My middle son Max is starting his freshman year at NYU in a few days. Move-in day was supposed to be tomorrow, but Hurricane Irene threw a wrench in the works, and now he moves in Monday. Getting there from Boston will still be a challenge due to the weather, so we’re all on tenterhooks watching the forecasts.

It’s been a joy having him home for his gap year, and now we get an extra hurricane day with him, but then he is off.

Of course we made a cake, themed around New York City and NYU, with a skyline of buildings, a yellow cab, the Washington Square arch, and a giant torch-like thing in honor of NYU’s symbol:

It’s hard sending Max off, but it’s also exciting to know that he’s on a new adventure, one we can enjoy vicariously.