whoops. Pressed the wrong button. please ignore.
We’re back. thirdwarning, his birthday is August 17.
I didn’t cry. I did fret and moan and bewail, but not in front of him. We got to the college about 7:45am, and they were very well organized. He was missing some paperwork, they whisked him off to get a copy of it, then he signed in. We were directed to the dorms where, bless their hearts, they had local high school students and some of the frat boys helping to move. All I had to do was pull stuff out of the back of the van and they trekked it up three flights of stairs to his dorm.
We got him set up, went to check in at the hotel , then came back to attend a parent’s dinner, (where I happened to let it slip to one of his RA’s that his birthday was Friday 
) then went to a meeting for his academic program, then we left. I realized at 8pm that I had no idea what my son was doing. :eek: I found out later that he’d gone off with some of his new friends to the beach. And he didn’t ask me first if he could go. He thought about it, but he didn’t. Didn’t take him long, did it!
The next day was the big day for him, so he ran around getting his schedule and setting up his work study and going to all the orientation meetings all by himself. We met for lunch on campus. Then he had some more meetings to attend, including some dorm meet and greet stuff, and we arranged to pick him up Friday for a birthday lunch (since some of his new friends said they’d take care of him for his birthday that night.)
On Friday it was a very quick birthday lunch because he wanted to meet with the golf coach to see about getting on the golf team (doubtful, he’s not that good, but he may be able to play intramural golf) so he said “Let’s eat there” pointing at a strip mall Chinese take-out restaurant. I was a bit disappointed it wasn’t grander, but it’s what he wanted, so that’s what he got.
We dropped him back at school and decided to go out to dinner, and stumbled across this place, which doesn’t look like much, but OMG if you are ever in the area I cannot recommend it enough. So we had a nice birthday meal without him, and I realized after dinner that my son might be getting debauched and there was nothing I could do about it. :eek: It turned out he met some girls and they talked about D&D and St. Thomas Aquinas and the Tudors all night. So at least he stayed on campus.
We picked him up again this morning, fed him our leftovers from dinner so he did get some of the nice meal, and finally got to spend some time in the ocean, but after about 10 minutes it started to rain, so that ended that.
Back to the college to drop him off, kiss him goodbye, and come home. He has a murder mystery dinner to go to and tomorrow he’s walking out his schedule. He is extremely excited and has already made at least a half a dozen friends. Shy he is not, for which I am thankful.
The college has been incredibly helpful. He gave a copy of his schedule to the work study lady, and she asked if he understood it. He admitted it was a bit confusing, since it’s not in chronological order, and she promptly pulled up Excel and put it in a more understandable format for him. He is taking your advice from this thread which he found incredibly useful.
As for me, part of my heart is now in Melbourne. I’m happy he’s happy, and I thank all of you for sharing in this thread with me, and understanding that incredible parent emotion, prideful sadness.
Now, go hug your kidlets.
I worried about this a LOT with Bonzo, his freshman year, especially since he was in a co-ed dorm.
Nothing ever happened.
That he told me about. 
" :eek: "
Relax. It was his first night. Of course they sat around talking about D&D and St. Thomas Aquinas and the Tudors all night. They were bonding in a non-threatening healthy manner. It’s wonderful to read about.
By next weekend? Debauche City.
Gee, thanks. You’re alleviating my worry wonderfully. :eek:
He’s said the girls have called him charming and when he shushed a rather rude Russian student who was talking during the dorm movie they thanked him profusely.
I told him not to spend more than he can afford to impress someone. He said, “Yeah, mom, I’ll run out and buy a Lamborghini” and I said, “I’m talking about taking some girl to a restaurant you can’t afford.”
He blinked and said, “I could see me doing something like that.” I reminded him that everyone is a poor college student and it’s no shame to say, “Sorry, dude, the funds are tapped.”
It’s like WVMom said…when he’s home, at least I know he’s eating right and getting to sleep at a decent hour. Now that he’s on his own, I can’t be sure of that. Ah well, he’ll learn sooner or later. I have to let go, whether I want to or not.
Well, if he’s anything like me, the debauchery will be nonexistent. Unfortunately.
(Not that I didn’t try… but after pulling an all-weeker, I fell asleep before the party and couldn’t wake up and missed it. The architecture studio was open 24/7 and we ended up living there by the end of first year. Beds, music systems, microwaves, everything.)