So Much Stuff

I only had one child to move to college this fall - but she had enough "stuff" for all four of them combined.

Marissa begins her third year at Wayne State.

Her little "big" brother helped pack up but had plans to "enjoy" his final day of summer vacation. I don't understand how going to the lake and boating could be more fun than carrying 200 pound totes a half mile.

So Marissa and I - who are both pretty much wimps - were stuck with the job. Fortunately, she lives on the first floor of the eight story dorm (unlike her first year when she DID live on that top floor.)

I dreaded pulling up to the dorm after our two-hour drive, not only because I knew she would be staying but because I was not excited for our work to begin. I seriously did not know my daughter owned so much stuff!

We took our time hauling things in but actually surprised ourselves how quickly we did get things from the curb to her room. An elevator stops between first and second floor (those living on first floor then walk down 10 steps, those living on second floor walk up 10 steps.)

Then it was time to unpack.

I was also surprised at the methodical manner in which Marissa operated. I guess after three years she has it down pat and know how to make so many things fit into her little cubicle.

I still laugh thinking about me helping hang up her clothes. She told me how she wanted it done but she had to "scold" me a couple times because it was not done properly (she knew this because she watched for the first several minutes out of the corner of her eye!)

I finally got the routine down. In only two hours we had all her suitcases and totes emptied, clothes hung up or tucked in drawers, microwave, printer and photos on the shelves.

Home sweet home.

Fortunately, she lives in an air conditioned dorm - the only one on the entire campus! It also has beds that fold up into the walls. It made me nervous that first time I saw those beds and at that time told her and her new room mate that if one of them is missing in the morning and the bed is folded up that they better do some checking to make sure the bed didn't fold up with one of them in it!

I brought home most of those empty carrying devices and won't have to worry about them until the day she moves out at the end of the year!

Each year it gets easier for me to say good bye to her as she moves on to college - but it doesn't mean that I don't miss her any less. She is always anxious to tell me everything going on in her classes and outside of them so we talk often.

By the time I got out of my car at home again, I could feel the muscle pain already setting in so used some Ben Gay in hopes of preventing that early morning pain.

I was thinking on the way home how convenient it would be to have a grocery cart to help in the moving and what the penalty is for swiping one...