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

Thank you for all your best wishes. Made it to Durham an hour quicker than expected. Was even able to fill up diesel on the way

Fab @chopc 👍

@Pumpkintopf I think the cooking outdoors appeals to Dh, feeding the Ooni with lumps of wood, he is in his element. We also bought a flat top for the gas bbq which has been another game changer. So flattened garlic chicken breasts, steak, bacon and smash burgers are delicious and no cooking smells indoors. He is talking about some kind of outdoor shelter to cook when it is raining.

Well we have done the Durham run. Arrived at 11 to freps holding beep for South and honk for John Snow, full blown party atmosphere at the college, music blasting out, very helpful freps helped carry more than half of his stuff up several flights of stairs. Hats off to Durham, we couldn't have felt more welcome and the parking was well organised with use of the park and ride. I am glad it wasn't raining as they literally made up unload everything out the car onto benches and Dh then moved the car to make way for more cars.

The room is lovely and very clean. We unpacked everything so we could bring the suitcase home with us. He got his computer set up, logged into wifi etc. Only one other student in the flat when we arrived.

We took him out to lunch away and then returned to the room to collect the suitcase etc and the whole flat had arrived. Did his LFT which is negative. Phew.

I am doing okay, Dh less so. I think it will hit me more when Ds2 is back in school and Dh is back at work.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom I think this should be very much encouraged. Anything that gets DHs cooking is top plan in my book.

Also glad to hear the Durham drop off went well. That sounds exceptionally well organised and very welcoming- definitely lucky it wasn't raining as it wouldn't have been good unloading stuff onto benches in the rain. What's DS's plans for tonight? Are they hitting the town or socialising in the flat? Glad you're doing okay so far-agree it may hit more when your DH and DS2 head back to work/school.

@Pumpkintopf, Dh loves cooking, has often returned home from work and taken over the stirring of a pot. I am a SAHM so cook a lot but he is a great cook, loves cooking outside.

Ds is attending a compulsory welcome to college meeting right now and then I don't know hopefully he will update me later. He is more a socialising in the flat sort of boy. There are freshers events to Newcastle for a nightclub or something like board games in the bar, he will definitely choose the later. Not a dancer, hates music that is so loud you cannot talk. I am hoping he finds his crowd within his flat or course. Failing that 3 of his mates are at Durham within a 5 minute walk so he will be fine.

Good luck !Has beennearly a week since dropping DS.
Emotions are still up and down adjusting to new norm around the house.
But the pleasant and welcoming drop offs and knowing things are getting back to normal makes it so much more comforting.
Hope all your DS find their tribe and have a wonderful time.Safe travels to university and back

So how often do most of you hear from your dc? DD has never been one for frequent contact when she's away, but it would be nice to know how she's doing. We dropped her yesterday lunchtime, and Ive only had one short text so far, though she did videocall DD2 last night to show her the room as DD2 didnt come to drop her off.

It’s been a week-spoken to DS once.He sent a what’s app photo of himself and friends with skyline of London.
Message every other day but they are getting very brief .I assume is busy.Just occasionally want to check he’s happy and ok.Miss not having the chance to speak to him like when he was at school or sixth form.

We dropped DS last Saturday, and he has messaged most days, we had a video chat while was cooking his tea on Monday. One message was to ask if he could mix bedding and clothes in the same load! He has had some face to face introductory lectures, he has 16 hours of F2F lectures timetabled, plus seminars. DD, in 4th year Classics has 2 hours a week on line, plus a seminar every other week or so, also online!

That's disappointing for your DD @raspberryrippleicecream

Beward of other students with fussier parents regarding washing! I always wash everything together but my twins came back from university "infected" with other parents' views on things like separate white and not white ashes, separate all kinds of things - means they do 3 or 4 times as many washes as we used to do! They have not started ironing much however so my no ironing ever principle seems to have rubbed off on them.

On the other hand learning your own family may be weird or at least different from others is part of the university experience so it is all to the good.

@Xenia

Beward of other students with fussier parents regarding washing! I always wash everything together but my twins came back from university "infected" with other parents' views on things like separate white and not white ashes, separate all kinds of things - means they do 3 or 4 times as many washes as we used to do! They have not started ironing much however so my no ironing ever principle seems to have rubbed off on them.

On the other hand learning your own family may be weird or at least different from others is part of the university experience so it is all to the good.

I am that parent Xenia . DD sent off with hand wash detergent for her bra's and jumpers, two laundry bags, one for whites, one for darks. She also very proudly whatsapp me during the week, doing her ironing.

She's also already changed her bed/towels, and vacuumed the whole flat, and cleaned her own bathroom and room. Nice flatmate to have, I would say .

Having said that, she is also already sharing washing loads with a flat mate, so that's also really lovely. I suspect she is the "mum" of the flat.

@pourmeanotherglass My DD text/calls most days. First week for things like how long should I cook (random food). Then debating what washing pile something should go in.
When she was unwell she called every evening so if she doesn't call now I know she is out having fun!

Two weeks in my DD is now taking about flatmates, people on her course and from a couple of societies so is gradually meeting more people. Makes me so happy that she is putting in the effort to chat to other students and not miss home as much.

@BigWoollyJumpers Good idea about sharing washing as my DD told me that the washing machines were all booked out. We were on the face time late last night and she said oh I might see if I can put a wash on now looked outside the window and three students had the same idea, it was 11:30pm! Perhaps they are running out of clothes two weeks in.

DS is two weeks in now and seems to be doing OK. Laundry seems to have caused the most angst so far. I can only imagine it's a combination of them all having about two weeks worth of clothes and realising at the same time they need to do laundry and also more students on campus, but DS has really struggled to get a laundry slot! His halls use the Washstation App which shows them when a machine is free and allows them to reserve it for 10 mins while they take their laundry down. He says everyone is sitting on their phones watching the machine times count down, and the slots disappear within seconds.
Apparently some students are staying up until 2.30 am to get a slot .
I'm sure it will calm down, but he's definitely appreciating the value of the 'laundry fairy' and utility room at home now!

@Jng1 My DD is doing exactly the same counting down the minutes on the Wash App and then missing out on the slot. My DD is also appreciating the 'laundry fairy' who sorts out those tricky hand wash items!

Gosh had no idea that washing would cause so much angst! washstation app is a good idea though, saves hanging round the laundry room in hopes of a machine.

Durham drop off was so nice. Great atmosphere at the college and freps (older students) helped carry stuff in. DS has a lovely en-suite room.

We had prepared packing lists which I tucked off as we packed. I had duvet with cover on the list and ticked it. However to our unpleasant surprise - I had forgotten to even order the duvet let alone pack it! Because we had both a mattress protector and topper - I had thought one of them was the duvet I never ordered 🤦🏽‍♀️. Dunelm click and collect saved the day!

Then we had an unexpected tour of the university as DH couldn't remember where he parked the car 🙈

One of the freps said there is a representative for each floor and this evening the floor will sit together to have their meal ..... (the times article came to mind )

After dreading this moment for the past so many years, I felt surprisingly happy and excited leaving DS there

We had a duvet disaster too. I cunningly bought DS a nice single duck/goose down duvet back in April when M&S had a 40% homeware sale. DS announced this week that he wanted to take a double duvet up to Durham as it would be more cosy and he's likely to need a double when he moves out next year. M&S wouldn't take the single one back as their policy is now no exchanges after 35 days... so I bought a second duvet plus 2 double duvet covers.

Anyway his single bed is built into the back of the wardrobe/cupboard meaning that he can't hang anything over one side of the bed so the double duvet is going to hang precariously off the other side of his bed.... and no doubt fall off the bed on a regular basis.

I must admit DD Whatsapp's regularly every day, sometimes several times a day. We have three groups in our family, one for the four of us for general chat and pictures, one just for us three girls, stuff that DH doesn't want or need to know, and one just between myself and each of the girls - gosh that's four! Anyway, lots of communication going on across all the groups. It was very busy the first week, slightly less so now. We haven't face-timed yet, but have had a couple of calls.

DD was down in Exmouth yesterday with her flatmates eating fish and chips on the beach. I am so happy for her.

Hilarious about the washing, I had no idea. DD has done hers mid-week, mid-day, so far, perhaps that is the trick?

Also, have to say, the hand wash is great for when you run out of pants!

@BigWoollyJumpers Yup! Have literally just been having the handwash WhatsApp chat with DS!

Ds cooked chicken pesto pasta for dinner, he is getting used to the hob which has an automatic shut off after 15 minutes and is also electric whereas ours is a touch pad induction. He is also getting used to a kettle, I hadn't really considered that but we have a Quooker so he has never had to fill a kettle before. He was asking how do you know how much to put in? He is not a hot drinks person anyway but does like a hot chocolate in winter.

He has been out and about exploring, sent me a lovely photo from a river walk. At home we separate washing into lights and blacks/darks as well as whites but I have told him to just put it all in together at uni.

Finally dropped off DD at Durham yesterday afternoon. I think I'm the very last to report of such on this thread.

She is really happy with her college room - a good size with a njce ensuite. It was a great atmosphere of warm weather, loud music, helpful freppers and excited/nervous freshers.

We left her unpacked with her bed made up - I'm hoping, but not convinced, she'll keep her room tidy.

Her college had booked out the local nightclub for their freshers last night so she was there until the early hours of this morning.

We are now anticipating our journey back south and the first priority is to find petrol!

Good to hear many of your DC are settling and some are even messaging back home!

@chopc Love the duvet story, well done for getting it sorted. I bet you won't make the same mistake again for dcs 2 and 3 🤣

I think the imperial peeps will be the last to update on drop offs next week