<p>AK- what time does the party start? I can bring a bottle of wine, and I haven’t tried a slip and slide in years. I am sure the party will be great. Just provide some snacks for the kids, drinks and more serious food for the adults and yes notify the neighbors. oh, we love firepits around here. </p>
<p>Sunny-welcome! Congrats on your S’s graduation. I have looked into required courses for S already because I am in the camp where I don’t want him using his AP credit to skip 2 semesters of calc. I already know he can use his AP credit to satisfy his history requirement, which I am good with. I don’t know what he will do for electives though and I haven’t passed my knowledge onto him. We fly out for orientation Sunday and he meets with his advisor Monday. I am intersted to see what his advisor suggests and will wait til then to voice any opinions I have, but only on the math. </p>
<p>
Nice!! My cousin allowed her house to be part of the holiday tour thing one year. She said the same thing you did, never again. But, she said it was fun.</p>
<p>S and I already text, a lot. So I expect that will continue once he leaves for school. 11yo D skypes with her friends and has already asked S to skype with her once he is leaves. H & S will probabably email and talk on the phone occasionally. So long as I get a text every few days I will be OK. </p>
<p>11yo D had her elementary graduation this afternoon from 5th grade. There were 10 kids and they all give short speeches reflecting back and looking forward. D’s speech was pretty much all about the future and how much she is looking forward to her new school. She told me she would skip her entire summer vacation if she could start at her new school Monday.</p>
<p>ldinct - That sounds awful! Our graduation is held at the HS’ stadium - I believe we get 4 tickets which will be just fine - dd1 is playing in the graduation band so she doesn’t need a ticket. My dad has no interest - he’ll be able to hear it from his deck I think. This would be my mom’s thing, not his.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the great advice on the party! I have to get ds to give me a food plan. I made and ordered a photo party invite for the non-FB adults/neighbors, will get that in the mail tommorow. </p>
<p>proudmomof2 - What video? I get the photo board collage thing, and dd2 is on that. She loves a project. She’s already volunteered to make cupcakes too. (Got to love an in-house baker). I hear you on the mispronounciation thing - we get that constantly. Even my neighbors don’t know how to say our name properly and misspell the 3 letter name EVERYTIME. (It’s 3 little letters people - yes two are vowels, DEAL with it!) Funny thing, the name is actually one of the most common names in China - like a “Jones” or “Smith.” </p>
<p>kinderny - I like that tinkertoy/lego idea. We have lots of those. Btw can I ship dd1 up after finals? She will be the one crying that she doesn’t have a life now that school is over. She’s already giving me a synopsis of how her summer (without school) is going to suck so…time for her to take a road trip!</p>
<p>kathiep - Thanks for believing that I can throw a party. I am not completely convinced, but I will try :)</p>
<p>Highhead - sounds like a lovely ceremony - congratulations!</p>
<p>Anyone passing through the great garden state in a couple weeks is welcome to pop in to the shindig to keep the drinks replenished - especially my margharita! Just give the cc handshake at the door.</p>
<p>mamom - come on over! when I was thinking about adults that I should invite, I swear, I just wanted to send you guys a shout. People here? Just not the same. Ran into a couple neighbors this am and I could see their eyes glaze over when I started to talk about college and finaid and “meets demonstrated need” vs. not. And their kids are going into HS.</p>
<p>Note to self…read cc on the computer not the iPhone so I can respond to more then one person and remember everything I want to say!! I hit reply, start to type and lose the visual on the thread. I swear someone said they actually used notes. I’m going to have to try that!</p>
<p>I have to go back to the laptop!! I’m reading and thinking of everyone. I’m just doing a lousy job of responding and keeping up.</p>
<p>At our high school’s graduation – 150 grads – the high school principal spoke briefly, the class president spoke, the student government president spoke, and there were 3 speakers who were chosen from students who auditioned. All student speeches were less than 4 minutes each. The board president also spoke. She gave a lovely speech and had contacted alumni to ask them to send in something that they wished someone had told them when they graduated. She got responses from alumni who graduated 60 years ago and some who graduated just a year or two ago and everywhere in between. She shared a couple of the comments in her speech and then said that each graduate would receive one of the alumni comments along with his/her diploma. (They give out blank diploma covers at graduation and then mail the actual diplomas with a photo in a couple of weeks, so my son hasn’t received his diploma or alumni comment yet.) I thought it was a unique idea.</p>
<p>The senior class asks a teacher to speak at baccalaureate. This year it was a math teacher who also is an assistant football coach. I thought he did a really nice job.</p>
<p>Idinct: Whoa, sounds like you got a bad deal with those speeches. At my son’s, the class president’s was a pretty predictable “thank you” speech to the parents, faculty, fellow grads. The student gov. president’s and my son’s were humorous, and the other 2 were kind of inspirational messages to their classmates. All well done, I thought. Yours sounded painful!</p>
<p>AmandaK: We’ll be looking for pictures of the party on shutterfly! You can just photoshop your cc friends in and pretend we were all there. You’ll have a great time and it will be good practice for dd1’s! By the time you reach dd3, you’ll be a pro.</p>
<p>amanda - I think the “video” idea is obsolete-speak for a “slideshow,” which is obsolete-speak for “a bunch of pictures running on a laptop.” But a foamcore board of prints is very nice, too. D1 made a couple for her party 4 years ago and they’re still in her room … kind of cute leftover from her HS years, which are now getting quite far away.</p>
<p>Dropping in for a quick hello. I am glad to see all the graduations are going nicely.</p>
<p>Not much good to say so I will leave it at that-but I will tell you my son and I have really gotten our relationship back on track and that is all that really matters.</p>
<p>I can’t wait until he finally graduates next Tuesday-he is so ready to move on.</p>
<p>He will be speaking at graduation and if there is one thing I do know it is that he will not give an egotistical speech-I am sure it will be very inclusive and nice-and brief.</p>
<p>He got his final parting shot at honors night. I won’t go into details but he was crushed. I am so done with that place and if my daughter didn’t insist on going there I would be happy to send her elsewhere. I wonder if my battles over the years with guidance and administration were held against him-I would like to think not but it is the only thing that makes what happened to him Monday night make sense-he won national and state awards and was named salutatorian based strictly on GPA but every other school award and scholarship that had input from guidance and faculty-not one-and they gave out a lot of them. </p>
<p>I am so angry I don’t trust my ability to keep my mouth shut at graduation. I will for his sake but it won’t be easy.</p>
<p>I’ll see you guys in the new college thread-I am done with this HS topic.</p>
[quote]
you can photoshop your cc friends in[\quote]
I love this!! I’m actually quite good and would be happy to help. A friend owns his own company and had me remove someone from a group shot (they were only there a month) before displaying on the company website. It became a big joke not to mess with the boss or you might literally disappear. He got requests for the name of his ‘graphic artist’ from employees who wanted ex-spouses removed from photos. I was flattered, but declined.</p>
<p>AK - I am also a huge Costco fan for parties - I just cooked 20lbs of wings for a sports banquet tomorrow- I can just bring them to your house!</p>
<p>Pepper - it is time for the big city. I am happy to hear that your relationship is back on track with DS. High school is just that, high school.</p>
<p>OWM - good luck to your friends with the impending flood. There are so many people dealing with the aftermath of mother nature this year - it makes you wonder what is really go on.</p>
<p>AK - I am also a huge Costco fan for parties - I just cooked 20lbs of wings for a sports banquet tomorrow- I can just bring them to your house!</p>
<p>Pepper - it is time for the big city. I am happy to hear that your relationship is back on track with DS. High school is just that, high school.</p>
<p>OWM - good luck to your friends with the impending flood. There are so many people dealing with the aftermath of mother nature this year - it makes you wonder what is really go on.</p>
<p>Pepper–that night will be a distant memory soon, and so sorry you have to deal with the place longer with another kid there. Good news you and DS back on track, that’s the important thing!</p>
<p>AK–good for you jumpin in with the party! I would have the same reaction if D1 suddenly wanted one but it sounds like your plans are already headed in the right direction.</p>
<p>Aria, congrats on all those awards you son racked up! Excellent job (and how nice that one came with $)!</p>
<p>Amandak you way underestimate the appeal of a party at your house and your ability to throw one. I think if someone had asked me which parent-hosted Grad party on this thread I would most like to attend, I would have said yours!<br>
Heck with the kids, just put a fire in the pit, throw some food their way, put out Twister or Legos or whatever,and the rest of us will bring some wine to enjoy with you and you can amuse us with more stories of your wacky wonderful life. When should I be there???</p>
<p>
That was me, Blue. 90% of the time I read/post here on my Blackberry. I’d be dead in the water without doing my replies in Notes.</p>
<p>Pepper, such a mix of feelings over your post. First, so good to hear from you. Second, really happy you and your s have “righted” your relationship, and those waters sound smoother. Regarding Monday night, I am so sorry. It sounds like there’s no other explanation than politics and “pay-back,” which is really lousy. Awards or not, we know what a terrific and talented boy your son is…he is moving on to new successes.</p>
<p>So have we decided definitely to move on to a new “college” thread? I do see some benefit to that. For those who would rather put high school behind them, it will be a symbolic fresh start. Plus, other new posters might feel less “new kid in school”-ish if we all start together somewhere else. </p>
<p>Maybe once our final graduation ceremonies are over, we can make the big move. I can’t remember who that is and don’t have time this morning to go pages and pages back. Anyone recall who and when that is?</p>
<p>Pepper: Mixed emotions for you. So happy that your relationship is doing better – that’s the important stuff. On the other hand, annoyed/angry that the school chose not to recognize your son’s accomplishments. That stinks!</p>
<p>“Plus, other new posters might feel less “new kid in school”-ish if we all start together somewhere else.”</p>
<p>I was thinking about how I phrased this and wanted to make sure everyone understood my meaning. It’s not that I think posters here are not welcoming and inclusive -we are! I just remember the day I found this thread, thinking “I need to read HOW many thousands of posts before I feel like I am up to speed?” Kind of intimidating…lol.</p>
<p>Is there anyone that has a later grad date then June 18th? I suggest we launch a new thread entitled College Class of 2015 on Sunday, June 19th if the 18th is the last HS graduation.</p>
I am sure the party will be great. Just provide some snacks for the kids, drinks and more serious food for the adults and yes notify the neighbors. oh, we love firepits around here. </p>
I swear someone said they actually used notes. I’m going to have to try that!</p>
I’m actually quite good and would be happy to help. A friend owns his own company and had me remove someone from a group shot (they were only there a month) before displaying on the company website. It became a big joke not to mess with the boss or you might literally disappear. He got requests for the name of his ‘graphic artist’ from employees who wanted ex-spouses removed from photos. I was flattered, but declined.</p>