8.29.2010

"Hi Mom, I'm leaving the college dorm now and coming back home."

This morning, A moved in to his new freshman dorm at university. The hubby took the responsibility of moving my son in to school, allowing me to rest after a full day of cleaning yesterday.

The instructions we received were "Move in from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m." Which to us, meant "Arrive by 6:45 a.m. or else." A arrived at his dorm before his roommate, a student from his B-school with whom he mutually chose to dorm, who was still traveling from Seoul, Korea. Nobody else had arrived in the two-room, four-person dorm, either. A picked his bed, his desk, etc. and then he and the hubby went to get an espresso at the nearby hip cafe that does latte art. They returned to the dorm, and left to the next location to promptly line up to obtain A's student ID.

As the hubby prepared to leave, something curious happened. They both decided to come home.

"Excuse me? He's coming back?" I ask the hubby.
"Yeah. He wants to pick up more stuff from home and take it back to the dorm."
"Uh-huh."

I started making snacks and smoothies. Less than two hours after move-in, they were back home in 30 minutes flat.

I had anticipated tissue and Tylenol to get me through the emotions of separation today - what will surely be not more than two weeks' worth of empty-nest syndrome. Instead, I wondered, "Does A not want to be there? What do I do now?" The hubby assured me that A was clearly on a mission, and that it was just to pick up more stuff from home. I, on the other hand, was now surprisingly ready to walk around the house in my underwear - or even nude, if necessary - to demonstrate my readiness to have a few days of alone time, and to nudge the bugger back out of the house.

Now at the house, A put his guitar amp in his empty duffel bag. I put a few necessary items in the bag, too. Then he called up a friend from B-school who is attending the Ivy League school in our city, and declared, "I really don't think I need to go back to my dorm today."

Me. Preparing. To. Get. Naked.

But seriously, I realized that the new roommate's absence left A, a social butterfly, a bit...bored. And maybe...uncomfortable? "Why not go back and wait for L. to arrive? I'm sure he'd appreciate you being there."

With that, I disrobed and went to bed. Then the hubby did the same.

And my college student returned to college.

8.26.2010

Check, check and check.

List of A's move-in to-do's this weekend:

A's tuition deposit paid to university: check.
A's immunization forms sent to and approved by university: check.
A opting out of school insurance because they already accept ours: Not yet checked. We have until Sept. 15.
A's dorm linens ordered and en route to dorm: check.
A's surprise welcome kit paid for: check.
A's clothes cleaned and readied: almost check (one last batch of clothes to go).
A's storage from B-school heading to new dorm: check.
Has A RSVPd to all welcome events at school?: Yes, check.
A's shopping at IKEA for dorm room done today: check.
A's new laptop: check (he's taking the one I just bought for myself, which is fine).
A's posters for dorm all purchased: Not yet checked.

List of Thumbelina's arrival-to-the-world to-do's for around the same time that A moves out:

Baby furniture: check.
Lambskin: check.
Midwife: check.
OB/Gyn on standby: check.
Doula: check.
Birth kit: check.
Vitamin K drops: check.
Towels, bucket, plastic liner thingy, and more towels: check.
Olive oil: check.
Balsamic vinegar: just kidding, but yes, check.
Zip code that will get Thumby in French school by Kindergarten: Not yet.

That is all.

8.13.2010

Almost Home Free...

Alex starts university in 2 1/2 weeks.

I will give birth to our daughter in about 3 1/2 weeks.

I could have been enjoying empty nest syndrome. But...no.

Let the games begin. All over again.