Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Moderators: Shirley, Sabo, brian, rass, DaveInSeattle
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Whether or not the young woman will admit this to you, I suspect she thought there was a non-zero chance that the Hawaii venture wouldn't work for long. You might find it interesting to ask about what she's learned or how she's changed.
Heading off to New Zealand doesn't necessarily sound like a disaster to me. The problems you mentioned are soluble ones. Dealing with the challenges might be an excellent experience.
From my point of view, most college students are largely wasting their time and someone's money. Most college campuses aren't very challenging environments. Most classes don't teach much that will matter after the final exam is turned in. There are life experiences that cost far less and teach far more.
Many college grads are fond of declaiming about how much they grew during their college years. Some even claim that their particular college was uniquely suited to advance their development. I can never hear this without a gag reflex being engaged.
This summer I spent a couple hours at an alumni event for a university that is typically ranked among the top five. I thought I would need medical attention (the gag reflex is rough when repeatedly triggered) until I met a Phillipino immigrant in his 60s who was working as a nurse. He cut cane and shined shoes back home. He was there with his son, who was the one attached to the elite university. We had a great time off to the side, away from the astonishing displays of lack of insight that surrounded us. It's a testament to how little they learned in college that so many college attendees and especially alums fail to give much credence to the notion that teen-agers who live away from their parents for the first time are highly likely to grow a great deal in multiple ways during the next few years. Most would probably develop personally and perhaps intellectually just as much if they were in a prison for four years.
Heading off to New Zealand doesn't necessarily sound like a disaster to me. The problems you mentioned are soluble ones. Dealing with the challenges might be an excellent experience.
From my point of view, most college students are largely wasting their time and someone's money. Most college campuses aren't very challenging environments. Most classes don't teach much that will matter after the final exam is turned in. There are life experiences that cost far less and teach far more.
Many college grads are fond of declaiming about how much they grew during their college years. Some even claim that their particular college was uniquely suited to advance their development. I can never hear this without a gag reflex being engaged.
This summer I spent a couple hours at an alumni event for a university that is typically ranked among the top five. I thought I would need medical attention (the gag reflex is rough when repeatedly triggered) until I met a Phillipino immigrant in his 60s who was working as a nurse. He cut cane and shined shoes back home. He was there with his son, who was the one attached to the elite university. We had a great time off to the side, away from the astonishing displays of lack of insight that surrounded us. It's a testament to how little they learned in college that so many college attendees and especially alums fail to give much credence to the notion that teen-agers who live away from their parents for the first time are highly likely to grow a great deal in multiple ways during the next few years. Most would probably develop personally and perhaps intellectually just as much if they were in a prison for four years.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
My 4 year old's current favorite song is "Break My Stride", which I fear will be a high water point for a decade or more.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Well, she got to keep on movin'.mister d wrote:My 4 year old's current favorite song is "Break My Stride", which I fear will be a high water point for a decade or more.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
That was my wife's favorite song when she was 6.mister d wrote:My 4 year old's current favorite song is "Break My Stride", which I fear will be a high water point for a decade or more.
well this is gonna be someone's new signature - bronto
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
My boy on trumpet (he's next to the sax player).
Last edited by bfj on Sat Jan 23, 2016 12:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
He's pretty good. Man, trumpet is a hard instrument for young people to play, takes a lot of patience and sticktoitness.
Who knows? Maybe, you were kidnapped, tied up, taken away and held for ransom.
Those days are gone forever
Over a long time ago
Oh yeah…
Those days are gone forever
Over a long time ago
Oh yeah…
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
howard wrote:He's pretty good. Man, trumpet is a hard instrument for young people to play, takes a lot of patience and sticktoitness.
Thanks Doc. He plays a lot at school and not at all at home. So I am always blown away (punny) when I get to hear him play live. He was offered a solo, but has a bit of stage fright he needs to overcome.
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Yeah, he looks a little nervous when he is waiting out solos. He might try listening closely to the solos, and not just count bars until it is time for him to play again. If he can lose himself in the other solos, that can distract from his own nerves. Even moving, like tap-ing his foot to the beat, w/o counting, during other solos might help.
Who knows? Maybe, you were kidnapped, tied up, taken away and held for ransom.
Those days are gone forever
Over a long time ago
Oh yeah…
Those days are gone forever
Over a long time ago
Oh yeah…
- Pruitt
- The Dude
- Posts: 18105
- Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:02 am
- Location: North Shore of Lake Ontario
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
100% on both comments.howard wrote:He's pretty good. Man, trumpet is a hard instrument for young people to play, takes a lot of patience and sticktoitness.
Crow away!
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Should have talked him into the trombone.*
That was great anyway.
*yeah right. I couldn't talk my own kids into it. One played violin and quit and the other wants to play drums.
That was great anyway.
*yeah right. I couldn't talk my own kids into it. One played violin and quit and the other wants to play drums.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Looks like great fun. What grade level are these kids?
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
9th-12th grades.DC47 wrote:Looks like great fun. What grade level are these kids?
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
even if you hadn't used that particular order, it's pretty easy to assume which of your daughters wants to be keith moon.rass wrote:Should have talked him into the trombone.*
That was great anyway.
*yeah right. I couldn't talk my own kids into it. One played violin and quit and the other wants to play drums.
Wade Boggs Carpet World Wade Boggs Carpet World Wade Boggs Carpet World Wade Boggs Carpet World Wade Boggs Carpet World
- The Sybian
- The Dude
- Posts: 19072
- Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:36 am
- Location: Working in the Crap Part of Jersey
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
I failed at talking mine out of the trombone. Damn thing is as big as him, and the case is going to put a hole in my wall when he carries it around. I won't torture you with the off key monstrosity that was the 4th grade band concert. The orchestra left many an ear bleeding. I have to say, the 5th grade band was pretty good. They played the Star Wars theme, Indiana Jones and one other cool song I can't remember. At the end of the show, the 4th and 5th grade percussionist came out marching drumming buckets. That was legitimately cool.rass wrote:Should have talked him into the trombone.*
That was great anyway.
*yeah right. I couldn't talk my own kids into it. One played violin and quit and the other wants to play drums.
I'll have to find a picture of the orchestra teacher. I'm guessing there was a bad acid trip at some point. One of the mothers told me she refused to let him in the building the first time she saw him.
An honest to God cult of personality - formed around a failed steak salesman.
-Pruitt
-Pruitt
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Nice! Your kid is going places.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
- govmentchedda
- The Dude
- Posts: 12840
- Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:36 pm
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Very cool, bfj.
Until everything is less insane, I'm mixing weed with wine.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Older son submitting this for an English essay assignment. Got a little dusty at the office today.
All spelling errors are cleaned up now. Very little editing done by me.
All spelling errors are cleaned up now. Very little editing done by me.
About 5 years ago, I was asked to be a part of a panel of people who also had siblings with autism. The point of the panel was to speak to parents about what it is like to live with a sibling with autism and how it affects my life. This event was called Honestly Autism Day. Honestly Autism Day is a day where parents who have children with autism can get resources to help them learn to deal with children with autism. The people on the panel ranged from 6-35 years old. I remember sitting in front of about 100 people, with my mom in the middle of the crowd. I was nervous at first, but I kept looking at her and I felt better. We introduced ourselves, and we instantly began receiving questions. Questions about how hard my life is, who mainly takes care of my brother, what do I do to help?
A question was asked that really made me think about the future, something I really haven’t thought about. A parent asked “What worries you most?” I just looked at my mom. My lips started to quiver, my eyes started to tear up and I started to sweat on my forehead. My mother mouthed the words “just breathe, take a drink of water”. I was already tearing up, so I did what mom told me to do. I drank some water, I took a deep breath. When the question came to me, my response was, “that is something I really haven’t thought about much. What I do worry about is what will happen to my brother Max? I mean, what will happen when my parents are gone, and who will take care of him? That is something I am mainly worried about.”
After the first session was over, I went with my friend Campbell to the cafeteria area. The cafeteria was a large area of tables and people, sitting and enjoying lunch and talking to each other. There were larges row tables full of salads, subs and sandwiches to choose from. There were also freezers full of Diet Coke, Coca Cola, Sprite, water, and other refreshments. I sat down at a table with my mom, and I fell into her arms crying, trying to calm down, but the question kept swirling around in my mind, ‘Who will take care of Max when Mom and Dad are gone?’
Lunch ended and I had to get back to the conference room for the second Q&A session with a whole new audience. We introduced ourselves, like last time, then the questions started pouring in, “Is it difficult to live with your brother/ sister?”, “Does going on vacation with a sibling with autism affect what you do during the vacation?” Thankfully, I didn’t hear the question that nearly made me cry, but I did hear another question that made me think more deeply: “Do you hate your sibling when you get into a fight or argument?”
When that question came to me, I didn’t answer right away, but I made it visible that I was thinking about the answer. When I had my answer thought out, I said, “I can’t hate him, because he is my world. I have to stand by him through everything, and I can’t leave him behind. When people see me and Max arguing over something dumb, like a toy, people think that Max is just abnormal or annoying. There is something in him deeper than just ‘an autistic kid’. He is a human being, intelligent, amazing, loveable, and joyful. So, the answer would be no, I don’t hate him when we have an argument.”
Some people clapped, some were brought to tears, and some were so surprised at my answer that they just sat there, looking at me. I looked at my mom, who was nearly in tears at my answer, and I just mouthed “Did I do a good job” and she mouthed back “Jack, that was really amazing what you said.” I high-fived my friend Campbell, and felt really pleased with myself.
It was finally time to end the session, and I shook hands with the people who were leaving the room. They said different things to me, like “amazing job” and “thank you for being so honest”. After everyone left, the director wanted everyone to gather at the table. She congratulated and thanked everyone of us, and she gave each of us a $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble. I was so excited to buy something new, I was just smiling at the gift card. After we left, my mom and I were talking about the event, and if I could go to Barnes and Noble and spend my gift card. She said yes, and we were off to Barnes and Noble. Honestly Autism Day was something I was never going to forget.
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Lovely story and essay. Tremendous insight.
My autistic daughter has an older sister. Before she went off to college last fall, we discussed what life would be like when my wife and I were gone. Or disabled ourselves.
Daughter#1 faces life with a challenge that most of her peers do not. She's one accident away from being the responsible adult in the family.
Every day my thoughts run to the future of Daughter#2. It's an unanswerable puzzle. One that terrifies me.
My autistic daughter has an older sister. Before she went off to college last fall, we discussed what life would be like when my wife and I were gone. Or disabled ourselves.
Daughter#1 faces life with a challenge that most of her peers do not. She's one accident away from being the responsible adult in the family.
Every day my thoughts run to the future of Daughter#2. It's an unanswerable puzzle. One that terrifies me.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
I've told my son he needs to live his life no matter what. My youngest is not his responsibility, he says he'll never let him live in a "home or hospital".DC47 wrote:Lovely story and essay. Tremendous insight.
My autistic daughter has an older sister. Before she went off to college last fall, we discussed what life would be like when my wife and I were gone. Or disabled ourselves.
Daughter#1 faces life with a challenge that most of her peers do not. She's one accident away from being the responsible adult in the family.
Every day my thoughts run to the future of Daughter#2. It's an unanswerable puzzle. One that terrifies me.
Terrifying is right.
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Damn, it is getting dusty in here...
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Last spring it was time for daughter#1 to choose what to do next. She narrowed her choices down to a highly-regarded university that is 2,000 miles away, or the highly-regarded university near our home.
While in high school, she had enjoyed taking classes at the hometown school, and had a strong relationship with a scientist there. On a net basis, the hometown school would cost only about 15% of the price of the distant school. If she went to the hometown school, she would be in daughter#2's life almost every day. That would certainly be a continued blessing to daughter#2, and to us. But the more distant school had better faculty in the area she was already studying at a high level. The faculty at the hometown school that she would want to work with generally didn't teach their specialty areas to undergrads. They did at the other school.
She asked us for advice. We told her it was entirely her call (as we had been saying for many months). These were two great options, though you can never tell how things will turn out. We were behind her either way.
Naturally, she didn't buy that. She wanted to know what we would do if we were her.
I considered remaining neutral. Helping her to be a highly independent person is one of our highest parenting values. I well recall strict neutrality while baking in a hot car at a soccer field as she spent two agonizing hours unable to decide which of two high-level soccer teams to join. At one point I relented, and said that if she insisted, I would make the call (which would have been a first in this domain). I picked a quarter out of the ash tray and tossed it ... she said she'd make the soccer team decision after all.
Breaking cover in the college discussion, after months of laughing off the idea that I could even add value to her process by discussing the topic, I told her that I'd choose the distant school. While recognizing that this could change, she was highly committed to her course of study, and would benefit from being around the best in her field at an early age. But moreover, it would be much more challenging. Most likely academically, and certainly personally. Not living in the town you grew up in and having your parents a few minutes away would pose far greater personal challenges and foster independence. Further, if she spent some time at the distant school and didn't think it was worth the extra money and distance from her sister, she could transfer and come home.
She posed the question about the consequences for daughter#2. I told her that the day would most likely come when she might choose to view her personal choices through this lens. It might be her highest priority. I might mean the difference between daughter#2 having to live in some kind of institutional setting or not. But this didn't have to be that day, as my wife and I were still around to care for daughter#2 and help her develop. And daughter#1 wouldn't be fully disappearing if she moved away. They could stay in touch far more than siblings in my era, simply by texting and using skype and facetime.
Not many kids would have framed the college choice as in large part about whether they were fulfilling their responsibilities to their younger siblings. I was proud that daughter#1 did. And glad she caught an out-of-town flight.
There is certainly an immediate downside to her choice. Daughter#2 is heavily influenced, for the better, by her sister. Especially regarding social issues, of which there are a constant stream for a high-school aged kid who still believes in Santa Claus despite being repeatedly told he is a fiction. As I expected, daughter#1 is not returning home for the majority of her school breaks. So her personal presence is going to be rare. Her positive influence on the development of daughter#2 wanes quite a bit when it is entirely electronic.
But who's to say if this is not for the better in the long run? Daughter#1 is able to pursue her passions and dreams without being fettered. Perhaps one side-effect will be that at some point in the (hopefully distant) future, she may find it easier to incorporate her sister into her life decisions. There are many other positive angles for daughter#2's ultimate fate that may be in play. Ultimately, who can see around enough corners to really know how a decision taken by a 17 year-old will affect -- for better or for worse -- the life course of her autistic sister? We have great respect for daughter#1's attitude, and are grateful that we haven't done anything to spoil it.
While in high school, she had enjoyed taking classes at the hometown school, and had a strong relationship with a scientist there. On a net basis, the hometown school would cost only about 15% of the price of the distant school. If she went to the hometown school, she would be in daughter#2's life almost every day. That would certainly be a continued blessing to daughter#2, and to us. But the more distant school had better faculty in the area she was already studying at a high level. The faculty at the hometown school that she would want to work with generally didn't teach their specialty areas to undergrads. They did at the other school.
She asked us for advice. We told her it was entirely her call (as we had been saying for many months). These were two great options, though you can never tell how things will turn out. We were behind her either way.
Naturally, she didn't buy that. She wanted to know what we would do if we were her.
I considered remaining neutral. Helping her to be a highly independent person is one of our highest parenting values. I well recall strict neutrality while baking in a hot car at a soccer field as she spent two agonizing hours unable to decide which of two high-level soccer teams to join. At one point I relented, and said that if she insisted, I would make the call (which would have been a first in this domain). I picked a quarter out of the ash tray and tossed it ... she said she'd make the soccer team decision after all.
Breaking cover in the college discussion, after months of laughing off the idea that I could even add value to her process by discussing the topic, I told her that I'd choose the distant school. While recognizing that this could change, she was highly committed to her course of study, and would benefit from being around the best in her field at an early age. But moreover, it would be much more challenging. Most likely academically, and certainly personally. Not living in the town you grew up in and having your parents a few minutes away would pose far greater personal challenges and foster independence. Further, if she spent some time at the distant school and didn't think it was worth the extra money and distance from her sister, she could transfer and come home.
She posed the question about the consequences for daughter#2. I told her that the day would most likely come when she might choose to view her personal choices through this lens. It might be her highest priority. I might mean the difference between daughter#2 having to live in some kind of institutional setting or not. But this didn't have to be that day, as my wife and I were still around to care for daughter#2 and help her develop. And daughter#1 wouldn't be fully disappearing if she moved away. They could stay in touch far more than siblings in my era, simply by texting and using skype and facetime.
Not many kids would have framed the college choice as in large part about whether they were fulfilling their responsibilities to their younger siblings. I was proud that daughter#1 did. And glad she caught an out-of-town flight.
There is certainly an immediate downside to her choice. Daughter#2 is heavily influenced, for the better, by her sister. Especially regarding social issues, of which there are a constant stream for a high-school aged kid who still believes in Santa Claus despite being repeatedly told he is a fiction. As I expected, daughter#1 is not returning home for the majority of her school breaks. So her personal presence is going to be rare. Her positive influence on the development of daughter#2 wanes quite a bit when it is entirely electronic.
But who's to say if this is not for the better in the long run? Daughter#1 is able to pursue her passions and dreams without being fettered. Perhaps one side-effect will be that at some point in the (hopefully distant) future, she may find it easier to incorporate her sister into her life decisions. There are many other positive angles for daughter#2's ultimate fate that may be in play. Ultimately, who can see around enough corners to really know how a decision taken by a 17 year-old will affect -- for better or for worse -- the life course of her autistic sister? We have great respect for daughter#1's attitude, and are grateful that we haven't done anything to spoil it.
- Pruitt
- The Dude
- Posts: 18105
- Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:02 am
- Location: North Shore of Lake Ontario
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
That essay is amazing.
And man, it sounds like you guys are doing great parenting work.
And man, it sounds like you guys are doing great parenting work.
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
DC -- That's some quality work there and someday daughter #1 is going to look back upon that decision and realize it was the best thing to do. Of that, I'm convinced.
BFJ -- Dig that you've got a little rock star in training. Have you had him listen to any old jazz records/does he enjoy that music in general?
You guys do a great job of letting me live the parent life vicariously, because kids are expensive and I like beer and hockey too much to make one.
BFJ -- Dig that you've got a little rock star in training. Have you had him listen to any old jazz records/does he enjoy that music in general?
You guys do a great job of letting me live the parent life vicariously, because kids are expensive and I like beer and hockey too much to make one.
Dances with Wolves (1) - BSF
"This place was rockin'," said BSF21.
"There is nothing ever uncommon about BSF21."
"This place was rockin'," said BSF21.
"There is nothing ever uncommon about BSF21."
- govmentchedda
- The Dude
- Posts: 12840
- Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 4:36 pm
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Kudos, Jack!
Until everything is less insane, I'm mixing weed with wine.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Wow, BFJ. That's tremendous.
well this is gonna be someone's new signature - bronto
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
You're young. Don't breed until you get tired of the vicarious.BSF21 wrote:DC -- That's some quality work there and someday daughter #1 is going to look back upon that decision and realize it was the best thing to do. Of that, I'm convinced.
BFJ -- Dig that you've got a little rock star in training. Have you had him listen to any old jazz records/does he enjoy that music in general?
You guys do a great job of letting me live the parent life vicariously, because kids are expensive and I like beer and hockey too much to make one.
He doesn't love jazz. Too long and aimless to him. He has been exposed to Dizzy and Miles and Wynton.
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
mister d wrote:That's awesome, BFJ. Sounds like one of those "if every kid were like _______" kids.
He can be a TREMENDOUS douche bag! Moody teenager trying to figure out puberty and girls and growing up.
BFJ is the town wizard who runs a magic shop. He also has a golem that he has trained to attack anti-Semites.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Introduce him to Pat Metheny. He'll learn his lesson.bfj wrote:You're young. Don't breed until you get tired of the vicarious.BSF21 wrote:DC -- That's some quality work there and someday daughter #1 is going to look back upon that decision and realize it was the best thing to do. Of that, I'm convinced.
BFJ -- Dig that you've got a little rock star in training. Have you had him listen to any old jazz records/does he enjoy that music in general?
You guys do a great job of letting me live the parent life vicariously, because kids are expensive and I like beer and hockey too much to make one.
He doesn't love jazz. Too long and aimless to him. He has been exposed to Dizzy and Miles and Wynton.
THERE’S NOWT WRONG WITH GALA LUNCHEONS, LAD!
- DaveInSeattle
- The Dude
- Posts: 8566
- Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 5:51 am
- Location: Seattle, WA
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Great stories from both DC and BFJ. As I'm learning, Autism really does effect the whole family, including siblings.
My GF has had many talks with her older daughter about how, at some point down the road, she will have to be responsible for Kelsey (the younger, autistic daughter) and have to be ready to jump through all the hoops for long-term care and assistance. The GF has admitted that this doesn't seem fair, but the older daughter has accepted this responsibility quite willingly.
Now...about the older daughter. As you may remember, she moved to Maui with her boyfriend and one of his mates, and they were living in a shed, with no electricity. Well, that experiment has come to an end, and she came back yesterday. The shed where they were living (rent free) was at a mountain bike park, where the two guys were working is going on the market, so the rent-free place is going away, along with the jobs that the guys had. Add in the fact that the Friend decided he really wasn't as into surfing as he thought he would be, so he's going home. And the car that the guys bought for getting around, and getting the surfboards to the beach, was a total junker and blew out the headgasket.
So she's back, and the tentative plan is to go to Bend, OR (which is where the bf is from), and live with his parents while they try to find jobs and a place to live.
But I think that the daughter is wavering on that...she emailed last week, asking how much an entry level position here at the Institute would pay (I've told her I could get her an interview for any of the Research Assistant positions that are open). When I told her that an RA1 paid about 40-50K, and an RA2 was about 50-60K, she wrote back saying "wow...that's a lot".
My GF thinks, and I agree with her, that what they should do is live in Seattle, with us. The GF has talked about doing some remodel work to her home to let the daughter (and the BF, if he's here) have a separate entrance into the house, and some private space. So they could live with us, rent-free, while they get settled, and the Daughter could work here at the lab, and her boyfriend could work at someplace like REI (he wants to get into the sportsgear Rep field).
We'll see....I'm just keeping my mouth shut, as usual...
My GF has had many talks with her older daughter about how, at some point down the road, she will have to be responsible for Kelsey (the younger, autistic daughter) and have to be ready to jump through all the hoops for long-term care and assistance. The GF has admitted that this doesn't seem fair, but the older daughter has accepted this responsibility quite willingly.
Now...about the older daughter. As you may remember, she moved to Maui with her boyfriend and one of his mates, and they were living in a shed, with no electricity. Well, that experiment has come to an end, and she came back yesterday. The shed where they were living (rent free) was at a mountain bike park, where the two guys were working is going on the market, so the rent-free place is going away, along with the jobs that the guys had. Add in the fact that the Friend decided he really wasn't as into surfing as he thought he would be, so he's going home. And the car that the guys bought for getting around, and getting the surfboards to the beach, was a total junker and blew out the headgasket.
So she's back, and the tentative plan is to go to Bend, OR (which is where the bf is from), and live with his parents while they try to find jobs and a place to live.
But I think that the daughter is wavering on that...she emailed last week, asking how much an entry level position here at the Institute would pay (I've told her I could get her an interview for any of the Research Assistant positions that are open). When I told her that an RA1 paid about 40-50K, and an RA2 was about 50-60K, she wrote back saying "wow...that's a lot".
My GF thinks, and I agree with her, that what they should do is live in Seattle, with us. The GF has talked about doing some remodel work to her home to let the daughter (and the BF, if he's here) have a separate entrance into the house, and some private space. So they could live with us, rent-free, while they get settled, and the Daughter could work here at the lab, and her boyfriend could work at someplace like REI (he wants to get into the sportsgear Rep field).
We'll see....I'm just keeping my mouth shut, as usual...
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
To further your goals, I suggest sending her video clips of New Zealand in February. Tell her about your epic mid-life walkabout down-under.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
My oldest has been running sub-7 minute miles during speed/agility training for soccer. Yesterday, her coach used her as a rabbit for his older daughter (16 or 17, plays on her HS and local travel teams), who was there to run with the U-10 team. The girls who were running lined up on the track staggered, as they were each going to stay in their lanes. My daughter was inside, so the farthest back to start. She passed everyone before the first turn, stopped to tie her shoes, passed everyone again, stopped at the 1/4 mile mark to tie her shoes again, and then passed the 16/17 year old one more time (who was the only one close to her at that point,and the only one who finished near her). Her next time around the track, she looked at me and said she was going to have some candy. I assumed she just had something in her pockets from home, but when she finished up she told me she had picked a starburst up off the track, unwrapped it and ate it.
I punished her by telling her mom what she did so she would mom-freak out on her. My wife is much better at that sort of thing anyway.
I punished her by telling her mom what she did so she would mom-freak out on her. My wife is much better at that sort of thing anyway.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
So does she play striker and they kick over the top to her? Was listening to a podcast that pointed to this type of soccer as the U.S. youth style and it hurts their development as they get older (that and the fact they take the biggest kids and put them at center back).rass wrote:My oldest has been running sub-7 minute miles during speed/agility training for soccer. Yesterday, her coach used her as a rabbit for his older daughter (16 or 17, plays on her HS and local travel teams), who was there to run with the U-10 team. The girls who were running lined up on the track staggered, as they were each going to stay in their lanes. My daughter was inside, so the farthest back to start. She passed everyone before the first turn, stopped to tie her shoes, passed everyone again, stopped at the 1/4 mile mark to tie her shoes again, and then passed the 16/17 year old one more time (who was the only one close to her at that point,and the only one who finished near her). Her next time around the track, she looked at me and said she was going to have some candy. I assumed she just had something in her pockets from home, but when she finished up she told me she had picked a starburst up off the track, unwrapped it and ate it.
I punished her by telling her mom what she did so she would mom-freak out on her. My wife is much better at that sort of thing anyway.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Cool story (the running story, not the candy bit.) And, maybe when she's a bit older - you can tighten the bond with your daughter by telling her that this time it will be your shared secret, but if she does it again, you'll rat her out to Mum, and she knows what hell that will bring her.rass wrote:My oldest has been running sub-7 minute miles during speed/agility training for soccer. Yesterday, her coach used her as a rabbit for his older daughter (16 or 17, plays on her HS and local travel teams), who was there to run with the U-10 team. The girls who were running lined up on the track staggered, as they were each going to stay in their lanes. My daughter was inside, so the farthest back to start. She passed everyone before the first turn, stopped to tie her shoes, passed everyone again, stopped at the 1/4 mile mark to tie her shoes again, and then passed the 16/17 year old one more time (who was the only one close to her at that point,and the only one who finished near her). Her next time around the track, she looked at me and said she was going to have some candy. I assumed she just had something in her pockets from home, but when she finished up she told me she had picked a starburst up off the track, unwrapped it and ate it.
I punished her by telling her mom what she did so she would mom-freak out on her. My wife is much better at that sort of thing anyway.
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
- A_B
- The Dude
- Posts: 23557
- Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:36 am
- Location: Getting them boards like a wolf in the chicken pen.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
I tried that trick, SC, and my daughter ended up telling on herself, and in turn, me.
Hold on, I'm trying to see if Jack London ever gets this fire built or not.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
No. Sordid details in the youth soccer thread, but she's pretty much been playing defense for the bulk of her year and a half at this level. She really wants to play mid-field so she can run more. I think she'll have her opportunity under the new regime.wlu_lax6 wrote:So does she play striker and they kick over the top to her? Was listening to a podcast that pointed to this type of soccer as the U.S. youth style and it hurts their development as they get older (that and the fact they take the biggest kids and put them at center back).rass wrote:My oldest has been running sub-7 minute miles during speed/agility training for soccer. Yesterday, her coach used her as a rabbit for his older daughter (16 or 17, plays on her HS and local travel teams), who was there to run with the U-10 team. The girls who were running lined up on the track staggered, as they were each going to stay in their lanes. My daughter was inside, so the farthest back to start. She passed everyone before the first turn, stopped to tie her shoes, passed everyone again, stopped at the 1/4 mile mark to tie her shoes again, and then passed the 16/17 year old one more time (who was the only one close to her at that point,and the only one who finished near her). Her next time around the track, she looked at me and said she was going to have some candy. I assumed she just had something in her pockets from home, but when she finished up she told me she had picked a starburst up off the track, unwrapped it and ate it.
I punished her by telling her mom what she did so she would mom-freak out on her. My wife is much better at that sort of thing anyway.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Yeah. In this case I was legitimately pissed at her for not knowing any better, or even worse knowing better but eating it anyway.A_B wrote:I tried that trick, SC, and my daughter ended up telling on herself, and in turn, me.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
Re: Proud Parental Unit Crowing Thread
Woomister d wrote:Keep it up and she might have a $6 per hour contract from USA Soccer waiting for her.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.