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<p>HighHead, mathmomvt and all - fogfog is right, let’s consider a tropical holiday cruise first and not worry about the clas of 2014 (although some of us are there). I’ll leave those lovely countdown figures on the HS Class of 2014 thread. :D</p>
<p>And our sympathies and first choice of cabins goes out to our CC friends with class of 2012 kids! :)</p>
<p>EAO1227: Yes, please share the site if you can. I think it might be helpful to keep S3 away from his fantasy football “addiction” periodically.</p>
<p>I sent my D an advent calendar and some holiday window stickers which should have arrived yesterday or the day before. Still no word from her - I’m assuming she is caught up in her school’s Christmas Festival, which includes really big concerts Thursday through Sunday for their major choirs (one of which she is in) and the orchestra. We weren’t able to skype last Sunday night because she was in late evening rehearsals. They are simulcasting the Sunday afternoon concert at several local theaters here, so I will be able to see them: it’s supposed to be incredible! It’s also on some PBS stations, but I think the sound will be better in the theater.
I’m planning on doing some cooking this weekend; I’m hosting a few small gatherings and want to get some things done ahead of time and frozen to avoid too much last minute scrambling - of course there will be some, but that’s part of the fun! I’m making some chocolate peppermint bark to bring to work for the folks in my group; I thought I’d make up some cello bags with green and red ribbon. I’ll send some to D to share with her roomie and assorted hallmates.
Happy weekend to all!</p>
<p>EAO and Kathie</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies.
That is what I would do too the trash, the laundry and the fridge. Great that is easy…</p>
<p>I am sure everybody is excited and looking forward to children, OK young independent adults coming home. I am really happy and also think at times the change, all of it is going to all good or would it also bring some challenges. The relationship is the same but the equation shall change a wee bit. I wonder if they will leave the explosive teen years behind and the skills they picked up in last 4 months on their own will also bring out the appreciation of what we have as parents and children more than we always have in a grown up sort of way. I wonder… I wonder…I am really really looking forward to having my D home that is for sure.</p>
<p>Hello all</p>
<p>Anialways–I agree with the other posters…removing trash, Emptying the refrigerator, having all laundry washed.
Enjoy your DD…it has been several months since she has been home, correct. Have a great time!</p>
<p>Hope all are well. </p>
<p>I had a great group of students today - I am a docent at an art museum part time. great engagment and good behavior. These were kids from a school in a poorer area of the district. Love opening those doors in these young minds–when you see the “ah ha” moment.</p>
<p>Sunnydayfun and Ohiomom, sent him a message and will get back to you when he answers me!</p>
<p>I am jealous of those of you in short countdown to break. We’re trying desperately to get D home on the 21st instead of the 22nd (this is if a prof will let her switch exam times). So she’s got a while. But in the meantime, we’ll be out there next weekend.</p>
<p>EmmyBet, my d has awhile before she is home, too. She flies out on the 21, but will stay in Chicago for a LONG layover to see her aunts instead of getting back on her plane for the second leg of her flight to KC. She will not actually be home til late on Christmas eve.</p>
<p>Oh, gosh - you win (or lose, I guess). That’ll make for a very dramatic holiday!</p>
<p>Ohiomom and Sunnydayfun…ok, son says depends on your browser. If you use Firefox you can use an “add on” called Leech Block If you use Google Chrome it is called Stay Focused and he say’s its an “extension” I don’t really understand all this but he says if you google it you can find it. It works in several ways you can either limit yourself to a certain amount of time per day on certain websites or you can limit certain websites in general or you can say don’t let me log on to websites xy and z for the next 6 hours or what ever you want. Cool system. Hope it helps. Have a great weekend all. I am headed out last minute to NYC to meet some friends who are flying over from Europe.</p>
<p>Hi all,
It’s been so busy and there’s too much to catch up on so I’m just jumping in here. I did see someone ask about head phones that you can sleep with a couple days ago or so and I did a bit of research since I wanted some for D2. I found two–this one is like a headband and is $40 [Amazon.com:</a> AcousticSheep SP4BM SleepPhones v.4 - Earset - Retail Packaging - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/AcousticSheep-SP4BM-SleepPhones-v-4-Packaging/dp/B0046H8ZHS]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/AcousticSheep-SP4BM-SleepPhones-v-4-Packaging/dp/B0046H8ZHS) and this second one looks more like a regular ear bud style but more comfortable with a spongy piece that goes over rather than in the ear and they’re $20. [Bedphones</a> | Headphones for Sleep | Super Thin | On-ear | Travel Headphones | Sleep Headphones](<a href=“http://www.bedphones.com/]Bedphones”>http://www.bedphones.com/) I went for the less expensive option and will be curious to see if they work for my D.</p>
<p>I also want to congratulate momjr’s D on her consulting job!</p>
<p>I’m sure I’m missing many other kudos…hope all’s well with everyone and all are enjoying gearing up for the holidays. I love this early December period when all the decorations come out, cards start arriving in the mail, parties are being planned, invitations received, etc.</p>
<p>Tomorrow I’ll go to the post office to mail my two college D’s hanukah window clings even though this year they’ll be home when it starts. Received an invitation from a friend to a group of us with freshman to bake cookies and gather next week to exchange and send cookies to our kids, along with a card from all the moms as they get ready for finals. Such a fun idea!</p>
<p>Thanks collage1!</p>
<p>I am also send my D’s hanukah packages with some decorations and gelt to lift their spirits. I plan to include some provisions to get them through finals. The cookie exchange sounds like a good idea, but it’s a little late for that. Maybe I’m get ambitious and bake some cookies. Any ideas for healthy stuff to send? I’ve got some luna bars but could use some other things.</p>
<p>Bajamm: Sorry to hear about your D’s computer. That’s really stressful for a college student. It sounds like she has a plan to manage things for now.</p>
<p>EA01227: Thanks a bunch! Will pass this along to my highschooler and see if he can get it up and running! Thank your son for me, please!</p>
<p>I didn’t realize that d would be returning so soon. Although her finals week starts on Dec. 12th, she will be home probably Dec. 9th. Why? Because in one class, due to her grades, she gets to skip the final. One class has no final, just a last test on the day of the last class. Two of her classes were one credit deals that didn’t have any written work or tests. Then for the two classes she has tests- one is online and she will do at home, and the other she will do in the reading period since it is much easier to get a double time exam in the math lab outside of exam week. She gets double time for exams but only takes it in math. Since she left on Monday, Nov. 28th, it is a really short time before she is back. But her younger sister will be much happier to not just have me for her birthday. H will be traveling all day on his own birthday (fun, fun way to spend b’days, not) and will also be gone for youngest’s bday. I am just really happy that instead of hm being gone for much more than a week, it will just be a week and a day.</p>
<p>Two weeks until DS is back home for the holidays. This year DD (2014) will get to go and help in selecting the tree. I can’t say she is very excited about that but she is excited as she gets to choose the decorating theme this year. (We have way too many decoratons so the decorating theme varies from year to year and everyone takes a turn in selecting the theme for the tree.)</p>
<p>Our local HS football season is finally over. The team gave it their all but ended up losing in the state final last night to last year’s runner up team. They played well but just couldn’t control their opponent’s star running back who ran for approximately 350 yards, scored 6 touchdowns and averaged about 9 yards a carry. The kid is a tank and I think we will see a lot of him at the college level in the next few years. Still, finishing as the state runner-up is nothing to sneeze at and the kids will always have the memories and distinction of being the first ever team from our town to make it to a state final game.</p>
<p>Sneaking a peek at the parents of 2012 thread makes me very glad that all of that chaos, procrastination, editing, proofing, arguing, harassing, complaining, unhelpful GC’s, and frustration is behind us! 
:D</p>
<p>Hi All</p>
<p>Saw this an thought of all of the STEM majors…
Pet lovers will enjoy it too</p>
<p>[What</a> happens when engineers own dogs - YouTube](<a href=“What happens when engineers own dogs - YouTube”>What happens when engineers own dogs - YouTube)</p>
<p>We planned flight home for DS based on dorm closing schedule since didn’t know exams. Turns out he’ll be hanging at school a few extra days as changing flight very expensive. My hope is uses time to clean room before it is closed for a month! Having seen it last weekend - needs vacuuming (he has small one), dishes done, and much laundry. After a hectic upcoming week of finishing papers I’ll send him a “gentle” reminder!</p>
<p>Funny how it feels as though this semester has both crawled and flown and very, very grateful to be in this place as opposed to a year ago!</p>
<p>Thanks for the link fog. This brings back very fond memories of calls from Bluejr at his stem based EC begging me to bring in Bluedog for comic relief. The long hours get to the kids. They would set up something very similar and let a string of 40 wiffel balls fly just to watch her run. I must say she was entertaining. His coach was always glad to see Bluedog and understood the stress relief was good for everyone once in a while.</p>
<p>EAO-Thanks for the great info!!! H has already looked into the Leech Block and said it looks like a very good add-on. Thanks to your S too. Kids know so much about computer these days!
S has finished his classes for the semester yesterday and has only two finals which will be next Friday and Saturday. Some kids (including his roommate) are going home and then come back for finals. I hope S will find something productive to do from now until Friday!</p>
<p>D’s computer restore disks were delivered to our house early this am via fed ex instead of her school for some reason, so I went shopping and made her a care package. H mailed the box priority mail this morning, hopefully she will have her computer up and going on Tuesday. It had been awhile since I have mailed a box, hopefully it will ease the computer issues and finals stress.</p>