<p>Hi y’all,</p>
<p>♫♪ Happy Birthday to Avonmom ♫♪</p>
<p>Congrats to Owm for the wonderful news :)</p>
<p>Safe travels home to Fogfog’s kiddo, on his last leg home :)</p>
<p>Ohio~Are you going for move-in?? :p</p>
<p>Waving to all, busy day here 
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My maiden quote…did I do it correctly?
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<p>Clearly not! OK, I need a remedial lesson here…like someone above, when does the ‘quote’ botton below become active? I’m feeling rather foolish over here…</p>
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<p>In your end quote you need to put the backslash “/” in front of the word quote so that it looks like
[/quote]
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<p>^ no space between the second bracket and the actual text you’re quoting. Also at the end of the quote you put /quote (surrounded by brackets) also no spaces between the end of the quote and the bracket.</p>
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<p>My first foray into quoting.</p>
<p>I really think that all parents should send every child to college with a good supply. Even really intelligent kids can rationalize away the risks of AIDs and other STDs (s/he says s/he is a virgin, using one/asking that one be used makes it look like I don’t trust him/her, she says she’s on birth control, etc.) My belief is that a gentleman should always be prepared (and I hope all parents out there of young men will pass on that message), but I’m not willing to stake my child’s life on that assumption. Regarding alchohol and consent, I would also hope that parents of young men out there would stress that if there is any doubt about consent and the ability to rationally make that decision, DON’T DO IT! At best, you are behaving like a cad and endangering your relationship, and at worst, you may end up in jail with a sex offender tag following you through life. I hope also that young women are aware of the need to always keep any drink with them at all times - a (very) young woman learned that the hard way at a party of students attending our former school.</p>
<p>Being the last person in town to leave for college can be hard, it seems - all the goodbyes without the excitement of being the person leaving. At least we’ve had plenty of time to finally select the coordinating quilts for DD and roommate’s beds!</p>
<p>We went to NC for a week, which was beautiful - DH, DD and friend loved the whitewater rafting, and being a water wimp, I stuck with kayaks and a lovely, but misunderstood, quarter horse named Buster with whom I had a long discussion about how much easier life can be with a cooperative attitude. I wish teenagers were that easy to convince!</p>
<p>Does anyone know why I am getting timed out before I can finish typing a message?</p>
<p>2education: Still not sure if I’ll be in NC or not!</p>
<p>A bittersweet article that was posted on the college parent’s FB page.</p>
<p>[Worcester</a> Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com - Family dynamics forever altered](<a href=“http://www.telegram.com/article/20110807/COLUMN13/108079837]Worcester”>Family dynamics forever altered)</p>
<p>Collage1, type this:
[noparse]
[/noparse]</p>
<p>to see this:
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<p>MathmomVT - I think there is a water slide park, etc. at Jiminy Peak in Hancock, MA. I think the lodge and deck are open so you can have lunch and the older people can sit back and relax. </p>
<p>[A</a> Day Out at Jiminy Peak Adventure Park | Albany Kid](<a href=“Albany Kid - Things To Do In Albany NY”>Albany Kid - Things To Do In Albany NY)</p>
<p>There is the outlet stores in Lenox but unless you are into shopping it would be pretty boring.</p>
<p>@ gsmomma - Thanks for posting the article. I couldn’t help but cry & forward it to my best girlfriends whose kids are leaving this year as well. :'(</p>
<p>Launch day today!! D left this morning for debate retreat before classes start next week. She drove herself to campus. DH and I will meet her Wed to help her move in to the dorm.</p>
<p>We were actually ok when she left. It is almost a relief that she is on her way. I have been dreading this day for weeks. I am thinking the drive home on Wed may be when it really hits us.</p>
<p>My youngest also started HS today. Maybe we are just enjoying the quiet in the house. D changed jobs and is now a virtual employee. It was a busy house this summer with both girls home.</p>
<p>D2 completed the 12-mile march from Camp Buckner to West Point today, and with that, Cadet Basic Training is over. She did it! Her older sister was on hand for the march, and since no contact was allowed, I’m hoping D2 at least caught a glimpse of D1.</p>
<p>She’s been gone for six weeks. We received 13 letters, three scheduled phone calls, and one sad unexpected call to inform us that one of her fellow new cadets died during a land navigation exercise but that she was fine. The next four and a half days will be filled with finding out her academic schedule (classes start a week from today), moving to a new room, meeting a new roommate, and learning how to march in on Saturday for the A Day ceremony. And then we get to spend the better part of Saturday and Sunday with her!</p>
<p>Have faith that your children are ready for the adventure ahead of them! They are capable young adults. My husband and I are learning that there is more than one way to accomplish a task. Our kids may not do it the way we’d do it, but they’ll get it done. There may be mistakes along the way, but often, that’s the best way to learn.</p>
<p>OWM: I was impressed with your group organizational skills for the pics! After D2 was born, my m-i-l announced that she had enough grandchildren (a grand total of 4 at that time). That always bugged me. Then ten years later, H and I had D3. Honestly, D3 brings more joy to m-i-l than just about anything else in her life right now! Different circumstances I know. </p>
<p>Can’t remember who had the deluxe frozen pizza for her 25th anniversary dinner, but I got a great deal of joy out of that story. I received a roll of masking tape in my stocking from my husband last year. He only had the best of intentions! Our 25th anniversary is this December. It’s a crazy month for an anniversary as it it, so we’ll see what happens!</p>
<p>Happy packing! Safe travels! Keep the Kleenex handy.</p>
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<p>And it’s a banner day at our house if D up by 10 am. What a D you raised!</p>
<p>I was putting dates on the calendar for younger D. Almost made me cry to think about the football games, pep rallies that older D won’t be at.</p>
<p>So good to hear from you phbmom! Thanks for the update on your very DD. She is a shining star here and we are all so very proud of her!! 
I can’t even imagine the pride you feel in her. I hope the next few days fly by and that the time you have with her over the weekend is so very sweet!! Big hugs!!</p>
<p>phbmom - wow. I hope you post som epics of your D in uniform after you see her. She has a lot to be proud of. </p>
<p>Just has a talk with S about condoms. He tells me he is all set. When I asked what that means he told me has two. Me thinks I will buy some and have them shipped to him at school. </p>
<p>After buying one book online I started thinking I should verify when the school will start accepting mail for the incoming students. Office of Residence Life (or whatever they call themselves) tells me any packages received prior to move in day will be returned. 
They said the school and mailrooms would be inindated with parcels if they allowed stuff to be shipped before then. Not good. S wll now have to carry his books out there rather than having them mailed directly there. I am almost thinking the school is bluffing, but I am not willing to take the chance. </p>
<p>325 - good advice reagarding drinking and sex. I have previously had that talk with S but will bring it up again.</p>
<p>PHB–a Great Big </p>
<p>HOOAH!!! </p>
<p>to your amazing daughter! I’m sure she has grown so much this summer and will start the school year off with a confidence she didn’t know she even had. DS hasn’t heard from his friend, but hopefully will soon. When will they have access to electronics? </p>
<p>Congratulations and give her a big hug and take her out for some good food (eaten at her leisure) and some down time in your hotel room (where she doesn’t have to be in full uniform all the time). Enjoy!</p>
<p>have been away on vacation and so much to catch up on here…
congrats to OWM on your news…and congrats to PHB’s d!!
I can hardly believe that in less than 2 weeks we are launching D! she is busy organizing and packing all her stuff. Just a very few things left to get. I alternate between being thrilled for her, and crying at how much I will miss her and the “end” of this period of mothering!
In the meantime I am trying not to think about what the wall street collapse is doing to her college fund…OY!</p>
<p>11 days away from getting on the plane here to go from Texas to California. Just taped up 4 boxes to send UPS ahead (will take a big suitcase on plane.) And yes–condoms are bought and in the First Aid Kit. When I pointed out I had done this, and that it would be the last time I would ever do this, I got 5 minutes of the sullen/silent treatment. He so did not want to go there…</p>
<p>Sigh. Tough.</p>
<p>Cant believe it really is going to happen. Launch time!</p>
<p>VAMom2015: D2 didn’t take her phone but made a six-minute call about an hour ago using someone else’s phone. Tomorrow all the new cadets (formally not a cadet until conclusion of Saturday’s parade ) should have computer access.</p>