<p>Go away from the computer for a few hours to get stuff DONE and what happens? I totally missed the bells, whistles, streamers, & happy-dancing!</p>
<p>ReneeV–a few weeks ago I sagely explained much of “Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie” to my youngest. Anything I couldn’t explain, I brushed off with “guess he just put that in to be obscure. Or to make it rhyme.” ;)</p>
<p>TJFS drove off this am to high school, less than 48 hours after his triumphant return from the cloud forest of Costa Rica.</p>
<p>It was an Outward Bound program. And he really loved it: they rapelled down a 80’ waterfall, river rafted on level 4 rapids, backpacked (up to 13 or 14 miles/day) in rain & cloud forests, did a 24 hour solo, had a home stay in a middle-of-nowhere village, went surfing, & visited a volcano. All of the above with Spanish thrown in. </p>
<p>The kids were from all over the world. Very recommended if anyone is looking for something similar for their kids next summer. Also they try to ‘walk the walk’ by not serving any beef (deforestation). </p>
<p>I love the idea of the never-unplugged JFS, waking at dawn and sleeping at nightfall, reading 5 novels, and ‘making like a bear in the woods.’ And loving it! YAY!</p>
<p>Please excuse the shameless mommy bragging, but ds#2 got his official NMSF packet today (and thinks he might have gotten the highest score in the school!! That doesn’t matter-- just that he is proud of his academics for once!!). The mail still hasn’t arrived yet today–and it is usually here by noon. Maybe the postal carrier had to get a second truck for all the college mail!</p>
<p>congrats jym626! A great feather in his cap! And even better that he’s feeling proud of his academics. I think it’s sad that it’s generally not “cool” to be “smart” in high school. Yay jymson!</p>
<p>And SBmom, glad to hear that yours had a great time in Costa Rica. H did an Outward Bound program in Germany as a 17-yr-old, and it was a life altering experience that he still refers back to from time to time. I maintain that any and all exposure you can give your kid to other cultures and way different experiences is a huge plus.</p>
<p>
77 toots for astromo
77 more for jymson#2
another 77 for TJFS and Costa Rica
77 more for the rest of us sorry-happy hangers on 
:D</p>
<p>thanks, jmmom and astrophysicsmom!
SBmom- was that the Duke Costa Rica medicine program?? DS #2 almost did that this summer, but did a religious program instead (very OUT of character for him, so I got that payment in before he had a chance to change his mind!!)</p>
<p>jym, no-- just regular Outward Bound, though they did meet a medicinal herbs shaman in the rainforest…</p>
<p>Astrophysicsmom, my dad has a PhD in Astrophysics…weird…this is cool.</p>
<p>Still way cool, SBmom! Costa Rica.</p>
<p>Well, Sheed, I must sheepishly admit that it’s Astrophysicsdaughter who is the basis for my cc name. I don’t speak Einsteinian, but she does.</p>
<p>hahahah shaman in the rainforest. My brother goes to the rainforest and does shamany things. But right now he is at…</p>
<p>Burning Man!</p>
<p>And my son went to Costa Rica on a Duke program - for tropical ecology - but right now he is at…</p>
<p>High school!!!</p>
<p>Well OK not right now but earlier today and I’m trying to draw some parallels in the gnostic space so cut me some slack. </p>
<p>Jaguar avatars anyone:).?</p>
<p>I like your ditty jmmom…</p>
<p>Ahh–Alu. I knew someone did that Duke Costa Rica thing. How was it?
Hey, sbmom- does the shaman take insurance? :D</p>
<p>S loved the Duke Costa Rica thing. He didn’t do the medicine one - it was biology. </p>
<p>Coolest thing was making a scorpion fight a praying mantis and seeing a monkey get angry at a dog and pee on it.</p>
<p>Oh, and the other kids on the trip were great.</p>
<p>Yay, congrats to jymson, and great to read the other good reports.</p>
<p>Um, here’s mine: D called after her second day of intro to Russian and proudly said something that translates as “Give me some vodka!”
No worries, I’m sure she’ll learn some more useful phrase by the time she is ready for a junior year in Moscow.</p>
<p>Oh, and to my untrained ear, her accent sounded very impressive.!</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, it’s not necessary to ASK for vodka in Moscow. ;)</p>
<p>Better she should learn to say “No more for me, thanks!”</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>Alum,</p>
<p>My 14 year old S would find this:</p>
<p>“seeing a monkey get angry at a dog and pee on it.”</p>
<p>hilarious. If it was on youtube he would have already found it and showed. </p>
<p>…and he’s in the gifted program!</p>
<p>Proud graduate, High School class of '78, aka “Youngster”.</p>
<p>OK, my usually on the ball S#2 slipped up and gave me the completely WRONG address (street number) for his dorm. So on Monday I sent a package UPS to the wrong address. UPS, being more on top of things than he is, noticed the discrepancy between the street number and the dorm name and fortunately did not leave the package with a random student. </p>
<p>And fortunately it’s nothing more than his bathing suit and a pair of sweat pants!</p>
<p>I need to call UPS in the morning…and this online tracking system works pretty well.</p>
<p>pulling my people up from page 2.</p>
<p>sorry I missed the 7777 party (congrats astrophysicsmom!!)</p>
<p>While I was getting my nod on, out in the back my girl Alu starts telling people, that it’s ok to dance around in my baskets, just slip them off my feet. </p>
<p>Mootie has dropped off son on the east coast and I did not get a chance to catch up with her. However, chicky did say that while she was walking the dog they saw a possum. I know it’s not a marmot, but maybe, just maybe Mootie thought it would be good in a pinch ;)</p>
<p>1st day of 8th grade. Bring on the black eyeliner!</p>
<p>and, mom60, don’t forget the ruler to make sure that the eyeliner is caked on thick enough!</p>