Waves to all!
Suffice to say it's all gone belly up here this morning (having gone so well up to now).
DD came back totally exhausted last night (after academic and sports exams, inc gym and long-distance running in the heat) - lay on sofa from 5.00pm until 8.30pm when she went to bed - had to hand feed her spaghetti and meatballs as she was hungry but too tired to eat! She got up and got ready (v slowly) for school this morning but was crying and complaining of being too tired to go - and sure enough on the way there - she felt ill in the car so we gave up and came home. She is now in bed asleep and she has a sore throat and a headache which doesn't bode well for all important exams next week.
Bugger and bugger and bugger. I am now kicking myself because I allowed myself to be persuaded against my better judgement that this would be OK and she could manage two sets of exams consecutively. Can only hope that she will be ok after a complete three day rest and if I get a load of vitamin rich food in to her.
In addition, dh back from his trip and has totally over-done it too; he's exhausted and tired and grumpy and uncommunicative and there are huge tasks going on in the office that need to be completed by Wed of this week and everyone is feeling the stress.
In addition, we have a leak and the plumber is here tearing up bits of the kitchen trying to find it
Cleaner has cancelled this morning and entire house is also somehow an unspeakable mess in every room again -despite my spending nearly three full days this week choring - obviously didn't do it very effectively.
And I have cancelled coffee with friend (and my volunteering slot which I was supposed to do for someone else, who has done it for me for last two weeks, so not good at all, although fortunately have got someone else to kindly step in).
Sorry for whinge-fest! At least now dd is here sleeping, I have to stay in and can't avoid Flying (or ironing) and I can always spend 5 mins stroking the dog if I get totally demoralised ...!!
Swan I'm so sorry you had such a stressful day yesterday - it must be so hard - but you should give yourself credit for the improvement in your ds2's reading scores - congratulations to both of you!
Blue good luck with your difficult decision! Despite all the difficulties here, I think I would still go for the doer-upper because a family inevitably expands as time goes on, in terms of space requirements if nothing else, and location vital I think. If you are bound to make a profit on the renovation over time, then it "just" depends on current availability of energy/time/money and enthusiasm on the part of your dh and yourself and life is hard enough without the extra hassle sometimes. Can totally understand someone NOT wanting to take a project on (if you saw this place you would run a mile!) Having said all that, one does get surprisingly used to sacks of concrete sitting in the hall 
(How's that for a totally unhelfpul flip-flop answer? 
)
Whoknows I'm with you on the "failed Flyer" business this week! And believe me, if I'd had an allotment to have escaped to over the past few days, I would have been down there every minute of every day! Chutney sounds delicious!
Hope you are OK Fizrim
Big waves to everyone else!
I'd better get on. No need to write a to da list because it would be a continuation of the same wretched tasks that have needed doing all week .... 
Need to stop stressing and dithering and start DOING.