<p>Our–I mean DD2’s–combination of vole farming and genetic analysis is coming along fine. Thanks for asking, everyone >: (</p>
<p>In case it wasn’t obvious, we are hoping eventually to be able to modify the non-coding regions of the DNA, so that college prep can start <em>well</em> before the third trimester!</p>
<p>QuantMech, how clever - her voleunteer hours must be astronomical. Yet . . . down to earth.</p>
<p>While I applaud the early efforts of parents to get their embryos off on the right path prior to conception, my D’s tale illustrates that a high level achievement is not necessarily accomplished by inutero educmacational preconditioning.</p>
<p>For those unaware of her early years, let me provide background.</p>
<p>Her own beginnings were serendipitous, and mythmom may argue they were preordained by Poseidon, by that matters naught. Her biological father was a Polynesian fisherman, blown off course by a typhoon. He drifted for weeks in the prevailing winds, surviving on a diet of plankton and slowly consuming the coconut shell husk comprising his canoe’s sole pontoon.</p>
<p>Her biological mother was an unfortunate Inuit, separated from her family while on a seal hunting expedition when the ice flow she was on broke from the pack ice. She drifted south, surviving on the melting water from her diminishing natural raft and gaining meager nourishment by gnawing on her sealskin clothing. Following her all along was her pet narwhal.</p>
<p>The winds and tides converged and the two castaways met somewhere afloat in mid Pacific. They combined forces, throwing the remaining ice in the canoe, and used the remaining laces from mom’s mukluks to lasso the narwhal who towed them to an island, populated only by an aged aborigine whose mate was a Druidic missionary.</p>
<p>At some point d was conceived and spent her early years on the island.</p>
<p>Her parents died. Accounts are sketchy here, and opinions range from a coconut blight to lack of fish due to climate change. I tend to believe the global warming theory, as the narwhal perished soon afterwards, the emaciated carcass washed ashore.</p>
<p>The aborigine assumed the child’s care, and fashioned a rudimentary digeridoo from the narwhal’s tusk as a keepsake for d, and taught her initial instrument skills. His wife taught her early religious instructions and initial ritualistic incantations and rune reading.</p>
<p>Escaping the island, the couple gathered the child and paddled the canoe to Tahiti. Exhausted from the trip, emaciated, and on their last legs, the couple placed the child in an orphanage; they expired from malnutrition soon afterward.</p>
<p>I adopted her there, enthralled by her musical prowess and in hopes of a fast buck.</p>
<p>We can debate nature versus nurture, assume the die is precast, or plan a path to HYPS by planning fertility cycles and subliminal implants.</p>
<p>But either you’ve got it, or you don’t.</p>
<p>“The winds and tides converged and the two castaways met somewhere afloat somewhere mid Pacific.”</p>
<p>violadad, it’s so fortunate you caught and corrected your use of the word “somewhere” in the above sentence. </p>
<p>That error would follow your D to HYPS and beyond.</p>
<p>Good catch. Maybe there should be a 24 hour edit option on common app essays. Might reduce the number of “Oh NO, I submitted my essay with a typo!” threads.</p>
<p>In the College Adcom’s Guide, my composition and writing skill shortcomings are not to be counted against an applicant, as I am not a biological parent. I’m only responsible from a financial standpoint. (Section 6a, iii 2008 revised ed. for those that need the reference. It’s after the section detailing hooks.)</p>
<p>Funny, in my well worn copy of that bestseller there is a VERY fine print disclaimer that says, and I’m paraphrasing, “we reserve the right to change any and all rules whenever we take a notion.”</p>
<p>maysixxmom, SSShhhhhhhh. That’s proprietary information the masses do not need to know. Repeat after me: There is a system. There IS a SYSTEM. THERE IS A SYSTEM. Admit you’re confusing that statement with a similar truism within the Bankers Rulebook.</p>
<p>(Hopefully, the unknowing will read this thread like all others, skimming it if at all, thereby missing any pertinent and informative tidbits that might actually help in the process.</p>
<p>Recall von Bismarck’s comment on sausages and government. Never divulge more than necessary.)</p>
<p>Meta Threaders:</p>
<pre><code> It simply will not do, the octuplet thread is out pacing us. Let’s each adopt one of the octuplets, as in the movie Raising Arizona. The CC parents will definitely approve. In seventeen and a half years we can report on our Right Path results.
</code></pre>
<p>Great Idea, Cottonwood!</p>
<p>I’m sure our combined wisdom can produce 8 genius children who will ultimately end up at Harvard together. They will all have different hooks, of course. </p>
<p>Mine will be a concert pianist who performs her own compositions at benefit concerts for Ethiopian orphans.</p>
<p>Superior idea, cottonwood. </p>
<p>Count me in for a Right Path Octobaby, please. Either gender is fine of course.</p>
<p>Meta Threaders:</p>
<pre><code> We have five more octababies for nurturing Right Path homes. Don’t be intimidated by my superior results. Step up.
As soon as they’re all spoken for, I’ll give you an update on little Gingko here…already has his first tooth, by the way.
</code></pre>
<p>I’m afraid I feel the need to keep the name of my Octobaby confidential. The press, you know. We’ll just call her Confidentialia here.</p>
<p>Isn’t that sweet about little Gingko’s tooth! Confidentialia is having a little trouble with teething. But we’re putting her nighttime wakefulness to good use, reading her Shakespeare, with Mozart playing in the background. She cries in iambic pentameter already, the little dear.</p>
<p>^^^ Uhhh sorry Harriett, but Confidentialia is the name of the CC college started several yrs ago. This will be too cunfusing. Need a new name for your little bundle of joy (BOJ).</p>
<p>Here ya go-- the college Confidentialia thread. A true classic <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/40031-doodling-day-away.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/40031-doodling-day-away.html</a></p>
<p>My sincere apologies (and heartfelt admiration). Sorry I wasn’t around to admire that one at the time!</p>
<p>We’ll refer to her, then, as Shawsppy, or little Shaws, for shawt.</p>
<p>Can you explain the name, HW??</p>
<p>Just working out an endearing name from the first letters of some Right Path institutes of higher learning. . . .</p>
<p>On second thought, I think we’ll call her Boopsie.</p>
<p>I’ll take all the rest. How many is that? Could someone please drop them off to my house? I’m in the middle of something else right now. I’ll name them when I have some free time. Thanks!!! Could you bring some baby supplies when you drop them off? I can’t get out at the moment. Again- Thanks!!!</p>
<p>You Meta-Thread parents are SOOO humanitarian. I makes me proud to know you (or at least your CC name and your internet persona).</p>
<p>Ahh, Boopsie. I like that.</p>
<p>And alh, they’ll be dropped off shortly. Be sure to be back form you hair and nail appts. What’s for dinner?</p>