<p>OMG...I hope those comments weren't directed to me. Yikes. I apologize if anyone took my statement wrong. I can tell you that my one BFA MTer S does spend some of his down time playing video games with his buddy ...other MTer S isn't quite into it...but enjoys other things like reading and watching movies...I think they would explode if they didn't have some kind of outlet or interest beyond the MT world.</p>
<p>Again I am sorry if I offended anyone.</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>No, No 5pants - the comments were general, not directed at you at all!! If anything I just wanted to support the young man who suggested videogames as a gift since all suggestions are equally worthy of consideration and equally welcome. I am glad to hear that all your sons enjoy a videogame once in a while! The BFA kid I referred to earlier who also likes videogames is my own son, though actually he likes to veg out with ESPN more than he likes videogames - He plays the sports videogames to be companionable with his friends, but a show called "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN is his distraction of choice - All these kids are wonderfully involved in many exciting ventures, and as final exams and projects are heating up, I personally look forward to the vacation ahead and any moments of relaxation that present themselves...I would never want to offend you, either, and by the way, it sounds like vacation will be lively at your house !</p>
<p>There is NOTHING wrong with video games. People pick and choose what to do for down time, relaxation, to relieve stress, have fun, etc. I think many play video games and from what I hear from teenage boys, it is really a very common pasttime. We don't have any but my kids just were never interested but I have not a thing against anyone who chooses them for relaxation. I had been marveling about having time to play mostly because what was on my mind at the time was a crazy schedule my kid has been keeping in general but particularly this week, that I wished she had time to play a game, not that she is complaining or anything. So, I thought it was pretty cool to be able to fit in being on message boards or playing video games. </p>
<p>There is no superiority about how busy one person is or not or what they choose to do with their time. What each person does is their business and what makes them happy or how much down time they can figure into their day or week varies from one to another. One way surely is not better than another by far. I have no idea how busy one kid is from another. I only can know my own kids' experiences or that of their close friends. Video games were sounding nice to me about now as I was just hoping my kid could fit in a two min. call but has no breaks to do that except when walking to the next scheduled thing. That is not "better". I was marveling and wishful thinking that maybe she could have time for a game (though she has other interests than video games that maybe a boy doesn't have....but it doesn't matter what your interest is as far as your own time). </p>
<p>There is nothing competitive about it because one schedule isn't better than another and one activity isn't more worthy than another. We each pick and choose. Commitment to one's program is unrelated. I don't doubt for one second that each of the kids who posts here is fully committed to his or her program. How their schedules are each day likely differ as they are different people and go to different schools and programs. It seems that their schedules differ, that is all. Some may not get to be in their dorm room from early in the AM until very late at night and others' schedules apparently are such that they get breaks to post midday or play a video game. I think that would be rather nice, actually. </p>
<p>Most kids have interests beyond simply MT. Just as some enjoy a video game, my kid might enjoy a date or stopping in at Body Shop, LOL. (she loves that store!) Many male friends of hers like video games. My kids do not have a lot of down time and some of that is a choice, which isn't "better" whatsoever. They tend to take on a lot of extracurriculars and projects and so sometimes when I hear the schedule, my mind is boggled. So is the case this particular week and so once I heard video games, I was like, wow, it would be nice to have time for something like that. I am happy with what my kid chooses but would not mind if she did one less activity and played a video game or something similar instead. Like with all the kids here, each kid makes some choices. As long as they enjoy what they are doing, there is NO issue. It isn't a competition. Do what you like to do, particularly during your time outside of classes, etc. There is no judgment as to how others spend down time. I certainly have nothing against playing games and such. Each should pick what they enjoy doing. If you are happy doing what you have chosen to do, that is the BEST thing of all. A lot of kids that I know, including my own, are busier than I recall ever being in college in terms of commitments time wise, that is all. Sleep? What's that? LOL I certainly agree about having outlets and interests and ways of relaxing. Vacations surely help!</p>
<p>Isaac, I surely agree that the new nintendo or whatever it is called (sorry but I don't follow the video stuff) is a popular gift this year and on many young people's lists apparently from what I have heard, particularly from the parents of young men. I have girls and so I haven't ever heard mention of these, that's all. That's why gifts are meant to "fit" the person! I definitely support you, Isaac, as someone I actually know off the forum and whom I have seen perform wonderfuly several times in shows alongside my daughter.</p>
<p>iPods seem to be the standard among students, but if your kid doesn't already have one many other brands offer more features at better prices. Built-in sound recording is one common feature - no addons required. FM radio and recording from FM, recording from "line in" (i.e., any audio source), etc. are common. I'd check with the student before buying such a device, though. I've got an iAudio MP3 player that offers some of those features, and is also compatible with NetLibrary audio books. (The audio books require digital rights management that isn't compatible with iPod.)</p>
<p>babar, your Ss and mine would get along famously....they love ESPN as well! Not to mention the Fantasy Football, Baseball, etc teams. It's good to be well rounded....and variety is the spice of life. As they say, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Actually kind of ironic that this topic comes up as my husband and I were just talking last night about how important it is to have some down time. As long as things are in moderation it's all good.</p>
<p>Don't forget Itune gift cards to go along with the Ipods....and they make jeans now with pockets just for the Ipods...they are pretty sharp looking.</p>
<p>Someone mentioned massage gift certificates earlier....that is a really great idea.</p>
<p>Okay....thanks for easing my mind Babar (BTW...I love that name..must be the children's illustrator in me)...I would never want to offend anyone. NOT my nature. ;) Happy Holidays!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>babar and 5pants, my D2 would probably get along with all of your boys. She's a big sportsfan and a talented athlete. In addition to theatre, she loves soccer. She started playing when she was 5(three of my 4Ds did!) and this past summer is the first year since then that she didn't play at all. She also played volleyball in middle school and high school. She loves watching hockey, too, and I know that she catches games on tv when she needs some downtime. I think the contrast between the two, and the physical activity, have always been good for her.</p>
<p>Susan, I can commiserate with what your d is going through with long days and even longer nights. I myself have had classes run from 8:00am till 6:30 pm and then rehearsal from 7:00pm till 12:00am. Looooong days! Most of the time that I ever get to play is past midnight when I should either be sleeping or doing my homework! So I don't actually have time for them, I allow myself to sleep very little. I will undoubtedly pay for this later in life, but while I am young and invincible I figure why not go for it? So we all have no time for fun, but I guess your d just values her sleep more than some of us!</p>
<p>always a mom - that's so interesting about your daughter's athletic talents - often we hear that theatre kids and athletes are at opposite poles but that isn't the case with my child either. We joke that if he hadn't been a late bloomer (too short for basketball, his first love, as a freshman in HS) he wouldn't have gone out for the musical...and now he's 6'3" LOL - Maybe this is part of the appeal of High School Musical, the idea that jocks enjoy performing...actually I haven't seen the whole thing, but I think that's part of what it's about...5Pants, fantasy teams are so much fun for my kid - he forms teams with several different groups and really gets into them - football, baseball, and I thought he had reached a new low when he created a fantasy NASCAR team...way too much ESPN...</p>
<p>Isaac, I'm sure you know what I mean when you have something all day and night day after day. My calls lately have been at midnight when she has gotten through with the scheduled part of the day. Sleep? That's what I am saying. As an older person, I have no clue how this pace keeps up! So, it is good to be young. After midnight, homework and whatever else comes, I guess. </p>
<p>Babar, I had the same thought reading AlwaysAMom's post because I often read about how performing arts don't mix with sports and how one often can do just one, not the other. Like some of your kids, mine always did both sports and performing arts, several of each. One of my kids kept at both all the way through. My other one who was athletic and in many sports from a very young age, eventually had to give up her sports when the commitments to all the arts activities got greater and greater. She has stopped her sports. I imagine that her college friends would have no idea that she ever did them so much for years. I made each of my kids this very large (about 27"x40") framed collage of about 200 photos each from their entire lives for graduation that is hanging in their dorm rooms. While the MT kid obviously has photos from this and that theater production and dance, etc., there are photos of her in horseback riding events, figure skating events, soccer games, and ski races and I imagine that her theater friends would have no clue she ever did those things. For my other kid, I thought it was cool that she kept one foot in performing arts and one in sports even if the trend is to specialize. She even wrote a college essay about her different sides. As a parent, I'm very much a sports mom and arts mom, though only have girls. I know my husband, who frankly loves the arts performances, didn't miss out with girls when it comes to sports as we have been to as many sports events watching the kids as arts ones. Just no football (actually our HS doesn't have football even for boys) here, no NASCAR and no video games. Older D loves if we can video tape any ski races from the TV and she does enjoy seeing a Red Sox game :D. She is thinking of going to the Italian Alps in ten days to see a World Cup Ski Race by herself before she comes home. That would be like a dream to her. As much as she is into sports, she has danced, played instruments and done musical theater all along. In college, those are harder to juggle as she is on varsity sports which involve a great deal of travel and time. I'm unfamiliar with video games or fantasy football but from talking to parents of boys, these seem really big.</p>
<p>Somehow we've lost the spirit of this thread. Please continue to post gift ideas! I'm really interested & it's helping to keep my mind off waiting for the mailperson!</p>
<p>I bought my D tickets for the dance performance of Edward Scizzorhands that will be in L.A in a couple of weeks, also the Pirates of the Caribbean II, as she is crazy about Johnny Depp.
She loves getting Itunes giftcards. She would also love to get a Sephora giftcard, or The Body Shop.</p>
<p>Sorry, these are not MT specific, just what my MT D likes.</p>
<p>Anything fom Dolche & Gabana or Cartier always is a nice gesture!</p>
<p>Ps. All nighters are easy theese days. All you need is a fist full of caffine pills and a good strategy.</p>
<p>There's a company I've been using like crazy this holiday season called CafePress.com. They offer t-shirts, mugs, anything printed. I can't even tell you all the different, cool t-shirts I got for people on my list. A bunch of my nephews are into Fantasy Football. I found about 20 different t-shirts re. that subject. Some relatives are Scrabble nuts. Got T-shirts, ornaments, postcards. D loves Dirty Dancing - found something that says "Never put Baby in the corner"! Also a t-shirt about wanting to be on Broadway, win a Tony, work with Hugh Jackman! You name it, this company has it.</p>
<p>Yes Lynn!! I agree CafePress is wonderful!! Great idea!!</p>
<p>I also agree about CafePress. If you are looking for a particular logo....for instance...a certain musical...and you look it up....they will have a lot of items with that on it. When my D graduated HS, I was able to get various items from CafePress with the name of her program on them even. When my D is in a show, over the years, I have often bought her a snow globe related to the show (she has a collection) but that is not always possible to find one that relates. (these are not from CafePress however) When I can't find one, I search the internet for any items relating to the show. Often there are items on Cafe Press such as mugs, shirts, tote bags, etc. with the name of whatever it is. And usually there are many choices....like even with a mug, there might be 15 choices relating to the name of whatever it is.</p>
<p>Isaac...will you shop for me?? Dolche and Gabana or Cartier....:D</p>
<p>OMG, that is SO WEIRD! I just discovered cafepress.com myself, and I hadn't even read the prior posts!! I guess it's the first thing that comes up when you google "musical theater gifts". You DO need to put "musical theater" in the search vehicle to get to the MT gifts, though; at least I had to. There is QUITE a selection!!</p>
<p>Thanks for the info about broadwaycares.org too. I found something cool for my S who is soooo difficult to shop for.</p>
<p>Another cool thing about cafepress is that you can design your own clothing to wear and even sell to others who may be interested in it. If you want to put a picture on the shirt (or whatever) you simply need to have it on your computer so you can upload it with the order. And you can type slogans on it or whatever you please!</p>
<p>Susan, what size bracelet do you wear? I'm stopin by cartier later this weekend! ;-)</p>
<p>Oh- there is a recording of holiday songs recorded by different broadway casts that we bought after seeing Chaperone. It is probably available on the Broaday Cares website, and is something new and different.</p>
<p>Yes, the Carols for a Cure cd can be bought on the BC/EFA site. You can probably get the ones for previous years there, too. They're all very good!</p>