Thread 25 - Covid Cohort - Christmas Trees, No Omicron Please!

[OrangeCinnamonCocktail]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to posts about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this goodwill continues.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided, for anyone interested, they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

Orange Cinnamon (Head Monitor )
Previous Thread Found Here

Ah, heifer, glad the dinner party went well - bravo, you!! - but sorry to hear your house has been struck by Covid. Your DD sounds very sensible, but also loads of fun - shots and make up!
Hope you’re not feeling too bad today and manage to stay Covid free.

Congratulations on the offers - amazing that uni admissions were still working up until today.

@Decorhate thanks for that. DS is going mainly for mechanical but also general in some places. Bath is likely to be his firm if he gets an offer, we are unlikely to hear until March though unfortunately.

@20newnames I think all the engineering departments at Sheffield are in The Diamond which is quite an impressive facility. We went to look at the last minute as Ds1 had only got 4 choices he liked. We all thought Sheffield was a lovely city. Dd was at Leeds & used to get the train over there occasionally to see bands as they have a better music scene!

Not had a chance to catch up other than a quick glance shows some of you coming down with Covid - hope you are expected soon and not suffering too badly.

Well done to those getting Christmas offers, what a lovely present!

Happy Christmas to you all!! 🎄🎁🎅🏼

Merry Christmas everyone

@20newnames We did make it to a general open day. The biology admissions team were welcoming, in a well-maintained (popped to the ladies) old building next to a public park and the students' union is just across the road. So it's all very handy and the accommodation up the hill looked fine in a reasonably nice area but DS doesn't fancy one of the modern blocks down the hill. They were very keen to talk about graduate destinations. We didn't do the city centre as DS 'doesn't see the point as he doesn't shop'.

We also visited Newcastle in the summer. DS chose not to apply there. He's not a party animal and a lot from this area go there for a lively time.

Just popping by to wish you all a Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas all. Hope Covid does not spoil it for you. Thanks for a great thread! Xx

Merry Christmas to all you lovely parents and carers. Wrapping is finished !!

Thanks @Decorhate and @EwwSprouts.

Merry Christmas to you all 🎄

Congratulations on all the offers!! Especially the crazy last minute Christmas ones!!

Managed to see parents this week (moved it from next Tuesday to this Thursday as Boris may change rules). DCs decorated their tree and lights outside which helped to make them festive. All of us masked and sat two ends of the lounge. LFTs and PCRs for kids and LFTs for us only took off masks for picnic lunch. Windows open. Cheered up parents and now they have pressies. Doing Zoom unwrapping later today! Asked DD to play Christmas songs on her instrument for live concert for both parents on zoom (great ability but hates performance) and will do a quiz with them that DSs have organised on Boxing Day.

DH has mum ill yesterday unclear if covid but awful cough so Boxing day cancelled and we booked PCRs for them for Christmas Eve as website so difficult to navigate. Kids and DH took over pressies and food - saw DMil through window in garden not too bad. Also doing pressies unwrap via Zoom this afternoon. DMil super teary as unwell and disappointed- if covid then probably their cleaner - who doesn’t wear a mask in the house.

Lots and lots of friends with covid isolation 18 different families at last count. Most of mums and dads in bed so not well flu symptoms as many didn’t get booster in time (takes 1-2 weeks to kick in) so effectively unvaccinated. All kids with double vaccine ok just mild but 2 of DS2 friends are only single vaxxed and one a fit 21 yr old has very low sats and looked like hospital last night.

DD helping teach friends how to cook Turkey and prep veg on door step or via zoom as the teens in charge of dinner in many friends homes?!?! Some can’t cook at all so it could be interesting x

@Heifer glad your DD got 18th do and sometimes we just have to take risks because kids need a life. As long as vaccinated and boosted parents then fingers crossed just inconvenient. DD says she had a fab year as got to do concerts, house parties and drive! She’s accepting that we had to take some risks with covid but she’s happy we struck a balance.

Have a really Happy Christmas everyone!

Kids are getting up late -normally Father Christmas pressies (but this is first year no Santa just from us) then church but DH ( who sings) concedes church super spreader event so all having a lie in.

Weirdly DS2 who complained for previous 3 years about stockings and Santa sacks plus food for reindeer saying they were too old ! thinking it was silly! ….wanted the sacks and stockings out last night ?!? DD reminded him that he’s the reason it’s not happening 🤣😂🤣😂

Enjoy having the kids home if they managed to get there if not I hope you can meet up on zoom etc

Merry Christmas to you all x

Merry Christmas all, I've had to download the app as my browser.would.no.connect all yesterday.!
Dd has tonsilitis...sounds likes she is 49. Test results all clear
About to take a LFT for the day. Have spare I'm as dinner in freezer, just in case.

Have a cool yule all !

Spare Xmas dinner

Merry Christmas everyone 🌲

After years of waking to the sound of stockings being opened, this year it's LFT packaging 😁 Hopefully all clear so that two 80+ grannies can come to lunch 🤞

Sorry for those who didn't get the all-clear. Hope no-one is too poorly.

Happy Christmas everyone 🎅🎄

@OrangeCinnamonCocktail that happened to me with MN on my phone browser a couple of days ago (Iphone). Tried the app, wasn't impressed, eventually cleared my entire browsing history and it sorted it.

I am just testing one of the teddy cuddle cushions, my goodness it's nice!

Wishing everyone as merry a Christmas as possible in individual circumstances .

Also wanted a quiet moment of cheer - dd is well-known for smashing highball glasses (not on purpose) and for Christmas she has bought me a set of new ones. Even last year, this sort of thoughtful gift would never have occurred to her. I'm really chuffed.

(Pretty sure it was her idea and she wasn't nudged by dh or her sister - but I'm not going to ask!)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Just lots of books and sweets here.

Watching Home Alone 2.

Merry Christmas to all. Not too bad a day here. The dc's even managed to speak to each other nicely for 20 mins earlier. I was amazed. It's only ds1 and ds3 that are the problem, to be fair it's mostly ds3. Ds2 got up at 1.30pm so not too bad. For Christmas he bought me 6 bottles of hand sanitizer, he thought that was hilarious. I even got ds1 and Ds2 to join us for the dog walk. Ds3 being the idiot he is would only come if ds1 wasn't coming. So was left at home.
Family coming for a couple of hours tomorrow. At least the dc's will get on with company.

I hope everyone is having a good day and those with covid are feeling ok.

I got a litre of milk....

I got a Leatherman and some really posh garden string!

Morph suits and cuddle pillows a success!

@Monkey2001 love the morph suits!