Do they need all that?

They brings more "stuff" than they will ever possibly need but at this age, you really can't tell them that because they still don't listen.

Marissa helped move Meghan, a freshman, to Iowa State last week and was in awe of all of the bags she had packed with the things she could not live without at college and then as it turned out, Marissa, a second-year college student, who should know what she does and does not need, took more bags than Meghan on Sunday when she went back to Wayne State.

Is it absolutely necessary to take an entire clothes basket filled with shoes? Where did all those shoes come from anyway? At home they each wear one pair and don't even bother looking for any others. (It surely must have taken them a great deal of searching to locate THAT many shoes to put into the basket and I wonder, too, if there are matches for all of them or if they just threw whatever they could find in the basket.)

And shirts - holy moly. Meghan "cleaned" her closet before packing and found things in there that she doesn't remember owning. That is pretty sad!

Marissa is an organized freak, unlike her sister, and color codes everything in her closet. When I was helping put things away, I learned not to put her dress clothes with her everyday clothes or her pajama pants with her pajama shorts in a big hurry.

Again, do they need all those shirts when at home they wore only a selected few t-shirts all week. Marissa told me she definitely does need that many - it will cut down on feeding the washers and dryers, she said. Great, dirty clothes will take over her room and then she will decide it is time to come home (to wash clothes) when there is not another area to put dirty clothes. (Hope her two roommates understand.)

Meghan said she plans to dress up for class - my guess is that will last a day when she sees that others are not.

Marissa could have told her that. She became known as the "fuzzy pajama pants girl" during the cold months. She has a great selection of whimsical fuzzy pants that she wore to classes every day. I forgot to ask if she just rolled out of bed and wore the same pants she slept in or if she at least changes into clean ones! Anyway, many have come up to her to say they like her pajama pants!

They are set now, thank goodness. It took a lot of energy to move all that stuff. I hope the school year won't go too fast so I have to help them bring it all home again.

* Lorri Glawe is a staff writer for the Pilot-Tribune. Reach her at lglawe@stormlakepilottribune.com