GCSEs 2018 (15) The Reckoning

I always have good intentions like that Third then forget to do it.

Survived the county show. It was very hot. Took plenty of water and also brought thermoses of iced water to leave in the car for after we came out.

I am impressed at your ds doing some History reading Kingscote my ds is glued to his phone doing not very much today.

Third I am very close to the South coast and I hope you have the slight breeze which is making being outside a little more bearable. I can't seem to motivate myself at all today.

terf I like the sound of your ds's week and thanks for the link. You never know ds may be persuaded to do something like that....

DS sitting in a curtained room doing some History pre-reading.
Every few minutes the fan (on full) lightly lifts up a sheet of info on Pitt the Younger, wafts it gently around the room and carefully re-files it with the papers about Vietnam...

Cricket match this evening when (I hope) it will be a tadge cooler.

mmzz I would certainly agree with you there regarding academic and career success. I know someone who is exceptionally bright but doesn't work they gave up a very well paid job in the city as they couldn't handle the stress and hours that were demanded of them, sometimes being very bright can send you into careers that just aren't suited to your personality but due to your intellect you may of been encouraged to pursue!

Certainly rare in this house! Unfortunately DS2 doesn't really do interacting very well!

I'm not really complaining, BlueBelle. It's great that he's got any sort of qualifications when his ASD affects him so badly. It's just a bit sad in comparison with his brothers who are both high achievers; what might have been, I guess. He's quite happy at the moment, though. I've always tried to only look ahead a few months or a year or so at most, to the next battle or milestone but with it getting close to the end of education for him, I do worry about what he'll do next. Will he ever work etc.

Ellen I know someone that got those grades at A level they went on to do a foundation year in computing at Uni and have now successfully finished their first year, they are loving it and doing really well. I'm sure your DS will also I think the main thing is doing something you enjoy everything else then seems to fall into place, we can't all be high flyers

teenmum yes Wimpole. We used to take DC when they were little every Wednesday with a group of friends. It's a very nostalgic place for me Memories of pushchairs, trikes, first bikes, wellies, puddles, porta-potties, drink-and-snack-at-the-end-of-the-drive, and tantrums from tired legs

Did you go to Wimpole @terfterf ? I have not been for ages...used to take DD to all the lambing days..We are off into Cambridge for a meal tonight ...Its a Mystery dine so even nicer when you are not having to pay for the food and drink.

Just picked DD up from her DF's and was informed I am looking after the Hedgehog whilst they are away and that there is no choice because no one else could look after her ...just as well I am not going away too!

Rather glad we didn't try NCS! It wouldn't have suited DS3 at all.

We had a lovely time in Amsterdam and the Dutch Center Parcs. Only real problem were the mosquitoes who feasted on me first night at CP. I squished 6 of them but got bitten 17 times. None of the boys did. Grrr!

4 loads of washing done but not a lot else.

Windows open or closed? I can't decide whether they make it hotter or cooler. The curtains are closed. Someone said open them downstairs on the hotter side of the house and upstairs on the cooler side to get a through draft, but that just seems to let hot air in.

Thinking of your DH, Alexander and of you, Sost.

Not thinking about GCSE results day too much. DS2 got his BTEC results in the post while we were away. Totally as expected. He passed all 9 of his modules this year, with no merits or distinctions. Last year he had 3 distinctions, 3 merits and 3 passes. In total that meant MMP overall for the 2 years, worth 80 UCAS points. (The same as CDD at A level.) Plenty enough for his HNC but much less than he's capable of, if he'd have worked a bit harder. Oh well. Onwards and upwards.

LOL at mmzz 'fatal' words! Although we did go to a NT property on Tuesday just for a walk up the hill to the amazing folly which the kids absolutely loved. icecreams definitely not used as bribery we did feel we'd ticked all the boxes - exercise, nature, culture, fresh air - so the harm of subsequent 7 hours of screens was cancelled out

Mine are exactly the same! They’re usually ok after they’ve left the house (not always) but I think they actually shudder when they get invited to go for a nice walk!!

Just caught up!

Have German friends staying this week, they are easy houseguests in that they don't need to be waited on, and they do the washing up and tidying! But they eat so much!!! Been through about 5 loaves of bread, several lbs of salad stuff and a kg of cheese and a lot of booze but that's normal for me Their DS is a bit younger than DS2 but they share a love of Fortnite, Fifa and sport so have got on brilliantly. His English is really confident and charming and improved no end. Their DD is 14 and moody and solitary so we left her to her audiobooks and occasional appearances for food We took them into Cambridge yesterday - you would have thought by the whining from the three of them that we had made them have an extra physics lesson

My DS1 is in Spain on an immersion language week for Spanish teens (they speak only English for a week and it's free for native English speakers!) it's this https://www.diverbo.com/english/english-for-teens/teens/ if you fancy it for your teen next year. I'm hoping it will improve DS's self-confidence and maybe make some new friends. Have had only one (positive) email from him so I assume he's having fun! Four weeks til results....

Taking Germans to London today where they're staying on their own for 10 days because we are off to the Isle of Man on Monday. The weather there is rubbish but I'm looking forward to being cold again

Shocked by some of the NCS tales. Good for your DC for sticking with it and getting positive stuff from it. They will look back and laugh one day or discuss it during therapy...

Loose I'm sure that any maŕking I do ends up paying me around £5 per hour!

TheThird I've set up a sprinkler system in your general direction!

Teen thanks! It’s poorly paid for the amount of time it takes but very useful experience for teaching!

Hi all

I am frantically clearing out my fridges and sorting out a pile of washing for holiday. I have 2 hand held fans trying to keep cool. I am putting it off...

mmzz that would have upset me too. Dd broke my fan in my bedroom (accident) & ds knocked his fan & broke his so I gave him mine as he needs sleep for digging my Mum's garden. Now have anothr fan and had a good night's sleep.

Bluebelle I hope your ds enjoys the party & good on him for the Fruitshoots. There's plenty of time to get horribly drunk! Ds only had one can of lager at his prom after party.

It was our wedding anniversay on Wednesday dh & I completely forgot! Too much on our minds including holiday etc etc.

DS is off to his first house party tonight (not sure whether the parents will be around) and is going to be taking fruit shoots I think his love of fitness is proving to be stronger than his desire to be one of the crowd......I wonder how long it will last!

Ggirl27...well done to your DS its great that he has shown resilience when looking and it sounds like its paid off with him getting a job that sounds perfect and like you say will boost his confidence.

Alexander (DH) and Sost - Good luck with health appointments..

Loose - well done - It so good that teachers do use their spare time to do marking (I know you get paid but I dont think the pay is great).

Juggling - how intimidating - I do think NCS have to rethink their approach and offer the scheme to people who really want to go ...rather than pressurize sell to groups of friends at schools.

DD packing today because she is away with DF on Saturday then its a bit hectic because she's back on 5th and starts NCS on 6th....she's really enjoying the summer - making new friends from different experiences.

Sorry - also meant to wish Alexander's DH all the best for today.