Thread 45 GCSE Covid Cohort - Bunnies bouncing into Spring

[OrangeCinnamonLatte]

This is a support thread for our young adults post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting, and their results ( or life updates for those who went into work or have had results earlier). It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, uni vs employment please don't within this thread.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue. We were previously on the secondary board and then further education, now we shall be here in 'Parents of Adult Children' gulp

Our DS/DD may continue down various pathways ( employment, apprenticeships, higher ed). Be warned there might be lots of 'Uni Freshers' chat this time of year. My experience is that everyone is welcomed wherever, whatever their child is doing we have some in work, gap years , apprenticeships etc too. Lots of contributors with different experiences and always sympathy and advice to be had

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Happy birthday to them

Happy birthday to all - I think icanbe is also celebrating this weekend.

Whose DC will remember Mother's Day, I wonder? I don't think DS will, but we have never made much of a thing of it really.

I’ve had a Moonpig card from dd. She said she’d rung ds to discuss/remind him and she was ‘trusting him this year’ 😂 She usually does all the legwork and he transfers her some money!

@Shimy ignore me, I’ve googled and Spring Harvest is on this year!

Happy birthdays!

I have reminded both DC about Mothers' Day via WhatsApp, especially as DS and DW are away for the weekend for a sports thing. I think I can rely on DD to at least provide some special artwork!

(Yes, I am in blissful solitude, and have spent today happily doing laundry and catching up with my marking.)

@crazycrofter That's okay. Thanks.

Happy birthday to all celebrants!

Mother's day is shaping up to be very good this yr. After years of telling the dc that its important to remember certain days, DS2 had already bought flowers when i went to pick him up yesterday (bought of Wednesday ) he thought as the flowers hadn't opened up yet, he would keep them until they had and then present them on Sunday!! I've explained that's not how it works but thought appreciated.

DS2 sent a 'flat envelope' by special delivery this morning, but addressed to no one, but i can guess.
Then a box arrived from amazon from ds2 but addressed to him, so i left that on his bed.

Just got a whattsapp message from him NOT to open both packages if delivered till tomorrow .

'DS1' sent the packets 🙄.

Evening all and happy birthday to those celebrating. No sign of any MD related activity here yet 🕵️‍♂️ but who knows what tomorrow will bring. DD definitely knows about it because they were talking at length about it on the radio when we were in the car yesterday. DS, well, he’s pretty good about this sort of thing but finds it hard to get organised and has never actually sent a parcel (does very little online shopping either). We don’t make much of it anyway, but are going to see my mum in the afternoon.

RHUL open day was good, DS applied there too so DH and I had been before (I think I went twice with DS, it is fairly near us). DD was a bit tense and nervous at first but then started really enjoying it. Was a bit wet, showery weather.

@Oblomov23 I do yoga too, also I follow a sports therapist on FB who does excellent videos for all sorts of musculo-skeletal things (his page is called Range of Motion), they definitely help me with various aches pains and conditions. Getting orthotics for my shoes has helped a lot too, but I would be very careful till you’ve had the scan. I do find not sitting for too long helps.

@DontCallMeBaby that sounds like a great summer if the US camp comes off. My friend’s DS did it last year and had a blast. I have a theory that some of the unis which have particularly attractive buildings and grounds (such as DS’s) finish early in the summer so they can capitalise on hiring themselves out for weddings and conferences. He has a 6 week work placement to do which will mean living at home as its voluntary, he is also hoping to fit in some paid work.

We don’t do Mother’s Day so I’m not expecting anything. Dates back to my childhood abroad where it wasn’t celebrated so it has never been in my consciousness.

@singingstones well remembered, thanks. Yes...my birthday tomorrow. Dh and I are staying in north Norfolk on our first weekend away, ever, without dc's. The weather has been pretty rubbish but we've had a bit of sun. We are going home tomorrow morn. I'm a little disappointed that ds2 came home from uni with dh's dd and I only got to see him briefly. They are leaving for Sussex before we will get home. But I'm glad he helped look after the dogs. As it's my birthday and Mother's Day I'd have liked to see him. I don't know whether I'll hear from ds1 in NZ tomorrow. He probably doesn't know it's Mother's Day. Last year none of the dc's gave me anything for my birthday, s big birthday, I made such a fuss that they all thought they'd better make an effort for Mother's Day which was a few days later 🤣

Thanks @Shimy, that’s a good thought about antibiotics and I will pass on. We had a lovely visit with DS today to celebrate his birthday weekend. (Shout out to the other birthday DCs @DontCallMeBaby, @Delphigirl and others!). It was great to see him after two months and he seems well, happy and on top of things.

A very happy Mothers' Day tomorrow to all mothers, whether or not you observe the day - take a moment to be proud of all you do and have done!

I got a bouquet of flowers delivered today off dd - made me cry! I know I'll feel strange not seeing her tomorrow but only one more week till Easter hols.

Happy birthday to those with recent birthdays.
DD is home for the weekend and that’s my Mother’s Day present apparently! We don’t really celebrate it in our house but she’s coming to church with me this morning and then we’ll pop to Starbucks so I’m actually really happy.
@EasilyDirected , dd is in RHUL and couldn’t be happier. Please do feel free to ask any questions and I’ll try to answer them.

Happy Mothers Day to all and to those who fulfil the role without the title.

DS is home for Easter now. I took him to play in a match yesterday and we had a Chinese on the way back. Apparently that quality time was my gift! I have been given a card and a hug this morning.

I have nothing, not even cards, unless they arrive tomorrow. DS2 set a text.

Feeling rather sorry for myself.

Never get much anyway. Petrol station flowers and card bought by DH, generally. But they have got better at sorting things themselves so I did expect something.

I have a card from DS, but DD is still asleep.

I'm not expecting much as I didn't even get a bar of chocolate for Christmas from either of them!

I haven't heard from DS and DD isn't up yet. DH got some chocolates and agreed to make brunch after I reminded him yesterday 🤦‍♀️

I am not the best at remembering things like this myself so I don't really mind - I only realised it was this weekend on Friday and hastily organised delivery of some flowers for my mum.

We're taking both Grans out for lunch as we do every year (both local and widowed). Neither has ever acknowledged that it's MY mother's day too.....

I would be quite impressed and pleased if DS even texted but also very surprised 😂

No mother's day cards here yet. I know DD has one for me but she went to work before I got up. She will no doubt put DS's name in it like she always does. I did see him yesterday as we were passing Nottingham. He was hungover (it was 7pm) but he did wish me happy MD.

We had DD's final offer holders visit yesterday. She has ruled two of her offers out - hated Sheffield and Kent will be full of southerners (no offence to southerners as she is one but she self identifies as a northerner and sometimes has my northern accent 😂) She's worried about York being a stretch and if she does get in, feeling inferior. She also loves her other two options much much more. Keele and Aberystwyth, both 112 points, including her core maths so should be easily achievable for her. She feels totally at home on Keele campus but doesn't like the surrounding area. The course (International Development) is split between International Relations and Geography and both times we've been she's felt uneasy about the geog departments commitment to the course (it's new this year) but the IR part sounds amazing. Keele is what she grew up imagining uni to be as she's seen so many photos from me and DH and our circle of friends who all met there. But Aberystwyth is where I think her heart is, but it's a long way from home. And then she thinks she crazy turning down two RG unis but Aber has a great reputation for International Politics so maybe that doesn't matter. How do I help her decide 🤷

If the journey and distance genuinely doesn't bother any of you, I'd go for Aberystwyth. As you say, it has an excellent reputation for IR and politics and is great for all things geographical.

Length of journey and cost aside , the train does get you there from MK> Birmingham > Aberystwyth.

Don't know why Birmingham got crossed out! Sorry Birmingham!

Got a Mother’s Day card from DS when I visited him last week, amazing hand crafted (largely by his girlfriend with help from him). He didn’t want it to get ruined in the post. Also got flowers yesterday and joint present with DS1 today (chocolates and a beautiful personally engraved vase). Just hoping for a phone call sometime…

Then again, I thought should I be waiting for him to call or should I be texting to say thank you?? (I have already texted re the flowers)

DH has gone away this weekend to see his mum so DS1 has made me breakfast in bed and is cooking dinner later. He’s also promised to play me at the wii later!

Overall I’m impressed by my boys! 😊

Going up to take my mum out for afternoon tea tomorrow.

Wow that is impressive 280! I would text him a photo of the flowers in the vase, say thank you and ask if he's free for a chat.

I underestimated our DC, DS has remembered to text and DD got me a card and a packet of mini eggs 😂

Messages from DS1:

+++
Happy Mother's Day x
+++
I would have got a card but they were all expensive and naff
+++

Made me laugh - I have instilled an understanding of value for money in them! Hope he is less cost conscious for GF events, but we are not really a card family.

DS2 said he ordered something, but it has not arrived. I am guessing supplements to improve sleep or memory!