Countdown to Christmas 2021 (thread 1): Here we go again!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

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Before I nod off in a food / booze coma, here is our new thread!

We've had a lovely, chilled, day building Lego. I should probably eat more cheese to really finish the day in style though. 🧀🧀🧀

It's only going to be 1° tomorrow. Brrrr.

The dc enjoyed school today. I think there's about 12 children in but it might differ through the week as they only want children in when needed.

I think my redeployment will start next week. Looks like I'll be helping with a role that's a band higher than I am currently not sure if I can wangle a temporary pay rise though

Wreck It's good for your CV though, next time a higher band job comes up.
Our cars are frozen over already, it's 🥶🥶🥶🥶 out there.
DH has managed to survive the day, there's a few more hours though, so...
Biddy we may need to set up a working party.

It starts to get warmer next week! I'll have to start running again once the risk of slippery leg breaking is done with!

Sounds interesting, Wreck. Is it out and about rather than at home?

I don't think there were many at school today. They thought it would be about 20% of pupils. I doubt it was much more than that.

I've tried to dissuade the manager from sending me out and about. I told her how great I am on a computer

Thank you Biddy. We're negotiating completion dates with the seller now - they want Feb for some unknown reason but we don't want to be stuck with another months rent and I can't handle the bombsite this house is for another few weeks 😩
The hamster is happy to be back and with all the disruption I think we're just going to keep her here for the foreseeable.

I hate that feeling most - makes me want to fill the rooms back up

Like the plan to upsell your admin skills Wreck 😂

We had snow here today (briefly). It came down as I was walking the dog - very Christmassy!
Today was a busy one and I'm struggling with a headache so I've been in bed for an hour but haven't managed to drop off yet.

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🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶

Everywhere is frozen solid. The cars that weren't used yesterday afternoon were covered in hard frost by bedtime. Ours was freezing, but not quite solid, as it was used at 4pm. That's definitely rectified now.

We put the heating on an hour earlier than normal as we wanted the lounge to be above 14° when we got up!

I wonder what their reasoning is, Crazy? Makes no sense if it's nigh-on empty already.

It was normal outside when I got up, but we now having a dusting of snow on the ground. Dh and I are tired after staying watching the news too late into the night. We're leaving dd to sleep late as she's back to school (online) next week and Principal confirmed they will have a full timetable of classes (and to wear full uniform!!).

Biddy Uniform?! Surely she can get away with PJ bottoms and fluffy socks under her desk I watched too much US news last night too. I read that twitter are threatening to ban DT permanently. That's not going to go down too well with his supporters.
Fluffy It's gone colder since I got up just before 6 DH didn't wake me in the night, he's avoided a "patioing" for a few more days I've just been into the garden to feed the birds (blackbirds, collared doves and one adorable pied wagtai) there's no wind so it's not as cold as it looks. I think getting into our cars at the mo would need a hairdryer to thaw the handles - not joking, I've resorted to that trick more than once. 🥶⛄

Full uniform for learning at home biddy? That seems really harsh!

Hard frost here too today. My house is toasty now but the heating goes off at 9 and then it'll be 🥶. I have my double layered Christmas socks on, fleece dressing gown and long hot water bottle at the ready!

Fluffy I have no idea why the sellers want extra time. We went to the house a week before Christmas to measure a few things and they were half packed then! I assume it's to do with booking furniture collection / movers but it's a balancing act between not wanting to spend an extra months rent on this house when we don't need it but also making sure we have a few days to clear and clean this house and that we can give the landlady decent notice (although she knows we're moving).

Puss I only have 3 episodes of West Wing left. Last ep finished with Rob Lowe coming back and Josh going on holiday. The end was predictable but still made me slightly weepy

I've woken up headache free but they tend to get me in the early afternoon. I don't think I'm drinking enough so I have my big drinking bottle full of squash and need to make sure that's empty by the time I walk the dog at 12.

I suppose the uniform is to try and keep them in the learning mindset.

I'm struggling to work out how I'm going to work the hours they want me in the team I'm going to. The school aren't doing wraparound care and dh seems to think his job is more important than mine.

I think you're right Wreck about the learning mindset - they are normally quite strict but have been very understanding this year due to lack of supplies in the shop, the need for constant washing (but can't ask boarders to wash daily) and no changing for PE, so DD has worn sports uniform every single day since Sept!! But yes, once she has either a shirt or sports top on, I think it will be comfy tracksuit and fluffy socks underneath the desk .

Meanwhile, I have thermal socks and fluffy slippers, a fleece blanket over my knees, and a knee length cardigan over my jumper and thermal vest (and a HWB at my back for medical purposes!) - and I'm not warm yet.

Fingers crossed that the sellers get themselves organised soon Crazy.

Is it worth asking DH if his job will make a difference to us all getting back to "normal" Wreck?

No it would just make him cross. His colleague was furloughed for three months last time and dh worked throughout, I've told him he can be flexi furloughed for childcare but he doesn't think his boss will want to do that they're not even busy, he's been moaning about them not having much to do and not starting the day until 10:30 etc.

Wreck I think you're going to need to make him cross tbh. If you've full hours to do, he will just have to pick the kids up, or he can forget the keyworker places and he can home school them. Why can't he start at 8 and finish at 3? You know his boss is a knob, don't let DH join him on the "knobs bench"
Crazy can you phone them and explain? Give them two options - early completion or one a full calendar month later due to having to pay both rent and mortgage? He might be more flexible then.

Oh, well he could start earlier so, and then finish earlier to do the childcare? (I know, being practical and pragmatic doesn't always work....DH is usually good at sharing fairly but there have been times when he has pulled this on me too and expected I would just juggle it all/find a solution, particularly on childcare stuff rather than household maintenance stuff).

I know. He already starts at 8 (officially). He has this weird thing that he's happy to do the morning school run but finishing earlier seems to be a no go for some reason. There's also the issue of us not knowing how long it'll be for which is frustrating but we're in the middle of a pandemic... Yes biddy it's always up to me to juggle or if not make the decision/ask him rather than him trying to help find a solution.

I'm sitting my laptop on my lap(!) to help keep me warm

Afternoon C2C-ers.

Sitting down for the first time today. Everything is packed, so I can't even do any crocheting!

lachy are you waiting for a phonecall or a man with a van?

Wreck I'm annoyed on your behalf. If it helps, my response when DH does things like this is pretend I'm too stupid to work out a solution. I say things like "what will we do?" And "what's your plan?"
What is his job? Is there any reason he can't switch hours around? Is the not finishing early thing not wanting to appear to be slacking to his colleagues?

puss we sent the sellers a message yesterday and they came back today agreeing to an earlier exchange. Not quite as early as we wanted but perfectly workable. Aiming for 21st!

Ooh how exciting lachy. We're a few weeks behind you but I've packed all my yarn and suddenly have the urge to crochet 😂 I've deliberately kept my cross stitch out though to force me to work on it

I'm back from walking the dog. It's bloody cold out there!

Crazy We moved on a 21st (November) so 🤞🏻 it's lucky.

He's a builder can't really start earlier than he does (8) so he can't switch anything around. He often works past 5 too. He said that we will just sort it once I know what I'm doing but now I haven't had a response from the manager 🤯

I've got my vaccine booked though for ten days time.

I've got my vaccine booked though for ten days time.
That's probably about 2 years before me. 😂😂😂

I've got to drive forty miles to get it

I'm now due my first dose between July - Sept this year, apparently.

I'd drive to Lands End or John O'Groats to get it, without stopping and peeing in the car if necessary!

Fluffy I can pick you up if you like 🤔😳😂