<p>A friend from HS, who is a teacher in NYC, posted on his Facebook wall complaining about the COO of the NYC Dept of Education. She has a very distinctive name, and it turns out that she was the overachiever from the HS class right behind us. She was formerly Sr VP of the College Board and developed the new form of SAT. Two degrees from Harvard. Serves on the Harvard Board of Overseers. And here I am, just ordered my salad to bring up for lunch, posting on CC all day. Amazing that someone from our dump of a HS has achieved so much, but makes me feel like such a loser!</p>
<p>Not to jump on the loser bandwagon, but …</p>
<p>Not only am I in the process of squandering a perfectly good law degree (including law review), but my parenting is looking pretty flimsy these days when I care to notice all the chores D isn’t helping with. But it’s all good (or smile and nod, to steal from another thread).</p>
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<p>I hear ya! The 14 year old put a bunch of clothes in the laundry basket that I know I just washed…but once they are mixed in…</p>
<p>I’m right there with you missypie and peonies - I set aside that MBA to “manage” home and hearth. and somehow I managed myself right into a family that cannot pick up after themselves or notice chores that need to be done.</p>
<p>hmmm, seems to be a trend among the holders of a law degree. Missypie, you’re doing better than I am…I have no idea what anyone from my high school is doing these days! I am probably better off not knowing or I’d feel even more inadequate than I do on a daily basis. </p>
<p>Education is never wasted. I tell myself that every day.</p>
<p>PRJ, I feel your pain too. I go to bed early by my family’s standards as I have to get up early for my commute. Every morning I find empty glasses, empty snack boxes/containers, empty soda cans all over the family room; D left three partial cans of diet soda in her bedroom this past weekend; our pantry has empty food containers that someone took the last cracker from and then failed to throw the box away. So I think we have crackers- wrong. </p>
<p>Oh, and blankets and shoes. There are shoes all over our house. And every sofa- someone has left a blanket or sleeping bag on it. Looking for the mail? Good luck! S tries to be helpful and bring it in–well, where the h did you put it?</p>
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<p>Youdon’tsay (her son is class of '10) has a relative or friend who is a counselor. Counselor friend told her that she, like lots of wives and mothers, is “too competent.” Many of us are just so good at doing and managing that everyone else in the house steps aside and waits for us to do and manage, meaning we do everything and they do nothing.</p>
<p>I think having D1 home has just exacerbated the clutter beyond my tolerance level. I am about to reinstitute the big box that I throw all the stuff they leave lying around into… just like I used to do when they were little :(</p>
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yup. that would be me.</p>
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<p>Both comforting and funny to know that others are living the same life!!!</p>
<p>Well, I’ll make you all feel better. D came home via the overstuffed SUV on Saturday and just texted me to say she finally unloaded the car this afternoon. I really don’t know what she has been wearing the past couple of days but I’m afraid to see what the house will look like when I get home.
She and bro are making cheesecake this afternoon. Priorities!</p>
<p>PS S is a double major in Chinese and Econ - not a chance that he’ll have any asterisks next to his anme next year!</p>
<p>Yes, education is never wasted. And, in truth, a law degree can come in handy in many ways outside of traditional employment (volunteering in local government and on non-profit boards, family estate planning and management, contributing to the education of one’s children and of others, etc.). It would have been handy if somewhere along the education path we learned how to become effective domestic delegators.</p>
<p>You’ve hit the nail on the head, peonies!</p>
<p>As the months have passed and I have tried to find some purpose or reason in my friend’s death from H1N1, it comes to mind that he was “too competent” in every aspect of his life. The natural leader of every group - at work, at church, in the community. Always the smartest, the wittiest, the most talented. Lots of other people have and will step into leadership roles in his absence. I even think that his wife and kids might excel more than they would have due to not being in his shadow.</p>
<p>We have a nephew graduating from HS in about 10 days. We haven’t received a graduation announcement. I’m pretty sure it’s because they were the only ones who didn’t remember Son’s graduation in any way and now the’re too embarrassed to send us an announcment about their kid. I’m going to send a check anyway…just hard to remember without the announcement on the bulletin board.</p>
<p>Missy – He sounds like he was a pretty amazing person who set the standard for many to come after. Maybe he was destined to be a shooting star, and you’ve got a memory of him that can shine for a long time.</p>
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Let me see if I can fly that one around here.</p>
<p>(Sound of crickets followed by uproarious laughter…)</p>
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<p>Or maybe they subscribe to different family traditions about what is expected after high school graduations. I never got any announcement about my nieces’ or nephew’s graduations, nor did I expect one. In my family, high school graduation is not thought of as an occasion requiring gifts or hoopla, and I wouldn’t react kindly to a relative expecting me to send their kid a check just because he got through high school. </p>
<p>Point is, there are different cultural expectations in different groups. Is this your brother’s son? How does his mother’s family celebrate high school graduation?</p>
<p>kmccrindle…too funny!!! I have tears in my eyes from laughing out loud!</p>
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<p>Husband’s brother’s kid. They live in his wife’s hometown. Her parents are divorced and remarried and I think that one of her grandmas is still alive, so they are surrounded by her multiple families and believe me there will be MUCH hoopla and many parties and gifts over this graduation.</p>
<p>So, younger cheerleader D got a gift today from her secret big cheer sis. A fish. Each freshman cheerleader got a fish. 18 girls, racing to Petco to buy food and supplies. Grrr…H had a fish tank in the attic that is at least 25 year old. He was so surprised that it leaks. So instead of watching the Dancing with the Stars finale, we are dealing with a fish.</p>