<p>Happy Mother’s Day! I have all my “chicks” under my roof, as S1 came home last night, halfway through college, having finished his soph. year! That’s a nice gift, but we’re also going en masse to see the new Star Trek movie tonight, which I hear is a hoot. The best gift, however, was going to bed to the geek-talk of all three boys down the hall…</p>
<p>Travel safely Shaw!</p>
<p>Hope everyone has a wonderful day–skip the laundry, no weeping in the coffee, just enjoy!</p>
<p>Woody–glad to hear your S is doing fine
Happy Mothers Day to everyone…</p>
<p>I was reflecting during side plank in yoga class that some (maybe all) of us have also had problems beyond the normal high class problems (which college should she go to, he likes this one better but that one has better FA, problems with getting kids geared up from prom, etc.). The high class problems are real problems, to be sure, but there are other tougher ones: TheAnalysts’s son’s ordeal and her husband’s job loss (and replacement at 25% pay cut), lindz’s daughter who had not a stalker but a guy who is a bit troubled, maybe with a gun. On another post, jdjaguar’s son has really suffered. Both of our kids have had very serious medical problems. We’ve solved one and improved the other, though each has taken years and lots of parental time and pushing of doctors to figure out what the problems really are and what might solve them. One has severe learning disabilities, as you know, but with our help has dealt with them in an extraordinary fashion. [An Emmy-award winning documentary maker is making a documentary about dyslexia and they contacted my son to be interviewed. He’s uncomfortable with that, so I don’t know if he’ll do it. I’ve tried to explain that kids going through the problems he had need inspiration that they can succeed and teachers and administrators need to see that there really are kids with sky-high IQs can have LD’s – one of his teachers wrote me, DS “is a permanent part of my story as and educator … a reminder of how flexibilty and understanding, without lowering standards, can really make a difference … especially when there is such strong parental/family support”] Our daughter’s issues are less severe, but she has a lot of anxiety and we can’t deal with them in the same straightforward manner. But, nonetheless, I feel thankful that most of us are dealing with things over which we have some leverage. I just didn’t want to diminish what TheAnalyst or jdjaguar or others have gone through and want to wish all a Happy Mother’s Day.</p>
<p>Hi Plant mom, my D is starting Smith this fall…would love to know what your D says about her first year there. Which house does she recommend, is she happy with hers? What about her fin aid - i heard they keep reducing it at smith each yr…whats your D’s info on that. any tips - how was her double room, is she happy with her roomate etc …appreciate all your info</p>
<p>PlantMom, I’m certainly up for any Smith information you are up to sharing and will be happy to reply with any Twin Cities info. I’m on the other side of the river from Macalester and although we share the same weather, the divide can be pretty wide sometimes 
</p>
<p>D has some friends who will also be a part of Macalester 2013. It was too close to home for her.</p>
<p>LOL! You are too funny Northernwoods! Love your analysis of the Twin Cities! ;)</p>
<p>I wonder if we could get the Class of '09 thread merged with this one???</p>
<p>DONE</p>
<p>Pulled the plug on RPI.
Without being able to visit before their generous deadline extension _ just too many things going on with concerts, awards, graduation, puppies, etc - we would not be able to get out there until after June 6th _ S decided (or <em>we</em> did I guess since money was one of the factors for looking again at RPI more closely) that WPI is an excellent fit so we can’t go wrong even if we are a poorer in the long run. </p>
<p>S has committed to paying the difference between the scholarships (he has an account opened for him by his deceased grandmother - this will pretty much close it - so I hope the stats on jobs for WPI grads are true!) Plus he is expecting the community scholarship - don’t know how much, but it should be a couple of thousand.</p>
<p>Good to have it done - finally. I was wondering what I was going to do with the WPI swag I bought him <g></g></p>
<p>Now to get the many essays written that he has put off and with which he is now down to the wire. Seems to be always the case with him. I think these 7 week quarters are going to work well for him. The longer the semester the easier it seems for him to think he has plenty of time to get things done.</p>
<p>Congratulations on having reached a final decision, #theorymom! That has to be a relief. It sounds like you are on to something when saying the shorter term lengths may work well for him.</p>
<p>^^Musicbuff, I PM’ed you. </p>
<p>That is funny, Northernwoods, although I must confess that I too spent most of my time on the other side of the river from Mac when I lived in the Cities.</p>
<p>happy mothers day to all, </p>
<p>(including the dads on here who are so committed to their children and supportive of their childrens’ mothers)</p>
<p>Happy Mother’s Day to all! </p>
<p>Congrats #theorymom & S! I look forward to hearing how he likes WPI. We just visited there recently for S (though he is only a freshman this year we were nearby and I was hoping to get him motivated to kick up his efforts at school…we’ll see!) He seemed to like it and what a neat campus/town! Although I thought I could pull him in by their game dev. major, when asked he said he was undecided - kids! </p>
<p>D will have a friend in Mac’s class of 2013 as well. She’s kind of sad that so many of her friends will be going East for school while she is one of the few on the West coast but with unlimited texting, I’m sure it won’t be so bad!</p>
<p>Enjoy your day everyone!</p>
<p>Yay to #theorymom - I’m glad it’s going to work out (and that we might get to meet IRL with CBBBlinker)!</p>
<p>Just got back from brunch with my mother, my family, my brother and his family (5-year old triplets). Brother is not looking forward to college tuition payments in 13 years!</p>
<p>FYI - the postage rate is increasing tomorrow. I’ll be busy the rest of today getting graduation invitations out today.</p>
<p>:gak: Thanks for the reminder, fireflyscout! </p>
<h1>theorymom, congratulations to you and your son. It must be wonderful to have that decision made.</h1>
<p>Very late getting back here – a late happy mother’s day to everyone. </p>
<h1>theorymom, I’m sure you are glad that the decision is made.</h1>
<p>Ksabbo, I can’t believe the Richmond coaches haven’t been in contact with you. We have had the exact opposite experience with the science department with multiple professors calling D (in fact while we were on spring break one called each day for three days and then sent her an email since we hadn’t answered any of the phone calls). Hard to believe that admissions isn’t more helpful either since they have been incredibly supportive to D.</p>
<p>Woody, the cell phone thing may not be a SIM issue (the SIM is what gives you your telephone number). US cell phones operate on a different set of bands than other parts of the world. If he doesn’t have a GSM quad band phone there’s no guarantee that even with a local SIM card it will work.</p>
<p>Chaos with my college senior son seems to be increasing. Looks like the lab manager has decided to offer him a position so now instead of him moving back home, he’ll move home then back to Cleveland (cause he can’t find an apartment before move out day which is a week from Monday). We’re thrilled that it looks like he’ll be employed but I now have to go from the concept that we wouldn’t be an empty nest next year back to being empty again. Hard transition to make.</p>
<p>Today must be the day for decisions. Congratulations to #theorymom’s S. WPI…how exciting.</p>
<p>Well…drumroll please…!!! We too have a decision!</p>
<p>American University it is!!!</p>
<p>As soon as my daughter told me she had decided on AU, I could see the smiles and true happiness that was lacking before. She even said, “It feels better saying, I’m going to American University, it didn’t feel right before”.</p>
<p>Now, on to finishing up HS. She has three essays she has to finish today, yet she’s in the kitchen right now, making me a key lime pie, and 2 puppy cakes for our puppy’s birthday. How do they do this 
?</p>
<p>I’m soooo happy for her.</p>
<p>yea ksabbo and D!!!</p>
<p>Feels good eh?</p>
<p>And congratulations to ksabbo and #theorymom for long-awaited decisions!</p>
<p>Prom was last night and we have all survived. S and most of his friends showed TOTAL disregard for tradition and planning… which made me crazy of course. </p>
<p>But there they are in the living room right now reliving it minute-by-minute and apparently it was all great. With no limo! No matching outfits! No fancy dinner! No special party afterward! (They went out for ice cream.) In words of eggson to troubled mother: "Relax, Mom, we don’t need all that stuff.)</p>
<p>S wore white dinner jacket and white tie with black tux pants and black shirt. Completing the outfit was a new pair of high top Converse. Black and white, of course. </p>
<p>Happy Mother’s Day to all!</p>
<p>ksabbo, congrats for you and your D – I’m sure she’ll be happy.</p>
<p>Hooray, ksabbo!</p>
<p>Congrats, #theorymom & ksabbo! Huge weight off, right? Feels so good when the decision is finally made. Good for your two!!!</p>