So, I went back over the past week and caught up on your news.
Mrs I'm enjoying Strictly too. I only caught half of last night's episode though - I recorded it because I was doing something else when it started. Then I sat down to watch it and fell asleep in front of the fire 
. I might watch the rest of it tomorrow. You were asking about Ex and if he's supportive. Thankfully, he hasn't messed me around where money is concerned. He pays his child maintenance promptly every month and it's a decent amount. DD is covered under his health insurance policy, so I don't know if we can claim anything from that towards the cost of her braces. I'll ask him about it when I meet him. Also, the quote from the orthodontist says that we can claim tax relief on the cost. Basically, we pay the money up front, hold onto the receipts and then claim some of the cost back at the end of the tax year. Another option would be to travel to Northern Ireland and get the braces fitted there - it's a lot cheaper. One of DD's school friends did this. But we'd have to bring DD back every 6-8 weeks for adjustments and Ex and I both work full-time, so I think we'll stick with a local orthodontist. It would be different if we lived very close to the border.
martha Sorry to hear you're all battling Covid but glad you haven't been too ill with it - well, so far. A shame you had to miss the sponsored walk for the Alzheimers Society. Speaking of Alzheimers, did you hear about Karen Penny? She walked the entire coastline of Ireland and the UK and raised over £100,000 for the charity. What an incredible lady.
Humbug get well soon. Makes sense to get the urgent car repair done and hold off on the less essential work.
Meadow hope they sort out the Maternity pay for you. Sorry to hear you've all been unwell.
Love sorry you didn't get the job you went for but good news that you've been invited to interview for another job. Fingers crossed..... Glad your Dad enjoyed his biscuits.
Unescorted so sorry to hear about your Dad. Must have been such an emotional day yesterday, dropping DD to Oxford. Is it her first year there? Glad the parking warden was decent.
Born I hope everything goes well with the bathroom refit. I'm sure it will be lovely when it's finished.
TheHound glad you got through a tight few weeks even if it did involve lots of pasta and jacket potatoes
Camden sorry to hear about your Granny 
.
Scream have you namechanged again? So pleased to hear you got the job. You should be very proud of yourself.
life glad to hear the test was negative.
Alfie sounds like you went through a rough time of it during the pregnancy and birth of your DS. I'm sorry the car issue has been causing a disagreement between you and your DH but sounds like you've come up with a plan. Glad you got the paint off the bath.
em your birthday tea sounds lovely. Belated happy birthday! So glad the party went well. Sounds like that birthday nap was well deserved.
Happier that was a great saving on the multivitamins.
I heard about the fuel shortages on the news. Is it all sorted now? Must have been really stressful.
I'm starting my Walktober tomorrow. Must remember to put on my fitbit in the morning.
My laptop seems to be on its way out. It's extemely slow to power up and it keeps crashing. Luckily I have a work laptop now, thanks to Covid and working from home. Every cloud and all that......
I think I mentioned already that I'm planning to clear out my kitchen presses at the weekend and invest in some kilner jars for dry goods. I've been googling jar labels 
. And spice carousels. This Cole and Mason carousel caught my eye but it's very expensive and that's before I convert the price into euros coleandmason.com/products/cambridge-16-jar-herb-spice-carousel. I might ask for it as a Christmas present. Is it sad asking for a spice rack for Christmas? It's something I'd actually use though.
That's about all my news. Enjoying a quiet evening by the fire and relishing the peace and quiet before the hustle and bustle of a new week.