THE BIG REVEAL...MY DAUGHTER'S NEW DIGS

Well, literally after a lot of blood,
sweat and tears

we moved my daughter into her new home for the next nine months.
I quickly came to realize it is quite different to move a girl into a dorm room.
We were given a limited amount of time to pull up in the fire lane
to unload her belongings onto a pile at the curb of her dormitory

and then go park the cars (plural in our case) in another location.
Right away we began to get a
sense of which students

were the minimalists
and which liked their "stuff".

Can you guess which my daughter is???

I thought I was going to get
the lecture when my husband
started looking
around at the piles of belongings
from the boys on either side of us.

Eeeek, I knew her collection was going to be more plentiful,

but I wasn't expecting it to look
like Mount Kilimanjaro.

Thank goodness some other
females pulled up.
That certainly saved me the lecture.
I think I only got as far as the "look".

I quickly diffused the situation,
"Look Meghan, she has the same green Britta water pitcher as you!!"
Only girls would color coordinate their water pitcher to their room.
I'm going to bet college guys could care less about stuff like that.
The only green things they're probably going to be
drinking
out of are beer bottles.

Needless to say, after enduring
many trips up the steps

with my daughter's worldly posessions,
patiently waiting in long lines
for the elevator with filled carts

and making small talk with
all the other parents,

we made our way to her room.


Then all the fun began.............
Imagine 8 people in a 150 square
foot room for 8 hours
trying to put
2 girls worldly possessions piled
as high as...
you got it,
Mount Kilimanjaro, away in some kind
of neat manner,
let alone decorated,
was no small feat.

Remember, we had just met her roommate
& her family
upon entering this space.
Making this all come together was hard,
especially knowing at the end of this task
my husband and I would be saying
goodbye to our daughter for quite sometime,
severing the bond we worked
for 18 years to strengthen.

I'm sure my daughter was trying
to keep it all together,
acting like this was all just an ordinary day.

The longest the 3 of us had
ever been apart was the
5 days she spent in
Disney
World on her Senior Trip.
Here she was, just thrust into
this space with a person
she had never met before
(other than Facebook)
and was now going to be living
with for the next 9 months.

Oh yes, talk about a presure cooker!!

Here's how it all turned out


I love that she packed her stuffed dog
that has
been her lifelong friend
and the backup one!






....and all of this was done without
putting a mark or hole in
the walls or the furniture!

Taking that all into consideration,
I'd say it all turned out okay.

Wouldn't you?
Did any of you take your
children off to college?

I'd love to hear your stories.

I'm sure I'm not alone!!

(My apologies on the quality of the photos,
they were taken on my cell phone
)

Comments

It's me said…
Wauwwwwwwwwwwww her room looks great !! you did a great job darling.............love it !!! wishing you a happy new week love Ria....
Auntie Cake said…
Gail, it looks great!!! Hope she is loves it and has settled right in! Hope you made it too, I will feel the same way wiht my daughter. About Christmas last year, I started feeling sad that this year she is about to become a senior. She might be ready, but I certainly am not!
Kate
I'm so relieved to see Weezie there. * Whew *
Shaz said…
Hi Gail,

Oh what a traumatic but exciting time. It doesn't quite work like that here. Our kids go to university but it is all local (of course unless you go interstate which only a few do) or if they have a "GAP" year which we always planned for our first son but at the last minute he didn't want to and doesn't regret it (think it would have been good for him though). However, in the next 2-3 weeks he is moving out of home and into a house with 5 others. Not far away but I will miss him. He is 20 now and more than ready but wonder how many times he will move back home over the years. It is a big rench isn't it but one we have prepared them all for for so long - it's just hard for us when the time comes. I think you all did a great job on her room too.
Anonymous said…
Gail, you are a great Mom. Her dorm looks so cute and comfy. I can tell you went to great lengths to make sure she felt as comfortable as possible there. I hope her adjustment to college life is a smooth one, (and your adjustment too)! It must be hard... my oldest will be a Senior this year so I am trying to savor every moment. xo
Anonymous said…
It looks so beautiful and lovely. I love that picture on her desk... is that her (when younger) and her dad? Your post really touched my heart and I can't imagine what you are feeling. I have a 9 year daughter, and can't even imagine being a day apart from her.
I wish you the best and I'm thinking about you.

xo
BonjourRomance said…
Dear Gail,
It looks beautiful, filled with a Mom & Dad's love and hard work! Meghan must be thrilled. Amm my best, you must be so proud of her! Hang in there, she will be fine! Will be thinking of you my friend!
Big hug,
Mimi
WAY TO GO GAIL....! It's a GORGEOUS space & I can see your daughter being very happy there over the next nine months....!

I hope the trip home wasn't too painful for you Lovey....!

Cheers for now,
Tamarah :o)
Libbie said…
WOW!!! I might be calling you in 12 years :) Annie would be very jealous! The bedding & the pillows came out fabulous!!!!! I love all the textures! & you girls even managed to make that dorm desk look just perfect...a feat I had no idea could even be done! But you did it! I hope she is enjoying her roomate! That is a big deal!!! Thanks for sharing the pics! When I finally got on my comp after a few days off i knew I would go here first! :)