Heading towards year 2 exams (uni 2017)

[brizzlemint]

Starting uni 2017 continued.
Tales of radiators, errant boilers, tomatoes and potato mashers...oh and university students.

😮😁 at 'only a small bit of mould' !! I am keen to see what DS's house looks like! Every question I ask is batted away, so I know very little about it...

Eeek, Best!

Tilly, sounds like they may have landed DDs landlord from last year! Oddly DD is almost missing him. They built a good relationship with the handyman and a reputation for only asking for things that really needed doing. (Nothing else would have been done anyway, though the handyman had started leaving them small gifts, like some new carpet - presumably an offcut from elsewhere.) The landlord even went into bat when the agent was slow at releasing their deposit.

This year's landlord bought the flat for his student children some time ago and has since enjoyed massive capital gain, but appears to have next to no interest in dealing with workmen but has not hired agents. I suspect that the previous tenants gave up asking for repairs. DD ended up having to go down to let plumbers in, and made multiple trips to the dump to dispose of excess stuff that had gathered in the flat over the years, and to IKEA to replace broken things. The silver lining in effectively managing their own property is that when she sent him photos of the window frames, asking that someone put some filler in the gaps, he has offered to replace the windows altogether.

They started today. The first weeks timetable is really heavy. It will be a busy year.

Aha NMS, I think you could be right - handyman and landlord work as a partnership.... DD has already had dealings with handyman... I will tell her to butter him up!

DD's landlord complimented her on how she has improved the look and smell of her bedroom. DH has a plan for their bathroom too. Hopefully this means when she does ask for something the landlord will know she's not taking the Micky (and has actually left his house more marketable).

Think dd1 has been really lucky with her landlord, all bar 10 pound of the deposit back a bee oven and fridge and they replaced all the carpet ready for the new tenants when they left.

Good to hear everyone has had a good summer and that they're all looking forward to the next year.
Sounds like a few accident prone moments, I wonder if we get to the point where we don't have to worry about them any more? I suspect not, or we just move onto fretting about grandchildren!
DS2 has been in Adelaide for 6 weeks now and seems to have settled in happily.
He felt a bit run down / tired last week but that's to be expected after a busy summer term here and then going away and starting in a new place with barely a break.
He quickly found an ultimate frisbee group and has also taken up volleyball. He's tried Australian rules football but doesn't think it's for him.
He gets on well with his flatmates and is finding his course interesting. He had 2 exams last week which he felt went ok. We've spoken to him once and exchange WhatsApp messages. I think he's conscious that the year will fly by and to make the most of all the opportunities he can.
Wishing everyone and your children safe travels wherever you're off to.

@LateDecember it sounds like your DS is settling in really well.

Nothing much to report here. DD1 travelled by coach from SW England to London, met a schoolfriend then caught another coach to Munich to visit her bf. Tomorrow she & schoolfriend are getting another coach to Copenhagen. She's quite proud that she's not flying and she is seeing some of the countries. However, she is flying back next weekend but going straight to my dad's for her work experience. She should be home on 14th & back to Cambridge on 28th. DD2 goes to uni on 21st. She has finished work, but it very annoyed that the restaurant where she was injured hasn't yet paid her anything other than tips. She also hasn't signed an accident book (or been shown the first aid stuff). We're going to try the good cop, bad cop routine; she will ask nicely the she's going to be paid. If that doesn't get a response, I'm grassing them up to environmental health or the HSE. Annoyingly it's quite a nice place for a meal out, and there aren't that many round here, but I won't have her taken advantage of (sorry poor English - I'm about to go into school for an INSET afternoon)

Everyone sounds busy. My two have one friend (a girl friend) staying now and next week one of mine has a trip to Amsterdam. I think they feel more settled knowing what they will probably do after graduation (assuming they pass their degrees of course).

One has a landlord this coming term who pays for a weekly cleaner which I think is a really good idea although my son thinks it will be like a planted spy in the house. The elderly neighbours have already commented that they loved the very very quiet dentist girls who were there last year and just studied all the time. I fear this year may not be quite so quiet for the poor neighbours.

I just paid the second three months of rent to end of Dec. today for my other son's flat (and he hasn't even moved in yet. Pity they can't sublet for 3 months in the summer when they let it lie vacant.

Oh hello everyone - you'd fallen off my watched list so I'd no idea you've been chatting away. Sorry to hear about the various injuries but it's great to know about all your dcs' holidays, dodgy landlords, adventures and triumphs. Our young are all sounding happy, busy and looking forward to getting back to year 3. Ds has been back at uni (on hospital placement) since June so really didn't get a summer holiday, but he seems to have managed to fit in parties throughout the UK every weekend so I'm not too worried about his social life!

I'm finally sorting ds's childhood bedroom with a proper adult makeover as he tells me he has now officially left home () . I feel ridiculously sentimental about re-homing the crates of lego, football medals (never for winning, always for 'trying hard' ) and bookshelf full of Harry Potters and Alex Riders. Ds has no interest in it all whatsoever but I can't help but wonder if I'll regret getting rid of it if by some miracle grandchildren appear in the future...

When I asked DS to go through his stuff to sort what was no longer wanted, he told me to 'throw it all out'. 😮

I was horrified! 😆 I'm not overly sentimental but I do find it hard to get rid of all his stuff.

I'm useless at throwing out DDs stuff, DH is worse. I never quite forgave DM for getting rid of my Beatrix potter books (nothing like the full set, they weren't even taking much room) without asking me.

She did quite a good first pass at getting rid of real junk last year ahead of us getting new carpet in all the bedrooms, but there's various containers in the 'boxroom' that I'm dumping in her room one at a time when she's home. I didn't fish much back out of what she'd put to be binned.

Lol, it's funny how we have much more attachment to their stuff isn't it?! And, DS is far more sentimental than I make him sound - think he just couldn't be faffed with sorting it all out.

I have missed DS1 this summer, but his placement seems to be ok, though he’s quite bored as they are not giving him a lot to do, i’ve Told him to keep asking for more work.

He’s settled into the area and as not a lot else to do is running a lot and joining a tri club.

We did rent a cottage near him for a week and he spent evenings with us which was lovely. 10 drive home not so lovely.

Am now on repeat with DS2 and doing the rounds of open days!

We've kept the "timeless" toys such as Duplo, Lego, the Brio train set, Tracy Island and vehicles and the wooden castle and figures.
One of my former work colleagues has a little boy who gets very excited about the trains when he visits us. We also live by a steam railway which adds to the attraction! 🚂
We've also got loads of football and Star Wars sticker books and Pokemon and Yughio cards that they can't make a de ision about.
I'm the one who can't let the Beanie Baby teddies go, although they are boxed up so aren't gathering dust.

I sound like Andy's mum from Toy Story! 😂

UI am now down to children 4 and 5 so have had quite a few years of their leaving home and deciding what to take. My daughters have 25 boxes each in the loft although one recently said she wanted to sort it all out and move it which I would be happy to help with - they have at least 2 boxes each of CDs of music alone.

I think even if a child says throw it all away keep some. I have a couple of shelves of my favourite of their children's books and did read one to one of my grandchildren at Christmas so it can come in handy in due course as can a few old children's toys including if friends bring toddlers over for some people.

i still have a large wooden doll's house I did up in the 90s (since much destroyed again by my then baby twins) which was made for my sister and me in the 1960s by people my psychiatrist father was helping - he got a lot of disabled people out of homes and back into community settings and they did arts and crafts and learned to make things including the lovely doll's house which was presented to us when he left that role. My sister and I spent a lot of time taking it apart including the electrics too which we then fixed inthe 90s. Perhaps I will give it a further make over at some stage but it's staying in a cupboard for now. i could do with my older son moving his drum kit out however as that takes up almost a whole large storage cupboard in the room one of my twins is moving into at present - h is desk comes this week. however that older son has taken everything else of his and his younger brother did use the kit for his band in the sixth form when they played here so may be we should keep it. I certainly remember it cost me £1400. when my old on got it when he practised for his grade 8 drum kit on it. He bought a house (which has a boarded loft area - his neighbours have made theirs into a top floor room) whereas his sisters have bought flats - so don't have as much storage space.

I keep being castigated for throwing things away (although I never throw anything away unless they agree) eg the paddling pool. Who is giong to use that when you're 20 but then 2 weeks ago my son had to buy a brand new one for his Hawaiian party.

It certainly sounds like people's children have had more work and courses this summer than mine. My twins still have three more weeks here including this one.

Books are another thing I've kept lots of. I work in schools so I aways have 2 or 3 with me for story time. The children love the idea of them being stories I read to my children.

I know the trend now is for students to do lots of internships etc during the holidays and obviously some degree subjects make it a requirement rather than an option.
The way retirement ages are likely to get higher, part of me thinks if they can enjoy some carefree times when they are young and it's financially viable then why not?
They've got a tough year ahead of them, especially if they're doing finals.

My elder son occasionally mutters about the fact that he's been working since he was 19, but we remind him that that was his choice which he does accept.

I rather wish DD had a bit more time for travel - none at all last summer, but she's off to Italy next week.

We went through the books ... she's kept 2 bookcases full plus a couple of storage boxes. Some of the ones on the shelves were mine, and weren't all new when I had them.

Loads of Lego and Knex etc in the loft. And there's a huge heap of soft toys in her bedroom - sometimes the dog goes missing in the evening and may be found quietly slumbering among them so they're serving some purpose.

My mum never throws things away. Her loft is still full of my childhood stuff. The DCs played with my (now almost 50 year old) Lego and it’s now transferred to my loft.
DD’s room is still full of her books DVDs, etc - two Billy Ikea book cases full, everything from Old bear to the Twilight series to her uni books. I sometimes go in and read some of them in there , lying on her bed - The Princess Diaries is a favourite.Then I come over all sentimental and maudlin about where my life went.

My 2 have been quite good this summer about clearing out old stuff, mostly clothes and games and have argued about which charity shop should get them. As a family we have had direct dealings with Hospiscare but their local shop doesn't want kids's stuff, probably because our nearest town is nicknamed God's Waiting Room. The Air Ambulance welcomed it (same town) so you just can't tell.

Nothing much here to report. DD2 still hasn't been paid by the wine glass incident restaurant, despite a friendly text reminder. She still hasn't signed an accident book. I am starting to get really cross on her behalf, but she hates confrontation. I think if nothing has arrived tomorrow, we'll go down there as I have absolutely no problem kicking off in front of a restaurant full of customers. Maybe she can go in first and ask, then I'll be the back-up...

That's dreadful about your daughter, Malbacfan. I wonder if they are hoping that she'll get caught up with planning her return to uni and will just let it drop. Perhaps there have been similar incidents in the past where that tactic has worked. As you say, sometimes parental backup is what's needed, even though it shouldn't be the case. Hope tomorrow goes well for her.

Good luck with the restaurant confrontation. All is fine here. One guest, the lovely girl friend, left last night so one night with only the twins here which is a nice change, not that I don't like their many friends who have been staying. The one who is not in Amsterdam next week has already invited two separate friends to stay during parts of next week.... would you rather I had no friends, he said? Of course not, it is just they all come here most of the time not the other parents' houses quite so much; although mentioned other parents who adore having the children's friends to stay and put on meals every day for them.... mind you if those parents are so wonderful why don't all the students gather there then... laughing as I type.

The new desk for the one moving bedrooms at home has not arrived (due yesterday ) which is annoying. I hope it comes today rather than has months of delay. He should probably chase it. I stayed in all day yesterday.

I thikn the one here next week is going to go to Bristol to move into his new place just for a night with a friend so they can get into the rooms, hopefully he will take back loads of stuff one of his friend's left here and I'm hoping his local parking permit has arrived in Bristol as that's been quite a saga - transfer of car into his name, new insurance in his name, car registered at Bristol house, picked up DVLA do from there, car tax, then Bristol rejected the on line application aswe had the wrong form so I posted it all with his full tenancy agreement and DVLA doc and as they just cahsed the cheque I think the permit should be there when he arrives next week for his brief visit. He wants to buy an easy chair for the room at my cost apparently but it looks like a nice big room, he had the worst last year and this year had top pick.

I think it's going to be a busy term - dissertations presumably started. applying for their Sept 2020 studies, job applications, year 3 work for finals etc.

Xenia, one Bristol tip. It is quite easy to go online and get visitor permits. In the parking zone DD was in last year they let her order about 50 free and then she could pay for extra. It helped when parents came down to help move things, plus the neighbours emergency plumber was really grateful when she offered him one. There were not many pay and display spaces, so being able to park in the residents spaces was as important as the money saved.

Thanks. The form we posted also allowed us to requst 50 free visitors' permits so hopefully they will be there when goes next week - he's going for the day just to move some stuff in.