<p>Congrats on the cabin being built & the son successfully launched, #theorymom!</p>
<h1>theorymom, welcome back! You had quite the productive summer.</h1>
<p>CBBBlinker, that sounds like a great trip, especially if your clean laundry is packed in your suitcase.</p>
<p>what is it with these kids and mail? D also wanted me to send her stamps, but I assured her they would be available somewhere on campus. She’ll figure it out because I’m not sending them.</p>
<p>Recent text conversation with the little genius:</p>
<p>D: I just got a job lifeguarding on campus for 2 or 3 hours a week.
Me: Perfect! How much does it pay?
D: I have no idea. It didn’t occur to me to ask.
Me: Okay…
D: I’m going to have my paycheck direct deposited. How do I void a check?
Me: You write void across the front in big letters
D: Oh, wow, I need to work on some life skills, don’t I?</p>
<p>chintzy, I hope she wasn’t trying to void her paycheck!! :eek:</p>
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<p>chintzy, I notice you didn’t include your response to that insight … :-)</p>
<p>Oh gosh, Owlice, there’d be $14 down the drain! Nope, it was a check from her account, which I had to mail to her.</p>
<p>Zetesis, lol, I’m sure it was something supportive and inspirational!</p>
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<p>Yeah, way to make me feel like a slug…I haven’t gotten around to cleaning out the toy/giftwrap closet and it was on the “to do” list all summer, and #theorymom got a whole cabin built…must get motivated and inspired…</p>
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<p>The kids have never needed to use the mail. Here’s an eyeopener…I told D13 to email her teacher about something. She said she’s never sent an email. Her generation is all text messages.</p>
<p>S reports that Justice O’Connor gave a great speech last night- highlighting the need for personal responsibility and civic education. She pointed out that while most Americans knew the American Idol judges, many could not name a SCT Justice. I’m just glad he went. </p>
<p>I have to say that D and her friend at Emory are having postal mail correspondence! Everyone likes something in their mailbox. I also like greeting cards to send and D is the same way- enjoys sending those. I think I have a card a week through Halloween- just fun “thinking of you cards”. I just learned to text- D is happy about it, S probably not so much.</p>
<p>Welcome back, #theorymom!</p>
<p>Welcome home #theorymom!!! We missed you!!! {hug}
Wow! A cabin built in a summer! Very impressive! Glad S is launched and finding his way. </p>
<p>chintzy…your story made me laugh out loud! When my Ds were interviewing and then were hired we also asked what they would be paid. They were horrified when we told them they should have asked what the salary was. D2 told us that would have been rude! :eek:</p>
<p>Mail… I try to send something once a week. Have sent cards, gift certificates, slippers and dvds, things I could have brought with me but I’m trying to get her used to checking the mail.</p>
<p>NM the fact that your daughters didn’t ask about salary makes me feel better. </p>
<p>My D did the same thing. She told me she was offered the job and after congratulating her, I asked her what the salary was for the job. She gave me a blank look and said she had indicated she would need $8/hr on the application and she figured that was what she would be paid. Turns out that was what she was paid, but I couldn’t believe she hadn’t asked about the salary during the interview. Hopefully she’ll do better with her next job!</p>
<p>D and her HS friends have also decided to do a lot of snail mailing. They love it! Over the summer I told them that my best friend from HS and I wrote back and forth all the time and those letters are so much fun to read now. I like to think I inspired D!
BTW- HS best friend and I are still close - just had dinner together this week.</p>
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<p>I’ve found a few HS friends on Facebook this week. One guy I wish I hadn’t found…he was so talented and sweet in HS…now he’s a ___wing nut job…I don’t want to give the direction (left or right) for fear of getting political on this thread, but his entire Facebook page is devoted to all caps, profanity laced political rants. Believe me, even if you voted with his political party in the last election, you’d think he was a nut job. Someone even wrote on his wall something to the effect of “most people use their Facebook pages to post pictures and catch up with old friends.”</p>
<p>This Friday afternoon, let’s all celebrate the fact that we have not allowed the circumstances of our lives to turn us into furious, bitter moms and dads.</p>
<p>Do you guys who are doing lots of texting know about Google Voice? Free texting, free domestic cell calls, cheap international cell calls. You have to apply to get an account; I’m an early adopter of technology and got my a couple of weeks ago, but it is a terrific service. When someone dials it, it calls two of my phone numbers (cell and home office). Either one can pick up – but the person gives his/her name and you get to choose whether or not to take the call. If not, it goes to voicemail and will do a speech to text and send it as a text of email. The speech to text is not as good as Spinvox, which I have set up for my Blackberry, so that is a sacrifice. But, it is really a good thing and you can text for free.</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcomes home!</p>
<p>Have not really heard from S other than a few minimal texts which were merely cursory answers to my questions:
Are classes hard medium or easy? medium
What is your favorite class? Math
What is your least favorite? IMGD - dropping it after A term
How is Glee Club? Fun
Do you think you will major in math, or comp sci or both? Probably both
Did you remember to drop your laundry? yes</p>
<p>and there you have it. LOL</p>
<p>LOL, it’s so funny to hear these stories. It cracks me up how our bright, talented kids managed to reach the age of 18 without knowing how to mail a letter! Yes, mine too.</p>
<p>Me: Did you send your grandma a thank-you note for that check yet?
D: I don’t have her email address.
Me: No, I mean an actual note. On paper.
D: But I’d have to find envelopes. And stamps.</p>
<p>Of course, the roles are reversed with texting. I can instant message on my computer, no problem, but trying to enter even a short message on my phone keypad? I’m impossible sloooooow and can’t figure out how to punctuate. It’d be faster for me to walk back to my office, start up the computer, and send an email.</p>
<p>I used this one: Rate your level of happiness on a scale of 1-10.</p>
<p>shawbridge, I have a google voice account that D procured for me. I had no idea it would do all of those things! I am going to have to do some self-education this weekend, particularly on cheap international calling.</p>
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<p>My niece, who is currently getting her masters degree at the University of Chicago, still addresses cards to me as “Aunt [first name]” (as opposed to “Mrs. [first name last name].”)</p>
<p>shawbridge-diff to see your D become a beautiful young lady. My D 1 has been a slow bloomer pretty girl but more tomboyish, last year to now more dresses and shopping, quite funny. I think for her a way to advoid distraction from goals. She was very popular in HSbut not in a snobby way and had lots of guy friends and a couple of boyfriends. I was happy for the lack of distraction from that. This year in college she is getting lots of attention, hopefully can deal with it. Still her biggest thrill is that she gets to see David Plouffe speak all excited ! so I think she is ok. Tough to see your little girl grow up! great goals.
TM glad the cabin went well.
Missypie I have found FB wonderful to keep in more consistent contact with old freinds. I did have someone want to be my friend because we had the same name only person I ignored. Unlike the kids though I dont want all kinds of freinds cracks me up that they have like 1000 freinds and allow everyone it seems. Me 50.</p>
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<p>LOL, with my recent additions I’m at 47.</p>