Jenny in Florida Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 My son and I (because I have the credit card and the computer that works with the school's website) sat down this afternoon and paid his deposit for the University of Tampa. He filled out the online housing form and the registration questionnaire, too. (At UT, first-semester registration is done for the students, with input about selected major/minor, academic background and interests.) He hadn't even clicked the final submit button before my daughter came out of her room and proudly announced she had bought her one-way ticket to NYC and has a lead on a sublet for June. (She has since booked that, too.) I feel like I have four different tracks running in my brain at all times. For each kid, there's the one that is telling me how exciting this is and how proud I am of each of them, as well as making lists of all of the things that need to be accomplished and purchased and packed before their respective deadlines. And then right underneath those are the tracks reminding me of how much I will miss them both and pretty much just yelling, "No! I'm not ready!" Sigh. Anyway, it's really, genuinely official that my nest will empty this summer. Yay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 :hurray: :party: :hurray: and ... :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Same two tracks running here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Oy veh! That's rough! Congratulations to both, though - its good to have kids who know where they are going and a plan to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Mousie Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 So exciting :laugh: ... but so tumultuous ... :crying: Sigh. What Teachin'Mine said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 What a lot to deal with all at once. I'd be one long wail on the inside and one excited smile on the outside. Sigh. So what new exciting venture are you planning for yourself the fall? Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 So what new exciting venture are you planning for yourself the fall? My great new adventure will be working as much as possible to try and pay my son's tuition bills. At the moment, I tutor online part-time, but I am considering signing up to substitute teach in our local public schools. If that doesn't work, I'll need to look for another part-time job of some kind. I don't want to go to work full time if I can avoid it, because I want to maintain some flexibility in my schedule for the next few years. I want to be able to go see every show my son is in at the college and to be available whenever my daughter needs anything as she settles into her new life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Yes, I think it is worth trying to hang onto your flexible schedule. Young adults can take quite a lot of time. I have one at uni, two working, and three extras, two of whom are away at the moment, so other than worrying about their safety, they are all set. One extra is at the community college, living with us. In the past month, I have dealt with two dental procedures, picked up from the airport, nursed one's dog for a few days, helped one deal with his fishtank, babysat for one's 4-day old chicks for two days, consulted on chicken coop location and design, helped with math, helped choose classes, taken one for testing, gone to take the uni student out for dinner a number of times, rescued one with car troubles, and packed a lunch every morning for one of the workers. And that doesn't count my husband's time, time spent playing together, or the time spent with my parents or the day-care I do for my nephew or the other clan commitments. Some of this is "extra", of course, things that improve the quality of everyone's lives, but some is very necessary. Can you plan something to look forward to for the fall, something that only depends on you and doesn't involve growing and changing children, even if it is a small something? Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Anyway, it's really, genuinely official that my nest will empty this summer. Yay? :grouphug: Yes, YAY! You done good, momma! So what new exciting venture are you planning for yourself the fall? Terrific question, Nan! I, for one, am itching to clean out the homeschool closets... I don't want to go to work full time if I can avoid it, because I want to maintain some flexibility in my schedule for the next few years. I hope never to work full-time again. Currently, I am at 30hrs/wk, and I hope to return to 20hrs/wk once ds is done with school. I have so many other things I want to explore. Take physics and pass it. Try a steel drum class. Self-educate on health issues. Volunteer more. Attempt a vegetable garden. Establish a social life. Right now, the only people who have time for me are retired. :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 I have one starting college and another heading to NYC in the fall too! It's an exciting (though strange, in a way!) time. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Hen Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 So nice to come here and find other moms facing the same thing I am. My oldest left for college 4 yrs ago, a mere 20 minutes down the road and somewhere during Soph yr he and his GF decided that staying at his home on the weekends was a wonderful place to *chill.* Typically they would come on Friday afternoon and head back mid-Monday, most every weekend for the last 3 years. He and GF graduate this month and are headed to Utah---far, far away from Delaware----for grad school. Younger DS is headed 500 miles west to college and leaves mid-August. Since he'll be on his college's rifle team I don't expect him to be back home except for Christmas. Yes, sudden empty-nester here too. Our school room is just about empty of books and this is all becoming quite real to me. I have my AP Statistics online class to keep me busy, and my quilting business so I know my days will be filled, but it sure will be different. I also have started making a solid effort to get into shape and lose all those pounds gained years ago from eating chocolate (and other stuff) while the kids struggled through their math worksheets, and as I wondered if I was really doing enough. I too am cheering for them but oh my, when my PC screen-saver pops up with random pictures of them from yesterday-year, I hear a wail inside me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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