried all the way from Waterloo to London. I knew that she was crying when we left, so that made it worse.

Dropping my younger daughter in Windsor this year was not so bad...she couldn't wait for us to leave and is having the time of her life. I also think that it helps that she is only 45 minutes away instead of 2 1/2 hours as DD1 was.

It does get better every day. Keep your chin up

 

[SuAnne]

Oh my goodness. My baby won't be going off to University for another 6 yearsbut I get all teary just reading about it and thinking about that day.

to all!

 

[Rebecca P.]

Our eldest flew from Toronto to Vancouver to start classes at UBC on Saturday. It's so quiet around the house this weekend. We miss him already but at the same time are so excited for him. I couldn't go to the airport with him because I think I would have upset him when I started to cry!!

Most of my sons friends went to Queens which my son insists is the same distance as he has to travel to get home. Five hours by car or 5 hours by plane! No problem he says.

I'll be thinking about all of the parents like ourselves today who are missing their kids as they leave for school. We must have done a great job raising them so far for them to be in a position to realize their dreams!

Rebecca

 

[damo]

Julie, what floor did Dan end up on? Heather is 6 South. I love the rooms and everything went great. We forgot a few things like a bathmat and hand soap but otherwise things are very good. We didn't get to meet her room-mate since she still wasn't there by the time we left but apparently she is very nice.

I am relieved and tired.

 

[mbb]

I cried when my babies got off the bus - by themselves- for the first time on Thursday

I'm all teary just reading about your babies!!

...oh, my babies just went to Grade One!

Hugs to ALL of you!!!

 

[TimNDansMom]

Hi, I'm exhausted too! I didn't sleep well last night either. What a long day, long weekend actually, as I spent most of it packing for him. I unpacked for him too, he was more interested in getting his Internet up and running, which took ages because of all the students doing the same thing. So everything is where "I" think it should go.

Damo, Dan is on the first floor south. What a coincidence that your daughter is on the 6th floor south. We were told the 6th floor south at first too, and I had walked up 6th flights of stairs and met the first of his luggage, the mini fridge and big suitcase (remember that 32" Susan? ) and there were 2 girl's names on what was supposed to be his room. They were single rooms too. Well, Dan and DH found out the error, while checking in before anymore of his things got sent up. I rode down with his fridge and suitcase in the elevator, I don't think my knees would have held out to walk back down again!

I got teary eyed when I hugged him goodbye, but frankly I think he was so excited and side-tracked by everything, I don't think he'll miss us, yet, at least. His room mate seems a nice fellow.

He forgot his clock radio so I'm probably going back tomorrow but don't know if I'll see him as there is so much going on. Hope so though.

I sent you an email Kathy. Glad to hear that you got one from Jeff and that he's okay!

Gosh, those days don't seem all that long ago for me, Mary Beth! How did yours make out on their first day of school?

 

[Susan--Ontario]

To all of you who have kids here at Western. They are having a great time. There is so many events planned for them this week that they won't have time to think about being homesick. Then next week when they have to go places themselves they will have many new friends and homework etc. to keep them busy.

Soon, this building will be full of them going on their tours. I will say hi to them for you.

I can't imagine what you're going through because my kids are 9 and 2. and my 9 year old says he's never moving out because he's going to Western. (He just wants a ride to school everyday like he gets now). I've been here for over 23 years now so I know what a great place it is and what a great time all your kids are going to have here.

Have a great day and it's okay to be sad.

 

[maryliz]

Oh, Debbie ... your post made me tear up a little. I remember "the little drummer boy" that Christmas in Victoria park. I laughed at the mismatched socks 'cause what I remember is that when she was a baby/toddler, she refused to wear ANY socks

My nieces and nephews are like my own kids and I think it's cool to see how far they've come. I'm very proud of them. I, on the other hand, have a long way to go 'cause my oldest just started grade 2 today, and the youngest is only starting JK this week Time flies by way too quickly. Just think, by the time I'm sending my youngest off to university, some of you with kids there now will be long retired, enjoying your winters in Disney

Sending prayers and pixie dust that all of your kids that have ventured into higher learning this week have a great, safe, productive year ahead You all must be so proud ! And take pride in the fact that since they made it this far in school, YOU must have done a pretty darned good job along the way too.

Mary Liz

 

[maryliz]

Oops ... it's duplicating my post for some reason !

Mary-Liz

 

[TimNDansMom]

Debbie, I thought of your post today as the reality of not being able to see Dan hit me and I found myself remembering his first day in kindergarten and how I waited to hear all about his first day.

I had to go back to London to take him his clock radio, that he forgot yesterday and I was so disappointed that he wasn't there. There's also a notice on the residence doors "No Visitors During O Week". I mean, I didn't really expect him to BE there but I found myself wanting hear more about what he did after we left yesterday. I left the clock at the front desk and phoned and left him a message that it was there.

Fortunately, I did get to chat briefly with him early this morning on msn messenger and he told me that they started to have a party, last night, with 50 kids in someone's room but an RA told them it wasn't allowed.

 

[disneyvacationmom]

Well I've had several e-mails from Jeff and he called today to let me know that his schedule is ok. He was heading out shopping with a new friend(what those kids still needed is beyond me-lol) I feel better that he's feeling ok but let's wait until tomorrow-his first full day of classes-math, physics and some aviation related thing-good thing it's him and not me-maybe it was navigation. I will call him tomorrow to make sure all is well.

 

[damo]

We spent about an hour today with Heather on the audio/video webcam. It really makes it feel like she is right here. Everything is going fine except the lack of sleep. I think I will take a drive down on Sunday to show my son her residence. She says that she thinks she will need some better food by then.

The list is getting longer of things that she needs. Slippers seem to be number 1 right now as she is wandering all over the residence in her socks and they and getting very, very, very dirty.