Another path ....... the journey begins

[chopc]

Hello @321zyx @AvocadoPlant @bendmeoverbackwards @BigWoollyJumpers @Braveheart35 @calculatorqueen @ChimneyPot @Dobbyisahouseelf @Eastisup @jano69 @Majaso12 @MidLifeCrisis007 @NCTDN @Notagardener @OnTheBenchOfDoom @Parsonage63 @Pumpkintopf @Peaseblossum22 @quest1on @Peaseblossum22 @SATSmadness @SeasonFinale @Tenpastseven @Vargas @Xenia

Apologies for anyone I omitted to tag

Oh dear, my eldest DS is like this.

One day he came home and famously announced “today was my GCSE Geography, exam - I thought it was in 2 weeks time” !!

Was it not someone's dc who missed his/ her driving test recently by not having checked the correct time?

Yes that was crikey's I think 🙈

Yep that was indeed my ds. 😳
We have swept it firmly under the carpet for now so he can concentrate on settling in at Bristol. Hopefully in a short while he might be able to book a test (and a couple of lessons) for when he’s back at Christmas.

In the meantime, he’s booked a flight to Glasgow to see his girlfriend on Saturday, which I have prompted him to check and double check the times of both there and back 🤣

Pumpkintopf. Has your ds been given any information about moving in on Saturday? We hope we can pull outside close and unload the car, but she hasn’t received anything and hasn’t got her timetable yet! She had am email Monday saying she’d get her timetable for next week, this week sometime, so just got to hope she gets it tomorrow now!

Hi @Majaso12 yes he had an email to his imperial email I think with a link to the individual halls moving in instructions. Instructions for South Kensington are here -

www.imperial.ac.uk/study/campus-life/accommodation/residents-2021-22/moving-into-halls/traffic-management/

That's rubbish that she still hasn't got her timetable!

Pumpkintopf. Thanks for that. It’s going to be very stressful trying to get everything in, in 15 mins with 1 person having to stay with the car. She’s just got her timetable! There’s so much on during freshers week with proper lectures starting on Thursday. She said I’m meant to be going to a club Monday night but I have a lecture Tuesday morning!

@Majaso12 it does sound stressful I know. I'm hoping there will be some students around like the freps chopc described to help with the moving in - we have so much stuff.

DS has his first meeting of the physics department Monday morning! Not sure why they don't just have a free freshers week first - maybe they want to keep the students at least slightly focused on work!

Pumpkintopf. I don’t think we’re going to fit it all in the car! Dd also has her first meeting Monday morning, also Tuesday and Wednesday morning, then a proper lecture on Thursday and an optional drop in on Friday. They could have done with having freshers this week with so much on next week.

@Majaso12 your DD will learnt the art of going straight to lecture in the morning 😆

Apparently at UCL parents were not allowed to go in?

I think Acton will not be a problem in finding parking etc

Dc in London (one of the IC halls) drop off few weeks ago, both DH and I were allowed in.

Hmm interesting @Notagardener . Different places are probably doing it differently. My friends goddaughter who was allocated halls in Victoria despite being a medic at UCL- her parents were not allowed in

A friend with a DD at UCL was allowed in with her. It must be halls specific.

Yes we were allowed in .It gave us chance to meet flat mates and other parents.London too

Having been worried that Bristol appears to have been one big party since he got there on 15/9 (not home before 4am!) I am happy to report my most recent voice messages left (a number of them!) are all enthusing about his modules and his assessed work questions already set and his exam after Christmas. Phew!

Wow!

No news from DS. Although his brother informed he he had gone to sleep after 5am yesterday and was up again by 8ish (matriculation)

How lovely chopc that he can presumably matriculate in person this year?

Well, the car is packed here ready for the off tomorrow. I foolishly thought I was fine this morning as I de-packaged all the stuff we'd bought, packed it into bags, made up his bedding, etc etc. Then he came to help - stupidly it was him putting his PlayStation in the bag that rammed it home. He's actually leaving, not just going away on a trip. And as the process has progressed- packing upstairs, packing the car - I'm feeling increasingly morose and in fact typing this has brought me to tears for the first time all day so I shall stop now! Currently sitting with the dogs eating chocolate (me not them). Out for dinner at DS's favourite restaurant tonight so that'll be nice.

@Majaso12 how's it going with you?

@chopc no news from ds either !

Aww @Pumpkintopf . Have a virtual hug

@Peaseblossum22 given the week they are having probably catching their breath?

Well I am assuming he is still breathing @chopc

Aww @Pumpkintopf have a hug from me too
Dd seems to have flung herself into things. I’m starting to wonder if she realises she’s actually got to do some work beginning next week.

Pumpkintopf I’ve had a few tears today as it suddenly feels real now. I know I’ll be so much worse tomorrow, but will try and hide it from dd because when I started crying today, it started her off. I just know I’ll be awful on the way home.

We’ve got most of it in the car now, but there is still quite a few bits left and food to pack which is going to be on our laps and down by our feet, if we can get it all in. We’re planning on leaving about 9/9.30 am. What time are you setting off tomorrow?

Thanks, all virtual hugs much appreciated!

@Majaso12 hugs to you too xx I have no fear of my tears setting off DS - he is after all a boy - nevertheless I shall try not to dampen (literally!) the mood tomorrow 😁

Probably leaving about the same time as you.

@Pumpkintopf sending some very unMN hugs. I used the sunny day to make an excuse to wear sunglasses, it all got a bit much when we arrived at Durham. Managed to hold it together there but not once home. Dh has found it equally hard.

Re car packing it was a squeeze, I zip tied the short handles of the blue Ikea bags closed so they would at least stay semi-closed rather than splaying open when putting them into the car. It was tetris in real life but only because we took loads of food basics and some fresh stuff in a cool bag meaning he didn't need to go shopping immediately.

We have a family Discord channel so Ds is updating us daily a couple of times a day. He tied his first windsor knot with his college tie for his matriculation, filmed the freps beating the pots and pans, selfie photos in the mirror of him in a suit and in fancy dress. He has made several friends outside of his flat and went to Tesco today with a boy from another flat who he chatted to at a quiz night. He has thrown himself into it all. He is knackered but loving it. He is looking forward to actual uni work starting next week.

Good luck to the last of the movers tomorrow. Safe travelling.