<p>D1 will keep her wonderful bookstore and barista job all summer–it’s part time but the owner loves her and she’ll definitely get more hours–we are all thankful. AND she’ll probably get some hours in whenever she’s home over the next year which is another blessing. </p>
<p>Prom coming up Saturday, picking up the dress tomorrow from some alterations…much excitement!</p>
<p>Morning all</p>
<p>Remember our discussion about bad Sr pranks…</p>
<p>[Graffiti</a> prank tweaks huge rivalry, may get felony charges - Prep Rally - High SchoolBlog - Yahoo! Sports](<a href=“http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Graffiti-prank-tweaks-huge-rivalry-may-get-felo?urn=highschool-wp2450]Graffiti”>http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Graffiti-prank-tweaks-huge-rivalry-may-get-felo?urn=highschool-wp2450)</p>
<p>Best wishes to all this weekends prom attendees and graduates! Hoping for great weather!</p>
<p>We still have a 2 weeks until prom and 3 weeks until graduation!! But the time is flying by…</p>
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<p>Thanks, Kathiep… I absolutely missed that post. I’m glad I added a disclaimer about unconfirmed quality! I personally hadn’t purchased anything from them… or heard of them. Thanks for clarifying. </p>
<p>I began shopping for my son’s bedding and bath stuff around Christmas, and have been done since the end of February. Thankfully, he’s a boy and only cares about being comfortbale - so that made it easy. My only concern … is he may never want to get out of bed!</p>
<p>I got a great deal on 35x70 bath sheets from Cottonage.com, found pillows, a fleecy blanket, wash cloths and more (but slightly smaller) bath sheets at TJ Maxx, snagged a zippered mattress bedbug protector from Amazon, a memory foam mattress topper, shower caddy, laundry bags, Brita water filtered pitcher, and misc. storage solutions at Target, a set of twin XL flannel sheets at Laurenslinens.com, a couple of solid color 100% cotton fitted twin XL deep pocket sheets on eBay… then went to my own linen closet for print twin flat sheets and pillow cases to coordinate. I also got him a solid reversible down comforter at LL Bean for free (with the coupons I earn from using their Visa card). This inventory of bed/bath linens should last him the next four years. Any future transition to off-campus living can be supported by our existing in-home inventory. </p>
<p>At this point I’m hoping he only needs a few more things for freshman year- a desk lamp, power surge strip, a basic tool kit, medicine kit, stockpiles of laundry/personal hygiene stuff … and maybe something for the walls and an area rug and a trash can? All that can wait until he receives word on a roommate.</p>
<p>FlMM and AK, thank you. :)</p>
<p>We have been quite busy so I have been playing catch-up on the postings. Congrats to all on their performances, awards, latest round of graduations, scholarships, graduation parties and activites that I missed over the past couple of days.</p>
<p>Best wishes to those graduating this weekend. :)</p>
<p>I got home from work on Wednesday and DW says there is something interesting in the mail to look at. It turns out the letter was addressed in a child’s writing. It turned out to be a personal letter from DS that his class had written in the 3rd grade. His 3rd grade teacher has put them away back in 2002. They had written to themselves and their parents about their life in the 3rd grade, their friends, their aspirations, and so on. She also included a group photo of the children. They look so small and cute. It was a wonderful surprise that will be added to his graduation display board at his party. Evidently, this teacher has her class do this each year and then at the end of the year right before graduation she mails the letter to the children still in the local school system that will be graduating. It was a complete surprise and a wonderful gesture by his 3rd grade teacher. It brought smiles and tears of joy to both DW and I. She will receive a wonderful thank you note from us for the beautiful memories that the letter and photo brought to us. And wow - how he had grown in 9 years! :eek: :)</p>
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mary OC - every group has one of those high achievers to make the rest of us (well me) look bad! 
I was going to start shoppng for stuff for S and he cried foul. He told me he wanted to pick out his bed linens himself. For a kid who has always just worn whatever I throw his way I was surprised to hear he wanted a say in his bed linens.</p>
<p>Avon - that 3rd grade teacher is a keeper! What a great thing for her to do. S still has notes to write to some pre high school teachers letting them know what a difference they made in his life. Although it is his idea, he is stalling as usual so I told him to get them done this weekend before all the teachers disappear for the summer. One of them is his elementary teacher (had same one for 5 years)</p>
<p>Avon, what a nice thing for that teacher to do. Our hs does a similar thing: the kids write themselves a letter the first day of freshman year with thoughts about themselves, what they hope to accomplish and experience in the next four years, what they hope and dream they’ll become by graduation, etc. That letter is tucked in with their diploma on Graduation Day.</p>
<p>My D read hers with a smile and a few chuckles, and a fair amount of amazement at seeing her own growth and development.</p>
<p>Come to think of it, this would be a pretty cool idea for us. Why not write yourself a letter about your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for yourself over the next 4 years, and save it to open on Graduation Day 2015!</p>
<p>Think I’ll do that this weekend. Sounds kinda fun.</p>
<p>Love the time capsule letter Avon… so very sweet.</p>
<p>Oh, I’m not a high achiever at all - just a bargain hunter with too many kids. All my son had to say is, “I don’t care… pick it out.” I was happy to be able to cross something off my long list of tasks and duties!</p>
<p>Party for D yesterday. Senior breakfast this morning. Graduation tomorrow. I can’t read your posts because they make me cry. I’ll catch up next week…or the next…all the best to you and yours!</p>
<p>DD is at graduation rehearsal today - she & 5 of her closest friends drove down together and will ride together to the ceremony tomorrow. We are on final countdown for family arriving later today, graduation tomorrow (with family cookout after) and then the party on Sunday. Those of you who have connections with the weather gods, please ask for fair skies and no rain in the Columbus, Ohio area. Thanks!</p>
<p>I am working on the weather for all of you with graduations this weekend. Our two sons’ graduation weekends were amazing beautiful so I must have a connection, right?</p>
<p>Got a phone call this morning from my alma mater. I figured it was a request for a donation of some sort. But it was the alumni association calling to let us know that DS2 will receive an additional scholarship from them! Random but very welcome. Don’t know if they awarded it earlier to someone who is now not attending or what. But we’ll take it! Definitely took the sting out of not receiving the local alumni chapter’s smaller award.</p>
<p>Wonder if AmandaKayak and son survived prom night?</p>
<p>I know I am off topic, but just give me a moment.
Exactly 2 weeks after my visa was in administrative processing, the embassy called me and now I can get my passport back tomorrow. I didn’t ask if I got the visa or if I didn’t. </p>
<p>Do you think I got it? I’m a bit nervous!</p>
<p>Last day of school for S today. Bittersweet for me, but for him he’s just glad to be done!</p>
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<p>missy - good luck! And do tune in sometime - we can cry together!</p>
<p>Prom was fabulous according to D. I was a bit skeptical since she had asked one of the quietest shy guys in the class to go with her, but she said they had a good time together, danced all evening and enjoyed themselves. She had her last sports awards night - didn’t really cry, but did choke up a bit when she was announced as the scholar athlete for the year. The director read out a list of academic/athletic accomplishments and you could hear the audience gasp - so proud of her!</p>
<p>Graduation is this weekend. Having friends come to graduation and they will come home for dinner after. D hasn’t yet bought a dress to wear - she’ll get to it sometime she says! Oy! She has practice and then a banquet tonight - so I guess we’ll be shopping tomorrow morning for the dress?? Luckily, she did look and find her NHS tassels/cords last night.</p>
<p>Discussion on summer jobs - I don’t think it’s because the kids don’t want to work - it’s just that these jobs are hard to find. D has had an interview - is supposed to hear from them soon. I don’t expect the news to be good. She was told she could have another part time job - hopefully, that will pan out. She’s finding out fairly fast that her money isn’t going to last too long at this rate…</p>
<p>OWM - Thanks for asking, yes - prom was a success. Ds and his gf (who is btw soooooo much better than she-who-should-not-be-named) had pics here and then we all (me and 2 of the younger dds) went off to the house where his buds were gathering for pics. There was a small group at first, and then a huge melange of couples came towards the second half. It was something like 60-70 couples and parents all taking pics in the very picturesque backyard. My god, anyone who watches Say Yes to the Dress like I do, this was a feast of extravagance. One tiara, many m-a-n-y updo’s, some questionable skin but I have to say they all looked great. Jr. Prom apparently was a dress rehersal for this. They took party buses to Hoboken to board this 3 floor yacht. Not a dingy but a mini-cruise line yacht. One of the PTA moms posted pics of the boat from the dock so I got a better description than when I asked ds “well, it was a boat.” - doesn’t quite capture it. Anyway, ds and gf came back here to sleep and then went to meet up with everyone and drove down to the shore today. Unlike the rest of the senior class, my ds will be driving back up to gf’s house tonight. Everyone else (it seems) has condos or beach houses rented and will be staying the weekend, some with adults, some without. Ah well. </p>
<p>Funny aside - ds calls me when he gets there safely and apparently, someone forgot to confirm with gf’s mom that this was ok. Ds thought she had confirmed, gf is “sure” she told her “repeatedly” - but apparently someone is getting grounded as soon as she arrives home. Bit of a damper on the party. </p>
<p>I put some pics up on shutterfly.</p>
<p>On the jobs topic… DD2 has the best job ever this summer - driver/nanny for two kids (ages 15 and 11) who have a lot of sports practices. They also go swimming at the club, to the zoo and movies, etc. They pay well and she only works 3 days a week so will have time to enjoy her last summer @ home.</p>
<p>DD1 is spending the summer @ school and has found nothing at all! She has worked retail since she was 16 and has had the same job for the last 4 years but can’t do that anymore since she will be 90 miles away.</p>
<p>After vacation DS will be working for our maintenance department helping to police and clean pools, paint fire hydrants, assist the fence repair crew, clean gutters and when it rains he can come to the office and be a web master and data input specialist for the day. Then he can help the office staff and file. :rolleyes: (Not his favorite job.) With our family schedule this summer, he won’t be able to work a regular 40 hour job so this will work out better for him. DD, on the other hand, (HS 2014) has two “mother’s helper/nanny” jobs lined up plus some spot sitting at local homes and at the local club pool. She will be at tennis day camp and lessons/drills during her “off-time”. It will be nice to have both of them working for at least part of the summer.</p>
<p>Congrats to this weekend’s grads including the daughters of Missypie, Proudmom and Arisamp. I hope you have beautiful weather.</p>
<p>Amanda, I took a quick peek at your prom pics and your son and his date looked great. I hope the GF isn’t in too much trouble. </p>
<p>My D2 is already at the beach for senior week. Hoards of Maryland HS grads will converge on the beach town for the next week. We had many discussions about being careful and making smart decisions, but I doubt that I will get much sleep for the next week.</p>
<p>Good luck to our fellow weekend graduates! D and Japanese D are very excited.</p>
<p>Five relatives of varying infirmities arrive tomorrow … It will be wonderful to see them, but they will be the focus of the next couple of days. The weather is supposed to be nice, thankfully.</p>
<p>D has realized she needs not only to read her freshman class book but also write an essay before she arrives on campus. Hey, it’s school, after all. And she’s never had summer homework before, so why not? No job yet, but some projects are firming up.</p>
<p>I am SO glad our area does not have senior trips. We don’t even have the overnight party any more, just the trip they went on yesterday, and then people’s grad parties. Japanese D’s friends have invited her to share theirs - so very nice of them. As I’ve said, D2’s is postponed, so this weekend won’t get to the overload point.</p>
<p>I keep rotating through the various feelings: sadness, excitement, disbelief, relief, a little leftover anger, and pride. She’s still the same kid, but she’s shifted to a new phase in her life, and that means we have, too. It’s all enhanced for us because D1 is shifting, too. </p>
<p>Again, all of my best wishes to everyone.</p>