Moving out...almost

My middle child moves back to college tomorrow. Today is "buy everything I need that I don't have and pack it all up" day. She is only going 15 minutes away, but it seems so much further. We went yesterday and picked up her key and swept, mopped and wiped the room Nothing to really clean but we wanted to be sure. She and her roomie move in tomorrow. She is a sophomore so it is a little old hat to her. But not for Dad!

I'll help her move in and I'll get morose but hey, it is my baby girl! She is excited about going back and has already been reading books that we picked up 2 weeks ago (tax free day!) She is looking forward to seeing her buds and doing the school thing. She wants to get her study abroad settled for next year, work with her advisor and dept. head on her internship plans and get into classes. She is a move forward kind of person.

Her sister (graduated a year ago) is still looking for a teaching position. She scours the papers, web and even visits schools personally with resume in hand. She is looking really diligently. She has a couple of leads but nothing definitive. Pray for her!

The man-child starts back on the 25Th. Soon, the house will be empty during the day. Just their Mom, the dogs and me. I'll be traveling some so maybe I won't focus on it so much.

I've found that it is hard to give that hug everyday when they are not here, but you just have to work harder at it. For example, last year I sent the middle child a small sewing kit from a hotel I was staying at. I thought it might come in handy for a college kid. She was excited to get a package but it caught her a little off guard. What am I going to do with this? I explained it was for emergencies...lost button, torn hem, etc. She said "OH".

About a week later I was calling to do a normal check in and she says.."Dad, the sewing kit did come in handy! We had an emergency and it was perfect, the only thing we had that would work. Everyone was so impressed."

Well, I was very pleased with myself and was just about to get a rotator cuff injury when she finished the story..."we wanted to hang some things from the ceiling and the thread came in handy! No one else had thread or string. I am so glad you sent that!"

Not quite what I had in mind, but us super heroes take what we can get. From then on, I send her the sewing kits if I find them in the rooms. 2 weeks ago I was in NJ and the room had one so I sent it to her new dorm address. It'll be there waiting on her! Nothing says I love you and I'm thinking of you like a sewing kit.