<p>Just got back from watching DS present his senior project. I knew he was working on restoring a car and converting it from conventional gasoline to all-electric, but I hadn’t realized that it could also be charged via solar power! The car can’t be operated yet, since they are having a bit of trouble with the brakes (it’s some old British car that isn’t made anymore – Jensen Healey – and the brake design is a bit wonky) but the engine, transmission, etc. are all operational and powered by the electric motor his team built. It was pretty cool to hear about the engineering and all the equipment they got to use.</p>
<p>I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t stay for more than his session since there were a lot of cool student presentations, industry panels (they bring in outside speakers), plus the keynote speaker was the guy who discovered the ruins of the Titanic.</p>
<p>Our all night grad party runs from 10-5 am and nobody is allowed to leave early or drive home. DH is working a shift as the casino “pit boss” and he has an excuse to wear his tux! DS will come home, take a nap, and then leave for the Outer Banks with 20+ of his closest friends for a week at the beach. They’ve rented some enormous house with a pool and hot tub, tons of flat screens, etc. </p>
<p>But first, prom this weekend. I ordered the corsage yesterday, and fulfilled DS’s request for some snazzy socks to match his date’s dress. They’ve got it all planned out. All 26 kids in his group are meeting at our club for pictures on the golf course and gazebo, then the party bus will take them to Ruth Chris for dinner and then the dance. After the dance they will retire to one boy’s house for the after party, which is being set up on Thursday (DS is helping). Apparently there is a sound system to hook up, as well as black lights for all the glow sticks and neon decor. They will all sleep over and then drag themselves home the next day. Oh, to be young again.</p>
<p>Graduation tomorrow. Just found out S is graduating summa cum laude and is number 7 in his class! So excited and so proud! Can’t wait until tomorrow but I know it will be bittersweet since high school has been such a great experience for him. I’ve been teary-eyed all day.</p>
<p>We are on 2nd week post-graduation. We held our big grad party this past weekend. The weather gods were with us and it was a beautiful day. We had about 100 guests stop by during the Open House. We used a party rental company to set up tables and chairs in the back yard and they used school colors for the table cloths, etc. We had some fun things to add to the mix: live music on the patio, a chocolate fountain (the kids loved this!) and a Sno Cone Van playing calypso music and handing out colorful sno cones on the driveway. Had outdoor games available as well (volleyball, etc.). Catered most of the food. We definitely over estimated what people would eat, so unfortunately have had a lot of left overs to munch on over the past few days. </p>
<p>The kid was happy and the party was well deserved. Grad parties are huge in our area; we have several to attend over the next couple of weeks. I don’t think I will be a cake fan at that point. : ) </p>
<p>Good luck to all who are still waiting for graduation day and congrats to those who have graduated over the past two weeks! </p>
<p>Graduation Ceremony was great! Music, speeches, 500 names called and done in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Had a little lunch out and getting ready to chaperone Grad Night.</p>
<p>My cancer stricken MIL did not attend the ceremony- she didn’t feel up to it. S put his cap and gown and regalia back on and visited her afterward. My sweet boy.</p>
<p>Okay - nightmare mom alert. We’re here for d’s orientation. We had her check in a night early and we’re at a hotel across the street. I actually have cried already - and more than once. sheeesh - pull it together. It’s not the orientation but it hit me so hard, she’s going to be coming here in a few months and I’m not bringing her home. The school is even prettier than I remember and everyone is being so friendly and nice. And she was so nervous being left alone to go off with a group for dinner. I have learned what she needs to work on this summer - speaking up for herself. Her a/c is broken in her room and it’s really stuffy in there. She was just ready to die I was speaking up about it to the front desk. </p>
<p>My dad and his wife arrived this afternoon and came over tonight for dinner. As I had said, she does treat my kids very well and she made my son a beautiful framed Boy Scout oriented wall hanging. It has a cross stitched Eagle badge and his troop number, also cross stitched. In the center there is a picture of him and his two buddies who shared the Eagle Court of Honor. It’s really beautiful. She has not yet been critical so we got through Day 1. </p>
<p>S14 had kind of a big day. He had graduation rehearsal this morning. Then he had a doctor appointment- his first on his own. Since he is 18, he can’t go to his pediatrician anymore so he went to a new doctor. It was humorous when I started getting screenshots of the medical history form via text messages so I could tell him what to put down. </p>
<p>He went out for ice cream with one of the girls who sat his #3 table at the Top 10 banquet (one of the #3’s from another local high school) and her friend. It turns out her friend is also going to Michigan and will be in the Residential College so that was cool for him. </p>
<p>Tomorrow I’ll be working on the photo collage video we will play on loop in the house during his open house. It’s a common tradition around here- not sure if others do these things. So tonight I went through all the old photo albums and boxes of pictures that never made it to albums and spent quite a bit of time reminiscing. There were a lot of pictures of my mom and I found one of her and I that I don’t think I’d seen before. I must have gotten it from her house when she passed. I also found a war rations book with her name on it from when she was 5 years old. It must have been near the end of the war because there were still ration stickers in it. I showed it to S14 and he was pretty impressed by it. He said “You’re not throwing that away, are you?” I said “No way!” I’m not a saver of much, but that just seems like something you don’t throw away. Don’t tell the Bag a Week folks I’m keeping it ;)</p>
<p>@Minnymom I’m glad things worked out without you having to worry and that she made her own decision. That was super sweet of your son. </p>
<p>No reason why 7:30 this morning. Tomorrow thay are due back for a second rehersal at 8:15 AM then free until 6:45 PM when they have to report for the real graduation ceremony that begins at 8 PM. No venue issues as its the auditorium at the school. This time tomorow it will be all over. D cannot wait to get out of there and be done with the whole HS thing. She is really looking forward to this fall. I think AvonMom will be looking for a box of tissues!</p>
<p>Grad night here is 7 pm to 6 am. Nobody leaves. I am on the committee so I have a shift: 2:30 to 5:30. At my age I will need at least a day to recover and a week to prepare.</p>
<p>My D had her college physical yesterday. She is 17 and didn’t want to go alone. The pediatrician informed us that kids can stay on there until 21. I was hoping she’d want to do it on her own. Oh well. I’d be worried if she hadn’t already been away from home and living in a dorm … She went to a summer research camp for 6 weeks last summer which was a 5 hour drive away so we didn’t see her at all. She loved it and is so excited about going away … This time it’s an 11 hour drive. She’ll be flying except for the beginning and end of year. The fact that she’s already been away helps. She doesn’t have any leaving the nest anxiety. But she has a lot to learn!</p>
<p>S14 received information yesterday about ordering bedding/dorm room essentials. The packages seem reasonable, but this is the first time for us. The products come from “Residence Hall Linens”. Has anyone purchased through this organization in the past? Good deal? Bad deal? Looks to be less than Bed, Bath & Beyond packages, but is the quality decent? Thanks!</p>
<p>@my2sonsfromca, our experience makes us warn people to stay away from the sheets in Residence Hall Linens. They don’t fit properly and are very poor quality.</p>
<p>I agree with @calla1 From what I’ve heard, those sheets are not nice. There will be tons of sales for XL twin sheets through the summer. BarnardGirl got hers at Target and loves them. </p>
<p>So here’s a dilemma. My brother’s step-daughter graduated last week and I want to send her something. I usually send cash but they are kind of upset that she will not go to college and wants to get a job and move out. I’m concerned that cash will just help enable this plan. I’m not sure what to do. Gift cards to somewhere? But where? She doesn’t need stuff for a dorm and she doesn’t need to buy text books. Any ideas parents?</p>
<p>@2016BarnardMom how about a gift card to a nice clothing shop for an “interview” dress. She could use that to find a job, or eventually for a college interview or presentation. It might convey that you support her AND your brother and set the tone that any job should be a “career” and not just a temporary position. And it wouldn’t go to rent or party supplies!</p>
<p>@yellowgranite56 and @2016BarnardMom I’ve been working hard on increasing my S’s independence – and not just because he needs to get there, but because I’m swamped! I’m asking him to get to appointments by himself (today it is the dentist) and fill out paperwork I used to do. It helps that the college makes some things available only to him, so he can’t just forward to me to do it. He doesn’t necessarily WANT that kind of independence, but he is stepping up. I think he can stay with his pediatrician for a few more years if he wants to.</p>
<p>We had a pleasant graduation day yesterday. I liked the speeches, and was impressed by the talent and diversity in our Class of 2014. Was surprised that the list of scholarships my S was awarded was printed in the program. We thought we entered those into a computer form just for accounting purposes, but now I’m glad we took the time! Many graduates apparently didn’t even though I’m sure they were just as successful. Also, didn’t realize that those graduates who met a standard for taking rigorous courses would be awarded Certificates of Merit even if they didn’t make the top 5% or National Honor Society. Several students spoke but there was no recognition of a valedictorian – odd! </p>
<p>It was a long day, entertaining the grandparents. But we’re glad it is over.</p>
<p>@crowlady did you have him set up the parent e-access to some forms at RIT yet? We did that over the weekend. I know with that I can see her financial aid, food plan, grades and tiger bucks (if she had any yet). I’m not sure about the health plan forms. I’m grateful for that access, if only to help her out if something comes up. </p>
<p>My D is not yet 18, so I still go to all appointments, we never know when somebody will want an adult signature. But I had her fill out the college health forms online, including the insurance info, so she’d remember she has an insurance card - use it. Her pediatrician is fine with her staying on through college, though I suspect at some point she’ll want to cut that cord. She sees a young woman PA she is comfortable talking to, and that is crucial at this age.</p>
<p>Our grad is still a month away. Awards ceremony last night, D and at least 100 others were called up for maintaining high honors for some number of semesters. I liked that they also read off everyone’s future plans. Most all were going to 4 year schools, with one pursuing a figure skating career! If there were any entering the military I missed it, it’s hard to maintain attention through 100+ names while also taking a photo without using an annoying flash. </p>
<p>Congrats to all the recent graduates, and their loving, hard-working parents. You did it!</p>
<p>My daughter is not 18 until the end of this year too so she was accompanied by my wife when she had her physical in preparation for college. But she’s been going to her dental appointment by herself ever since she started driving.</p>
<p>My Ds’ pediatrician has the kids go in without a parent starting at 16. At the end of the exam, she invites the parent in with the kid to discuss any concerns and get any necessary signatures. It seems like a good system. She will take kids up to their college physical, then they need to find another doc.</p>
<p>Last winter D14 told me she had gotten a flu shot while she was out doing errands. She’s an independent and responsible kid.</p>
<p>@12dandelion Yes, I’ve got parent access but doesn’t appear that I can upload the shot record confirmation. Which is fine with me! I’ll just nag until it is done. Judging from the Facebook group, we’re way ahead of some families, who haven’t been getting important emails because their kids missed activating their college email accounts or didn’t have a good parent email on file. I don’t envy the people who have to make sure no first-year is left behind. </p>