<p>Keylimepie: Congrats on your son’s graduation!</p>
<p>Pepper: I’m glad to hear that your relationship with your son is back on track. I’m sorry to hear that he didn’t get the recognition he deserves, but he’s moving on to bigger and better things.</p>
<p>C4three: Congrats on your son’s awards and scholarship.</p>
<p>EAO: Good luck with the move and have a wonderful trip to DC. I agree that CC can be addictive.</p>
<p>Kath and Amanda: Thanks for making me jealous by posting the links to those dorms. My daughter will probably be living in a huge concrete tower on a busy city street. She had no interest in applying for the quaint brownstones. </p>
<p>I agree that we should wait until the last graduation (Aria’s S) to move to the new thead. I am amazed at how spread out these graduations are. I’m happy that seniors in our state graduate before school ends. </p>
<p>Good luck to this weekend’s grads and prom goers! Hopefully OWM can send you nice weather.</p>
<p>Looks like aria’s grad date is the latest?
I will follow wherever this group goes, and hope “my” other thread(for D2 HS2015) will turn out to be as welcoming, helpful, interesting and entertaining as this one!</p>
<p>Well, this is it. Graduation not until this evening but I already had tears in my coffee this morning–happy/sad tears, I know you know what I mean…so proud of our beautiful, accomplished daughter but how did this day come so, so fast…?<br>
D2 said she’ll bring extra Kleenex for me tonight.</p>
<p>Had to skim through the last few pages, boy is this group a chatty group Congratulations to all our recent grads.</p>
<p>Pepper - hugs. Glad to hear that your relationship with your son is back to normal - that’s all that matters in the long run. I completely understand the anger/disappointment when your kid is snubbed - happened to us as well. I keep reminding D that all these are very subjective - not to have too high expectations - if you get one, that’s great - if you don’t, shrug it off and move on. In her case, it helped that she received other awards/recognitions at higher levels than the school !</p>
<p>Amanda - sure, you can throw a party! Stress? What Stress? We have a bbq party every memorial day and I’ve reduced this to a science. D and S were complaining that it was too boring I have a spreadsheet that gives me the list of all the appetizers/entrees/desserts and another that’s a shopping list. Oh, Costco surely is your friend. And there are lots of ready-to-go kind of items that help. All you need is two fridges/freezers to store all the stuff, a bunch of tables (I borrow from friends/neighbors), several coolers (again, borrow from friends/neighbors). I added onto the menu this time to make it special, added decorations and made the photo board that people have mentioned. The photo board was a big hit - so were the posters around the room. D played three varsity sports - so I saved all their senior night posters and used them around the room We had canopies and tables set up in the back yard, volleyball and badminton nets up as well for entertainment. Once it was dark, we did break out the fire pit. Unfortunately, someone forgot to buy stuff for smores Must remember to modify that shopping spreadsheet!</p>
<p>D is home relaxing. She said she was going to take her grandparents out shopping today - should be interesting My dad is getting very sentimental/emotional about her going away to college - he asked for a list of things she needs, so he can figure out what to get her. She pointed him to a CC list. Was funny this morning to see him reading the list, trying to figure out what to get her! He did get her a Kindle that she wanted badly - but he keeps wanting to get her something every day they go out!</p>
<p>We keep pushing D to write thank you notes. Last night she said, “I really don’t know what to say in a thank you note to someone I don’t know [family friends] who has given money.”</p>
<p>This morning I went online and found some “sample thank you note” sites. I cut and pasted them into a word document and highlighted some for her.</p>
<p>Two more weeks to go till graduation. Slog, slog, slog. We got a definitely grumpy-toned letter from the school about graduation, full of what NOT to do, and what NOT to wear/bring to the ceremony. The word “congratulations” does not appear at all. The thing I really want to know about is parking, because when you have 800 graduates from a high school with very little parking in a neighborhood with lots of apartment buildings you wonder about things like that. Not a word on how we should plan for that. </p>
<p>On a more positive note, D1 is looking forward to working this summer. She’s got a paying internship at a local non-profit. That starts the Monday after graduation, and goes up through when she leaves for college.</p>
<p>The song from “Fiddler” that always gets me is “Far From The Home I Love”. 'Nuff said. </p>
<p>I’ve given up on keeping up, but I like living vicariously through y’all’s grad parties as D1 isn’t interested in having one…unless she pulls a stunt like AK’s son and suddenly decides she wants one. We’ve done bat mitzvahs and anniversary dinners and other sorts of parties and have a whole bag of tricks and knowledge, which are going sadly unused this season. :(</p>
<p>So, some other party advice:
*Make sure to replenish bathroom supplies. And make sure to have basic first aid stuff (bandaids, antibacterial cream, analgesics) on hand.
*Ice cream sundae bars are always fun. Make sure you have whipped cream in cans, but not so much that people are going to get carried away. Prescoop the ice cream.<br>
*If you have or can borrow a digital projector, you can show movies or a montage outside. Hang a bedsheet as a screen.
*If you want to lay out a little cash, other fun things to have/rent: glow necklaces, hippity-hop balls (like [Hippity</a> Hop](<a href=“http://www.jumpingballs.com/]Hippity”>http://www.jumpingballs.com/)) bounce house, frozen margarita machine, popcorn machine</p>
<p>@emmybet-“We’re just not going through life with them in the same way any more.” That made me in tears…Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts!</p>
<p>Anyone else wants to share your thoughts about how much parents should be involved when your son or daughter is making transition from home to college this summer? My son and I will do shopping and packing together, but I really don’t want to involve with course selections, roommate choice, etc although I am tempted to. I read from somewhere that parents should let college kids responsible for the tuition deadlines. Does it mean I transfer money to his account and let him pay tuition himself?</p>
<p>I think I’ll take my cue from S. Just the other day he asked if we were going to start dorm shopping, so that’s a good sign. With regard to classes, I’m torn. There is so much advice I could offer, but I feel like I should stay out of it. Of course, I am a researcher extraordinaire (right behind emmybet!) so I have a complete idea of what is offered. If some subtle advice sneaks into conversation, then so be it.
As for tuition, I would not feel comfortable depositing that kind of money into a kid’s account. I’m not even sure I can do that, given how our financial aid is structured.</p>
<p>I think I may be one of the last to leave here with a graduate…June 24. Keep the lights on!</p>
<p>Collegemaw, Congratulations and enjoy the graduation. Sunrise Sunset always gets me going as well. My latest tear jerker is Kenny Chesney’s Don’t Blink the line that says…“Don’t blink, just might miss your babies growing like mine did…” Makes me sob, so happy for our children and their bright futures but there is a touch of where did the years go…Not to worry, with two already in college class of 08 and 09 High School, I can say that it is not over just a different type of adventure!
MomJr- Maryland is where I am from-grew up and went to school K-12 and that is where we are moving back!
Keylimepie-(my favorite pie in the world!) Congratulations on your sons graduation,Where did he decide to go? In my trying to catch up today, I saw the list of acceptances but didn’t get to the decision pages as arisamp says this is a chatty group, I guess I have added my share today, sorry!</p>
<p>Well movers are gone, just sent my 21 year old soon to be college senior out to get me some wine!</p>
<p>Just a quick note here before I run out - well I created and ordered those invites online for instore pickup today, rushed out there first thing, ready with the address book and stamps. Whoaaa - guess what I forgot in the rush of it all? Date and time. Jeeeeeeezzzzz. Back out to order new ones. Where is my brain?
momjr - don’t be too jealous, that was MY frosh dorm, ds will be in a concrete bunker.</p>
<p>Congrats Slithey on your D getting a paying internship! Earn and learn – what a great thing.</p>
<p>I don’t think I know the Fiddler on the Roof song – it isn’t Que Sera, Sera, is it?
This morning I was thinking about D’s graduation and move-in to college, and I start humming “She’s leaving home, bye, bye…” and tears welled up. Then she called and whined because I hadn’t left her any lunch money, so I snapped right out of it.</p>
<p>EAO1227 -thanks. S got a full ride scholarship to Duke, and found himself unable to turn it down.</p>
<p>Re: Parental involvement. Different kids have different needs. With mine, I don’t have to get involved in the class selection; I think he already planned all 4 years. He shares with me what courses he is planning to take, but my opinion about that won’t change anything. But I have to drag him to do college shopping and more often then not I do it alone.</p>
<p>Boys and shopping. We were at Target this week, getting bug spray and other stuff necessary for a mission trip in the desert. We wondered by the linens and they the “Room Essentials” display up. DS2 had absolutely no interest in looking. “Whatever you want to get me is fine. I don’t care. And this is why I hate to go shopping with you because you will just shop and shop and shop and take forever.”</p>
<p>Flash back to three years ago with DS1: He went to Target’s website and created a wish list of comforter, body pillows, sheets, towels, cube storage that doubles as an ottoman, lamps, fans, coffee maker, closet dividers, clocks, etc., etc., etc. Printed it out for me and asked when we could go buy it. He loves to shop.</p>
<p>How did two such different children come from the same parents?</p>
<p>Well my S surprised me when I mentioned I was going to start picking up stuff for his dorm. “It’s for my dorm, I will pick out my stuff.” um, OK. This from a kid who went clothes shopping for the first time in his life last week. Now, mind you, I am sure it will not take more than an hour or so at Bed, Bath and Beyond for him to select everything he needs. That is the kind of shopping I like.</p>
<p>I think I will only be required to write the checks. Today I wrote one out for the AESOP trip. </p>
<p>Boychild did tell us what his selections for his freshman seminar are, in order of preference, and I expect he’ll run by us his general concentration choices. </p>
<p>Welcome to the newest Class of 2011/2015 posters!</p>
<p>Pepper, glad to hear the good news about you and your son!</p>
<p>Got son to go thru his closet and dresser today to remove all the clothes he will not, can not or does not want to wear any more. Our landscaper’s son will be very happy as he will be inheriting a big box of tee-shirts. Hope he doesn’t mind a lot are from math competitions!! Fortunately there are enuf left so shopping isn’t urgent. Son also cleaned up and discarded 99% of stuff from HS. He now has empty drawers and shelves! He is taking his linens with new twin XL sheets to college. I will begin Phase 3 of my house reno in the Winter which will include son’s bedroom & bathroom, guestroom & bathroom and my office. </p>
<p>I will move with y’all to our new thread whatever you call it, whenever you go. I need my daily fix. Congrats to this week’s grads and scholarship winners.</p>
<p>I don’t remember who brought up the story about writing essays years ago and then having them put in with diplomas. Son just found journal he had to write for pre-9th grade summer class. He allowed me to read it. He has changed so much. He agreed to write something this summer to open when he graduates college. He said his first goal is getting a girl friend. That is new.</p>
<p>Can’t believe I am the parent of a HS graduate! D1 graduated last night! It was a well-done event at the Arie Crown Theater. Her class has 500 students so no individual awards other than val & sal. There were mentions in grad program for those in top of class, perfect attendance, and merit scholarships (and a number of “grants” including pell grants and MAP grants were listed too- kind of awkward). NHS members wore white grad gowns and those who were NMF/NAF/NHR were also named in prgram. Even so, it still took almost 3 hours! </p>
<p>I got a bit teary at our pre-grad party at home while we were taking pictures and D and her BFF both teared up at the venue while they were posing for pics. But no tears at the actual graduation (a first for me!)</p>
<p>I thought this was cute: D1 got a BB&B gift card from a family friend and they included a BB&B 20% coupon in the card! The fact that they would part with one of those coupons seems almost more generous than the gift card- LOL!</p>
<p>D2 has finals on Mon & Tues and class on Wed & Fri (just to pick up report card) then we can celebrate the arrival of summer in our house.</p>
<p>just an email with S’s dorm assignment. He will not be happy. He did not get any of his first 3 choices. He is in a single sex dorm with no dining facilities. It looks like beds must be bunked and the room looks very small. …sigh I hope he likes his room mate. I am not sure I am even going to remind him assignments are out, he will find out on Monday at orientation.</p>
as this one!</p>
Must remember to modify that shopping spreadsheet!</p>