Thread 25 - Covid Cohort - Christmas Trees, No Omicron Please!

My Christmas shopping is inspired by this thread. I have the Mr Incredible and Spiderman morph suits, picked up 2 reading pillows from Dunelm for DS1 and GF. DS2 Christmas and birthday present will be a uni laptop, but I have got a few bits like a little food processor from Aldi for making protein pancakes at uni. Bought lots of socks yesterday. Still need to do our family non-secret Santa, but we have a consumables rule and £10 limit, so not as difficult as usual. Think I might make some almond paste to do marzipan fruits and try to think of some more interesting, topical shapes.

Dd had last minute ‘mocks’ last week with not much notice and no exam leave. She was very busy and only managed to revise for Psychology and History, so I was a bit worried about RS which is usually her best subject. She just messaged to say she scraped an A, so that’s good.

@Oblomov21 I don’t think it will be a repeat of our lots’ GCSEs thankfully. The school will have to base grades on actual exams or assessments taken, and I believe they need to be told beforehand that an assessment will count? So I’m thinking it’s still in the students’ hands, as it would normally be?

Heifer congrats on theory.
ican I love the whole drama of going to watch football, driving up to London, walking to the spurs stadium.
Ds1 announced he's booked or take Ds2 to see Spider-Man Sunday night.

I'm worried about TAGs. Selfish though, because Ds1 would thrive in exam conditions. He's already done mocks a few weeks ago in November. Teachers asked them all if they wanted to do extra essays in exam conditions over the last few weeks, to provide a more evidenced based case, before they broke up for Christmas. Nearly all students agreed. I think ds has done 6. Psychology, sociology and business. X2. He's gonna take a break for a week for Christmas, then study again, for his February's mocks which will be again in proper exam conditions.

If he doesn't get the grades he wants I will fxxking furious. If he fluffs it himself obviously that's fine, but if he doesn't get AAA because of other conditions, I will be beyond irate.

I fear you all may see the dark side of me, come August. That's not a pleasant thought, even for me, now!

Oh dear @ealingwestmum that’s bad timing - or possibly good timing if she’s out of isolation by Christmas and no one else gets it? Fingers crossed for you!

@Zebracat can’t believe you’ve done the wrapping! I’ve taken tomorrow off work to do my Christmas shopping! So far I have presents for two nephews and one niece - so 3 more to buy for, plus parents, siblings and our kids. It will be fine, it always is - as long as I don’t get covid!

Sorry to hear that Ealingwestmum , hope it passes quickly for her. What a nightmare happening now with your Mum coming.

Everything has suddenly gone a bit strange again hasn’t it . My mind is slightly struggling to adjust again and I’d been quite good at doing so before.

Haven’t seen DD since September and just want her back for a bit now.

0h dear @ealingwestmum. That is really unfortunate. I hope she doesn’t get too poorly. Mine goes off to her Dad on Sunday, don’t want anything to disrupt that so she hasn’t done much outside stuff. But of course, college is an absolute germ soup, so it’s pointless really.

Sorry to hear that @ealingwestmum, hope Christmas works out for you, but Covid feels like a tidal wave right now.

Thanks Horace. She’s fine, a little under the weather, headache etc but nothing more at this stage. She was due her booster today, but now that she has covid, I won’t stress about that in the near future. In reality, I’m ok with her having C now vs later, it’s just the wider impact, as I’m sure all of you are weighing up for the coming weeks.

I am mainly posting this to ensure people have a little more confidence in the LFTs, they may not be perfect but do use them if you have them.

Sounds really good, @fruitygal. Planning to watch a Christmas film tonight here too. Got my wrapping finished yesterday. Christmas is coming. Just overshadowed by COVID again.

@ealingwestmum oh no! Fingers crossed the rest of you remain covid free and all works out with your mum. What a nightmare.

DD made me pick her up on Tuesday with all her stuff. She had the start of a sore throat, and decided to wfh weds after PCR on tues Eve. The LFTs picked up covid first, PCR confirmed weds evening.

Not sure how the next week is going to play out, lots of moving parts, hoping that I can still get my mother, pushing her back to 24th and the flight from California comes in, subject to DH and I remaining CV free.

We saw Spider-Man last night with dd (ds rejected our offer as he wants to go with friends!). Dd and dh thought it was one of the best marvel films yet. I enjoyed it too, but it finished at 11.30 and I really struggled to stay awake!

Love that photo @Monkey2001!

Congrats on the offer Heifer and lovely photo monkey.

Yes I worry about TAG's too, DD got caught out in GCSE for the same reason of only x number of 8 and 9's given. Even though her year was expected to out do any previous year academically. It was very frustrating esp as some kids got lower GCSE's then their mock grades. This is why she's desperate to do exams. All we can do is hope it's okay.

Feeling relaxed today - school finished for DD yesterday and DS home from uni. Feels like we've made it to some sort of finish line! Whether we can remain covid free until Christmas is another matter - two grannies in their 80s coming for the day (if we're not in lockdown by then). Both DCs have bought all their work home just in case, but I think DS would head back to uni whatever the rules. He did last year!

@Fruitygal Ds was off to see Spider-Man with his mates last night. I don't know what he thought of it as I'm not home. I'm assuming he enjoyed it.

Her last day today so driving in and then off to friends house as a group of four to have homemade dinner and watch a movie 🍿

Oh monkey, love that photo!

DD saw Spiderman last night with one of her besties! Said it was the best film ever

[quote Monkey2001]Remote schooling in January feeling likely www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59673271[/quote]
Just told DS to make sure he brings everything back he might need in case of a delayed start in January. Not sure he can carry it all. He’s off today to a lecture theatre at the campus of somewhere he is thinking of applying so I guess that’s kind of a campus visit!

Great to see DS getting into the spirit of things Monkey.

Congratulations on the new offers . I hope all those who are unwell at all soon feel better.

Remote schooling in January feeling likely www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59673271

@icanbewhatiwant glad your DS (mostly) rose to the challenge of being an adult and sorting himself out. Hope you enjoy a relaxing day today.

@Heifer congrats on driving theory and Sheffield. Back in 2020 Sheffield had offer holder days in March. They were really good ones with accom in halls for a nominal charge (£5 or £10/night) and a free meal the night before in a social area of the halls. It was cancelled for us (2020), but hope they still do it for you.

DS went off this morning in fine Christmas spirit!

@Heifer thank you, no result yet. No sooner had I got back from the test centre when DD announced she felt ill so I ended up going back with her, neither result is in yet but I have woken several times in the night to check my phone so I'm tired. Well done to DD on the theory test!

DS's UCAS coordinator tested positive yesterday so his form still hasn't gone in. Hope she's OK.

@Heifer Glad Sheffield caught up with your DD! Great news.

Well done on the Sheffield offer @heifer! Still just the two offers here.

Glad you’re having a bit of a breather from the kids @icanbewhatiwant. I hope ds1 starts taking his antibiotics at some point soon! I wouldn’t fancy that journey just for a football match!

Re tags, I know schools got caught out in 2020 when some had already moderated grades down and some had chanced it. But I was assuming most schools were more generous last year? Really they should give everyone their ‘best case scenario/best day’ grades, on the basis that they can’t possibly know who would and wouldn’t have a good day in the actual exams.

I’m a bit annoyed with ds as he totally downed tools this week for his last 2 exams - he said he doesn’t care at all about Physics and Chemistry as he hates them and ‘doesn’t need them’! Oh well, if he comes a cropper, it’s not like we didn’t tell him!