<p>^^^Bananagrams! We are all obsessed with the game and D1 has been giving it as a gift to her graduating friends to take on trips and Honeymoons. Everyone loves it! Easy to pack! If it is for parents…still do it! My book club and card club love it!</p>
<p>Gosh…I just listened to the song Unstoppable again for Moda and I got teary…thinking about all of our kids and looking forward to what they can achieve. I am really a sap!</p>
<p>OOOH! D loves bananagrams!! Thanks guys!</p>
<p>good idea a bout the banana grams for graduation. NM congratualtions. We are feeling the fire in Cananda, smoky outside.</p>
<p>I was going to say Bananagrams too! Great minds think alike… ;)</p>
<p>and congrats NM!</p>
<p>I hear ya about this morning seeming like it was ages ago. I got up fairly early and trimmed bushes (since I knew it woud be in the high 90s later). Colored my hair, worked on Son’s room, did laundry, took D out to buy shorts, swam, then cooked a great meal: Pork chops with a terrific marinade on the grill, also sweet potatoes, bananas and pineapple on the grill, corn on the cob and a great cold salad of pasta, black beans and edaname (sp?). D said that evey meal should have so many dishes. I said yeah, maybe I’ll just quit my job. When H and I are dead and gone, I wonder what my kids will think about H being at home and me working.</p>
<p>Interesting. ShawSon is visiting a college friend whose parents live in Switzerland. He said, “I assume I should bring a present for the parents, a present for my friend and a present for his twin brother. What should I bring for the parents?” Of course, we know nothing about the parents except that they work for UN organizations and their nationality (and the fact that they have board game nights at home). So they have lots of games. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Okay, so the cheer fish died…what was that? Seven days? Of the 16 freshman cheerleaders who were gien fish, three fish still live. The kids just gave it a 21 nerf gun salute then flushed him.</p>
<p>Moda…D2 said a brand new song out from Justin Bieber with Jaden Smith that would work in a sports video…song from the new Karate Kid movie…Never Say Never. Appeal to a young audience.</p>
<p>Nmn- you are a wealth of information on this!! Thank you so very much.</p>
<p>gifts… he is going to Switzerland to visit? How fun does that sound (except for having to come up with host gifts… which I would try to do something original to wherever I was from to take to them). Seems to me the expectations won’t be high but if they were coming to visit you, I’d say “please bring chocolates for everyone!!!” :)</p>
<p>what’s up with the double post? sorry folks</p>
<p>Moda…meh…it is nothing…I have done these videos for several years…can’t believe I am done watching sports where I have a kid playing! Very depressing! 
I am truly in a funk since graduation! Feeling very old, frumpy and obselete!</p>
<p>Moda, going to Switzerland to visit, so chocolates are, as you suspect, probably not the best. [No knives either]. But it is hard to bring presents when you don’t know people.</p>
<p>Had a wonderful college reunion weekend. Perfect weather. All of my roommates from sophomore/junior/senior year came back, as they do every 5 years (and as do I) with spouses. All spouses came, although no kids came this time as they are teens/adults for the most part. Interestingly, one of my former girlfriends from a different class came back as she does every five years because her father was Class of '45 and she marches in the parade with him as she always has and she came with a daughter who was a sophomore at Pomona or Occidental. [I think she also comes on her 5th year reunions, but I’m never there for this]. This is the first reunions that my kids didn’t come. </p>
<p>I think my roommates and I (and many of our classmates) found college to be a formative/transformative experience. My own reflection was about how accepting and inclusive we were of each other (in our group, at least). It may have begun with the fact that we were one of the first few classes to admit women. This meant that the number of women available to freshman was close to zero and pretty small for sophomores. So we bonded and played intramural sports together, 4 out of 5 played the same varsity sport (which we walked on to as a club team and then it became varsity because the team did well), singing rock operas in our suite, learning to juggle, … . Girlfriends came largely junior and senior years but by then, we had an accepting, inclusive, fun group into which all the girlfriends were drawn.</p>
<p>The reunion itself is moving. My wife and I noted that it would be hard to put into words the intensity of the event at points. She thinks we’re like a cult. I’ve been told that other schools regularly send people to observe in order to figure out what makes it so wonderful (since we lead the nation in the percentage of alumni who give). But, I think it is not the reunion that leads to the great feelings and the giving, it is what happened when we were there.</p>
<p>Did anyone else have a reunion experience yet?</p>
<p>Leaving Friday for my reunion, so will report in next week. As a side note, I also learned to juggle in college – leading my father to question his “investment” in my education. :)</p>
<p>Shawbridge - that was my point. If they were coming to see you, I’d suggest chocolate. If I were to visit you, I MIGHT bring wild rice (very minnesotan), but since I don’t like the stuff… Dont know where you live, so I dont know what would be regionally delicious. :)</p>
<p>I too learned to juggle in college! What’s with that? My son has become very good at frisbee so far but no juggling yet.</p>
<p>shawbridge, it’s inspiring to hear about your reunion and friendships from college days. I believe D1 just finished her freshman year at the same university - three more years (knock wood), and she’ll be eligible to partake in reunions as well. :)</p>
<p>Hmmm, I did not learn to juggle in college but there was one student who could juggle away. I recall hackey sack (sp?) being very popular but I wasn’t good at that either!</p>
<p>shawbridge - how about something very American or particular to your local area? Maple syrup sampler or a pretty piece of petrified wood for example.
It doesn’t have to be a big deal, just a gesture.</p>
<p>I vote for a game and some regional food- husband’s relatives are in western NY and for some reason love to get Virginia Diner peanuts (we’re in VA). I think we may be moving on to country ham and biscuits next.</p>
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