Finishing year 13 in 2017

Spidergate follow up - we are alive and we haven't starved! Fortunately the gardener arrived, I'd forgotten he was coming. I could have hugged him (in fact I probably did, that'll get the neighbours talking). We are relieved! I was on the point of ringing DH and demanding he come home (from the States).

Errol, your post with the word legs...ugh....shudder....it is definitely the legs that do it for me.

Horse, I can't do the glass thing as I tried it once years ago and trapped a leg, then screamed, dropped the glass and the spider fell and ran over my foot so not going there again.

Anyone's child doing psychology A-level? I'd make a great case study.

We had a spider incident yesterday too. DD yelled from the bathroom that there was a HUGE spider lurking behind the mirror... well, given that the mirror is stuck to the tiles, and I'd never noticed there was any gap behind it at all, I knew it couldn't be that big, 1-2mm gap max). If When I went in there were just the tips of two little legs showing, and she demanded that I do something else she'd be too scared to sleep ... I mean, wtf was I supposed to do? It retreated completely, so I said I promised to deal with it later if it emerged. So anyway, later on she was cleaning her teeth it came nearly half way out, so I got her to sweep it out (using a nail file slid under the mirror) while I waited to catch and dispatch. She was querulous about having her hand anywhere near but realised it was the only way (DH is incapable of doing anything with a spider-- unless he's the only person in the house and has no choice), so she faced her fear and together we got rid of the quite small and harmless-- fearsome beast.

Ono - really big spiders I can only deal with if I have boots shoes on. The technique is to try to squash it in a piece of tissue, but if it escapes knock it to the floor and stamp on it. If it was above my head initially I might cover my hair up too.

Ono, can you manage to out a glass over the spider and slide a card under it to dispose of it outside?

I am the biggest wuss ever re spiders but I am usually able to get rid of them this way

Ono I love that you are asking for spider advice on this thread! I would get it for you - spiders don't really bother me. Do you have have friends that would get rid of it?

Ono, dd worked one summer in a care home. It was supposed to be voluntary, she was only 16, but they were so short staffed during the holiday period that they kept adding shifts and decided to pay her. I assume staff shortages over the holiday period will be a pretty universal problem.

It was kitchen prep, waitressing, and cleaning. Her colleagues were very international and supportive, and she got on well with the residents. However they would need time to do a DBS.

Last summer she picked up a short term casual job on a local market stall, simply by asking. It was close to her old school so she had the joy of serving some of her old teachers.

Spray with fly spray?
Curled up dead spiders are not as frightening
I hate spiders as do my girls.Ds 1 puts them outside .The dog just watches them benevolently.
Dd had her first exam today C1 - Maths.She has gone to school adorned with lucky bracelets and necklaces,but no Calming drops.She didn't want them.
Last day ever of school on Friday with a Leavers ceremony.Dd has bought a floral frock and vertiginous heels 👠 for it.

Not exam related but DH is away (again) and the world's biggest spider has decided to set up camp...in the kitchen above all places. It is so fat that every time I look at it I feel sick. The boys and I are terrified, we'll have to eat out until Saturday. It's even making DDog shudder....looks for spider emoticon.......... What shall we DO???

That sounds like a good one eatyourveg - love pizza express!

You might also consider somewhere like pizza express who also seem to have a fluid workforce. ds was there for the 2 years he was in college and they gave him the option to transfer to the branch in his uni city - he didn't take it up but if your dd is going to be looking for something to help pay for rent, food and going out come the autumn, its smthng to consider

Yes I think it was a six month contract, but you can give a months notice, she will just about do 5.5. So maybe not tell them? I think dd may have the opportunity to go back in holidays too. It pays £6 ph, which seems to be the going rate in many places.

Welcome back Aunt P and join the long queue for and

Thanks for the tip about KFC, I suppose I thought they might want people they can 'train' and who might be around longer than 4 weeks. Do you know whether the zero hours contract is for a certain length of time (eg a six month contract?).

Hi and welcome back AuntPetunia!

Yes, I think it will be good to be here over the next few weeks for support and company and gin 😁

Am beginning to feel more nervous than excited about this whole A levels and Uni project! I quite enjoyed the earlier bit about visiting Uni's and writing personal statements.

Hello and whoops been seriously MIA for a long time! lots gone on for everyone I see. Hope you're all ready for the next few weeks ...I will now be back on board or else I think I'll turn to drink to get me through till 22nd June ...last exam day.

Ono, dd has just taken a job in KFC. It is a zero hours contract, but it suits her fine at the moment, she is doing 6 hours on a Saturday, and will increase it after exams. Apparently they are always looking for staff, probably as the pays crap, and zero hours...

DD's pre-6th form uniform shirts were the M&S 'no iron' ones and they really were OK just tumble dried. Her 6th form self-imposed 'uniform' is black skinnies (again fine just tumble dried) and checked shirts, mosly flannelette type which I think need ironing so do them. I only work half time and have zero commute and DH is more or less retired, so she gets off very lightly from household duties at the moment, as she really is working harder than either of us. She says after exams, she will do some cooking and her own ironing but only intends to do the collars and cuffs.

*rude

Shirts: am I the only one who irons them then? I don't use a tumble dryer so in an effort to make DS look presentable, I do iron (grudgingly!).

I have tried to encourage DS to learn to cook and iron but to no avail - he's going to have a ride awakening, isn't he?!

Fruit picking,labouring?I'm not really sure.Round here everyone seems to work in cafes or supermarkets.
I don't iron shirts for dd1 as she is supposed to wear business dress.So she irons her own clothes. Have to iron three lots of shirts for the others though.
Dd has decided to try and diet .She has put in an order for advocado ,spinach,pistachios,banana and coconut oil.All from the Michael Moseley healthy gut diet.Tis a strange time to diet but hey ho.She wants to look slim for the Spanish holiday with her friends and has been perusing bikinis and espadrilles in Tk Maxx online.She says revising is getting boring now and took half a day off yesterday, but is working intensively today.

BTM - GCSEs and A levels in the same year, you are brave!

DS finishes on Thursday (they have a fun day on Friday with dressing up, bouncy castles etc but last lessons on Thursday) . DH is away all next week so I will have to ask DS to babysit as I am out for work three nights on the trot.

DS wants a job to save money for his holiday but as he is only here for a total of 4 weeks I have told him that he will have to work in a warehouse/factory as no-one will take him on on such a temporary basis. Anyone got any ideas where to look for temp work?

Haha, just what I thought - you are supposed to iron school shirts?!

DD's last official day before study leave is 26th, but I think she's planning on revising in the library a lot till then - no doubt there will be lots of anguished emails/texts from the school.
DS has his first GCSE tomorrow. Gulp!

Yes, have to admit we just hope they come out good enough from the tumble dryer!
Glad it's not just me HSM 😊

Ha ha! Ds moved from school to a sixth form college so I haven't ironed a shirt for two whole years 😀.