Good morning!
Thanks for all the kind words about dd! Having felt very flat yesterday, I am feeling a bit chirpier today and counting my blessings! And able to breathe out a bit and feel happy about the last few months which were V stressful but worth it!
(Yes Linzer there is nothing like a health care crisis to make one appreciate living here, as I recall from dh's 'event' two summers ago. Plus you reminded me about the importance of good friends - think that is one of the issues - they keep leaving!! But admittedly have got a bit set in my ways and need to break out of my comfort zone a bit more! I'm also interested to know that you experience a bit of periodic home-sickness. Now I think about it, mine does come in waves rather than building up and up.)
Linzer Do you mind me asking if your German is good enough for close friendships? My French is reasonably competent for negotiating every day life and having school pick-up conversations and speaking to teachers, hairdressers, waiters, priests etc etc. Can do formal and reasonably good every day colloquial (although pre-teen colloquial currently proving a bit of a challenge!!). But it's not good enough for lots of subtlety, nuance and humour (which is what many friendship conversations are full of). Also, miss the very non-literal nature of speaking English within friendships (if that makes sense).
Blue that is fab news that your offer has been accepted and have all toes and fingers and everything else crossed for you that the viewings go well this Sat and you get some immediate offers for yours!! I gather the selling climate is in your favour at the moment with so little property being on the market.
Linzer it does seem hard that your ds1 has to make a firm decision so quickly about the pump and I'm sorry to hear that she is feeling uncomfortable with it. Poor her - it must be totally overwhelming to have to make so many important choices all at once without having had the experience of testing and trying. Will she be able to go back to the remote controlled one later if she wants? Or could she talk to dc of similar ages going through a similar thing on a forum or some such about their experiences? Hope she is able to a solution that she feels comfortable with x
Saturn I'm with you on the lace up shoes thing (although I know it doesn't make a difference for many) and arf at disposable plates!! 
Sorry to hear you also have itchy feet - it's a difficult one - we want to do what is best for the dc - on the other hand, they don't benefit if we are miserable!
Oh sympathies Swan think dhs specialise in being wilfully blind in all sorts of areas of the house! My dh can never ever follow instructions and use ingredients as intended or cook intended ingreds for that matter! Your day yesterday sounds exhausting so hope you can have a quieter one today. (Have made a note about Articulate for long summer ahead.)
Waves to Whoknows (hope you survive your equally busy day today). Thank you but not sure I am living here successfully - more like under protest - and muddling along. But latter would prob be the case in the UK too 
Good luck with the paperwork DEM!
Toffee far better to clearly say 'no' and turn something down at the beginning and be clear about it rather than take it on and it end in tears! That is something I learned the hard way when I was freelance. I took on a law book written in English by a young Dutch lawyer whose English was incredibly poor (as was the structure and content of the book I soon came to discover!!) and it took me days and days to come to the conclusion that I would have to re-write the entire wretched thing to make it legible and had virtually started doing so before dh rescued me and told me to speak to the lawyer's boss about it - who soon put an end to the entire project - it was a very good lesson for both of us!
That's brilliant news about your ds1's positive school review and eating lunch there. I do hope you can get him to see sense about earlier nights (a battle we have here too!) as I know all to well myself the link between sleep deprivation and anxiety. Or hopefully it will just happen naturally as he continues to expend more energy earlier in the day. Could you bribe him draw up a contract with him ie three early nights = one new computer game.
What is the rough age of dc when parents stop putting them to bed nowadays? We are still putting dd to bed aged nearly 12 yrs although she has started to begin the process of preparing for bed by herself (changing clothes/teeth-brushing etc) and we join her upstairs later. So far the most successful strategy of getting her there early has been to make the prospect of bed very attractive and to lure her there with new books and diaries (she is a bit of a stationery addict like her mother). And (although I can't say I like this one!) all going upstairs together to sleep at the same time!
And what are people's thoughts on tv in dc bedrooms?
Dh (very surprisingly) is pro because he says he had a television in his bedroom as a child and he said it then lost novelty value and it taught him discipline (or both!) and he learned to manage himself better.
I am very much anti because I think a lot of content nowadays is pretty crass/ unsuitable/anxiety provoking and because dd already takes a long time to wind down for bed.
Any thoughts?
Have a good day everyone! Big waves to anyone I've missed!