I did it!! I made it through dropping my son, Bryan, off at college for the second year, and I didn’t cry near as much this time :). Don’t get me wrong – it was still really hard, but now that he is familiar with the school and the area and is used to driving in the city, a lot of my worries have been lessened greatly. I miss him and love him with all my heart, that never changes, but after his first day of classes today in his new course he seems really excited about the year ahead, and that makes me a very happy and relieved mom!
On Sunday we got up bright and early, packed the truck and the cars and drove an hour and a half to Kitchener, Ontario. The cars were lined up down the road in front of his residence, but it was quite well organized, and before we knew it we were in and had him all unpacked and set up. On our numerous trips out to the parking lot to grab more boxes, I kept noticing the rising level of the dumpsters out back, and although this is not a spectacular photo by any means, it makes me giggle every time I look at it. To me, this is just a perfect symbol of the start of college life. I would love to know who is responsible for breaking down all of these boxes and filling the dumpster properly so that the truck can actually take the garbage away. I would also love to see the same dumpster about a week from now because I’m sure the contents will be quite different. It will probably be overflowing with beer and liquor bottles LOL!
After Bryan’s room was all set up, we headed off to the grocery store. We always look after his first grocery bill since it is the biggest, but this year we knew better than to suggest healthy food because honestly, it’s just hopeless. Last year we left him with a fridge and freezer full of not only the common staples of a college student like frozen dinners, pop, and icecream, but also a selection of fruit and veggies and the ingredients for well balanced dinners. There were even steaks in his freezer, and would you believe that when we picked him up in April to bring him home, those steaks were still in his freezer uneaten?? So, this year I just told him to pick what he knew he would definitely eat. That consisted of pizza pockets, bagel bites, pizza, icecream, pop, chips, Kraft Dinner, more pizza pockets, cookies, more pizza pockets, and the one and only healthy item – yogurt tubes LOL!!! Plus he has McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s right across the street and Pizza Pizza and Subway not far down the road. It’s a really good thing that he’s as skinny as a rail isn’t it? Oh well, I filled him full of fruit and veggies this summer whenever I could, so I guess it won’t hurt him for a few months :).
Anyway, I hope you get as much of a chuckle out of this photo as I do. Maybe it might even bring back some funny memories of your own.
photos from the loonybin 
Nice photo. It actually makes a good subject and composition too – good chuckle material.
Thanks – glad you got a chuckle out of it too 🙂
Good Mom – no tears and letting him eat what he’s going to eat! Even Mom’s grow up too! LOL!
Nancy
Honestly, I would have taken the easy way out for meals at that age too if I had lived in residence. Oh hell, if I was living by myself right now, I would probably live on frozen meals too :). It’s ok, his girlfriend has assured me that she will try and get him to eat healthy occasionally LOL!
Yeah, I would have done that too if I could have at that age!
🙂
A good chuckle and a nod in agreement. Dropped my gal off for her 2nd year too.
I’m glad you got a chuckle too :). What is your daughter taking? Bryan started out in Computer Engineering Technology last year, but he found that he absolutely hated programming, so he has switched courses this year and is now taking Electrical Technician which could lead to being an electrician. There are so many options – it’s truly hard to know for sure what you will like – so I was happy to talk to him today and hear that he is really happy with his classes so far. I just want him to be happy!
My daughter started out as an aerospace engineer and has since changed to environmental engineering. I’m with you. If they are settled and happy, I stop worrying and wondering. No phone calls yet. Just a text here and there.
Wow, that is so impressive! I did two years of engineering at the University of Toronto, so I know how incredibly hard it is. You must be very proud of her :). And as a mother, all I can say is thank goodness for texting or we might never hear from them LOL!
Haa yes I’m thankful for text and Facebook. Yes I just said that. And like wise. I’m sure your proud too. We have good kids. She is pretty swamped and stressed. But she’s a tough one 🙂
I can’t do any math or science. You must be pretty impressive yourself!
*blushes* Aww shucks, that’s so sweet of you to say. I was a math freak and took three maths at once in Grade 13. However, unlike my younger son who gets 90’s without even studying, I had to work by butt off to get the high marks I needed to get into engineering. However, the stress got to me after year 2, and I dropped out. I also knew I wanted kids, and I just didn’t know how I could be the mom I wanted to be with such a big career. Being a woman is still hard, even these days isn’t it? I ended up living in a small town with a job close to my kids’ school, a job where I could drop and go if my kids needed me. Once homework became overwhelming, I was even able to change my hours to 9-3 so that I could be home every day with them after school. Yes, I could have made a lot more money as an engineer, but I’m glad I was there for them :).
What a fabulous symbol of college life at the start! You are sooooo clever and the photo is absolutely perfect. 🙂
Thanks Dor :). It just kept begging for me to snap a picture of it. People probably thought I was crazy, or maybe they thought I was a city inspector or something LOL!!
I did it Cindy. I cried but only when I got to the car. Leaving Sam at university was solo hard and I got the longest and tightest hug from him that I can remember. Great shot though. There was a dumpster like that at Western as well.
I am so proud of you Edith!!! I was thinking about you a lot this weekend and hoping that everything was going ok. Bryan had his first day of classes yesterday, and having switched to a new course, I was worried about whether he would like it better or not. Well, he called me 3 times yesterday full of excitement, so I think he’s off to a good start. It is a hard time for us moms, and I still have my sad moments like when I walk by his empty bedroom, but we will get through it :).
I loved this post… yes the apron strings that Parents have to shake to release their off spring to their own future… the worries and fears I can assure you never cease… mine are all grown with kids of their own, yet I still worry if they can cope without me…..
You are so right Bulldog. I thought I would only worry when they were little, but the worries just change as they get older don’t they? Now I understand why my mom still worries about me :). You sound like an awesome dad!!
what a great photo–that is what my house looks like~
I love that you let him pick out what he would actually eat–my son is now in a graduate course at college–so he sent me to the grocery store “cause mom will buy healthy things and I don’t”–I got him some of those already made-up caesar salads and some berries and yes frozen pizza and easy stuff to make. He has now graduated to making some food–eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches (with bacon and raspberry jam) and bacon (on a cookie sheet in the oven). He just moved from one house to another one on the same street (which is only about a block from Fanshawe)–and I am still recovering–wish he lived in residence–fewer things to move. Anyway, it doesn’t get any easier (it does, but not much)-lol
LOL!!! That is what your house looks like – you made me laugh out loud with that one :). Wow, that’s impressive that your son asked you to pick out healthy food for him. I have to keep reminding myself that when I was that age, I ate a lot of crap too. We all go through that stage, and I know he will start eating healthy again one day :). Plus his girlfriend has assured me that she will get him to eat some healthy stuff too. The move is exhausting isn’t it? Because Bryan is in a room by himself in residence, he took a couch and a big flat screen TV and all his other crap, so we took a truck from Mike’s work and two cars. It all went without a hitch though, and he seems really happy, so all is good, except for that ache in my heart…..
I am so familiar with that ache……………
Holy wow, that is one hilarious picture! You’re right, I don’t envy the person that has to come along and clean that up, LOL. I’m so happy to hear you found it easier to drop him off the second time, I think in the first year it is extra tough because you don’t know what the heck to expect! I hope he has a great second year and that you don’t miss him too much. 🙂
I myself am awaiting my big move once again, a new house and new housemates await me when I go back, should be interesting. I’m really nervous and already getting all twitchy and restless about it! I hope this year goes better because if I’m completely honest last year was pretty rough all round for me. Fingers crossed.
Last year I was really lucky because food was included, none of us had to cook for ourselves. But this time I will actually have to cook, LOL! I can see my fridge/freezers/cupboards looking just as unhealthy as your sons. 😛
It’s ok to be nervous :). I think that people actually do better when they are nervous don’t you? But I know you will be fabulous because you are smart as hell, and if you made it through such a rough year last year, this year will be a walk in the park!! As for the cooking, I figure that some unhealthy eating for the uni years won’t kill you. Your parents will probably fill you with healthy food every time you are home for a visit. That’s what I do with Bryan :). Good luck with the move and your second year, and don’t forget to make time for reading whenever you are feeling stressed. It’s what will keep you sane.
Hmm that’s an interesting thought. I’ve found that with exams but never considered it in a general life capacity.
Awwh, thank you so much! *Blushes.* 😀
I hope this year will be better, not so many new things to cope with etc and the knowledge that I’ve survived last year should help, LOL.
I should at least be able to read loads more this time because I don’t have a roommate to be considerate about. 😛
Love the pic! This is what the dumpster in our complex looks like the first of every month. Actually, today it was overflowing too & it’s not the first of the month. Maybe it’s garbage day? Never know when you live in a complex with hundreds of apartments. We have 2 sets of dumpsters though – one set for garbage & another set for recyclables (cardboard, glass, tin cans, etc. all go in recycling). Hope Bryan enjoys college again!
Thanks :). He seems to be really happy so far! Do your dumpsters really look that bad?? How to the trucks that empty them deal with messes like that? Yikes!
Our dumpsters don’t look quite as bad as in your photo because we have the separate one for recycling. All those boxes would be broken down & put in the recycling dumpster. If the apartment dwellers don’t do it themselves (most don’t) then the caretaker has to break down the excess boxes so they fit in the dumpster. We keep a separate recycling box in our own apt. where we keep all our broken down boxes, tin cans, glass bottles & recyclable plastic. When our “blue box” is full, we take it down to the recycle dumpster.
Poor caretaker :(. What really shocks me, especially in this day and age, is that Bryan’s residence doesn’t recycle!! I couldn’t believe it – they take all their garbage to the same dumpster. My kids have been taught to recycle since they were little guys, so college kids should definitely learn how to recycle considering they are our future!!
I agree, it’s awful the college doesn’t recycle. In our last complex we had to schlep our recyclables to a recycling centre ourselves since they didn’t have a separate dumpster for it. Most college kids don’t have vehicles do they? It would make it very difficult for them to take recycling into their own hands, even if they did have the time. Shame on the college!
Yes, I agree!