<p>FINALLY - All apps are in (as of 11:50 PM on Saturday). I still can’t believe it (both that they’re done, and that once again they were done so close to the deadline). Like many of you, I struggled to keep my composure as D scrambled to finalize some very difficult supplemental essays, knowing that had she started earlier, she would have lots of time to give them the attention they deserved. But - I read them (part of the reason they were submitted so late in the evening was that I was out and she wanted to wait until I came home and had the chance to review them before she sent them) and they were really good; once again, her personality really came through and I think that’s one of the most important aspects of these.<br>
So now we are waiting - we should get two EA decisions this week - hopefully including any merit offers - and the other three will come in March/April. It’s finals week for D and S -I really don’t like the finals after the break schedule, but there it is and D went straight from cranking out last-minute applications to intense study sessions. We are really looking forward to Thursday night!
Congratulations to all receiving good news; there is a lot of it here and it is great to see.</p>
<p>Wow, I had been feeling behind, but I guess I’m not. </p>
<p>WI has a law that school can’t start before 9/1 (supposedly to protect the tourism business around Labor Day, but then why didn’t they just say “Tuesday after Labor Day”? This way half the time school DOES start before Labor Day!), and we tend to get out in mid-June. Graduation is a week before the end of school, so this year it’s Sunday 6/5. </p>
<p>D will have to decide when to have a party: for the out-of-town family on the Saturday before graduation (ew), or maybe twice - a dinner that Saturday for the relatives and then a “real” one later? More ew. They used to have graduation on Friday night, which made D1’s party a no-brainer. Oh, well.</p>
<p>APs here have the exams at the national time but then assign projects to carry them through the end of the year. They are sticklers here that kids BE IN CLASS. But certainly lots of pressure will be off when the official exams are done. D will only have one other final next semester.</p>
<p>I vote we all cheer here the first week of February - we can cheer again (or not …) when report cards arrive. But I think we should celebrate having turned a really big corner! Also I think pretty much every college app should be over with by 2/1; some schools allow late apps, but the official season will be finished. If anyone feels left out by this plan, please say so!</p>
<p>EB-sound like a good plan to me!</p>
<p>Funny, DD and I were just discussing this last night. Graduation here is 6/4, which is a Saturday. We share the venue with other local schools and this year our ceremony is scheduled for late afternoon. Pretty much eliminates that day for parties - we won’t be home until early evening and really don’t want to have a party then. That leaves Sunday and I’m sure that there will be a ton of others having theirs then. But there’s really not a lot of other good options as everyone has family in from out of town and wants to squeeze their party in while family is here. Ugh.</p>
<p>DD’s midterms were last week so now we’re just waiting to find out what those grades were. The two non-APs are of particular interest for her since she will exempt out of of her finals if the midterm grades were A- or above. She’s feeling pretty good about them so hopefully no exams for her during finals week! To top it all off, they were off today for MLK day and tomorrow is a teacher work day so they had a nice 4-day break.</p>
<p>H has been right on the graduation party thing. He already has a room booked for graduation day, May 22nd for right after the ceremony. Because it is a Sunday I don’t think there will be too many other parties, just families going out to eat type of thing. There will be 3 other graduations in the extended family so we wanted to get it out of the way before the others happen.</p>
<p>mamom & owm: So sorry to hear about the issues with your parents. We continue to limp along here. My mom is safely ensconced at the rehab facility – not loving it, but she is safe and well cared for. My dad remains in ICU on a ventilator, but they are trying to wean him off of it, so that is a positive sign. </p>
<p>Finals for S2 and S3 were last week, so they both are enjoying a homework-free long weekend. They tell me that all went well, so (fingers crossed) the first semester grades should be good. S2 has done some work on a scholarship. He still has one more app, due 2/1 to finish up. I think he is running out of steam and I have to say that I am too. It’s a shame, because he might have a shot at some scholarship money with a good effort on the applications, but the enthusiasm is missing. It’s hard to maintain a high level of interest and motivation for an extended period. So, I’ll nag a little more and hope that he can make a decent effort on what needs to get done. And then there’s the summer internship application…it seems the fun never ends. No wonder he sort of glazes over when we start to talk about these things.</p>
<p>militarymom: Take care of yourself!</p>
<p>amandak: So glad the stomach bug is not at our house. That is my LEAST favorite – and I feel for you. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone! </p>
<p>S2 will graduate on the first Sunday in June (haven’t checked the date yet). He’ll have 6 AP exams to take and a senior project to complete the final 3 weeks of school. No finals! He’ll be busy right through to the end.</p>
<p>Sr’s at S’s school are done with school the 15th of April, unless they have AP classes. The Sr.s do not have to take finals in the non AP classes. Those with AP classes are done once they take the test. The boys may have to write some kind of reflection paper but it isn’t graded. </p>
<p>I will admit to observing S mature so much this year. OK, that has not carried over to school work, but at home he is taking so much more upon himself. I do not have to nag him to get his chores done and he often volunteers to help with other things. It is almost like he knows his time with us is limited and he is trying to go out on a positive note. Kinda sad to know we only have 7 more months left. His younger sis wrote about her older bro in one of her essays and how much she will miss him when he goes to college.</p>
<p>D2’s last day of school will be June 3; graduation is the 10th. The class of about 68 students will have a trip/retreat from June 5th-9th. Lots of teachers and parents chaperone, giving the class one last time together with lots of activities (hiking, swimming, ziplines, etc.) before they head their separate ways after graduation. The weekend of the 11th and 12th will be full of parties. Think we’ll do ours on the 12th.</p>
<p>H is tired of FAFSA and profile.</p>
<p>D2 is on semester break until Thursday but has to go back to school tomorrow to take two last finals, which she missed last week thanks to the flu (which we all got). Fortunately we had made no plans for the break, so it was easy to reschedule. Her friends have scattered throughout California and the Pacific Northwest to look at colleges, but she’s done looking.</p>
<p>There are so many graduations that we’re not having a party for her, but we’ll host a dinner for attending family and friends at the venue right before the graduation (it’s held at a very special venue). I’m thinking it might be more fun to throw a going-away party than a graduation party, since there are too many of the latter in June! We have three nephews and one niece also graduating from HS, plus many friends, so we’ll be sitting through some boring commencement speeches…</p>
<p>I’m so happy that after pushing hard, and doing very well this first semester of senior year, my D is willing to take a ditch day and go skiing with a bunch of us. She hasn’t been in at least two years-- always too busy. But senioritis is kicking in, and deservedly so! EmmyBet, you’re right, we should all celebrate on 2/1. Our kids deserve it.</p>
<p>D is studying for finals, but I can still see the relief from apps being done. You do put yourself so much on the line with them. Once they’re submitted, no matter how you did, it’s out of your hands. </p>
<p>My D1 is graduating from college this spring, too. I am so glad the graduations are 2 weeks apart, since they’re 1000 miles apart, too. D1 isn’t expecting a grad party here, nor to share in her sister’s, particularly. I think we’ll set up a little table with her picture, a basket, and her diploma (hers is first).</p>
<p>I think for her we’ll have a nice dinner during grad weekend at her school (where my family is), and a nice dinner later on near here (where my H’s family is). </p>
<p>I don’t know what D2 wants … I like that idea of a “going away” party. I wonder if she’d be interested. Luckily in our area there isn’t the kind of pressure to book furniture rentals and tents, etc. We’d definitely have it here at the house, as we did for D1. We have a nice patio and didn’t have to rent anything, come to think of it. Our main question is when, but that will take care of itself. The only trick is having grandparents here, but we can just have dinner with them grad weekend if they miss the party.</p>
<p>The “senior retreat” sounds fun. My senior class went on an overnight after graduation to a resort. It was kind of fun, but I remember being really tired and thinking, “I HAVE to stay up all night?”</p>
<p>Our graduation is Sat. May 29 . . . at 9:00 in the morning! :eek: The three high schools in our district have their ceremonies back to back, so the administrators, school boad, etc. can show up once and get everybody done. Good news is we will be first, so we will have plenty of parking. That night, starting at 10:00 p.m., our school has an all-night, drug and alcohol-free party, with lots of food, prizes, games, etc. until 5:00 in the morning. It’s all free for the kids and there are usually enough prizes for everybody to win at least something. The kids have to sign in when they enter the building and if they leave, they are not allowed to come back in. DH and I are going to work the 10:00 - 2:00 a.m. shift <sigh>. So, it will be an early morning that day, followed by a late night . . . haven’t figured out at all when to have a party. Maybe Friday evening or maybe Sunday afternoon. Then the following Friday, we fly to Seattle for a week-long cruise to Alaska! That will be MY party!</sigh></p>
<p>My daughter has mid-terms this week, but isn’t very stressed about them. The last day of school for seniors is May 27th, and graduation will be sometime the following week. We won’t get the actual graduation date until March or April, becuase the venue won’t commit until then. It’s makes thing difficult for out of town grandparents, but there’s nothing we can do about it. The year of my older daughter’s graduation, the venue scheduled a Sheryl Crow concert during graduation week, so some of the graduations were held a week earlier than usual.</p>
<p>We’ll probably have an open house graduation party at home during Memorial Day weekend. We did that for my older daughter and it worked out well. Most of the seniors in our area head to the beach for a week after graduation.</p>
<p>Graduation is May 22 for us–and finals were before winter break. But we started school on August 17. Like others, our school district does the three public high schools back-to-back-to-back at the civic arena. We are the 7:30 p.m. slot. Then students from all three schools and the local Catholic school (can) attend an alcohol-free all-night party held in the field house of the local college. We will have an open house at our home on May 21.</p>
<p>I’m still at my mom’s. Thanks to everyone for the good wishes. Her face is looking better, less swelling and the bruises are changing color. Can’t see the incisions and skin grafts until she has the sling removed from around her head at the doctor on Wednesday. Depending on how that visit goes, I will go home Thursday or Friday and we will get one of the home health aides here to help her with her sponge baths, laundry, etc. In about a month, I will come back when she goes to the dermatologist (and/or oncologist) about next steps to remove the basal cell carcinomas still under her face.</p>
<p>Husband and son went to see The King’s Speech today. I’m jealous. They said it was great. And then (true to form) they went to Red Lobster. I get sick every time we eat there so the boys always go there when I am out of town. Father-son bonding over crab legs.</p>
<p>My son goes to a small HS, with just 250 kids in the class of 2011. We have graduation in the gym. It’s done at dinner time, which is weird, but afterwards there are light refreshments in the cafeteria and time for photo ops with kids and their friends in their caps and gowns. With my firstborn, we did a party that very night after graduation. I will never do that again. Way too much stress for one day!</p>
<h1>2 refused a party, HS or College, but #3 will have a low-key home party. I have a friend whose husband has a tent rental business (along with a friend discount!) and I need to get a hold of him soon. We used a tent for my daughters College grad party and it was really handy. They also provide tables and chairs for a small fee. I’ll do a combination of Costco and homemade food and husband will grill stuff.</h1>
<p>I would like to do a going away party but like the outside casual atmosphere and this area in August could be sticky and icky in August. (Hard to imagine hot and sweaty now, isn’t it?)</p>
<p>OWM, Glad to hear that your Mom is managing okay. Sounds pretty stressful to me.</p>
<p>startedshopping for a prom dress today with D. She is hard to shop for formal wear. HATES the prom dresses out there (despises glittery dresses and hates the “cutouts”) SO we have decided that the best bet is to find her a bridesmaid dress. She found a few styles that she likes…though as she is a size 0 or 2 it was hard to tell how they would look on her from the samples at the store. Apparently it takes 12-16 weeks to get them in, hence our shopping now for a dance that is 6/17!!! It actually was less painful than I thought it would be, D found a few she liked.</p>
<p>OWM- Glad your Mother is doing better.</p>
<p>cgpm- I would love a cruise to Alaska. So lucky! Are the kids going?</p>
<p>phbmom- that sr trip sounds so nice I bet the kids end up with great memories.</p>
<p>Knock wood, seems the worst is over, d is back on her feet, and no new signs of passing it to anyone.</p>
<p>Congrats to those who completed apps, got acceptances, got scholarships, sat on the couch, auditioned…all those kids and moms. Had a nice, albeit long, concert of dd2’s and ds’ “North Jersey Area Band” on Sunday, dd in the Jr. High and ds in the regular HS. </p>
<p>I’m just wanting a good night’s sleep. Just one. 
Tommorow might be a delayed opening because of snow/ice in the forecast. That would suit me just fine.</p>
<p>Such a variety of graduation dates! D1 is in mid June and it will all be new to all of us since she is our oldest. I got emotional just recently at Christmas when I came across some “little girl” pics so am assuming I am going to do a good job embarassing her with my (proud, happy but where did the time go?) tears at graduation. Will spend a little more time looking thru your posts for get together/celebration ideas. Thinking a “local mini-trip celebratory getaway” is what she’ll be interested in depending on if $$ avail. She’s SO ready for high school to end, it’s a big rural school and she doesn’t click with that many peers, don’t even know if she’ll do prom. </p>
<p>cooker and others who are DONE with apps–congrats! to you and your teens—D1 still has two to go, not common app…the first one is most important and according to me she will NOT be finishing on the deadline, that turned a little stressful for all of us Saturday night with the two last common app ones but I’ll spare you the sordid details.</p>
<p>r4emb–that’s great about the ski day-have fun!</p>
<p>mamom,ohmom and owm–remember to take care of you while you are caring for your folks</p>
<p>holliesue’s prom dress shopping post reminded me of something else to share.</p>
<p>I took a break from caring for my mom today to go to lunch with my best friend who lives here in town. (BFFs since sixth grade–44 years.) Since I’m in the big city, I decided it might be fun to shop for a dress for the Cotillion ball (where I get to waltz with our son.) She encouraged me to try on a formal jacket/blouse and a long skirt that I would never have tried on if I had been shopping by myself. It is beautiful! She even reminded me to pretend I was waltzing to see if the fit was okay in that position–and how the skirt would flow!</p>
<p>That’s what good friends are for!</p>
<p>owm: I could picture you waltzing in the dressing room! How fun to be able to share the dress-shopping experience with your good friend! And glad to hear your mom is doing better.</p>