<p>holliesue so glad to hear she is safe and sound!</p>
<p>Pepperson landed in Malaga, Spain around 7:00 AM EST-I got a call from the person in the phone tree, made my calls to those I was responsible for-and called his father at work-when does tax season end again? What’s the holiday in Washington, DC that pushed the due date to tomorrow and with Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts Tuesday-Emancipation Day?</p>
<p>I am just so happy they made their connecting flight from Madrid to Malaga and arrived in one piece. He didn’t want a phone with him so I can’t talk to him directly-he is not in love with planes so I hope he handled it OK. I guess though it’s better off he doesn’t have a phone so I can’t grill him about details.</p>
<p>I am so happy to see kids making their choices and general happiness around here. I hope the FA awards come in so everyone can go to their top choices.</p>
<p>School vacation week here so I have all week to catch up on laundry and try and get this place ready for Easter when I host our family celebration, even without my baby here. :(</p>
<p>I did a good job with the weather today though-and rom just so you know that weather I sent to you in NC requires you to be a “Friend For Life” (FFL) as well! ;)</p>
<p>dignified1: Neither I nor my daughter could find any mention of a deposit in her future college’s acceptance package, and I started to get a bit nervous too…! I ended up calling the Bursar’s Office to see if I was just clueless, but they confirmed that they don’t require a deposit - which I find mystifying. Anyway, they said we can just start to expect the first billing statement sometime in June…</p>
<p>Pepper03 - I love your mystical weather connections - fabulous! Could you do just one big dance so that we can all have clear skies for the hundreds of upcoming graduation ceremonies?!</p>
<p>fogfog, how sweet of you to miss me. I’m in one of those “life isn’t going well” stages of my life. </p>
<p>As you’ve read on my other thread, I’m trying to get Son to be gluten free which means a whole lot more cooking for me! (The latest diagnosis for his unexplained anemia was some disease that affects people of Mediteranian and South Asian descent…only Son is of northen European descent…I swear the doctor is doing the same google searches I am!) </p>
<p>I think I’ll mostly be lurking on this thread…don’t want to be Debbie Downer n the midst of all of the hope and optimism. We’ve decided that this will be the last semester of college for '09 Son (if you can even call dropping down to 5 hours a “semester of college.”) I’ve gone througn plans A, B, C, down to X or Y. Now the only plans are 1) Johnson O’Connor Aptitude Testing, 2) get him healthy, 3) get him something approaching a full time job. I guess we can all live with that for a few years. The big decision time will be in a few years, when we’ll need to decide whether to spend his 529 money on his sisters.</p>
<p>Missypie,
You’re never a downer! This is a parents group, not a celebratory only group!! I have an '09 son who has had a zig-zag path as well. Although he didn’t have the original crash and burn your son experienced, he was at home going to cc. If he’d been away our story may have been very similar to yours. He’s going back this summer after a year off, taking classes he failed his first two semesters.</p>
<p>My thoughts are with you as you continue to navigate your sons health concerns. Hugs!!</p>
<p>Sorry Missypie- but don’t worry about being a Debbie Downer. That’s what this thread is for.<br>
Wonderful to hear that some kids are now home safe and others landed at their distant destinations.<br>
Hurray for AK, Emmybet, Amandakayak and lacrossemom and others from pages back.</p>
<p>I am with mnmomof2- I am pretty sure which of two schools my D is going to pick but I am giving her a few more days to settle into a decision before announcing. I want to make sure she does not feel pushed in any way, which sometimes she does, even when it is inadvertent. With the whole aspect of living away from home, it is especially emotionally fraught for her whichever choice she makes. I keep on telling her that if she tries either one, and does not like it, it is not a failure just a redirection and nothing will be lost. I am not sure I have convinced her, but she seems pretty at peace with the decision today. My biggest issue is H, who doesn’t understand her concerns regarding being away from home and needing reassurance. He thinks she should not be so tied to home and just be ready to be away for good and only come home on holidays. I explained the “love the kid on the couch” philosophy- and even if she misses out with some school connections by sometimes coming home during the school year- it has to be what SHE is ready for/wants, not what we think she should be able to do.
So good news, the Hampshire Accepted Student Day brought wonderful clarity to D’s decisionmaking. Although the SS Indecision is not in port for us, land is in sight. Pass me a pina colada, please.</p>
<p>Hey MissyPie! I am thankful that you and your family are safe. Given the news I have heard from friends in TX, its been hectic.
Gluten free diet can become a HUGE benefit.
Years ago we went wheat/diary free and the behavior differences and health advantages were amazing. You would think we’d stay with it…uh…well, lets say I’d like to get back there.
It requires alot of planning, alternative shopping, cleaning out the pantry/fridge.
My hat is off to you because it is a commitment…and when your DS is feeling better…he will be amazed and likely embrace it. Right now, the lead will be you. Hugs to ((U)).
We are of northen european descent and I am very gluten sensitive.
The big challenge is that wheat is a cheap food source and plentiful in typical western diets.</p>
<p>Kiddo’s U didn’t ask for a deposit.
and now that we have the financial package–I will be asking kiddo to release the other two schools…one has a card, not sure about the other.</p>
<p>**The SS Indecision left port on April 1st.</p>
<p>The ship will stop in many ports this month with the last port call scheduled in 14 days when all final commitments to schools are due. (That’s just two weeks. Hopefully, land is in sight for everyone still aboard.)**</p>
<p>Checking in here with the progress towards decision-time. S and DH left early this morning for accepted student days at what’s probably his #1 choice school – long story short, their flight got canceled due to weather and they’re still trying to make it down to NC by afternoon. I have no idea where they are right now – I’m hoping for an update shortly. S is handling things pretty well, although of course disappointed that he’s missing some of the info sessions, tours and events. I hope this all works out!</p>
<p>Hello everyone, congrats on all the new decisions, including West Point!
Glad all the kids and planes arrived safely too.</p>
<p>Back from Princeton Preview.
S met many kids who were also at the MIT weekend earlier, so again, lots of note comparing.
Had never seen Princeton U before, it’s simply beautiful!
And so relaxed.
Maybe a bit too relaxed for S’s taste.
Sounds like it will be MIT.
Oh well…
Will update when we know for sure.</p>
<p>missy - talk whenever and about whatever you want. We are here for everyone, no matter what is going on. Many of us are aware of the journey you have been taking with your S, and we all wish you well. This isn’t all about “hurray, no worries, no problems.” I’d love everyone to be happy at least much of the time, but everyone will have stumbles - everyone.</p>
<p>We had dinner with friends whose S will never be able to manage a conventional college situation, hopefully can develop a long-term living situation that will work for him someday. We feel for them and know any one of us will have scary challenges at one time or another, of one kind or another. They’re all doing their best.</p>
<p>Prom worked out at our house - D as I said is not a “prom person,” but she tried to have as much fun as she could for her BF’s sake. She’s afraid she disappointed him - but they will work that out. I’m not the kind of person who believes much in that “perfectly special experience” (I suck at birthday parties, surprises, etc. - to give, or to receive). I think her BF is a good guy and will get over it. But their differing “glass” perspectives definitely came out last night. </p>
<p>About 8 kids hung out here until about 3, probably her favorite part of the evening. I think she’s going to have a blast with the hang-out-in-the-dorm stuff at college, and I don’t expect to worry much about her being a partier.</p>
<p>Glad all of the planes arrived safely! Have fun, Pepperson!</p>
<p>Tomorrow represents 6 more weeks of school for D … it’ll flash by, really.</p>
<p>psychmama, sorry about the travel plans! hope they make it in time to get something out of the visit.</p>
<p>glad to hear the other kids landed safely. I guess we’ll all be watching them travel starting soon – even the ones who go to school nearby will be doing it without us.</p>
<p>missypie – definitely not Debbie Downer. I don’t feel like this is a place for perfect parents of perfect kids on perfect paths. (If it were, I wouldn’t be here.) The college search and acceptance aren’t the end of the journey by any means. There’s a whole life of challenges and successes ahead for all of our kids. Good luck with managing the changes for '09 son! Your plans sound very positive and may be just the thing for him.</p>
<p>Thanks SeattleMom. I just heard from S who says they made a flight to Philly and should be in Raleigh NC by 3pm, so it looks like things should work out okay. S is very excited to see the school, and he’ll have this evening and tomorrow to get a feel for things.</p>
<p>It sounds like many here had loved ones stuck/delayed due to crazy weather! I’m glad everyone seems to have landed safely. And here in NJ the sun is shining, so that’s a good thing.</p>
<p>I’m glad to hear about all the safe landings. </p>
<p>Missypie, I’m sorry to hear about your son’s troubles. Please feel free to share if it helps you. I know a lot of young adults who are struggling as they move into adulthood. I hope that you get the health concerns resovled soon.</p>
<p>missypie I just wanted to echo everyone else here in wanting you to know we care. I think this is a great place to come and share our joy and sadness.</p>
<p>You know the saying-“Pain shared is halved, joy shared is multiplied”! Now if you don’t want to talk because you just don’t want to talk about it anymore that’s one thing-but if you don’t want to talk because you don’t think we want to hear it I think the gang on here have answered that loud and clear!</p>
<p>Yes life is certainly a rollercoaster and there are points when things are so bleak how can we possibly get through another day of facing all the challenges? I know I’ve had times in my life, as I bet everyone here has had-where I just know I cannot take one more day and have no strength to keep fighting. That’s when I know who my real friends are-I have literally been carried at times by the strength of those who love me no matter what. </p>
<p>I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends, and what really feels good is when I am strong and can give it back! That’s how it works!</p>
<p>I have never “met” most of you except on this page, and yet I care deeply about you and your families. I rejoice with you when the news is good and the sun is shining, and I feel your sadness when the news isn’t what you had hoped and the rain is coming down. The many words of kindness I have received on here both publicly and in PM’s has sustained me at times during this brutal year-and whether or not it makes sense to anyone else looking in from the outside at out little “internet family”-it doesn’t matter-we know what we’ve got here, don’t we?</p>
<p>I have finally tracked down Renaissance Mom! I hadn’t heard from her in a week so I was able to get her via email.</p>
<p>She got back to me and told me all was well! She wanted me to come here and tell you that-her computer crashed right before she went on the admitted students visit Monday and she has been trying to work from her iPhone all week. The visit went well but she can fill in the details when she gets that computer up and running-she is at an Apple store even as we speak!</p>
<p>Pepper,
Please send my shared Apple frustrations to Ren-mom! Bluedad took my Mac in yesterday. The entire hard-drive is shot. I’m praying the backup I did just prior worked. As you can imagine, the only thing I care about are the photos. Most are on an external hard-drive, but not recent ones. Sad and annoying but so many worse things in life…</p>
<p>I’m thinking today of all the kids traveling and hope they are safe. Passing broken brownies…as you know the calories fall out. :)</p>
<p>I haven’t had time to write but I have quickly been checking in to see how things were going. So glad to hear of all the good news and good visits that have prompted/solidified your child’s decision.</p>
<p>I don’t want to jinx it but I think we may heading down the gangplank to disembark. Keep your fingers, toes and any other appendages crossed.</p>
<p>I am so glad all fared well in the storms of the last few days. Seeing all the devestation makes one realize how blessed we are.</p>
<p>Missypie - Chin up! You aren’t a downer. I feel for your frustration regarding the gluten free diet. I truly hope this works for your child.</p>
<p>I have pork braising in the oven for dinner tonight and I am heading out to assess the flowerbeds and make a plan for my Spring Break To-Do List.</p>
Sad and annoying but so many worse things in life…</p>