The Year Has Flown

<p>Any first year parents out there? What did you think of your child's first year at bs? My son was thrilled; it was all he had hoped for and more. I can't believe it is almost done. I am looking forward to spending the summer with my son, but I am sad that his freshman year is over. He is a bit, too.....but he is also looking forward to summer. I've already taken two large loads of STUFF home from his room and am busily neatening - and stocking up on groceries for his return!</p>

<p>this is said every year</p>

<p>Thanks for the input. Anyone have anything to add relative to my post?</p>

<p>Second year parent here, but this year flew by faster than the first. Getting ready to drive up Thursday to bring Goalgirl home. Hope everthing still fits in the minivan. Just the 2 of us this trip, though. Goaliemom can't get away from her job.</p>

<p>We are taking a long trip home through Vermont and New York to do drive-by visits on about a dozen schools over 3 days. More to give goaliegirl a sense of place for these schools and to be able to compare and contrast different school types, sizes and towns than anything else, although they have been picked carefully to be safety and match schools with areas of study that align with the possible careers she has expressed interest in.</p>

<p>I am not a fan of sending a prospective athlete to a reach school, as there is already a lot of time committment with a sport whether it is D1 or D3.</p>

<p>Lots to put together this summer, with a couple of exposure tournaments in August, so registering interest with schools will be up in June. Been looking at the Xiggi method for preparing for the SATs and am thinking that we may do that THIS summer, as if coaches like what they see and you can give them solid early SAT scores (Junior year), you are ahead of the game. Also allows us time to change the targeted level of schools if there are any surprises in the early test scores.</p>

<p>So I suspect summer will fly by faster than the school year she just finished.</p>

<p>Just finished re-hanging her closet door that came off when she was home during Spring break. Room is clean and ready to go. Refrig is full of diet foods as Goaliemom and I have been hitting the gym and losing weight (over 100 lbs between the 2 of us the past 9 months. Goaliegirl is just going to have to learn to eat healthy food.</p>

<p>Wow, goaliedad, congrats on the weight loss! That is great news. Did you follow a particular diet or just watch what you were eating and hit the gym?</p>

<p>Answering your question Keylyme, I am thrilled with the results of my daughter's 1st year at BS. There were a few bumps in the road, but overall the year was positive. I can't believe how much she has grown emotionally. She's received a couple of awards at school, was a tour guide, and has been chosen to be a peer counselor for next year. None of this would have occurred had she stayed at home. Due to the success of her 1st year, two of her sisters will also be attending boarding school.</p>

<p>Going OT - </p>

<p>I can't help but notice the irony of you (with your screen name) asking about our diet.</p>

<p>I actually started dieting a bit before my wife and had been going to the gym (without dieting) at work 5 days a week since goaliegirl went away to school. I've just about shed the weight I gained driving her to hockey every weekend for a couple of years. In the past year or so, I have been slowly eliminating foods that are trouble for me and finding better (less hunger stimulating) substitutes as needed to sustain a slow weight loss.</p>

<p>My wife got the wakeup call a couple of years ago when she came down with rheumatoid arthritis. It got a bit more serious when her uncle stepped up and funded a weight loss program through a local gym that is associated with a hospital. She started with the liquid diet and progressed to a meal program for a couple of months and then reintroduced a limited regular food diet. She also was going to the gym 2 hours a day 7-days a week and getting 3x/week personal training sessions. That has backed off to 1 to 2 days a week of personal training, but the gym time remains.</p>

<p>Our diets strangely enough have merged in many areas. Basically, outside of a couple of 50-calorie, 9 gram of fiber, slices of bread per day, I rarely consume any wheat products. The only other starch I eat is a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast (no sugar). Mostly, we eat spinach/romaine salads, low fat dairy, lots of fruit and veggies and lean (less than 25% of the calories from fat) meats. My wife supplements (becuase of her heavier workout regimin) with protein shakes (body building type). </p>

<p>Sorry to hijack the thread.</p>

<p>So goaliegirl is going to come home to a house full of foods she doesn't typically eat (she is a carb junkie). I have little intention of adding things that might tempt me. And from what I have picked up, she has put on a few pounds this spring - a touchy subject.</p>

<p>haha.
i love talking about my weight and getting mad at people who say I look "so much better" because I was "soo skinny" yeah wtv
i gained 10 pounds in three months so tell your daughter she's not alone goaliedad ;)</p>

<p>We also have been dieting, and our house no longer holds the goodies and treats it used to. Don't know what the kids will think. I definitely do not intend to stock up on snacks and junk...too tempting! My kids will just have to realize that yogurt and fruit are their snacks. The grill this summer will be serving up boca burgers, veggie dogs, and boneless chicken. I guess grilled salmon and swordfish as well, but I don't think the kids will go for that as much.
I have used the WeightWatcher online system with success so far....I've only been doing it for 5 or 6 weeks, but have lost 10 pounds. I, too, gained all my weight driving my kids to their activities.....3-5 hours a day in the car sure puts on the pounds!</p>

<p>"I am not a fan of sending a prospective athlete to a reach school, as there is already a lot of time committment with a sport whether it is D1 or D3."</p>

<p>Can't be stressed enough. My daughter is a DI athlete at a match school and she has struggled mightily this year! Thank goodness we didn't go for the reach or she might not be returning.</p>