<p>I am a big believer in following your heart. But with the cost of college these days, I also believe that if you’re on the fence, you might as well go with the lower-cost option, all things considered. As you know, my D was in something of the opposite situation, wondering if she should give up the BFA for a more “quality” BA - and while she followed her heart back to the BFA, she also was very aware of the benefit of getting her education at a lower cost.</p>
<p>Your S is a talented, smart young man, and I know he will find his year of “exploration” fascinating and rewarding.</p>
<p>In the end, none of us really are sure what’s going to happen next. We just have to have faith that these kids will value the journey and trust their judgment, and that fate will be kind to them.</p>
<p>Wow, congratulations to amandak and madbean on your son’s accomplishments.</p>
<p>ShawD is off on party week. She’s such a delight when she’s not under stress. Great friends, great social skills, infectious entusiasm (she just lights up a room when she is happy). I wonder how to help her create a life in which taps that part of her. </p>
<p>Last week, her senior took a trip to the beach the day before graduation. Several people including a photographer spontaneously came up to her and suggested she consider being a model (she’s tall with a lot of the height in the legs, thin but quite muscular, with brown hair and big blue eyes). She was very surprised. Not that we’re imagining that this would be a career for her, but I suspect that modeling is a very high stress life that wouldn’t also let her tap her brain. She didn’t bite, so we won’t. ShawWife thought it was a terrible idea as we have a niece who is also tall, thin and pretty and did take follow up on a couple of feelers about modeling, had several jobs, but we have the impression that it wasn’t a very satisfactory experience.</p>
<p>Shawdad - following shaw-girls lead is probably best. I’m sure she’d be amazing, but I think you are right about the potential for stress. </p>
<p>My niece (tall, leggy, blue-eyed Texan spitfire) did some modeling and decided she liked the industry but went into fashion design instead. Now she is amazing to her girls because she remembers how she was treated. Specifically she makes sure her photogs are good with her models and she works with an all female team as much as possible. Best thing ever, she won’t do samples in small sizes (no 0’s or 2’s…usually 6’s) so her models have to be healthy girls.</p>
<p>Congrats to our new grads and those with all these other success stories. Special kudos to madbean and AK’s kids. WOW. WOW.
Hugs to all our servicepeople - including their families - today and everyday! My H is retired Army. My brother is retired Navy. 3 of the 4 grandparents are retired (one from the Royal Women’s Air Force :)), so we are particularly appreciative of the sacrifices required. Shoutout to Military Mom and PHB D on this thread. Apologies if I am missing anyone.<br>
Some landscaping and party shopping here to prepare for the upcoming open house. I won’t worry too much, unless it is raining! We hit some parties this weekend as a family and D went to a bunch with her friends. Fun. I love celebrating these kids that have been my girls scouts, my sunday school students, and our carpool buddies. What a joy to see them all get “launched!”<br>
Graduation is Friday. The “Don’t jeopardize your graduation with a prank” e-mail arrived from the school. Over night party after graduation. I’m working the prize table from 1-4; D is horrified, I am too. Sending you all good thoughts for happy family times.</p>
<p>My husband is retired Air Force; my dad was retired Navy. This day is special to us as well. My brothers who live where my dad is buried always put a flag on his grave site today. I got a text with the annual picture this morning. A salute to all the military families in this thread–with a special shoutout to phb’s D. </p>
<p>madbean: your family must have a strong creative gene pool! Very cool.</p>
<p>Amanda: so glad the concert went well.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all this weekend’s graduates.</p>
<p>A word of warning: if you work that all-night after-graduation party, it make take a while to feel normal again. I think having today to nap on and off will allow me to feel normal tomorrow–a good 8 days after graduation!</p>
<p>mnmom: your daughter most likely won’t have to “see” you at the prize table unless she wants to! Both times that I worked the party, the boys have stopped by to say “hi” when they first got there and then ignored me the rest of the evening. Their friends always seem glad to see me as I’m sure your D’s friends will be too.</p>
<p>Amanda: Congrats to your son on his successfull performance. What a proud moment for you!</p>
<p>Madbean: Congrats to your S1 on his successful launch and to S2 on his scholarship. It sounds like he made a good decision.</p>
<p>OWM: I agree that it takes about a week to recover from those all night parties. MN, have fun working the party. ItT’s worth it.</p>
<p>We had my daughter’s grad party today. It was very nice, but it was really HOT here. So much for our plans for an outdoor party. People spread out around the house, and it worked out fine. It was really nice to celebrate with family and friends. Like MN, I really love seeing the kids my daughter has know for years. At one point I walked into the living room and found my daughter surrounded by her old gang - the girls she’s known since pre-school. As luck would have it, D1’s best friends from elementary school were all in town also. Makes me a bit nostalgic for those little girls. </p>
<p>Graduation is tomorrow, and it’s going to be in the mid-nineties. We will be in an open air concert pavillion. Oy!</p>
<p>Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone remembered our sons and daughters in uniform as well as our veterans.</p>
<p>We also had my D’s grad party today. Because the weather has been so unpredictable (rained in th AM and was sunny and 90 in the afternoon) we had a luncheon in a local restaurant. It was wonderful…family style Italian food! Like some of the others, D didn’t realize that she would be receiving “real” gifts and was very, very surprised. AAll in all it was a great day.</p>
<p>D starts her senior week tomorrow but she will not be attending all the festivities due to the State tournament for her sport. It is very exciting to make it during senior year.</p>
<p>D2 is begining to get ready for finals, I can’t believe that the school year is coming to a close. It seemed like yesterday that they were getting on the bus with their big backpacks on their way to 1st grade…sigh.</p>
<p>Congrats to all of this weekend’s grads and to AK’s DS on Carnegie Hall performance. WOW!! HS seems like a million years ago. Son spent several HOURS cleaning out his room today, dumping all his old notes cheering as the Spanish notes were tossed in the recycle bin. Even his backpack, which lasted four years, got the heave ho. I can see his floor. Next up - his clothes.</p>
<p>Tutoring clients pouring in mainly for math SAT. He is really psyched. Kathiep - can I pass along the VHS to DVD idea. We have a machine that does that. Can I ask what your DS charges?</p>
<p>A friend of mine is redoing her kitchen. Her cabinets are actually still in good shape. I asked her if I could have them instead of them being dumped in landfill. I’m going to use them to redo my office.</p>
<p>Happy Memorial Day to all and a salute and thank you to all of the Active Duty and Vets out there!</p>
<p>Congrats to all of this week’s graduates. The roll of 2011 grads is growing every week.</p>
<p>Busy weekend here trying to get ready for the inlaws who arrive early tomorrow morning on a redeye from LAX. They had a 7 hour layover in LA so they will be exhausted after traveling nearly 30 hours.</p>
<p>Finished cleaning the patio and garage. Hauled two loads of junk and the garage is still full! A few plants to install tomorrow and a couple of minor house repairs and we are done and ready for the grad party in 11 days.</p>
<p>Last week of school for S. He had a couple of days with one final project due and two exams. Commencement practice is Friday following the Senior Breakfast. Graduation is Sunday afternoon in the gym (they outgrew the auditorium). With temps due in the 80’s and no AC in the gym, it ought to be a lot of fun. Not. At least the dinner following is at a very nice air conditioned restaurant.</p>
<p>Best wishes to everyone with final weeks of school, graduations this week, proms and other final festivities. </p>
<p>June 1st is Wednesday and that means the countdown to move-in this fall will be starting soon!</p>
<p>AvonHSDad: after we go the house all fixed up for the graduation party last week, this was my Facebook status–Everyone needs to have a big party once a year just to eliminate the clutter. And if you have no clutter, you may not have a life.</p>
<p>Enjoy every minute of the party.</p>
<p>FLMathMom: I’m with you. Graduation seems like forever ago already. The trash man will have an extra load here on Thursday as well. DS and DH are going on a mission trip June 11-19 and I will have my own chance at his room then.</p>
<p>I caught up on everyone’s news after being offline for a busy holiday weekend. Congrats on the graduations, game launch, and Carnegia Hall performance. Wow. I “know” talented people. </p>
<p>We had a mostly lovely weekend. A small family reunion, with the usual minor tensions among H’s sibs. The next day (and the primary reason for the gathering) was to celebrate one of H’s cousin’s golden jubilee of his ordination at the cathedral a county away. It was lovely (although H unfortunately could not make it with me as he had come down sick with something). So Monday D and I had an industrious am clearing ups some clutter, and then a quiet rest of the day just the three of us hanging out together. It was the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>Just when I was feeling nostalgic for D’s high school days (graduation is this coming Sunday) I wound up cutting construction paper squares this morning for one of the two projects due today (!) after D was up all night trying to get them finished. Two glue sticks and a table full of scraps, tape, etc. later, I was racing to get her to school almost on time, with two posterboards, one bag of foam cubes and a stack of printouts piled in the back seat. Halfway there she turned to me and said “aren’t you glad I’m almost done with high school?” No finals - the AP tests counted as their final exams and other than these two projects, she is done. I think.</p>
<p>The senior awards assembly was this past Friday. D received several very nice awards, including some scholarships with $$ - not large amounts, but the recognition was very touching. No one had a bigger smile when their names were announced for an award than my D! I am happy and relieved that her high school experience is ending on a high note (and that my days of stressing out over her meeting her deadlines are over!).</p>
<p>Congrats to all the graduates, entrepreneurs, performers and party hosts!</p>
<p>Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. When I get a chance, I’ll post a few clown pics. DS2 had a blast and I ended up driving the clown car :eek: I don’t think there’s photo evidence by anyone I know, so I should be safe! I’m not a clown nor do I play one on TV! Clown that was supposed to drive backed out because of heat. I said I’d drive because the car had the water in it for the parade!!! It was a smart car with some patriotic decs on it. Not too crazy. My son was thrilled that I was driving!</p>
<p>DS1 was voted Commencement Speaker!!! He’s happy and we’re excited. I need to stock up on kleenex. It was going to be tough before, now it will be impossible to keep it together!!! We are starting to gear up for graduation. Awards ceremony is Thursday. </p>
<p>Congrats on scholarships, graduations and cleaning out of rooms! I have bags and boxes to donate and more to sort thru. I look forward to DS1 being done so I can get him to clean up his room!</p>
<p>AvonHSDad–wow, countdown for college already!</p>
<p>What are making your grad do with their graduation money? I told my D that she needs to use the money for school related expenses. I am thinking mainly dorm stuff and books. I told her she should use her money first before I start spending. Someone else said they let their grad put the money in a savings account. What are you guys doing or plan to do?</p>
<p>Cooker- I had a similiar experience yesterday as I was running around buying supplies for d’s final APchem project. ( where do those glue guns disappear to when you need them?) I won’t miss this aspect of having her home!
Vamom- I also can’t wait for d to be done with classes so she will clean her room. It is a horrible disaster- and I say this as someone with a very high tolerance for clutter. I have decided to tell her tonight that I will not buy one thing for college until she cleans up her room. That should motivate her as she is quite excited about the prospect of dorm room shopping!</p>
<p>Morning all.<br>
Gamom: Small scholarships plus grad gift $ is all to be saved for books and personal expenses at school. H and I are doing room, board, and tuition, but she will have to use her own money for the rest. We will get her a laptop for graduation and outfit her room with reasonable limits as well. These kids are expensive! Our low key open house is costing a bunch too despite the inexpensive “mom-catering” menu. D will be working this summer, but not enough to allow her to “enjoy” her grad gift cash now…At least gas is going down. Those $50 fill ups bummed her out!<br>
I agree that a big party (or houseguests) is a great way to enforce some de-clutter and landscape discipline.</p>
<p>Congrats to our newest Class of 2011 graduates!</p>
<p>HighHead - Congrats to your D on winning a gold medal in her sport!</p>
<p>FLMATHMOM – Congrats to your son on getting the tutoring gig! </p>
<p>AmandaK – Congrats to your DS on the successful Carnegie Hall performance! And boo to the HS band director! The remark was so wrong on so many levels! You already got very good advise from the CC posters and I am sure you will act in your D’s best interest. I disagree with you that it was stupid to suggest to your D to ask for feedback. Don’t blame yourself; it’s not your fault that the band director is such a DB. </p>
<p>Cooker – Congrats to your D on the awards and scholarship $$!</p>