<p>Things heated up between my daughter and I this weekend. I found myself saying "You should have..." a little too often with regards to college stuff, resulting of much wailing and gnashing of teeth on both our parts. I don't think my daughter and I have ever been so upset with each other in all her 17 years of life.</p>
<p>So, we've come to a compromise to keep the peace. If I use the words "You should have..." or "I told you so..." or "I knew this would happen..." as admissions offers and/or rejections come in, I have agreed to eat nothing but Cheerio's for a week. She was gunning for nothing but Cheerio's and water, but took pity on me and agreed that my sentence could also include milk.</p>
<p>This cheered her up immensely, and it also reminded me of just how vulnerable she feels. She sure doesn't need dear old Mom making her more nervous with "shoulda, coulda, would'ves" over the next few months. While I may have done things differently, the truth is, this isn't my "thing" to do - it's hers. </p>
<p>So, if you hear some loud crunching coming from my general direction, you'll know the harness I've installed to keep my mouth from opening over the next few months has malfunctioned. :)</p>
<p>So it is plain Cheerios or any of the fancy ones? I feel for you but also can understand the quandry your daughter finds herself in. Many of us here don't like to follow your posts....as we may look less than. This is trivial to being your daughter......I think it must be hard for you to not comment and in that spirit we need to support you in your endeavor. Perhpaps you need to make yourself a Cheerio necklace or braclet......the type we all made in preschool. A constant reminder of the consequence of opening your jaw and eeking out those dreaded words. What can we do to help you along. You have been a great help to many of us.....let us know. Do you feel the need to stock up on Cheerios??</p>
<p>Hazmat, she's kindly allowed me a choice between plain or Honey Nut. (She giggled madly when offering me the last, not sure why.) She will probably LOVE the idea of hanging a Cheerio necklace on me as a sign of my impending doom. </p>
<p>Yes, it is hard to be the daughter of the Queen of the College Obsessed, especially when you have no desire to take on the role of Princess. Additionally, I am often much less then in person than I am in cyberspace. :)</p>
<p>Ah....we did not negotiate about breakfast bars. Perhaps if it's not in the contract, I can sneak a few in. Hazmat, you have earned your keep today. </p>
<p>Xiggi...she also delighted in suggesting that it might do me good to lose a few pounds from the regal visage.</p>
<p>So let the stringing of the necklace begin. You can string on elastic so as to snap yourself when you feel the jaw laxing a bit......behavior modification. Good luck and keep us posted. Very adult of you play along w/ this yet realize the message and need your daughter has to avoid the Princess role. I think you are on the Queen's reduction diet. I bow to you in your endeavor to rule with a pure heart and tongue.</p>
<p>Carolyn....we are all in the same boat (Ok, I haven't promised cheerios yet). D finished apps last night. She has to turn them into her HS in a stamped, addressed mailla envelope. HS puts their stuff in and sends it off. Bought her stamps when the process first started. At 9PM last night she asked me where my stamps were as she used all of hers. I told her where they were, BUT there were only 3 left. She has the nerve to be upset with me....I went off on her, asking why she waited until 9PM on a Sunday night to ask for more stamps. Her response was "I forgot", my retort was "you didn't forget to go out with your friends" (god, I sound like my mother). I then started listing all the reasons I felt she was being irresponsible with the college stuff, when truthfully, she is way ahead of everyone of her friends and everything has been in BEFORE they were due. We parents seems to be more stressed than our kids. At least the envelopes weren't due until tomorrow, so of course I went and got her stamps today. Oh the stress.......</p>
<p>Carolyn - I see spin-offs here. A Christmas tree with Cheerio garlands?</p>
<p>Yankeegirl49 needs a suitable punishment also - Fruit Loops might not represent sufficient deprivation, but would come close to wearing a scarlet letter if strung as a necklace. Shredded Wheat would be punishment for sure.</p>
<p>By the way, her original suggestion was that I be banished from the kingdom of CC for one month if I dared to shoulda, woulda, coulda in her presence. Then, she thought about for a moment and said, "Nah, that would be cruel and unusual punishment for you."</p>
<p>and for us~we need you. One month would put you well into the ED craziness. Melt downs and such. Folks need some stability here on CC. Upgrades are inplace and now they wait.......and wait....and snap and wait some more.</p>
<p>Yeah, at least it wasn't Fiber One (my dad says it tastes like something someone swept up off a barn floor :eek: )!</p>
<p>I don't think I've uttered a shoulda/woulda yet, or if I have, S hasn't been too upset. Of course, he's got his mind all made up: already applied ED to his top choice, and has 3 others in mind that he's going to apply to if not accepted at his favorite. His second choice is a pretty likely admit and he really likes it, so I don't know what I'm stressing about :rolleyes: . I'm still researching safeties/matches and trying to keep my mouth shut. Oy. </p>
<p>His birthday is December 11th and my only hope is that if his #1 does reject him, that it doesn't come that day :(</p>
<p>Carolyn--what a great mom you are. And what a great kid you have--she nows how attached you are to CC!--does she also know how much the rest of us would miss you if you should (shudder) take a month long leave? </p>
<p>I should join you in eating cheerios or chewing on something other than my kids. I KNOW I should refrain from talking at times--usually when I think my teenaged children are being completely unreasonable and illogical, but also know at the same time they are not going to back down and admit that I might have a point (at least not until I have stopped talking for a few hours, anyway!). I can't seem to help myself! Sounds as if a few of us had kind of a rough weekends with our kids. This isn't college related, but I went round and round with my 12 year old on Sat. about forgetting stuff which disintegrated into a really silly back and forth but VERY emotional--and then on Sunday she left her violin lying on the sidewalk after a playthrough and didn't notice until we got home. Gotta love it. Fortunately violin teacher left after we did and picked up the violin and has it. At that point, the Sat. arguing had tired me out, and I didn't say much that time! Part of the frustration is that this kid used to remember EVERYTHING, was so together! Is it hormones, you suppose? And then there is the 16 year old. Up down up down. And then there's me. Heading toward menopause. What a combination . . . OTOH the seven year old has been really charming lately . . .</p>
<p>Perhaps I should keep a baggy of cheerios with me at all times for these occasions. CRUNCH CRUNCH!</p>
<p>Carolyn, if it's any consolation, I can't remember a time when D and I were more aggravated with each other than the period September through December of her senior year in high school.</p>
<p>As they say about kidney stones, "This, too, shall pass." With about as much pain sometimes.</p>
<p>Carolyn, maybe we can figure out a way to switch places...a bowl ofCheerios is my bedtime snack of choice (although I've been looking in the mirror, and the days of bedtime snacks should probably be coming to a screeching halt)!</p>
<p>Carolyn:
Guess this does turn you into a cereal killer.</p>
<p>...but why did you agree to just a one-way agreement? What lumps does your D have to take if she - oh, I don't know - pulls the rolling_ eyes<em>Oh</em>MOTHER routine on you?</p>
<p>Dang, I'd at least try to trade that in for some frosted flakes! Harder to string into necklaces, though I could see pasting them together with marshmallow cream or something. </p>
<p>So happy your D has such a mischievous sense of humor. I can just see the twinkle in her eye!</p>