Parents of the HS Class of 2009

[arabrab]

We've also had very good response from Amex, though not as often as Shawbridge. It covered a cellphone which H dropped, and a pair of expensive boot that got spattered with grease the first day D owned them. If we can buy anything durable with Amex, we do.

[downtoearth]

I have had issues with refrigerators dying.The first one in this house lasted 7 years. Hoping this one does better. Things dont last as long as you would expect.
prize day today, d read the dedication to the yearbook, and also got inducted into her school's version of the honor society. Tonight is bacclaureate where she is doing a reading. such an emotional time. MIL is on the way, this should be intersting!

[shawbridge]

kmc, good idea to insure stuff, although you have to understand that I have a whole company's worth of stuff (Macs for everyone in the office purchase in January plus associated network equipment and iphones and cappuccino maker and office equipment) and I'm a techie at home so we have lots of stuff that can decide to malfunction. Just use the Platinum card for the big stuff. Amex loves us and we have a person who is assigned to help. Not clear what she can do, but OK.

[missypie]

DTE, enjoy the festivities!

[NorthMinnesota]

TA...are you on vacation? Miss you!

[oregon101]

DTE congrsts and have fun. Is your MIL a nice one?

[TheAnalyst]

NM, we are still in Hawaii until Sunday (two weeks), so not easy to write but trying to follow along. I am interested in hearing about how internships, research, and other summer plans are going, although I realize some are just starting.

[kmcmom13]

I know, shaw, just teasin' you H. Is also a gadget geek.

TA, enjoy Hawaii!

NM, I'm not being mean, truly, think of it more as tough love. When you described your set up I realized you would not enjoy yourself this summer without the planters and that you were talking about visible locations, not jus a curb bed. So I divined that you're a bit like me and like a particular level of summer color. If I don't have a cascade of roses within plain sight, lavender, sage and coneflower nearby, the mandeville or the fuchsias -- I just
don't enjoy summer on the deck. When I first moved in to mch's barren yard, it took
about 5 years to get the yard to a place I enjoyed it.

That said, if you will still have the cyber garden party for us, I will come and plant them for ya I think it will be much easier on me to pretend to do it instead of really doing it, don't you?

DTE, enjoy the grad festivities! If I recall, same goes for Moda, who is likely producing a video for same as we speak, and CQ, who I think is through most of it. Forgive me if I missed anyone. I ran into a local fellow 2013 mom at an art festival last night who was recovering from the all night party of her 2016er -- brought back a lot of memories.

I think I'm feeling pretty nostalgic right now because I am realizing I have not truly "separated" from mcson fully the way some do by attrition when their kids go to school far away. And likely because in some ways he's a little younger than his cohorts. I am realizing this because he's been sharing a lot of his plans with me this week. Eg mcgf may have an opportunity to intern next summer in Australia and wants mcson to join her. He told her that if he wanted to keep his job open with us in order to pay down his student loans and be near her for her senior year, he needs to work with us next summer or else we'd have to hire someone else (which is true -- it takes too long to train someone on his work to only have them for the summer and when he leaves the year after he will be permanently replaced). But after she graduates, they actually seem to have a plan together to live with a friend in a condo that's affordable in San Francisco. Now I realize a zillion things can change between now and then, but it makes the hunch I've had of having an only child thousands of miles away feel quite real. Somehow the competing vision of being in the same city together, visiting in a low key casual way, hanging out with grand kids after school -- all those things you secretly want or half expect -- well, that doesn't sound like a world I'm likely to inhabit. But who knows. I'll just enjoy the time I get and let the universe in it's wisdom be perfect.

[PRJ]

Hi all - its just me, waving from the sidelines as usual. D2 graduates tomorrow, her party is this afternoon - 4 families cohosting and not at our house, thank goodness. We're having a professional pancake flipper - brings his own griddle and the usual accoutrements (sausage, syrup, etc.) Plus lots of desserts - the girls are calling the party 'Brunchsert'

Inlaws arrived last night. SIL didn't like anything I served for dinner, and rejected all the alternatives I offered. Sigh. First major family event without my MIL. DH and I are missing her.

Have to admit my garden looks fabulous - got an earlier start this year when it was so warm and i didnt procrastinate as much as usual Lots of shade perennials and hostas, with MANY containers of annuals for color.

Pledging to rejoin you all more regularly after graduation and getting both Ds off to their summer jobs.

[PRJ]

PS kmc - don't give upon those dreams of being close to the grand kids. DH unexpectedly took a job very close to my parents when our girls were very young and we've been in the same area ever since. Never would have predicted that - I left home after college without expecting to ever live in this part of the world again.

[FallGirl]

Good Morning to all! Congrats to all who have graduates - PRJ, c_q, moda and dte. Hopefully I have not missed anyone.

Dropped off S at a local HS this AM for SAT II's. He was told to be there by 7:45, doors to the school were not open until 8. That didn't bother me, but things like that bother S especially in the AM and when he is nervous about something. I hope things go well.

D is enjoying her internship, but she and her roommate are having an issue with some suite mates taking their food and wine. I have advised them to get everyone together and talk about setting some ground rules. It's possible that the responsible parties are used to an arrangement where everyone just shares food/drink. (I am giving the benefit of the doubt here). Grrr... She has some great friends at school, but their luck with random suite mates has been terrible.

[CBBBlinker]

Hi all! Once again I've been among the missing here -- for no really good reason. In my defense, though, I will say that I've been glued to my Kindle reading "The Outlander" series of books. Anyone else here read them? Not the best writing, and certainly not great literature, but dang if the story line (time traveling characters) doesn't just suck you in.

D received her MPH from Yale on 5/21. A bit of deja vu for me since I also got a master's from Yale a "few" years back. D's BF and my father were also there, along with H, of course. D had booked a dinner reservation for the evening before at a very small place a couple of towns away on the CT coast, which had been highly recommended. There were only about 10 tables, and the place had 2 dinner seatings. (We were in the 2nd.) Turns out Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg), her H, and family were at a neighboring table celebrating their D's undergrad graduation.

Anyway, in spite of the rain the next day, D is now officially finished with school. And now the loan repayment kicks in. (We told D & S we would pay for undergrad, but grad school would be on their dime.) As I mentioned, D has an excellent job here in Boston, starting 6/18. She'll be moving in with us for the short-term so she can scope out places to live, and so she can get on jump on repaying the loans. Some of her furniture will go to S, who is living in an off-campus apartment for his senior year. Everything else, except her clothes, will go into storage. (We really don't have room for anything here in our condo.) H is thrilled D will be with us. I'm OK with it, but not totally excited. There's sure to be some tension between H & D, and I always end up being the mediator. (H seems to have a very short memory about these episodes of tension.)

Meanwhile, S arrived back safely from his term abroad. He was here with us for less than 24 hours before borrowing my car and heading to Worcester. (Insert long story here about an Air Force position S is applying for that we hope he doesn't get.) He and his new roommates moved into their apartment yesterday. He's still up in the air about his summer plans, but things should settle out shortly.

Attended the funeral service in NH for a very dear friend of my parents on Wednesday. The H seemed to be holding up OK, but it brought back so many memories of this couple and their 4 sons. My mother didn't come (very frail, no memory), but 1 of my brothers and my father attended. (The couple had moved to NH from my hometown in MA quite a few years ago.) My father doesn't normally show much emotion, but over the past 5+ years so many of his friends have died ... Every time I see on Caller ID that he's calling, I wonder if it's about my mother ... To quote my dad, "Growing old isn't for sissies." Sigh ...

With our new house at the beach is under construction, this was the 1st Memorial Day Weekend in many years that we haven't been in RI. We went to the Cambridge Parade -- such as it was -- and a fun family cookout.

Rain, rain, and more rain here today. Hope everyone has a good weekend. (Just so you know, I have read all the posts -- congrats and support to everyone as appropriate.)

[FallGirl]

CBB- adding your D to the congrats list!

[missypie]

Congrats to CBB D and the HS grads. The pancake party sounds unique and fun.

[kmcmom13]

Yes, additional congrats in order to PRJ and CBB and thanks for checking in.