<p>D1 sent an email that she is safe and sound in Prague. I feel so much better that she is on the ground.</p>
<p>couldbeworse- thanks for the info. Yes, It is a great problem to have!</p>
<p>D is headed to NY/ DC next weekend for the first of her trips paid by her scholarship. She is very excited and has just emailed me the itinerary. Shortly followed by a " mum, would it be ok if a bunch of kids slept in the basement the night before we fly"…</p>
<p>Hmmmmm how many is a bunch??? We live 25mins from the airport and I guess it makes more sense for them to leave from here than to drive from the college town about 2 hrs from the airport.</p>
<p>Naturally, we said yes. My friend said it will just be like when we used to have the girl scout troop sleepover. I am thinking they are a little bit bigger now! Heading to the basement to sort it out. We have a partial basement and it was finished as a playroom , nothing fancy. Maybe now, I will pass on the polly pockets and the dolls house : (</p>
<p>HI All
Been a week since I checked in. Kiddo2 is doing better.
This time last weekend I was sleeping on a window seat in a childrens’ hospital.
Right now kiddo2 is working om homework and I will be heading to bed shortly.</p>
<p>Called and spoke with my mom–who is also out of the hospital. Physical therapists will eb coming to the house to help her with OT. Chemo tom. She sleeps alot. My dad seems “checked out” … it is difficult.</p>
<p>Kiddo is just starting spring break–though with sport there is no break–so no visit/family time/vaca…Skyped today and it will be a busy 2 weeks. for kiddo. </p>
<p>We are considering a trip over the Easter weekend to see kiddo…even if its for just a meal or so…it is hard to think it would be until mid May (from xmas) and then for only 10 days before kiddo headed off for summer sport and competition. Like EAO and Scoutsmom students, kiddo was asked by prof to please apply for the summer abroad prpgram etc…we would have supported it had kiddo wanted to go. Kiddo will perhaps revisit that later. IDK
Kiddo is talking majors, classes liked/disliked and career focus. Enjoys some classes more than others and we feel there is plenty of time to explore and not panic. Glad that kiddo is taking the coursework and direction seriously.</p>
<p>I have all of the reservations-tickets, hotels etc and car rental ready for kiddo2’s spring break “this is what a college is like” tour. </p>
<p>This week I begin a new thing–I am taking a class in learning a new sport…uh…so being a middle aged adult and not in athletic shape…can you say…“hello?? what are you thinking??hahahaha?” Looking forward to the challenge.
Beyond that I am prepping to speak at a women’s conference.
A few other irons in the fire. I am finding a new stride…</p>
<p>Hugs all around.</p>
<p>Your house sounds very busy fogfog! ((hugs)) back at you for going through the bumps with both of your parents.</p>
<p>My boy is home! I’m sharing my Mom love with food. Tonight’s dinner was one of his favorites - Mac and Cheese and his favorite cookies for dessert.</p>
<p>D is home and its been fun so far. Went to Sam’s and she discouraged me from buying anything unhealthy, bummer. She said her roommate who is a vegetarian organic food eater is rubbing off on her. She did however request Steak, said she would never become a vegetarian but the eating whole foods rather than processed is what has rubbed off! </p>
<p>Hubby decided to save some money and replace our water pressure tank himself, spent the day yesterday with no water and he actually did an ok job, lots of pressure, soldering held etc but there is one spot that is dripping and now I am trying to reach a plumber to come fix and emptying a bucket every 20 minutes! UGH. His intentions were good!</p>
<p>Enjoy the day, supposed to get a bit of snow around our area, but don’t think its going to come far enough north to get us! Good thing, as far as I am concerned, I liked no having winter!</p>
<p>^^^EAO-me too. Do not like winter. That is why we live in Texas. :)</p>
<p>Nice to hear many kids are home for spring break. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Well, I think mine is coming home this Friday although I am not sure he is going to ride the chartered bus or get a ride from someone. I can count with one hand how many times we communicated so far this semester. Last time we talked he told me he has been busy–has five courses plus one lab and IM sports. I think his way of communication with home is by sending texts to S2. I am trying hard not to take it personally but I am sure like to receive texts from him ever now and then rather than asking S2 for news.</p>
<p>S arrived home this morning much to the glee of AvonMom. GF is also off this weekend and she picked him up at the airport and saved us a trip. :)</p>
<p>Feeding him could be interesting this week as the 15 year old frig took a turn for the worse last weekend when the compressor started making noise. That stopped after a day but now the top freezer shelf is not frozen and the temps in the frig are higher than they should be. Ice maker quit a couple of years ago so we went appliance shopping this weekend. One of the burners and the control module on the cooktop went out a few months ago so we ordered one of those as well. Everything is delivered Thursday. Fortunately we have a freestanding freezer in the garage and a mini-frig in the basement rec room bar so we will survive. They say things happen in threes so I am waiting for the dishwasher or something else to give it up soon. :(</p>
<p>Awaiting range repairman tomorrow. Burners are ticking and only 1 works out of 5. Pro range & it took me less than a year to break it, although it wasn’t brand new when we moved in last year. I’m sure it was all the boiled over stuff.
I had the fire dept “visit” the first time I tried to use it.</p>
<p>Talked to DS last night. He flies home Saturday; requests include homemade cookies and Breyer’s ice cream. Told him looking forward to big hug at the airport which led to long pause. Guess I’ll skip that but will be hard!</p>
<p>He told us what housing he’s applied for next year and is thinking about courses. All settled into summer program as well so feel as though in good place. Will know better when I see him!</p>
<p>gsmomma- Glad D arrived safe and sound. </p>
<p>EAO- can’t find fault with eating healthier! S has lost almost 30 pounds since August. I know he has cut back on the junk. I have already had to buy him jeans once, so I am hoping he is now at his final weight. </p>
<p>fog - glad to read kiddo2 is doing better. I am sure your Mother is glad to be home. Good luck and have fun with the new sport. Mind telling us what it is? </p>
<p>Gibson - i will be having a housefull of kids will be a lot of fun, even if only for one night. </p>
<p>Emmy - How nice that your D is better. </p>
<p>Vamom- congrats to your S for being choosen for sumemr biology class. </p>
<p>I am with everyone in appliance purgatory, or is it hell. The drain on our washing machine started backing up. I assume it is a clog. H tried to fix it last night and after a few attempts with a snake he reported to me that he was gong to cut a pipe…blah, blah, blah. yikes! He is not very handy. I was working with 12yoD on her science last night and was unavailable to help him. I asked him to please not cut any pipes for now. Laundry is caught up and we are not in dire straights right now. I suggested he use an enzyme type drain opener which he did. We will have to see how it works tonight. My biggest fear is our clogged drain turns in a huge mess once H gets done “fixing” it. LOL.</p>
<p>siemom, glad to hear that thinkgs are moving smoothly.</p>
<p>ShawD and I are in NY for a couple of days, replacing a Florida vacation. We visited the other grandmother and then are using some of my gazillion hotel points to stay at a hotel in Chelsea for a couple of nights. What she wants to do is shop. OK on going to a play but not crazy about it – she likes musicals, which I usually abhor (Wicked was good but I hated lots of the musicals people seem to love). I bring my computer and rocket stick modem and my phone and ipod and all goes well. The only problem is that she’s got a model-like figure (a little more curves) but tall and thin so almost everything looks very good on her (that’s what one of my friend calls a first-world problem). So, the problem is that it hard to choose. Then, I share my judgment. We’re at Century 21 as I type and she’s trying on clothes. </p>
<p>She’s now showing final choices to her ShawWife by phone. She says, there’s no reason to ever shop in Boston. It’s so much better in NY. She said the selection in the H&M store on 18th Street is much more stylish and edgy than the H&M store in Cambridge. I can’t comment on the sylishness of the wares, but I will say that there the shoppers in NY contain many more a) fashionable women and b) more attractive women than I have seen in Cambridge. Probably a combination of the law of large numbers and a higher proportion of women who are interested in fashion.</p>
<p>^ Shawbridge…you are hilarious.</p>
<p>Yes a first world problem for sure…shopping in NYC!</p>
<p>Shawbridge–yes too funny. You are also a great dad–I can’t imagine my Dad ever shopping with me when I was younger or now!!! (Even if you are multitasking–great idea!)</p>
<p>Ah, the Century21 store, brings back fond memories Shaw! Used to work in WFC and would sneak across the plaza to check it out during lunch.</p>
<p>I thought Century 21 was just a Real Estate company. Now H & M I know of from my daughter. She goes there when she wants something a little different then the norm. I don’t know if my husband has ever been shopping with any of my kids. Heck, I don’t much like shopping with my boys or my husband. All they want to do is leave.</p>
<p>Anyone have their Spring break kids going back to their HS to see how their old EC’s are doing? My son popped into his Robotics club tonight and is planning to go to a tournament this weekend with his friend who is also home from college. They won’t be alone. It’s kind of neat how many of the college kids go to the Spring tournaments, at least for a couple of years.</p>
<p>Kath: It’s great that your son is going back to his Robotics club. D1 still goes to her team’s gymnastics meets when she’s in town. The last girl from her training group graduates this year. D2 likes to visit newspaper class, which was her favorite EC.</p>
<p>I hope that those of you with kids home this week are having nice visits.</p>
<p>My husband will always take the girls shopping as long as its a store with a nice leather couch where he sits and they come out and model for him! My son doesn’t like shopping but his sisters dress him, he sits in the dressing room and they bring him things to try on, cooperative shopping! When we lived overseas and H would travel to the US for business, kids would make a power point for H to shop for them. Complete with SKU #'s, size and color, hubby would go into store, hand the sales person the power point, take a seat and “shop” for the kids! Works great.</p>
<p>Plumber came to fix the Water Pressure tank that H installed on Sunday. Not too bad, original estimate for installation was 700 dollars, husband bought a new tank for 250 dollars at Home Depot, installed himself then after calling plumber on Monday (150 dollars) we are still ahead of the game…of course that is not including the “man hours” that hubby spent installing but I think he enjoys it!</p>
<p>Love hearing about everyone’s adventures!</p>
<p>Supposed to go up to 70 tomorrow, come on Spring…yes I am obsessed with the weather!!! Have a good one.</p>
<p>I am with the guys on shopping. I hate it. 12yo D loves, loves, loves to shop. D does need a nice dress for an upcoming bat mitzvah she was invited to and I am looking forward to taking her shopping for that (well to a couple of stores anyway). Regular clothes shopping where we have to hit many stores and browse, forget it. We did go to Centruty 21 when I took D to NYC for her birthday last year. It was overwhelming. H will take D shopping occasionally, but like ShawDad he is really sitting and overseeing. LOL.</p>
<p>Ends up we had to call a drain cleaner last night. Looks like the main drain from the house to the sewer line is clogged. While H was working on trying to clear it again he told D to not use the bathroom. She thought he meant “that” bathroom and she proceeded to use another one. He was not happy. So hopefully we get someone out today to fix the problem. I was glad H is able to stay home to tend to this because I admit to being embarassed when we have repair folks in our garage or cellar. H is a packrat and we have so much crap it is not funny.</p>
<p>mamom, I am glad for you that your H will tend to the repair person visit. Don’t be very embarassed, though. I bet that repairpersons see lots of different situations, including ones that are way more embarassing than yours may be.</p>
<p>I hope that your situation is taken care of quickly and easily, with only the one trip and little pain to the checkbook.</p>
<p>EAO–I’m with you–I love warm/hot weather and hate winter. Even though it’s been mild, it’s still too cold for me. I grew up in AZ and lived in GA and TX for a number of years and love the warmer climates. I dream of moving back to a warm climate after DS2 is out on his own!</p>
<p>mamom–I think we live parallel lives. My DH is a packrat too and our garage/basement are full of “stuff”. I call it “stuff” so I don’t call it something else! 
Luckily he’s also good at fixing things (hence some of the “stuff”) but it limits the amount of repair people that have to see those areas! Did I mention he has a classic car that is in TX because he has too much stuff in our garage so he can’t store it here–yea, it’s like that!</p>
<p>Not sure if DS will visit school when he’s home. He did go back for a band competition when he was home in the fall to see friends. I am currently asking around for anyone who may have extra tickets to graduation since I think he’d like to go and see his friends graduate. I want to go also because a good friend’s DD is graduating and her family is flying out so they are using all their tickets! </p>
<p>Can you believe it’s sneaking up on the end of their freshman year?? How did that happen. Weren’t we just lamenting them leaving?</p>