New Batch of Year 13 parents this way!

Well done Shanghai's DS!

Fab news Shanghai!

Well done Shanghais Ds.
Lonicera that's where we are as well. One offer will be good, one of his preferred would be amazing.
Fingers crossed for interviews.

Congratulations Shanghai’s DS, brilliant news!

Ds has received an offer from Warwick for accounting and finance - 38 points in the IB with a 5 in higher level maths. Warwick and Leeds are his preferred destinations so good news for him this morning.

DD's application went off today. I hope she gets at least one interview. Medicine is so tough to get into. I have visions of her getting no offers at all and having to wait for clearing for her plan B.

I don't want to brag, but we are doing 6 nights in the Kruger, from north to south. I am positively giddy with excitement.

DD's PS is being written on the plane. Apparently.

You'd fallen off tio! Had last ever parents' evening tonight, ds is doing well and his teachers said some really positive things, and were wishing him well with university applications. I came home and had a good cry. I'm so excited for his future, but how the heck did my cheeky little boy become (almost) a man?

There’s still time Kitten - I bet you could find a good deal on last minute . com or similar.

DD has just announced that she’s going down to London in half term to stay with some of her friends from Summer School for a few days

Not sure how I feel about letting her loose in the city alone!

Enjoy Ursula! I hope you manage to get your seats.

Anyone sitting next to DS on a plane would have fun. He said he "really doesn't like people". I'm not quite sure if he means all people or just random people. He does have a nice group of friends though - I don't think he's including them in his sweeping statement. Teenagers are an odd breed.

He had his PS reviewed today and has been told it's "good - for a first draft". He has to work on it during half term and target for UCAS submission is mid November. He also got called in to see the head this afternoon to be thanked for helping out and mentoring younger pupils - he was a bit affronted as he was expecting at least a bar of chocolate for his trouble..!

Well done to those with offers already.

Enjoy your holiday Ursula

Dd got her personal statement back from school today with a couple of minor alterations to make, so she did them in a free and handed it back in again this afternoon. She thinks she's sending it off this weekend, and then it's just the school bits to add on, which her teacher says she's ready to add this weekend too.

Haha Ursula, I think I like your DD . . !

Rubbish about the seat booking though. Funnily enough DH has been having an ongoing airline related rant this week. His has been about luggage, but similar sudden rule changes which have ended up with him forking out for extras he usually wouldn’t need to pay.

It will all be worth it for you for 2 weeks in SA though . . < jealous (I’ll be spending my half term dog sitting for my parents and clearing out the loft )

I am slightly outraged that having paid £750 each for our flights, the airline wants me to pay to book a seat!!!!! Previously you could check in online a month before the flight and select your seats. The website says they will release free seats 30 hours before hand so I have set a calendar reminder for tomorrow.

If we can't sit together I pity the poor soul next to DD. She has just had her nails done and will be unable to open any of the fiddly food tray stuff - that is normally my job.......

sounds like a lovely holiday Ursula.

I'm not sure how it works to be honest. When a new principal arrived a few years ago he introduced it - but he also had family in South Africa and I did wonder if he made the changes to suit himself!

It is a private school so they seem to make their own rules.

Round here the private schools always get 2 weeks for October half term.

The L.A. tried to get school holidays changed to fewer weeks in summer and 2 weeks at half term, but it was vetoed strongly by all the head teachers.

Ooh Ursula how lovely!
How does that work - did you have a shorter summer? Is it just this half term or do you have 2 weeks at all of them?
I’d love to go away now. Only 1 week for us though.

Have a lovely time Ursula. I will be sleeping in, drifting around in my pjs, eating pizza for tea and generally not setting a good example. DS will be away for most of the (single) week so I can abandon responsible parenting.

We have a two week half term - great for visiting South Africa in the Spring.

Dd is often the one comforting the crying drunk as well.

DS doesn't drink. I think most just take their own alcohol along. He usually takes a couple of bottles of fizzy pop .

He's often the one walking his friends outside to sober them up and has already been informed that he will be the designated driver once he passes his test...