Oh, the lies we tell ourselves…
No- I wish. This is my last post on a thread because there are other things that need my attention . I’ll definitely check my messages until the end of April , but I just wanted everyone to know how much I’ve enjoyed my time here. It’s been a lot of fun ( especially on this thread ) and I’ll miss all of you very, very much. XXOO.
All the best and take care. 
:(( =((
Thank you @PhotographerMom, the turtle will be missed!!!
:(( I’m having a meltdown
I need the turtle. :-<
I’ll believe it when I see it.
And then I might cry.
Word.
What?!? @PhotographerMom 
I really value the humor and wisdom in @PhotographerMom’s posts. I hope she realizes she has so much to contribute to this forum and needs to keep her turtle in place.
@PhotographerMom - I really hope you stay!
You can’t @PhotographerMom !
Virtual hanging onto pants leg…
Cc without the turtle is like soup without a bowl
No @PhotographerMom - you can’t leave! I am brand new to this forum and need your wise and witty guidance as we begin the cycle for our 7th grade DD!
Nooooo @PhotographerMom please don’t go! You have so much wisdom to give and we’re just beginning our BS adventure this Fall. Waaaah we will miss you!
@PhotographerMom Nooooooooo…
Turtle Power! (aren’t you glad I can’t see my phone screen all that well and thought your avatar was a turtle HAHAHHAH).
@PhotographerMom: this board will be a MUCH poorer place for your leaving.
I’m starting the chant… TURTLE TURTLE TURTLE TURTLE
TUUUURRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEE!
PhotographerMom (and many of us) are like Michael Corleone in the Godfather movies…“Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in!”
All kidding aside, she’s been a great resource for many over the years, including myself. Will be interesting to see if she can make her pledge stick for good.
My own participation on the BS side of the forum has waned considerably over the years,I think it’s natural, TBH. There once was a time when ops and Winterset were daily fixtures on the forum, but as their kids have graduated from BS, they’ve also moved on.
That said, I think something that contributes to this exodus is the “the more things change, the more they remain the same” nature of some of the posts/posters over the years. A new crop of applicants/parents comes in with the same questions that others have asked (without having tried to search for an answer first)…and in some cases the same “I only want you to tell me what I want to hear” POV.
PhotographerMom is just one of many parents on the forum who have been there/done that with regard to BS…she speaks from a place of experience (at least 2 kids through JBS and BS). And yet people will challenge/pick a fight because they disagree…and in some cases, these folks are relative newbs to the process. If she tells you to move on from a WL, I would.
This sort of thing has happened to me over the years, too. And frankly, it wears you out. I won’t make any proclamations that I’m leaving. I still plan to rep the schools we’ve been associated with over the years, and of course, keep the college fencing recruiting thread rolling. And now there’s the CC BS NYC Fall 2018 gathering to organize!
I understand that one parent’s experience is not necessarily representative of EVERY possible experience with EVERY school…but someone like PhotographerMom is as close as many people are going to get to having a BS expert at their disposal, no fees attached.
Hear hear @SevenDad !! I get tired of the recorded loop of questions and I’ve only been here a year!!! I value y’all’s (I can’t list every single one of you, but you know who you are) experience and insight more than you know and would not dismiss any of it. I think that is why it makes me so sad…it’s the proverbial rotten apples spoiling it for the rest of us…(if I’m rotten, too, don’t wake me from my delusional state). Seriously, though, I can’t thank the experts like @PhotographerMom enough for helping me along in this journey and pray it’s the few like myself that makes it all worthwhile. LONG LIVE THE TURTLE!!