Annie - I've been slow to read messages online because my girls just graduated kindergarten - the other end of the spectrum - even though my friends and I are old enough to have high school grads. . . Ashley looks beautiful and happy. I was touched by the scholarship story. We founded a scholarship when my brother died at age 28 and it has been a surprising experience because two of the students who received the scholarship kept in contact with my parents, including a Vietnamese student who came to the US with nothing and later gave my parents a hand-carved tea set as a thank you. The last thing I ever imagined was my father having a genuine affection for someone from such a different culture. Later, a young woman from the same college moved in two doors from my parents and she has my brother's old job at the printing company where he worked . . . 17 years later. Talk about coincidences. (She remembers the scholarship although she wasn't a recipient.) Her daughter is the same age as my girls and they sometimes play together. I'm sure Ashley will always honor the memory of receiving such a special scholarship. She really seems like a special girl. Karen

My son graduated last year - I had about 125 people at his graduation party. The suggestions you got above are good. Here are some of mine: We had a rootbeer keg - it was a big hit. Ordered it from the liquor store, very popular with young and old alike. Our entire keg went in 3 hours. It was set up outside because it gets sticky. We set up a volleyball net in the back yard. The boy vs girl volleyball competition was intense as most of the kids were athletes. I'd do the extra bars and salads as suggested, borrow coolers if you need to keep them cool. The only thing that struck me in your email is to make sure that you really can get the red, white and blue decorations you want, lots of other parents might have the same idea and you may have slim pickings if you wait too long. If you are in a big city it may not be a problem but if you are in a town with only 1 or 2 high schools, you might have a problem. The nice stuff will go fast. Finally, get help to keep the food trays filled, coffee made, trash cans emptied, toilet paper and clean towels in the bathrooms, etc. It's a lot of work and you want to at least have time to say hello to your guests. Assign someone to take pictures of your daughter and guests, especially those important ones like grandparents, aunts, uncles, best friends, etc.. Good Luck, it sounds like you are already well on your way. Maryp

I had a somewhat similar situation years ago. My daughter ended up marrying the guy and they have 3 kids now. The situation isn't any better today than it was 8 years ago. My daughter did finish college, has a great job and is a wonderful mom. Like your daughter she was very careful with money early on, very responsible, but then whe this idiot came along she started doing things his way. He doesn't work at least half the time, doesn't help with the kids, she does EVERYTHING. They have no $ because he has destroyed their credit, depleted their bank accounts, etc. A part of me looks back and thinks should I have said more to her when this relationship started? Like you, I didn't want to go ballistic even though I knew the guy was a jerk, so I tried to wait it out and let her figure it out. She's a very smart girl so I figured it would work out in the end, but it didn't. I know she's miserable right now but I think she doesn't want to hear "I told you so" which I would never actually say or imply, but basically she doesn't want to look like a failure so she just keeps up the pretense. He also cheats on her. Like your daughter, she has lied about things too. She had a very good life growing up, but I've heard where she's said things about her childhood that are just plain lies. I think they do that to justify what they're doing now. Your daughter has to convince herself that she has a better life now, which is of course untrue but she has to believe that these people she's around are better than what she had otherwise she would be fighting a lot of guilt. I think you need to accept her choices for now, do your best to convince her to take birth control because that's not a mistake you can easily fix later and if drugs are in the picture, yeah you definitely want to prevent a pregnancy. Do not pay any of her bills. She can't have it both ways. You can't make choices, say you're old enough to do what you want and then expect mommy and daddy to support you. When the time comes to reach out to you and it will, she will be able to do that, phone or not. I'm sorry for all your pain, I know just how you feel.

Hi Lazygarden: Let's make this clear. I have a B.S. degree in Computer Science, minor in chemistry, graduated in 1986 from Grand Valley State University, MI. I also took Biochemistry, Organic chemistry, Pathophysiology, Child-development, and Abnormal Behavior Psychology. I'm also a Mom of a 12-year old who had speech-problem since she was 3. Lazygarden: What university did you graduate from, and are you a parent of a child with developmental problems? ReganMom, the poster of this thread, specifically asked "Has anyone had a similar situation, and how did you deal with it?" If you look at Amazon reviews on Carlson liquid fish oil, most recommended by M.D. to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides, you'll see this review by a parent: http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Finest-Liquid-Omega-3-Lemon/dp/B001LF39RO "our family has been using carlson's fish oil for many months now. i initially purchased it bc my son's speech therapist told me that a couple of her student's parents swore by the stuff. they say it's good for brain development. i was curious to try it out. i ended up giving it to the whole family (a spoonful in juice/milk/smoothie) every morning for health reasons." This is from livestrong.com: http://www.livestrong.com/article/353655-fish-oil-for-a-toddler-with-speech-developmental-delays/ Cognitive Benefits Omega-3 fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain. They are important for brain function and may be effective for improving thinking skills. According to Special Kids Today, fish oil may improve language skills and eye contact in children with apraxia of speech, which is characterized by difficulty planning and producing the movements needed for speaking. Although there is no substitute for speech therapy, your child's doctor may recommend combining fish oil supplements with therapy. Below is another Mom who posted on CircleofMom, see link below: Michele - posted on 10/20/2012 "Hi we have had good luck with using Omega 3 supplements with our daughter. She was diagnosed at 2 with dyspraxia and SPD. She did not talk until she was 5. She is 15 now and talks your ear off. But we are still working on sentence lenght and clarity as her misarticulations are a result of a habit, We started using the Omega 3 about 3 years ago and we can tell when she is consistantly taking them and when she is not... She speaks clearer and with more words in a sentence. For those who are starting the road of therapy I offer that I would be happy to chat at anytime. Or answer any questions...we have done it all. I also offer that I have a website that tells more about Elizabeth and her journey for those interested. www,michelegianetti.com Here is a link that might be useful: Omega-3 helping with apraxia This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Oct 10, 14 at 16:55