Second Year at College

Dorito is sometimes lost in the middle of our family, but he's never forgotten.

He is having a busy semester back at K-State. This week he is working overtime as the Homecoming Chairman for Phi Kappa Theta. They are paired with Gamma-Phi and Sig-Ep (which is good and bad, respectively, so you get the drift). His leadership skills are being stretched as he tries to motivate the 34 members of his small fraternity to do their part. This week, he also has a big Accounting Project due.
He likes to look the part. Sporting his new suit for formal dinners. And his new glasses.

This year, he is also balancing a job: working part-time as a house boy at the Alpha Chi Omega sorority house on Mondays and Wednesdays for supper.

And he attends all the football games, of course!
Here's his SnapChat from the front row at the 50-yard-line a couple weeks back. The ICAT section is first come, first served so he likes to get there early.

Weekends are for Fun

Everyone with Facebook has already seen that Sniper got a haircut finally. On Father's Day.

 

Playmaker was braver, giving up his "hockey hair" for the recital of his big sister. He said he wanted a different look, and it definitely makes them both look so much older.

 Dorito is taking a summer vacation from shaving.

 In Delaware they call it "Separation Day" and celebrate with parade, free concert, colonial games, food vendors, and fireworks. Back home we call it "Flag Day" on June 14 (which is easy to remember as that is Aunt Denise's birthday).

As Promised...

Congratulations to our first college grad!

I ordered this photo from the event photographer--

best $10 I spent all four years!

The Final Note -- Part Three

The recital was a graduation requirement for Meggar, but truly a joy for her own family to share it with her. The party afterwards was a fitting tribute for her closest friends and for a few special friends and relatives who could make it. I knew it was too far away for many more who wanted to attend. Meggar is planning to send a recording of her piano pieces by mail to those who would like that memento.

Captain gave a few words of wisdom and a beautiful meal grace. I got to tell a humorous story to poke fun at her from the first semester's piano recital.

Guests: Gr. Judy and Gr. Gerald came from Wichita,

Gr. Elizabeth came from Colorado with Aunt Kathy and Uncle Terry,

Bill and Constance (from Jane Austen Book Club),

Alison (from church & her confirmation sponsor),

and Alpha Gamma Delta (members and alumnae).

*Credits to Playmaker for being the event photographer.
Not pictured: Heidi (from Pony Express Museum)
and Spencer (the boyfriend) and parents.

Who is the Rowdy Gentleman?

Here's a little secret: Dorito loves Twitter.
He found a couple of clever sites that he can relate to and then he retweets the wittiest phrases.
@TotalFratMove is a play on the "preppy" stereotype of fraternity men and their thoughts about life
@RowdyGentleman takes adages and rewords them to show his advantage
Example:
Total Frat Move is claiming that even Jesus went Greek: Alpha Omega.
Total Frat Move is taking credit where credit is actually due to a pledge.
Rowdy Gentleman likes to go golfing, but he leaves after nine holes if the cart girl isn't good looking.
As a kid, Rowdy Gentleman recalls taking his own putter to the mini-golf course.
So you can see why I have to apologize and explain to people in line at the post office why I am bursting out with laughter. "Sorry, I'm reading Tweets on my phone!"

Final Parties

Spencer won the "Crown Royal" award at AGD Formal. I think Meggar may have the longest-standing relationship in the sorority... But it's also a worthy crown, since he is such a good fella.

So far, I'm out of the family pool since I bet they would get engaged in March.
St. Patty's Day

Video of Diversity

Bill Cosby would agree that Dorito is definitely a Wild Cat!

Here is the You Tube video of his step team!
He is shown far left in the still shot... then

watch the video at :34 and :36 where he is the second from left on front row...

Go to 1:05 to see the Wildcat Steppers!

Dorito ends up in the back row (far left) seen for 3 seconds.

Front of the Line

Dorito was so excited that he called to tell us about his iCat pass. Last year, they sold out before being offered to any freshmen. He was so bummed that he had to buy a student general admission ticket for his first K-State football and basketball season. (Some students do that because it is cheaper.) $60 cheaper. But we are talking about a serious Wildcat fan here. He signed up first thing on Monday. With his new iCat pass, Dorito will get to be seated in the front sections for both basketball and football, he will receive a free t-shirt at the beginning of each sport, and he pockets a free ticket to the spring football scrimmage on April 25. This is a reason to cheer.

Throwback Thursday--Dorito in 2010

Back in the day, Captain and I camped out for the very FIRST iCat passes (1987). We also got a free t-shirt. But we only paid $20 as the acronym stood for "I Contributed a Twenty," but the meme was later stolen by Apple for its iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc. Don't you think?!

Looking at Careers

Meggar is home for spring break and continuing to apply for jobs (to support herself until the sideline of Mr. & Mrs. Wedding Events becomes profitable). She could always be a nanny again, but she hopes for a hotel or event planning position. She didn't get the Symphony marketing job last month. But she went to the Career Fair at Truman last week and managed to network with several other St. Louis employers. Target wanted to put her on their interview list, but it was for relocating to another state so she declined. Then Stephen Ministries called her for a phone interview, and she passed up to the next level. They will hold job-site interviews later this week!

Meanwhile, she had a photo session in her senior recital gown as well as took a few professional head-shots for her blog and job interviews.
At the other college, Dorito excelled at the Career Fair too. He was probably the only freshman to show up in a coat-and-tie with resumes in hand. But he had done his research on the internet and talked to a handful of companies about summer internships. Happily, Northwestern Mutual put him on their phone interview list because of his Boy Scout awards. He passed the phone interview last week and finished an online survey this week. He didn't make the final cut, but we are still impressed by his early endeavors into the "real world."

Paying for Her Future

Meggar is launching her own wedding event planning business this week. She has registered as an LLC, bought a domain name, and secured the matching email. We are so proud of her "adult-ness," and I will try to wait patiently before revealing the website (so she can have time to fully construct it while also going to class, taking, tests, and memorizing piano songs). She is funding her "Mr. and Mrs." venture with the $100 cash award she won from Panhellenic Scholarship Fund this week. Congrats to our Senior!

Our Own AGD Mom's Weekend

We expanded the format of AGD Mom's weekend to include Dad's weekend and Little Brother's weekend, too. It was a great day to see Meggar and Spencer!

They took us to the dorms for a brunch buffet. Then we went bowling. We also looked at two wineries for reception/graduation parties this spring.

Photos from College

Dorito is cheering on the K-State Bball team (second from left) whose record is 18-8 so far (14-1 at home games). 

Dorito had a Valentine for his date party. We gave him the purple bowtie at Christmas and he only had to watch the You Tube video once to learn how to tie it properly!

Meggar said they skipped the date party and went to a Chopin/Debussy concert instead.

Historical Moments at K-State

What a victory! K-State beat #7 ranked KU in basketball?! In over-time! Home court advantage...  Dorito has so many reasons to love his Wildcat experience, but this was an over-the-top memory.

(unknown photo)

More About Dorito

It's Wednesday.

Dorito was excited for first formal dinner as an Active.
So he wore his new Phi Kap tie.
And his "new" Phi Kap pin,
which is an antique set with real pearls and synthetic rubies that we gifted for his initiation.
Looking proudly like a Man of Faith.
I also admire the gigantic smiles captured in Meggar's photo collage.

Initiation at Phi Kap

Eric gave Dorito a Phi Kap tie to match his!

Letters! Dorito received this "family" letters sweatshirt from Spencer and Meggar 

(They attended the initiation ceremony and weekend)

Alumnus Frank Pakulski uncovered rare footage of John F. Kennedy receiving his pledge pin for Theta Kappa Phi (now called Phi Kappa Theta). The photo was taken on October 2, 1958, 

and Kennedy is receiving his pin by then chapter president Donald R. Ferrari (WPI, '59).

Gaudette Sunday

The third Sunday of Advent, and we are supposed to Rejoice that Christmas is coming so near.

I rejoiced in playing Advent hymns on the organ... The twins rejoiced in the missionary priest who gave the homily... But the underlying stress of an unemployed Dad is difficult for our whole family. We are limiting our Christmas shopping, but I tried to make up for that with joyfilled time spent setting out decorations--an extra few days at home helped us squeeze in some more family traditions. We hung the stockings, set up the Nativity scenes, and strung lights on the tree. We are waiting for the Christ Child... and for the Lord to show us the way. While I talk to Captain every day, I also field emotional phone calls from two college students and try to keep myself and the students at home buoyed up during their studies. Everything is (mostly) as it should be.

Getting Through Exams

Half our family was taking a final exam yesterday, and the other half was reviewing for one.
Captain took his final book exam on the Global Express. It lasted four hours! He scored 97/100, allowing that he didn't know one question for certain, he made a bone-head calculation on the wrong chart for a second question, and the third one marked wrong was actually correct. Captain convinced the Flight Safety examiner that he was right, and now they will have to change their grading and study sheet to reflect their own error!! (kinda cool.) We are proud of the intense studying he has done these past two weeks. Here is his stack of the manuals about the airplane.

Next, Meggar had a Voice Jury today and aced it with her French song: "If You Wish, My Love" (Si Vous le Souhaitez, Mon Amour). She is also writing a 10-page paper about why girls get married, not the fairytale girls, but those like Charlotte Lucas who actually wanted to marry Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice. In between finals, she travels house-to-house and dorm-to-dorm buying back books for her part-time job.
Dorito has done his papers really EARLY. Last week, he had already finished his 4th paper for History, and his 3rd paper for Leadership Studies, and his 2nd paper for University Experience. They weren't even due until THIS week. What a good kid! (I am the freelance proofreader in the family.) We are so impressed how hard Dorito is working at university. He had a final today in Mechanical Engineering class. (Seems like a ton of work and money for a 1-credit course.) And their final project was completed in the afternoon--with racing their bicycles against the other 45 teams. The power had to come from a portable drill, and Dorito said the problem was getting enough torque.

Meanwhile, the twins and I reviewed Julius Caesar for a Literature 10 final tomorrow. And we started reading Dialogues of Plato for the car-ride home.

College Boy is Back Home

Dorito is a sweet fellow--and very talkative his first day back.
He is participating in Movember (a mustache-growing philanthropy fundraiser for Phi Kappa Theta) so that takes a little getting used to.
He told us about his uncomfortable bed in the sleeping dorms, which he doesn't actually mind because he stays up late to study and gets up early for classes.
He explained how the pledges have to share lunch KP duties, which he doesn't actually mind because the cook lets him taste-test her food. From the sound of it, she makes everything from scratch (very impressive to this hungry teenager).
He grumbled about his wake-up duty, because there are no alarm clocks allowed in the sleeping dorm. He chose Wednesday morning at the beginning of the semester without giving it much thought. Now he realizes that Wednesday is "dress up day" for their formal dinner, so he has to get up even earlier to shower, shave, and dress up before his duties begin of waking up other boys (every 15 minutes per the schedule board).

He laughed and said, "I have a crush on the volleyball team." when he really meant, "I have a crush on a girl on the volleyball team." (He goes to all the home volleyball meets.) She is cute and tall, but at least she is a freshman. He also has a crush on a sophomore, but she only wants to be "friends." And then there are twin senior girls who have a crush on him! Kinda fun to hear all the stories...

College Job Interviews

Meggar had a couple of interviews this week. One of the graduating seniors is leaving at semester so that opens up a musician job at the Presbyterian Church. Would pay $75 per week.
She also interviewed with a textbook company who hires representatives for two weeks to buy back books for them. They were so impressed by Meggar's interview that they offered her the job as Supervisor for all Truman State reps.

Prodigal Son

Meggar calls him the "Prodigal Son," since he hasn't come back since college began in August. But Dorito looked so grown up when he walked in!
He is claiming a "No Shave November" look, and told us stories of being swamped with studying and socializing at K-State. Spencer liked his Phi Kap jacket, and the twins liked hearing about the sorority girls he has met. Dorito was also on the evening news at the Free Bacon Night at Bramalage Coliseum.

This weekend, we tried to roll out the red carpet for everyone with homemade food (including three desserts) and visits with friends. The boys went skating, watched movies, and enjoyed NHL hockey at Buffalo Wild Wings. We girls drank tea and went to the craft shows and estate sales around town (including the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art). Saw several people we knew. At the Rusty Chandelier Gift Expo, I came upon a booth of antique button jewelry and the "Closures" name seemed very familiar. So I asked the owner... Sure enough, I remembered her! She began her button jewelry business in Salina roughly 20 years ago. I bought a bracelet of Civil War buttons from her the summer of 1996 at the Smoky Hill River Festival (we lived in Salina that year). It has 12 pretty brass buttons in a row, and I spent a fortune on it. Well, $30 was a fortune to me back then as a stay-at-home mother with a toddler and baby. Best coincidence of all, I was wearing it today! She was tickled to see my bracelet, and she offered to replace its missing button--for FREE.