Lynne - it looks like you've thought of just about everything. It might be convenient to let them have the dining room on occasion but I'm sure you'd also like to sit with them and enjoy the conversation. What a great opportunity to get to know them better. A big pot of chili is a handy meal too.

Are most of the students from the southwest or are any of them from distant states? If you have any travel books or history books of the area they might enjoy reading though them.

What about transportation? Are they bringing several cars? You might want to have some extra road maps so that they can get a sense of where they are - and places they might be visiting. I'm sure they all have smart phones with GPS and directions, but when you're in an unfamiliar area looking at a big map is helpful.

Maire

This post was edited by maire_cate on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 17:06

Lynn--no wonder they want to come to your house.
You are excited to have them and it shows. Your kids are lucky indeed. Sounds fun.

I think you have everything covered. Do you have an aero bed or 2? If you had a couple, the girls could use them. That's the only thing I can think of that might make things a little more comfy.

Good luck!

I think you are doing a great job anticipating their needs and it all sounds perfect. I would include plenty of healthy foods too, not all college kids eat high carb junk. Lots of good salads, fruit, herbal teas, nuts, etc. Some thoughtful, authentic Mexican/southwestern cuisine would be appropriate too. I would have at least one or two meals with them but not all.

I would stock up on bottled water (sports size). If these kids are anything my own DD (senior in college), the kids all drink water, and lots of it. While I hate polluting the enviornment with all of the plastic, I doubt the kids will remember to bring their reusable water bottles. My DD's friends don't drink any soda at all. Seems to be a thing with the college age kids we know, they're paying more attention to their weight and health in general. Also, if there is anything I've learned about traveling to a different climate/altitude, its that keeping hydrated will help keep headaches at bay. I would think that there will be lots of hiking and sightseeing from what I've seen of your area.

Solo plastic cups and sharpie markers. A college student staple, if you will.

Glancing at your list, seems that you've got it pretty much covered. Have a great time.

Thanks Maire! They're all coming in DD's Envoy XL, that seats 7. I don't envy the one who will be sitting in the middle of the back (bench) seat for the 8 hour trip here, but they're young and hopefully they'll manage to trade places during pit stops. DD has a drop down DVD player with surround sound in it, too, so it will perhaps help to keep them occupied.

DD will be driving them around once they get here and she, thankfully, knows her way to the places they'll be visiting (Santa Fe/ Old Town Albuquerque/ Albuquerque Zoo, Aquarium & Bio Park/ Acoma Pueblo/ a local rodeo/ mountain hikes near home here/etc.) . . . but, a big map of New Mexico would be great for them to be able to see where they're headed to in relation to other places in the state. Thank you!

The kids are an even mix: 3 from Oklahoma, one each from Kentucky, Ohio and New Hampshire. I'll pull out all my books on New Mexico for them. Thanks for that idea!
Lynn

Red: no Aerobeds. I told DH that we shouldn't have thrown away our last queen-size Tempurpedic mattress pad! I could have made 2 or even 3 pads for sleeping bags.

BB: good ideas! We always eat healthfully ourselves; I'll keep a couple bags of pre washed mixed salad greens in the fridge to serve with all the dinners. Everyone loves my homemade red chile sauce and enchiladas. I can make up a pan of them (gringo mild but tasty) to serve with tacos. Thank you!

Work: I'm glad you mentioned that about the soda. I've already bought one flat of bottled water for them. I think I'd better buy a couple more. I'm all for drinking more water and less soda!

Sounds like a blast for you all.

Maybe some hardboiled eggs for breakfasts and snacks? Lots of folks eat yogurt and fruit. Bagels, cream cheese - lox for more protein choices?

Lots of kids are vegetarians during their college years (at least around here) so I think hummus and veggies are a must. I'd have salad fixin's, too - there are always people watching their weight. Pre-made and/or frozen mac and cheese and maybe a veggie lasagne are easy and well received by youth. If it fits your budget, they might like some things that aren't so available at the college cafeteria, like grilled chicken or ribs if you're used to making/grilling them. Or meat and veggies they can skewer and make their own shish kabobs you can grill for them. Get some slice and bake or tubs of cookie dough and let them bake some fresh. If you have the set-up, let them make ice cream?

Could your DD also use your bathroom to take the pressure of one more off the guest bath? Is it a time of year they might like sleeping outside? Borrow some tents if you have room - or even air mattresses or blow up beds on a patio? Maybe set up a projector (someone must have one or probably rentable) and sheet screen outside and have an outdoor movie night.

Oh, and not sure how large your daughter's room is, but maybe your son could sleep there and all the girls can take over the living room.

This post was edited by olychick on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 17:53

Is she mature enough for a long distance drive with 6 other teens/twenties in the car? They can be easily distracted. An old co-worker lost their only child as 4 girls were driving back to school about 6 hours away. They ran into a tractor trailer pulled to the side of the highway. Their daughter died instantly.

As a teen and young adult I never took on the responsibility of driving my peers around. It was something I chose to do. I will probably make it a rule for my kids when the time comes.

I see the teens leaving the high school and sadly most of the time they are being distracted by the other kids in the car or doing stupid stuff.

Oh definitely eat dinners with the kids. Everyone will have more fun that way, and you'll fall in love with her friends. Not the healthiest, but our tradition is to make a big roaster-full of baked mac & cheese when the friends come by. Add a salad & a fruit dessert. How about marinated, oven-baked chicken wings too?

Sounds like great fun! How nice that your daughter feels comfortable inviting friends home with her -- congrats to you on making a nice environment for them.

Olychick: I love your ideas! I've already had DD check and only one girl is a vegetarian. We always have hummus around here because we love it, but I'll buy a couple of big tubs of it at Costco. For healthful extra protein, I always have vegetarian sausage patties and links for our weekday breakfasts. I'll make sure to put some in the kitchen fridge for her. A veggie lasagna sounds good, too. I make my spaghetti sauce from scratch with meat and broth from a roast, but I'll pick up a small jar of plain Prego and perhaps add some crumbled veggie sausage to it. Hard-boiled eggs? Great idea! You can buy a package of them, already peeled, at Costco. What they don't eat, I can use to make them and us deviled eggs (yumm!). Love the idea of the cookie dough and cutting up meats and veggies for them to grill their own shish kabobs . . . another way to get them their veggies and have fun doing it!

Thank you all so so much for all of these great ideas. I'm feeling a lot less stressed already!
Lynn

Oly, so funny! I was a vegetarian for awhile during college, but it didn't stick. I remember coming home for Christmas ( and I drove by myself 14 hours straight) and my mother had bought nice t-bones for a special meal and I had to tell her I didn't eat meat. She was very surprised, but glad I had lost some weight and that I looked good.
Now, I'm a flat out paleo carnivore.

As the mom of a college kid far from home, who has been fortunate enough to be invited home with friends from time to time, THANK YOU! He has always had such a great time, and we have been sooooo grateful.

Only thing I can add to your wonderful ideas is perhaps some yogurts, granolas and fruits for breakfast as well. And some frozen fruits for smoothies?

And then my last idea would be to maybe look at the Groupon type sites to see if there are any ideas for them there.

Have your daughter let you know about any allergies and any other dietary restrictions.

I'd be careful about buying so much food ahead of time. Ask your dd if she has ideas. Some kids might not eat much or they might just plan to eat lunch while they are out sightseeing, etc. You've got some great ideas, but definitely ask your dd what kinds of things her friends typically like to eat for breakfast and lunch (your dinner ideas sound great). Maybe they might like a big breakfast once or twice, but other days they will only want a grab and go kinda breakfast. Or they might sleep late and just eat light since it's close to lunchtime! LOL

How wonderful for you to host her friends! When I was in college, I studied abroad for a semester, leaving while my school was on Christmas break. My parents allowed me to have a going away/New Years party and about 15 of my friends from college (NY) came for the party (MD) and spent the night, in addition to many of my friends from high school. There were bodies everywhere! In hindsight, I think my parents were saints having that many kids but it sure was fun! Your dd and her friends will have such fond memories of this trip! You sound like a fantastic host!

You are amazing to take on the responsibility of all these kids.
Lots of great ideas. I agree with fourkids. Ask your daughter for some specifics and have those to start. You might want to see how things go before stocking up a weeks worth of groceries.
My guess is that they will be out during the day and probably most nights. If there is room for everyone to eat together, then join them for sure.
Don't stress about how they will handle things. They'll figure it all out themselves.

Check your local craigslist for aerobeds.

I suggest more protein offerings at breakfast. Maybe have some hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs prepared.

You have not touched on THE most important thing....where is everyone going to charge their phones and tablets?

None of the rest will matter if they can't connect:)

I wouldn’t kill yourself trying to figure out the food with the kids coming and going at all different times. I’m a soup and stew gal, they can get lots of nutrition from that. You can leave a big pot simmering on the stove so they can help themselves. All the stocks and meats can be prepared in advance and kept frozen until needed. I would have an assortment of breads, jams and butter to go with. And of course you will be a big hit with lots of homemade or store bought sweets, cakes, pies ect. Most all kids love southern chicken and dumplings ( serve with corn bread), Pizza stew is very popular with my grown kids as well as Cajun stew with sausage, chicken and shrimp, chili, cream of ham and potato, and goulash. You might want to have a vegetarian soup simmering as well. Or you could make up a few casseroles that could be microwaved for those coming in at off times. If you felt like veering off of the cereals one morning you could do scrambled eggs and toast with Jimmy Dean spicy sausage gravy (fry the ground sausage in advance and freeze in ziplocks) and or cheese sauce.

This post was edited by jterrilynn on Fri, Feb 22, 13 at 20:42

another dinner idea- chili?

Make a list of chores you would like a hand with everyday. Just leave it on the fridge and have our DD figure out with friends. Some of my suggestions below. This will take them but a few minutes and really relieve someof your stress.

Take out trash
Load dishwasher
Unload dishwasher
Towels laundry.. Fold and put on tray
Put away breakfast accompaniments, lunch condiments in fridge.
10 minutes to clean up kitchen after dinner and then everyone can relax and chill.

I would also suggest letting them plan a meal and cook together. Ask them for an ingredient list and supply it. It will be fun for everyone. If you are open to it.. ask them to take turns in making a salad each day. People love to cook for their friends.

Arrange for a group photo. Something simple and casual but for good memories :)

Per jmc01's concern...I have one similar to this and it's great!

You can find them for less, this is just so fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: power strip

That sounds like a lot of fun.

If you contact the Chambers of Commerce of the the other towns they plan to visit, they're usually happy to send you packets of information the kids can look through.

With 5 girls all staying in one room, I might think about what they're going to do with luggage and clothes. It would be nice if each girl had a drawer or something for her clothes so you could store the bags somewhere. It might get tricky climbing over backpacks and sleeping bags in the middle of the night.
I'd give all the kids a white plastic bag for their dirty laundry and tell them to store them in the closet. You or they could put their names on them so they know whose is whose.

As far as toiletries go, a behind the door organizer like the ones for shoes with pockets is good for that so they can store their contact lens solutions and hair products, etc.

If you have a septic system, the girls should be advised about what not to flush. Keeping a plunger and paper towels under the sink might not be a bad idea anyway.

Planning a family meal the first and last nights sounds good, but I would just wing it the other nights when they'll be gone all day.

Some games are to good to have on hand, but I wouldn't worry about entertaining them. They'll know how to have good time on their own.

I think you've got everything covered, and I think it's a wonderful idea to do this. When the kids are in high school, you know all their friends, so it's nice when you can get to know their college buddies too.

One last thing I thought of was sending an email or note to the other parents telling them you're looking forward to the visit, yada, yada, yada and if they have any questions, they're free to contact you. I can't remember if someone else mentioned this already, but you should probably get emergency contact numbers for the other parents, but you're probably on to that already.

College kids are pretty independent and adaptable so I wouldn't try to over organize them. We had twenty college girls for dinner and five stayed for a long weekend. The rest stayed other places.

We hosted the big dinner and then had snacks and breakfast items availaible 24/7. My D enjoyed taking her friends to her "haunts" so they ate most lunches and dinners out or on the run.

I did not ask them to do any chores. For the most part they were good guests but there were a few minor slip ups. I picked up some wet towels, spilled chips, etc. but it was no big deal.

I wouldn't buy too many perishable things ahead of time. I purchased a ton of bottled water and it was barely touched!

As mentioned, I would work out the details of the meals with your DD beforehand (and be prepared for things to change at the last minute).

Sounds like fun! If you have a good BBQ place there you could fix BBQ and slaw for lunch or dinner. Keep it warm in a crock-pot. I have done this for a crowd and it's so easy.

This old thread came up in a random search today, noticed reference to OU and wanted to say Boomer Sooner!

That sounds like fun and you're a peach for doing this.

I'd think about roasting a turkey or at least a breast ahead of time...can be served with gravy and veggies for a dinner, or sliced for luncheon meat.

I'd also think about a big pot of stew or other one-dish dinners so there's less fuss. Make a large tossed salad too as a side. Cookies and fruit are always great for snacks and desserts.

I was reading this old thread for a while before I realized it was two years old, but now I'm dying to know the outcome. LynninNewMexico, what worked and what didn't and was it a great visit?

Oh my gosh, what a surprise to see my old thread pop up!
It was, all in all, a great trip for them all.
What worked? Just about everything . . . and thanks to everyone for the wonderful advice!
~ Sleeping arrangements: DD and 2 of the girls fit nicely in DD's room (bed, window seat bed and single mattress on floor). The two other girls slept out on our living room sofas. That room closes off with 3 sets of French doors, so they had a bit of privacy, at least. The 2 guys slept in our guest room.
Bathrooms: I decided before anyone arrived that, with seven 18 & 19 year olds in one house, there would be no long baths; only quick showers. So, I put 2 wood tv tables in the bathtub with a laundry basket on each. One held big stacks of folded bath towels and washcloths. The other was for the used ones. I told them not to hang the damp ones. The nightmare of many wet towels hanging everywhere inspired that decision. Great one on my part!!! I just washed and replaced the towels every afternoon while they were out sightseeing. I also had stocked both guest bathrooms with a box of essentials: from travel-size tubes of toothpaste, deodorants, Kleenex; small combs, Tylenol, Tums, Chapstick, toothbrushes, girl essentials, sunscreen. Thank goodness, as they were pretty much all used!
~ I put a supply of local postcards, stamps and pens in each bedroom for them to send postcards quickly and easily. Also a supply of local travel books to inspire their daily outings.
~Food/Meals: as I expected, they ate like they were all starving. They loved my meals . . . even the vegetarian. I'd stocked up on enough snacks to keep them all happy. Thank goodness!
~Sightseeing: LOL LOL LOL!!! None of them had been to New Mexico before and their expectations were funny, to say the least. We have small herds of wild horses, but they're wild, not kept in pens. Our visitors wanted DD to drive them , wherever they were so that they could "pet them" and take pics! That didn't happen (LOL), but they did see some occasionally here and there. Same with coyotes. DD had to warn them not to make a big deal about any Native Americans they saw. They tried to speak Spanish to people here, which was met with patience and kindness (thank goodness!). Our chile was "too hot", but they loved exploring Santa Fe and Albuquerque. And Madrid, NM, where the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed.

What didn't work?
Well, getting 7 college freshmen to agree on anything, such as where to go exploring next or what movie to watch, was a PIA for DD. One gal turned out to be a hypochondriac, which frustrated the rest. And, DS & his girlfriend decided at the last minute to cancel their hotel reservations and sleep on a queen-size air mattress in our foyer (the only place left!), as they stopped by for a few days on their way to his new job in Tucson, AZ. So, we ended up with a real houseful . . . but it was a lot of fun.

Would we do it again? Yes, if DD asked. Would DD do it again? Absolutely not. She said it was fun but exhausting. This Spring Break she's bringing (just) two of her close friends/sorority sisters here to celebrate her 21st birthday. They'll dance at some of the higher end (read: safe) clubs. Shop Santa Fe and ABQ Uptown. Visit Madrid and The Tram. Eat out at some favorite spots and generally spend all the money their parents promised them for this year's Spring Break on themselves instead of an expensive hotel room. Their first choice, Austin, TX, was pretty much already booked up, as South by Southwest will be there at the same time. They were looking at $500/night for modest hotel rooms and super-inflated SbSW ticket prices!

So, we'll be entertaining again, but on a much more sane level!
Lynn

Thank you so much for the update. I was dying to know if everybody had a good time. You are obviously the best kind of parent who makes everyone feel welcome and is able to flow with the ensuing chaos without going crazy.