<p>Doesn’t this feel like sitting around a living room with a glass of wine and catching up with old friends?</p>
<p>I’m so impressed by all of your kids’ accomplishments. More than that I’m impressed by the joy that you all take in them.</p>
<p>(That’s the answer DadII)</p>
<p>grrr…I have more than two loads lined up to do today. Guess I’m not as successful as herbrokemom’s D! I hate doing laundry!</p>
<p>My son hasn’t even put his sheets on his bed yet and he’s been there 3 weeks. When I expressed how grossed out I was at him sleeping on a dorm mattress he said he got a brand new mattress and it’s cleaner than the sheets he left at school over the summer (unwashed!). </p>
<p>Oldest graduated in June and is no longer homeless (but still sleeping on an air raft in his new apartment). He loves his job in NYC, but not the hours.</p>
<p>DadII, my son did well in the Top Coder contest because we let him spend hours in high school teaching himself programming instead of nagging him to bring his English grades up to A’s or get involved in more ECs at school. I’ve always had a bit of an unschooling bent - let your children find what they love and give them the tools to pursue those interests. If you let your child lead the way they will succeed. (That said, I’d be thrilled if he did his laundry more often!)</p>
<p>DD has worked out how much stuff she will bring with her to college and as of last night, she had one of suitcases packed!!!</p>
<p>Two sons here…oldest has always been a numbers/math child… when he was about 4 or 5 he commented that he thought “infinity was God” which totally blew me away. He remains a left brain person… and is a very happy and contented person. He graduated in May from an old school in New Haven (ha ha) and started his first “real” job on 9/2, which is coincidently the same day as my 33rd ann’y with my company. He is living at home to bank some money…and we enjoy having him around… he has always worked hard and been mindful of our approach to life. Not sure how we have accomplished what we have…but, I do know that I never wanted to take credit because then I would have to take blame. So far, not a lot of “blame.”</p>
<p>My youngest is a HS senior this year… very quick, witted and athletically, he is a very good student…excellent athlete… won the Harvard Book award at the end of junior year, which we found to be a wonderful recognition of who our child was… unexpected since he hadn’t received any awards in prior years of HS. He is being courted by several Ivy League schools for his primary sport… and there are several folks on CC who have been very helpful in answering our questions about athletic recruiting. </p>
<p>We had the HS soccer team over recently for a team dinner…and I can honestly say that it is a delight to have your home/yard invaded by 24 hungry and healthy boys. I do genuinely enjoy kids… and am glad it can take a village to raise a kid. Others help us with ours and we get to share in the lives of other kids in our area. It is a win win for us…keeps us young, at heart, at a minimum.</p>
<p>Our daughter, that some of you know, is now 21 years old…today is her birthday!!!</p>
<p>She is begging her senior year at Dartmouth. She was valedictorian of her high school and president of student council. She is majoring in philosophy and is the editor of the Dartmouth Review. Over the summer she has had numerous articles published in The National Review, The American Spectator and The New Criterion. She’s written two books that are being published by Smith and Kraus, on Oscar Wilde and GB Shaw. And she is one of the most humble and unassuming people I have ever known. She exceeds her parents in every regard. </p>
<p>Our 10 year old son is quite an athlete. He plays rugby at the 14 and under level and AAA travel hockey in the AYHL. He is much like his sister but for the sports part. As to academics, he says that he will go to college only if he is not drafted by the Montreal Canadians in high school (he has his standards) – which we have agreed to.</p>
<p>As parents, we have been complete slackers. Can’t take credit for anymore than having driven them to the places they couldn’t drive to on their own. I knew laziness would one day pay off.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Zmom, just noticed this in your post:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s my philosophy of life.</p>
<p>OK. I don’t think I can resist this. Thanks for the opportunity.</p>
<p>S (now in Grad School at Harvard) graduated with many honors from Caltech last spring and is now a finalist for the American Physical Society Apker Prize. </p>
<p>[LeRoy</a> Apker Award](<a href=“http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/awards/apker.cfm]LeRoy”>LeRoy Apker Award)</p>
<p>“To recognize outstanding achievements in physics by undergraduate students, and thereby provide encouragement to young physicists who have demonstrated great potential for future scientific accomplishment. Two awards may be presented each year, one to a student from a Ph. D. granting institution and one to a student from a non-Ph. D. granting institution. The award to the recipient(s) consists of $5,000, an allowance for travel to the meeting of the Society at which the award is being presented, and a certificate citing the work and school of the recipient. Each of the finalists in this annual competition will receive an honorarium of $2,000 and a certificate as an Apker award Finalist. Certificates and awards will also be presented to the Physics Departments whose nominees become finalists and recipients. The awards to the nominating Physics Departments will be $5,000 for the recipients and $1,000 for the finalists. The purpose of the awards to the Physics Department is to support undergraduate research. The award is to be presented annually.”</p>
<p>The final interview is this weekend. Fingers are crossed.</p>
<p>This thread makes me so happy. It gives me hope. Such great kids on here - I’m proud to “know” you!</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay: Your 16 y.o. son loads and starts the dishwasher? Can my 16 y/o D date him?</p>
<p>I am very proud of my D who was incredibly mature about moving far away from home this past summer and has already adapted very well to her new school, made friends, immersed herself in e.c.s that she loves, and has been doing great with a very heavy courseload.</p>
<p>11th grade Son and 9th grade Daughter are each other’s best friend.</p>
<p>responding to, vicariousparent, Perhaps the Mods can set up a subforum for parents to match make their kids? </p>
<p>23yo son. No Gf. Plenty of friends. Waiting on for answer for job(s), several offers at big company in Redmond WA, but waiting for budget approvals. Has money left over from UGMA and banking internship moneys. Parents will not interfere (not all that much).</p>
<p>vicariousparent, I’ve told him repeatedly, “You are going to make some lucky woman a wonderful husband.” Why not your dd???</p>
<p>Oh, but does your dd cook? He says his wife must be a good cook, to which I responded, “Are your arms broken?” 
I think he meant he just wanted someone who likes to bake, like me.</p>
<p>A match-making forum – wouldn’t that be great? Sometimes I read the kids on the board and think about fixing them up with friends’ kids.</p>
<p>We could call it MatchConfidential. “You found your match school, now find your match.”</p>
<p>This seems like a common problem. DS is smart, engaged in politics, great jazz pianist, cooks like a mad man (had Mario Batali sign his orange crocs) and is nice looking. </p>
<p>What’s up ladies??</p>
<p>Do you think girls today still just want a player type rather than a nice guy? </p>
<p>My son has shown me his Facebook strength/weaknesses (do y’all know what I’m talking about?), and his strengths are things like reliable, best potential dad and best sig picture (don’t ask). His weaknesses are things like outgoing and best roommate. Huh? These people obviously don’t know he loads and unloads the dishwasher!</p>
<p>Youdon’tsay: She can make microwave popcorn. I think your son would be a reach for her.</p>
<p>LMAO! I was just going to post that maybe after matchconfidential we should also create a safetyconfidential and a reachconfidential, but that sounds mean.</p>
<p>DD wants to marry a food critic so he can take her out every night.</p>
<p>Smart girl.</p>