I posted awhile back to get some advice on what graduation gift you would give for our situation (step-daughter- doesn't have much to do with us-not sure if she was graduating- had us cut off from report cards-had court fines- etc.) and I received so much GREAT advice that I wanted to send a update!
6 days before her graduation she showed up at our door and gave her dad a announcement. SHE GRADUATED!! Her grandmother had had to call her and ask what was going on- and then she said "oh yeah- my mom is supposed to be mailing invites"- that day she went around and hand delivered them. There was an insert for a little open house following the graduation that her mom was doing (which we thought was nice because she doesn't do much that is not for herself!). While she was here she mentioned she was going out of state with a friend after graduation and was going to see if she liked it there and maybe get a job there. Which concerned my husband because it was quite a way aways- but I told him I think that would be the best thing for her- get away from her mom and have to learn to be a little responsible and self sufficient! Doesn't matter though- she won't stay- the friend is just 15 and so she will be coming back (I think its a family vacation) and the story has been that SD already had a job lined up after graduation doing landscaping for $10 an hour all summer....so going on the vacation is just a way to avoid working- she sure isn't going to stay in Oklahoma by herself AND get a job! **My prediction is she comes back here and then doesn't get a job because she will say she is going to go to the local CC in the fall- and that will last as long as it takes for her to have enough absences that they drop her from the classes.
I laid out the numerous ideas that I got here and from searching the internet and in the end we got her a very nice GPS- since she mentioned traveling we thought it would be useful and DH was adamant about not just handing her money! I got a copy of "Oh The Places You Will Go" and helped him with what to write in the card:
"I know the book might seem corny- but if you read it you will see it has all the advice you will need! And no matter where you may travel - here is a way that you can always find your way back home." He wrote some other stuff about how proud he was which I think was great. He went to graduation with his parents and caught up with her right afterwards and gave her the gift (she didn't open it then) and talked with her for a few (he opted not to go to the open house- as he really didn't want to be around his ex-wife. I had taken the other kids out for the day for summer clothes shopping so I had told him to go do whatever he needed to do....).
His parents went and said it was awful- there were no plates- hardly any food- like 2 2 liters of soda- made me feel bad because we put on awesome parties.....but oh well- no one asked for our help! And they said that she mentioned the GPS to them- but it was her telling them how she didn't know what she would do with it- she didn't know how to work it- she didn't think she would use it, etc.. But she did mention the nice words written in the card about finding your way home.....
Its been a week- and DH has not received a text or call or anything to thank him.
Oh- also- prior to the grad- he tried to contact her numerous times to see if we could take her out to breakfast the morning of graduation but kept getting error messages on texts or calls. I googled them and we think she blocked his #. He called her house- left a message- never got a call back. He mentioned it to her and she said she had not been home much and that she had lost her phone..... Hmmm- either way- its over and done now, and I am thankful for the input we got here.
6 days before her graduation she showed up at our door and gave her dad a announcement. SHE GRADUATED!! Her grandmother had had to call her and ask what was going on- and then she said "oh yeah- my mom is supposed to be mailing invites"- that day she went around and hand delivered them. There was an insert for a little open house following the graduation that her mom was doing (which we thought was nice because she doesn't do much that is not for herself!). While she was here she mentioned she was going out of state with a friend after graduation and was going to see if she liked it there and maybe get a job there. Which concerned my husband because it was quite a way aways- but I told him I think that would be the best thing for her- get away from her mom and have to learn to be a little responsible and self sufficient! Doesn't matter though- she won't stay- the friend is just 15 and so she will be coming back (I think its a family vacation) and the story has been that SD already had a job lined up after graduation doing landscaping for $10 an hour all summer....so going on the vacation is just a way to avoid working- she sure isn't going to stay in Oklahoma by herself AND get a job! **My prediction is she comes back here and then doesn't get a job because she will say she is going to go to the local CC in the fall- and that will last as long as it takes for her to have enough absences that they drop her from the classes.
I laid out the numerous ideas that I got here and from searching the internet and in the end we got her a very nice GPS- since she mentioned traveling we thought it would be useful and DH was adamant about not just handing her money! I got a copy of "Oh The Places You Will Go" and helped him with what to write in the card:
"I know the book might seem corny- but if you read it you will see it has all the advice you will need! And no matter where you may travel - here is a way that you can always find your way back home." He wrote some other stuff about how proud he was which I think was great. He went to graduation with his parents and caught up with her right afterwards and gave her the gift (she didn't open it then) and talked with her for a few (he opted not to go to the open house- as he really didn't want to be around his ex-wife. I had taken the other kids out for the day for summer clothes shopping so I had told him to go do whatever he needed to do....).
His parents went and said it was awful- there were no plates- hardly any food- like 2 2 liters of soda- made me feel bad because we put on awesome parties.....but oh well- no one asked for our help! And they said that she mentioned the GPS to them- but it was her telling them how she didn't know what she would do with it- she didn't know how to work it- she didn't think she would use it, etc.. But she did mention the nice words written in the card about finding your way home.....
Its been a week- and DH has not received a text or call or anything to thank him.
Oh- also- prior to the grad- he tried to contact her numerous times to see if we could take her out to breakfast the morning of graduation but kept getting error messages on texts or calls. I googled them and we think she blocked his #. He called her house- left a message- never got a call back. He mentioned it to her and she said she had not been home much and that she had lost her phone..... Hmmm- either way- its over and done now, and I am thankful for the input we got here.
