<p>Good Afternoon, PackMom! I love the shopping analogy! It’s very apropos, too, since we went shopping yesterday and have some returns to make today! Ha! Have a great Sunday! DM</p>
<p>DoveMom - Look forward to hearing how your tours go. Sounds like I should read the Sawtelle book -will add to my summer reading list.</p>
<p>PackMom - I also love the shopping analogy. Also with a HS junior and a lot will depend on scholarships/merit aid/FA a year from now. His senior friends are hearing from schools now and next week and news from scholarships so it is very exciting.</p>
<p>Hope you all are having a nice weekend! Thinking pizza for dinner…</p>
<p>rom, I have two sons. If you want the shopping analogy to be applicable to males, use new cars (you test drive a lot of diff. models, compare the gas mileage/options on each,etc) instead of shoes,lol.</p>
<p>Hey, Rom and PackMom, my hubby had mentioned the car analogy to his brother the other night - you don’t look at a Cadilac, if you can only afford a Chevy, etc., but the shoe shopping analogy definitely works better for girls. Rom, Edgar Sawtelle is a book especially for dog lovers. We lost two days of our spring break due to winter weather, so I have to work today and tomorrow and then we’ll be off to Boston as soon as I get out of school. Meanwhile, it is going to rain cats and dogs around here for two days! Have a Marvelous Monday! Sending a Smile, DoveMom</p>
<p>Hi Everyone! I’m back from Boston and we had a great trip and all learned a lot! It was an interesting family experience with my hubby who has been, “can’t go there, can’t do that” becoming a bit of a “believer!” Ha! Archie, are you ready to compare notes? My daughter’s choice would be Boston University. She also like Boston College, Northeastern, and Suffolk University in that order. They are all beautiful schools with lots of good programs, but she loved the urban setting and features of BU best. After doing our “window shopping” among those Elite Privates, we had our visit to “Payless” Rutger’s today and our daughter found it a lot more appealing school than she expected. Rutger’s also has an urban vibe and five campuses that offer a huge variety in atmosphere, all within a 7 minute shuttle bus ride of each other. After today’s visit, she will probably apply to Rutger’s, too. So, it’s has been a huge learning curve for our whole family.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I understand that Shannen Doherty went home on DWTS! Not a huge surprise considering her controversial image, but she was a better dancer than some of the others, IMO. We saw that Didi went home on American Idol - we didn’t see the singing this week, but we liked her and think some others should have gone first. Not sure what happened on Survivor last night. Oops, I missed Project Runway, too, but know I’ll be able to see that episode on a rerun.</p>
<p>Hope all is well! Sending a Smile, DoveMom</p>
<p>DM, Sounds like the trip was well worth the effort. Nice that your D was able to identify the things she liked (urban setting) among the schools visited. Also great that she liked the “Payless” school too…whew!<br>
I was surprised Shannon D. got voted off before Buzz A. and Kate G.
I read the “vote for the worst” group (plus all the teeny bopper votes) on the internet is the reason Didi went ahead of Tim. Can you believe Simon is leaving the show? Do you tink he really will?<br>
Boston Rob got voted off Survivor.</p>
<p>Hi PM! Oh, shucks! Not Boston Rob! That stinks! Isn’t it a shame that people have nothing better to do in this world than “vote for the worst” and ruin someone more deserving’s dream? I think Simon probably has something else up his sleeve to promote, but it’s hard to imagine AI without him! Yes, big relief that our daughter was open to Rutger’s and could see the things it has to offer in our “own neighborhood.” Just saw Brooke Shield’s segment on Who Do You Think You Are - really interesting discoveries regarding her genealogy - related to Henry !V of France, etc. I started doing genealogy research on my family about 6 years ago and have made amazing discoveries, as well, so I understand that feeling of connection that comes with learning about your ancestors. Really neat.</p>
<p>Glad you are back, Dove, and that all went well. It gives these kids a lot more confidence about college when they can walk around a campus and start to envision themselves there!</p>
<p>I think Simon is smart to leave AI now. That format can only last for so long and I think he knows it.</p>
<p>We are in FL for the long weekend with my family (there are 24 of us!). Just got back from my niece’s 8th b’day party. It was in a new-hip-bowling alley. Very fun, very loud, lots of visual stimuation - I’m exhausted!</p>
<p>PackMom - you staying at home for the weekend?</p>
<p>I’m enjoying a moment of solitude. aaahhhh</p>
<p>Hi Rom! Don’t you love those moments of solitude? And we sure have to grab them while we can. Ha! I agree, it is great to visit a campus and have your child discover the things they like/dislike about a particular school. My daughter certainly seems to like the urban vibe! Now that she’s seen those high priced schools in Boston, I guess we should see some of the NYC ones, too! At least they are a lot closer and she can easily take a train home at any time. How nice that you have such a large family group that can get together. I have three sisters and a brother, but we’re all scattered around the country. It’s a shame, because we all have so much fun when we are together. Now that we’re home, I’ve been doing laundry, cleaning out my closet, and cleaning out the fridge. I need to go grocery shopping next, but I’m not cooking tomorrow. Yay! We usually eat at a diner on Easter Sunday and that is the plan for tomorrow. HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE! I hope you are all having as nice a spring day as we are, DoveMom</p>
<p>Yep Rom, staying at home for Easter. S2 came home from college on Thurs. night. So I’m enjoying having him around although he is mostly out with friends but that’s how it goes. He goes back to school tomorrow. DH has to work tomorrow so I think S2 and I will go out for lunch after church and then he will head back to school. </p>
<p>He is apparantly in a wardrobe deficit so I’ve spent the past couple of days shopping the sales and picking up some shorts/shirts for him. </p>
<p>S1 is in the Navy. This will be the first Easter he hasn’t been at home. Hopefully we’ll see him Mem. Day weekend. </p>
<p>It has been a beautiful weekend. Everything is starting to bloom in my yard.<br>
Happy Easter to everyone.</p>
<p>Good Morning, Everyone! It’s a glorious Easter Day here with magnolias starting to bloom. It’s a beautiful sight after the piles of snow we had this year! PackMom, I hope your Navy son is in a safe place. I have a good friend with two sons in the Navy. One is stationed in Germany and the other is in Afghanistan. Thankfully, they are both doing well. Hats off to all of our military and the sacrifices they make for all of us. Our college daughter is spending the weekend with her boyfriend’s family in PA, so it’s just the three of us here. Enjoy the day! Sending a Smile, DoveMom</p>
<p>Thanks DM. Yes, thankfully S1 is safe and sound in FL. He was commissioned as an Officer in the Navy the day before he graduated from college last May…hard to believe it’s been almost a yr. </p>
<p>Took S2 to Chili’s after church. Now, he and his roommate are riding down the interstate on their way back to school. The last day of classes for him is April 26, last exam May 4. It’ll be here before we know it.</p>
<p>Wow, PM, May 4th is just around the bend and a wake-up call for me! Last year our daughter came home on May 1st. This year it will be around May 8th. Like you said, here before we know it! We’ve had a nice leisurely drive to a diner about an hour away and back. During our trip to Boston, our visit to Rutger’s, and our drive today we’ve seen quite a few fender benders and some more serious accidents, too! Just a reminder to drive carefully and defensively! If anyone else out there is reading this thread, don’t be shy. You’re welcome to join us - the more the merrier!</p>
<p>Our college senior is in Indy with a bunch of friends to watch his BBalll team play in the final four and, now, in the finals. So glad he has this opportunity–what fun this must be!</p>
<p>Welcome, Ma! Awwww, that’s really exciting for your son! When is the Duke/Butler game? Monday night? We saw part of the Butler/Michigan State game and it was quite a match, coming right down to the end for the win. Good luck to your son’s team! I need to get to bed, since I have school tomorrow. Sweet Dreams, DoveMom</p>
<p>Hi Everyone! It’s Monday night and DWTS is on. Evan did a great quickstep, broken toes and all. Buzz looked regal in his uniform, but didn’t wow the judges.</p>
<p>Back home after a long drive - far more traffic than I expected.</p>
<p>mafool - how exciting for your son to be in Indy! Just sat down to watch the game. Hoping for a good game. I cannot cheer against Duke (even though H is an alum of last year’s champion!). Our S visited Duke and loved it. Though I do love a good ending…Butler makes for a great story.</p>
<p>PM - did every ounce of pollen explode open this weekend? good gracious! H’s car was under cover and is covered in it. Hope you had a nice visit with S2. And thanks to S1 for serving - hope he is enjoying it. </p>
<p>DoveMom - Hope you had a nice Easter. How can you dance with broken toes?</p>
<p>I’m taking S1 to get his driver’s license tomorrow. He has not shown much interest until now - and we have not pushed him. :)</p>
<p>Hope you all have a great week.</p>
<p>DM - hope you</p>
<p>We saw our son on the pregame hype! 
He and his friends had been waiting in line since 11am to get good seats, but I guess that is nothing if you’ve “tented” in Kville! Only 3 points separate these talented teams right now.</p>
<p>Hi Rom, glad you are home safe and sound! We had a nice, relaxing Easter day. I guess Evan (the Olympic Gold Medal skater) has a couple of broken toes, but he still danced great. Nicole and Derek ended the evening with a showstopper Quickstep to Anything Goes - it was fun, but didn’t meet the “Authentic Quickstep” standards of the judges. Thanks for letting me know the Duke/Butler game is on tonight. We just tuned in. Rom, my older daughter wasn’t in a rush to get her license and she has always taken driving seriously and is a very careful and responsible driver. Our HS junior is eager to drive and has her permit, but she seems to think she is a much better driver than she is! It’s better if they wait in my opinion! Maybe you know the answer to this question: Whenever I’m on here for a while, I need to re-logon over and over, if I stay on for a longer time. Is there a way to avoid that? Thanks! DoveMom</p>
<p>Yes, Rom, everything is yellow here. I was wearing my cute red Keen shoes when pulling the trash cans out to the curb this afternoon. When I came back in the house they were totally yellow. </p>
<p>Yes, S1 does enjoy his job in the …very stressful but he likes it. He’s in EOD school. If you saw “The Hurt Locker” then you know what EOD is.</p>
<p>Mafool…so cool that you saw your S on TV at the game. I’m watching it now.
S1 called us from Times Square at midnight on New Year’s eve. He was sure we’d be able to spot him on TV:)</p>
<p>DM, weird that you have to keep logging in. Do you click that little box by the log in that says “remember me”</p>