JennW in SoCal Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Are any of your kids not coming home for Thanksgiving break? If you live near campus, are any of you taking in strays for the holidays? Friends of your kids who can't go home? This is the 3rd year my son is not coming home, mostly because of the headache and expense of traveling that week. It is his choice as he knows he will be traveling home again within a few weeks for Christmas, and he hates the hassle of flying and dealing with airport transportation from campus. But he hasn't been abandoned on campus as the families of his good friends have taken him in every year. He will be with the same family this year as he was last year. I'm mailing my son a thank you card to give to these parents. I'm not sure if I will be able to convey the depth of my gratitude to them! They apparently also visit campus a couple times each semester and take the gang out to dinner. It just warms my heart! I guess I'll finally meet these people at graduation... When my niece was in college about an hour from me, she'd bring a friend or 2 down for Thanksgiving and long weekends. We miss having her here now that she's graduated and moved back home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MysteryJen Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Ds1 is coming home for Thanksgiving, but this will be the only year he will do so, I think. It is expensive and a short trip. He has plenty of friends who offered him a place at their parents table, so I think he will be fine next year. We always have a few extras here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 When I went to school "away" my parents told me to make do, they weren't sending me a ticket. The dorms closed, but I was able to find an apartment to stay in with a friend. There were plenty of student in apartments who would let you stay in exchange for a thorough cleaning, watering their plants, and bringing in their mail. We cooked a basic meal and had friends over. When I went to school 3 hours away, I usually came home and brought several people with me. The dorms were open, but the cafeteria was not. One year I was on call and had to stay on Thanksgiving, and I had friends over for a big potluck. Then I went home the next day for two nights, and then drove back because I had a big lab report due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Since my son attended the same Midwestern LAC where Jenn's son is, I wanted to mention something that might amuse her. My son will be back on campus this Thanksgiving! He is doing archaeological work throughout the region and went back to campus one weekend in October. He has invitations to join a family in town and also cook a meal with some former suite mates who are not traveling. Weather will force the archaeological field crews south so he figures he might as well see the gang (or part of it) when the opportunity presents itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 I won't see Middle Child at Thanksgiving and I won't see Eldest Child at Christmas. This will be my first Thanksgiving/ Christmas that we are not all together. I am bracing myself for this new phase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Two aren't coming home for Thanksgiving and we are taking in 2-4 geographic orphans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 D's is coming home and bringing a few friends with him. We'll have a boys room and a girls room this year. It should be fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 We are flying ds home for Thanksgiving this year, but I am not sure whether we will do it again. Because he is on quarters, it is less than two weeks before he will be home again for the Christmas break! He really wanted to come home, though, and they are out the entire week. Although he isn't coming home until Sunday so he can attend the "Big Game." He flies back the following Saturday as it was MUCH cheaper than flying on Sunday. Home six nights. I am very much looking forward to seeing him, but selfishly wishing my in-laws were not coming up. Even though they will only be here two nights, I have the feeling that most of the time ds will be truly at home (physically in our house!) will be when they are here, so I will have to "share." He already has commitments for Tuesday night and gathering on Friday with friends. I'd probably be more generous if my f-i-l weren't such a PITA. I digress. I think we will probably fly out to visit ds during the week of Thanksgiving next year. Spend a week or so and make a little vacation out of it. We are leaning towards this plan rather than Parents' Weekend in late February. During Thanksgiving break, the dorms are open, but the cafeterias are not, so we will probably feed a few next year! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Are any of your kids not coming home for Thanksgiving break? If you live near campus, are any of you taking in strays for the holidays? Friends of your kids who can't go home? This is the 3rd year my son is not coming home, mostly because of the headache and expense of traveling that week. It is his choice as he knows he will be traveling home again within a few weeks for Christmas, and he hates the hassle of flying and dealing with airport transportation from campus. But he hasn't been abandoned on campus as the families of his good friends have taken him in every year. He will be with the same family this year as he was last year. I'm mailing my son a thank you card to give to these parents. I'm not sure if I will be able to convey the depth of my gratitude to them! They apparently also visit campus a couple times each semester and take the gang out to dinner. It just warms my heart! I guess I'll finally meet these people at graduation... When my niece was in college about an hour from me, she'd bring a friend or 2 down for Thanksgiving and long weekends. We miss having her here now that she's graduated and moved back home! Mine is overseas. :( So not coming home this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 We always flew our son home for Thanksgiving break, but it only involved a cheap Jet Blue ticket and a couple of hours of travel time. Our daughter, on the other hand, chose to go to college on the opposite coast. A trip home takes the better part of a day and costs so much more. We did treat her to a flight home for her first Thanksgiving away. The following year, I flew out to be with her and my son, who lived in the same area. During the last two years of college, she got together with a group of friends to celebrate. Now this year, dd is in San Diego in her first apartment. Neither she nor our son will make it home before Christmas. One has too little money & the other doesn't have enough time off from his job. But, dd has invited ds to drive down for the weekend and celebrate the holiday with her & her roommates. Yay! I'm happy for them, but it's bittersweet for us, especially since dd's birthday is Thanksgiving week. I can't wait for Christmas myself :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 We are fortunate that our kids are close enough to come home for the holidays (or a weekend here or there.) I've always told them that they can bring "strays" home for the holidays if they wish to, but, so far, no takers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel-in-CA Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 College girl has only come home for Thanksgiving once. Her amusement park job requires her to work most holidays. Sigh. She usually comes to see us the week after Christmas. We've offered to take in local international students and had no takers. Most of them have host families...which is a good thing. It's just that I'm not as motivated unless I have guests. (Lazy me.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 We always flew our son home for Thanksgiving break, but it only involved a cheap Jet Blue ticket and a couple of hours of travel time. Our daughter, on the other hand, chose to go to college on the opposite coast. A trip home takes the better part of a day and costs so much more. We did treat her to a flight home for her first Thanksgiving away. The following year, I flew out to be with her and my son, who lived in the same place. During the last two years of college, she got together with a group of friends to celebrate. Now this year, dd is in San Diego in her first apartment. Neither she nor our son will make it home before Christmas. One has too little money & the other doesn't have enough time off from his job. But, dd has invited ds to drive down for the weekend and celebrate the holiday with her & her roommates. Yay! I'm happy for them, but it's bittersweet for us, especially since dd's birthday is Thanksgiving week. I can't wait for Christmas myself :) That is so sweet that they'll will be together for Thanksgiving, though! We always went home for Thanksgiving, but we were only four or five hours away from home. My second and third years, my boyfriend had a car, so he would have driven me home for TG, Christmas, and spring break, but I think my first year, our parents switched off, like one set picked us up, and the other set drove us back. (I just realized that on our drives to and from school, we probably went extremely close to where we live now, and at least once, we must have come really close, because I know boyfriend, er, fiancé, and I picked my brother up at his college. How weird.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Two are coming home, two are not. We are adding in a family of four from east Africa who are spending their first Thanksgiving in the US. All four young adults will be home for Christmas--let the merriment begin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Oldest used to come home via car pool before he was married. Now he goes to his in-laws home. We've always gone up to my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving and a relative brought middle son over as she lives within a couple of miles of his college. Now that my grandmother passed away last week, this will all change. We're making our first "different" plans this year :sad: , but they will still include middle son :) . Youngest is too far away with too little time off. However, his college has a full Thanksgiving Day celebration for students who don't go home. They have a complete catered meal with all the trimmings and then watch football on big screens or do various crafts, etc, as they want. Many professors (and their families) join in. It should be a nice time for him. Another year we might join him! (They do allow family to come.) Strays? None here for Thanksgiving, but middle brought his best friend from TX one spring break and we had fun showing him the local area. Last spring break they went to Haiti and expect to do the same this year. I'd welcome strays again if we're home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 We are delaying Thanksgiving and having it on December 7th, after Calvin gets home for the Christmas break. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Only two of my kids will be with us on Thanksgiving, and it will be at my parents' home, not ours. Another child will be spending it with my best friend from growing up and her family, across the country! Another has asked if she could spend her Thanksgiving break with her best friend who lives in Canada... and I know they've already celebrated Thanksgiving. :) Another lives in Central America where of course they do not celebrate it. I'll have to ask her if she plans to get a turkey... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I think the Canadians have it right--celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Or, I wish we would move to some type of quarter system in the universities in which we ended before Thanksgiving and then had a December minimester. DD is coming home and bringing some friends with her. At 325 miles she is "close" by Texas standards. Her university will not have classes on Wedensday--but she has an activity until 11:00pm Tuesday night. I will probably drive up Tuesday morning and then drive back through the night--surely I can stay awake with a carload of college students. I have to be back on Wednesday, because my university does have classes on Wednesday--through Wednesday evening. I will get out at 7:30pm--but some classes will go to 10:30pm that night. I know many of the students do not want to be there on Wednesday. The major highways are horrible that day and the Sunday when they return. It really worries me that many of them are out driving in that, in a hurry to get home for the holiday (or back to campus on Sunday). The provost sends out reminders that classes are NOT to be cancelled. Of course, many professors do, but I have an ethical issue with just cancelling the classes. I am being paid to be there, and it is part of the required contact hours. In some classes, if we don't meet that means there will be only one class in 2 1/2 weeks and then a final exam. A lot of momentum is lost when that happens. Students shut down by Thanksgiving--effectively cutting the semester several weeks short. There is also a tendency where I teach for students just to take the entire Thanksgiving week off--and the following Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I think the Canadians have it right--celebrate Thanksgiving in October. Or, I wish we would move to some type of quarter system in the universities in which we ended before Thanksgiving and then had a December minimester. Knox College is on the trimester system. The first trimester ends this week - the school is in study session now - and the students do not return until after the New Year. The second and third trimesters are in the spring. Classes don't end until early-June and commencement is quite late but the students all seem to enjoy the seven week break from Thanksgiving to New Year. The school has quite a few international students and some dorms are left open during this period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 A couple years ago ds went to SILs house. He still flew, but it was closer and cheaper. My brother always has strays. My older niece is finishing medical school this year, some of those strays are staying not just for Thanksgiving but staying over night other times when they come to the area for residency interviews (we live in a major metropolitan area with lots of hospitals). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Knox College is on the trimester system. The first trimester ends this week - the school is in study session now - and the students do not return until after the New Year. The second and third trimesters are in the spring. Classes don't end until early-June and commencement is quite late but the students all seem to enjoy the seven week break from Thanksgiving to New Year. The school has quite a few international students and some dorms are left open during this period. I have one at Lawrence U and they are on a similar schedule. My kid's last final is on Tuesday, so dh is driving up on Wed. morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Or, I wish we would move to some type of quarter system in the universities in which we ended before Thanksgiving and then had a December minimester. I think Lawrence University in Wisconsin has this! At least, I'm pretty sure my nephew comes home at Thanksgiving and doesn't have to return til after Christmas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 When my daughter attended college, she was cross country so it was not feasible/affordable for her to fly home. Fortunately, my sister lived about an hour or so away and hosted my daughter for all of the Thanksgiving weekends. In my daughter's sophomore year, we tricked her. I sent her messages such as "there's snow" (true), and "the school district cancelled classes" (true), and "Daddy's classes are cancelled, too." The latter statement was true, but we knew my daughter would assume that her father's classes were cancelled due to snow. In reality, we had flown out to surprise her for Thanksgiving. She spotted us approaching her dorm as she was looking for my sister's car and raced down three flights of stairs to welcome us. I think it was the most successful surprise we have ever pulled off. This year she and her apartment mate (a fellow American) are celebrating Thanksgiving with a chicken dinner. They're located in South Korea and will not be flying home! Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 For our oldest daughter, far away college is less of an issue than athletic obligations and commitments in terms of coming home for Thanksgiving. My BIL and his wife are doing residency at the medical center affiliated with her university so she spent last Thanksgiving with them and will likely do that again this year. She will be home for Christmas so I guess we will be looking forward to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Ds has games Fri/Sat after Thanksgiving, so he'll be staying at school. I would consider flying out next year, though dh is not as agreeable due to church activities at home. Since only 2/17 of his teammates are in-state, I imagine they will figure something out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artichoke Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 My brother always has strays. My older niece is finishing medical school this year, some of those strays are staying not just for Thanksgiving but staying over night other times when they come to the area for residency interviews (we live in a major metropolitan area with lots of hospitals). This sounds a lot like our house. We're the halfway point for lots of ds' college friends so we often have overnight visitors throughout the year. It's been a lovely thing for our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Dd is managing almost a week off! Yay! I never mind the long drives to pick her up and then I remember I have to take her back again. Haha on me. Really I would drive forever to have her home. Who knows what next year will bring. No more school breaks in the working world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 When my daughter attended college, she was cross country so it was not feasible/affordable for her to fly home. Fortunately, my sister lived about an hour or so away and hosted my daughter for all of the Thanksgiving weekends. In my daughter's sophomore year, we tricked her. I sent her messages such as "there's snow" (true), and "the school district cancelled classes" (true), and "Daddy's classes are cancelled, too." The latter statement was true, but we knew my daughter would assume that her father's classes were cancelled due to snow. In reality, we had flown out to surprise her for Thanksgiving. She spotted us approaching her dorm as she was looking for my sister's car and raced down three flights of stairs to welcome us. I think it was the most successful surprise we have ever pulled off. This year she and her apartment mate (a fellow American) are celebrating Thanksgiving with a chicken dinner. They're located in South Korea and will not be flying home! Regards, Kareni That so sweet that you flew out to surprise her! My TG surprise story. . . The year I was pregnant with DD (grandchild number 1 on both sides) was also mine and DH's first TG in the first house we had bought. So we invited his parents and sister, my grandparents and sister, and my grandparents, and we had fun putting the dinner together and pretending at being grownups, LOL. Brother 1 was a newlywed that year and spending the holiday with his new ILs, but brother 2 was at college many states away and only had a short break, making it impossible for him to be there. I know my mom was grateful that people at his college were willing to take him and students like him in, so he wouldn't be alone, but I know she missed him. So about a week before TG, brother 2 calls me up and says, "I'm coming for TG. Don't tell mom and Dad." Well, of course I'm game for that! Brother arrives at our house with only about an hour to go before my parents are expected. We drive his very distinctive truck around back so they won't spot it from the street, and he takes a super fast shower. We see them pull up, brother gets into place, I get the video camera ready, the doorbell rings, and brother opens the door. The look on my mother's face is completely worth the 21 hours my brother just drove straight. :) Thanks for reminding me of that story. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 ... The look on my mother's face is completely worth the 21 hours my brother just drove straight. :) Thanks for reminding me of that story. :) That was a fun story! Happy memories all around .... I hope that we all have a very happy Thanksgiving with our children or without. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyomarie Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I just confirmed the arrangements for my son to come home for Thanksgiving. His school gives the entire week off. Very few students would be able to travel home if the school held classes through Wednesday because it is so far from home, even for most in-state students. It's 530 miles for us; not so far that he can't come home, but not a quick run for us to go pick him up, either. He found a ride with another student, leaving after lunch on Friday, and we'll pick him up about an hour from home. He'll ride back with the same student next weekend. Looking forward to seeing ds! It has been 3 months! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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