We'd all like to think that our children who've left the nest look forward to spending the holidays with us in order to savor the family togetherness. Alas, I'm afraid it's a pipe dream. Here is why College Daughter can't wait to pull in the driveway:
Laundry: Her first goal is to head to the basement and hog the washer/dryer. This makes no sense to me. She has free washers/dryers in her dorm, approximately 20 feet from her room. With a year's supply of detergent, thanks to me. Why she would want to haul baskets of laundry down two flights of stairs, across a parking lot to her car, and then down our basement stairs and back up again is really beyond my sense of reasoning. And I stopped doing her laundry in 2005, so that is not the motivation either.
Shower: During the laundry, in order to use up more hot water, she hits the shower. Her dorm shower situation has improved because she's in a suite now and only has to share a bathroom with two other girls. I guess that is not good enough. If she's coming home that day, she waits until she gets here to take her 20 minute shower. You would think we have a luxury bathroom with dual shower heads and travertine tile. Trust me, we do not.
Food: Following the hot shower, it's onto the kitchen to raid the pantry. Any sort of supply I might have of cookies, ice cream, cheese, good crackers (not Ritz), frozen pizzas or chicken strips will be gone by the time she leaves. Because she's tired of salads and pasta and the only thing she can now tolerate at the cafeteria is applesauce and tomato soup. And don't question why a college cafeteria doesn't serve pizza or chicken. The pizza has really bad crust and the chicken is not white meat. So there.
You totally nailed this one! When Son2 was home last week, he ate like he had not seen food in a month...showered like hot water would never end...and brought every piece of laundry he could cram into the car home to wash.
ReplyDeleteHe also raided our DVD collection so he would have movies to watch with friends when they weren't studying.
Em - That's hilarious! They are all the same. We are not movie watchers, so our DVD collection is lacking; otherwise, I'm sure we'd have lost that by now too.
ReplyDeletemy grandma always said if you want to see more of your grandkids keep a well stocked pantry. and she did
ReplyDeletesee, it's really a good thing
Oh, you really took me back with this one, Cocotte.
ReplyDeleteI remember like it was yesterday, the first time I returned to my parents' house for Christmas break during freshman year. I crammed all my dirty laundry into two pillowcases. When I walked in the front door, I announced my arrival by saying, "Hi, Mom. Here's my laundry. I'm hungry. I wanna take a nap."
Can you believe they actually let me stay there for three whole weeks?
Then there was the spring break I brought my roommate home with me, and my mom made seven (7!) 9x13 cheesecakes over the course of the week (um. . . my roommate really liked cheesecake; yeah, that's it. . . And, uh, my younger brothers were still living at home. . .)
Such a devoted son I was, no?
FREE LAUNDRY!!! Mine was about two dollars a load, and that was 15+ years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that they've come to appreciate such 'luxuries' - appreciation can't be taught, only learned - and a little less hot water is a small price to pay.
ReplyDelete(It's good that they don't dread coming home or, worse yet, don't come home at all)
JK - Shhh.....I hide the good stuff...nobody else knows.....
ReplyDeleteCraig - I draw the line at cheesecake. Actually, I am known for making special desserts, if asked nicely. Only one per person though.
Russ - Don't worry, I'm sure the cost is added into the 'general fees' every semester for us!
Eric - You are correct. I know that once I left home, I never wanted to go back.
Gah! If my 13 year old takes showers longer than the ones he's currently taking, the ones that always have us yelling up the stairs at him to finish up, we're going to go into the poor house! Nevermind the food bill! The kid barely eats now, but he does love to test the limits of our water heater!
ReplyDeleteLord how true this is, I remember when the youngest Son pulled into the driveway on a visit from school the only spot in his car not covered with bags filled with laundry was the drivers seat, walking into the kitches all the cabinets were opened, raided, and left to stand open while he moved on to the refrigerator.
ReplyDeleteI think he had the laundry situation figured out so well that he had to do no laundry at all while at school, the last time he came home with the large load of laundry I pointed him down the street to the laundry mat :)
I'm guessing all those things feel like "home" to her. Of course, my kids still live at home and already take absurdly long showers and eat like they are starving.
ReplyDeletelol, sooo true. And, as Em noted- it's the movies & x-box (or wii) games, that really hog attention. Family visiting and such? Forget it, we've got demons and monsters to fight!
ReplyDeleteI remember being like that, it's like coming home is total relaxation. The food tastes better, the laundry smells better, you feel cleaner after a shower and mom's food is the best. I would take it as a compliment!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays Cocotte!!!
I agree, it's great when they come home to visit!! :-)
ReplyDeleteoh hey, at least yours wants to come home. my college daughter would rather not bother at all.
ReplyDeleteFADKOG - My son also does the long shower thing. I really don't want to know what takes so long.
ReplyDeleteJimmy - Haha....I know a parent who told me that her son never did laundry once his freshman year. He just kept buying new underwear!
Agent - I will enjoy reading your stories next year about your older son's experiences.
Sailor - With girls, it seems to be more that they disappear in their room to troll Facebook.
Jody - Thanks! I'm sure you are right; she does think it's very relaxing to be home.
ReplyDeleteX - Where have you been?
Lime - Maybe she's afraid she'll catch something?
Where have I been?
ReplyDeletetrying hardly to work .... er, trying to work hardly? .....
Oh wait, I been working!!!