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

@Heifer well done to dd. Ds was just the same with his theory. He didn't revise until the day before.

Ds1 messaged me late last night to say he fell asleep and hadn't even started his antibiotics 🤬 I'd already told him to try taking 3 doses by late that night. So I told him he obviously doesn't want to get better. I'm fed up with him now.

It is quiet at my mums. There's always so much to get done at home, but mum just sits down all day here as she's not very mobile. So I go for a couple of long walks each day by the sea. The sea doesn't look nice when it's damp and dreary weather, but it was good to see it. I will just enjoy a day of doing very little before I drive home tomorrow.

ds2 has been given tickets to see Man U play a game Saturday. So he needs taking to the train station (45 mins drive) for 6.20am then him and his mate have 5 and half hour train ride to get there. Tram to the match. Then all the way home again. One of us will pick them up again very late. I'd rather him than me. That's a lot of train ride. I just hope he doesn't pick Covid up on his journey! He's never been one for keeping his hands clean and the phone is constantly in his hands.

I'm waiting for Ds to tell me has an offer, form sent Monday. But nothing yet. Maybe it'll after Christmas now.

@icanbewhatiwant - pleased your DS got himself sorted, hope he recovers quickly. Have fun at your Mums.

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail - I also have concerns re tags. Last time DDs school stuck to their past results very regidly, so if they had only had 3 Grade 8s on average in the past 3 years that is what they gave - despite if more people deserved it. DD lost out on at least 2 subjects (but them was probably upgraded on 1 subject). I've just looked back at the spreadsheet I made of the previous 3 yrs A Levels results (not including last year) and DD would be screwed if they had to do that again! They have only got 1 x A in Pyschology, 0 xA/A in PE and 6 x A/A* in Biology in the last 3 years (NOT AVERAGE). Surely it won't matter this time if there is proof that DDs Mock & tests results are higher???

@Oblomov21 very jealous of your eyelashes and getting them done. I want to but am too chicken. I need mascara every day as mine are short and straight. Perhaps I need to pluck up the courage and go for it.

@ZittiEBuoni - hope your DD enjoyed her baguette & jam, she has done so well recently, hopefully today was a blip and that she feels up to seeing the counsellor next time.

@ExquisitelyDecorated fingers crossed for your PCR test.

DD surprised me today and passed her drivng theory test! She only started looking at the app last night.. Seems she still has a photograhic memory (for a very short time). I think she passed by 1 mark .. I was happy that she actually took it tbh, she has put it off a few times because she hadn't got around to revising, but decided to go for it anyway this time - I think because she has 2 friends that have recently passed their driving test. DD gets stressed going into unknown situations (I'm not allowed to use the anxious word) so it was a big deal just going along. Pleased for her.

Also received another offer tonight - Sheffield this time, AAB or ABB with a B in core maths.

She is off clubbing tomorrow night with her friends in Liverpool.. 1 suggested staying out all night and going straight to school after - thankfully DD said no way and wants to come home at 1.30/2.00. (I wouldn't have agreed to it anyway but it's better coming from her)

Hi @NCTDN. It’s a contextual offer, because she is care experienced. So happy though. It seems a brilliant course. Did you go to the open day?

Got my sewing machine out for fancy dress tomorrow, DS going as Father Christmas and a (tall very male) friend as Mrs Christmas. I made him a little skirt out of a spare Santa top, used some of the rest to make a sack so they can distribute sweets all day. Feels like a bit of normality!

@Zebracat that's a great offer from Warwick. My dd has a liberal arts offer from there but I think it's AAA?

@icanbewhatiwant glad he’s got antibiotics xx

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail I share your concern re TAGs. Mainly because there has been a strong message that grade inflation in the last couple of years must be reined in. Our DC could end up with lower TAGs and still a sense of others thinking they have not been hard earned.

@icanbewhatiwant Hurrah for finally following mum's advice! Glad he's being treated.

@HibiscusIsland "She tends to build up a lot of money as she's mainly interested in minecraft". A yr13 friend of DS has a p/t online job as customer support for Minecraft.

The gp just said he'd got a viral and bacterial infection. Not quite sure what that means. But i am glad he's sorted it.

Just had an email from school about staggered return as they need to go in for LFT. Ds2's year go back 5th Jan. ds3 will be thrilled as he doesn't go back for another week. But year 8 are probably one of the least important as no exams, hence being last back.

I also found ds's end of year report in his bag. I read it and put it back. I wonder when he will give it to me. His target grade and his current attainment are the same. Distinction star for business. B for both history and religious studies/ethics/philosophy. Also there is a form to book online for Jan. parents eve. Booking isn't until 5th jan. last time we couldn't get online when appointments opened. Then 2 teachers were booked up by the time we got on. Same happened for ds3.

Phew, at least prescribed antibiotics. Why do children make it (parenting) so much more painful than it needs to be?

I’m glad he’s gone AND got a script @icanbewhatiwant - has he acknowledged that mother does know best or is it too soon for that?!

Ds1 messaged to say the gp has given him antibiotics. Apparently when the dr examined him, ds had to stand by an open window with a fan blowing onto him. Ds has a long wait for the prescription as the pharmacist is at lunch. I didn't tell him it's almost £10 for a prescription. He didn't fill the forms in to make him eligible for free as didn't think he'd need anything.

@Delphigirl. image They have little COVID charms on Etsy! Bet that image thing don’t work.

Thanks all - esp @Wheresthebeach @Fruitygal @Zebracat for the sage and unpanicked advice!! Zebra love the bus/bracelet idea if I can swing it in time. V happy to throw money at the prob as usual
Now have 2 close colleagues with positive tests. Feeling that I might quite like a mild dose myself to start Xmas early rather than working up to 21st… but then my sis and family and aged mum couldn’t join us which would be sad

@Oblomov21 the driving was ok. I can't say I liked it. I get on the a12 at Ipswich then down to m25. I've driven it a fair few times too.

One piece of good news is dh has had ds2's car fixed already. Something had corroded somewhere (I took no notice of exactly what) He's collecting Ds later, then ds can go to his Spider-Man movie and get himself there and back. Phew. Now just need to hear back from ds1.

@Oblomov21 those chin hairs. On sunny days, my first thought is to take the magnifying mirror and tweezers to the east facing window!

Sitting on the sofa with a good book. Any number of other things I should be doing. Like half the thread, I was insomnia cal last night. So now just knackered. @Delphigirl cheesy, but I would get him a leather/ silver bracelet and find 2 charms of maybe a stethoscope and a London bus, to remember this weird Christmas. PJs and a new pair of socks. Also a book for the journey home. And decent chocolate because the American stuff is so rank. Stocking is easy, beer, gum, scratch card and miniature playing cards. Sounds like a lot, but I think you’ve got a few Bob so should be right!

Sorry to hear of miser interviewer Monkey.
And now Delph has American Hank for Christmas?

Promoted by Delph and her lack of mascara, I've just booked myself in to have my occasional eyelashes and eyebrows dyed tonight after work. I have very long eyelashes (one of the few things I've got going for me - big boobs, small waist, hourglass figure, cankles, thinning hair, attractive hairs sprout from chin suddenly) , so this will prep me for Christmas. that omicron will deny.

Blimey, Monkey, did that interviewer think he was on The Apprentice or something? I would have been utterly thrown by that. Well done to your ds for powering on through.

Sorry for everyone with the 'is it/isn't it Covid' jitters. Cases are high here at the moment so I'm constantly waiting for the sword of Damocles to strike us down. Not sure how we've evaded it thus far tbh.

Dd didn't make it into counselling, citing a 'stomach ache'. But is now tucking into half a small baguette with jam, so recovery was swift...

icanbe, I adore driving and love motorway driving the most: but the A12 is a pig of a journey, especially from Surrey. Dh's mum used to be (before passing - she was the sweetest women ever) and 3 of his 4 sisters still in Clacton, Colchester, and Yarmouth, and Ds2 still goes for a weeks summer holiday, so I've spent hours on it, and it's one of the worst!

@Delphigirl no don’t feel guilty at all they are grown ups and he chose to come to uk so he was aware of risks. Covid is everywhere so may not even relate to trip to DS1.

DS1 needs a PCR today and you probably want him in a mask if in lounge or stay in his room to try and reduce your risk of catching it while you wait for his result. If he has been infectious with you since Sunday then it’s likely you will get it But he may have caught it on Sunday and only been infectious for the last half day so some family members may avoid it. If you have the younger ones at school get them to mask in class until DS1 result is back plus LFT daily so not ruining other classmates Christmas.

Pressies - order festive PJs and socks from next and chocolates from hotel chocolate or just get gold coins from supermarket. If he has a Switch get a new game? Stocking somewhere like John Lewis or Dunlemn or a big supermarket might deliver.

@delphigirl - don't feel guilty. He could have got it in London before he went to see DS.
You need to do lft daily if you have no symptoms for 7 days (I believe). If you get symptoms then PCR.
Hoodies are always an option.
Covid is odd - step daughter has it, her step father has it, but her mother doesn't. On paper her mother is the highest risk but so far, nothing.