<p>
</p>
<p>I am SO jealous!</p>
<p>Our two kids love each other & stick together while allowing each space to grow. Theyâve both been strengthened by adversity. S is still awaiting his security clearance so he can start his job after his 4 year EE degree (with honors) and D will be dressing the set for a student film this term, in her 1st semester in cinema school! Sheâs on track to graduate college with her HS peers & buddies, despite being forced to leave HS after junior year.</p>
<p>I went to school with Miami Steve Van Zandtâs little brother (who is fairly famous in his own right.)</p>
<p>Even thoâ I only went to college for 4 and 2/3 years . . . </p>
<p>I am the only student to attend my university as an undergrad in the 60s, 70s AND 80s.</p>
<p>I can sing the Greek alphabet. Learned it in my college sorority and still remember it! But I canât remember what I did yesterday.</p>
<p>I can recite the presidents really quickly up until Nixon; then I have to stop and think about it (learned them in 7th grade.)</p>
<p>I won 3 superbowls in 9 years in my very competitive Fantasy Football league (with former football players and diehard fans). Didnât know more than 10 football players 9 years ago as I grew up a soccer fan in another part of the world.</p>
<p>So far I think the lady who lost 23 lbs wins, closely followed by the one whose family member was arrested for making out with an Indian.</p>
<ul>
<li>My son goes to NYU Abu Dhabi on a full ride, and I have not yet killed myself worrying about all horrific possible scenarios that could befall him (no long weekends at home either.)</li>
<li>My daughter studies full time and works at Kmart where she is one of the few who does not either pay or receive alimony or child support.</li>
<li>My husband has been on location for three weeks and has another three to go - and I have taken all the trash out myself and dealt with a broken water pipe at three in the morning (I had to call the fire department, the main switch was stuck.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Reba McEntire sang at my high school banquet.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I wonder if musicmom can help me find a Chanel 2.55 for under $2000. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That would be Hâs dream job!</p>
<p>D1 contributes to her 401K. (Way ahead of where I was at her ageâŠ)</p>
<p>D1 asked over the holidays how we managed to raise kids who werenât so screwed up like some people she knows. D2 asked how we managed to raise kids who had self-esteem. </p>
<p>Glad to know that the kids donât think that we as parents screwed them up!</p>
<p>My college boyfriend is now a NYT best selling author. My husband and kids love his books.</p>
<p>ellemenope - my D1 has started her 401K, too! Yes, way ahead of where we were. </p>
<p>AND⊠she just found out that she got a promotion and she hasnât been at her job for a year yet (will be in a couple of weeks). Was account executive, now is senior account executive. So her review is due up soon, and sheâs hoping for quite the raise (well, they did just land a new account, too).</p>
<p>All 3 young adult kids wrote thank-yous (OK, not all were hand-written) to their grandparents for their Christmas checks without being either nagged or reminded!</p>
<p>And SLUMOM (post #20)- we must be ânorth country neighborsâ. I have see Viggo M. up pretty close and personal twice in the last 15-18 months when he has been out and about visiting with his Mom.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>My twenty year old STILL canât tie her shoes (not kidding), and wasnât able to read until she was in 7th grade, but she got perfect scores on her SATs.</p>
<p>My youngest could tie her shoes after the first time she saw it and could read by the time she was four, but will never get perfect scores on anything but a playing field. :)</p>
<p>I am happy to report that I am still able to tie my shoes but cannot recall what I scored on my SATsâŠalso, Iâve never been on Jeopardy.</p>
<p>^
I taught myself to read at age 4 (really) and can get knots out of shoelaces. I have no SAT scores because I only took the ACT. I tried out for Jeopardy twice and didnât make it either time. I avoid any playing field as I have no coordination.</p>
<p>H still makes fun of the way I tie shoes (or mostly anything). I have to double-knot so it will stay intact. I have never tried out for Jeopardy but S has (never chosen). The lack of tying ability has not hampered my life to date. 
S taught himself to speak at age 9 months & to read by 3. He was annoyed that we would not read EVERY WORD of EVER YSIGN to him while his younger sister was in the stroller & anxious to get out. He decided to teach himself to read so he could know what the signs said everywhere he went without relying on us (zoo, aquarium, museums, etc). Guess what he scored on verbal SAT?</p>
<p>I have perfect pitch. I also once made over $400 (along with my best friend) pool hustling in a bar in Las Vegas, New Mexico pretending our names were âInga and Helga from Swedenâ all the while talking in a completely made up language that obviously passed for âSvedish.â :)</p>
<p>My daughters first reading to me was from the USA Today money section, asking me âWhat does housing starts dip mean.â</p>
<p>Teriwttâhooray for promotions!</p>