I couldn’t help myself @EastGrad , I had to peek. Whoa! Let me go make you a soothing cup of tea and then find a dartboard and tape a picture of a clarinet on it. 
@RyanG1207 and @PAO2008 - I hear you. I took the last two weeks off, but ended up having to work a couple of days in there, so I’m able to redeposit those in my vacation time bucket. Other than two 2-day college visits in November (one of which ended up coughing a day back too, since I had to log in and work), I didn’t take time off in 2015. I already have a lot of vacation accrued, and used a week and 3 days last year, and a week (of four) this year, as this past week is counted as 2016 for us. I still have a LOT left over, and plan to use some for admitted student visits (we know there’ll be at least one), a trip with S somewhere this summer, and then moving him to college. I’ll probably figure out a way to take a week and go sit on an island somewhere after he’s at school, too. I can fantasize about all that now, but still gotta show up tomorrow. 
@palm715 I can add a few more pics to that board.
I love this idea of a Parents of the HS Class of 2016 dartboard, @palm715 and @carolinamom2boys. A perfect addition to our barbecue. My turn to laugh out loud at one of your posts, palm.
Went to a conference in Copenhagen this summer, @PAO2008, and thought the city and people were wonderful.
Here’s a toast to future vacations that don’t involve finding parking on a college campus.
I interviewed for a job in Copenhagen – thought it would be world-broadening for S16 to have his senior year abroad. I didn’t get the job, and found another closer to home. We are still thinking of living abroad in our empty nest phase.
I read some pop psychology on FB that encouraged smiling as a way to trigger the happy hormones. I am working on that approach in this new year. Just keep smiling, @EastGrad and @carolinamom2boys ! (Think Dory in Finding Nemo).
It is a new year & I decided to join as a new poster.
I have followed this thread for months: learning (& liking) so much from this group. I agree that it a a very resourceful + pleasant & supportive group.
I am also amazed by some of the ‘mean-spirited’ responses I see sometimes on other threads. IMO if they respond that way anonymously they probably aren’t too pleasant in person either. Wouldn’t want to have a cookout or sit on a bench with them!
Welcome @bookmom7
My hair is already thin, I’m not going to have any left by the time this is all done! So right before the beginning of winter break-like that Friday, D got her written acceptance to a college she’d already heard from verbally. Among the many pieces of paper was a list of scholarships. One was for the honors college, which she’d been invited to apply for after the verbal acceptance, and had already sent in some of the documents. On this paper, the SAT and ACT scores for qualifying were higher than the scholarship page on the website lists, but the same as on the honors college page. We sent, of course, the SAT score, which only qualifies under the lower number, not the ACT which meets it and then some. Somehow I never noticed this difference until TODAY.
So D is going to contact the honors college admissions person tomorrow to see if they’ll accept a screenshot of the ACT score or what we need to do. Naturally it’s the scholarship that could be as high as a full-ride. I feel like throwing up. H is going to follow up with his contact from when he called there about some other issue. But OMG.
As for the “mean people”, there are screen names that I simply don’t read if I can help it. ESPECIALLY if they start a thread. This is my favorite thread and I spend most of my time here now.
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It’s too bad you can’t block people here like you can on FB. Not this thread of course but others!
@dcplanner there is a ignore feature but I don’t know how it works
Happy New Year everyone! FAFSA question: does the parent start the FAFSA, or is the Kid supposed to do it? I would like to just fill it all out, but it looks like there is a part that the kid is supposed to do? But my S really would not be able to answer the financial stuff. He really has very little, and I know about it. It’s not like he has a stash of money somewhere that only he knows about!? B-)
@sseamom, this never ends does it? One of my favorite schools that I am hoping S gets accepted to has an error on their website. I can find two different pieces of information regarding the same topic.
On another note, it’s back to school tomorrow. I gave spent most of today getting lessons ready.
Welcome, @bookmom7. I love your profile picture.
In order to block someone, it looks like you can click on his/her user name and then hit the orange “ignore” button. I haven’t done that to anyone yet, but…it’s tempting.
Thanks @EastGrad! Actually took the pic of the patch of bluebonnets that sprout in our yard every spring with my iphone!
I wonder if you ignore someone- when they respond to a thread you are reading if it is just ‘blank’ where they post? Tempted to see how it works!
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Yes. It is just blank. I ignored someone from the other thread. Yes, the one with 10,000 + posts. You see it blank ant that person cannot post on your threads, I think.
Welcome @bookmom7 ! This is a wonderful place to hangout.
Welcome @bookmom7!!!
I wonder: if they ignore you, can you also not see their posts? And can you undo this by hitting the ignore button again?
Welcome @bookmom7
Also had the same question as @drmom123. I looked at the website & it seemed as if the student would get a pin first & then the parent would use that number, although it may not have to be that way.
I am holding off asking DS to log on to FAFSA until he finishes his last app tonight. We are down to the wire!