<p>Love it T_c! When my D was that age, in reality, she seemed to color EVERYTHING in the “cauls” of the Rainbow (in proper order of course!) ;)</p>
<p>What a treasure you found! :)</p>
<p>A good example of “inventive spelling!” I remember the teachers telling us they didn’t correct spelling because they didn’t want to impede the kids’ creativity. I think that’s the reason DD still spells “when” “wen” in 6th grade.</p>
<p>Waiving to all those Mac and linux fans out there. I’ve successfully avoided having a windows/dos machine at work for over 20 years now.</p>
<p>Sympathy for those with teen-age sons who are too into the video games. My own S has never seen the attraction of them, possibly because we wouldn’t buy any video games at all when the kids were in elementary school, so he never started playing … I do know that S is concerned about future roommate (whose name has not yet come …) and where FR will be a big time gamer or really into watching sports on tv …</p>
<p>S couldn’t find a job this summer. So he’s working for me for pay: Painting the picnic table, chairs, and front railing; waxing wood floors; and doing some painting inside the house (if I’m lucky and he gets to it).</p>
<p>t_c - What a fabulous find! I remember when my D was first writing, she used “8” to make the sound that y makes (y as in yawn, that is). It actually makes a certain amount of sense if you think about it.</p>
<p>Just got home from work. Good grief but you guys are prolific!</p>
<p>WarofWarcrack is also a sore subject in our home. Son was totally addicted to it but got himself off of it in 10th grade. He even belonged to a ‘guild’ and had a group of virtual friends. It wasn’t unusual for him to stay up all night playing. I was shocked when he voluntarily gave it up. He said it was taking too much of his time. </p>
<p>He has a humongous gaming computer. He’s mentioned taking it to college but I have nixed that idea. Still, last night he came home with the new StarCraft game. He rarely plays video games now and usually they are just Xbox games. I think he’s fearful that he wouldn’t have a social life at college right away and is thinking that gaming will fill in his time. I’m praying that doesn’t happen - those games can be seriously addicting.</p>
<p>On the other hand, he spends an huge amount of his time on facebook and texting. :)</p>
<p>So I gave son specific instructions on how to start going through his clothes and junk in order to de-clutter his room. I came home tonight and he has 3 shirts and 2 pairs of socks in the box. Obviously, he didn’t get too far…might be time for the old carrot and stick. He will so wait until the day before he leaves to go through his room. Right now his #1 priority is hanging out with his friends.</p>
<p>OMG - teenage - I thought you were texting.</p>
<p>When I joined as psychmomma I didn’t know there was a psychmom! Great minds think alike!</p>
<p>Oops - I’m a midwestern girl and NU has always and only meant Northwestern to me. And that is where S is going. </p>
<p>I feel for you twin moms. I have a close friend with twins and when they leave she’ll have a 7th grader at home. Her boys did decide to go together - and I wonder at what age they will experience life apart from each other. They may never want to or need to - they have been best friends their whole lives.</p>
<p>D’s current summer reading is a 700 page book called something like A People’s History of the United States (he’s reading it right now so I can’t see the cover). No, it is not the ASSIGNED summer reading - S says he’ll get to it after he finishes this book first. Hmm… like he’ll “get to” the online tests and homework… </p>
<p>We have also had an absentee son this summer - hanging out with friends many evenings as I count down the number of evenings left for him to spend with us! I know he’ll be home to visit and possibly to live again in the summers, but it will never be quite the same again. I guess I’m beginning to feel like he won’t “belong” to me anymore.</p>
<p>TC - that story is so cute! I love the idea of leaving that at home for your parents.</p>
<p>To those who can use a hug, I’m happy to send one! </p>
<p>I’m glad to have found a group going through the same phase of life - letting go.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Howard Zinn, perchance? It’s US History from the point of view of minorities, the poor, women, etc. Revolutionary when it first came out (early 80’s I think), a lot of it has become mainstream in HS and college history classes.</p>
<p>t-c that is so cute!!!</p>
<p>reminded me of an old thread that made me laugh and remember</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/807241-remembering-things-your-hs-senior-said-child-were-darndest-things.html?highlight=parent56[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/807241-remembering-things-your-hs-senior-said-child-were-darndest-things.html?highlight=parent56</a></p>
<p>t_c…TOO cute!!! I love the way you not only capped “RAINBOW” but surprisingly spelled it correctly. (It looks like it’s the most difficult.) This signifies one thing: you must have LOVED rainbows! Did you have one of those rainbow ponies (toy)?</p>
<p>Psychmomma, AJ, & Twinmamma…Welcome!</p>
<p>GSharp…So, have the Wildcats from Northwestern now taken over us Wahoos? 
(It’s amusing because D almost picked NU – very tough decision.) </p>
<p>ShillyShally…I never knew you had an 8th grade son; so do we!</p>
<p>Pav…Our son doesn’t have the extreme drive that his sister does either. I realize he’s only in middle school, but sometimes I get SO frustrated at his lack of motivation. He’s SO very bright, too. In fact, his sister would argue he’s more naturally gifted; she has the stronger work ethic though. I think in the long run he’ll probably be the happier of the two. He’s SO laid back whereas she’s wound so tight she has meltdowns if she gets a low 90 on a test. He might not wind up as financially successful as her, but he’ll probably be more socially and emotionally successful. But then again, you never know!</p>
<p>Here’s the list with new additions. I put two asterisks next to the newcomers.</p>
<p>1sokkermom’s D – University of Scranton
1sttimemom’s D – George Washington
12rmh18’s S – William & Mary
2education’s S – University of Virginia
2girls4me’s D – Swarthmore
** ajfischer@verizo’s D – University of Maryland
AL34’s S – University of Alabama
alexahet – LSU
ALF’s S – Hampshire College
aliceinw’s S – Carleton
almar4’s S – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
anothercrazymom’s S – William & Mary
applicannot - Stanford
archiemom’s S – Villanova
artloversplus’s D – University of Chicago
astromom’s D – Brown
austinmtmom’s D – Coastal Carolina
BCandBU82’s S – University of North Carolina
Bclintonk’s D – Haverford
BengalMom’s S – Pomona College
BerneseMtn’s S – University of Illinois – UrbanaChampaign
BlessedTwice’s S – Vanderbilt
boiledegg’s D – Kenyon
BonnieNewJersey-s D - Lafayette
Booklady’s S – University of Delaware
Brooklynborndad’s D - RPI
Bubbe’s GS - Harvard
CaliforniaDancer – Carnegie Mellon
Cecil’s S – Macalester
CheckersMidwest’s S – University of Missouri/Columbia
colorado<em>mom’s S - Northeastern
coskat’s D – University of Buffalo
CountingDown’s S - Tufts
curiousmother’s D – University of Virginia
donnagal’s S – SUNY Albany
DougBetsy’s S – Wake Forest
ELY’s S – University of Maryland
esobay’s S – University of California – Santa Barbara
FindAPlace’s S – Northwestern
Flinty’s D – William & Mary
FLVADAD’s D - Villanova
gotaplay2’s D – Cal Poly Pomona
GSharpM7’s D - Princeton
GTalum’s D – Williams
hopeful12345’s D – Princeton
hopeful2014’s S – University of Michigan
IloveLA’s D – Cal Berkeley
intouch1520’s D - Emerson
jackief’s D – University of Chicago
jc40’s D – University of Virginia
jingle’s S – University of Virginia
journey919’s D – Middlebury
Kajon’s S - Carthage
Keilexandra – Swarthmore
kindredspirit’s D – University of Pennsylvania
KYParent’s D – High Point University
Lafalum84’s D – Elon
L.A.Parent’s S - Brown
learninginprog’s S - Yale
LetsGoMets’s S – Columbia
lilmom’s S – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
limabeans’ S – Washington University in St. Louis
LIMOMOF2’s D – Harvard
littlefalls’ S – University of Michigan
LoisHK’s S - Bennington
Mablab54’s D - NYU
MaineLonghorn’s S – University of Texas at Austin
mantori.suzuki’s S – Ole Miss
mathmom’s S - Tufts
mdemvizi – Ithaca
mimimomx3’s D - Rhodes
missemily516’s D – University of Redlands
mom2sons’ S2 – Pitzer
MomLive’s S – University of South Carolina
mommuisc’s S – University of Cincinnati
momof2inma’s D - Tufts
momof2men’s S - Brown
momof3sons’ S2 – Swarthmore
momof3sons’ S3 - Northwestern
momonthehill’s D – Boston University
motherbear332’s S – University of Chicago
mountaingoat’s D - Harvard
mpabon’s D – Loyola Chicago
MuppetMom’s D – Rice
musicmom26’s D – Columbus State
my2sunz’s S - Yale
neumes’ S - Carleton
nightchef’s S - Goucher
PAO2008’s D – Washington University in St. Louis
PaperChaserPop’s S – Caltech
PAVenturer’s D – University of Richmond
PAVenturer’s S – Millersville University + CC
parent56’s S – University of Alabama Birmingham
PayFor’s S – University of Chicago
Pengo’s S – Colgate University
PinotNoir’s S – University of Rochester
pixeljig’s S - University of Southern California
pmartin57’s D – Carleton
proudparents’ S – Rice
Psi’s S – Louisiana State
psychmom’s D – Vassar
** psychmomma’s S - Northwestern
pugmadkate’s S – Northeastern
qialah’s D – Oberlin
Queen’s Mom’s D – Bryn Mawr
redbug119’s D – Minneapolis College of Art and Design
RobD’s D – University of Alabama
robinsuesanders’ S – St. Olaf
rocket6louise – Smith
runnersmom’s niece - Emerson
sacchi’s S – Washington University in St. Louis
Sailorette’s D - Wellesley
scualum’s D – Scripps
sDonCC’s S - Grinnell
sewemma’s S – Wesleyan
shillyshally’s D – University of Virginia
showmom858’s D – Marymount Manhattan
somewhereinga’s D – University of Georgia
skier29’s S – Colorado College
SLUMOM’s S – Wheaton (MA)
standrews’ D - Dartmouth
SWTCAT’s D – University of Texas at Austin
tango91’s S – Yale
t-boneParent’s S - Northwestern
teenage</em>cliche – Smith
*<em>TWINMAMA’s D – Hamilton College
*</em>TWINMAMA’s D – Wheaton College (MA)
vballmom’s S – University of Redlands
veewhitty’s D – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
vicariousparent’s D – Yale
want2babuckeye’s son – Ohio State University
WhirledPeas2u’s D – University of Central Florida
Youdon’tsay’s S - Carleton
zoosermom’s D – University of Delaware</p>
<p>And in a flash, ML is all over those additions! :)</p>
<p>T_C, thank you for the smile!</p>
<p>Welcome to the newcomers, sometimes I still feel like a newbie!</p>
<p>My son registered for classes online today, sounds like it went well, I only heard second hand from H. </p>
<p>Made red velvet cupcakes and ribs tonight, feeling very southern!</p>
<p>LOL, momof3sons! If I can’t be a fast runner, at least I can be a fast list-maker!</p>
<p>I “stalked” psychmomma’s posts to see what she meant by NU!</p>
<p>Ah, so I guessed right about NU after all. IIRC, it’s the Univ. of Nebraska (so likely UN) and I believe Northeastern U uses the designation NEU. Psychmomma, I sent you a PM. Welcome to the Northwestern University parent’s club. Have they had the incoming students gathering yet in your area? I was happy to see we have one here in LA August 8.</p>
<p>I did a quick check with S to see if he knew the difference between a credit card and a debit card, since we’ll make his student ID into the combo with ATM/debit capability when it’s associated with the bank on campus. He nailed it. I was pleased.</p>
<p>Today were TWO pieces of mail from NU, one regarding their health insurance with Aetna, and another insurance for tuition and R & B, in the event illness or accident causes a withdrawal for the term. We can happily pass on both of those expenses.
NU claims to have had the tuition insurance since 1930. Wonder what the tuition was back then, likely less than the expenses for a quarter’s worth of books these days.</p>
<p>:cool: 
</p>
<p>acm, red velvet is my fave… A red velvet layer cake is next on my baking to-do list. ; )</p>
<p>My semester’s tuition at UT was about $250, including all fees. $4/credit hour! 1980-1984 for undergrad. Then they paid ME to go to grad school! Ah, the good old days.</p>
<p>Thanx MLH. Here’s the other list.</p>
<p>Bennington 1
LoisHK’s S</p>
<p>Boston University 1
momonthehill’s D</p>
<p>Brown 3
astromom’s D
L.A.Parent’s S
momof2men’s S</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr 1
Queen’s Mom’s D</p>
<p>Cal Berkeley 1
IloveLA’s D</p>
<p>Cal Poly Pomona 1
gotaplay2’s D</p>
<p>Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 1
lilmom’s S</p>
<p>Caltech 1
PaperChaserPop’s S</p>
<p>Carleton 4
aliceinw’s S
neumes’ S
pmartin57’s D
Youdon’tsay’s S</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon 1
CaliforniaDancer</p>
<p>Carthage 1
Kajon’s S</p>
<p>Coastal Carolina 1
austinmtmom’s D</p>
<p>Colgate University 1
Pengo’s S</p>
<p>Colorado College 1
skier29’s S</p>
<p>Columbia 1
LetsGoMets’s S</p>
<p>Columbus State 1
musicmom26’s D</p>
<p>Dartmouth 1
standrews’ D</p>
<p>Elon 1
Lafalum84’s D</p>
<p>Emerson 2
intouch1520’s D
runnersmom’s niece</p>
<p>George Washington 1
1sttimemom’s D</p>
<p>Goucher 1
nightchef’s S</p>
<p>Grinnell 1
sDonCC’s S</p>
<p>Hamilton College 1
TWINMAMA’s D1</p>
<p>Hampshire College 1
ALF’s S</p>
<p>Harvard 3
Bubbe’s GS
LIMOMOF2’s D
mountaingoat’s D</p>
<p>Haverford 1
Bclintonk’s D</p>
<p>High Point University 1
KYParent’s D</p>
<p>Ithaca 1
mdemvizi</p>
<p>Kenyon 1
boiledegg’s D</p>
<p>Lafayette 1
BonnieNewJersey’s D</p>
<p>Louisiana State 1
Psi’s S</p>
<p>Loyola Chicago 1
mpabon’s D</p>
<p>LSU 1
alexahet</p>
<p>Macalester 1
Cecil’s S</p>
<p>Marymount Manhattan 1
showmom858’s D</p>
<p>Middlebury 1
journey919’s D</p>
<p>Millersville University + CC 1
PAVenturer’s S</p>
<p>Minneapolis College of Art and Design 1
redbug119’s D</p>
<p>Northeastern 2
colorado_mom’s S
pugmadkate’s S</p>
<p>Northwestern 4
FindAPlace’s S
momof3sons’ S3
psychmomma’s S
tboneParent’s S</p>
<p>NYU 1
Mablab54’s D</p>
<p>Oberlin 1
qialah’s D</p>
<p>Ohio State University 1
want2babuckeye’s son</p>
<p>Ole Miss 1
mantori.suzuki’s S</p>
<p>Pitzer 1
mom2sons’ S2</p>
<p>Pomona College 1
BengalMom’s S</p>
<p>Princeton 2
GSharpM7’s D
hopeful12345’s D</p>
<p>Rhodes 1
mimimomx3’s D</p>
<p>Rice 2
MuppetMom’s D
proudparents’ S</p>
<p>RPI 1
Brooklynborndad’s D</p>
<p>Scripps 1
scualum’s D</p>
<p>Smith 2
rocket6louise
teenage_cliche</p>
<p>St. Olaf 1
robinsuesanders’ S</p>
<p>Stanford 1
applicannot</p>
<p>SUNY Albany 1
donnagal’s S</p>
<p>Swarthmore 3
2girls4me’s D
Keilexandra
momof3sons’ S2</p>
<p>Tufts 3
CountingDown’s S
mathmom’s S
momof2inma’s D</p>
<p>University of Alabama 2
AL34’s S
RobD’s D</p>
<p>University of Alabama Birmingham 1
parent56’s S</p>
<p>University of Buffalo 1
coskat’s D</p>
<p>University of California @ Santa Barbara 1
esobay’s S</p>
<p>University of Central Florida 1
WhirledPeas2u’s D</p>
<p>University of Chicago 4
artloversplus’s D
jackief’s D
motherbear332’s S
PayFor’s S</p>
<p>University of Cincinnati 1
mommuisc’s S</p>
<p>University of Delaware 2
Booklady’s S
zoosermom’s D</p>
<p>University of Georgia 1
somewhereinga’s D</p>
<p>University of Illinois @ UrbanaChampaign 1
BerneseMtn’s S</p>
<p>University of Maryland 2
ajfischer@verizo’s D
ELY’s S</p>
<p>University of Michigan 2
hopeful2014’s S
littlefalls’ S</p>
<p>University of Missouri/Columbia 1
CheckersMidwest’s S</p>
<p>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 3
almar4’s S
BCandBU82’s S
veewhitty’s D</p>
<p>University of Pennsylvania 1
kindredspirit’s D</p>
<p>University of Redlands 2
missemily516’s D
vballmom’s S</p>
<p>University of Richmond 1
PAVenturer’s D</p>
<p>University of Rochester 1
PinotNoir’s S</p>
<p>University of Scranton 1
1sokkermom’s D</p>
<p>University of South Carolina 1
MomLive’s S</p>
<p>University of Southern California 1
pixeljig’s S</p>
<p>University of Texas at Austin 2
MaineLonghorn’s S
SWTCAT’s D</p>
<p>University of Virginia 5
2education’s S
curiousmother’s D
jc40’s D
jingle’s S
shillyshally’s D</p>
<p>Vanderbilt 1
BlessedTwice’s S</p>
<p>Vassar 1
psychmom’s D</p>
<p>Villanova 2
archiemom’s S
FLVADAD’s D</p>
<p>Wake Forest 1
DougBetsy’s S</p>
<p>Washington University in St. Louis 3
limabeans’ S
PAO2008’s D
sacchi’s S</p>
<p>Wellesley 1
Sailorette’s D</p>
<p>Wesleyan 1
sewemma’s S</p>
<p>Wheaton MA 2
SLUMOM’s S
TWINMAMA’s D2</p>
<p>William & Mary 3
12rmh18’s S
anothercrazymom’s S
Flinty’s D</p>
<p>Williams 1
GTalum’s D</p>
<p>Yale 4
learninginprog’s S
my2sunz’s S
tango91’s S
vicariousparent’s D</p>
<p>Total Result 134</p>
<p>Hmm, if we get more NU parent (or student) lurkers to come out of the woods, we can equal or surpass UVA.</p>
<p>Anymore new NU?</p>
<p>:cool: </p>
<p>Wow. I’m a chronic list maker and obsessive organizer but you guys could put me to shame! I am loving looking over the lists - organized both ways!</p>
<p>Ha ha NU! Go Wildcats!!</p>
<p>FindAPlace - luckily we can pass on the insurance too. We have a US Bank around the corner so he has his account set - may link it to the Wildcard as you mentioned. Funny that you quizzed your S on the credit / debit distinction!</p>
<p>We live in the far southwest suburbs of Chicago so I doubt we’ll get a local gathering - but that’s great that they have that organized for those coming from out of state.</p>
<p>ML - I was an 80-84 undergrad too. And my grad school was free too! Yep, good times!</p>