<p>Okay, so here's our latest challenge, S is already accepted to a school, received letter regarding scholarsip info, etc, then today receives another letter stating that he is nominated for a Presidential Scholarship and that the interviews are on 1/17 and his check in time is afternoon. Here's the challenge we are a 6 hour drive or more away and that evening his dad is being installed as the Chief of the local Volunteer Fire Dept. Do we try to make it down there and back before the installation or try to get his grandmother to agree to possibly bring him. It says there is absolutely no rescheduling and if you can't make it then you forfeit your chance. Not even sure how many of these they give out. What to do?</p>
<p>Have him go with Grandma or you early. Won't dad understand if he misses installation?</p>
<p>Wow, ScrappinMom, that's a tough one. Could you call and throw yourself on their mercy even though it says "no rescheduling"? After all, it's an important event in your family. NM's suggestion of someone else taking him is a good one, too. Let us know what happens!</p>
<p>yeah, it's a hard decision since his dad is being installed as the chief, but I don't want to him to miss this opportunity, though there is no guarantee even if they would allow him into the morning session, but it says no rescheduling and I don't want to hurt his chances by calling.?????? What to do?????</p>
<p>I can't imagine that his chance for a scholarship could be hurt by asking to schedule at a time that wouldn't conflict with an important family event. I would suggest, though, that your son call and ask, not you. It really seems to make a difference to colleges. Good luck!</p>
<p>Sorry this is totally off topic, but I know there a lot of parents of girls out there! I have two delightful girls in the family, 12 and 13, and I'm stuck on holiday presents. Any ideas? I hate to just get itunes/other gift cards, but having a 17 y.o. boy is soooooooooo different, it's like a separate species!</p>
<p>Don't know about the college app's but was at a dinner with a large HMO group last yr and an HR told me that they had NOT hired a good app. based on this persons facebook and this persons friends pics and such. True and shocking to me.</p>
<p>oops-this topic has moved on--sorry</p>
<p>cpeltz, tell us more about them - do they have pierced ears yet? Are they big readers? Totally into some tv show or another? On the young side of their age range, or already very sophisticated? I'd love to throw you some ideas but give me more hints. </p>
<p>Also, can you tell how welcome any and all distractions are to me? My 6-year-old is home sick, so I can't even really get any real work done, to keep me from watching the mailbox.</p>
<p>oregon, it's moved on but it bears a return visit: Kids need to understand how to use privacy settings for Facebook, specifically. More broadly and even more important, they need to understand how permanent things on the web can be, and how simple it can be for others to find them. The short version is, if you wouldn't want your mom or your boss to see it, don't post it anywhere that doesn't have proven security/privacy settings. (And think twice about posting it anyway.)</p>
<p>Harriett, thanks for the offer, and hope your little one is feeling better and that it doesn't spread throughout the family.</p>
<p>Girl 1 is a very mature 12, pierced ears, big big reader (#1 on her list is BN gift cards), tall and lovely, loved HS Musical, but that was a year ago so don't know if she's moved on!</p>
<p>Girl 2 is 13, up until a year ago total tomboy (only would wear soccer clothes), but since she discovered Jonas Bros. this year, all bets are off! Just started wearing a little makeup.</p>
<p>Thanks for any ideas you might have. I'm stuck with my DS at 17 - truly, he can't come up with anything for his list other than some video games he "might want." Clothes for a gift would be torturous for him. I suppose that's a better problem than if he had a greedy 2 pages list.</p>
<p>cpeltz, in general with that age range I'd steer clear of things marketed to little kids. They want to feel more grown up. For example, art supplies might be an idea, but not the kits geared to kids. If they're girly girls, a gift from Ulta or Bath and Body Works would be prefered to Claire's. My own 11 yr old has asked for a bedroom makeover for Christmas, no more pink walls and rainbow curtains.</p>
<p>Waiting on ED here. I truly underestimated the stress level. It seems the answer will be available online but my daughter is talking about waiting for the mail. I'm just trying to be totally supportive right now. She's fabulous no matter what admissions committees think of her application. I'm just feeling very Mama Bear protecting her cub right now.</p>
<p>Yay! I know many of you have already heard from schools, but DS just got his first rolling admissions decisions this morning. He's looking happier, I'm relieved. </p>
<p>Two days and four days respectively until the highly desired schools release their EA decisions. Tick, tock, tick, tock. I want to speed up time.</p>
<p>cpeltz, go to thinkgeek.com for your 17-year-old son. I have one of those, too. Also, try bustedtees.com?</p>
<p>Earrings are always good presents, and Girl 1 sounds like a good candidate. There's a company called Boma that makes earrings that appeal across a pretty wide age range. I don't know how much you want to spend - but a small BN gift card with a pair of earrings could be really nice? Tough to buy her books if you don't know what she's read already. </p>
<p>For Girl 2, do you have a Sephora nearby? They put together a lot of great gift packs that have been huge hits (when my D was younger, and now w my goddaughter) for girls in the just-getting-into-makeup stages. (Of course they make great stuff for girls who are fully into it, and adults, and so on. . . .) She might love some of the Philosophy shower gels that smell so amazing? </p>
<p>Shall I keep going? :) This is much better than paying attention to The SpongeBob Movie.</p>
<p>HOORAY, geomom! Congratulations on that first one, and good luck with the wait.</p>
<p>And good luck to you too, electronblue. I completely understand the mother bear feeling.</p>
<p>My girls love to come home from school and take off their jeans and put on their cozy pajama pants. Target usually has fun prints; Gap Body's are a bit nicer but more expensive. Hoodies and sweat pants from Victoria's Secret are really popular around here.</p>
<p>A good thing to pair with a gift card is fun socks. My brand-consious one loves Juicy brand socks. Fuzzy socks are great for winter. Delia's and Aeropostale usually have fun socks. You can put the socks and the gift card in one of those holiday Chinese food containers that they sell at the craft stores and you're done. (Or, the socks, the gift card, and a fun lip gloss from Sephora, Bath and Body Works or Ulta.)</p>
<p>We usually find a lot of cute things in adorable packaging at Bath and Body Works, but I didn't find much this year.</p>
<p>Great call on the pajama pants - that's an excellent suggestion.</p>
<p>Back to the Facebook looking like Mother Theresa....I wonder if anyone has done that, leaving their entries public, just for the purpose of college admission or a job search....fill it with pictures of you on that mission trip to Haiti, you with the adorable kids you baby sit, you at your Eagle Scout ceremony, you serving Thanksgiving dinner at the shelter.....</p>
<p>do they have ipods? how about an itunes giftcard, together with a small gift (earrings, socks, etc.)?</p>
<p>my Ds live in their Target pajama pants. or they did until this week, when they discovered the footie pajamas in the boys section at Target! they look adorable in them and even at their age (and size!), seeing them brings a lump to my throat - another bittersweet memory.</p>
<p>The good thing about pajama pants is that you only kinda sorta have to get the size right...S, M or L and it's okay if they're baggy.</p>
<p>We're in a quandry about what to get Son's girlfriend for Christmas. He's so *not curious *when it comes to her favorite this or that. He got her a lovely James Avery necklace for her 18th birthday (Daughter's idea); she has it on every time we see her. We can't figure out if she's doing that because she loves it (so she might love another) or because she's just being nice and wearing his gift.</p>
<p>Missypie, the Mother Theresa Facebook idea is genius!!!! D never uses her legal name except on college apps, so I'm now preparing her own VERY EASILY FOUND facebook page highlighting D's missionary work with lepers...</p>