<p>Oh Lindz–I am so sorry–glad your daughter is communicative, and you are so proactive. I’m sorry this puts a damper on the last day. :(</p>
<p>you guys are great…thanks. I had a little separation angst leaving my d at school after the morning drama~very odd experience, since I hadn’t even felt that in the preschool days… </p>
<p>moda—sounds like your son “got it” and may have actually appreciated you. I love how at their age they are starting to catch themselves when they are stubborn/obnoxious and can actually apologize. the upside of them growing up~you know the start of parent-adult child relationships. </p>
<p>okay, just uncorked the pinot grigio</p>
<p>lets toast to each other for raising wonderful kids and say a prayer for their good health safety and good fortune…</p>
<p>I’m certainly ready for some wine. I guess I need to wait until I drive home from work.</p>
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<p>Lindz – I am so glad your D shared her concerns and the school took them seriously. Is there anything the police, etc. can put in place going forward should this young man try to contact her again?</p>
<p>RochesterMom, scary that the young man had his locker loaded with weaponry. Hope the kids who found him get some support.</p>
<p>Modadunn, I live for those moments of clarity and maturity from my boy-men. It makes up for the hours/days/weeks/months of the other stuff.</p>
<p>Lindz and RochesterMom – yikes. So glad the situation didn’t turn even worse in both cases. Lindz, would an order of protection be a good move for your daughter?</p>
<p>Modadunn, a great self-revelation from your son. Obviously you and your husband have done something very right.</p>
<p>Last concert is tonight. Waterproof mascara, here I come.</p>
<p>Woody -my son went to China for two weeks and we packed one of those squeezable tubes of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. He and his friends were very happy to have that!</p>
<p>dizzimom–what an adventure your son will have.</p>
<p>I’m planning to touch base with the principal at the awards banquet monday nite–get a sense of how things went in his interaction w this young man and then plan accordingly. he hasn’t been in any way threatening towards my d, but his talk of suicide and asking how she’d feel is intimidating. </p>
<p>at this point I suggested to my d that should he contact her, she let him know that hearing him talk about hurting himself is concerning and uncomfortable to her and that she hopes he’s talking with a therapist. </p>
<p>running out to get party balloons for tomorrow’s pre grad party. kids want to celebrate being done with classes, although AP tests still ahead…</p>
<p>D2 just informed me the kids want to have prom photos taken at our house. The pressure is on to get the flowers planted and yard in shape. I’m really feeling stressed now!</p>
<p>Dizzimom I just sent him to the grocery store for squeezable peanut butter!! (We’re in CT too)</p>
<p>Lindz - I am unable to imagine how you must have felt this AM. I’m sending all the good vibes I have to you and D.</p>
<p>North min - I feel exactly the same way. Every time I pull into the driveway my heart starts racing re: the foot long weeds. For heaven’s sake, the sun just won’t come out when I’m home to do something about it!!</p>
<p>Did I miss out on all the wine? It sounds really good right about now!</p>
<p>Lindz - Glad she was able to come to you (& the school) for help. Hopefully there won’t be any more problems for D with this young man. </p>
<p>RochesterMom - Wow that is scary that he could have all that in his locker! Feel sorry for the kids that found him.</p>
<p>NM - I’ll be spending tomorrow planting/digging/cleaning too! Got the grad party w/6 other families at our house in 3 weeks…hope the weather cooperates. For some reason everytime D has a pool party it rains! </p>
<p>Modadunn - I can only hope my S will get to that point some day (sooner rather than later! LOL!)</p>
<p>Now to go pick up the D - anyone have suggestions how to get her to WANT to get her license? We’ve already told her she needs to have it before she leaves for college…</p>
<p>Hope all you moms have a Happy Mother’s day!!</p>
<p>Lindz–pinot gris here right now–cheers!</p>
<p>Cali_Mom, if you figure out how to get your D to want to drive, can you let me know? S is 18, had a permit, took 90% of the BTW courses, but I can’t get him to drive. It’s been a hassle chauffeuring him around, but I must admit to relief at not having to worry about him. Los Angeles is a tough place to drive for experienced adults!</p>
<p>Lindz… pass the bottle around. Last senior night here tonight. followed a close game (too close!) so was merely exhausted from the stress but no tears!!</p>
<p>Question: What did your D say about her day? Did she feel anxious at all? Did the kid leave or stay at school?</p>
<p>NothernMinn… when is prom? I don’t know how I’d handle pictures at our house… I’d still have dirt on my knees when people were arriving! I’ve done it for winter dances with older D, but boys don’t really do that kind of stuff. As I tell S… you are more accessory than anything else. More important than your date’s shoes, but not quite up there with the hair. 
He has learned to basically nod, show up when and where she tells him and stand and smile when told. And by “she” or “her” I mean any girl that he has taken to any dance… ever. It’s tomorrow night. I hope it doesnt rain!</p>
<p>As Cpeltz and I have often exclaimed (despaired?) - our boys are cut from the same cloth - so I need to know how to convince someone to drive too. 17 permit - took the full driver ed course - which was PRICEY by the way and will not even come in handy since he’ll be 18 , nay probably 30, before he drives!
Same I don’t have to worry about him driving, but I DO have to worry about who is driving him. He says since he has to fly to get to college he doesn’t need a car (true) and he won’t need to drive when he’s at college anyway (true) and parking is abyssmal where he is (probably) going (true) and I can’t argue with any of it. But I tell him he won’t have a better opportunity to learn and practice than now and the older he gets the more embarrassed he’ll be to go take the test and get his license - so far to no avail. But H plans to start working on it with him once he graduates - I plan to cover my eyes and ears. And I should probably plan also to cover my mouth</p>
<p>Cpeltz - I’m with you there. I now have two that don’t drive. D at college relies on public transportation and bike in a city easy to do both, while S is heading off to college without even a learner’s permit. I feel guilty for not having equipped them with this life skill, but agree that driving here in LA is a disincentive to my kids. D was especially turned off when she had an accident across the street from the DMV right before her driving test :o Have to say though, driving my S around this year has been a great way to enjoy our last year together.</p>
<p>hi moda—my d was uncomfortable with her principal reading her phone’s text messages–talk about big brother, but she was comforted by his strong response. (the boy was going to be told he couldn’t return to campus, both bc he left which is not permitted, and as a precaution due to the concern about his having access to a gun) </p>
<p>my d was a bit scared and worried for this kid, so she went off to the pep rally, a little dispirited, but it was a nice ritual, the seniors are sent off. she then went out to lunch w girlfriends, and is still out a party now. soo, she’s fine. hope he is too.</p>
<p>For parents with LA area kids not wanting to learn to drive: Hmm, not quite sure how this worked with our S, who had his drivers’ license a week before his 17th birthday (he didn’t pass the road test the first time, all the teenage boys claim there’s one female tester who flunks them all.)</p>
<p>I guess it was part carrot, part stick. First, I pointed out how it would be easier to fit it into the schedule if the work towards it commenced in the summer (true.) I hinted that perhaps the annual ski trip might be at risk if he wasn’t able to help out with the drive. I showed him how much his insurance would cost us and noted the earlier he started and got some years of good driving under his belt, the more likely it was that his insurance might be more reasonable in cost when he started paying the bill. Major icing on the cake was the BMW in need of a transmission repair that could be his to drive, but only if he made reasonable progress on getting the license. Finally, all that stuff clicked.</p>
<p>I do miss the Mom-son talks on the drive to school, I must admit. I let him drive solo these past few weeks, since the start time has been later during test weeks.</p>
<p>Our main incentive was to try and ensure he was a safe driver before he ended up going of to school who knows where. So far, except when we’ve had family long haul trips, his solo driving has strictly been to locations in our five mile city.</p>
<p>Lindz, that’s great that it worked out well for your daughter!</p>
<p>S was also a reluctant driver, but hey, we’re in Texas - driving is mandatory. His loathing of the school bus was also a motivator. </p>
<p>We went to his last band banquet last night - rather a tear-jerker as they do quite a bit to honor the seniors. He’s definitely going the farthest for college!
Now - a big yippee! - my band mom days are over (not that I was ever much of one to begin with).</p>
<p>Oh I am comforted to know that others have non-driver or reluctant-driver kids. Our daughter didn’t get her license until she was 18. Son appears to be on the same time frame. He has his permit, and he’s taken 8 out of his 10 paid driving lessons, but he just has no desire to finish up. He was dual-enrolled at a CC this year, and I did enjoy the time in the car every day with him, but I fear that my kids with no desire to drive will be bad drivers 
At least we have kept our insurance rates lower.</p>