The Friendly Frugaleers, watching the pennies as we wait for sunshine!

[Cagliostro]

Hello, all welcome!

I've been on holiday & this thread has fallen off threads I'm on, look forward to catching up

I've made American pancakes with banana and syrup for breakfast. Yum!

Looks like it's going to be a lovely day.

Morning all. Dh is annoyed today. Because he "had to" sleep on the bare mattress protector with the bare duvet last night. had to my arse, he's just lazy

I'm ignoring it for the most part. I've told him I asked him to do three things yesterday - bins, tidy up, make bed. None of which have been done. He pointed out that I was home all day. Which is true. I could have done them (exception being tidy up after dinner because I didn't make dinner until he was home - which incidentally was bloody yum). But my point is, I asked for help.

I've just made a fish finger sandwich for my breakfast. Mmmm. Catface has eaten all her biscuits so I'd say she's feeling more normal.

Gosh Sunny, how funny to suddenly be confronted by your old life /self! I think clearing out is a very good thing (and I should practice what I preach more often - though recent garage flooding has helped on that front!)

Sorry to hear your DS is having GI pain. It could be an acid reflux sort of thing, although I've no idea about ready brek. I am also sorry he is struggling at school. Do you suspect he has undiagnosed additional needs? Regarding getting help, there are a few things I have learned which may be a useful starting point - forgive me if you already know these things:

• schools have a generic budget for additional needs, as it is assumed that a proportion of children in any school will have needs which affect their learning (special educational needs). This could be something like ASD, Down's syndrome, or could be dyslexia, diabetes, visual impairment, anything really. Or it could be where SEN have been identified even where there is no diagnosis. This should fund support up to c £6000 per child (the level of the generic budget for a proportion of children)

• children who require differentiated educational support above this level access additional funding through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Anyone can ask for a child to be assessed for this (school can trigger this, or a parent, or other parties e.g. Social workers). Most times it is the school. The LA has responsibility for carrying out these assessments, where they agree this is warranted (ie there is reason to believe the child may need a level of support over and above the school's general SEN budget).

• a child does not need a diagnosis to access additional educational support, whether from the school's budget or through an EHCP. It shouldn't make any difference as it should just be on what support the child evidently needs to learn. However, I have no doubt that a diagnosis does help.

The EHCP process should take no more than 20 weeks to complete - this is a statutory timeframe. We are on Week 32. The problem I am having is not the LA opposing the need or funding at an inappropriate level, they've actually been really good about that and are funding almost full time 1:1 support. My problem has been poor quality input from the NHS side (OT and SLT needs), which means DS's plan has not been specific enough about the support they need to give. We are getting there though.

Not feeling too great today. Had a busy couple of days at work followed by a nice day with the DC yesterday but I barely stopped until 4pm.

Meant to be off to PIL for lunch today. Wondering if it is going to be a MN chicken type lunch stretched between 15 people again . Considering not going at the moment and then there will be more proper food for everyone else. There's normally enough pudding to put everyone in a sugar coma though

Sent DP off to sainsburys for school uniform and a few bits while the DC and I do nothing this morning

em DH . I think parenthood may be a shock for him during the first few weeks when your priority is no longer you and him!

Morning all, the sun is shining here!

Dd has a riding lesson this morning, first one in a few weeks so that will be nice and then going to mums for lunch, hopefully a LSD...

Getting very annoyed with DH's work. They only just gave him his rota for next week they are so disorganised and it makes it so difficult to plan anything.

My friend got me a voucher for something that I need him to have the kids for, and there's no time that we can arrange it.

Got the Caglets a nice new notebook each yesterday, so they can do their new science work. Hopefully start with that next week in the interest of gradually increasing structure HE-wise.

Super behind on the thread. I spent hours last night catching up on Child Genius!

love I think it might be...!! To be fair though I think it may be a shock for me too. Isn't it for everyone?!

Today should hopefully be a nsd. The plan is to continue cleaning tidying etc. Take stuff to charity shops and just try and get things back on track.

cag oooh child genius. I missed it last night but will catch up later. We've been sucked in by it though. Some of the parents are so clearly unhinged.

Good to hear omeprazole worked wonders for you Fluffy. I am slightly nervous about giving DD such a strong drug but after another bad night / morning, where she's clearly in pain, I'm sending DH out to get it asap!

That's really interesting christmas. I don't want to say too much on mn in as I always get drawn into saying more than I should, but we are having some tests done privately at the moment, so I might have a better idea soon.

It's great to know that there is money there. The school keep saying he "is not bad enough to attract funding", and then sending us endless threatening letters telling to get him to man-up and sort himself out, which just drives me wild with frustration. We're on our 7th GP now but he seems better perhaps.

Cag I saw this and thought of you. It's a bit far for you but I suppose you have forestry commission places near?

Sunny he may not be needy enough to attract additional funding but that's not to say they don't have a duty to support his milder SEN, if he has any. Sounds as though the school may see his difficulties as a behavioural 'choice' in which case some clinical input / diagnosis would help, if it is warranted. Good luck

Thanks wreck will check that out!

I get hooked on the show every year em was super annoyed at the home educating family (Theo) this year though. Mum's super defensive reaction when he lost, cringe!!! We aren't all like that, promise :o

christmas yes I think that's exactly the problem. We struggle to know at home too, which complicates things. We're scientists, surrounded by scientists here and the school is well used to the problem, but I'm not sure it makes it any easier for them to deal with. The question being - is this family just eccentric, or is there a diagnosable problem? Blah...

Doh! Thanks seacow I didn't think of going online to check! Sounds as if you're being given the same as my DD has, hope it works well for your DD and I definitely don't think you're overreacting, it's just a very variable condition.

Cag, it sounds like you will potentially do much better once dh's request for flexible working goes in - it sounds like they are utter piss-takers tbh!

I'm going to Asda tonight. It's almost an hour away so we don't go often, what do I need to buy?

Tuna melts for lunch.

I just put some of my pre-baby clothes on ebay, and also my tens machine from ds's delivery. #frugaleering

The box says "Drug-free pain relief for labour and beyond" and I misread is as "Pain beyond relief". Which of course is not how it is. Not at all.The drugs were goooood.

Em tell me I don't need these bootss* definitely can't afford them so won't buy them but doesn't stop me needing them

wreck thanks. Now I neeeeeeeeed them too....

We've just been into town.

Picked up the pram. That was the one thing we meant to do. We had lunch (crepes and coffee mmm) then hit boots (baby event today) and spent £55 on all manner of absorbent things for both me and the baby - pads, nappies, paper pants...dh thought these were particularly hilarious. Various creams (nipple and sudo) muslins with cars bikes and boats on. Then went to mothercare and bought some sheets for the Moses basket.

We need to get a baby bath. Some sort of basket thing to put changing stuff in for the house.

In the shop we got the pram from I did buy an outfit for baby boy. Chinos, a shirt and tie and a cardigan. For Christmas. We just need a small flat cap and he'll look like a proper old jersey boy. 🤣 I saw the outfit ages ago and it was 75% off. £19.

Scrap then baby bath and get a tummy tub

30 quid hairdresser. Took DD to the park in between rain showers. Called in to see my mum who sent us home with a food parcel so that's dinner sorted! Lovely day.

They are lovely boots but that's not much of a saving and Clark's do similar ones for less than £100.
puts them off enough to rush in and buy the boots

Our baby bath was useless. I read much later that it's quicker and easier just to dip the baby in someone else's bath, and I think that's probably right. We just topped and tailed until he was big enough for the grown-up bath.