<p>congrats to you on "Dolly". It's one of my favorite shows. Now that school auditions are over, S is in rehearsals for that now as Barnaby, which he has always wanted to play. It's doubly fun for him because it's being done by the local university. All the other leads went to jrs/srs in their theatre program so he was pretty pumped.</p>
<p>oh cool! Barnaby is my boy! lol</p>
<p>Congrats to Eva. The kids really did like Pittsburgh this summer, didn't they.</p>
<p>For all of you scrapbookers, I too am working on a special book for my S as a surprise gift. I found lots of interesting theatre quotes online (posted about the specifics last summer). You might want to use them to spice up your books.</p>
<p>Also, for those of you who've nearly given up I would recommend that you look at the Creative Memories methods (products sold by independant "consultants"). They are a bit more pricey in the products, but have a focus on getting organized and getting it done. I gave up the time-consuming "crafty" approach and switched to the simple layouts and meaningful journalling approach that Creative Memories uses. They also have great organizational tools. Currently I have a decade of photos sorted in my organizer - which beats the cardboard boxes they were thrown into previously. With my youngest heading off to college, I'll certainly have time to tackle that decade of family photos.</p>
<p>New stress relief method, go bowling, skating, sledding, swimming, kick boxing, whatever you can do to get active. It really helps! Another great one is to get rid of the kids, go out for a nice dinner w/ your signif. other, drink some good wine and go back to the house for some play time! OK, get your head out of the gutter, I was talking about board games...Hmmm.</p>
<p>After many posts here about how stressed we parents are I stepped back a minute .....my D came back in town last night and I gave her the reject letter from Elon..she was dissapointed but not devestated...,I told her that I was online searching for other schools if she wanted to add some more auditions to her already busy life...without missing a beat she reminded me that she still has not heard from 4 schools...she has won a large presidential scholarship to 1 school,which she loves,so I guess the point I am trying to make is..she is not stressed...I am...and this is not about me..so...while I will still be awaiting the mail ,with hopeful news, I think that now I get it when people say it will all work out...it will...ok,I have written enough and I am sorry about ..just wanted to express...thanks</p>
<p>Mum2four,</p>
<pre><code>I battle "over involved syndrome" every day. Sometimes it's hard to step back. My H and I originally did not want my D to go down this path, but once we signed on, we put our hearts, souls, time, money and effort into it 100%. We'll be the ones picking up the pieces if she doesn't get into a school. We'll have to do the work to help her find another path. Maybe if I we had not traveled all over the country, agonized with her over her song and mono selections, spent hours picking out the right clothes, boosting her up when she wondered "why", we would be better able to step back.
Yes, life does go on and there are mothers who are waiting by their chid's hospital beds, but right now my child is bleeding. Maybe it is not cancer, but it's very real to her. She's being rocked to her core and that's hard for any mother to watch. I can't belittle her feelings by telling her that she's lucky to have had this opportunity or that she still has other options. She doesn't WANT those other options and she's very afraid.
</code></pre>
<p>Sarahsmom42,
Can TOTALLY identify......lets' try to hang in there. Remember the saying "It ain't over till it's over."</p>
<p>My daughter's High School has mandated state testing Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday but seniors are exempted and have no classes. So my wife found a ridiculously cheap package for 2 for 6 days in London. Cheap, like less than the cost of applying and traveling to audition at 10 MT schools - yeah, total cost, 6 days, 2 people. So guess who gets to stay home. While my wife and daughter see Mary Poppins, Avenue Q, Les Mis, the Changing of the Guard etc, I get to run to the damn mailbox everyday. And woe to me if I don't call immediately with any good news. Yeah, once I figure out the time zone difference, I'll call them alright! Make me fend for myself for 6 days? All I can say is, our kitchen sink is very deep and we've got a lot of dishes.</p>
<p>Michael, tell them to have a wonderful time! Sorry you don't get to go, too. London is a magical city and I can't wait to return. Please tell them to see Billy Elliott if they can get tickets. Every other show in London pales in comparison. :)</p>
<p>You are too funny MichaelNKat!! My H and I are getting away for a few days next month. I don't know where we're going and I don't want to. All I know is that I need a couple of swim suits and wrap skirts, sunscreen and a big hat! It's a surprise, he's planned it. 21 years together, I can't believe it!</p>
<p>we hit 20 next month ourselves...the Marriott Grand at Pt. Clear, AL. Nothing to do but be spoiled and watch Spring get sprung southern-style</p>
<p>Sarahsmom,it will be great for you to get a break from all of this,I love my time alone with my husband,with 4 kids you really have to plan,we will celebrate 23 in a couple of months,CHEERS!!</p>
<p>We are all VERY lucky indeed. Congratulations!</p>
<p>Kate</p>
<p>23 years last December!</p>
<p>WELL I've been with my BOYFRIEND almost 2 YEARS!!!
so all you married people....take that!! hahahaha</p>
<p>anyway, michaelnkat you made me laugh. i can't believe you can't go to london too!! maybe next time. i've never been to europe at all, so don't worry.
they say its not all its cracked up to be (kidding kidding, juist trying to make you feel better!)
im bored to death right now. i need some news. im just bored. blah</p>
<p>As a consolation, my son, whose still in college, has volunteered to babysit me. He's invited me to spend the weekend with him reliving my mispent youth. Beer, darts, pool and heavy metal music until my brains leak out my ears. I was really touched and told him so, and he was so moved he said he would even let me pay as an expression of my appreciation. Ah, all good stuff. And my wife said not to worry, that for our 30th anniversary (in 2 1/2 years), she's planning a trip to Italy for us. Never been there, but all I could think of was the movie "The Comfort of Strangers" with Christopher Walken. For those of you familiar with the movie, you know just how bizzare that is!</p>
<p>
[quote]
As a consolation, my son, whose still in college, has volunteered to babysit me. He's invited me to spend the weekend with him reliving my mispent youth. Beer, darts, pool and heavy metal music until my brains leak out my ears. I was really touched and told him so, and he was so moved he said he would even let me pay as an expression of my appreciation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>oh my god. you are amazing. thank you for the humor.</p>
<p>This thread is cracking me up! :D</p>
<p>VTBroadwayBaby..congrats on the two years with BF! You've gotten past counting months, hurray! </p>
<p>I think I have some of these married folk beat on the year count though.....as it is my 30th (anniversary that is, ha ha) this summer, though I think I am pretty young (I got married young). </p>
<p>Sarahsmom, I'm impressed that your hubby planned the trip himself and it is all a surprise under wraps as to where you are going. Quite nice!</p>
<p>{{{MichaelNKat}}}....often, I find, my kids get to do all the good stuff! But look forward to Italy, OK? We went to visit our D there for a few days several months ago as she was studying there. Normally, I don't get to do stuff like that though. We did have two days alone in Paris afterward and so I guess I could say, "we'll always have Paris!" LOL. </p>
<p>Actually, since the first year we had an infant, we have gone on a vacation whether it be camping on Cape Cod or to a resort in the Caribean, without kids every year.</p>
<p>thanks soozie!! my boyfriend is so sweet. i love him so much. and (to brag about him for just a moment here) he is a cutie-patootie, beautiful tenor, wonderful performer, gigantic sweetheart. he just went to All Easterns music festival this past weekend, which is a big honor. i love to brag about him, because I think he is just GREAT. and I'm so glad I have a boyfriend who loves MT as much as I do!! we applied to many of the same schools, and I would LOVE for it to work out that we go somewhere together, but if not, we'll be okay with that. </p>
<p>TO PARIS!!</p>
<p>A vacation without kids? I've heard of it but thought it was really something akin to an anthropological urban myth. Haven't had one in 18 years! I am looking forward to Italy though. In addition to hitting the cities and historic/cultural/artistic sites, I really want to spend a week in a villa in an area filled with vineyards and ride a bike from wine tasting to wine tasting seeing if I can metabolize it faster than I consume it. A worthy challenge but one which I think I'll be up to. And I'll have my wife follow me in a car as my own personal SAG vehicle/ soigneuse. She owes me for London!</p>
<p>It has been a real trip, though, taking vacations with our kids, particularly as they have gotten older. Most recently, we went to Cancun with our 17 yr old daughter and 2 of her girl friends, one an 18 yr MT student and the other a 20 yr old dance major. I learned a lot about performing from them on that trip. Particularly when they volunteered me for a poolside contest. Our first full day, at the pool, I'm buried in a sci-fi book soaking up the rays. Life couldn't be better. The the resort staff announces a contest - "Mr. Dream 2006" (the resort was Dreams). I sunk further into my book and asiduously avoided any eye contact. Unfortunately, I didn't see the girls line up behind my chair wildly pointing at me as the staff looked for volunteers.</p>
<p>So it was me, 2 other guys in their fifties and an 18 year guy. I was number 4 in line. The contest was to swim a half length of the pool as fast as possible, chug a mug of Corona, swim half a length back, jump out, do 10 pushups and situps and strike 3 sexy poses. Audience applause for votes.</p>
<p>The first 50 year old couldn't swim. The next one could swim but couldn't chug the beer and poured it down himself. The 18 year old forgot to tie his bathing suit string and his suit kept falling down off his butt as he swam - took a stroke, pulled it up, a stroke, pulled it up - across the pool and back. It was good to be 4th - I learned from their mistakes and survived this portion in good form. As for the 3 sexy poses, well I'll just say that my wife made the mistake of remaining at the pool laughing at me so I pulled her out of her chair and used her to pose with, much to the chorus of "eeewwww" from the 3 girls.</p>
<p>One of the 50 yr olds was eliminated and the event staff decided a tie breaker was necessary. There was a basketball pole at the side of the pool for water basketball. Latin music was put on and the tie breaker - yep - a pole dance by each of the remaining contestants. Well, apparently late night HBO shows are indeed educational and I must have watched a lot more of it than the others because I won based on my pole dance. My daughter, much to my great consternation, announced that she now knew where she got her dance talents from. Her MT friend asked if I was considering a career change and her Dance major friend clearly recognized my talent. Unbeknownst to me, she used her digital camera to video the dance. It is now floating somewhere around on YouTube but none of them will tell me where. They just keep smiling conspiratorilaly and talking about the next vacation they want to take with my wife and me.</p>
<p>You know, as we all sit around now stressing about where our kids will end up, it's important not to forget times like these. Helps keep in perspective what's really important - the love and support that family members give each other, the shared times, moments and experiences that built the foundations of our kids lives. Our kids have come such a long, long way with the foundations we have built togther with them. As long as we don't lose sight of this, as long as we help them keep their foundations, they will do just fine as they go off on their own into the world - and so will we.</p>