Another path ....... the journey begins

[chopc]

Hello @321zyx @AvocadoPlant @bendmeoverbackwards @BigWoollyJumpers @Braveheart35 @calculatorqueen @ChimneyPot @Dobbyisahouseelf @Eastisup @jano69 @Majaso12 @MidLifeCrisis007 @NCTDN @Notagardener @OnTheBenchOfDoom @Parsonage63 @Pumpkintopf @Peaseblossum22 @quest1on @Peaseblossum22 @SATSmadness @SeasonFinale @Tenpastseven @Vargas @Xenia

Apologies for anyone I omitted to tag

Sorry to hear that @Majaso12 how stressful for your dd. I haven't even thought ahead to next term. So far most of dd's lectures have been face to face but I suppose that could all change now. Let's hoping it's only short term over the winter.

@Majaso12 That's not good at all. I think my DD has been very lucky at Exeter as most lectures have been F2F, so far.

My DD has had a difficult week as she has been poorly again. Uni Health Centre weren't helpful but the NHS walk in centre in Sidwell Street were fantastic. My DD has an abscess on her tonsils and they prescribed two lots of antibiotics, painkillers and even phoned the ENT consultant at A&E to check if she needed to be seen. We ended driving to uni to pick her up after work so a round trip of 7 hours. My husband was a bit 'what tonight' but I just wanted her home as she was in a lot of pain.

She did make me laugh though as she went back to uni yesterday to find out her last two lectures have been cancelled and have been posted online! Thankfully she packed a suitcase last week so can travel home by train tomorrow.

We are meant to be away for Christmas but who knows what new rules will be in place next week.

Never even crossed my mind that labs etc would be cancelled
I can understand lectures are online but they shouldn't cancel lab work
(DC doesn't have lab work and starting her holidays next week anyway)

She's on her way home for xmas - woohoo!

Feel jealous of people being able to pick their ds and dd’s up for Christmas. Better not go in to too much details in case anyone irl knows who it is. We were hoping to pick dd up Saturday but her boyfriend’s parents are going to London and have booked things including something Sunday night for them and dd without any consideration for us picking dd up. Think dd felt bad saying anything, but I’m feeling quite upset. Looks like we can’t pick her up until late on Sunday night which probably means us getting home about midnight or not until Monday now.

And that’s next weekend as well, so quite late.

@Majaso12

And that’s next weekend as well, so quite late.

Oh @Majaso12 - Heartbreaking. Big hugs.

@majaso12 I hope that the boyfriend's parents at the very least checked with your DD before booking things for next weekend. If not that is over stepping massively.

My DD came home last night and a combination of being ill and exercise has lost quite a bit of weight. I'm in Mum mode today and made her scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for lunch and she is enjoying being pandered too. So lovely to have her home.

No it doesn’t sound like they did check. They asked her last weekend if her parents were picking up her up Sunday night, if not Monday like it wasn’t an option for us to pick her up earlier than that. Did say to her a few times to say that we’re picking up earlier in the day.

@Majaso12 Ouch I wouldn't be happy with the other parents making massive assumptions that they can dictate and that your DD will fall in with their plans.

I hope you enjoy the lead up to Christmas when your DD finally comes home.

@Majaso12 under the circumstances perhaps DD needs to make her own way home?

We went all the way to Durham and DS said most people are storing their luggage then taking the train home

She did say she could get the train back late Sunday night but I don’t really want her travelling back late on her own and also don’t think she’d be able to bring everything she wants back on the train. We were hoping to have a nice day in London with her before bringing her back but instead they are getting a weekend with her. I wouldn’t be surprised if we can’t pick her up until Monday. They have already said she can go back to theirs Sunday night and stay.

Ds is home, it is an easy jaunt for us to Durham so we were there early this morning. He was home for lunch! Sorry to everyone else who had a journey of it.

@Dobbyismyabsolutefav Ds is most looking forward to someone cooking meals for him too. To be fair I have no issue with this at all. For the last few years he has either helped to make or outright made family dinners. He just needs a bit of TLC. So far he has praised a dishwasher and cold filtered water. It is the simple things clearly that matter to him.

@Majaso12 I would be really upset at being dictated to as to when I can pick my child up especially with it being their first term. I can completely understand how upset you are also with it being so close to Christmas too.

@chopc did they have to completely empty their rooms? Ds retains his all the way through thank goodness.

@BigWoollyJumpers I hope she is home now. Such a lovely feeling having them back.

@OnTheBenchOfDoom no they had storage under the bed. In retrospect DS could have left a load more had he done all his washing and didn't need to bring his golf clubs home. I am thinking of accompanying him to Kings Cross and helping him with his stuff and he can get a cab on the other side once he reaches Durham 🤔

Very glad to have Dd home.. feels like Christmas can begin now
Dd left a bit in under bed storage today but still brought loads home! She says she’s not taking it all back.. .. we’ll see.
@Majaso12.. I feel for you.. I would be disappointed too.

Yes it was definitely booked without even asking dd what she wanted to do, so she probably won’t be ready until 9 pm Sunday night and we have a long drive home. I think it will end up they will try and get her to go back to their house after and we pick her up Monday but we’re not picking up from their house and then having to drive back to uni to get her stuff.

V jealous of all those who have dc home now and can't wait for DS to come home next week. When we saw him in London he was so skinny I had to buy him a belt to keep his trousers up so looking forward to feeding him up a bit! Am hoping his school prize giving ceremony planned for next week goes ahead although some mutterings about omicron. Haven't spoken to him this week so not sure what disruption he's had with strikes if any, or whether anything has changed with new covid guidance but agree with those of you saying universities should really not impose measures in excess of the guidance, and schools have been far more 'normal' during all of this.

Majoso I'd be really annoyed by all of this. Parents seem to be massively overstepping.

DC2 supposed to start her holidays tomorrow but saying she still has lot of work to submit before Xmas.
She still hasn't booked her train, waiting for the prices to go up first....sigh.
Absolutely no idea when dc1 is coming home, seems to have too much fun in London as well

@Majaso12 is this her first boyfriend? Seems to be she is loved up and carried away and is taking her own parents for granted...... yes the BF parents can plan things but she doesn't have to go along with it right?

@chopc Yes it’s her first proper boyfriend. It was awful last night. She said she didn’t know if the mum has booked it for Sunday evening so I asked if she could find out and say we’re picking her up in the day. She basically won’t ask and now just says she thinks it’s booked and won’t give us times when it will finish and says she’s done talking about it. I don’t understand why she won’t ask. She doesn’t see the problem and think we’re just being horrible. She asked what difference one day makes but we need to go Sunday but now we won’t be picking her up until probably gone 8 or 9 pm if she ever tells us the time and then have nearly a 3 hour drive home. Also need to get her stuff in the car. She doesn’t see the problem at all. I feel quite angry with her. All of us are angry and I am going to want to talk to her about it and say she can’t keep treating us like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if the mum hasn’t booked a meal for them after and we won’t find out until we’re in London and she’ll go to that as well.

Morning, I’ve not posted recently as I’ve had an absolute stinker of a cold that knocked me out for a couple of weeks, very unpleasant!

Happy to report DD came home on Thursday as she had an interview for a temp job over the holidays at a local garden centre (well tbf it’s one of these places that has as much space selling food and gifts as plants, and a huuuuge Christmas display over several themed rooms, a temporary ice rink etc - I’m always amazed they don’t charge an entrance fee!)

DD travelled home by train and despite being out dancing and socialising till the wee hours the previous night, she still managed to look half way decent and got the job.

She returned to uni on Saturday to collect her clothes and laptop, but as she’s finished all her work for the term, hasn’t had to bring home any text books.

Since her return I’ve learned some new words that I aim to bring into casual conversation:
Stash - not a secret supply of chocolate but rather the term for overpriced “kit” branded with the logo of your uni sports society. (Kit is a pretty loose term as it includes PJs)!

BNOC - Big Name On Campus (what we would cool the cool kids I guess).
DD gave me that pained pitying look when I asked what would happen if you were at a non-campus uni? Would you be a BNONC? 😂

So it’s lovely to have her home with her stash PJs and name dropping BNOCs! She’s had a full on first term, but is really settled there and looking forward to next term.
Hoping all the DC get home safely x

@Majaso12 just saw your update, how frustrating!
Could your DD travel home on Monday then return to uni the following weekend to collect her stuff?
Although I agree they are massively over-stepping, it does sound like the BFs parents are thrilled he has such a lovely GF and want to spend time her.

The thing is they spent time with her last weekend as well. I just can’t understand why she would book something Sunday evening when dd did tell her we were picking up Sunday. Apparently the bf didn’t know the mum had booked it either. I don’t know why he doesn’t stand up to his mum and say to stop taking over as dd certainly would to us.

@Notagardener I feel your pain - mine likes to wait til the prices go up for trains too.

@AvocadoPlant lol, loving these new terms, especially BNONC 

@Majaso12 I totally understand your frustration and I would feel the same. The bfs parents are rather monopolising your DD. Your dd is probably getting cross about the situation because deep down she too knows it's unreasonable.

@Majaso12 I see massive red flags for your DD as so early in the relationship she doesn't feel able to verbalise her wants and concerns ....... not sure how you would handle this one

I really regret having a boyfriend in my first year of Uni. He wasn't controlling or anything but I was so in lust I let most other things slide