Starting lectures at uni 2017

[HSMMaCM]

The other thread filled up really quickly, with exciting talk of laundry, mattress toppers and lost property.

Here's where the rest of them settle in, get through freshers and the work gets serious.

Aww banana, so hard for both of you but great that her flatmates are lovely.

OMG, DD and a flatmate have just cooked a full roast for their flat Just goes to show you dont need to spend years training them up

HSM, thats fab.

We were having a chat about one of DDs flatmtes who surely is on the ASD spectrum and I said how great it ws that they are all getting on and she said that she hasnt met anyone that she thinks would be nasty so far.

BTM it's lovely when they have nice people around them isn't it.

banana well done to your DD for wobbling, but coping! She's a brave girl. And how lovely are her flatmates. Their parents have brought up some seriously fabulous young people.

Reading this thread back, it has been such a help to me with all sorts of advice, from what to take to how to help the DCs fit in. The thing that shines though everyone's posts though is how the DSs and DDs are all managing; some out on the tiles all night, some gathering strength quietly in their rooms, some managing better than we ever would have imagined, some not coping that well but making such an effort; all of them showing us what impressive boys and girls we have sent out into the world!

Ds's visit went well, he doesn't seriously seem to be considering dropping out, thankfully.
I find his mood so hard to judge, he will always use the most extreme terms!
Anyway he has gone off full of home cooking and cake

That's good to hear hugo. I think sometimes when they are away it's really hard for them (and us!) to see the long game.

Uni is very hyped up and I would bet that most new students feel like 'what the hell have I done?' in the early weeks.

Sorry to hear the worries about DCs. It never stops does it?
Luckily, we had a good update this weekend. DS very happy socially and academically; working hard but that's what he expected. I'm a bit worried about his lack of decent food though but then he's a student and it's early days. Just wish I could send good home cooked food to help him but he'll learn.

I am sorry that some of your dcs are having a tough time. I hope that things settle down for them soon.
I had a lovely day with ds yesterday. We drove to Bakewell for lunch and a stomp.
He is enjoying the course apart from one maths module which he says is currently covering GSCE/AS topics. On the plus side he did say that at least he should do well in one exam in January!
He gets on ok with his flatmates but he doesn't socialise with them. He has a few friends on his course that he has met a few times.
He is also catching a train one evening a week to go to a karate club that does the same style that he did at home.
Great to see him

Good to hear that hugo. Must be a big relief.

Behind I sent my son homemade flapjacks made with molasses instead of sugar and packed with chopped nuts, seeds and dried fruit. I also put a couple of carrots, oatcakes and a sachet of fajita seasoning in the box [laugh] Sort of vaguely healthy. Would your DS use things like those?

I share your concerns about eating well, or even just not too badly. I think DS is not too bad on that score but could be better. He's probably coming home in november for a weekend and I'm already planning what I'm going to cook

Thanks Rogue. I was thinking of baking and sending something. He'd love that and I might use your flapjack suggestion: he loves flapjack. Unfortunately I'd like him to eat more fresh veg so I'll just keep mentioning recipes we use at home. He's eating lots of fruit and some good food but trying to fit in thinking about recipes, shopping and cooking, doing his washing and keeping up with his busy work timetable is a juggling act he's not used to yet. He'll get there though-I hope. We need a network of parents cooking and delivering food to other parents DCs living near them!

I don't think DS has eaten a vegetable since he got there! I have just managed to persuade him to buy some frozen peas. Better than nothing!

DD has suddenly decided she likes sweet potato fries. I bought her a bag for her freezer.

She didn't get her DSA software training today, because storm ophelia upset the Internet.

I recently made flapjacks using peanut butter instead of actual butter. I had planned for them to be for DS2 who needs fattening up but I (who does not need fattening up) ate about 95% of them.

Dd came home for weekend ( mainly to get her hair and eyebrows done ) however she and her bf spent Saturday afternoon when she got back , making flapjacks (Delia Smiths recipe)
Bloody gorgeous they were, unfortunately she's taken them back with her nowbut at least she's now showing an interest in cooking

Off to google Delia Smith's flapjacks and maybe swap the butter for peanut butter. I think my sister used to put an orange chocolate topping on hers, so maybe I'll do that while I'm at it.

If I post flapjacks will they get battered?

Could you put them inside an airtight container within a shoebox? It costs £2something to post a shoebox sized parcel second class

In a container in a shoebox full of polystyrene? There will probably only be a tiny bit, because I will have to taste to check it's ok.

yes as long as the shoebox weighs less than 2kg.

whoa. peanut butter flapjacks - do you just use instead of normal butter? is there a recipe. Great idea to send food parcels. I am going to do that! I asked DS what he's been living off and he said Sandwiches pasta and apples.

Delia's Flap jacks....smell was gorgeous when baking!!
www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/biscuits-and-cookies/flapjacks

DS came home at the weekend too. I sent him back with Deliah's chocolate brownies. None of this healthy stuff in House Haffdonga . He amazed me though by saying he is considered 'the one in his flat who can cook'. I feel I have achieved something as a parent! Mind you I have never seen any evidence of this ability at home. I prepped him in the car on the way with the single base recipe of just about every meal I ever make (chop onion, fry it with the meat/protein/veg, add the flavour and liquid then simmer. Bob's your uncle depending on additions you have stew, bolognaise, curry, chilli, thai curry, fajita etc etc). Obviously he took something on board!

It was brilliant to see him and put my mind at rest considerably that he's OK. For a while I was worried that he was quite down and didn't sound happy but he seems to have got over the hump. Missing him all over again now.

Mine's a really daddy eater and really only eats chicken. I bet he's eating the chicken nugget type stuff, rather than buying a chicken breast and cooking it, although I know he has done it once since he's been there because he messaged me to ask what to do!

FADDY not daddy!

DD has had, and successfully dealt with, her first 'security alert' from santander - presumably triggered by paying this terms college fees which include various extra stuff (not sure what, deposit, wifi charge maybe) so was rather hefty.

I'm not sure if she's done any cooking yet. Before she left there was an FB group planning to set up a cake rota... she didn't take any cake tins but we decided she could probably make tiffin just by letting it set in the pan you melt the chocolaty goo in, so long as they weren't fussy about getting it out in neat pieces.