@RightCoaster I feel the same about graduation. My daughter marched in what is almost certainly her last Memorial Day parade with her school’s marching band (3 of 70+ of this years seniors marched even though all are invited and encouraged to attend–not the cool thing to do I guess) last week. First of the long list of “last times” leading to graduation. Don’t even want to think of it right now. Those of you with genius kids need to invent a brake for life. Just moves way, way too fast far too often.
There’s no way I can catch up with all the individual comments, so I’m sorry about the accidents and near-misses, but glad everyone seems to be OK. Happy birthday to DC celebrating (even if the celebration is a bit belated due to commitments) this week. Sympathies to those with school left – DS just finished Friday. Good luck to those with tests still to take. We’re glad to be done unless DS qualifies for NMSF and NM comes up with a crazy SAT confirmation score. And of course AP next spring.
@2muchquan DS has been feeling it for the last couple of years since DD14 left for college. It’s a mixed blessing to suddenly have the parents’ (nearly) full attention. But it goes both ways, as DD will ask us to bring DS with us to visit her so she isn’t the sole focus. :))
No dorm talk here either as we also don’t have a clue where DS will end up, but we’ve also talked about the grad party. DD14 didn’t want a party at all and DS understands he will have to make up for it a bit. Fortunately, he’s a little more social than his sister, although they share an abhorrence of being the center of attention. We’ve already agreed it will be hosted at our home and will be very casual, although he will be expected to greet people at the door and be sociable for a couple of hours. The trick with having it at home is I’ve had to start thinking strategically about landscaping and other projects so it doesn’t look like I just threw it together. We moved into a new development a couple of years ago so we’re starting from scratch. Hopefully the stuff I’ve planted this spring will come up and look mature instead of scraggly next spring!
I try not to think in terms of “last” times for DS to do something. It’s too sad. We learned with DD that we do better just enjoying the moment as much as possible and celebrating newfound responsibilities and independence. OK, well, that’s more of a philosophy. It’s hard to separate from the emotions, but we try.
I promised D last night I would not spend the entire year saying “this is your last time to do X” and she was very thankful and said “I couldn’t handle it if you did.”
Not saying it doesn’t change the fact. And its not like you, your kid and everyone else doesn’t know (at least with respect to many of the “last times”).
@saillakeerie …true! But I think for us at least, bringing it up every single time will focus on the sadness and the loss and I/we want this year to focus on the positive and the growth and the new chapter. I’m sure it will slip out though!
You all are too considerate. I keep saying things like: “I can’t wait until you go to college!”
@2muchquan …you’ll be crying with all the rest of us and you know it!
We are discussing the party, the gift, and the dorm. I can’t believe how fast this is all happening!
I can’t think about next year because I will be a mess. My D17 doesn’t want a party, so we will have a nice dinner celebration with family. I have totally started thinking about dorm stuff. I will probably buy as I think of things.
My son opted out of a party. So we did a nice dinner with grandparents on graduation day, nice dinner with my siblings and their families and nice dinner with wife’s brother and his family. Grandparents got two nice dinners out fo the deal.
Daughter says right now she thinks she wants a party but is wavering a little. Not really her personality.
Lot of friends started asking me what I am going to do with all my time once DS goes to college! He is the only child and I am involved in most of his activities. I will probably find some charities to volunteer.
No dorm talk here. The dorm thoughts probably wont start until next summer. I did say something about who he will invite to his graduation party. He said “I get a party? Did Sis get a party?” Duh. Here was there and it was a combined grad/birthday party. A bazillion people. He doesn’t remember (it was last summer). We had a nice get together at our house. Catered Mexican style with fajitas. It was beautiful and people could go outside, so everyone fit. I would do something like that again, probably with BBQ style food for S. And he is less social so there would be a smaller crowd.
Dorms. The only discussion so far has been about furniture. D hates the “summer camp” furniture of many dorms, and thinks she will take all the furniture out and replace it with IKEA furniture. I am wondering where she is getting the money for this, because I am certainly not buying dorm furniture. (Although I will buy her an office chair, so she doesn’t have to use a wooden straight back chair for studying.)
Dorm talk in our home has revolved around corridor style or suite style (if he has a choice). I’m a believer in the corridor style for freshman year. I think they are more social and are better for making friends and building a community. The down side is that you have to share a bathroom with 20 other people. The suite style is definitely nicer in terms of less people to one bathroom, a living area, maybe a kitchenette. But I’ve heard that suites keep their doors shut whereas corridor rooms are more open and friendly.
My opinion is based on what I’ve heard. I’d love to hear others’ opinions.
My D is just finishing up her driver’s ed course (thank goodness, because the classroom part started at 6:30am on Tuesday mornings and guess who got to drive D and her friends up for that most weeks?) She can take her road test over the summer, but since she doesn’t turn 17 until November, her license will have pretty heavy restrictions on it until then.
Poor kid went back to school today even though she’s still not feeling great with the remnants of a cold. There’s just a couple of days left of the semester though, and there won’t be time to make up tests, etc. if she missed any more class time. This also means she’s just going to be winging the ACT on Saturday - there’s been zero time to squeeze in any refresher prep since she took it in April. She seems to feel pretty philosophical about it, anyway, so that’s good!
We have had zero talk about dorm life. I think D is still in fingers>ears “lalala I can’t hear you!” mode about all of this. She’s just trying to survive the end of the term with her sanity intact. 
OH NO, NOT THE TEARY STUFF!
Next summer will be quite the big one. Oldest D and her BF of nearly 6 years have been planning on getting married when he finishes grad school in two years. But D11 really wants her granddad to officiate and his health is good but not great (and travel not getting any easier). So, wedding moved up to next summer. Yes, we’ve been looking at wedding venues. @-)
The other day sitting in the car waiting for S18, the D’s are talking about things like not making the dates too close so the wedding won’t overshadow the graduation and what D17’s maid of honor duties will be and how best to lower the chances of “the cousins who must be invited” actually attending.
I’m turning into a puddle when S18 (“you’re my only hope, Obi Wan!”) finally arrives. He hears a snatch of the conversation and says “Just think mom, your youngest child is a junior now!”
I think I’m going to have to borrow your username for a moment, @itsgettingreal17
Semester officially ended with GPA updated online, DS survived the tough semester! Next comes application process 
No dorm talk. Will do a graduation party, not sure yet @ home or at a rented hall (have to invite half the village :)) )
Suite-style vs Traditional Dorms: I am very much an introvert, as are both of my kids to varying degrees. I enjoy people, but I MUST have alone time to recharge. Forced togetherness with a random person for 9 months sounds absolutely awful to me. I was willing to pay extra for a single room in my college days, and I’ll do the same for my kids if it is available.
The suite-style rooms seem like a great compromise! Each kid has their own bedroom to get some peace and quiet, but there is a living room area that opens to the corridor for social times. It sounds perfect to me.
@Mommertons Single rooms are pretty rare, I believe. Suite style is actually 2 or 3 bedrooms (each with 2 beds) connected by a living area. So in suite style 4-6 students share a suite.
@STEM2017 - Suite-style doesn’t always have double bedrooms. The ones I think are great are single bedrooms, with a shared living room area. Like these:
http://housing.ua.edu/halls/ridgecrest/floorplans/RCE-Four_Bedroom.pdf
http://www.housing.ucf.edu/choices/towers
http://dib.uky.edu/housing/sites/www.uky.edu.housing/files/pictures/2bedroom-suite.png
