Been traveling for work and have not had a chance to catch up the last few days…just popping in to say this is getting real…Elon just emailed the preview of the bill. X_X
OK, last choir concert tonight. There may have been tears. Gah.
OK, that was embarrassing … no one got my Airplane joke about getting over the college application season.
I’m very happy with D18’s choice but am still mad about the rejection from {the college that shall not be named}. I’ll never get over that and will refer to it as Macho Grande from now on. 
@davidpuddy – D18 and DW do the same about Bama (i.e. explain it). I briefly mention the NMF scholarship then move on to what that enables. D18 will learn some stuff, be able to maximize study/travel abroad opportunities, hopefully have fun at important football games, etc. and end up in great shape after four years. That kind of freedom is important to me.
@droppedit
Agree with all the above. And…
I got the Airplane reference. Maybe others just picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
An Airplane reference? What is it?
@DiotimaDM – it’s a hollow metal passenger-filled tube with flappy things on the sides … but that’s not important right now!
Surely you can’t be serious?
But (to be serious, and don’t call me Shirley) we also find ourselves explaining Utah. Especially to those who think it’s weird to go to a (conservative, supposedly no fun) place like Utah, rather than a (perceived) liberal party school like U of Oregon or CU Boulder. And when you mention turning down Berkeley and UCLA to go there that definitely gets heads shaking.
In reality D18 had a better outcome than her twin brother (who’s going to UCLA), with a top school for her major and an amazing scholarship.
LOL - just catching up and so glad to see other people who reference Airplane. It always makes DH and I feel old when you get that blank look from a younger person.
On another note, we are in the home stretch. Prom tomorrow and then a week of Senior Activities. S18 is getting lazy and asked - do we really have to go to the family BBQ? Is he kidding? I asked him do I really have to write this big check to college? A little quid pro quo - we are going to every event and I want LOTS of pictures. Heck after all of the work and stress this year, I feel like marching up and claiming that diploma myself!
We have a running mental list of “we are bad parents if we don’t have our kids watch this movie” movies. Our friends and family judge us on these things to keep us motivated. Airplane was seen when they were very young as a result. In fact, I’m pretty sure my dad snuck it in during a visit just to make sure! There are still quite a few movies yet to be watched, but the list gets shorter and shorter. Current one at the top of the list is Three Amigos. Judge away!
The first time I had D18 watch Airplane! (which if you remember is trying to land safely in Chicago) was as we were flying a few years ago from L.A. into Chicago!! That was so awesome. To watch a movie about a plane flying from L.A. to Chicago while you are sitting on a plane which is flying from L.A. to Chicago.
3 of 5 AP tests done. 2 more next week, yet graduation parties begin this weekend? Seems a little absurd!
Yeah, our graduation party is this weekend. D’s graduation is Monday, so out-of-state guests can hit both events in one trip. Of course classes don’t end until May 31.
And yes, D is taking the Calc AP test Tuesday morning. :-L No one is happy about the timing there.
I like that our school has a week between the end of classes and graduation. It’s called “beach week”, since a lot of students head for Ocean City. Our son’s group of friends want to avoid the party atmosphere, so they are going to the Finger Lakes. I think they plan to spend a day hanging out in Ithaca, which will be nice for the 2 who will be in school there next year.
I was thinking about those feelings of regret about this process and outcome. I was hit by the prestige bug early on. Confessing here that I still have those little nagging thoughts sometimes that DS should be going somewhere that has a higher academic profile. I don’t know how to make that go away completely.
I think in some ways it is hard to not have some regret when you can only choose and attend one school. It is almost a matter of taking the path where there is the least amount of net regret in the end. At least that is the way I see it.
THANK YOU good people for all of the Airplane references. I’m truly sitting in my office laughing out loud. Morning made.
To those a little sad about bypassing prestige for a free ride, think about your more secure retirement and the gift you’re giving your kids of freedom from debt.
I didn’t “get” the Airplane reference but I knew your reference to Macho Grande had something to do with the school that will not be named. I’m one of those odd folks that doesn’t like stupid comedy and those movies annoy me.
DD tends to explain UAH a bit. In the beginning she said “I got a full ride” and now she says things like “their study abroad is amazing” or “they have so many intern/coop opportunities” or “Hunstville is home to NASA and Space Camp!” I’m pleased to see she has evolved beyond just the scholarship. The funny thing is when the word Alabama comes out before she gets to Huntsville, the college football sports enthusiast start to drool.
I have to stop myself explaining FSU immediately when asked S18’s choice. I tend to respond, “He is going to FSU to study music.” Then the next sentence is, “And he got into USC, where his sister attends, but he decided he liked FSU better.” If they keep talking to me, I sometimes start listing scholarships and honors programs…I need help.
I have to explain Ole Miss a lot. Most Texas kids stay in Texas it seems. I haven’t found an eloquent way of explaining it without leading with full tuition+ scholarships. Although he was also admitted in CME which is an amazing program… it just takes longer to explain than “full tuition”. For most of our admissions process Bama was the top of his list. Going through his pictures from his childhood for the grad party and seeing him wearing Bama gear makes me a little sad that it didn’t work out. Some may say we could have made it work since he had the 2/3 scholarship but 1/3 of OOS tuition still adds up especially compared to full tuition and then some. DS seems ok with it but it does make me a little sad.
DS has 1 AP test today and 1 next week. We went light on AP tests this year electing to retake the classes that are part of his major (calc and chem) instead of the AP test. The Fastrack program at Ole Miss you take Writing 101 and 102 with your Fastrack cohort regardless if you have AP credit so it didn’t seem necessary to take that AP test. He has AP credit for 101 from last year but will retake it for Fastrack. A small price to pay for a worthwhile program.
As for me we are just over 48 hours from the grad party… With a laundry list of things to do tonight and tomorrow.