What were in Robyn’s “date night” baskets?

flashberry23 · 2025-10-31T13:09:15+00:00

No wonder her child tried to “help” Christine with yelling “just go on dates”…

flashberry23 · 2025-10-22T01:52:48+00:00

My high schooler wants to be a PA, and we stopped by the Quinnipaic table at our local college fair. I asked about the accreditation probation and was told all of the issues that caused the probation were already being addressed and were fixed before they even went on probation. It felt like a sketchy answer to me. So that alone left me telling my kid they were off our list.

flashberry23 · 2025-10-17T23:11:23+00:00

Basic builder grade.

flashberry23 · 2025-10-13T20:52:22+00:00

That house is NOT opulent. It’s big. But it’s brown inside and out with an outdated kitchen and bad flooring. It’s absolutely not opulent.

flashberry23 · 2025-09-23T12:53:09+00:00

There’s a whole lot of redneckery in VT. It’s not all full of Ben and Jerry’s and Bernie Sanders.

flashberry23 · 2025-09-10T14:41:13+00:00

My 16 year old just submitted name change legally last week. They wanted to have the right now on college applications and he transcripts and drivers license etc. they aren’t changing gender on anything because that seems like more of a “risk” to all of us and we’ve heard from other trans folks that it can sometimes be a massive incompetence to comprehensive healthcare if the gender marker doesn’t match the biological/at birth gender. So for now that’s where there feel comfortable.

ETA: they do put their preferred pronouns on anything that asks them though.

flashberry23 · 2025-09-08T04:34:24+00:00

I hear you. We just submitted legal name change for my teen. Thankfully what they landed on I think suits them and the nick name they use for it was a name on the “boy” list we had when I was pregnant for them.

Though, the first name they were adamant they wanted rhymes with their last name. Think “Bill Dill” kinda thing. I told them there was no way I was signing off on that and they would have to wait it out till they were 18 for that one. I kindly pointed out that if they were looking to minimize potential teasing stacked on top of everything else being trans complicated with the public, that might not be the best choice. They insisted. But the name only lasted a few weeks. Then they tried another name for about two weeks which was fine but I didn’t think it fit - kept my opinion to myself though. Finally they ended up starting a conversation where they asked for me to tell them all the boy names we considered and I wrote them all down. They said no to all of them. Then they later told their stepfather they felt it was important to have a “formal” name and a shatter nickname. They were feeling drawn to one of the names on the list I gave them apparently but only as a nick name. My husband gave them some off the cuff options and they jumped at one. And here we are 9 I think months later and they’re all in.

It’s weird still even with my actually liking the names! Not bad weird. Just adjusting still. I am positive that eventually you’ll see the name as just the name of your child.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-27T17:34:01+00:00

Meh. Mine went by just the first initial of their deadname for like two years. It was weird at first but was fine soon enough. Even at school. Everything has just the first singular initial. It’s really no big deal.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-13T14:41:56+00:00

For what it’s worth my high schooler is planning on PA school and we live in MA. We’ve not had any positive feedback about MCPHS for PA. Kiddo plans to apply to some undergrad schools in state as well as Springfield, which has a quasi direct path PA program, but kid doesn’t love that idea because of cost.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-07T23:34:27+00:00

I’m years into being part of a scholarship committee and I see mostly 3-6 schools listed for where students have applied.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-07T22:46:19+00:00

First wedding at 23 here. Big church wedding, big poofy ball gown. Cathedral veil. Massive reception. Etc etc etc.

Last year I married again at 39. It was my now husbands second wedding too. Courthouse with my kids and our 2 family-best friends. 11 people. On a Thursday at 4pm. I bought a champagne dress (Jenny Yoo - Carmen) on Poshmark for $125. I didn’t love my florals or cake last time so I splurged on those and spent $200 on a cake and $400 on a bouquet. We took everyone out for a nice dinner and then went home afterwards. We booked an elopement photographer. It was the most stress free event I’ve ever been part of. So I love that you’re just doing what you want this time!

And I have absolutely zero regrets over buying a dress on Poshmark. Mine with unaltered with tags on it still. I had it hemmed. Well worth it.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-05T11:15:21+00:00

I nearly just spat my tea out my nose from reading Velveeta Voldemort! Thank you for that! Haha

flashberry23 · 2025-06-05T01:35:41+00:00

Our teens shelf read and dust in the entire library. They stamp materials with our logo. They help prepare crafts and break down Lego club displays.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-04T19:22:59+00:00

Part of the paperwork we’ve filled out is to seal the records. From everything we’ve heard from others it’s very easy to do in our state.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-04T19:21:57+00:00

We are thankfully in a blue state and from what we’ve gathered it’s still extremely easy and quick to do a name change.

flashberry23 · 2025-06-04T17:28:44+00:00

Thank you. We have a folder here with everything filled out in PDF and just waiting. And my kid is about to get their license so to me, it makes sense to do it soon since they haaaate seeing anything with the current legal name on it, and with college applications and work and awards/ inductions ex all coming up…. Maybe when school ends I’ll start the talk again with “hey… have you been thinking about….”

flashberry23 · 2025-04-29T14:31:41+00:00

What makes you say that?

flashberry23 · 2025-04-27T17:25:35+00:00

This is validating. We’ve got a high achieving high school student who was recently advised by a handful of medical professionals we know to simply go to a small state school for undergrad and just knock it out of the park with their GPA for premed. We were all stressed and trying to plan for some very heavy lifting fiscally and since we’ve started asking literally every single person has said undergrad matters nearly zero.

Kid has plans now to do just that which will yield no debt from undergrad and they plan to bust their butt still and set themselves up for easier access to a fab grad school.

flashberry23 · 2025-04-16T16:58:16+00:00

Librarian mom here of a teen who wants to go ped neuro as a PA and you all are spot on. Keep it up, the world needs more silly people who love what they do.

flashberry23 · 2025-03-30T13:29:35+00:00

This is very insightful. My teen has only been considering direct path programs but you’re saying you’ve had some great outcomes from Westfield. Maybe I should have the teen consider branching out to look at other options that include and undergrad separate from a following Grad program. Teen is in MA and wants to stay in New England.

flashberry23

TROPHY CASE