<p>I guess I'm an old-timer... going on 3 years here. DD has finished up her sophomore year at Rice U, and learned a lot this year. Living off-campus first semester taught her that she does not like to live alone, and participating in way too many things her second semester taught her that bronchitis and mono can really sap your strength! She participated in a musical, a campus job, a club sport - with traveling activities, co-lead a campus organization, took a Spring break trip to Mexico, (when she should have been recovering at home from bronchitis), and somehow fit in schoolwork. Unfortunately, the mono near the end of the semester was bad enough that she had to come home for a while until the high fevers subsided, and she ended up taking incompletes in two classes. The good news is that she is home and has finished one of the incompletes, and is now working on the second incomplete: a 25-page paper. Timewise it has worked out very well - she found a sweet little one-week job as a camp counselor for a Texas history camp that starts in a few weeks, then will be home for July 4th and two weeks to get packed, then takes off for 5-months in Chile for study-abroad. The mono finally seems to be gone - the fatigue and sleepiness hangs on for several months. The only problem in all this is that she will not earn much money this summer and will earn none in Chile - so the "greater bank of mom" may have to issue a loan for her this coming semester. She has found a major and an area of interest, and has had so many great opportunities at Rice. I can't believe that she only has 3 more semesters there; the time goes SO fast! L)</p>
<p>After graduating from UCLA in '05, S is on job #2--interactive designer for ad2, a design firm in LA. One of his designs was accepted by the firm's biggest client, Budweiser--check out <a href="http://www.icehouse.com%5B/url%5D">www.icehouse.com</a>. (It's still being tweaked.) He also did <a href="http://www.ideacrossing.com%5B/url%5D">www.ideacrossing.com</a>.</p>
<p>D is home from her first year at Pomona--working in retail at a local mall and doing volunteer work for Massachusetts Jobs with Justice. She'll be a sponsor for transfer/exchange students next year and plans to major in Latin American Studies and minor in dance.</p>
<p>As for allergies--S used to take Optichrom (until it was taken off the market) because the point of first contact for him was his eyes. It was a great product because it arrested the symptoms (his eyes would get puffy and swollen) and didn't affect the rest of his sytem.</p>
<p>Claritin and Flonase work - take them both at the same time. (You need a prespciption for flonase). I'd stay away from Benadril, especially for sports, and I think Zyrtec makes you hyper.</p>
<p>Claritin is a non-drowsy, not excessively drying antihistamine that even kids can use daily. It has worked for us! Allegra and Zyrtec are other similar antihistamines. </p>
<p>If you need anti-stuffy medication, nothing beats Sudafed. Decongestants never cause drowsiness. (use with caution if you have hypertension.)</p>
<p>I have found that for a heavy duty cold or allergy antihistamine/decongestant combination, Drixoral (green) works best. It might cause a little drowsiness and drying, but it works!</p>
<p>Nasal steroids are wonderful for people with predictable seasonal allergies. My brother works outdoors and uses one with great success. For maximal effectiveness, nasal steroids should be started a couple of weeks before allergy season kicks in. Some can cause a little nasal dryness/irritation, but there are several and sometimes a person prefers one over another.</p>
<p>A different approach is cromolyn, which can be inhaled nasally for allergies. It works by stabilizing the cellular membranes and therefore reduces degranulation of mast cells that contain histamine. </p>
<p>Something as simple as Visine eye drops can provide some relief for itchy eyes. Visine-A contains an additional antihistamine.</p>
<p>I agree that this has been a terrible spring allergy season!</p>
<p>Backhand, Simba, et al...
D1 encountered red eye, conjunctivitis, and the opthamalogist during the spring of her freshman yr at Haverford. It took prescription medication...Optivar and Tobradex to cure it. She was literally holed up in her darkened dorm room for two afternoons! This spring wasn't nearly as bad. In fact, she is now completing a summer research internship in chemistry on campus...and won't be home until the end of July.</p>
<p>Let's see...what hasn't happened in the last two years? </p>
<p>Strep (twice), mono, mad keen in love, too much partying says mama, Camus and Kafka, overdrafts, missed intl flights, lost bank cards, new passports, great professors, 500 level courses, horrendous triple room, funny roommates, smart funny friends, card-carrying psychotic rommates, gay activist rommates, fantastic townhouse dorm with river view, trips to Montreal, Beijing, Hanoi and New York, visits from Grammma, periodically shaved head, visits from us, summer sublets via craigslist, gourmet brownies left to rot in mail room, internship on the House Science Committee, good grades, not-so-good grades, concerts, figuring out how to navigate a great city, break-ups and make-ups with mad keen love, lost phone, Christmas down-under, emails, visits from friends from home, overnight parties at neighboring universities, facebooks, first 'job' suit, wearing Grandpa's old suits to work on Captial Hill, two immersive mandarin courses in China, honor society, plans for the future, late night conversations about said plans, books, books and more books, more overdrafts, and so on. A classic experience and worth every penny. Most days ;).</p>
<p>OT...for allergy sufferers, try chlorphenir/p-ephed. It's a combined decongestant and antihistimine, an upper and a downer so it's supposed to counteract each other. However, it's really strong so while you're supposed to take one every 12 hours, one every 24 will do. If it makes you hyper, take it in the morning. If it makes you sleepy, take it at night. Combined with Nasarel (flunisolide), I am one happy camper (used to be a year-round sufferer...still am, but don't notice it any more).</p>
<p>I've crashed this post 5 times, lost my paste, and need to rewrite my last post, and its midmnite, and 2 beers.</p>
<p>DW an DS took off to Tibet on his return from graduation from CMU. I am here at home with 2 sets of high 80's parents. (I do miss her shrill and I had better cleanup before her arrival today). I did attend DS graduation. This was the highlight of our son's stay at CMU especially when I had the honor in meeting some of his wonderful classmates and parents. DS will stay in China for another 6 weeks and will hookup with other classmates in Shanghai (graduation presents and a break between higher degrees at different universities). </p>
<p>DS graduated with double degrees, university and college honors. Will continue on to MS at Toronto on fullride+ (which I thought was not possible and forced me to seek first-time tax advice from DF). His adopted advisor has predicted that he will continue on towards Ph.d as her candidate. </p>
<p>Since we are now, off the hook, both financially and scholastically, I hereby DECLARE, myself, as an official Lurker. /signed, Itstoomuch/</p>
<p>I have always tried to keep promises. but have been known to fudge.
Bye.</p>
<br>
<blockquote> <p>Since we are now, off the hook, both financially and scholastically<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>Maybe someday...for the rest of us...</p>
<p>These posts are really great . I wish some folks would go more into detail about their kids foreign study or other overseas experiences. I'm opening a thread for that now.</p>
<p>DD finished her first year at Harvard and still loves it. Biggest problem she had was TMJ during finals both semesters. She must be pretty tense then. Roommate worked out well, but the 4th in the suite was a problem for everyone. They all survived. Spring housing draw went to her satisfaction. She was recruited in the spring to cox the Radcliffe light crew training boat. Finally found something good about being tiny:). </p>
<p>Hated Econ. Took Mansfield for government. Had Jamaica Kincaid for a lit class and loved her. Lots of Arabic and middle eastern classes. </p>
<p>Worked for Harvard Educational Publishing all year and will commute in some this summer. They think she's indispensable. Headed to Brown tomorrow to RA for the summer program. </p>
<p>Simba -- try Nasacort AQ with Alegra 180s. It works for me. Sometimes it just takes both. Flonase didn't work on me. Keep switching until you find what his system likes.</p>
<p>Backhandgrip -- Alegra is considered safe enough for SCUBA. It shouldn't make him drowsy.</p>
<p>D is finishing her second year at Stanford and has taken advantage of this time to explore a variety of subjects and fields. In the process, she's discovered that she doesn't have the serious interest in historical scholarship that she thought she had, but instead, has become passionate about creative writing and journalism (she's an English major and writes for the school paper and is doing a summer internship at her hometown newspaper). As with many straight-A high school students, she's learned to cope with some less-than-stellar college grades, and she's learned not to be afraid to try new subjects even if she knows she may not be all that successful at mastering them. Next year, she'll probably spend the entire year abroad in Berlin and Oxford; the first is primarily for the adventure (though it's a Stanford program); the second will enable her to focus her studies on her major. She has a small group of wonderful friends and, though is excited about the plans for next year, sadly realizes that she may not see some of her closest friends for a year or more. All of them have exciting plans: one is off to a Stanford program in Australia; one is "stopping out" to do community service in Africa; several are going to Oxford in the fall, etc., etc. What opportunities these children have!</p>
<p>Son graduated a year ago from Carnegie Mellon, got double degree (one was CS which I guess his school is known for) and a masters. After a high school void of 4 years it was a joy to see him finally come alive in a stimulating atmosphere like CMU-CS. A diagnosis of ADD at age 20 or 21 (not an extreme case thank godness) finally helped explain for all of us some of the mysteries of his earlier school days.</p>
<p>He didn't travel abroad after graduation, as I'd hoped he would, but he did spend a week in Las Vegas, then 10 days in Hawaii, with classmates. Then relaxed for about a month on the beach and visited fellow graduates and gf here along the East Coast.</p>
<p>Going on a year now working for Goldman Sachs, a company that's been getting a lot of play recently, and loving working and living in Manhattan. Remnants of the ADD persist: lost his cell phone 3 times that I know of, twice left in cabs, once in Central Park. How do I know? All 3 times I must have been the last caller so the finder called me...I know the routine by now!</p>
<p>Next, possibly an MBA esp since the company pays for it....or law school??</p>
<p>"She was recruited in the spring to cox the Radcliffe light crew training boat. Finally found something good about being tiny"</p>
<p>One of our friend's 'tiny' daughter was captain of the crew team. They must like a very light payload for the non-rowing member.</p>
<p>Thanks, he does take allegra. In TX since we knew the seasons, we would start it the moment the symptoms started. Well now we will be ready for the next spring.</p>
<p>itstoomuch, congrats on your DS, I was wondering where he'd go for grad school. UToronto, FREE? Awesome.</p>
<p>Stick around, I enjoy your funny posts esp on CMU board. Both mine have graduated but I'm still here....after all the 16 yr old niece and 12 yr old nephew need me!! ;)</p>
<p>BHG,</p>
<p>So glad to see you here!</p>
<p>DD is a 3rd-year grad student at Penn. She married her Swattie sweetheart last summer and is happy as a clam. (Remember how helpful everyone on CC was in planning her wedding dress et.al.) They are right now going to Munich for research (not the World Cup!!) after three weeks of work for DSIL in Florence. I have not seen their faces since Thanksgiving as they will switch off visits to in-laws Christmas and Thanksgiving alternating. Their lives are pretty frantic, or I would have flown myself up there during the Spring. Penn made their second years do an intensive comp in early May. </p>
<p>S1 just completed his first year at Brown and despite a little slowness adjusting to being out of the sunny South, he is delighted now with his choice. He chose to live in a sub-free dorm, both last year and this coming. Someone posted on the Brown forum that her friends in sub-free were "high on life" and I think that about sums it up.</p>
<p>S2 heads out to Earlham in a couple of months, and is working toward complete separation even as we speak. </p>
<p>It is lots of fun to catch UP!</p>
<p>S finished his freshman year at BU, earned the GPA needed to keep his merit scholarship-- he was a bit worried because of grade deflation, whether real or perceived-- and is an intern this summer in a state senator's office at the Capitol. He ran into the Governator once. Said he was a handsome guy--- I said what do you expect, he's an actor! </p>
<p>I think his favorite EC last year was hosting a news program radio show.
He's busy creating a website for the show now. I think it's great that non-communications majors can work at the radio and TV stations.</p>
<p>S was involved in a bit of controversy-- he protested some of the campaign methods of two student government candidates and the BU newspaper picked up on the story. </p>
<p>I guess he was right to trust his gut feeling during those college visits. He's made close friends from all over the U.S., finds the classes challenging, and has so many academic and extracurricular opportunities there.</p>
<p>S was wooed by various top colleges, including some that offered fly-ins (one of which he accepted). S, however, procrastinated and never got around to applying to college. My husband and I had told S that doing a gap year would be fine. S declined that offer initially then backed himself into that (and I helped by not standing over him to make sure that he got those apps in. I figured that if he was mature enough to go to college, he'd be able to get the apps in).</p>
<p>After the deadlines for his favored colleges passed, S did not seem disappointed in not having applied, but instead got a local organization to create a summer job and a fulltime volunteer position for him to do afterward. He'll be continuing his beloved volunteer work by working with at risk youth. He also seems to now realize that some kind of educational or community service career, not a career in engineering or biochemistry is what he wants to eventually do. </p>
<p>Thus far, he has been happily spending the summer working overtime doing his volunteer work. </p>
<p>Based on his happiness here and contacts here, I anticipate that he'll end up at one of our local public universities. Looks like his hometown is where his heart is.</p>
<p>Northstarmom;He sounds so much like my first child.Maybe they know each other.</p>
<p>DD just completed her third year at Knox. Totally great experience! It was everything she hoped for. She's majoring in Integreted International Studies; double minor in Spanish and Social Services.</p>
<p>She did her fall term in the Knox's Argentina program; VP of her sorority; long-term boyfriend; She told me this morning that she made Dean's List this term.</p>
<p>She's looking at going to grad school year after next to get her Master's of Social Work.</p>
<p>Things couldn't have gone better -- unless she was given more grants :).</p>