Good morning @lucysmam and everyone, and happy birthday @OnlyOneAdda.
I hope you don't feel too bereft once you have dropped your DD1 off at her university @lucysmam , and all the other university mums on here.
I have now wrapped all the Christmas presents (and stocking presents) I had ready. I love doing it and it all adds to the anticipation. I've always liked getting things ready early, as it reduces the financial load and the stress of getting everything done (although I love Christmas so I don't find it that stressful) but the main reason for getting it done early is in case I'm not well closer to the date.
Mr Dilemma did manage to get all the frozen stuff into the freezer yesterday, with room to spare, but I also made it a bit easier by changing our evening meal plans so that we had bought frozen curries rather than the cold meat, salad and jacket potatoes I had planned for yesterday - which we will have today. Chorister duties for middle grandson have started again after the summer holiday, so we're back to needing 3 or 4 easy evening meals a week so that I can get them done waiting for when Mr Dilemma gets back from taking him home. He is usually back around 7pm, but it can be any time from 6.45 to 7.30 so we need something that either takes minutes to hear up, or which can be left until we need it. It will be spaghetti bolognese tomorrow.
I have nametags to sew onto school uniform today. Not many, but very last minute. Mr Dilemma picked up the clothing when he dropped chorister home yesterday, and will take it back again when he drops chorister home again this evening.
I have more packing to do for our holiday on Friday. We sorted out the few kitchen items we're taking with us yesterday. Almost everything food-wise will be picked up, click and collect so pre-ordered, from Asda on our way there, but coffee, teabags, washing up liquid, sponge and J cloth, a few resealable bags, bin bags, laundry leaves, a sharp knife, and some of my favourite home-made jam will travel up with us. We only like a certain kind of tea and coffee, which either Asda don't sell or are exorbitantly expensive to buy from there, otherwise we would order those too.
I have three medical appointments next week, so I'm really looking forward to a whole week of no appointments or responsibilities, and no cooking apart from heating up ready meals and making toast!
I have now written my formal letter of resignation, which has been accepted, so I will be a free (and poor) woman as from 17th October. I have put in an application for PIP, which should probably have been done well over a year ago, and I'm hoping it will be granted so I am slightly less poor! It is unlikely I will find out this side of Christmas though.