I apologize in advance for how foolish my questions probably are.
Will they have their sponsor families by then? Do we meet their sponsor families?(Im just thinking if we bring gifts for them?). Do we bring other items from home or not yet (IE blanket? sports equipment?) son plays tennis and golf. Do we bring these?
Here is a really really dumb question-sorry! My son has a dog-they are inseparable. It's a runt so it is pretty small. (travels well) I swear he will miss his dog more than his mom. did anyone bring their dog?
(just reread these questions...sorry-they are so dumb)
The meet-and-greet of plebe with sponsor family usually occurs the weekend before. We usually invite our newly assigned sponsor mids and families to drop by the house on their way to and from a meal, movie, etc., in the late afternoon, to minimize impact on their schedule and associated uniform changes.
Gifts for sponsors... neither required or desired at this point. If the relationship develops - and sometimes it doesn't work out, as your DS/DD may find going to another sponsor's house with friends/roomies may be a better fit, or find the sponsor program not something he needs - later on, things like gift cards to grocery store/ Sam's Club/Walmart/gas card may be welcome. We always plow stuff like that right back into the snack cabinet. Sometimes families send a food gift package, such as a popcorn gift, for the enjoyment of the entire mid sponsor family. One family, fondly remembered, sent boxes of Fairytale Brownies, before 3-day weekends and the inevitable avalanche of mids those bring to our house.
As for bringing sports gear, let your plebe tell you what and when after the academic year starts. They are learning to manage their time, stuff and space, so let them. Sponsors may or may not have the room or inclination to serve as a storage facility, especially if they sponsor more than one mid.
Annapolis is a dog-friendly town, and many shopowners have water bowls out on hot days. You can even walk dogs onto the Yard, but keep an eye out for the posted areas where they are not allowed, such as in the areas in front of the Chapel. If that brings a special touch of home to your DS, I'd do it. Of course, we are a dog family, and many of our sponsor mids miss their own dogs, so ours get plenty of "sponsor dog" floor time.
It's worth going back through similar threads of years past, as there is rhythm of questions being asked.
No dumb questions at all!
