Come and tell me your dull and unexciting news 14: Calmly through the day

[MissConductUS]

I've started a new one. Please join us and share the boring and mundane things happening in your world. It will be calming for all.

Still raining - with a spell of snow mixed in - DS managed to catch the snow on his way home. Morose pidgeon and its mate are sitting under the roof overhang looking totally disgusted.

Being not in the UK my DC made their way to and from school on their own almost from day one (6years not 3). So I only did a school run when they had swimming practice (in the middle of nowhere).

The AC repair technician has returned. DH has had a conversation with him through the Ring doorbell. They're still investigating where the leak is in the outside condenser.

It's a nice day here. I'm taking 2.5 hours of annual leave to head out early today and do some shopping.

I never had to do the school run. A bus stopped in front of the house to pick up and drop off the kids for the whole time they were in school. I did of course have to take them for play dates, sports, etc.

School buses are a bit less of a thing here. If you go to your catchment school and you live more than a certain distance away, you’re entitled to transport I think, and there are also school services you can pay for, but not for primary school AFAIK. DS will be allowed to make his own way to and from school when he’s in year 5, I think? But at this age the expectation is that someone is there to collect - the teachers won’t let them out otherwise, and it has to be someone they know too, who has permission to collect. If I wanted my DM to collect, for instance, I would need to notify the school.

Where I live I think the rule is that if you're more than a mile away from the school, you're entitled to bus transportation. DH used to take DD to high school in the morning as it wasn't far out of his way and it saved the 20 minutes she would have sat on the bus. She liked getting there a bit early.

You can pick up your child too, but it's the same rule. It has to be a parent of someone who has been specifically authorized to pick them up. Bus drivers will only drop kids in front of their address on record. If they want to be dropped off with a friend at the friend's house, transportation has to be notified.

This is all so much easier now that they're in uni.

I think it’s a three mile limit here? Unless your child has additional needs in which case they should get pupil transport if they need it, usually in the form of a taxi.

The school bus for DS’s catchment secondary school drops off and picks up right opposite our house, so that will be handy if he goes there. It doesn’t have a great reputation at the moment so if that doesn’t change (and he does have 6 years of primary school first so it could) we might try to get him into another school, in which case it will be down to us to pay for a bus or get him there ourselves. It’s several hundred pounds a term (I think, might be for the year, but either way it’s not cheap) for the bus...! So hoping the catchment school does indeed turn itself around!

Here you're stuck with the local school district unless you want to send your kids to private or religious schools (mostly RC). The single biggest factor driving house prices is the quality of the local schools. The schools are funded primarily through local property taxes, which tend to be higher in better school districts. We pay about $7k a year in school taxes, which is pretty low for our area. Businesses pay property taxes too, and we're lucky in that they pick up a lot of the school district costs.

It's a crazy system. We get to vote to approve the school budget every year.

Here you usually go to the local school unless it is secondary (after year 6) when it depends on your DC's grades and preferences.

Now we are having a thunderstorm!

We have a few charter schools and one magnet school available as well as the local public schools. The charter schools have a lottery-based admissions system, although once one sibling is in, the others are automatically offered a place. The magnet school has a selective admission policy but they accept at least half of all applicants.

It's nice to have a couple of options. My oldest didn't suit the local schools so went elsewhere. I couldn't have afforded private for her.

DS has used a school bus since year one, it was something of a shock to be required to do daily 6th form runs once the free funding ended

DH and I have had an amazing walk today and a sneaky pub lunch on the way back. We're both sunburnt, but are showered, with clean sheets on the bed and sitting down to watch The Durrells.

Childrwn's riding lessons have been allowed to start again! Sitting in my car watching DS and rest of group of kids on ponies, walking round and round (starting slowly as the kids have not ridden since before Christmas).

Never used a school bus, its quite rare to qualify for one here. We moved to be walkable both times though you have to walk children to school until y5 here in most places.

DH has gone off on his hour's drive to his second vaccine and will be back in a couple of hours, he told Silkiecat. She has told him off a lot today, not sure why as he was next to her all day. One time was for going to the bathroom. Though that means she will probably sleep now as servant training is exhausting.

DD now has her migraine medicines and just had a shower. I've just ordered her 3 new school jumpers. My red laptop and vax carpet cleaner has arrived in store, DH looked very at carpet cleaner but last time he hired one was about 5 years ago.

Champagne, I've just watched the trailer for the Durrells. It looks charming. I'll look for it on Netflix.

Loved the Durrells (as I loved the books)

Champagne sunburnt?! And I am sitting here in rain, snow and wind!
Glad you had a lovely day.

Sorry prok, a quick pic to demonstrate our glorious weather today

Champagne Thank you - it looks great!
I am promised 10°C and no rain tomorrow.

I've had a leftover crispy steak taco from Wednesday's takeaway and am about to head off for the day. The AC bloke's truck is still in the driveway so this has been a very long (and expensive) service call. I hope he's found the leak and fixed it.

That looks lovely Champagne

DH is just back was getting worried as he's an hour and a 1/4 late but he is OK. Apparently he arrived late then they asked him lots of questions then they made him wait 20 mins after the jab. My place I was in and out very quickly, jab and out.

DD is asleep.

Our weather (and my DS)

Patchy frost expected here tonight,. We are going backwards, weather-wise.

I’ve been awake since 0240 (over 3hrs now!) Lying in bed listening to the rain, scratching my itchy, restless legs, and now the hayfever’s kicked in. Hoping I remembered to bring my tablets down to my parents’ with me! Got my first covid jab in about 7hrs, only advice I’ve had from people who already had it is to be very hydrated.

thedudes Lovely!
I woke up at 6 to birdsong and sunshine, let' hope it stays ....

Woken up to foul weather here. Was supposed to be going for a walk with DSis but she has a tiny baby so that’s now v v unlikely! DC will be grumpy and housebound (beyond the ages of being able to throw them into waterproofs and get out anyway!) will have to come up with considerable bribe...

Raining here but birds are still singing.

DH is still asleep after his second vaccine. DS and I am awake, no sign of movement from teenage DD.

Lovely photo Dudes

Hope the vaccine goes well Sunbird

It is wet and miserable here too, though may blow through by this afternoon. Sodding has already been out in the rain and needed towel drying on his return.