<p>Black Friday shopping is a family event for us. We spend part of Thanksgiving Day (when the bird is in the oven) with the ads spread out in the family room and we plot our strategy. Usually two or three cars covering several stores each. Then we all meet for breakfast. Then a nap. Then (if weather allows) help DH put up the Christmas lights.</p>
<p>Not sure how this will work with several stores starting their sales at midnight (Kohl’s and Target are two of our usual stops.) My boys do love a good bargain and are willing to forego sleep for it.</p>
<p>Regarding running naked, Harvard has an event called Primal Scream, run on the night before finals. Naked, men and women both my D1 and S1 have run it, apparently the winter run is much more difficult for obvious reasons! Not only do the “administration” ignore but I think its actually a source of pride, I remember hearing about it on at least one visit.</p>
<p>OWM So glad he got the Knock! Way to go!</p>
<p>Advent calendars that I bought are inexpensive but much enjoyed so buy away. Roommates and random strangers down the hall all enjoy them. I usually bought a bunch and just sent saying pass them out. Also sent Gummi Bears. Funny story, some girls down the hall “kidnapped” my son’s huge 5 lb tub of Gummi’s and left a ransom note with a picture of a Gummi tied up with some sort of demand, fun!</p>
<p>Headed up to Yale for the big Harvard/Yale Game after picking up our surprise guest at the airport. Husband and I couldn’t decide which team to root for so this year I get Yale and he gets Harvard and next year vice versa… I figure I won since I get the home team each year!
MNMOMof 2, On my son’s 18th birthday he was already in college. I made a cake and we skyped him and sang Happy Birthday then proceeded to eat the cake in front of him. (we had sent him a cake via his sister). The next day he wrote a ■■■ for his University website describing the skype party we had for him!</p>
<p>I am undecided about Black Friday Sales. I am of the mind that if I boycott then sales people may end up getting their lives back and not have to work on Thanksgiving night But the realist in me realizes that this will change nothing. With three kids in college, not sure if I “need” anything. But I sure do want…will see what the sales are offering.</p>
<p>Will let you know how the weekend went. Enjoy the weekend and stay warm!
Fogfog, blue and all the other mothers who have tons of legos in the netherlands. Not sure what to do with them… Grandchildren seems so far off, yet their childhood sure went quickly!</p>
<p>Just got off the phone with d. She exasperated me. She was going on and on about how she doesn’t like her English prof who is in fact German. Not because he is German but because of his grading and explanations of grading. Now she had an A in all her class at midterm and she is freaking out about getting anything less than an A. Since the grade she was complaining about was an A, I didn’t get it. I had to explain to her about twice that since all the grades she has received in English after midterms were A’s, she still has an A. Now I can’t say whether her 2nd draft and final draft will be an A nor her paper about how she writes (that is the one she will have most trouble with) but so far, so good. She told me if she gets an A- in any class, she will cry for 2 months. I told her that she will be doing totally fantastic if all she has are A’s and A-, and I really don’t want to hear it. I asked her if she had contacted student counseling because she was told to continue with counseling for her anxiety and of course, she hadn’t. Her excuse was that she doesn’t know the number. I told her that since she does have an A in each class now and I think even a person with a C in each class can figure out how to use a directory, I expect her to look up the number tomorrow and call. Just very whiny and it is annoying when the kid is doing so well already. Yes, yes, I know that deducting five points off for not good citations in a first draft when she specifically asked what is needed in the first draft and he only stated number of words needed, and she did have cites though not in final form, I can see where she is peeved. But she needs to move on. It is as if she is taking lessons in whining from my youngest, who is a master of it.</p>
<p>MM - I’m thinking of you and sending gentle hugs. I really hope your DD will follow through and contact someone regarding her anxiety. The repetitive negative thought process can be very debilitating. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to deal with trying to get her to help herself when you’re not there. {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}</p>
<p>Here is the fresh coffee and some fresh bagels :)</p>
<p>MM~Hugs to you I can feel the tension reading your post. Remember there are kids trying to become adults End of first semester for any freshman is stressful.IMHO,
I would text the number to her, saying Good morning, know you are busy here is the number for the Student counseling office, have a great day :)</p>
<p>Regarding grades, I understand their importance, however to make yourself sick over them is just so HS. I may have a very different approach than most on this thread so i will refrain from
commenting too much. Just know that she is in my thoughts :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the coffee 2edu! Agreed about texting the number. I know they are supposed to be proactive and do things on their own, however if it meant one more day that my student was not seeking help for something like this, I would text the number in hopes they would reach out.</p>
<p>We had a discussion about grades with Bluejr because he was giving the attitude of being way too carefree about a couple of grades. This was his way of keeping us at arms length. It backfired on all counts. Once we all understood each other all is good and everyone is fine. As long as I know he is doing everything he can to address a difficult class, that’s all I can ask. He’s not going to make all A’s, and if he did he’s probably not being challenged. This is not hs anymore. He learned a valuable lesson however that acting like he didn’t care was NOT the way to get mom to leave it in his very capable hands! LOL</p>
<p>MM: Those stressed out calls are tough on a parent. I like the suggestion about texting her the number.</p>
<p>EAO: Have fun at the game Saturday. I’ve been to some games at Penn. The football may not be the best, but you can’t beat the traditions. I can’t wait to hear about your D’s reaction when she sees her friend. What a great surprise!</p>
<p>D2 called yesterday to tell me that the fire alarm went off twice in the middle of the night the previous night. She had to go down 13 flights and out in the cold twice. Luckily, she didn’t have any tests yesterday. </p>
<p>I usually try to avoid the Black Friday sales. I love Thanksgiving and hate to see it overtaken with shopping mania.</p>
<p>Will you be in C’ville by Tuesday?!? Bluejr hasn’t told me yet but if you have time, let’s make sure we see each other!! I’m totally flexible and can go earlier then the kids need me.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure D would not participate in a naked run, but despite her antipathy for large group activities would consider an underwear run. She actually flashed her entire high school when she was a junior (on purpose). A teacher was prosing on and on about appropriate dress and held D up as an example of appropriate modesty (this was a public high school). Well she dressed old fashioned- in skirts and dresses- because that was a look she liked. Didn’t much like being held up as an examply by a teacher she could not stand. So she asked to be excused as he kept on lecturing the school, and as she went behind him- she lifted her shirt to flash the students. (Her bra covered more than most bathing suit tops.) The students fell on the floor laughing but she was gone before he could figure out why the kids reacted so. Another teacher was in the audience, but never said a word. Only my D…</p>
<p>proudmom: Yay! so glad you were able to get her home. </p>
<p>EAO- Love the birthday cake story!!! It’s always good to have a measure of humor in life’s celebrations :). Also have fun at The Game, S2 is in the band, so try and watch the half time show!</p>
<p>Hate, hate, HATE shopping- any time, anywhere!!! So that means Black Friday would be the pinnacle of pain for me, no thank you :)</p>
<p>S2 touches down at 11:45 Sunday morning (provided he makes his flight!). Can’t wait!</p>
<p>Thanks everybody. I did email a link to their website this morning which has their phone number. I also pointed out that I did the link so she could see the services they provide and how they operate. I noticed that they have group sessions for various problems so maybe they have one for anxious people too. </p>
<p>I have just had a very tough week. Last week, I found out on the internet that someone we knew and was in a position of trust in the military plead guilty to molesting his adopted daughter. He seems to have picked out one of the kids and had some sort of sick ‘love’ relationship with the child for ten years. By that I mean, he was writing what amounts to love letters to her but of course, she, now older, doesn;t see it in the same light just the way anyone normal doesn’t either. Although we haven’t seen them for over five years, it has really stressed me out. I need a mind scrub but am not sure how to do that. But that probably is why I am less sympathetic than normally with my hyper and anxious d.</p>
<p>MMom, that sounds really awful and would throw anyone off kilter.</p>
<p>I also think it would be hard to listen sympathetically to anyone who is complaining that they might get “only” an A-. As my D1 who has lived now in some pretty rough conditions would say, “First world problem!” </p>
<p>We’re all in this one together! I’m glad you can talk to us about it, and hope it helps.</p>
<p>kinder - score another point for your D! She’s going to change the world someday.</p>
<p>Mm~No need to explain yourself. You are entitled to blowing steam here anytime
But I can see how those news could deeply affect you. So :mad:</p>
<p>Scrubbing your brain…I like this…I do it by taking a me day, 1/2 day or hour to do whatever I want that makes me happy. Dinner with a special friend, a phone call with someone back home i have not connected in a while. Painting a quick landscape, organizing a closet whatever it is…my family knows Mom needs me time
How do you all scrub your brains? </p>
<p>If the stores would stop blasting Christmas music so early, I would be extremely grateful There’s a certain time close to Christmas, that I do entertain Dan Folgelberg singing about the old love he runs into at the grocery store or the little boy who doesn’t have enough money to buy the shoes for his dying mom, but right now, is NOT the time to get on my last nerve. One of those damn kiosk shills was coming up to me “M’am, may I ask you a question?” to which I belted “NO!” - blame it on the musak.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear your news MM. Very tough news regarding the person your know.
I hope your D is feeling better. I think sending her that link was a wise choice. </p>
<p>This board is a great place to share ups and downs.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes for D. She had a great day. EAO - great cake story. </p>
<p>Not a shopper here, but I will be obliged to go with D on black Friday and then go to work! Hopefully, there won’t be many incoming calls on Friday. And, it’s casual all week, so at least I’ll be comfy.</p>
<p>Where’s pepper’s frying pan? I think I need to borrow it !!</p>
<p>D texts me yesterday that her ear is hurting, hurting really bad. I ask her to go see the doc at health services, offer advice. Back comes a text “I don’t think I need to go”. Aargh! I think she did get the (unspoken/unwritten) message from me though because she texted me this morning that she has an appointment (although she did add that it doesn’t hurt as much!)</p>
<p>She was freaking out all this week due to 3 huge tests. And then very upset at what she thought was a brainless mistake by the prof when he graded her paper. Guess she made a compelling argument, she ended up with a 95 (the original grade was an 80)! She aced a math test that she was agonizing over. So all is good right now in dorm land - only one more dreaded test to go before the break!</p>
<p>Question on advising. Are your kids being helped by good advisors? D tells me that her currently assigned advisor is an english prof - doesn’t know much about the science courses or track to take. She hasn’t declared her major yet, although it is likely to be a bio/bio chem related area. She thinks she needs to declare her major and then find an advisor in the dept to help.</p>
<p>Not sure about Black Friday sales - I can never work up the energy after having been up late the previous night. I did notice that Kohls offered 5$ off any purchase between 12 midnight and 4am - H was joking that we should stop off at Kohls before coming home from our friends! We typically don’t come back home till around 1 or 2am!!</p>
End of first semester for any freshman is stressful.IMHO,
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I’m totally flexible and can go earlier then the kids need me.</p>
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