D'ya ever wonder why we ALWAYS miss the 1,000 message thingeymebob???

[shabbatheGreek]

Morning, Ruby!

Just dropped K off at school. So taking kids to park. I have A and Deiter asleep in the Donkey and a crazy Dom who thinks he can run yet I have never walked so slow in my life! Think I may have to get him some reins!

Hi Rubes.
Busy, busy day, took dogs to vets for kennel cough vaccinations, then a walk round a nearby lake. Cleo waded in to her chest, and Bertie jumped in after her, and the look of surprise on his face when he found it too deep and he went under was really comical, it was his first time swimming . Then lunch with DH, and hospital this pm,( ankle doing well) pick up boys, went strawberry picking, then off to garage to fetch Catalina in order to start toget it ready for a wedding Saturday. Now going to make a cake for my mums 80th birthday tomorrow. Phew!!!

Trips please ignore me if I am wrong but I am sure it is your Matthews birthday today. Just been wishing Nikos happy birthday and am sure they are the same day. If I am right I am sending all my love and thoughts to you on this special day......and if I am wrong I am sending all my love and thoughts to you anyway xxxxxx

Bubby - I'm surprised you haven't keeled over, you busy bee! So glad the ankle is doing better.

Dom fell over in the park and scraped his elbow making him throw a 10 minute tantrum before he was insisting to be let down again. I think I'm gunna have stroller tantrums now he's learnt to walk. Aubrey decided Deiter is her new best friend and has been trying to get him to colour with her! And K thinks mama looks like Mr Blobby and keeps saying "blobby blobby" between giggles - I have DH to blame for that.

I'm about to pass out so I'm heading to bed to cuddle with DH and hopefully steal some kisses!

:( oh Shabs yes its today.........thank you and you Ruby, just felt strangely quiet in myself today allowing myself to turn back the clock 34 years, remembering the joy of that day, watching my lovely mum and dad as they came to the hospital to see their first grandchild.............and yes Rubes it was year on the 3rd. We went to the cemetery this afternoon, all so heart breaking to see all their names. Got home to a message on the answer phone from Social Services to say they had at last finished their investigation into Mum lack of care at the nursing home and want me to attend a meeting on the 16th Aug :) We are hoping to be away then if we can find a holiday, so I would ask my brother to attend. A strange day. xx

'older grief' is strange Trips - the day is quiet and always, always a little bit 'odd'.

Thinking about you my lovely friend - always there for me at the end of the phone, someone who I can always rely on. We have shared a 'parallel universe' for so many years. Thank youxxx

with many more to come...........xxx

Morning girls xx

Toms induction day at College

Thinking about you lovely ladies and your loved ones. My mama's anniversary is coming up soon. I have no idea what to do.

Morning, Shabs. Good luck to Tom!

I took him on the bus, showed him where to get off and where the building is. Then, once he was on his way, I pretended to go back for the bus while hiding behind a wall peeping at him

Yes I know he is 16 in 2 weeks but he is my suprise 'how the hell did that happen at my age' baby.....the baby who was just a 10 day old foetus that nobody knew about when I had a cone biopsy and laser treatment for cervical cancer ....the baby who did not sleep through the night till he was 5 YEARS old etc etc etc etc.

Im trying to justify my actions aren't I?

Oh well he gave me a hug as he set off and said 'thanks mum' xx

He's your baby and he's technically not 16 yet, so are perfectly in your right to "peek" and be proud of him! Wow, he is a surprise, miracle baby! That was sweet of him. Hope my kids hug me in public at 16 haha. Though I'd probably be the "embarrassing" mama!

DH officially accepted and signed papers for his promotion at work which he was offered in February. So come January we will in Germany! Excited and anxious!

ooh how exciting, mama! Will it be a long term move? Whereabouts are you going?

Shabs That is very sweet.

I actually feel bad now!! ds1 had his induction days at senior school yesterday and today - I gave him a £5 and sent him with dd to beg his way onto the school bus service! The school is nearly 4 miles away and he had to be there for 8.40 and the dts needed to be at school 8.45 a mile in the opposite direction. Apparently there were a couple of others who also got that bus.

He came home grinning from ear to ear though, i can't wait for him to go there, it will do him the world of good after 4 years of a rather shitty junior school.

Chops - Hopefully for as long possible. We decided back in February that if he did change jobs etc. That we would choose to stay in Germany. His work is in Frankfurt :)

Chops I think that is the right way to be to be honest. I am a total wuss though and fret and worry all the time. He came back (all by himself might I add ) on the bus - although he did text me to check he was getting on the right bus!!! When he came in he had a grin from ear to ear. He has picked the right course for his desire to do 'game design, and as long as he gets Grade C or above in 3 more subjects (he fast tracked 3 last year) he will start 6th form college on September 2nd!!!

He says he would quite like to go to the town centre campus because there are loads of people there and the one thats easy to walk to in our little town centre is much smaller

I'm happy for your boys! I have all this to come. It's great to see kids actually wanting to go to college!

Thanks Mamma. In the last couple of years an amazing 'state of the art' Uni campus has been built in the centre of Bolton. Its a very impressive building. We have been told this before but the college tutors told Tom today that the Uni has the best degree course in Europe for 'media/video games design.' They cover advertising, games design etc etc in it.

He was unsure about Uni until today ....I told him I want him to be happy, fulfilled in whatever job he choses and have a fiver left in his back pocket the day before pay day.

Think that this will be the beginning of the next exciting chapter in his life. x

It's amazing how far education is coming along these days in terms of subjects and how dedicated they are towards it. I wish him all the best in building his own future!

You know, my father said something familiar to me; especially when I quit college to go straight to work. "You do what you love, do it well, and make sure you always have change."

Sixth form colleges 'came to life' the year I left High school (well they did in our area!!) 1973. We were the only year who had the choice to do a 5th year with GCSE's and O levels at the end of it OR leave in year 4 (new year 10) and start work. I stayed on for my exam year but I was one of just 40 pupils who did - everybody else did apprenticeships or went straight into full time work.

I was thinking about this as we made our way into town this morning. Not sure if nowadays is better or worse than my school days. We had plenty of work but 'ordinary' secondary modern kids were not encouraged to do exams......but now there is no work or very little work and everybody 'stays on' at school.

I suppose each 'time in History' has its advantages and disadvantages. Tom has said he is looking for a Saturday job I encouraged him and said we will print out some CV's and hand deliver them to every shop in our local town and in Bolton. I hold out no hope whatsoever for him BUT I am not telling him that. He is enthusiastic and I am not squashing that.

I went to a secondary school that had a lack of discipline, it was basically a rough school. In my last year there they built an IT department & Technology block. No sixth form and had no German option only French.

Now, 7 years on. It has been knocked down and be merged with another rough school. The kids I grew up around didn't care for education or want jobs, just about getting pregnant and missing school. Thankfully, I think I came away with really good grades.

I think him wanting to get a job is good but whether he gets one or not is a different story. I bet he's thinking of having his own money to spend - I went crazy when I got my first wage haha. I think it's great you are very supportive

Morning girls x

Yeah, I went to a rough secondary too. Pregnancies, spliffs in the loos. It seems so different these days. The secondary here is fantastic, one of the main reasons we picked this house. It's more like a uni campus that the high school I remember, and they have so much choice. DD has been auditioning for a 2 year course where the student will put together a musical, in replacement of separate art, music and something else(?!) courses. They can do gardening, childcare, etc and start GCSEs in year 8! It's jsut a shame, like you say that there aren't the jobs at the end of it!

Tom's 6th form sounds great too, I'm sure he will be very happy there. Tell him good luck with the job hunting! I started once I started at 6th form. We used to have a jobs board in the college, might be worth looking into? I worked in a bakery for about a year, then got offered a job as a waitress in a local restaurant. And I still had a paperound That one was mainly for the Christmas tips - used to make a small fortune at Xmas!

Morning girls xx

You made me smile Rubester - have now got this vision of tie dyed cloths, flowers in your hair etc etc - what a brilliant time that was.

There is just one little newsagents shop in our area that still delivers newspapers......I remember doing helping Dan 16 years ago to deliver loads of papers every Sunday morning!! Checked at the shop and he is employing a married couple from Somalia who are asylum seekers ......before I go any further I AM NOT RACIST!!! They are raking it in LOL - the two of them are delivering ALL the newspapers every single morning from his shop.

To be honest it got me so angry that I had to turn around and come out before I said something I regretted.

Our local Cost Cutters is managed by a man who thinks our Tom is a great kid (mainly because he is the only kid from his former High school who doesn't go on the rob in their shop LOL) will ask him today if they have any 'slave labour' type jobs for him!!