2017 seems so long ago, now .....

[Xenia]

Continuation of our previous thread.

Good luck to the Carriemac daughter.
Yes, medical exams go on and on. As my father did a BSc in physics first and then a full medical degree and then the diploma psychiatrists do ( DPM) he was doing exams until he was 30.

Xenia, it is much longer than that now. Admittedly DD took a gap year - not regretted as it has been non stop ever since, but she will be 28 when she finished F2. Specialist training is now so competitive that she will then need to find some sort of less demanding locum or teaching job for a year so she can study for the exams needed to get a place. Then 2-3 years of training with exams at the end. Serious exams which a good proportion will fail. Throw in the likely need to move for training and, even if she makes it through, it will be years before she is in a position to settle down.

She was quite despondent at the start of her F1, as the demands were huge. She seems a little more cheerful now and it is noticeable how much she and her flatmate have grown in confidence. She is also lucky that she is in an unpopular deanery so her chances of getting on the training she wants should be higher. But it is a long haul, and you wonder whether any of the NHS' highly paid managers ever consider the impact of their decision on those actually going through the system.

In the meantime she is hoping for a settlement and back pay. Her next placement is down the motorway so her tiny car with its lawnmower engine won't be suitable. New (second-hand) car or furniture. Her choice.

Its great to hear how others are progressing. Best wishes with law exams. Particularly good to see this Covid generation get out and about to trade shows etc. DS presented a paper at an external conference for the first time yesterday. He sent us a copy of the programme with his name on.

Congratulations on the new grandchild @Xenia . That's lovely news! So many of my friends are becoming grandparents now that it really feels like the next 'stage' to look forward to - not that either of my ds show any likelihood of becoming dads any time soon.

@Carriemac best of luck for dd's exam and also to your ds for the Melbourne job. DS1 did a couple of years in Melbourne and loved it. I think he would have ended up staying there if it hadn't been for Covid and we had a great time visiting.

Great to hear about your dd's house @Needmoresleep . DS was equally despondent about the long haul and challenges ahead when he started F1. He's also massively grown in confidence and it's lovely to hear him talking passionately about the job. He always said his aim wasn't to be the highest flyer but to be a pair of safe hands and someone that the other staff say 'he's one of the good ones' about. The other day he said he thinks they probably would. He's happy.

It's lovely to hear about all these successful not quite so young adults going forward to great futures. Good luck to them all in the next stages and best wishes to all you mums and your families. It's been brilliant to share this thread with you along the way. Take care x

Good luck to all the young doctors mentioned above. The new baby is now a week old and just as cute. I am not sure when my 3 sons will marry and have children but one has had a girl friend for over 4 years from university but we shall see - the 2017 school leavers are still fairly young for that. No sign of my twins leaving home - in fact my house remains very popular. One only works 1 day a week in the office - so here the erst of the time and the other usually 3 days a week in the office. I can see why working from here is popular though - big saving on tube fares, saving about 2 hours a day at least just travelling, can get up about 5 minutes before work start time and probably a better environment here - warm house, separate rooms from which to work, quiet (quiet is important for lawyers) and one even pops in to see me if he has a legal question. Older son didn't get the new job after his 2nd interview (again from my house as was the first) this week which surprised us as I thin he and I thought he was likely to get it but never mind. At least it got him back into the swing of job applications.

I was back last week at a reunion at the law firm where I worked in the 1980s and even met the partner who hired me in 1985 which certainly reminded me of the old days when I was the age of my youngest children and I talked to a lot of very nice young lawyers who were polite enough to have time to speak to what is now a rather old woman.

Congratulations on the new grandchild - always lovely to hear good news. Lovely to hear how the DC are progressing and I've so enjoyed following this thread

It does pretty much feel like the end for me with both twins in solicitor jobs in terms of my active role bringing up 5 children, but will keep on with the thread as long we can as is good to hear people's news. My children have 4 cousins in higher education so in a sense the wider family has not left the university stage as yet anyway. Oldest son is (slowly) job hunting so I suppose that is an on going thing.

After a decade of higher education it looks like we are reaching the end. Our son's PhD "hooding" was yesterday and commencement tomorrow. Come September both will have jobs.

DD completed her house purchase a couple of weeks ago, which is quite exciting. Conversation is now more about MOTs, home insurance, and the best way to clean an oven. Some way from nappies, Teletubbies, and Postman Pat.

It’s the end here as well , DS2 finished final exam last week. It’s been a long years of Sats , GSCEs , A levels.

But in better news , last rental payment to DS2 for student house has gone!

DS1 finishes has grad scheme in Sept, has been offered a perm role & is deciding whether to stay or move. Job is great, pay is great but it’s remote & he wants more of a social life.

DS2 starts his grad scheme in Sept.

i think I deserve a badge for getting them both there & turning out new tax payers!

Badges all round!
We've just had a week on the Broads with DD and her BF, now at a couple of years into being workers whereas I'm now looking forward to retiring next year and being able to go away when the whim and weather align.

My youngest should finish soon currently in the throes of thesis writing.
Just in time for the next round to start in a supportive role as DGC formal applications for senior school start in September.

Well done to everyone including to us parents who have helped as much as we can and we certainly deserve badges.

Errol good luck with potential retirement next year. I will carry on as my work is from home. One of the twins is planning a holiday with me probably in November - our first time just the 2 of us (his twin has used up all his holiday with our trip to St Lucia in Jan. and 2 long weekends away abroad with his GF either side of that and now Italy with her for 9 nights and has a male friends' trip to Europe hiking too (and what seems like a long time going to Glastonbury this year - I think it's 3 or 4 nights). That's working life for you - hardly any holiday leave (or conversely that is working life as a lawyer earning enough to go on 5 trips abroad in just one year! particularly if you live at home rent free). I was delighted that for the first time since the youngest started to drive, this week the twins had to pay their own car insurance and car tax on the car they share and i did not have to pay a penny for once...... a new era. It can be like a student house as we each buy our own food but that seems to be working fine. I do provide eggs and oliveoil. I am not quite sure how that ended up being so but that's fine and toilet paper too but we established this week not suncream as that is quite expensive and I only use it when I go abroad - quite a lot of negotiations over that but I won out.....

Whyhave - good luck for the grandchild school applications. My oldest GC is 8 so not quite at senior school age as yet.

I see a lot of the twins' work in the background around the house - one works 4 days a week from home - so this post covid era has the bonus in a sense of people being closer and may be is a return to the days eg when a doctor lived in Harley St and had his consulting room downstairs.

I have been boring about my painting works but Friday was day 18 of the 3 painters doing the outside woodwork and they finished so we just need a few tiles replacing mid week and then the scaffolding should be down by end of the week. I have been working with my office curtains closed all day just for privacy but the painters are have been very good at not disturbing us working at home and just coming for the toilet as needed - a lovely team.

I saw the wonderful new baby again this week and I even changed his nappy. They are so sweet at this age. Times goes by so quickly.

I want my badge too - DD moved out to her own flat a couple of weeks ago, so another step on the road to adulthood (when do we get there?!)
Still got DS waiting on Law Conversion results, then 🤞🏼SQE and the Training Contract!

@Xenia congratulations on the new baby - aww.

@Eve, it sounds like you’ve definitely earned your badges!

@Needmoresleep, I’ve never heard of hooding, but it sounds like the final stage 👍🏼 Congratulations to your DD - it’s such a stressful time till it’s all signed off and they’ve moved in!

@ErrolTheDragon, I am now semi retired - it’s so good!

It does sound a bit KluKluxKlan.

A ceremony where doctoral candidates get a hood placed on their gown by their academic mentor. DS now has a brightly coloured gown and a funny hat, so equipped to sit on the stage at future graduation ceremonies should he ever make professor.

We are now in a large ice hockey stadium waiting for the Commencement ceremony . Two hours of processions, speech by famous alum, a rousing speech by the Executive Director for religious and spiritual life and more. Americans take graduation seriously.

I hope all the 2017 university starters are still doing well. One twin has passed his 3 month probation period (in house solicitor) which we thought was very likely but still nice to know. The other one has had his maternity cover in-house solicitor job extended to end of 2024 calendar year signed last week (although he already knew that from an email).

It feels a much more settled stage of life with all 5 children now and only the last 2 at home although my older son is job hunting currently and having his first break from work in 10 years (he is coming to stay today) so I suppose things never end in that sense. I am seeing a lot of the wonderful baby (GC no. 4) which moved near here when his parents bought a lovely house near me this year. He was here yesterday and it is so lovely to go back to holding a small baby and just seeing the look of wonder in their eyes (and lovely to see his mother of course too who is on maternity leave).

I have been busy with work and various jobs at home - the 18 days of 3 men here painting outside house woodwork/windows etc ended and the scaffolding is down which was the biggest job of the year and I only do every 8 - 10 years, window cleaners came this week post-painting and hedge cutter for a very high bit of hedge which took 2 days the week before; and then I had carpet cleaners in, which I do once in a blue moon, but that meant I moved lots of things like beds so did lots of cleaning too.

Then I cut back all the hedging round the lawn myself up my ladders etc with my electric hedge trimmers and I finished this week after my 10th trip of the branches to the council tip with the volvo estate full of branches - it is a bit like a mini van when the seats are down. I wanted to do a good cut of it whilst the house next door is empty.

So that just leaves what I started yesterday - biggest main hedge which is huge and takes ages each year but at least I started yesterday and filled 2 wheelie bins. The rest of the waste is going to have to be taken to the tip. After that I have a bit more patio/drive cleaning to do with hypo stuff.

It is an interesting new phase of life with twins qualified as solicitors this year and they work from home a lot - one for 4 of 5 days the other 2 sometimes 3 days a week. We are all working in separate rooms but I do get questions from one of them on general legal issues sometimes (every day) which is fine. It is a bit like my doctor father and brother did the same specialism so had that common ground.

I hope everyone else's 2017 starters are doing fine. As my twins still live at home I do hear more about how their friends are doing with careers etc and one just got back from 5 nights in Glastonbury with his girl friend camping with friends in 5 other tents so a lovely big group of university friends and had a really good time. Lucky thing is also off on a hiking holiday for a week on Wednesday in Europe - boys trip; last year they did Austria/Germany and this year I think it may be Northern Spain - they are pretty good at being sensible, but I hope they stick to good trails, have enough water and stay together.

I have booked a holiday in the Bahamas (never been) for November with one twin (other one has used up all his annual holiday allowance) so that will be nice and we had our 3 sons with mother trip to St Lucia in January to celebrate the twins qualifying as solicitors.

Yup DC1 finishes his Grad scheme Sept & has been offered a permanent position. He’s still not keen on the location, but pay is very good & he has very low living expenses.

DC2 got his degree this week & was cause for much celebration as in had a very tough time with Uni & lockdown. In 2nd year , 2nd term all got too much for him & he had a breakdown.

with a lot of hard work and support from me - he got a 2.1 which we are delighted with.

starts his grad scheme in September.

Well done to both your sons, but particularly your DS2 @Eve And to you for supporting him through it 🍾

Well done to both of them, @Eve - that's such good news.

Well done to both the Eve children and both getting grad schemes is brilliant (and trhe permanent position). My son's friend has been told she had a newly qualified solicitor job from September at the firm where she trained in London which we knew was likely but still nice to hear for her.

DD has just passed her PPC ! And DS1 is starting a medical
job in Melbourne in September .

Excellent news @Carriemac !

Is your Ds in Australia already or heading there soon? You might want to forearm him that Melbourne can still be cold & rainy in September- as I discovered many years ago & I was not prepared with suitable clothing!

Well done to the Carriemac daughter.

Thanks @Decorhate he's bringing every stich he owns !

Lovely news of great achievements! Many congratulations to both @Eve 's and @Carriemac 's dc.

(Free trams in central Melbourne - great city)

We are all probably getting beyond university stage now, but just so we don't lose sight of the thread, my twins seem to be doing fine in their first qualified solicitor jobs (in-house). So nothing much to report on that front. It seems a very stable time although their older brother is looking for jobs or thinking about doing so - he has worked full time for 10 years so a bit of a break is fine but I think he should start looking soon.

Youngest grandchild was here again last week which was lovely and at almost 4 months is so very sweet. It is lovely to hold a baby again.
Lawyers daughters are fine.

I like hearing from my twins about their friends, their careers and getting the news of who is doing what. One has a friend who just got engaged. Another just did the final accountancy exam.
One of the twins and I have just booked a holiday abroad for later in the year - first time just he and I will go (as his twin has used up all his annual leave) so that will be a nice with just two of us.

How is everyone else's children doing? I worked out today it cost me about £200,000 to pay for 3 of the children through 2 years of post grad law, allowance, rent at university (when not here) and wages as trainees. Pity they didn't find a law firm to pay as one of the others did but there is not much else on which I want to spend money, just a few DIY tools, garden equipment etc. Those at home even buy their own food now (other than a few basics - for some reason eggs are provided by me to the one who has those so he has been having 5 some days in one meal.

We're down visiting DD this weekend, she's been trying out one of our cars (hybrid therefore automatic) to check she likes it, now she's got 3 years no claims so can afford to insure it without losing too many arms and legs. She does, so we're going to rotate cars with me getting back the one she bought off me when she started work. I mostly just need one for trips to the garden centre or taking piles of prunings to the recycling centre so I'm more than happy with this!
Shes doing well, going on various courses - her boss enjoys developing the skills of young employers she says, so that's good.