<p>Hahaha G#…where’s the “like” button?</p>
<p>Glad someone else brought the coffee today, even if it is airport coffee. Hope you have made your way past your embarrassment and safely home, G#. Sorry to hear about your DW’s uncle.</p>
<p>I am trying not to think about S’s car sitting there in the middle of Minnesota buried in snow and freezing cold and planning not to start again any time soon. He will have a project on his hands when he gets back. Good thing he’s young.</p>
<p>One of my favorite things about Carleton’s trimester schedule is that any time the kids are home, they are between terms and not so stressed. This time, S is actually halfway through his integrative project for CS, but he has finished (and passed) the one for math and seems pretty relaxed. I have been enjoying having him around a lot, but Sunday we will put him on a plane to spend most of next week with my mom in Florida - good for both of them. I will miss him, though.</p>
<p>I might have my own sweater that could become one of those new-fangled dresses - I bought it in the men’s department at Target years ago and have always worn it with pants. I’ll have to see if I have an appropriate belt and leggings. Or maybe I should just send it to G#?</p>
<p>Best to anyone traveling through bad weather.</p>
<p>G# - so sorry to hear about your DW’s uncle. I think the Dad-sweater-with-a-belt-over-leggings sounds cute! Of course, she has to have the right cute boots to complete the ensemble…</p>
<p>Heard from D today that she will be home on the 12th. She had a possible lucrative babysitting job that would have delayed her a day, but it fell through. The guy friend who drove down to school with her is also riding back with her, but this time they’re not doing the whole trip in one day. They’re breaking it up with an overnight at D’s grandmother’s house.</p>
<p>Morning all! I’m already on my 2nd cup of tea 
I’m getting out of the house early today: a little shopping, a therapeutic massage, then (hopefully) finishing Christmas shopping for the girls. D1 starts exams on Monday, and is done Thursday morning. D2 is already 1/2 way done with her first semester of exams; 2 more on Monday, 1 on Wednesday and she flies home Thursday. </p>
<p>G#: sorry about DW’s uncle, your bathroom “incident” and your D2’s stress :(</p>
<p>RobD - I hope you’re sharing that tea!</p>
<p>S left very early this AM for a frisbee tournament on the Cape. It’s a pretty loosely formed team and he has played for the captain before in summer leagues and at this annual event. There is snow on the ground, but not much, and it is chilly and damp. Definitely not my kind of day to spend outdoors. I guess he will get to break in the QB hand warmer he got for Hanukkah. Although it is a two day tourney, he will come home tonight as he flies to FL is the AM. </p>
<p>My plans for the day include yoga class, one Hanukkah present exchange, and an attempt to buy some stuff to fill the baskets for H’s relatives’ Xmas presents. We’re thinking quick bread mixes. </p>
<p>Happy Saturday to all.</p>
<p>Looking at a boring Sunday afternoon. The concert I was playing for got cancelled (this city just can’t deal with winter) so we don’t have any plans. And we won’t see S who was going to hike over to see the concert and then join us for dinner. </p>
<p>I could write my Christmas cards but there’s no pressure yet…:D</p>
<p>aliceinw–hope your son has fun at the frisbee tourney and stays reasonably warm!</p>
<p>Whew - nail biter of a Pats game today!</p>
<p>S enjoyed his tourney yesterday in spite of the cold, and came home exhausted. We took him to the airport early his morning and he is now at his grandmother’s (my mom). He should be quite a bit warmer there in Florida. On the other hand, I think D must be freezing in Minneapolis. </p>
<p>Wishing all a quiet night and a good start to the work week.</p>
<p>Good morning all! Coffee is on (hazelnut.)</p>
<p>I got up this morning and vacuumed son’s room thoroughly in preparation for the dorm mountain that will arrive later this week. Lord knows we won’t be able to see the baseboards and much of the floor for the next 6 months…</p>
<p>Good luck to all in exam week! Son got out of his 8 a.m. Wednesday exam in Algorithms because he had good grades on the tests. :)</p>
<p>:cool:</p>
<p>Good morning!!</p>
<p>It is chilly here in Southern California this morning (low of 39, high of 64), but from the looks of the football games yesterday it is much colder everywhere else. </p>
<p>S2 has his last final on Wednesday and then will be home for break. S3 has another 9 days until he is done. </p>
<p>The house is decorated and I am doing really well with my shopping. I might even bake next weekend, which is something that I haven’t had time for the last few years.</p>
<p>alice, how did the hand warmer work out? I want to but one for ds but have been waiting to hear how your ds liked his. Can you send me the link to which one it is, assuming he liked it?</p>
<p>Coffee, ginger tea, and oatmeal are served.</p>
<p>YDS - S likes the handwarmer.</p>
<p>Not much news here.</p>
<p>good morning all… coffee is ready!! cant believe our kids are all about to enter final semester! of course they have to make it through finals first!</p>
<p>I’ll add hot tea and cookies to the morning. I’m almost done with holiday baking–one more cookie recipe hopefully will get done today so I can send cookies to the Dad’s.</p>
<p>We have about 2+ inches of snow and everything is closed. Oh, except the flight DH is taking to MA. :eek: So instead of staying warm under the covers, I had to drive him to the metro (luckily not a long drive) and he’s on his way north. We kept wondering if the flight would get cancelled as he was originally on an earlier flight that got cancelled. DCA was in good shape, so he should be taking off soon.</p>
<p>DS got his meningitis vaccine on the first day it was offered! So hopefully they will stay healthy and stop being in the news so much! I have to drive up and get him this weekend since he’s going to be abroad this spring, we will bring home some of his stuff now, and the rest after finals in January. </p>
<p>I’m now in posession of the airport he will be flying out of, but still no clue as to the time he will leave. He says he may return to school early and leave from there. We’ll see if that works out for him!</p>
<p>Stay warm and stay home if you have bad weather!</p>
<p>VAMom, guess it is good news on the flight and the shot, although not sure… UCSB hasn’t started shots yet, but is certainly keeping communications up, almost an email a week.
I am leaving it up to kiddos to bake as H would just eat whatever was cooked before they get home.</p>
<p>I am asking for PVC to point at DS (formerly known as a slacker son) today since his top choice grad school app is due today. As of Sunday he had everything done…except hadn’t started writing the statement of purpose!!! Only the most important part. He only has one final this quarter (Thursday) so should be able to focus on the app and get it done. </p>
<p>DD’s first grad school final was a disaster according to her. Too easy so the simple math mistakes she made will give her a bad grade she is certain. Wish I could help. She was more rattled than I remember her being for any test. </p>
<p>Got the traditional for Xmas holiday jigsaw puzzle out. Went BIG 2000 pieces, Now I think it is too hard and too big, I can’t even make the border. I can’t even find all the border pieces. Think I should exchange it for the 15 piece one so I get some success…</p>
<p>Stay safe moving around everyone!</p>
<p>morning all from 23 degree weather…brrrrr… hot coffee ready!</p>
<p>lol esobay…got one last xmas that was all beautiful fall leaves… its still sitting unfinished</p>
<p>S2 texted he is done with his final. I am taking half-day off of work to go pick him up.</p>
<p>its freezing here again today… coffee is ready!!</p>
<p>Just picked up S and all his stuff. Good work except for getting a parking ticket while we left the car half loaded (the blinkers were on, there were other people parked there, where were we supposed to park???)</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
<p>I cant believe that I am at the airport at odark-thirty again. Id offer Starbucks, but since their machines just broke down and there is a line of 20+ unhappy customers, you might want a Diet Coke from the vending machine instead. Ill try to stay out of the Womens restroom this week, but no promises. 
Im flying to Richmond, to pick up D2 at the train station, and drive her home
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.</p>
<p>Im glad to see that my sweater collection has been so inspiring. ;)</p>
<p>Welcome Home! to all returned kids and Safe Travels! to those still en route.</p>
<p>I hope everyone survived what appears to be a grueling week of tea, shopping, baking, therapeutic massage, Hanukkah presents, and Christmas presents. ;)</p>
<p>AliceinW Id go with the long, drawn-out breads. I think I accidentally got one of your Ss texts to his sister, Yeah, I cant believe its so warm here and grandma cant stop showering me with love, attention, and great food. So, hows Minneapolis? ;)</p>
<p>Mommusic Sorry about the parking ticket! Was it your turn to warn me that the car would be covered with snow Tuesday morning? ;)</p>
<p>Esobay Sorry Im late with the PVC for your DS and sympathy for your DD. Youre on your own with the puzzle. ;)</p>
<p>In wedding news, D1s shower that D2 can attend is Saturday. Oh to be a fly on the wall. The shower is in Richmond on Saturday afternoon, and my company Christmas party is in Virginia Beach Saturday night
should be a busy day.</p>
<p>DW has finally picked out her 50th B-Day present that I gave her in August. I got the large purchase text message from AMEX from the hardwood floor place. Shes not actually having them installed until after D2 goes back to school and I go back to work. Ergh, right now I cant sit down lest I disturb a snowman, nutcracker, or festive freakin pillow. After the holidays, I’ll be expected to levitate my way around the house. ;)</p>
<p>In college news, I received the I got the vaccine text. D2 called to chat and de-stress. I was able to talk to her for over an hour
I just wish she would call before 11:00PM! :eek: She admitted that she was over-stressed and laid out her plan to address it. I was glad that she recognized it and had also developed a viable plan
good for her. I was also glad to hear how supportive her friends (they are all super stressed too, so they support each other) and mentors (professors) are. She loves her thesis topic and loves working on it, so that is also good news. :)</p>
<p>Good morning from Houston. I will not see the airport until late this afternoon. If all goes well, S will arrive at the Boston airport, returning from sunny Florida to the chilly northeast, a half hour before I get there. What are the chances that all will go well?</p>
<p>G# - glad to hear that your D2 loves working on her thesis and that she has a plan for stress reduction. Hope the weekend festivities are enjoyable. </p>
<p>Mommusic - sorry about the ticket, but hope you enjoy having your S at home. </p>
<p>In fact, I hope everyone whose kids are home have a chance to enjoy some time with them, and wishing safe travels to those not home yet. </p>
<p>Happy Friday</p>