Today I am . . .

by Katy on September 21, 2016 · 31 comments

Today I am:

  • Busy readying my younger son for college and trying to appreciate his last full day at home.

That is all. I may be taking a bit of a blogging break, as this week is all about settling my two sons at their respective universities. My focus is where it should be.

What are you doing today?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }

Vickie September 21, 2016 at 1:13 pm

Congratulations to your sons. I hope they have a wonderful year at school!

I’m finishing up a few long term projects, here at work, and then headed to the gym. I’m trying to up my work-out to 4 days a week. I’ve lost 14 pounds, just by watching what I eat and being frugal.

Have a great week Katy! 🙂

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Teri September 21, 2016 at 1:20 pm

Yes it is! And good for you.

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Jennifer September 21, 2016 at 1:20 pm

Exactly, mom first! Good luck to you!

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Helene Rippey September 21, 2016 at 1:22 pm

Sending lots of love mama. See you next week!

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April September 21, 2016 at 3:07 pm

This makes me happy and sad. Happy for the transition to college, yet sad for you because of his last day at home. I get it. Sigh…

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Linda M September 21, 2016 at 4:04 pm

Consider yourself hugged! Also, best wishes to your sons.

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Marcia September 21, 2016 at 5:31 pm

No tears, Mom! They’re off on a great adventure. I have one granddaughter and it’s just as hard to see a grandkid go off on her own as it is your own children. I am lucky to see her once a month, and she only lives about 50 minutes away by car. But she’s BUSY!! And I never get to see her without her mother coming too–because she doesn’t get to see her enough either. It’s a transition!

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Patti September 21, 2016 at 5:47 pm

Good for you!

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Lisa September 21, 2016 at 6:12 pm

Love it – enjoy those boys and I hope they have a great year at college!

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Val September 22, 2016 at 3:34 am

Bravo – yes, Mom first! I will be in your position in less than a year in sending my only child off to college. (sniff). This years focus is on him and finding all the free money I can – aka: grants and scholarships. Woo-hoo paperwork! No, not really, it is the last thing I would volunteer to do. BUT it is for the great purpose of lowering his college costs as much as possible.

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K D September 22, 2016 at 4:10 am

I have a bit of free time today because a friend cancelled our walking date. I’ll stop at the grocery to pick up a few sale items on the last day of the weekly ad. Then I’ll meet up with friends for a service project. I’ll stop at the library to return items that are due and pick up items on hold. The house really needs cleaning.

I hope you enjoyed your son’s last day at home and that dropping him off goes smoothly.

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Nan September 22, 2016 at 4:25 am

It’s the way things are supposd to be, hard as is it to accept. My 3 kids are all grown and 2 live many miles away. It’s a lot easier now with facetime and cell phones!

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Mrs. Picky Pincher September 22, 2016 at 4:58 am

Today is going to be a good day!

My husband got elected as a board member for his professional organization, so we’re going to their banquet tonight for his induction. 🙂 Unfortunately that does mean we’ll pay $50, but it’ll go to charity, so we’re okay with that.

And TOMORROW we resume our work on the house after one night’s reprieve. Sigh. Poor Mr. Picky Pincher and his dad will be installing our (custom!) cabinets over the next few days, so it’ll be pretty busy for them. I plan to help out after work and by cooking them some hot meals.

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isabelle September 22, 2016 at 5:45 am

Big step!!! Ouff!

For myself:
Today I am
* working from 8h30 to 2h30 (after getting up at 6h, getting the kids ready and dropping them off to school and day care)
* Picking up a coupon for a free brunch we won
* Picking up the kids from school and day care
* making supper/lunchs/laundry/cleaning/x-y-z!
* going grocery shopping as part of a date night with hubby
* catching a comedy show while my mom is babysitting the kids

Have a great day with your son!

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cindi September 22, 2016 at 9:21 am

How wonderful that you had them with you this long into Sept…All mine were gone by the end of August, 🙁
Enjoy these last days!

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A. Marie September 22, 2016 at 12:23 pm

Rock on, Katy and Dale and sons! (And paying cash on the barrelhead for both sons’s tuitions totally rocks. I saw Katy’s Tweet about that.)

I’ve been thinking about how our families paid for tuition a generation ago. DH’s parents were comfortably off and paid all of his tuition up front–and although my parents weren’t so comfortably off, my maternal grandmother married rich the third time around and thus was able to establish college funds for me and my sibs. This has required some real readjustment of my extremely ambivalent attitudes toward my MIL and my grandmother–both of whom were difficult, to say the least. But, seeing what Katy’s family and countless others are going through, I’m going to have to hand it to my in-laws and grandmother for getting DH and me through college.

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Katy September 26, 2016 at 11:06 am

Thank you! I feel very good about being able to give this gift to our sons. Although I am making them pay their own personal expenses and books. My younger son just paid $180 for his first book, so he’s feeling enough pain to help him appreciate things.

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janie September 22, 2016 at 4:59 pm

Today I am…..still trying to get ahead of the canning. Did a couple of batches of tomatoes. Tackling the apples again tomorrow. Neatening up the basement “apartment” for some friends staying there next week. We’re in the process of adding a kitchenette to it so we can rent it out for enough money to pay for our meds. Is anyone else feeling the “pinch” more and more? So glad we paid off our house – that gives us options we wouldn’t otherwise have

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Ruby September 25, 2016 at 8:53 am

We are also feeling the pinch. The cost of everything has gone up and our household income has not. It actually stuns me to go grocery shopping lately and would be a lot worse if we ate much meat, but we don’t.

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Carla September 22, 2016 at 5:22 pm

I just completed a very large custom order and will box it up and send to its new home soon! I posted about my savings goals and have a new budget ready for October to cover our atrocious hydro bills here in Ontario (BRUTAL!) and I’m about to tidy up and head to bed! It’s been a long day! I hope your boys settle in well! :).

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janine September 22, 2016 at 7:28 pm

Going away to college and living in a dorm is a life enriching experience those of us lucky enough to have gone away to school remember all our lives. Such an exciting time you must be having this week. Enjoy!
Today facilitated a local neighborhood meeting. We plan to sponsor an apple cider party at a nearby park next month. We will borrow a hand cranked cider making utensil for demonstration purposes. Fun for everyone if the weather holds out!

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Katy September 26, 2016 at 11:01 am

Thank you! My younger son hit the jackpot with his dorm room, as it’s around three times the normal size of the other rooms! I’m jealous.

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Kristen September 23, 2016 at 4:32 am

Hugs, mama! I hope the drop-off goes well and that the adjustment to a really quiet house goes well too.

Come visit me if you need a noise fix. Heh.

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Katy September 26, 2016 at 11:00 am

I’ll keep that offer in mind, although I’m quite capable or noisy-ing up the house myself.

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JD September 23, 2016 at 7:11 am

I remember sending both kids out in the world, three years apart. It felt odd, but it was just the start of a new stage in our relationship. Looking at it from the other side, now that both have been out of college and the house for several years, I see it as a definite change point in my life. Bittersweet in ways, but our relationships have truly blossomed into adult to adult, and although I’ll always be their mama, I really enjoy the stage we are in now as much as I enjoyed having them as little ones at home. Congrats, Katy! There’s wonderful times ahead, just like there are behind.

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Mariana September 25, 2016 at 5:57 am

You got your priorities straight 😉
Are you feeling like an ’empty nester’?
Hope this week goes well and the boys are settling at their dorms. X

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Katy September 26, 2016 at 10:58 am

I am excited to get my house in order and to start working on some big picture writing projects. I have plenty to keep me busy, but our younger son is just 2 hours away, so I’m guessing that we’ll go down to treat him to dinner now and then.

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LisaC September 25, 2016 at 6:09 am

I am catching up on bills.
Yesterday I went to Sam’s, and its over an hour’s drive away. I took advantage of the trip and went to the malls and stores near there. There aren’t any near my house. After shopping for clothes for HOURS, and only buying one cardigan at Sam’s that replaces one that I wore so much it had holes in it, I realized that I can get just as nice clothes from my local Goodwill. I was frustrated that I spent so much time in those mall stores.
Katie, you’re rubbing off on me.
The good part was that I spent the day with my husband, which was nice. All of my kids are grown and moved away, so its just the two of us.

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Bee September 25, 2016 at 12:18 pm

Watching your children leave for college is bittersweet. May their dreams come true! So many happy memories are yet to come!

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Amanda September 26, 2016 at 8:51 am

Wow it seems like you were just sending off the older boy! Enjoy every minute. I’ve got a friend whose oldest went off to college this fall too. She is empty nesting big time, even though she has two much younger ones at home. I think it is a combination of her baby growing up and her baby not being there to help with the baby babies. 😉

Today I am . . .

Catching up on household admin stuff like paying bills and calling the roofer.
Reading and writing a review for class. A fantastic book I can’t wait to dive into.
Planning my work for the next two weeks.
Looking forward to the debate like it is a prize fight. Wisely I have no money on it though there are those who would say the outcome could affect my financial future.

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Katy September 26, 2016 at 10:57 am

Our older son did a gap year/local university the year out of high school, so it was just a year ago that we settled him into his dorm.

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