Our best visits were part of an all day open house with talks by various departments like Honors, their leadership scholars group, some stem programs they set up for better student retention etc. They were all initiatives that helped make a large state university come down to a very small size. A regular tour wouldn’t have done it justice. When we went back to tour privately, we met with the various departments we were interested in, including Study Abroad. When we met with a Stem professor, we talked about some of the clubs and internship opportunitiesz

Found it.

I know it would be a bit much for us to meet up during the summer with future roommates. We’ve got a busy schedule. Can they maybe just text or chat however kids do and agree on a color scheme? Dds flush mate bought the shower curtain, rug, cart (for to and feminine products I think), trashcan…and then asked dd if she liked it or would prefer something else. I guess she sent photos. Dd didn’t care. I’m buying that stuff for my boys bathrooms. Their flushmates don’t care. We’re just divvying up a list.

My kids had their 2 day orientation earlier this month. They did one for the kids, broken out into smaller groups which helped them connect with a couple new friends/classmates, and one for the parents. I thought it was really good. Covered tons of topics. Advisors reviewed and approved their schedules on the second day and then they enrolled that afternoon. They got all the courses they wanted; one had to switch up some sections that were filled, but that was all. We also met almost all the roommates and their parents which was really awesome! (They got to pick their roommate groups based on questionnaires and bios). So many really nice, friendly people. 🙂 The parents and kids each have our own chat groups going. It’ll be nice to meet up again at move-in and family weekend. It definitely helped make it comfortable for all of them to have a ‘group’ that they get along with, especially since it’s a huge state university. It should help with the adjustment. I hope at least. Many of them will be in the same dorm building. I think most stuff has now been purchased for their dorms (which are 4bd/2ba apartments with kitchen and living room). I’m loving Ross stores! Two roommate groups are sharing items for the kitchen and the parents/kids have a shareable spreadsheet for purchases. The other group is mostly doing individual items and then just sharing living room items and bigger appliances. Dh has a uhaul van rented. Move-in is mid-August. There’s regular videos and courses in Alcohol and Hazing and stuffthat the kids have to complete over the summer. The school releases them periodically so maybe forcing them to get into the habit of checking emails. Last meningitis vaccines scheduled for the end of July. We did both A and B for them.

Pool- loved it when the kids were little. Would be plenty fine without it now. Just uses up money. 2 acres 9’ ceilings (we have 8 and it’s fine) 5 bedrooms. That’s a harder number to find than 3 or 4. I thought you were downsizing? How much land and how many bedrooms do you currently have?

if he agreed to raise them Catholic, I think guidelines for that should come from whoever your parish priest was. Ask for a sit down with your priest on what it means to raise your children Catholic. we got to Mass every Sunday, but I didn’t used to realize it is a mortal sin to miss (without a really valid reason). I’ve learned more as I’ve aged.

Thanks. That makes me feel better. So can the cleaners suck up the extra water if you go back over them in a non-cleaning type mode? Or would I need to look for a specific option to suck up extra water/dampness from the carpets after cleaning?

Has anyone used the heated carpet extractor? Thinking of renting one from Home Depot for my kids dorm apartments when they move into them. My main concern with carpet cleaners is mold- we live in Florida. I’m not too sure how well the air circulates in those dorm apartments. The extractor says it dries faster and uses less moisture. The carpets are the thin industrial type carpets. (Not the kind that you have in your home). Also- I’ve never used such a machine. can anyone speak about it? I can’t figure out how it works and I have tried googling.

All they need is a piece of molding and it will complete the look. We have cabinets that go to the top and love them! We had shorter ones before and it was such wasted space.

I don’t get why a full ride isn’t considered a humongous prize by people! There are so few merit based full rides offered to kids. And this one is for law school! I wish more people would appreciate the rare prize that it is and be extremely congratulatory. We coached our kids that the full ride was the prize they had worked toward. Getting the chance to go heavily into debt isn’t much of a prize imo. Lol. But it is nice to be accepted. Congratulations to your dd!

I’ve bought some on Macys, JCPenneys, and Dillard’s to try. Those stores are local to us, so it’s easy to shop online for better selection, and then return in person if I don’t like it or fit.

We did this trip last summer, and my dh spent months planning it a year in advance. Hotels are crazy- both for prices and availability. The one night we had to find a substitute hotel (power outage in the town we were supposed to stay in), it was stressful and expensive. And we felt lucky to even find a room. Yellowstone in summer is so popular.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and thoughts! It really helped me work through this decision. And I have an update! I put down a deposit on a car today! 🙂 I looked at so many options suggested -sedans, small suvs, another minivan- and searched so many used listings and compared vehicles. But today a used Honda Pilot, still under warranty (plus a CPO), popped up at a super price at my local dealer (where I always took my Odyssey). It just felt right. I test drove it and made the deal. I can fit all my kids comfortably and even a friend or two of theirs. This was important to me, but was having a hard time justifying the costs of most vehicles I found. This price was way better than anything else I had found, and they still gave me a discount when I asked on top of that! It’s the dealer where I had my odyssey serviced for years. The trunk space is better than the Highlander and CX-9; worse than a minivan. But for the money, definitely workable. It’s virtually the same price I paid for my Odyssey 18 years ago. So I’m done car shopping for a while. I hope. 🙂

Minivans are selling for way more than they are usually worth, especially Toyotas. They are a rarity in the used car world. You could probably sell it for a good bit and buy your sedan.

Your kayak fits inside your van?

It does still work, but I don’t know for how long. I feel like I’m pushing it with 249,000 miles, so I want to be prepared with my game plan. But yes, I could probably get a daily smaller car or suv, keep this for toting us all around locally when needed, (I have zero plans to trade it in), and rent a car for a longer trip. Now to see what insurance would run though for keeping it and if it’s worthwhile. Our state is expensive. Right now we have 3 licensed drivers and two cars, so that is less money than 3 cars would be. Insurance costs are what kept two of my teens with permits only so far. I’ll make some calls tomorrow.

See, I go from definitely wanting a minivan to thinking like you just said. The fuel efficiency would be nice. Maybe I’m having a hard time thinking of my kids just not being home and needing the van. 😞

The nest is emptying pretty quickly. Lol. College starts in August for my triplets.

You can tell a difference? Is it a hybrid or just more fuel efficient?

I would love another Odyssey! But I think we could probably be completely fine with something smaller/less expensive. I feel like I’m all over the place.

There’s five of us. Me, dh, and our three graduating high school seniors.

No. And they won’t until it’s time for internships etc.

Decisions! I’m having a tough time with this one. I have an 18yo Honda Odyssey with 249,000 miles and three teens going off to college. Mine has always been the car the family rides in- to church, vacation, where ever. So now what? It’s running, but there is a list of recommended repairs. I do not want to put more money into this car. I hate the idea of getting something that doesn’t fit my kids comfortably, but newer 3 row vehicles are expensive and the kids won’t be around near as much. And if we travel, it would need to be another minivan- Highlanders, CX-9’s and such are just too small - both the third row and the cargo space. I do love my Odyssey and am not against owning a minivan forever. But the price, even for used ones seems crazy. I’d love some thoughts on a good replacement vehicle. Do I just get something that fits me and is appropriate for the majority of the year? Or do I get something that fits our family comfortably? Do I just rent something when we vacation or bring them home from college? I’d love to hear some thoughts. I’m really wrestling with this. Obviously buying a car is a big deal to me. Lol. Last one was 18 years ago.

Are they swaddled? I would swaddle snugly to mimic the pressure and warmth of a person, lay them down but keep a hand on them on to soothe them. And gradually, lessen the hand and time. I also used sound machines. (I had premature triplets). I was on my own from their ‘original’ due date.

Sounds like they should be banned completely. If they’re harmful to pets, I’m sure they’re not great for humans either. Way too many chemicals in life. I myself can’t stand scents so we don’t have plugins or oils or candles or anything like that.