@Ynotgo – I work for a museum that is cooperating with our local downtown association to have their first-ever steampunk weekend. My daughter-of-the-heart is an amateur costumer, and she was very excited about the event. I thought that she and my two girls would do it together, but she insisted that H and I attend as well.
Many years ago we belonged to the Society for Creative Anachronism and we’ve done Harry Potter costuming so the concept is kind of like coming home, and we do appreciate the aesthetic. We’ve each created a character and we’re working it out from there. The last-minute prep is because we’ve all been super-busy!
We had garage sale too but were not much successful. DH finally took our 27-year old futon and dining table/chair set to ARC.
I was going through baby photos (with film) for DS’s senior poster (I am way behind). We still have some of toys he was holding in the baby photos. We also have two strollers. :)) It did not sell so is going to nanny’s sister. I gave most of stuff away to a colleague who was expecting and to my nanny, but some things escaped. We sold our red flyer wagon, and I was sad. Good memories. =((
Garage sales - D is planning to have a garage sale (or a big CraigsList series) after school is out. Time to clear out all of her “kid” things that she’ll never use again, and hopefully make a little money.
D17 got her packet of orientation information and forms to fill out and so on for Muhlenberg yesterday. She’d been feeling nostalgic (in a negative way) for everything she’s leaving behind this past week—after going through the packet (and hyperventilating a bit at the reality of it all), she’s much more forward-looking. This is good.
I don’t know whether folks can or would even want to follow up and search from earlier posts, but fwiw, our son is going to Xavier University this fall. He applied to 9 schools - 8 state universities, one around 10k students, the rest >25k - and XU. After the visit - he did an overnight with a friend - he knew it was the right choice for him. Sounds cliche but we are THRILLED. Small enough that he’ll know all of his professors, no grads or post-docs to compete with for lab time, but more “big time” than an LAC - XU made it to the Elite Eight this year, and he saw/met the whole team in the cafeteria when he visited. You heard it here first: XAVIER IS THE NEW BUTLER, a great value, best of both worlds, in a real city (as opposed to a college town). All For One!
@payn4ward I can relate to your post about working on your son’s senior poster and being behind. I started a snapfish album for D17 as a graduation gift months and months ago. Planned to do 2-6 pages per year of her life. At first I procrastinated because graduation was so far away. Now I am procrastinating because graduation is so close that looking at photos of her childhood makes me an emotional wreck. Help! LOL
I’m with you all when it comes to the grad party. I wanted to order supplies and do the “poster” but haven’t even begun. This year is moving so fast. Now I’ll be driving D everywhere for an unknown amount of time which just adds to the stress. Senior Prom is a week from this Friday.
First order of business is to get the invites out. D put together a list last night of who we need to invite. I’m usually good at planning parties but what will all the young grads want to do? I’ve had very successful large adult parties, but that usually just involves us all standing/sitting around both inside and outside eating, drinking, listening to music, etc.
I’ve finished the planning of son17’s small party. Just some family members. Picked up some banners, forks. plates, etc. Getting balloons the day before and ordered a cake too.
Ordering a bunch of Chinese take out food for dinner after graduation. Easy! Son’s favorite food. No cooking or major clean up. Stocked up on beverages. Pretty much all set. Date is 6/4.
We were invited to a party at some friend’s house the following week with a lot of my son’s friends and their parents going. We’ll bring some food and drinks to that, and that will be a fun party for the kids. Son17 has also been invited to multiple parties, he’s feeling more popular lately.
S’s grad party is coming up quickly on Saturday. I’m sitting at home watching it rain and wondering about the window washers who are supposed to be here in an hour. Hope the rain moves out and they are on time! But anyway, the party is more for us, S says. Between family, friends, neighbors, etc. we have almost 150 invited, plus whoever S invited from school. I’m guessing half that number will actually come, but I’m still thinking of things that need to be done! I didn’t try to assemble a photo book or poster. I put DH in charge of finding snapshots and we’ll just clip them to a large frame filled with chicken wire I borrowed. Super easy if you have the physical prints
I can relate, we went through those same feelings.
@IABooks Wow, that’s coming up quick! I do have 7 weeks to plan With all those people, what do you think the teens will do? Are you having any planned activities for them or will they just kind of hang out and do whatever?
D. wanted a backyard pig roast for her grad party. Except our backyard is a mess and needs re-landscaping, and we don’t really know enough people to invite to a pig roast (and we don’t like leftovers that much). So I suggested a family trip as combo party/grad present. She took the bait, and chose an all-inclusive resort in Mexico for 4 days. This isn’t our usual style of vacation (H and I like to get up early, go out and explore all day, discover local restaurants at night) so D feels like she was in control, while the rest of us win, too.
I’m now the first member on my side of the family to have a college degree. I still have a bit of catching up to do for H’s side, but I’ll get there :D.
@Fishnlines29 H has planned some yard games and there’s always a football to throw around or darts in the garage, but typically here the teens (and many invitees) come and go. It’s an open house-type event, and we only listed a 2-hour span on the invite because that’s S’s commitment. He’ll be in and out before and after to stop in at his friends’ parties, which run from early that day through the weekend and over the next couple of weekends. But adults and family will hang out after to talk, eat and drink, so we will have a few things (outdoor toys, bubbles, coloring books, etc.) for younger kids that we’re picking up or borrowing from neighbors with littles. After dark, we’ll have a bonfire, and the teens still love to toast marshmallows and eat smores!
I also forgot to mention that son17 has been mysteriously awarded some kind of academic honor and we have to attend the ceremony next week. Totally unexpected, but happy he is receiving some sort of recognition. Maybe ithe award is for the most times somebody has squeezed onto the honor roll with the lowest GPA possible, ha.
That’s my boy, Mr. 90.00002
I never received ANY academic awards ever so I am obviously both jealous and proud.
P.S. could also be a statue in his likeness for greatest Pickle Ball champion.
We hosted several flute sections parties and the one thing the surprised me was how much food they can eat. Skinny flute playing girls can really eat! And then some Trombone boys showed up, who goes to a party and eats an entire Papa Johns pizza themselves?
DH finally took our 27-year old futon and dining table/chair set to ARC.
With all those people, what do you think the teens will do? Are you having any planned activities for them or will they just kind of hang out and do whatever?