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

I think @mummyinbeds and her DS are the others with birthdays today or very soon, so happy birthday to you guys too and I hope you are all well enough to enjoy yourselves

Normal, ummm recommend? Eufy is ok. Was £200. But we have oblong kitchen - diner, joined by small oblong hallway to same sized oblong lounge, so easy to clean.

Our downstairs would be ideal for a robot type vac. as it is fairly open plan. I watched a video once where someone had set one up to run in the night. But their dog did a nice runny 💩 and the vacuum ran through many times, plus all over the rugs etc. It was quite amusing to watch, but I'm sure it wasn't for the home owner. That put me off wanting one.

@Alsoplayspiccolo happy birthday.

Happy birthday @Alsoplayspiccolo, @mummyinbeds and DS 🎂🎁🎉

Happy New Year 🥳 taken a day to get over the hangover from hell. Oooppps - DD made us all bacon sandwiches 🥪 to help - she can be messy but she’s fab at helping out x

Managed to get dressed by 3pm on New Year’s Day and had a family cinema trip to an empty cinema and a last night Chinese takeaway before middle big kid went back to his flat today. Lovely having him home for most of Christmas apart from a couple of days when he went to girlfriends family. 12 days home with us was a real treat and after they all got used to each other got on fine.

Middle one went to school friend New Years party and got in at 5am but the DH and I only got in at 3 so not an issue. He was good and messaged us also all took LFTs before attending.

DD starting with online learning for 3-4 days first - all organised before Christmas by school then starting face to face. With 2nd set of mocks 2 weeks later.

She’s cool with masks in class after three 6th form attending school without masks in the last week when their siblings tested positive for covid on LFTs which meant 30 pupils got infected in 2 days and had family Christmas ruined. We narrowly avoided.

Friends in nhs and a friend of a friend in government both telling me concerning things. Can’t see how these kids won’t be doing TAGs …. Middle DS telling me his girlfriends uni are going back to online learning …. So have a feeling the offer days will be cancelled.

should've taken Christmas decs down today, but couldn't be bothered. Have to do it tomorrow, because all back at work / school Tuesday.

Our indoor decorations came down yesterday. I'm always itching to get them all down by Boxing Day. But we have the wreath on the front door still and a string of lights around the garage and porch. Dh can take those down.

Ds2 goes back weds. Actually I've just reminded myself I looked at a letter about parent consultations and his report that were in his bag. He still hasn't given them to me. Do I say something? He doesn't know I noticed the brown envelope poking out his bag. If I don't say anything I'll miss parent consultations.

I'm a Twelfth Night adherent. Still using Christmas mug, Christmas plates , trees up.

Annoyingly, have Parents' Evening on Twelfth Night.

Happy birthday to Piccolo & mummyinbeds plus DS

Decorations still up here. DS had never seen any of the Meet The Parents films so we've binged those.

We kept ours up til 31st Jan last year as we’d all had covid over Christmas and needed cheering up! I might try it again as January is a bit depressing isn’t it?!

Thanks for the birthday wishes. It was DS's today, mine is on Thursday. He had a 'party' in our freezing cold conservatory while we sat in the dining room shouting at him through a triple glazed door.

I will take our decs down tomorrow, itching to get on with it really.
I don’t know what to do about school on Wednesday. Dd tested negative on LFTs, we are still waiting for the PCR test to arrive. No one else is ill, and I’m wondering if it’s just cat allergy, having been away over Christmas, so she may have resensitised, she did have a cough but that has stopped now, and she’s quite perky. I don’t want to be the person who infects a school because they blithely assumed their kid was fine, but I really don’t know what to do.

We are in theory 12th Night people for Christmas Decs down but in practice it tends to be the day before we all go back to work or school i.e. tomorrow. I took down rhe outside lights tonight so they can dry before being put away.

No robot vacs here either, we also have small, irregular rooms with steps everywhere and no big spaces. I also don't think thr cats would like it . I do love our cordless Dyson though.

Went to panto with DD today (DS doesn't like it). it was an absolute blast, we had a great time. Not sure if she would have understood all the innuendo even at nearly 16 it was quite near the knuckle in places. She has been working flat out for her mocks so a well deserved break.

Watched the darts tonight, it tends to dominate our festive viewing. Final tomorrow.

zebra, is the school also doing LFTs?

On a side note, DS's isn't. Apparently not required in standalone sixth form settings! His school is very clear and cautious so am guessing they also weren't sent testing kits.

Everyone is still asleep here so I’ve just been pottering about taking the decorations down but will leave the little nativity until 12th night. I’m now having a quiet cuppa whilst watching ‘The Railway Children’. Annoyingly I couldn’t sleep last night so was awake until 3, why does everything seem so much worse at night?? Dd is so stressed about mocks etc, she’s given herself a rash and is on steroid cream to try to calm it and DS still has ongoing health rumbles and we’re off to a cardiology appointment with him on Wednesday. Eugh 😩. Sorry for such a self indulgent post, hope all is well in your houses 💐

Don’t be sorry cariadambyth, sounds like tough times for your two. I hope the appt on weds results in positive options for him.

Our indoor fairy lights stayed up all year for 2021 because DH kept asking me not to take them down! DS1 not back at university until 15th Jan, DS2 has the extra day off for platinum jubilee tomorrow, so 2 more days until we move out of Christmas mode here.

@cariadambyth sorry to hear you are having a hard time, so many girls seem to get very stressed by striving for perfection! Lots of us wish our boys would pull their finger out and take their work more seriously, but I think it is more worrying when you have DC, usually girls, who push themselves until they are ill. Hope you get good news on Wednesday if it is the sort of thing where you get news quickly.

Belated birthday wishes to Piccolo and Mummyinbed’s DS

Sorry to hear that cariadambyth, fingers crossed for the appointment on Wednesday. It’s horrible when your Dc are unwell 💐

I have a Eufy, she hasn’t been coping well with Christmas and is not a fan of lametta which I had this year as a nod to my childhood.Full house here and DD’s partner coming today as her birthday tomorrow. DS was due back for 4pm tomorrow but wondering if he will now have to go back earlier for LFT seeing today’s news about the on-site testing.

Thanks lovely ladies, it’s all a bit unexpected with DS to be honest. He had a neurology appointment a couple of weeks ago and the dr asked for an ECG which showed up some irregularities so we’ve been referred to cardiology. I have no real idea of what might happen on Wednesday or how long before we hear any news. The irony is he’s really fit and healthy and is currently in David Lloyd swimming and playing badminton, thanks to his friend’s guest pass.
Dd struggles with having incredibly high achieving (but lovely) friends so always feels inferior. I don’t think the uncertainty of life is helping her either.
@Monkey2001all year round twinkly lights might be there way to go here, I think that’s a fab’ plan.

Hope that the appointment on weds goes well, @cariadambyth: this is always a safe space to share worries so please don’t apologise and keep us updated. Ds is one of those boys who puts himself under a lot of pressure: we’ve found having a really clear timetable so he can feel he’s achieved and ticked things off that really helps.

Decs coming down today here: too much hassle to dismantle everything on a work day!

I know I’m anxious, your kindness has made me well up! Thank you x

Sorry for everyone who's poorly, undergoing tests etc.

Our decorations will be down today. DH birthday is on 12th night so always have them down for that. He's back at work tomorrow. DD isn't back to school until next Monday, but has to go in for LFT on Thursday. She's back from her break with boyfriend's family tonight, so back to studying for her tomorrow.

DS is off to spend a few days with his girlfriend tomorrow before returning to uni next Sunday, so it's all change here.

All seems to be in limbo here - uni offers received, mocks not til after half term, parents evening in March. One offer holder day booked, but can't see them happening in person. Had a letter from school giving all the dates for study leave, last day at school, graduation evening and ball. Can't help wondering whether any of it will happen.....

Hope all goes well with DS cariad and that you get some answers.

Sorry to hear about your worries @cariadambyth. One of the reasons dd moved for sixth form was that the environment at her highly selective girls school made her feel so stressed. Like your dd she had super clever friends (her 3 best friends all got straight 9s) plus they all worked so hard and the stressy atmosphere was contagious. I hope your dd can find some peace. It’s so difficult for them, especially with all the exam uncertainty.

@cariadambyth Being a fit and healthy young man will mean he's in the best starting place if any medical intervention is needed, hopefully they are just being extra cautious.

DS is of the laid back variety. He's just asked me "what day do I go back to school?".