Class of 18. No need for new school shoes

DS has had some positives in the last couple of days.

He got a higher than expected mark in his last assignment and then found out that they are increasing the weighting so it comprises the entire grade for that module.

Yesterday evening he and his friends had a gathering via video conferencing.

Both DSs settled back in and working to a greater or lesser extent. Bit of a change for us in terms of the amount of food being consumed (like having a pair of locusts). Some discussion about how often it’s necessary to go out and stock up on food. DH did a food shop today and I think (panicking a bit) bought more than necessary for a week. He did a big Brexit stockpile which, in fairness, has been quite useful. My view is that twice a week is reasonable as it enables a better view of what’s needed and doesn’t result in waste or over buying. DSs think once a week is enough, but they don’t have to do the meal planning and avoid waste......

Ds is finally getting a bit more motivated. Doing some online projects /work set. Ironically he is.helped by prescence of a piano, which he doesnt have in halls. Weve now refused to cook their meals! Parental revolt. Ds2 responded by saying we had run out of ketchup. Weve also stopped ds1 allowance, he looked surprised dd is learning guitar, finally. It has been under her bed for two years...strawberries planted and path swept. Hope your dd alright, ds1 gets terrible sore throats.

I promised DS we'd go out somewhere for his birthday dinner when we can. He then compiled a long list of things that he might like to have done (cinema, bowling, cat cafe) and suggested we could work through them all "later". Nice try sunshine

It is tough to feel motivated when there is so much uncertainty.
Ds is at Warwick and all year one exams have been cancelled and his year 2 exams will be online.
It’s dd’s Birthday today, but she seems quite happy at home watching Star Trek.

I'm still lurking. DD is finding it hard to be motivated to do any university work. She did a lab write up from a fake practical and looked at a couple of online lectures earlier this week, but spent most of yesterday drawing.

She is really missing seeing her university friends, and having her flatmates on tap to socialise with.

She said it would be easier to revise if she knew when the exams will be. With no dates and no idea what subjects she needs to study for she feels lost.

DD still not at home. She thought she had caught mumps but thinks now it is tonsillitis. She has been given penicillin via a phone chat with a nurse. I think the rest of her house are going home tomorrow so I am hoping she will follow suit.

I was wondering for those who do not have to pay the third term accommodation fees, will their loan be reduced as they will be living at home?

DD is hoping she will still get paid for her job, or at least 80% of it.

Not going out is starting to get to me. I need a new hobby but I really cannot be bothered.

Hope you are all keeping well and sane.

Just took dog to park today and saw the signage that all dogs.need to be on lead now. We are trying now to do more stmulating stuff in garden as result. Dd just.showed me a new dance routine. Still all quite out of synch motivationwise. All up earlier today which helped beat the blues. Dd even went for a run on street, she never normally runs or does formal exercise, but compressing it into a slot seems to havebfocussed their minds.

Ds still has some of his stuff there and we dont drive so we are crossing fingers that by 20th april there will be some let up in restrictions and distancing and he can go back for two weeks, even if uni is online. I think he is already desperate for some sight, albeit at distance of other students. But not sure, tbh it is the least important thing, the rent. He loves it there and wants to at least be there for a tiny bit of summer.

For anyone in Unite accommodation it is possible to cancel and save the last term's fees

www.unitestudents.com/the-common-room/health-and-wellbeing/an-update-from-us-on-covid-19

We are all fine. Dog walking is being fine tuned though. There are so many more people in the parks now, not suprisingly. Children (adults all) detoxifying from the tension, still a way to go. We are sitting in sun a lot and ds2 has squeezed badminton into our 40ft green space. Dd is playing piano for first time inyonks and dses declared a truce, despite rudery!

There doesn’t appear to be an exemption in the PM’s lockdown announcement to enable parents to collect students so DH is off in the morning to collect both DSs (who have both completed their isolation for suspected CV-19. Thanks in part to all the idiots who don’t have the basic sense to self-distance and in part to the Government who didn’t have the sense to put in place robust measures earlier.

I'm the only one still going to work at all in our house now. DH is mainly WFH anyway, DD1 is dutifully watching all the lectures and tutorials the uni are sharing and is actually happy to be communicating with her home friends via social media because she ironically finds that easier. DD2 and DD3 are both in exam years, but should be fine with results. They've both worked hard all year, and had decent enough mocks. We think the worst that will happen may be DD2 not making the integrated masters she wants, but the same uni will take her on the normal course. Fingers crossed. They have both been set work by school already, and are happily heads in books. DD3s prom was cancelled today. It was scheduled for the end of June. I fear we will surface to another world.

She's fine. It was just a tickly throat. I saw her today and will take her home tomorrow.

Ginfordinner hope your DD feels better soon.

I developed a fever and fluey symptoms a couple of days ago, so we are now stuck in the house for 2 weeks. DS is a bit grumpy about not being able to go to the gym, but is otherwise being helpful; cooking meals etc.

Hope your dd is okay Gin.

Just had a message from DD to not set off to collect her as she has been coughing all night

Hi everyone!
Lost you all and had to search to find you. Have been thinking of you all and our lovely dc scattered all over the country at this awful time.
DD1 arrived home on Sunday. (Term finished on Friday) Received an email yesterday to say they won't be going back until at least September. Online teaching and "self-learning" only until the end of the academic year.
She is upset (especially that all the balls have been cancelled!) but as she said, at least it's not her final year.

DD2 on the other hand is devastated that her yr13 is being "messed up" and so anxious about exams.

We are on day 3 of quarantine as DH and I have both had symptoms over the weekend. DD2 has a temperature tonight so I imagine DD1 won't be far behind.

DD rang me yesterday to say that everything is online for the rest of the academic year. I am collecting her on Thursday, and she will have to clear her room.

She is ready for home as this term has been a slog. she will miss her friends, but she won't miss having a pig sty for a kitchen.

Hve just made arrangements with DD that will see her home by Friday, which will give me peace of mind. They need to empty and clean their flat by then. Also worried about mental heath, she has a therapist in her uni city.

I think my DS1 will go to stay with his girlfriend and her mother. She (mother) is definitely in a vulnerable category and I don't think he can bob backwards and forwards. GF is WFH for the duration. Am reasonably happy with this. Feel so sorry his final year is being messed up.

I work in a special school, and we close tomorrow afternoon and we close tomorrow afternoon.

There was supposed to be an announcement today for DS but as his lectures have been running with 20% of normal numbers he decided he was done for Easter whatever they said. He was halfway home when he got the official announcement, face to face suspended, rest of this week off, further details to follow.

I am glad he's home because it forces me to model appropriate adult behaviour rather than wailing about how I can possibly cope with three lots of shopping and two obstinate eighty year olds who tick several of the health boxes.

Ds uni has a reading week x 2, then condensed online till may I think. But accom still open (halls) for forseeable. Ds has parts in two more plays, one a euripides, so a bit sad that they will almost.certainly not go ahead. Dh another vulnerable category but he goes on exercise bike every am since jan so I.hope his lung function is much much better than it might have been. He is scared but im afraid the kids seem pretty blase that they will get it and be fine. They are observing social distancing very well now, tho it isnt.hard for ds2 as.his school is still at full throttle.dd more aware and hating public transport and worrying about people coughing. We are well.set up though foodwise (veg box and milkman) and all three have loads of work to revising. Let alone entertaining dog who im worried about if there is a.ban on parks or offlead walks.

Warwick university has also cancelled all face-to -face contact and exams will be online.