Parents of the HS Class of 2009

[sevmom]

missypie, Sorry to hear about Big Tex. It's always sad when we lose something iconic like that.

[missypie]

Good morning. Homecoming football game last night....good to catch up with some folks. Older D was right about not coming home this year (college sophomore year). Last year, I think 13 of the 18 drill team girls were home for the game; this year, zero, not even the two who are living at home going to cc. The mums were wonderfully outrageous.

Younger D's show opens next week, the director is panicked, sounds like with good reason. I have always given the kids a costumed Build a Bear when they're in a musical...easy enough when they were Sailor and Sailorette in Anything Goes. But Cinderella's stepmother? Time to be creative. And both girls' birthdays are coming up and I've bought nothing so far. (I wouldn't have to buy younger D a gift for the rest of her life if I'd let her get a tattoo, but there's absolutely no chance of that happening.)

We are going to a church party tonight and H decided to make a dessert that his mom used to make. It turned out TERRIBLY and yes, I fear that others will think that I made it.

If you are on Twitter, search #bigtex and you will see some pretty amusing tweets.

Got to gulp down some more coffee, shower, and get to Build a Bear.

[Modadunn]

Missy - I am loathe to report that last year when D2 turned 18 she talked of getting a tattoo. I, like you, was totally against it. She had some crazy notion of having a sun tattooed on the bottom of her foot so she'd "always be walking on sunshine." Nice thought I said, but it would hurt like hell, you wouldn't be able to walk at all when you got it and it would probably never heal and if it did, it would always be slightly dirty. When she mentioned the top of her foot, I said, and always have that showing through every pair of sandals or dress shoes? I also said, anything you'd want on your body like that before the age of 30, you'd regret after you were 30. I thought I had made my point.

I have no idea of the when exactly or by whom, but sometime in the spring I finally noticed it: an aztec kind of sun on the top of her foot. I was ticked, but what could I do? Ground her? She had paid for it and managed to make sure it healed all without our ever noticing it for several months. I wasn't necessarily wrong in the shoe thing in that during prom if you looked close you could see it, but mostly, you really couldn't. Not happy about it, but not a big deal in the end. Granted, I would have never ever given it my blessing and still wouldn't. But I had to drop the battle; it served no purpose.

Older D's fiance has several tattoos in what they call a modified sleeve on BOTH arms. Most mild mannered guy you ever want to meet, but he is an artist and designed most himself. I am happy to report however that the only tattoos older D has any interest in getting are the ones he will draw on her for halloween and through a graphics program. And I am happy to report that his own mother told him that if he ever encouraged or allowed her to get a tattoo, she'd kill him! Not that this would necessarily prevent her from getting one, but she'd never do it without his encouragement - so.. finger's crossed. I am decidedly not a fan of inking your body.

[missypie]

I know I can't really prevent it once she's out of the house, but I just can't be the mom who lets her D get a tattoo for her 17th birthday.

[Modadunn]

I so agree Missy - My D did it when she turned 18 - not much I could do besides make a huge deal out of it and her not tell me. Oh wait, that's what happened!

[kmcmom13]

Hi all. Testing to see if the post-eating ghost wil take this one tooo...

[kmcmom13]

Nope, ok, seems to work now.
This is a "proof of life" message because my other posts the last few days went errant!

Kudos to s2' TheAnalyst. And yes, I was going to get a leaf net to cover pool using my existing anchor system...but didn't because the ladder and rails would have needed to be removed (and the pool co does that on actual closing' and mcson had wanted that late sept party...) At any rate, that WILL be happening next year
Today, m getting it ready to close.

Re tattoos...remember trying to convince my youngest sis not to do it...then watching her try to cover it up on her wedding day...I didn't even have to say I told her so

[kmcmom13]

Oh, and what salary list? I could see you all referring to it, but did not see a post or link. More gremlins?

[sabaray]

Looks like our "helpful" salary list was removed, kmc.

Drove over to see D yesterday; went to a tailgate with her and to part of the football game. Team is doing poorly which is unfortunate as I really like the coach. Lots of negativity in the stands which really doesn't help the team much. Lots to do today as the result of not doing much yesterday except fun stuff.

[eddieodessa]

I never saw the salary list either.

[NorthMinnesota]

Didn't see it either. Can someone send the link in a PM????

Back from the cabin. Took lots of photos as the cabin as we know it will be history a week from Monday!!! Kind of bittersweet.

Beautiful Fall day here. Have the doors and windows open. D2 is out pumpkin shopping and then coming home to decorate and carve them. Sounds fun!

[FallGirl]

It has been beautiful here, too. Fall color is peaking and I wish that I could "preserve" it for a few weeks. I took some pictures of the trees behind my house and that will have to do.

Busy weekend and I am sore from hauling bags of clothes and tables full of clothes for the sale. It went extremely well and all of the proceeds are put back into the community so it's all good.

S enjoyed the HC dance and I even saw pictures! They were on FB.

D is trying to figure out what she will do after graduation. She knows what she wants to do and the places she would need to live but it's the entire process of getting there. She will find out next month if she can stay in her housing next semester which is usually possible but with one of the dorms currently closed for renovation might not happen. She has a good friend from HS who attends a nearby school and there is also a possibility of subletting from her. She is hoping,hoping, hoping that an opening will come up at her internship but is applying elsewhere. I keep telling myself that it will all work out but the uncertainty is hard.

[TheAnalyst]

Fallgirl, it sounds like she is doing all the right things to make something happen, but I can definitely identify with how hard it is to be in the waiting place.

One of the things I did this week-end was to read linkedin profiles for people doing the particular job that S2 will be interviewing for on Friday. Being able to scan a 100 mini bios for this niche type work provides great perspective. I also read a bunch of blog type stuff. For S2, I fear the worrying won’t end even after he gets hired. S2 may find he just can’t sustain the hours unless all the complaints I read about sleep deprivation are exaggerations. Twelve to fourteen hour days on a regular basis are fine. However, thirty-six hour “days” without more than an hour or two cat-nap in the truck would not work for S2, except as a rare event. S1 probably could handle that since he gets very little sleep as a matter of choice even when not working, but S2 naps every chance he gets. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. At least all of his classes are going fine, so I’m not worried about him graduating.

[NorthMinnesota]

Had a great visit with D2 yesterday. She reported that this semester has been the "best" of her college career. Loves her classes, apartment roomies, work and her social life. Things seem to have clicked for her at this moment. Said her favorite class is auditing and perhaps that is where she might be interested in being placed. We shall see how things proceed. While I was gone earlier in the week H took her out to eat. He came right out and asked her how serious she and her BF were. She calmly told him they were very serious and said they have talked about marriage "in the future"!!! I know they have a great time together and seem to fit seamlessly in each others' lives but I still think they need to mature a bit. D2 is so private and doesn't easily share her thoughts and emotions and as a result doesn't ask others what they are thinking or how they feel. According to her that is just so rude! Oh well, I believe there is much time before anything happens as they both still have another year of school.

[missypie]

This was a weekend spent repeating the mantra "love the kid on the couch......." to myself. Triggers:

1. Facebook pix of people's Ds as homecoming queen and princesses
2. Facebook pix of friend's kid in color guard ceremony in Yale ROTC
3. Awesome guest violinist at church was 9 years old
4. Had Skate America on while working on the Build a Bear costume. The young American woman who placed 2nd at this major international figure skating competition is a freshman at Harvard.

Had a nice conversation with older D yesterday. She said that one of the guys she knew in HS who is at a big public U posted on his Facebook that their HS had not done a good job of preparing him for college. D said that he took nothing but the easiest possible classes in HS...his comment ticked her off, because she said that quite a few of her HS classes were more difficult that her college classes.

Crazy busy at work and at home. (Yes, much of the busyness at home is related to making the Build a Bear costume.)