Class of '18 Best foot forward through the autumn leaves.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

old thread was getting big....

Dd failed to make the christening as she was awake all night coughing. As was I listening to her. She is missing a 9 am seminar tomorrow and I’ll take her back at lunchtime. A chicken dinner and a soak in the bath will hopefully make her feel a bit better.

stupid rotten coughs!

Nettle sounds like he's craving healthy food. I must ask dd what she is missing in terms of food.

Just checking in. Its been a busy couple of weeks. Ds1 came home for remembrance sunday and even brought a shirt. We met at mil House last weekend as dh and Ds1 were supposed to go to a football match together but unfortunately it was postponed until the day Ds1 finishes for Christmas so we all went to the cinema instead.
The university Christmas ball sounds interesting, the tickets are reasonably priced and there will be a free bar, Ds1 has said he's not planning on going though because his first exam if the following day. I can't quite get my head around how sensible he I would have got very drunk and been lucky to get into the exam hall.

How unsociable it is to have a ball the night before an exam.

DD has just rolled in from a night out with her new friend from work.

That's just rotten re the ball!

dd has exams the first day of lectures. So there will be a bit of revision over Christmas.

good to hear from you littledrummergirl :)

After DS1's most recent three-day visit where I saw him for about 30 minutes, I'm trying to be more organised about planning some family time together.

Astonishingly, we've found an event in late January that all six of us (including DS1) are excited about. (A Doctor Who exhibition at a space centre). It's only about 5 miles away from his halls, so we can combine it with a visit.

That sounds amazing!

ds1 has had a haircut and a shave at the barber's. I've been cooking all day, soups quiches and some treacle scones that everyone declared looked like wombat droppings And dd's favourite chilli and garlic fried/steamed bright green kale. ds is settling nicely on the sofa. I managed to have a conversation about Margaret Atwood with him without him running screaming away, although tbh he is now displaying the typical student nihilist revolutionary "opinions". Alas as he knows no history he doesn't know what a nihilist is.

DS1 got his second assignment back. This is the one where he started a week late (as he missed the lecture in which the work was set); didn't understand how to distinguish the different types of publication; left much of it to the last minute so he ended up typing it up in the car on the way back at the end of reading week; and thinks he used the wrong referencing format. It tested some of the things he struggles with most (following instructions, planning and organisation).

He got 79%

Found you! Somehow you dropped off my tio. Good to catch up on all your news.
Had a messenger video chat with DS on Saturday, which for some reason kept dropping out. He looked knackered but ok. After the chat dropped out for the last time he messaged to say how much he had enjoyed chatting to us, and that he loved us so much. I very nearly cried!

When I first read Nettleskeins most recent post, I read it as I managed to have a conversation with Margaret Atwood about him and had an image of you trying to track her down so you could discuss your DS.

Oh bless him PandaG that's really sweet

I like that idea First..having imaginary conversations with famous authors might actually be very therapeutic. Dickens...what do you think of this situation..and Jane Austen, you probably have some good advice

First that is brilliant!
Panda ah that is v heartwarming

DD has just told me that most students she knows have pictures of their families up on the wall. Her boyfriend only has pictures of her. I am beginning to wonder if there is another back story as to why he decided to go to university a long way from home and never visited his family, even during reading week.

I think his family are a bit unsociable anyway (DD has been with the BF for 3 years and has only once been invited to his house for tea), but it is all rather sad.

Oh, and congratulations to your DS First. He seems to worry you then pull it out of the bag doesn't he? DD does that as well.

He seems to worry you then pull it out of the bag doesn't he?

Yep, that pretty much summarises the past 3-4 years. He did it at GCSE (have not forgotten how stressful that was) did it again at A-level (remember his DDE in his mocks?) and is still doing it now. It's a good thing I have you lot to keep me sane. And it's a good thing DS1 is so lovely to make up for being hard work.

Thank goodness for DS2 with his robust physical and mental health, steady work ethic, good organisational skills and general lack of drama.

DD got a D in her last geography A level mock, then got an A in the actual exam.

I wish they wouldn't do this to us!

Lonicera - DD has a picture of her cat

Dd has pictures of her mates, her horses and her dog. Not a single one of us.

But there are no pics of us.

Thank you Kitten.
We printed far too many a few photos for ds1. We suggested he stuck them onto paper as a collage and attach to the wall so he made less marks- his complaint is that they keep falling down.
A number of them were of his guinea-pigs and ddog.

Ds1 said one of the reasons he liked it at home was because we had things on the walls and things of general interest all around lying everywhere chaotically

Then he added: I'm really sorry mum, I haven't put those posters up yet that you gave me.

Then. Some people in my halls have really nice rooms. They put pictures up. But that is because they are French.

[I think he means, they have come a long way to university, so can be bovvered)

As far as I know there are no pictures of any of us anywhere, except possibly on his phone.

He has gone off now, still arguing the toss about whether he needed a coat (no) a scarf (no) or some rosemary to cook with (quelle horreur) but in an excellent mood, promising to return some. He took the student cookbook with him at last!!! We had a minor row about the fact that he said he couldn't afford to "eat" despite buying himself sandwiches and takeaways regularily. We also had another spat over the fact that he has chosen Burt Baccharat as his recital piece of choice..just.. why?

return soon not some.

DS has no photos, it wouldn't occur to him. He has a lovely pin board which has nothing on it. We've had a running battle since GCSEs where I say he needs a todo list and he'd rather remember stuff, have a massive drama when he forgets to do something, rinse and repeat. I am not there to drop casual reminders into conversation so he's having more last minute crises. My suggestion was an old school to do list, on paper, pinned to the board. Clearly this is totally unworkable, ridiculous even to suggest it because he has no pins.

Was I like this at 18? Yes, I probably was except I didn't have the opportunity to be in constant contact with my parents sharing the latest drama that they could do absolutely nothing about.