It is the most exciting day when I get to venture to Cornell to see Max. This time not only were we going to see him, but we were also bringing him home with us. Could I be any more excited? He hadn’t been home for almost two months. I know a lot of kids aren’t getting home til Thanksgiving. This is why I wanted Max to go to school close by. He can come home any time he wants to. Trust me when I say that I would drop anything to go get him at school. What’s 2.5 hours there and back? I would do it any time.
Not only was I excited to see Max for five-ish days, but I was also so excited to see Ithaca in the Fall. The campus is always gorgeous, but exceptionally gorgeous in the Fall.
Max hadn’t been in the car for a while. He is either walking or riding a bus at school. That was a happy drive home. Our fur babies were beyond excited to see who walked through the front door. Max instantly started noticing little changes in our house. Everyone and everything change a little bit when you are apart.
The house is just better with Max home.
The whole vibe of the house changes when Max is home. He has a very chill and loving vibration, and everyone picks up on that. I think I can learn from that. The girls are nicer when he is around. We are all happier, including the fur babies. When he isn’t home the whole vibration changes. It’s like something is missing. I also feel like everyone is more uptight when Max isn’t around. I’m going to work on that. Time to loosen up. I see more dancing in the kitchen ahead.
Helping hand.
Max is always checking what I am doing and if I need help. Can he teach this to his sisters? Lillie has a little of that in her too. I warned Max that I wanted to move the fish downstairs when he came home. He was a huge giant help with that. I am always so thankful for his help and his muscles. I looked over and saw him laying on the couch helping Lillie with her Spanish. I am sure Ella and Lillie loved having him home. They lost their big brother to college. Their mediator. Their tutor. It was so wonderful to see them asking Max for advice and showing him their homework. My mama heart couldn’t have been happier.
Laundry and food
I told Max to bring all his laundry. He must be doing so much laundry at school. He tends to have double what the rest of us have because he works out so much. Trust me, I was a super happy mom doing all his laundry. I also made sure we had a lot of food in the house, and he greatly enjoyed that. It was wonderful to see him opening the fridge and eating all the food. I laughed when he found old pickles in the fridge that were for him that he needed to throw out. Don’t worry, I had a whole new container ready for him that he demolished.
Rest
I was prepared for Max to want to sleep a lot. I am sure he loved being home in his big bed and sleeping a lot. College kids definitely need a lot of rest to regroup and recharge. I hope Max feels recharged and ready to take on the second half of his first semester.
Go with the Flow / Friends
I had no expectations for Max when he was home. I didn’t know if he would want to rest all weekend. I didn’t know if he would want to do something. I was ready to go with the flow. I knew he wanted to see his friends. I’m so glad that he got time with them, and I feel blessed for any time he spent with his family.
So much to learn
Max has had to learn so much. I remember that freshman year of high school wasn’t easy either. Freshman year of college is even more intense. Learning to navigate being away from home for the first time is not an easy task. Especially when you love your home base. Some people run to college and can’t wait to get away from their parents. Max is not that person. Hopefully he continues to adjust and thrive in his new environment. He has gotten the hardest part over. It only gets easier to adjust from here.
I can’t express to you how much I loved having Max home for his Fall break. Now I countdown for Halloween. He has Halloween plans that he wants to come home for. I will go get him any time!
We are currently driving Max back to school. The mood of the drive is very different on Tuesday than it was on Friday. I’m drying up my tears and remembering that he will be home again soon.
Ending with questions we asked Max that Kim Holderness recommended. She just went to parent’s weekend and asked her daughter all these questions. I am sharing and passing it on for you to do with your college student. I love that the Holderness family is going through this with us. We are certainly not alone!
10 questions to ask your college kid from Kim Holderness
- What’s one thing you are loving about college that surprises you?
- Max: People from all over the world. He loves meeting people from so many different places.
- What’s one thing you miss from home that you didn’t expect?
- Max: That Buffalo is such an innately caring place.
- When have you laughed the hardest?
- Max: Playing Madden with my roommate.
- If you couldn’t reach us, which one of your new friends would you call in an emergency?
- Max: My roommate Asher.
- What class makes you curious to learn more about the subject?
- Max: English. Good subjects coming up for papers.
- Can you tell me about a time that you were really proud of yourself?
- Max: Solving math proofs.
- What good habits have you picked up on that you’ll continue?
- Max: I take my vitamins more often now.
- Are there any bad habits that you’d want to kick?
- Max: Eating more junk food now.
- What would make this experience even better?
- If you had one more hour in your day, what would you do with it?
- Max: Sleep..
- Tag, you’re it. Go ask your college student some questions.
Laughing, Learning, Loving,
Rebecca Greene, LCSW-R
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