<p>Highhead, D took the train this weekend from New Haven to NYC, it cost her 12 dollars each way which you probably know unless you haven’t commuted in a while. Think she got tickets online and said was really easy. Quite a commute daily though, how long did you do that??? BTW what math is Multivariable calc 115 or 120 or 112. Just asking because my daughter is in 115 and cannot understand the prof, (speaks terrible English) was looking to find a section to sneak into to listen to the lecture and I thought if your D was in 115 you could PM me if her section was good or not and when it is…</p>
<p>Having 3 daughters and one son I am very experienced in the dress buying arena. I think it depends on the occasion how flashy or conservative things should be. It is hard to convince them of the more modest styles as they seem frumpy and mom-like to them. But I do think that shorter styles don’t have to be trashy and can be classy. Depends on the material the cut of the dress and the girl wearing it. For those not having girls it might be a shock but go shopping you will find that its the style and styles will change. Just thinking about the 80’s sense of style makes me shudder!</p>
<p>EAO, I’m PMing you. In re dresses, D seems mostly concerned that her diaphragm not be constricted so she can sing, but doesn’t want to look frumpy. However, it sounds like the older girls each have “a closet full” of black dresses, so she can borrow for now. Which is not to say that she has not already asked for an “adjustment” to her clothing allowance, and is leaving earlier for NYC than she might have so she can shop…</p>
<p>I’m in agreement with the expressed parental desire for more modest dressing among their daughters, but I also want to invest my energy in the battles that are important and/or the ones I have a shot at winning. Modesty in dressing is one I chose to be willing to lose. Interestingly, as she has developed from skinny to tall and skinny with a figure, she’s (somewhat) aware of the attention she gets and isn’t eager to encourage it all and thus has done some toning down of her clothes on her own.</p>
<p>The battles I wanted to win on were being a good person (caring, responsible, honest, etc.), being a serious student, drinking (before she left for college), drug use, and sex not attached to relationships. I think I was successful on the first, reasonably but not wildly successful on the second, partially to largely successful on the third (in HS but highly unlikely in college), likely successful on the fourth, and probably successful on the fifth in HS with no data about college). Relative to these, I could/can live with too much skin showing.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply anyone looked trashy. They didn’t. Not for me to judge anyway. All the dresses were short and I understand that’s the style. It’s generally a cute look. I’m used to seeing it about halfway between the knee and hip I guess (or there about). When it heads north of there I have to say I do a double take. I was really just commiserating in how hard it must be to get clothes when this is what’s in the stores, not making any judgement. I’m sorry if it came across that way.</p>
<p>Shawbridge, Agree about picking your battles. Both my older D’s are steller students, good people and if they choose a dress that is a little less modest than I would care for then its not a battle I choose to engage in. Actually how they dress has never been one that I engaged in much to the horror of the preschool parents who would often look at my daughters mismatched outfits (that she so proudly picked out herself) and say, how can you let them go out like that??? Of course looking at old family pictures my kids have said to me, “how could you have let me go out like that?” I just smile and say, hey its what you wanted to wear. I was much stricter on other issues but that has never been one of them. I do have an aversion to tattoos only because they are permanent. Told them to get a henna tattoo if they have the urge…so far no one has. As to the drinking, living in Europe for their High School years the drinking age was 16 so we already dealt with that although not sure what will happen with the 9th grader who has already said she is shocked with the amount of drinking amongst her peers, UGH!</p>
<p>Blue, didn’t take it that way and I agree on the length thing. My D who is 5’10 probably a bit more but she won’t admit it, often will try on a dress and its above the mid thigh because she is also super skinny. The larger sizes are the right length but too big. She passes on those as they make her uncomfortable but it does take some searching!!!</p>
<p>Both my boys have dated at times girls who have made ‘unfortunate’ dress choices…I always felt bad for them rather than appalled. I would just be thinking about what an uncomfortable evening they had ahead of them keeping everything looking like is does standing stock still in front of the mirror before the dance. I tend to trust the boys’ judgement on the girls rather than have my own knee -jerk character assassination because the hem’s a bit high. That said, one or two of those relationships did not last past the dance, but several did ;)</p>
<p>BI- I didn’t take your comments that way either :)</p>
<p>OK
Well my younger kiddo just reminded us that Monday is OFF
–the boarding school is off Fri., Sat, Sun, Mon…
doesn’t completely change the weekend as we are day student parents as opposed to boarding–yet at the same time it means we adjust Monday…
hmmmm</p>
<p>I hear you all and the issues raised regarding dress and behavior…
AND still feel that choosing what to wear and how we appear…
…and what we do, how we behave is part of how we choose to project ourselves and our reputation…values etc…and that is true of our young adults…</p>
<p>as my mother said “be careful who you hang around with–as you Will be judged by the company you keep” …</p>
<p>so true whether its on the front page of the local paper or local news
…and as much as we Think/Say we don’t judge others–that isn’t true…</p>
<p>We all judge…even if we are just “judging” the others we consider “judgemental”…</p>
<p>Funny story to pass on about doing laundry. While we were at FW, my DS proudly told me that he does his laundry every Sunday mornng. Of course, we were very pleased to hear this. Later in the day, a group of people were discussing washing sheets. DS piped in and said he had not washed his yet. Bewildered, I remarked that I thought he did his laundry weekly. He replied that meant he washed his clothes. UGH!!</p>
<p>Good Monday evening, friends. I’m happy to report that the Centennial Homecoming at Mizzou was a successful on many, may levels. Great time with our son who still doesn’t think that hanging out with us is “uncool” even for the parade and other festivities. Lots of stories of the Humans vs. Zombies adventure and the new friends he made. I have stored his explantion of his research work in my iPhone so I can attempt to explain it to my friends and family who ask about it.</p>
<p>The weekend on campus had bookends of handling a bad news media situation for work on Friday and a good news media situation today. Everytime I think work is going to slow down, I am wrong! The good news situation is a great story so I’ll share the link. More to come on this story, so stay tuned.</p>
<p>Thanks for the article, OWM. The Human Zombie thing sounds like a blast! Glad you had a good weekend with son and its nice to see that he is not embarrassed by having his folks hanging around!</p>
<p>Know that everyone’s kids are now in college but just curious how early their high school’s started. My current 9th grader catches the bus at 6:24 and school starts at 7:17. Seems to me that goes against everything they know about teen biology and sleep patterns. Not too mention that getting up that early is killing me!</p>
<p>EAO - you touched on one of my pet peeves. DS had to wake up at 5:00 to get bus at 6:00 to get to school at 7:00. School did not start until 7:30 but free breakfast was available to all (Title 1school). </p>
<p>Four years ago a few high schools in the district experimented with a later start. Conclusion - more awake students, better grades. Did the district change - NO. Ugh! The elementary school starts late - why? Young children wake up early. Just switch these two. Easy solution.</p>
<p>Wow, October just seems to be slipping away so fast. I’m glad to hear the news here - kids settling in, kids working things out, kids facing the challenges. Amanda as always has the Most Amazing Story! </p>
<p>I was relieved (so to speak) to figure out yesterday that it was the dog peeing on the rug and not the cat. Turns out he’s eaten about 50 green tomatoes from H’s garden this week … they’re all gone now, so we think his systems will be back in order directly.</p>
<p>I know D likes Tue/Thurs better than Mon/Weds so I’m figuring she’ll have a good day today. And by Friday I will see her. Hurray!</p>
<p>My kids used to go to a “zero” hour class that started at 7 (so they could fit more in their HS schedules). Two out of every four years they were in HS I had to get them there, before they started driving. As my husband would say, we left at “O-dark-30.” D2’s junior and senior year she got bumped out of the zero hour class and she was much happier and healthier. At this point they’re mostly phased out; while it does increase opportunities, no one really wants to be there, kids OR teachers!</p>
<p>D1 at her internship is having a marvelous time, by the way. She’s getting into DC regularly (a friend from college is living there), and she’s started Tai Chi classes. She says most of the other people are in their 50s, so she’s enjoying being the most limber person in her class! This weekend they are taking a field trip to collect samples in North Carolina. And the profs are starting to let her know about opportunities in lots of other interesting places (like Alaska!) for future jobs.</p>
<p>EAO - S3 catches the bus at 6:14 and and the first bell rings at 6:20. The school is not that far the buses are shared so it’s and odd run. It’s a 15min drive. When Bluejr drove as a Sr. he left comfortably about 6:35 to navigate the pkg lot. I get up with them once a week as Bluedad leaves for work and is up then anyway…no need for the entire house to rock that early (read no one needs me anymore and I can sleep most mornings).</p>
<p>Our neighboring county has flip flopped the schedule for high school and elementary school as they know teens need to sleep and elementary kids aren’t bussed an hour from their homes…most are neighborhood schools so the ride is much shorter. The trade off is the hs doesn’t get out until four so many, many things we have after school are before school activities for them and their is no early bussing. Personally, I wouldn’t take the trade off. Their kids have sports practices and some clubs starting much later, then hw, then sleep. From what I hear everything is just shifted and there is no more sleeping going on, and even later bedtimes. Bluejr’s hs gf was on this schedule so we do have some insight. There are pros and cons to both, but I’d stay with the schedule I have even with the early mornings. That’s obviously because it suits us. I can see how it might work better for others.</p>
<p>Our kids have been up by 6, catch a bus by 7, don’t start till after 8 and go to 4…so it makes for a long day. Sports and then bus home means dinneris at 8 and then hw etc. Long long days. Our elder student starting keeping that schedule in middle school.</p>
<p>This past weekend our elder kiddo, the freshman, commented how sleeping in til “only” 8 makes the previous middle school and high school schedule seem crazy.</p>
<p>I missed the time to edit…obviously if the bus is at 6:14 the first bell is at 7:20, not 6:20. I need some more sleep and coffee. Sorry for the typo everyone. Passing coffee for anyone else that might need or enjoy a second, third, or forth cup!! :D</p>
<p>Ha ha, Blueiguana, I was wondering how that was possible. I actually posted (or thought I did this question at 6:20 this morning then when I went back later was not there, obviously I needed more coffee and didn’t send when I thought I did.</p>
<p>A lot of parents are griping about it. My hubby leaves at 6:15 so like BlueIguana I could sleep in but its hard to sleep with everyone pounding around and I like to say by to my D4 as its my last one, guess I should enjoy it. Amazing what you can accomplish when you get up that early. I do also see the point about having time after school. They do get out at 2:05 so practices and EC’s are usually over by 6. Pro’s and cons. Doesn’t kill them I guess.<br>
Thanks for the extra coffee Blue, needed it</p>
<p>FogFog, I am sure your son is one of the few up at “only 8” over there! Those college kids make up for the getting up early in high school!</p>