<p>MOSB-congratulations! What a wonderful experience that you will carry with you forever in your heart and mind!</p>
<p>Checking in to let you guys know I am alive. I have been following with interest the news here and have gone on Shutterfly this morning to see all the new pictures-great stuff.</p>
<p>I am proud of all these kids-they are a special group. I hope we get through graduation in one piece. Congratulations to all who have. :)</p>
<p>Pepper- Glad you checked in. </p>
<p>MOSB- the recital sounds perfect. We were there in spirit cheering you and SB on.
Would love to see pics of the event.</p>
<p>Things are just chugging along. The usual frustrations with D’s school in terms of being told she met all the requirements in one place, and yet emails being sent about still needing other things (for which she was excused because she was gone fall semester). :rolleyes: Just the typical. </p>
<p>D really does not want to go to her graduation ceremony. Hers is the inaugural class of the school, and instead of making the graduation about the kids, they are making it a p.r. event all about the school. I really understand why she wants to skip it. We are already allowing her to skip the senior dinner event the night before as she had a longstanding, prior commitment (related to her church volunteer activities that she has done for years and years). I truly don’t think she will care in the years to come if she misses the ceremony, but H does and I guess I do a little, so we probably will not change our minds re D’s participation. It’s funny, because if she chooses not to go through the ceremony for college I can’t imagine caring. Maybe because we have sweated blood along with her, we are more invested in this being done.</p>
<p>Wow MOSB! Sounds like you put on an amazing event! Kudos to Songbird for wowing the audience with her amazing talent.</p>
<p>Kinder, hang in there.</p>
<p>MOSB - What a wonderful way to wrap up your special event - I am surprised that you ddn’t cry, I teared up just reading it!</p>
<p>This is Ds senior week and she is missing several events due to the state softball tourney…she doesn’t seem to mind because she is just so excited to be part of the tournament. The stadiums have been full and the scouts have been around recruiting some of the younger girls. D is a starter so it is exciting when they intoduce the starters and play the National Anthem. So far, they are doing better than anyone expected…to be hinest, nobody eventhought they would make the tournament nevermind do well in it! They are defintely the underdogs and the big surprise tot he other teams. The next big game is Friday…keep your fingers crossed!</p>
<p>Pepper - we are a month away from orientation! I can’t wait to meet up.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all the graduates!!!</p>
<p>MOSB - so happy for you and SB. Loved hearing about the recital. I hope you get to joyfully recuperate now
researching4emb: thinking of you on your grad day; I hope all goes well</p>
<p>Adding D to the list:
6/3: Militarymom, mnmomof2 D
6/4-5: EmmyBet; 2education; missypie D, arisamp’s D, happy 64’s D, AvonHSDad’s S, Proudmomof2’s D, Ohiomom24’s S</p>
<p>SO, I guess I better hang up the darn gown when I get home from work; I keep forgetting and I am not too handy with an iron!</p>
<p>mosb: those are beautiful sentiments that songbird expressed…you are a strong woman for keeping it together!</p>
<p>Can someone explain to me this “graduation party at a surprise location” phenomenon? There’s nothing like it where I live and it sounds fun.</p>
<p>Did any of you see a column in the New York Times on Sunday called “Social Q’s”? It featured a question from a relative who’d received a grad announcement which “humorously” requested cash…</p>
<p>We are in the home stretch here.</p>
<p>D had her IB dinner last Wednesday which went very well. Her and 2 friends even performed a song on the night.</p>
<p>Graduation was on Friday and as we are from the UK it was our first one. It all went very well and as D was Salutatorian for the IB she had to make a speech. I think I was more nervous than she was. There were 5 other speakers and they all chose the traditional speech but D decided to go with an acting monologue and be more light and amusing. It went very well and she had complete strangers coming up to her and congratulating her on her speech. I was sooo relieved when it was over and managed to enjoy the rest of the day.</p>
<p>She also had 2 grad parties over the weekend and now it’s all over - until orientation at the end of June.</p>
<p>Best of luck to those still to graduate.</p>
<p>mosb - thank you for describing the recital. It sounds beautiful. D is considering one, but she’s not as focused as your D, clearly … She has a million ideas, as usual: singing, saxophone, acting monologues, etc., but no plans for location, date, specific repertoire yet. Maybe later in the summer she can pull one off, though. I wouldn’t be surprised.</p>
<p>I love the acting monologue speech idea! Very original.</p>
<p>Last day of classes here. Japanese D was cute and wore the same outfit she wore to the first day of school (finally we’re back to summery weather). Tomorrow is the senior trip and Friday is grad practice and that’s it. Yay!</p>
<p>Honestly like many of you I had my moment of “This is the last school lunch I’m packing.” Almost 20 years of that, wow.</p>
<p>D2 finished her Legend of Zelda video last night, a fun way to end her public school career. She also got a big packet from Adelphi yesterday, including the book they all will read and discuss, the story of Henrietta Laks (what a great choice, fascinating story). She also got a flashdrive with all kinds of info on it; man, the world sure has changed.</p>
<p>Good luck to the grad group this weekend - we’ll be doing lots of grandparent shuffling, but no party, thankfully, yet. That will be for the 18th b-day in July. Big dinner out with everyone will be enough for now. D1 has her cap and gown, too, so we can do some combined photos.</p>
<p>Congratulations to our recent graduates! And congratulations to AK’s son on his Carnegie Hall concert! I’m so impressed with FlMathMom’s son who is turning lemons into lemonade with his tutoring business. What a great attitude!</p>
<p>MOSB: We were all with you in spirit! How wonderful to hear that it all went as planned. You will cherish the memories from that special day. Not sure how you kept
from crying – I was tearing up just reading SB’s tribute.</p>
<p>We spent most of the holiday weekend doing yard work. DH had 20 yards of mulch delivered on Saturday morning. Yikes! it’s a lot of mulch. We worked all weekend (between parades) shoveling and spreading. There’s still a pile sitting in the driveway and we’re scrambling to get it moved before relatives arrive for S2’s graduation this weekend. This week will be crazy-busy as we try to get rid of the #&*! pile of mulch and get the house clean for the guests.</p>
<p>A tear or two this weekend when my son played Taps at the cemetery as part of our town’s Memorial Day events. I’m always moved by this, but it was just a little more special to me this year to have S2 play.</p>
<p>kinder: Just my 2 cents…I would probably encourage attendance at the graduation ceremony if only for closure. Yippee – it’s over!</p>
<p>S2 will be one of the graduation speakers this weekend and I’m sure I’ll be more nervous than he will be. The only advice I gave him: Keep it short.</p>
<p>kinder - Definitely understand wanting to put a little pressure on D to attend graduation.</p>
<p>Momofboston - good luck at softball tourny.</p>
<p>
I didn’t but I will have to look it up. </p>
<p>Floridalady - Definitely can understand your nervousness. Glad it went well!</p>
<p>
very cute! I may have to touch base with you we are getting a Japanese exchange student for 2 1/2 weeks this summer.</p>
<p>
Wow, I’ll bet she will remember that video for years! I love the flashdrive, what a great way to transmit info.</p>
<p>ohiomom - we still have a little mulch left over from our big delivery earlier, want any??? -)
I am sure your S will doa great job with his speach.</p>
<p>Mosb – songbird’s recital sounds beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us. </p>
<p>Ohiomom – It was a very hot weekend for mulch shoveling! Good luck to your S2 on the graduation speech this weekend. I am sure he will do fine.</p>
<p>Momofsongbird - I was reading your entry over my coffee this morning and I was tearing up too. Dh thinks I am losing my mind. Her recital sounds magnificent! Glad everything went off without a problem and I just wish I had been there to see it. Your descriptions were wonderful, almost feel like I could see it in my mind.
Ohiomom - That tribute on taps sounds very special, congrats to S2! Good luck to him with his grad speech!
Kinderny - I have felt that same way at every graduation I was in. I hate ceremony, poo-poohed pomp…but each one I had to do for my Mom. Guilt is a powerful thing. “Will you deny your mother’s one happiness? Don’t you love me?”</p>
<p>Haven’t checked anyone’s info…just drove home from a week up north. </p>
<p>We have a graduate in the house!</p>
<p>She won two class awards…mostly for being a very, very hard worker who shows her dedication every day. </p>
<p>Whew! Now on with the crazy summer.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all the latest grads. </p>
<p>CGPM: It sounds like you had an exhausting weekend. I’m glad the logistics worked out.</p>
<p>MOSB: The recital sounds beautiful. I loved your daughter’s music choices.</p>
<p>MaryOC and Mamom: Congrats to your sons for finding FT summer jobs.</p>
<p>Pepper: Thanks for checking in. Hang in there.</p>
<p>Kinder: I understand out your daughter feels, but I think you’ll all feel like you missed out if she skips the graduation.</p>
<p>Floridalady: Your daughter’s speech sounds great.</p>
<p>MOB: Good luck to your daughter’s team in the state tournament. </p>
<p>Novelisto: Congrats to your daughter on her awards.</p>
<p>We had a very nice graduation ceremony despite the 95 degree heat. The ceremony was very warm and upbeat. Students auditioned to give speeches and performances. In the true spirit of this HS, we had a boy singing a rock song, a group of Indian dancers, and a dancing string quartet. We had dinner afterwards at an Italian restaurant with my SIL’s family, and and then my daughter went to sleep at a friends house. I came home a little while ago and found her and the dog asleep on the basement couch, so I am literally loving the kid on the couch.</p>
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<p>I am not quite that bad. I just told her she didn’t have a choice. 
I am kinda regretting that, but not about to change my mind at this point (especially because H is very conventional and thinks she should go). It’s two hours, it won’t kill her. And it builds character. Right? Right. That’s the ticket.</p>
<p>Now momjr- THAT graduation sounds lovely, personal and the kind we would love to see.</p>
<p>momjr - Why can’t all grad ceremonies be like that? Sounds wonderful.</p>
<p>Novelisto - Congrats to your D on 2 class awards!</p>
<p>MOSB - I’ve reread your entry several times trying to place myself there. I can hear SB’s beautiful voice and see all the smiling, admiring faces in your lovely home. What a memory!</p>
<p>Congrats to this week’s graduates and award winners…</p>
<p>The relative calm on the Board made me think back to a few short months ago when most of us did not even know where our kids were going to school. Time is flying by. Hold on to each day and make them special.</p>
<p>DS got roommate questionnaire today. Very short. Mainly on neat/sloppy, sleeping & wake-up habits. Most interesting - all kids required to take CPR, first aid and AED class either before arrival or when get to school. I thought this was a fabulous idea. Perhaps your kids might want to do this as a service project when they get to school. For a reasonable fee, the Red Cross will usually run a class.</p>
<p>Hey, AvonHSDad – we got an upgrade on our cabin last night! From an inside, 160 square feet, to an obstructed oceanview, 168 square feet. We leave for Seattle in two days.</p>
<p>MOSB – I couldn’t even finish reading your description of SB’s recital! I was at work and tears sliding down my face, so I had to just stop reading. Maybe I’ll finish tonight when I can cry if I want to, cry if I want to! :)</p>