<p>I had one of those meetings in the grocery store, yesterday, where my life as a K-12 parent was condensed into a 30-minute yappathon in the soda aisle. I ran into one of my posse, one of my girls, a hizzee-shizzle homeslice from da hood. (Like fingernails down a blackboard, isn’t it?)</p>
<p>Seeing a parent from elementary school PTA days is like two veterans of war reuniting after years of civilian life. I’m never as happy to see one my own relatives as I am when I run into someone I served cupcakes with at a Third Grade Halloween Party. It was a time when we stretched out our Tuesday night meetings in the parking lot next to our cars ruminating over school issues. Who could we get to paint faces at the October Carnival? Who had the cojones to chair the silent auction? Should the principal have used PTA funds to buy new curtains for her office? Who wanted to sleep overnight on a cargo ship with a bunch of wild Fourth Graders? Was there something going on between the janitor and the Kindergarten teacher, and how are we going to save the Science and Music programs? ;)</p>
<p>Fast foward through junior high and high school when the scope of parental involvement is reduced to strictly manual labor. And, we were keen on that since most of us had our hands full with new drivers and tattooed Prom dates. Once a year, I’d run into a compadre from the old days, and we would compare notes on the latest things our kids were doing to turn our hair gray. Never enough time to explain all of the reasons why our family dynamics had veered into Crazyville, but enough time to refresh the blood oath we had made as elementary school parents to stick it out, no matter what, through graduation! :)</p>
<p>We shoved our carts over next to the Smart Water and quickly brought each other up-to-date on the college kids. Both broke up with their significant others from high school and fell in love with new significant others. She misses her son’s ex, and I have reached the conclusion that my D’s new boyfriend needs to be escorted out of the country by the end of the month. Both of our college students seem to prefer the indirect route to graduation. </p>
<p>A half an hour was not enough time to catch up, so we decided that we had to share a bottle of wine on the sofa on my front porch on a night when our graduated seniors are far, far away juggling and fire-eating, or whatever they do. The gnome and the flamingo are invited. ;)</p>
<p>Ah PTA buds, those who remember. I would have to travel to Peterborough, NH end of July to run into my parent partners in crime and cupcakes. We had a reunion there several summers ago with one driving down from Canada to join for a weekend of remembering. The “kids” are spread around the globe and so are we.</p>
<p>Speaking of children gone: mine is being spirited to his GFs family’s home by the grandparents for a week vacation away from campus jobs. Makes me feel well, sort of weird. Especially when he was calling the GPs by their first names. Barb and Charlie or Kim and Nick. What does it matter.</p>
<p>Yoo hoo… back from Europe! And since I can’t wait a MOMENT longer, I am sharing these with you. (Note the lovely backdrop on the first photo. It’s a teaser.)</p>
<p>No one in Venice or Austria seems to know how to make a decent lemon drop. Barkeep, whip me up one, stat, bitte? I’ve grown tired of draft local beer and schnapps. (Oh weary world traveler that I am…) </p>
<p>Nice to see everyone pushing our chatty thread over the 100K views mark! Go team!</p>
So, when is the Sinner’s Alley crew organising to do this? I’ll stun-gun and take the head if someone else would take the feet and drive the getaway car. </p>
<p>Slugg, have you tried looking at SluggDaughter across the table, pushing your glassses down your nose (acquire glasses for said activity if need be), raising one eyebrow, and saying, “This is unacceptable,” much in the manner of an old British gentleman whose billiard games were interrupted by gunfire?</p>
<p>I thought SluggDaughter kicked that one and his parents to the curb. Did she go out and find another one who is just as bad as the one she got rid of?</p>
<p>OK I’m buying, set ups all around! (And if you want to avoid proud-mama puffing, you can skip this post and head right straight on to the next one.)</p>
<p>I picked up the vacation-held mail today and found TJFH’s AP score report in the batch. For a kid who couldn’t even qualify to take any APs until his junior year (unusual in his HS, believe it or not: his brother took his first APs in 8th grade and by 10th grade most students have taken several already), it was quite a shock to see that he earned 5s in both exams he took (Calc AB and Comp Sci AB). He stared at the score report before taking off for water polo camp this morning and said, “Hmm, I guess the tests must have been especially easy this year, huh.” (sigh) But I think he’s proud of himself.</p>
<p>Let’s drink to my enigma son, who’s running for king of the brilliant underachievers!</p>
<p>Mootmom, I’ll drink to that! Otherwise I won’t be able to celebrate (hopefully) as mine doesn’t have his yet. You must tell us all about your trip. Welcome home.</p>
<p>mootmom–I’ll second that! My #3 child has almost driven me to drink, underachiever that he is in areas he doesn’t care about. And quietly brilliant in areas he does. Don’t know whether to drink a toast or just hug the bottle and mumble to yourself…</p>
<p>Those are special moments…when an so-called underachiever hits a homer…I watched S2 hit one too, recently. What shall we call those? Slacker Homers?</p>
<p>Loved your son’s comments too, mooty. He’s a classic.</p>
<p>Yes, lets all of us, the moms of slackers, gather in the hot tub and toast moot & TSFH-- we who know these moments are rare, and therefore OH SO SWEET. 5/5 = :)</p>
<p>My son, the SFS (Sophomore From Space), is actually taking a community college class this summer and-- shock!-- he’s nailing it… with no ritalin. This is one of those 4.5 hour classes too; so odd. I think maybe it is the presence of 22 year olds in the room that has him on a natural high.</p>
<p>Maybe he should skip the rest of HS and just go straight to CC?</p>
<p>Barkeep, get me a mojito. Cheers to you mootie!!</p>
<p>I think we need a new thread to keep us clear on the decoding of S’ acronyms ;). So far we’ve got TSFH (formerly known as Prince…er, um, TJFH), SFS… Did I miss anyone? Then we’ve got decoding of evil former-potential in-laws (aka FBIL). I’m on top of things at the moment, but I feel that we may be nearing the danger zone.</p>
<p>I’ll have one of those mojitos. Cheers to the happy MONAS (Mothers of Newly Achieving Slackers). Mootmom is President, SBMom, Executive VP, cheers is Emeritus something or other? Actually, I’ll let you guys divvy up the important positions :p.</p>
<p>Sybbie threatened to cut me off I didn’t post here. I think that was the message. </p>
<p>Not much new here. I’m at the age when all my friends are getting married, so we can pour out some champagne on Saturday for my best friend from high school. ACK! </p>
<p>Since I’m apparently cut off from alcohol, I’ll have a Shirley Temple, the better to match my (newly) red hair. No longer legally blonde. ;)</p>
<p>This thread is the closest thing to the old Twinkle threads from the original forum. :)</p>
<p>Seems like we did not cut you off fast enough. Now that we know what you are capable of when left to your own devices, don’t make us have to pour cold water on you after hearing about how you are heating things up this summer as a hot readhead :). </p>
<p>You are going to have those poor unsuspecting men in DC panting and having the vapors :eek:</p>
<p>I’ve calmed down! I’m no longer on my kick that I was earlier this summer, when (and sadly, this happened more than once) I was out on a date and another guy I was dating called. I got rid of the men and got rid of the blonde. I figure that if gentlemen prefer blondes, I’ll go red, have an excuse for my tempestuous personality, and have fewer awkward cell conversations in the back of a taxicab.</p>
<p>Life’s a lot more fun now. I’m a bourbon-drinking redhead in a skirt. :)</p>
I’m a bourbon-drinking redhead in a skirt. :)</p>