It's been 11 years, 1 day and 4 hours that our sons have been in college. We've had four sons in college, earning undergraduate degrees, master's degrees, and we've been paying tuition, rent, food, travel and so forth for the past 11 years. Everyone has completed what they set out to do. The college portion of our adventure appears to be complete. Although as soon as I say that, someone will say they are going back, mark my words :)
My husband and I wouldn't trade a second of it. It's actually bittersweet to mildly sad, but honestly mostly a free feeling and a feeling of accomplishment, as I'm sure the boys feel too. We may even miss those moments of, "How in the world are we going to pay for that now too?" At times, feeling like we had to turn ourselves inside out in various moments to figure it out.
I told part of my story when I was invited to speak at the Maine Banker's Association. I felt like they got me. Heads nodded and eyes rolled (back into their heads) as they calculated our expenses. They totally got me. I was happy they each stopped to buy books as they left and giggled, 'You need this!"
I'll forever laugh when we dropped one of our sons off and he said, "We need something called a Roku to watch TV here." Perplexed, we hunted one down and still just gave it to him and didn't have any clue what it was at the time. I think we now have 6 Rokus and TVs are just enabled with it all now.
Here's what I haven't said about those 11 years. Our four sons have mostly been in college all at ONCE. Yes, you read that correctly. So that's one to four sets of rent, food, tuition and so forth for 11 years now.
Our youngest graduated with his master's degree in Pharmacology. He was previously at RIT finishing up his Biology degree while our other son was at Georgetown before him, playing college baseball for the Hoyas and getting a 2nd master's degree - this one in Sport's Industry Mgmt. He spent 5 years at New Haven getting his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Science. While our younger two were in school our oldest also were at UMaine and Plymouth State and Mississippi State.
As they move back home, we realize we are a nice resting spot and things will change again. For now, I have multiple collections of pots, pans, mugs, cups, dishes, towels and more. The cupboards are overflowing with mugs and cups. I'm on towels overload. I just folded another six towels and don't have room in the towel closet. We've said goodbye the their freshman memory foam toppers and mini-refrigerators years ago now. We will miss move in days. I'll miss the shopping. We would pack the front dining room with everyone's stuff and get ready to pack up the car and move everyone in one at a time.
Covid changed things for our set of boys. In 2020, everyone came home and stayed put, as safe as we could all possibly be. The world of online learned became much more of a thing and everyone's belongings really were stuck in limbo in the places they vacated to come home.
So, it's a final move out day today. Our youngest is moving out of his apartment in Georgetown. It was a quaint, 1st floor apartment right near the school and next to the famous place Call Your Mother. We've secured our final coffees and bagels and will miss this spot. He always called home every Friday too, by the way.
My husband is in DC today packing up our youngest and is moving the rest of his stuff from his apartment home from Georgetown University. Our son can't be there with him, so my husband is moving him out. He called home to laugh with me as he noted that there were no towels in the apartment. He told me he dried off from his shower with paper towels and Chipotle napkins this morning, LOL. We moved the towels with the first load of things, but forgot.... Our frugal-four-kids-in- college-at-once selves have me giggling here at home that he may air-drying the napkin for tomorrow's shower, LOL.
(Speaking of towels, I could use some nice, new towels - ones that haven't been to college and back....)
Back to the four kids in college mostly at once...
I miss the calendar I had. It had spring breaks, Christmas breaks, start, finals, home games, away games and more for everyone. It was always a challenge to get everyone home at the same time for moments, even summers, as one of our sons played college baseball. When they did come home, the dogs know when they are coming home and know their names. They go crazy when they walk in the door. The cats know who will give out the most treats.
We loved to gather around and play Dungeons and Dragons and just have fun. (I have the Owl Bear still to this day.) When Cam left for Germany to play baseball, he and Olivia gave me an owl bear figurine, knowing it would be about a year before we got to play again.
One thing I loved most was hearing the had formed the brother's group - their own text message group. They stayed connected and still do wherever they are.
It's quieter. There is less to worry about. There is less to do, less to worry about for now, and we are all in our next steps, next phase, next plans mode. Our bank account is taking some deep breaths and trying to relax...and so are we.... all of us.
With Love,
Elizabeth (and Peter)
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