<p>thanks, Jolynne, I’ve accepted virtual-bloody-death-as-teen-bonding as well. </p>
<p>AP scores came and S is very pleased. Despite 5 in calc, he is thinking about taking Calc I anyway. Friends have advised him that this gives a better foundation for a potential math/physics major. He hasnt talked to school adviser yet.</p>
<p>Is this happening to anyone else? Last year, went shopping with son for literally everything imaginable he oculd need/want for his first year of college (and hopefully to be used in later years!) Now we are getting D ready for her first year and son is expecting a repeat bonanza. Am I really the meanest mom imaginable or is it unreasonable to expect a second year student to not really need anything?</p>
<p>eggmom-- that’s what some students at Carnegie Mellon told us when we toured – it’s good to take the foundational courses in your major at the college level, rather than skip over them and jump into soph courses where you might be at a disadvantage having HS-only prep. Not sure if that’s valid, but son is taking college calc, even though he breezed thru HS AP calc w/(apparently) very little studying. [Crossing my fingers he’ll realize that studying is nec. in college!!!]</p>
<p>sabaray–I think you are being a very reasonable mom! I don’t envision buying for son much at all after first year. In fact, thinking that the nice stuff we are getting him (from Bed Bath & Beyond w/20 % off coupons!) should by all rights last right thru his first apartment!!! </p>
<p>Then again, I could see where the sibling requests come in. 7 year old daughter had a fit at the store because she wasn’t ‘getting anything’ as we ordered college stuff. I said “no way!” on the pink pillow she wanted (mean mom here too!) then big brother went back & bought said pillow for little sis as a surprise.</p>
<p>I think if I could do anything differently (hindsight is great, isn’t it) it would be this: make them both contribute to the same thing- books or computer. Both kids got generous gifts from their grandmothers for HS graduation- we told son he had to contribute to the cost of his computer after he destroyed a previous laptop we purchased for him. We paid for his books each term- more than he had to contribute for the computer. We purchased D’s computer for her- told her she would be buying her books. She recently was awarded a nice stipend so happily will have plenty of spending money. It’s been WWIII at our house because we bought D a computer and he had to contribute. I’ve tried pointing out to him that we are also spending 20k a year for his school while D requires no parental contribution. It’s tough having them so close together and them both being so, so different. </p>
<p>Jolynne, your son sounds like a great guy. That was really sweet of him.</p>
<p>We also hit BB &B yesterday but walked out with…nothing. D2 still wants to look at IKEA before making a final decision. We will stop there today and hopefully get what she wants. One of my friends gave her all of the dishes and glassware she will need for her apartment as she reps these companies. </p>
<p>She also needs her wisdom teeth out but has to have gum grafts on two teeth first. Apparently has some recession where her braces were attached. Will have that done at Christmas as not enough recovery time before she leaves for school. Guess if she would get hit in the face with a ball or does a header it couold compromise graft. It’s always something! </p>
<p>She loved her bday presents! Hooray! Clothes, apartment items and necklace from Tiffany’s to mark the big 18.</p>
<p>Decided to host a meet and greet dinner for all of the incoming freshman players and their families from our state at our house next week. Looks like almost all will be able to make it. Now I just need to decide what to make! H tells me I am crazy! ;)</p>
<p>D2 is lucky that her school will accept all of her AP credits and will enter as a sophomore. This will help so she can take less credits during her sport season. All of the credits will fulfill gen ed requirements.</p>
<p>
[quote]
‘Does everyone take video games to school?’ she asked naively.
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</p>
<p>eggmom, my son said, “I won’t be bringing my PS3 because I need to focus on work. I might bring the earlier Nintendo that lets us play Super Mario Brothers because that is a great social game.”</p>
<p>D took the 12 AP’s mostly because she would have been bored in the equivalent non-AP classes. She had originally wanted to take only 5 last year even though it might have cost her valedictorian but the school couldn’t fix her schedule for French V so she had to find another course. At that point she decided to make it an AP and added Art History which was a ton of work but she really loved it.</p>
<p>Doing a bit better today on the recovery from the surgery (I think we can actually get out and do some shopping this afternoon). She’s due back at work tomorrow at 7am so we’re hopeful that she can improve a lot today. Only took one pain pill and that was for sleeping last night. The rest of the time she sticks with Advil. Seems to be plenty.</p>
<p>Supposedly replacement laptop is on the fedex truck due to be delivered this morning. Waiting. Hoping. It better work.</p>
<p>Lots of activity! </p>
<p>NorthMinnesota, didn’t you just host a big grad party? You must enjoy entertaining a lot more than I do.</p>
<p>Son met his roommate Tuesday night since they both had tickets to *Video Games Live. * Since then they have been chatting a lot on Facebook, mostly about video games. I did make him send a message that said, “My mother wants to know if you have any color scheme preference at all.” I know I’m playing into gay steroetypes, but we haven’t bought anything yet and if the roommate actually cares about colors, we could certainly accomodate (since Son doesn’t care in the least.)</p>
<p>Tuition bills will be mailed today, but I made Son go into his online school account and print the bill out early. Ever since he dropped from the top 20% to the top 21% due to twenty some students not graduating, I’ve been curious about whether they would take away any of his merit aid. They didn’t. The number we have to come up with wasn’t scary, until I multiplied it times eight. Now to get the money out of the 529.</p>
<p>Multiple by 8, yikes, I can only take one year at a time.</p>
<p>D received her Fall housing bill (due in full by 8/7) but tuition bill is not up on her account yet. Thank gawd, I’m not ready to look at that figure yet!</p>
<p>missypie…I do like entertaining! This shouldn’t be difficut though. I figure the house, yard and gardens look good since we did have the big grad party. I’m hoping for good weather this time around. 
Thought we might have a salad buffet with “gourmet” grilled pizzas. Easy and no mess! </p>
<p>Video games…does wii count??? D2 will bring hers to school. D1 loves having hers at school. Great way to interact and meet other kids. Loves the driving game and the olympic games.</p>
<p>I’ve already got two monthly payments made, forty-six to go. In forty-six months I’m remodeling my kitchen.</p>
<p>Two down, thirty-eight to go for one; Thirty-two down, eight to go for the other. But the months are the same: In forty-six months, I’m . . . putting those payments into S2’s 529, I guess.</p>
<p>I don’t think D’s school has a monthly payment plan. :(</p>
<p>I’ll report this to give us all some perspective about our sadness at the idea of sending our kids off to school. A neighborhood mom just passed away after a very lengthy illness. One child is out of college, two more in college, one in high school and one in elementary school. She’d been ill for most of her youngest child’s life. Son is pretty good friends with one of the kids. I hope he’ll want to go to the memorial service, but his attendance won’t be optional.</p>
<p>Oh, missypie, how heartbreaking. That is truly an exponentially different level of sadness. Condolences to her family and to your S, too.</p>
<p>just popped in to lurk - there are chores to be done and email to answer after a few days of nursing H through a nasty bug and then going to my sister’s to help - she is a recently separated mother of 4 who is drowning in responsibility and stress.</p>
<p>oh, missypie. that brings me to tears. thanks for reporting and condolences to the family and to your S.</p>
<p>and Jolynne Smith, welcome back! what a lovely S you’ve raised.</p>
<p>It’s one of those situations where you want to ask God, “Um, what were you *thinking *there?” I remember when she found out she was pregnant, long after they thought they were “done.” She and her husband joyfully received their little “caboose” and it wasn’t long after that her illness was diagnosed. She didn’t live long enough to see the little guy out of elem school. If God has a plan in everything, it will take a while for us to figure that one out.</p>
<p>Sad story missypie. Good for you for insisting your S go to the service. His friend will appreciate his being there. I hope this family has a lot of support. My thoughts and prayers to them.</p>
<p>Son, being 18, is (fortunately) a funeral novice. His friend is very quiet. I’m sure their verbal exchange will be excruciating, but I think it’s good to teach kids that funerals aren’t to be avoided just because they are uncomfortable. I know adults who avoid funerals “because they don’t know what to say.” I also told Son to make sure one of them puts notice of the funeral arrangements on Facebook, so all the friends will know.</p>
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<p>missypie - I’m not sure I would have thought of that. You are a very wise mother. </p>
<p>Have you seen this thread? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/747123-funeral-etiquette-question.html?highlight=funeral[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/747123-funeral-etiquette-question.html?highlight=funeral</a></p>