<p>arabrab, your words (meanest mom’s club) give me strength.</p>
<p>About grades, it’s good to hear that so many freshmen came through after all. Congratulations!</p>
<p>I usually don’t go back and read on this thread as it moves so quickly, but seeing the comments on your story, kmc, I had to. And what a story! I can not imagine how terrifying that had to be as well as how joyous and relieved you were when you found your S. A classic Mother’s Day story and very well told. </p>
<p>Arabrab- guess what? I’m in that “mean mom” club,too. Many offenses including making my kids clean their bathrooms once a week during the summer.</p>
<p>Well, we all made it through the first year. Congrats to all and good to hear about the good grades. Cheers.</p>
<p>Very depressing to realize that all the stuff from Son’s room will stay exactly where it is unless/until I either put it away or tell Son exactly what to do with it. Husband would let it stay in a pile by the front door until Son needs it again in August of 2011 and Son is not able to figure out things like where to put things.</p>
<p>missypie, that was actually a joint project that S and I worked on this past weekend. I know you just got done with cleaning out the dorm room but perhaps it’s something you could work on together. It was a good experience- as we came across things it prompted some discussion. Missing his ex-gf, loneliness, feelings of failure, inadequacy- all things he’d never really addressed with me before. </p>
<p>I have a tendency to think no one can do things as well as I can, or wouldn’t understand, or no way is right but mine; particularly where the household is concerned. I’m trying to let go of that a teeny bit. So while son’s room isn’t perfect, and D’s room is now a “staging” area for everything that needs to find a home, I realize there’s time for everything. I’m not going to die and the world’s not going to end if everything doesn’t get done immediately and exactly the way I want it. I hope that’s a lesson from this year that I can carry with me the rest of my life - I think it was a long time coming.</p>
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<p>Ditto. Are you saying I need to learn to change!!</p>
<p>KMC, thanks for sharing the Mother’s Day story. I thnk the book sounds iike a wonderful idea. Not only for you and your son, but for the rest of us who I am sure would relive those moments with you.</p>
<p>DS is catching up on sleep. He’s lost his voice, too and I think he may be coming down with a cold. It doesnt surprise me as his last week was really rough. </p>
<p>His grades are in with a 3.2 avg. Calc 3 was a killer and he ended up with a C+ there. He says the prof’s approach was very difficult for him: all grades based on tests and no partial credit. So an equation is either right or wrong, no matter how complex. There were only 2 freshmen in the class and I think he learned alot about college-level expectations… and being really academically challenged for one of the first times in his life.</p>
<p>ohhh, sabaray… know those feelings well! It was so hard for me to let go and I have to work on that daily! Good luck!</p>
<p>kmc…wow! What a life experience! I know that sick feeling when your child is missing for brief periods of time but nothing like what you experienced!!! When D2 was 3 we were visiting in Chicago and checking in to a hotel. In the hustle and bustle at the front desk D2 dropped my hand and wandered toward the glass elevator. I was horrified as I watched the doors close before I could get to her and carry her away from me! I had no way to stop her from getting off on any floor or someone leading her away! You should have heard me screaming! Thankfully some kind person brought her back down to the lobby. The next traumatic departure happened at Nordstom’s at the Mall of America when she was ripped away from me as a large group of women stormed the store to get Beanie Babies!!! It was crazy! I thought she would be trampled and it took me about 5 minutes to find her off to the side with a kind sales associate who found her. Seemed like hours so I know how terrified you must have been!</p>
<p>NM, D did the same thing with the elevator when she was about 3, I think. She rode the express elevator to the basement of a large department store; I’ll never forget the sight of husband racing down the escalators from floor to floor hoping to intercept her. We had no idea what floor she’d get off at. Security was alerted and corralled her in the basement where she promptly ignored them- as she wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers. She was calm. I was terrified.</p>
<p>We were at the Disney Store in an outlet mall and after a while, didn’t see S and D who were about 3 and 5 at the time. We searched the store, then once we went outside, we saw them walking toward us hand in hand, like Hansel and Gretel…they hadn’t seen us in the store, left to go look for us, and were coming back…Didn’t any employees think it odd that those little kids were wandering around outside alone?</p>
<p>We all need to remind ourselves of our own close calls, so we are less judgmental of others when tragedy does occur. I know a guy whose “lost toddler in a store” story ends in the toddler’s death. He’s a pastor and I always think that his past gives him empathy that other pastors don’t have - no matter what shame, guilt or grief his parishioners are experiencing, he can truly say that he has been there.</p>
<p>D2 just texted. Her history final is over and she said it was easy! Also found out she got an A on her research paper. She is happy (as am I) and looking forward to getting the others out of the way this week. Will be glad when she gets home Friday evening!</p>
<p>NM, that’s great news. </p>
<p>Has your D1 decided which job she wants to take yet? I think you had said she had some options.</p>
<p>I need to get serious about my diet again. Have definitely let that get out of control.</p>
<p>Son is applying for jobs at all the bookstores, videogame stores and movie theatres. Hopefully something will turn up. Someone told him that working in a local distribution center was a good job, paid more than minimum, etc. I looked at the job description and it said that it required manual dexterity, the ability to work with a razor knife, etc…umm no, not him…I think I’d like him to end the summer with all of his fingers intact.</p>
<p>D just texted- Physics final is over. Now just two more and they should be lower on the stress scale. Good to have Multi and Physics both over and done with. </p>
<p>My diet has gone down the tubes. I have not gained any weight, but I have not continued to lose. It has been much more difficult with SabaraySon home as he enjoys cooking and is more enthusiastic about meal planning/preparation than I am.</p>
<p>TheAnalyst…yes, D1 has decided! She is taking the second offer… It is the one where she has been working as an intern. I believe she is taking this one as her fiance will be in the same town…convenient.</p>
<p>I have been serious about my exercise and pretty good about watching what I eat. I have only lost a little over 5 lbs. grrrrr…harder than I expected since I am exercising at least an hour a day, 5 to 6 times a week. Just doesn’t make sense to me since I wasn’t working out at all for over a year with my knee! Thought the exercise would melt the pounds away even if I kept the same diet. So not true! :(</p>
<p>NM, so nice that D1’s life seems to be falling so neatly into place…that is what is *supposed *to happen!</p>
<p>NM mom – I saw a report a couple of months ago that exercise really isn’t that helpful during attempted weight loss because it make you hungrier and you tend to eat more after exercise. They tried to phrase it better than that, because they don’t want people to quit exercising, but they were also trying to make clear that exercise alone wasn’t good enough. I think. So, if that’s true, be really proud that you’ve lost 5 lbs. You’re probably gaining lots of muscle from all that exercise, and I suspect that it might be easier with spring really here. I know that we eat lighter once the weather warms up. </p>
<p>(And it needs to warm right back up, now. They’re projecting 10-12 inches of snow here tonight. Ick. Told D to be sure and not wear the flip flops on her flight home, and to pack, not wear, the sundress. Ran into a woman yesterday who told me that this is nothing – about 35 years ago they had a four foot snowfall on May 4th. I’m making sure we have good batteries in the flashlights, and candles at the ready – these late spring storms tend to bring down a lot of branches when the trees have already fully leafed out, and that tends to take out the power.)</p>
<p>NM- also start measuring yourself. The scale is one measure- get out your tape measure as well. You’ll see the changes. </p>
<p>It is pouring rain here. Talked with D- evidently the final was “really, really hard” and that was the consensus among the honors program students. I told her all you need is a C and then you’re done. Hopefully we’re looking at better than a C and I’m certainly not one to criticize given my last Physics was in HS and I only made it through because the teacher was the father of a friend and he helped me every step of the way!</p>
<p>While this doesnt apply to me - my daughter lost only 10 pounds but went from a size 6 back to her repulsive size 0 just by building muscle and toning. She is only about 5’2", so any added weight really does show up pretty quickly. But she looks better today - leaner, trimmer etc - than she did when she weighed far less than she does now. So… it’s not about the number on the scale or even the number on the dress - it’s how you feel that counts! </p>
<p>congrats on all the good news for people!</p>
<p>D2 called last night in bubbly spirits because she’d just come from a cook out at one of her profs houses; she said the food was terrific; and she really enjoyed being at his home with his kids running around (reminds her of her own upbringing). I thought it was a really nice thing of the prof to do – the kids have his final today (in fact, at this very minute).</p>
<p>So in something less than 2 hours she’ll finally be done; I actually hope she didn’t over study and burn herself out…</p>
<p>Heading out shopping (again) in the hopes of finding something to wear to the theater and for D1’s graduation at the end of the month. I’ll let you know if I’m a smaller size… or not…kind of scarey!</p>