The Sergeant John Porter Memorial College at the University of Milton North

[DumSpiroSpero]

Motto: Qui audet adipiscitur

Areas of study include:

Firearms Training aka Big Guns 101

Advanced off-road driving

Improvised Vehicle Maintenance

Hostage Negotiation

...and lots more!

Oh, nightmare on the different halves! I agree it's not much time to get anything done though. This is my Monday routine:

Drop both off
Pick him up at 11.30 and go home
Leave home 20 mins later to pick her up for lunch at home
Take her back at 1.20.
Go back to pick her up at 3.15.

4 times back and forth!! I'm going to seriously try and cut out the Monday home lunches this year but not confident.

That is just what I was going to say, Twigs. Can't you sell it as a thrilling chance to spend more quality time with her friends, just like a big grown-up sophisticated girl?

Big dilemma, here. Should I or should I not eat that other tart?

MistressD started school a week after she turned 4 and went full time at 4yrs + 3 wks. I was dreading it, I would have done anything to keep her back for a year if it was possible but she was more than fine. She actually coped with being at school far better than MasterD1 did and he was 4.9yrs when he started.

I think I've been quite lucky in that they are all quite confident children (comes from LordD, not me!) so they're not easily phased. I also think second and subsequent children have it easier because they are familiar with the school and recognise the staff, etc. MasterD2 spent 1 morning every week in MistressD's class while I helped with reading all last year and just became an honorary Y1 - he used to go to assembly and everything so none of it is new to him. He's just thrilled he's there in his own right now.

Is there any kind of treat/bribery you could use to convince MissTwigs to stay for lunch on a Monday? Does she stay for the rest of the week?

YES!

Oh and wrt return to work, LordD keeps mentioning a word beginning with 'J' to me. I'm not sure quite what he means but I have a sneaking suspicion it may be related to that term.

Right then

I don't feel quite so bad now, your little ones are tiny and mine were well over six.

They do start so young here, Massive. Especially when they are summer born babies. The Island system is much better, imo. Especially when you consider that most children in Europe don't start until they are almost 7 and their results at 11yo are better than the UK's.

But LadyD, you have a J-word! Your cake biz must keep you busy, no? And it obviously brings in money. If you don't get enough requests to class it as a job then just make extra cakes and tell him you have loads of work on, then just eat them yourself when he's not looking :)

I'm not sure bribery would work with DD. I also think it actually does her good, so I'm not sure that stopping it is even a good idea - I just flippin' hate it :) She started coming home for lunch twice a week and she was definitely better at school since that. I got it down to just Mondays, as that's her saddest day but I'll see how she seems next week.

Massive, re. second tart - yes, it's a no-brainer. It would just be lonely by itself, now that you've eaten its friend.

The island system is hard on the mums though. By the time the DCs get to that age, you are getting seriously deranged. I used to go round muttering "I was four and a half, and it never did me any harm "

But I suppose you'd say that latter is a moot point.

I would need locking up for my own safety if I had the prospect of another 2 years of MasterD2 at home . He's gorgeous but he's so full on.

Is it your DD who has the same teacher as she had last year, or is that Spiro's? If it means she's happier at school then I can see why you're loathe to stop it, even if it would make your life simpler.

Both our DDs have the same teacher - Spiro is pleased, I'm not :)

Ah. Tricky one. Is that part of the reason she's not keen on school? (Don't feel you have to answer publicly, you can PM if you're worried about being spotted. Or not answer at all!)

::Notices that as soon as she went out, the thread livened up::

::Just because she's paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get her::

I always think the yes, but bit of 'they start school much later in [insert name of country of choice]' is that those countries often have much higher rates of mothers' participation in the full-time workforce than does the UK, so although the children might not be at school they very probably will be in some sort of full-time daycare which almost certainly resembles a UK pre-school or reception class.

Twiggy - Forgive me or ignore me if I am barking up the wrong tree (or simply barking) but could you unwittingly be sending the signal to MissTwiggy that school is a horrible ordeal which has to be endured?

And all ladies who are being threatened with the J word - do bear in mind (I'm sure you are) that being a working mummy does not become easier once they're at school, wot wiv the length of the holidays, the shortness of the school day, the propensity of schools to close the moment more than two snowflakes hit the playground etc etc etc. ::sigh:: What did you do before the intervention of motherhood MN and watching RA vids on YT?

That was a very fine Moroni portrait. What think you of the resemblance in this one?

Hah-HAH! This time you got post number 666, Maud!

That portrait is really uncanny. It looks as if Peter Jackson has seen it and was shooting the 'look'. I am thinking of that still that was one of the first things released, with Thorin sitting on the background.

I lent my friend North & South past week, her kids went back today. I have just received the following text:

Oooo yes! Richard Armitage. Have just finished both discs - what else have you got?

LOL !

Who IS that chap? ::reveals absolute ignorance of probably famous historical figure::

The resemblance is unnerving.

LordD is the one to talk to about curriculum models as that's what his job involves - he tells me about it but I don't listen properly because I'm too busy MNing understand a lot of it.

A new recruit, Spiro?

Did you say "Um, not sure, I'll have to have a look?"

ROFL @ not sure, I'll have to have a look

I told her she's welcome to come & have a rummage in the Cupboard of Loveliness but in the meantime have a nosey at YouTube!

I don't think it's anyone identifiable, LadyD. Some websites say the painting's by Lorenzo Lotto, but the Metropolitan Museum of Art just describe it as an Italian painting.

You have a whole Cupboard of Loveliness, Spiro?

Great subject for a novel then, speculating on who he was and what was his story.

I could call it The Bloke with the Armitage-esque Beard

I have a not so secret Box of Lust . It's missing a few examples of the genre but I am working hard to resolve that flaw.