@eandesmom, so sorry about the break and the cast. I hope your S is feeling ok! I also hope the teachers are forgiving. The last part of school is a difficult time to be injured (although there never really is a good time to be injured).
Oh no @eandesmom, so sorry to hear! I know most of us on here are “planner” type people and it is so hard sometimes when life throws a curve ball. At this time of year seems especially rough. I hope he can recover as quickly as possible from this. Keep us posted.
sorry to hear that @eandesmom. I hope his wrist heals quickly.
So sorry to hear about the injury @eandesmom. Hoping for fast and smooth recovery.
@eandesmom , I’m so sorry for your son! Writing, playing the instrument, washing face, and other daily movements we take it for granted… It will be challenging for a while. Hoping for the quick recovery.
@eandesmom So sorry to hear that, and hope he heals well and really quickly.
My husband did break the wrist of his writing hand in college (jumping over a tennis net). It was just a bit before finals. He says that after a few days (not sure how long) he was able to write well enough. But, that wasn’t an ACT test, of course. He says his wrong-handed signature matched his regular signature before he had a chance to tell his bank.
My husband is somewhat ambidextrous – left handed but he bats and does a few other things right handed. So, it may depend on how your son is with his other hand.
I’m right-hand-dominant, but I can totally write with my left hand—just only backwards.
It’s a fun party trick to show off, actually. Probably wouldn’t gain many points on the ACT, though.
Oh no! @eandesmom I hope he has a speedy recovery.
@eandesmom sorry to hear about S’s wrist. Boy, I think of all the things you need your wrist for! Hope he heals up quickly.
@dfbdfb you talent may work better on a college essay vs. the ACT.
@eandesmom – that’s a bummer – so sorry to hear your son broke his wrist. Just hope he gets it set and is out of pain. Rest & time to heal are needed – can take ACT other tests in Sept/Oct. Hmmm I kinda wonder if there are any accommodations are possibly available for this - voice to text for essay writing or a scribe??
Mini QOTD: if colleges have sophisticated interest tracking abilities, then why do we get snail mail and email that ask D to consider them or come for a visit, when she has already visited? I’ll be very impressed when I see mail with an accurate assessment of the relationship (“we see you attended a school session…”)
She’s going to take a few IB classes to maintain eligibility at the school, but she’s not going for the full ib diploma or certificate-it just is more work than she can be successful with. D17 chose to do the same thing, but for different reasons-she wanted more science and math than the IB could do, and it had too many history requirements, which is her least favorite subject.
Since you have to apply for the IB school in middle school, but the classes don’t start until junior year, there’s really no good way to tell which kids will pan out for the full IB and which won’t, so they allow the kids to just do a few IB classes if they discover they aren’t cut out for the IB. I wish both kids would have stuck with it, but I agree with their reasons for not doing so.
Oh no!!! And at the beginning of summer, too. That stinks, poor kid 
.
@dfbdfb I’m left handed, and can do the backwards mirror writing with my right hand at the same time my left hand is writing forward, like Leonardo Da Vinci did. I can also read it with no problem. Why can’t I monetize my party tricks? :))
My husband has entered the college fray with his own spreadsheet, and we worked on it yesterday. He’s going to be point man for college visits because I get super stressed out about them and I would feed that bad energy to D17, so I showed him the Binder of Destiny. So far no disagreements on what I have, and we’re planning on chunking the list into groups of five to show her and get her feedback about them. He finds the entire process aggravating, and hates the sorts on Cappex and a few other ones.
I had a lightbulb moment about D17 being so entirely grumpy about the process-I think she’s actually scared. And I think she covers up being scared with acting as if it’s all a huge pain in the butt and she doesn’t want to talk about it, blah blah blah. So, when we go over the first five colleges today I think I’ll take a more sympathetic tactic to her attitude. I could not WAIT to get out of dodge and get to college, so I couldn’t relate to her attitude until I figured out what was really going on. She always acts very bold and confident and secure, but I think this may have her rattled.
Mini QOTD: if colleges have sophisticated interest tracking abilities, then why do we get snail mail and email that ask D to consider them or come for a visit, when she has already visited? I’ll be very impressed when I see mail with an accurate assessment of the relationship (e.g., we see you attended a school session at your HS…")
Bummer @eandsmom I hope things get better for your son.
Off to an all day soccer tourney. Sounds exciting right?
@2muchquan - I had the same reaction yesterday - another mail piece from USC engineering about visiting - we did that last summer all day & in the Fall had a “hangout” online.
@Ynotgo that makes sense on the transcripts. I think we have to do the same thing though S17 will only have one that shows on his transcript, it is just the course number, but doesn’t show the college credit for it only the HS one. He will aslo have another course credit but for that the GC suggested not putting it on the HS transcript as it tends to confuse colleges in her experience (summer course) and instead just have that as an additional transcrpt. It’s only 1 credit so it may not count for much anywhere anyway so not terribly concerned about it.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek, @mtrosemom, @payn4ward, @canypava, @HiToWaMom, @Ynotgo, @RightCoaster, @greeny8, @2muchquan, @CA1543, @MotherOfDragons
thanks. This may sound horrible but I wish it was at the beginning of summer and not now. We still have 4 weeks of school, they are saying 4-6 weeks for full recovery. And, as much as it sucks in the summer, dealing with this for finals, concerts, etc is nightmarish.
S has been through this before. Several years ago he was testing for his 2nd degree international black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Last step is board breaking to get through to your new belt. You choose how many boards. S got a bit carried away. And he was going to make sure he broke through them all (though clearly something was off in the technique or he just flat out picked too many). It was painful to watch but the kid broke through it. Not short on determination that one. Fractured his hand. Same hand. That one was a solid 8-10 weeks if memory serves so I am hoping this really is the 4-6. Also really hoping the cast is not nearly as extensive as the splint they’ve got him in now, it looks like he broke his arm as well! Kiid is in a lot of pain so I’m on my way to camp to grab him. He declined the narcotics but wanted to stay so we let him and apparently it was a brutal night so I am waiting for the ferry to get over there and grab him.
The good news is at least I tracked down his previous hand doc, who we really liked and was able to change my tuesday flight to a red eye (which auto upgraded to first class thank goodness!) and so I will be able to get him taken care of on Tuesday before being out of town the rest of the week.
I had thought of calling on accommodations. I expect his teachers to work with him, he is well liked by all of them (though band is NOT going to be happy, he’s a key player especially in jazz and I’m unclear if he was slated for any solos on weds). At the moment the kid is most worried about how his trombone teacher will take it. I am more worried about this setting him further back in the one class that needs serious work (and frankly was really hoping for a slight tick up in a few of the others). At any rate, given all that, I think layering on the ACT too much to deal with and we need to reschedule. And realistically the kid has zero time for test prep right now and will in august so it may be for the best anyway.
@RightCoaster believe it or not there will come a point in time that you miss those. A little. And, if the sun is out and they win or just play well, well yes, it can be fun! It’s funny, H was griping that graduation is on Fathers Day this year and how that shouldn’t be allowed (the E’s need to be there to play). I reminded him that we’ve had many a soccer tournament on any holiday you can think of!
@eandesmom – oh gosh - so much school left - had no idea. I do think staff will be very understanding and accommodating but it will be frustrating no matter what. My kid really hurt his hand breaking boards during his 3rd degree karate black belt test - swollen and bruised for a long time – he also plays violin so basically had to stop for awhile - even though he wanted to be in the Spring concert it was not possible. All healed now though. Good luck keeping him (and yourself) calm and trying to get through these last few weeks!
@eandesmom, my S is a 2nd degree black belt in ITF also! Not many I know do international TKD.
@eandesmom I am glad you were able to get everything rearranged so that you can things done on Tuesday. I hope everyone is understanding about his wrist. I hope his arm isn’t broken as well. If it is in the growth plate and depending on the location, he could end up in an elbow bend cast. (Ask me how I know. And it was right at the beginning of summer as well.) I really hope that everything can be dealt with a lower arm cast. As inconvenient as that is, at least he will be able to use his arm.
@2muchquan Your mini topic of the day…It won’t happen. We have even gotten promo materials from schools where they have already been accepted!!! There is obviously zero relation to promo materials and actual data pertaining to interest, application, acceptance.
@rightcoaster Our oldest played soccer from 4 to 18. He loved it (still does and plays on adult leagues). At one point in time we had kids on 5 different teams. When he graduated from high school, I told the kids I was hanging up my soccer mom hat. My youngest 3 have never played…and no, I don’t really miss it (well, maybe in a nostalgic sort of way, but not enough to ever get involved again. 
)
I love watching my kids play and I know it makes them happy. It’s just these darn holiday weekend tourneys that drive me up the wall. We’re almost thru with it, and I’ll miss it I’m as sure. Just being a cynical grumpy old guy today:)