We are the festive receptionists' mothers - we bring shepherds, aliens and travelling cribs to a nativity play near you

[mistletoemulledwinemoodlum]

This is our new festive thread ladies.

OMG I have just looked in my diary - ds has only 3 weeks left of term. And then its the summer term.

WHAT?

Only 3? We've got nearly five - don't break up until day before Good Friday. Well the boys don't anyway, I break up a little earlier.

The Boy has been ill this weekend - not sure if the swine flu jab he had last week has actually given him swine flu or if coincidentally he has caught something similar - either way lots of coughing and lying on the sofa watching TV. So have promised him his first day off school tomorrow.

I've namechanged by the way - was reading a thread about teachers being identified by parents and it has made me a little paranoid.

Hope all the polo shirts are pressed, reading books read and packed lunches prepared.

And World Book day costumes at the ready? I've done mine, luckily Boy only has to take a book in, no costume needed.

I like your new name

I also like it .

DS and DD break up on 1st April (day before Good Friday I think).

Need to sign up for parents' evening tomorrow (the signing up that is. Parents' evening next Monday and Wednesday).

Have not pressed polo shirts. Some reading may have happened. Lunches not made. I am a Failure.

No World Book Day stuff here thank goodness.

No world book day here either.

No childcare this week due to Sudden Circunstances

Spent much of weekend encouraging dd to poo with the aid of various offerings from the health food shop. I think we have Mission Accomplished

I think we break April 1st too.

How's the week going?

I am up early for once as I am about to go invigilating. Am hoping DH actually manages to get two children up, dressed and delivered to school on time .

We have a dilemma - DH has had an offer for a job in York. We live in Bedfordshire. We met at university in York and both really like it there. My mum and dad who are in Liverpool put their house on the market on Monday with the plan of coming to live nearer us (and also my sister, who lives nearby).

Every time DH says no, the incentives increase. They are happy to pay for him to travel and stay there for three days a week until September. I am worried about school places. And whether the house would sell. And whether I want to move or not - our life here is more a thing that I take part in than DH due to generally being At Work.

Oh well at least there is something to think about during the exam .

Well, York is very nice. And you could probably buy a small mansion in exchange for a house in Beds. I sometimes fantasise about moving back to my home town for this very reason. We'd never both get jobs though.

Are you happy with your life where you are? Do you think your quality of life would improve living in York?

Is you dh happy with his job? Are there other opportunities for him if he doesn't take this one?

Lots of good questions there Aci thank you .

Not sure about the mansion part sadly - we are in a not that popular part of Bedfordshire but hopefully could get something all right. Wouldn't have the same kitchen though (kitchen here is lovely with a red aga ).

I think I am happy with life here. Probably children and I are more happy than DH partly because we are here more of the time. Children have friends, so do I and we all love the school.

Quality of life could improve especially the amount of time DH would be likely to spend with us with decreased commute and also working hours sound lower.

DH has been in current job for 5 years and likes it a lot (previous longest time in a job is about 2.5 years). There probably would be other opportunities in the future but can never be sure.

Am still much in a quandry .

Would like being able to go to the Railway Museum and the Minster. Not sure they are reasons for moving house though .

It IS a big move and presumably you don't want to make too many big moves like that during school years.

We are fairly committed to this place, not because we especially love it, but it is fantastically hard for us to both get jobs in the same area and we don't want to move dd around too much. When we get restless though we fantasise about one big move before she starts secondary.

We are used to moving around a lot and my feet do twitch.

Sounds like the main decision will be concerning whether your dh feels it will be a major improvement for him - and for the long-term.

ooh, that sounds tricky Noah. I know I would be very reluctant to move from where we are, partly because we have friends here and partly because we are within babysitting distance of my parents.

But if your parents are prepared to be close by wherever you are, that gives you complete freedom to choose I suppose. Choices are a bugger aren't they? I know when we were wondering which school to pick I actually began to wish there weren't so many nice schools locally!

I would love to have a way of seeing more of dh. He never sees the children in the evenings and I really wish he did.

Good luck with the decision - do you have a deadline?

That sounds tricky Noah. DH and I were talking about a similar move today actually, and he made the same point, in that it would affect me more than him, as he'd be at work whereas I would have to go out and make friends. I think its easy to get bogged down in wondering how hard that would be, when actually people move all the time, so it can't be impossible, especially when you have school age children. Its still daunting though, and having moved from London up to where we are now, knowing no-one, five years ago, I'm not sure I would want to do it again.

But, York is lovely, so there would be worse places to go to. And, the other thing, whatever you decide, you have already done one of my things to do before I die, which is have a lovely red aga !

DS has been off today for eye appointments, and is already upset about going to school tomorrow . And DD now knows how to spell a s b e s t o s, which is nice, particularly as they have just found a whole load at her school .

York is indeed lovely. Can think of worse places to live. Although I'm sure Bedfordshire is nice too (never been!)

Boy has been off school all week. Turns out his cough wasn't a reaction to the s.flu jab, but a chest infection, with the lovely side effect of massive nosebleeds everywhere.

His younger brother has been sick all day.

Think I might just paint a big cross on the door and be done with it.

DH has accepted the job.

I am swinging between v positive and feeling rubbish that DD isn't going to have the lovely smooth transition into reception. And that we won't be able to find a school that we like and can have both of them. I do feel it is the right but feel likely to wobble .

Bedfordshire is basically boring .

Time to get the small girl from school.

How exciting

It will be fine. You're bound to have wobbles but children move schools all the time, and are fine, and you'll soon make friends. Better to do it now than try and uproot an 11yo when they have all their friends.

That's great news. What are the timescales?

Very exciting. I miss moving I am a bit strange that way

York is great and yes, Beds is pretty boring in comparison. Once the decision is made there's no point in worrying about the cons any more and just move forward. The schools part would be the most worrying part for me too but they're very young and adaptable.

Much more stimulating place for the dcs long-term - and you too. And if your dh can have more family time it's probably worth it just for that alone.

Congratulations, Noah! I am rather envious. I think having more time with your dh, plus having family close by, will make it all much easier. It is easy to make new friends, especially for the children. And even if you do have a sticky patch when you haven't found places at the same school for both of them, I would think that would be resolved fairly soon as you'd have sibling priority for any places that did come up.

moodlum - about the asbestos - but you did make me lol.

Hope you are all restored to health soon mitochondria.

Noah - will probably bump into you at the Railway Museum at some point - we go there rather a lot. There are trains! And it's free!

Boys still off school - big one is much better but he might as well have tomorrow off too, as doubt he'd have the stamina for a whole day.

Another week another ill child. Will this calpol marathon never end?

DS is off school with a high temperature again. I am beginning to definitely think that Summer born children are too young for school for no other reason than their immune systems are not developed enough to brush off the bugs and illnesses that come their way in the classroom.

Its a lovely sunny clear day here, so that is something to be cheerful about.

Noah - Bet you have so much to think about. I think it must be easier to move when you have school age children in terms of meeting new people etc, still scary though! If your dh will have more free time that will be a big bonus too.

Moodlum - Think you might be right about summer born children & immune systems. My dd & me had a sickness bug last week & still feeling rough, blaming my poor immune system on being preggers, dp has escaped the lurgy - lucky him.

I feel bad as I sent dd back to school today looking deathly pale but she seems better in herself, she only did 2 days last week & I was tempted to keep her off but am thinking being off school is a habit she wants to get into. She was fine when she was there but am expecting a tired, fractious child come home time.

I'm also expecting a very tired fractious child tonight. Dd had a sleep over here on Sat and they were up until midnight I have no idea how to get them both to sleep earlier - any tips???

Then they were bouncing again at 7 am. Had a great time but very tired still this morning and she is with her CM until 6 pm - so long day today.

Acinonyx - I think not sleeping is part of sleepovers.

My boys went back to school / nursery today, and seem to have managed OK. Apparently there was hardly anyone there last week, they were all ill!

Had parents' evening last night - DD has settled in very well and is generally doing very well .

We were seeing DS's teacher too and DD had on a home made crown out of photos. It was probably as bizarre as it sounds . DS's TA had to try hard not to giggle.

Have been getting in touch with about 6 million schools (slight exageration) in York. Haven't tried villages outside yet. Have made a spreadsheet of what they all say, and talked to useless council people. Am wobbling about the whole thing again (but will keep filling in my spreadsheet).

My chilblains are (very slowly) improving. Am starting to think they will always be there.

Dh had a spreadsheet for the local villages with various items listed - ofsteds, amenities - nice pub in walking distance Not that we get to use that very often...

Tell me it really will get warmer soon

Noah - good luck with the spreadsheet.

Acinonyx - your name came up today, on an A level question paper about classification.