<p>I will just say that reading this board was so helpful over the summer knowing that what we were experiencing (D out with her friends all the time, never seeing her) seemed to be pretty universal—and I think that because she was MIA (although her messy trail was everywhere) it has made her absence (she is our only child) a bit easier.The move to college has not changed her status—still MIA—going to a D III school and part of a winter sport that isn’t yet practicing but apparently bonding big-time—absolutely loving it, with the consequence that we barely hear from her—but that beats the alternative, IMO.</p>
<p>I don’t have a FB account (nor do I intend to) and actually think that we all spend too much time at the computer—nevertheless, the virtual sharing of this mutual experience (including prom and the empty nest syndrome) has been very useful for me. Hope it goes on for a while. And I’m going to save that excerpt from ELR.</p>
<p>For those with picky eaters, do they like to try new things, or just don’t like cafeteria food. I wouldn’t spend my time trying to manage the food for a picky kid. </p>
<p>My Ds were amazed at how many kids at their school had never eaten Thai foor, or vietnamese food. My d never forgot when she went to a southern state and asked for avocado on her turket sandwich. Guess avacado didn’t exist in that state.</p>
<p>When my kdis were growing up, they tried all kinds of foods. Now they eat Ethopian, Sushi, Brazillion, you name it. We did a list, and realized that we had at least tried food from dozens and dozens of genres.</p>
<p>My girls make it their mission to introduce new foods to their friends. Now they LOVE thai food!!!</p>
<p>My son and his friends have spent a couple of weekend afternoons going on ethnic eating adventures in DC–they go to one restauant and share one or two dishes, and then to another restaurant and share a dish or two, and then to a third restaurant…you get the idea. They always try to taste dishes they haven’t had before.</p>
<p>Wow. I thought I was the only nutty mother sending fruit! I am glad I am not. Am sending apples from the orchard where the girls used to go picking from about age 3 on up this weekend. Macouns, their favorites, or maybe Cortlands. I package them up myself - the orchard will not do it. </p>
<p>Sorry to hear about the ceiling mess, Modadunn. Been there, done that. H thinks he is a roofer when the roof needs fixing. He is not. </p>
<p>Um…stupid question and I should just Google it but how do you get Skype? Thanks for not laughing too loud and hard…:-)</p>
<p>Wow, I wish MY mother would send apples from the orchard where we used to pick them. Something from Illinois that I really miss down here in Texas.</p>
<p>ilovetoquilt: D will try things but typically doesn’t really like them. She does like Ethiopian food and likes almost all meat. She just doesn’t like what I would call kid food - no hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza only in a pinch, no pasta - well she will do easy mac but I don’t call that food. Unfortunately because she has a sugar issue I’ve always had to worry about making sure that she gets enough food in her to not take a dive. She typically eats 7 times a day - yup 7. Rarely does she eat what I would call a “full meal” but that is because she was always eating. I think at school she is trying to cut back on the meals and hopefully she is maintaining her sugar because when she dives it isn’t pleasant. At least she is learning to manage it herself. Pediatrician said that some people never learn to manage it.</p>
<p>Skype… If you go to their website (which you will find by googling it :-), it will give the directions on how to download. We’ll see if son agrees to let me know when he is on.</p>
<p>Ok. about this tray or trayless thing. I believe Son’s school was said to be moving in that direction, but I have not thought to even ask about how it all works. I know he is eating and when I ask how the food is, he says, fine. However, as I’ve said they have no board plan per say and you can pretty much eat all day long and I don’t think dinner ends until 8! - -Son could eat three dinners in that time. Still, he’s found time to go to the grille (on campus joint) and when I asked him how the money thing was going (as none of those places seemed cheap when we visited) he said… and really, this could fall under TMI … the girls eat like birds. They’ll order and then eat only half. So… HALF the time, he manages just fine by eating what they don’t times however many of them there are. I only suggested he not get a reputation as a vulture of sorts or worse, a cheapskate. But again, I cant really have too much of an opinion on anything (and believe me, I do) for fear he’ll stop talking.</p>
<p>Modadunn: D’s school is the same way. She can eat as often and as much as she wants throughout the day. She doesn’t eat much however but at least the food choices appear to be things that she will eat.</p>
<p>You can set Skype so that it automatically starts when you start windows, or so that you have to start it manually each time. On my computer, Skype starts when I boot up.</p>
<p>Modadunn – so far as I know, if you have Skype up, and your son does too, then you appear as available/on line to each other, right? You’ll know when he’s on his computer; but you can’t necessarily tell if he’s actually talking to someone else.</p>
<p>You can “block” contacts, and then unblock them, and I think then they don’t see that you are on; but that’s a bit of a pain to go through each time. Is there another way to “hide” the fact that you are on?</p>
<p>Zetesis: I right-clicked the Skype icon in my system tray. One of the options is Quit. I didn’t click it, because I’m not sure how to open it back up, but you may be braver than I am.</p>
<p>If you “quit,” then just do this to start it: Start menu –> programs –> Skype, and click on the little blue cloud icon. Voila.</p>
<p>(That’s for Windows PCs)…</p>
<p>Ah, but I am reminded now that there is an “invisible” option. So you could right click Skype in your systray, click on “change status,” and select “invisible” and presumably you’d be on but no one would know …</p>
<p>I am here to give courage to novice Skypers. (But not advice). My husband and I are beside ourselves thrilled because we have now “skyped” twice. Our kids find it hilarious and somehow talk us through it and then we are clueless again the following week. But do not be deterred and keep trying. It is SO great to be able to see their faces (both mine are blessedly at the same college for one year together)–and they get a kick out of seeing “home”. (I get a kick out of seeing the kid’s room a bit) We put the dog on our laps but he cannot seem to “see” them but they love getting a glimpse. What I like best is that somehow they are more willing to talk and I am more comfortable too. I guess I’m just a visual person and the phone has never been my favorite mode. Anyway, we somehow managed by having a phone conversation with the kid while we navigated our way to signing on properly and getting a picture.</p>
<p>I will agree that there seems to be an ease in talking about nothing when using skype vs the phone. When I “talked” with daughter this afternoon, mostly it was us laughing at how stupid we both were… and that we hung up on one another three times in the process!</p>
<p>sooo…
Is anyone’s little '13er a bit nervous about upcoming midterms??
D has one this week. She is not sleeping well at all. I can’t believe it could be worse than any of her AP courses last year…</p>
<p>woody, DS got his 1st midterm back (easy A, yeah!) and first big paper (B+, writing is not his strength and he says word on the street is the first paper is graded hard to encourage improvement). This is a kid who doesn’t stress at anything, but so far he’s not finding it harder than the AP/CC classes he took as a senior last year.</p>
<p>I’m sure once your DD gets a few tests under her belt that the stress level will subside. Personally (and especially with a boy) I’m happy we’re not on the quarter system. Midterm, final, bam – that’s your grade.</p>
<p>Skype is great – D just called, we chatted for 25 minutes or so … she enjoys that much more than just a phone call.</p>
<p>Midterms – well, she’s got three tests this week. I’m not sure if they’re midterms, but two of them are two hour tests. I think I’m more nervous than she seems to be. Sent her a care package for the occasion and keep wondering how she has time to do all the activities she reports she’s doing …</p>
<p>D had her first class today…at 1:15pm no less!!! What happened to 8am classes!!! She has a 10am class once a week and 11am two days a week. Two days at 1:15pm. Did colleges finally figure that most students don’t like to get up before noon?! Actually, the truth is she was out exploring the campus at around 10am to make sure she knows where all her classes are located.</p>
Unfortunately because she has a sugar issue I’ve always had to worry about making sure that she gets enough food in her to not take a dive. She typically eats 7 times a day - yup 7. Rarely does she eat what I would call a “full meal” but that is because she was always eating. I think at school she is trying to cut back on the meals and hopefully she is maintaining her sugar because when she dives it isn’t pleasant. At least she is learning to manage it herself. Pediatrician said that some people never learn to manage it.</p>