ELEVENSES HERE *****************************************************************************************

[MaryAnnSingleton]

think we've been deleted,so shall we put ourselves here in other subjects ?
Sleepless night fretting about T and loos and lunches at big school - how neurotic am I ?!

Great news about the shop MAS, how exciting
I wish I was creative enough for something like that...

What book are you reading with bookclub?

we're going to be doing something called The Secret Life of Bees, at least I think that's the name..S chose it. We had read No Time for Goodbye which was a good holiday read -thrillerish..we gave it an average of 7/10 - I was taking notes but I get distracted ! We also record all the other subjects we talk about - last night it was holidays, swimming pools, dental braces, Strictly Come Dancing, K's bad back ( poor thing- is v bad and needs second operation) among other things

Oh fab

K and I talked about setting up a bookclub last night. The two of us are definately keen, so will scout around the school and find some other victims volunteers

it is good - I do enjoy it..it makes me read and usually finish books and the social bit is really fun. I joined a few months after moving here at my friend P's suggestion - it was started up by her friend M..so it's been going for 3 years. I think we've been lucky that we all get on well and like each other and the balance seems right - not too many people ! We all enjoy it being serious but not too serious iyswim - we did take part in an Orange prize discussion the year before last at the library with other bookgroups and we realised just how seriously they all seemed to take it - was funny !

Okay, so let me pick your brains a bit

How many people would be too few, and how many would be too many for a successful bookgroup?
How often do you meet (am thinking about how soon we could finish a book)

I am really keen to do this. There is a (large) bookgroup run by one of the mums at the school and lots of mums for E's year are members. But it seems to be quite busy, they never finish the book and they apparently talk about sex a lot Oh and they are a bit cliquey, a group of these alpha mums who are all perfectly nice individually but I would feel uncomfortable surrounded by them. Great for them, but I prefer something a bit quieter and would like to talk about a range of things including the book

Gawd I sound like a boring prude now dont'I

we have 9 members which I think is perfect - not everyone is there each time - last night we were missing three, but it still works..any more than 9 or ten would be too big. We usually meet once a month, or every 5-6 weeks depending on everyone's commitments..this usually allows time to read and finish a book. I think a lot is just luck,in having the right blend of people. The others are all around the same age,mid to late thirties,a couple of early forties and me and S being older, but it doesn't seem to matter. We all have children,which helps,though we don't go on and on about them..we do talk about them and schools but not exclusively. They have younger children than T,though P has ds same age as T as does S. I'd say the book is the reason we are there but it seems to naturally lead to lots of jolly conversations, no one gets left out or feels they don't belong...near perfect,in fact

It does sound perfect. Right, am at a girly night in on Friday with K and 2 other friends from school so will pitch the idea to them and see what they think. And then we can find say 4 more and we are off and running
Thanks for the advice

good for you - ask hotcross about her book group too

OMG, yes you are right, hotcross is a book groupie too

hotcross how and where are you?? I need to ask you about your bookgroup....

Have just come back from an invigorating 45min walk with Dilldog. Am exhausted now, with an aching back and aching legs [getting ole emoticon]
'Twas beautiful though - bright sky, sunshine, golden leaves on the trees flanking the canal, really nice

Hello! I'm here...

MAS - fantastic news about your artwork! You must be so thrilled I've thought about doing somehting similar, but when I'd priced the bits I'd need, realised there was no maney in it for me Might try just making little gifts..

Hippi, I agree with MAS about numbers for bookgroup. Not too many, you need to be able to all fit in someone's living room and not too small that if 2/3 aren't there there's hardly anyone to talk about the book with. I think 7-9 people would be fine. I think meeting every 4-6 weeks is popular. Time for slow readers to finish the book and not so much time that fast readers forget what happened

What a good idea. I'd love to set up a bookgroup at school, possibly one meeting during the day, but don't want to offend one of the girls I was in a previous group withWill have to talk to a couple of the mums and see what they think...

Thanks hotcross
My bookgroup will be an evening one though, because out of the 4 girls I am meeting Friday night I am the only one who currently does not work during the day.

Will aim for roughly 8 people, hope this becomes a reality, would so love to be in a bookgroup

ta daaa! new halloween name !
Let us know how you get on hippi - will be very interested to hear Your walk sounded great - it's really warm and beautiful out.
hotcross - have you left your group then ? how are you and B feeling today - dh ok too I hope ?
Forgot to say that T's story got a Commended certificate in the writing competition - apparently it'son display in the library,so a friend told me !
The teacher organising the activity weekend rang too and he was lovely and reassuring about all the things I was fussing about - I'd emailed him with some queries/worries - he sounded really,really nice
Have bought 2 bags of vintage mother of pearl buttons for my crafting as dh kindly did the sums and worked out that I can make a bit of a profit after all...hooray !

Oh my, I just love the halloween name!! It is fantastic

Glad to hear the teacher alleviated your worries, how nice of him to ring back.

O is driving me insane at the mo - he is pushing 'being apathetic' to a whole new level...
It is the dancing auditions for the school play this week, but we were not sure of the day. So yesterday he asked and was told Wednesday. When he comes out today he tells me 'I did not go to the auditions today because I think they are on Thursday'. ' I am worried I have missed them' So I say if you are not sure, why did you not go to the hall and check if they were on? So he shrugs, pulls a face adn says 'I worry I ahve missed them'
Argh, how hard would it have been for him to check when they were on?? A school full of teachers, he could have double checked??

Now he is being equally 'wet' over his maths homework saying the teacher did explain it but it was messy and he does not understand. So why did he not ask?? It seems to be everybody else's responsibility but his at the moment adn it makes me cross!!

Never mind, rant over, and breathe.....

aww, do you think maybe he might be anxious about the audition - sort of not knowing on purpose..though it strikes me that he is a very confident boy in that department. Don't worry,I think they all go through stages like that. T doesn't especially push himself to do stuff,usually does what's required but no more if he can help it,despite my urging him to think of all kinds of alternatives ( bit like my dad - he always had loads of ideas for things -practically did them for me because he was so enthused !)

I don't know - he is usually very confident in all matters drama-related. This is a boy who skipped into auditions for a dance group which would perform in the Woking pantomime two weeks ago. (did not get in and did not bat an eyelid about that)
So I can't see that being the problem. I think it is because he just cannot be bothered to do anything. Maybe I have done too much for him in the past. Anyway, he will soon regret it when the play is underway and he is not taking part.

not sure I like this one....
will keep thinking cap on

I like it hippi !
Well I suppose if O sees that he has missed out on something it might make think about being more proactive, if that's the right word, in future

Things just took a turn for the worse. He was being very 'dense' about his homework. I tried 5 times to explain grid co-ordinates to him, and he still did not get it. I am afraid I lost my rag, threw a pencil against the wall and called him useless
Feel really bad now, but at the same time I want to shake him for being so 'dim' for want of a better word.

Argh, today is not a good day. Will have dinner and go to bed to get it over and done with...

Thanks for liking the name, will stick with it then

Quite fancy being a haunted hippo - imagine the mischief yo could cause

Or should I be a haunting hippo??

haunted implies that you are a bit troubled,so haunting might be better
Can understand how you feel re: homework..T can be very frustrating too..try not to feel bad...have you any wine open ? !

mmmm, yes, I don't want to appear troubled... I want to be the one doing the troubling

O got very upset tonight, but could not put his finger on what is wrong. He lurches between hyperactive overexcitable annoying to laid-back apathetic dense and slow.
Sigh.

Dh has had to go out on a call-out with work, so am eating Haribo and on MN. Had a glass of wine with dinner but it has given me hot flushes

Gosh! Loads of messages. Will read all in a bit. Am just on while tea burns cooks.

I'm very unoriginal with names - will this one do?????

Oh, will be back in a bit. Mum on the phone again!

Love the name, hotcross, adn nice to 'see' you again

Morning I am peering through the screen with bleary eyes - B was up all night going to the loo, so is off school again today. She isn't feeling too bad so is immersed in TV, eating toast!

I am loving your Halloween names I feel I must try harder!

Poor O It sounds a bit like he's lost a bit of his confidence. Could it be the new class he's in? Maybe his teachers haven't worked out how to support him yet and he's needing a bit of reassurance from them? Or could one of his classmates have suggested acting isn't 'cool'? Poor thing and poor you. It's very hard to know what to say and do, but I'm sure he appreciates you just being you. I wonder of he feels it's better not to try at something rather than fail IYSWIM? Sorry, am no use!

MAS - the teacher sounds great I'm sure they'll look after T and gently enable him to have a go at things... Hopefully he'll have a wonderful time. Btw, I didn't thank you for the brioche recipe. Will try it when we're bugfree!

Well, I got to the bottom of what was troubling O. Apparently two of his classmates got a piece of paper and wrote on it 'sigh here if you hate O' and passed it round. Apparently lots of people signed it. Apparently this piece of paper then ended up in the secretary's office (no idea how, I think the boys folded the 'sign here' bit over and told her they were 'collecting signatures'). A friend told O what was going on and he went to the office to tell the secretary what the piece of paper was really about. Secretary told teacher, teacher told the two boys who instigated the letter off. But O is upset because half the class signed a note saying they hated him.
So hence he is not bothered about the play, school is not a place he wants to be at the moment.
I feel sick on his behalf and can't stop crying. I am so angry with these boys, and just so fed up with Y5 already.

Just had a blazing row on the phone with dh because I am supposed to be going to a girls night in tomorrow but now he is working late so I cant go and I moaned and he got cross. Am just really fed up at the moment.
I did in the heat of the moment invite the gils' to mine, but the heating is not on, the house is a tip, I won't feel comfortable....
Aaargh.