Starting secondary support thread 2

[PenguinPandas]

Support thread continued.

Your poor DS Dobbins at least he can have a good rest this weekend.

We have had weird EP diagnosis in past too - first one said never to use any discipline ever and let DS do exactly what he wants at all time in year 2. That went well. Had parents evening yesterday - could only see three teachers as English and Science fully booked but rest were very positive diplomatic DD had PE today and she said they said "due to the weather" they were changing PE teachers around and kids got choice of PE teacher so DD went to another one. One all the girls reported is still in a very bad mood with girls and was inspecting socks very carefully - no issue with boys socks that were wrong colour but all girls with wrong socks were in trouble The Deputy Head is Head of Safeguarding though she did back down when I objected to the drama comment and said she agreed with me.

How is your DS now Dobbins?

DD decided to dye her hair, didn't like first colour so redyed it and still doesn't like it so is now putting washing up liquid in her hair.

DS was telling me he had to do a presentation and he put a slide with a turtle in at the end with why not on as he likes turtles and he had a peer review saying turtle not needed and he's about that. DD has Intermediate Maths Kangaroo on Thursday and we have Ed Psych on Wed.

I hope Dd's able to get her hair the colour she wants. Hope the Ed Psych appointment goes well.

Ds2 is fine now. He's got cooking today, I have my doubts over whether he'll remember to collect it before going home. I've said I'm not buying new Tupperware each time so he better had!

Hope the Ed Psych goes well-and the dye comes out!

DS was telling me he had to do a presentation and he put a slide with a turtle in at the end with why not on as he likes turtles
Reminds me of when ds was in the infants and they had to do a project about a minibeast.
He chose Hawk. I pointed out this was not a minibeast. He said he knew it, but he could then talk about the Red Arrows (the plane is called a Hawk) which were more interesting.
Eventually he was persuaded to go for snails.
He managed a while project on snails, until the last page, where there was a big picture of a Lancaster Bomber. Underneath it had the caption "The Lancaster Bomber is not a snail."

Ds has got ear pain. I'm not sure how bad, but it isn't infected, just a lot of fluid, so he had the end of last week off school. He's back (with strong objections) this week.

😂 at the Lancaster bomber. Hope your DS is fully recovered now Witchend

Dobbins We just use lots of empty Chinese containers as DS loses everything.

DD has blonde hair naturally and its now turned red/ brown with the dyeing not an improvement I have just vetoed her trying a black dye. She's off at youth club. DS came home singing the Cillit Bang advert and they were both agreeing maths competitions are great as you get to miss English for them. DDs maths paper on Thursday during English.

Ed Psych went well and DD did Int. Maths Kangaroo today - they let them take question papers home so she's given it to DS saying I need the answers.

Ds went back this week (with a fight) then had Wednesday off with a migraine. I think probably a reaction to the nose spray he was given for the ear ache as he's only had migraines as allergy before.

Persuaded him in on Thursday to get a call mid morning saying he'd been sick. I do have some suspicions about this, whether it was a fingers down the throat or exaggerated spit, I'm not sure. So I told school he's sick when a migraine is coming or when his temperature comes up (both totally true) and if he wasn't sick again could he come back and they agreed. So he's in today. He's not infectious and will his attendance descending towards 85% I felt it was a good idea.

Dd2 is very put out that they haven't been told the results of the intermediate maths challenge. She thinks that if it's not one of the teacher's favourites getting into kangaroo round then the teacher might just "forgot" to tell them in time. She's only one of two from her year that has got through in earlier years, I believe. I will be unimpressed if it has been "forgotten" and she should have sat the paper yesterday.

Dd1's been my focus this week. Her only health issue is she's got a dentist phobia. A major one so our usual one refuses to do anything else as he can't do sedation. Unfortunately the NHS does not do sedation for 18yos. So she went last week to have the first sedation. It was amazing. She managed to stay calm and let them get on. Cost £500, got the impression that would be similar for the other 2 appointments she needs. Took me 6 months to persuade her to do that.

So we went back yesterday for a check up and plan for the rest of her mouth. I knew it was bad because she's got 2 damaged teeth (came through without enamel) and they've "infected" the ones around. £4-£5k to sort the lot.

I've been stuck what to do. I know dh will just say "can't afford it, she'll have to do it without". I know she's not capable of it.

However today I've found somewhere that says they can do the treatment on the NHS and the sedation privately. If I hadn't been on the phone I'd probably have hugged them. I've just got to get dd1 to agree, and I think she will, she knows we don't have that sort of money around.
She was so happy after the first sedation because she felt she could finally sort it all, and so upset since the appointment.

I'm hoping she'll be home shortly (she has every other Friday a waste of time "lesson" called "Prospects" where they're meant to discuss what they're doing after A-levels) so I can talk about it before I have to pick the others up.

And this morning I thought I'd found a mouse nest in one of the drawers under the bed. I sent dh a photo saying that was for him to sort out. He hasn't replied. However after a certain amount of googling I concluded it was "just" clothes moths having had many years' worth of snacks. My lovely jumper that was horrendously expensive which I bought as a student so probably not expensive at all was just holes. I think it's moths as only the wool stuff was touched. I hope so anyway.
Although my room now looks like the contents have been thrown into the middle of the room and stirred as I moved things. I've now run out of energy.

DD has been asking Maths teacher about Kangaroo every lesson driving him nuts 😂 but it took quite a while to get them, she kept getting I don't know but DD won't take no for an answer. That would be so annoying if they just forgot Witchend but DD said other half of year who didn't have DDs nagging ability only found out on Wednesday and not given full result.

Hope the dentist and migraine gets sorted, at least its the weekend.

DD told me she has scored between 100 and 125/126 based on DSs answers so thinks she will have the extra certificate. She is still on a hair dye disaster programme - currently at light ginger. She had today off for a headache skiving promised she would do homework and not disturb my wfh, well she did no homework and didn't shut up. Grrr. Still DH home now.

Novosol cancelled our holiday cottage booking for the summer and that areas now booked up mostly so had to find an alternative. DS has announced when in Norway he will spend 35% of his time outdoors otherwise the holiday is pointless. 😎 I found a family day that includes bows and arrows and ax throwing and DS was so keen but not sure that's a good idea. They've got lots of wildlife were we are going and DS is very excited as "I love eagles, I love puffins, I love seals, I love otters, I love beavers, I love moose and I love killer whales" DH kept stressing there won't be enough people around despite the fact he never talks to anyone on holiday and he got Google Earth to search for supermarkets, he found 5 then agreed which was good as I had already booked it DS said he might try rock climbing.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

I found a family day that includes bows and arrows and ax throwing and DS was so keen but not sure that's a good idea. They've got lots of wildlife were we are going and DS is very excited as "I love eagles, I love puffins, I love seals, I love otters, I love beavers, I love moose and I love killer whales"

That sounds perfect for ds too. However his sisters would not be impressed.
We just go to Butlins which suits them all. We go as a group so they have a lovely time being totally independent.

DD loves animals too so that part is easy. She was a bit at the ax throwing then said I will do it! DS said he will throw them at DD plus not convinced they speak English so I won't be too sorry if they don't reply, don't have space.

So is your holiday now I’m Norway Penguins ?
(I’ve been on this thread but currently nc for a different thread).
We had parents evening last week and I decided to see 2 non core subjects after just doing core last time. So I saw the nutrition and the PE teacher. The PE teacher in particular was great, said how he was always happy to try new stuff, learn new skills and didn’t care if he didn’t win. DS has been going to rugby club and has recently started badminton as well - even though they are on the same night!

Kate Glad it went well re the PE.

We are going to Sweden and Norway in the summer - mostly Norway. Just finished booking all the places we are staying at instead of doing work and the moose safari. DS said its good we are going to different places rather than our previous holiday where we stayed in same resort for 2 weeks and went on trips. Then he said but I don't like travelling. The 35% outside he says is of his waking hours so not sure if we are expected to time this.

Hope everyone had a good week. Only one week to Easter 🐇🐣

DD is still on the washing up liquid trying to get ginger out of her hair. 😂

DS and DD seemed to have a good week. I had lots of work in so didn't get mothers day off but DH and DS did bake me a lovely lemon cake and made me a roast dinner. Cat keeps trying to drink my tea so now DH brings her hot milk and water and she is very happy, she's sleeping so much now.

Penguinpandarabbit Do NOT give cats milk, it is insanely bad for them. I can’t remember exactly what but I think it’s like poison for them. They like it but my God is it awful for their digestive systems. Cartoons and whatnot are liars, just like how mice don’t actually like cheese per se just the smell but anyways look it up milk is really harmful to cats.

Oops, not sure if I responded to you correctly? Ignore this if so.

Its not normal milk, its special lactose free milk she has and she's fine with it, normal milk makes her ill though. My cat as a child drank normal milk fine everyday and lived to 23 but its quite rare for a cat not to be lactose intolerant. She's 15 soon.

This thread dropped off my list, not been on MN as much due to RL stuff.

Very much ready for the Easter break, DS2 looking very dodgy this morning but has gone to school. He has just about made it to 91% attendance. I get weekly alerts about his attendance on the new communication app, but they come through between midnight and 3am. thinking about sending an email about it, as it's bit anti-social {grumpy}

He's been invited to a party over Easter, not sure what the deal is at secondary. Do they take money in a card or is that not the done thing? It's a party in a hall.

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter hols.

Hope you have a lovely Easter too Dobbins Hooray for 91% and one day to go

I am a regular sender of emails in early hours so I couldn't really complain 😳

DS did a speech in assembly at school. 😱 He said they got to write it and chose how long they spoke for. DS said his was the longest by far and 222 people were there. He seems much better at school - he's got 7 reward points this week including 2 for constant high expectations for uniform they must have low expectations 😂 He is also eating properly at school now which I prefer, wasn't too bad before as we are close but when he's anxious he avoids eating.

Parties yes money in envelope still done unless really close friend and think they would prefer present. I prefer giving and them getting money, DS has no interest in presents, still hasn't opened those from his party in January or Christmas.

DS has just gone off to tennis lesson. This isn't likely to end well but can live in hope. He was like John McEnroe Jnr when DH was trying with him.

Easter holidays here too.

Ds is happily doing everything except his homework. However his target set for the term is to "do his English homework with enthusiasm" I laughed. He didn't.

Ds plays tennis. When younger he did tend to work on the theory that if he missed it, it was out. Tbf a lot of small boys do. Just as they also come off court saying "we may have lost 6-0 but we hit better shots". that missed the court by about 6 feet

He's got a lot better, but most of the boys are inclined to play along the lines of "I've just hit the best shot in the world."
I remember one time he was playing with a couple of girls. Every time he won, he shouted "yes". I was just going to tell him this wasn't good etiquette when the (young male) coach went over and joined in, so I thought he'd tell him.
No, he was far worse. If he hit a good shot he ran round the court celebrating like a goal in football.
I realised then that they just enjoyed playing like that.

Mind you I have played adult matches where players (or worse parents) would put McEnroe to shame. Had one lady yesterday explaining that she knew the ball on our baseline was definitely in (she was standing on her baseline) because of the way my partner ran to it. Wouldn't have been so bad if her calls throughout the match had been so bad even her partner corrected her.

He lasted 5 mins and I got messages from tennis instructor saying no idea what to do so DH went to get him but he came home by himself. Tennis instructor sounded very stressed and not happy.

Still I have ordered him a 32cm bath duck to try and attract him in the bath and it is arriving today. He is very excited but says he is not going in the bath

We have joined David Lloyd for 2 weeks trial so he can play tennis there but DH is like McEnroe senior and I can't play at all.

Hope you are having a lovely break.

Sorry the tennis didn't work out penguin, hope the duck works its magic. DS2 asked for tennis lessons a couple of years ago then wouldn't go in. Which is the case for all clubs he's asked to join over the years

I had to collect DS2 at 11.45am on Friday! He still isn't well now, but at least it's the holidays so no angry attendance letters. We did get a school postcard praising him for his efforts in RS, which he was not impressed by as he hates both the subject and teacher. Usual DS2 reaction!

😂 Dobbins DS is asking if we can go to David Lloyd tonight so he can play tennis with DH or swim with me. DH has said no to tennis. Bet he will just end up cafeing if he doesn't refuse to leave house 😎

Tennis instructor e-mailed to ask if he is coming tomorrow, definitely not. I am trying to organize refurbishing old house, bathroom order has gone fine but Carpetright omg. 😱 Today's error is they have cancelled everything but kept all our money, this has been going on since 31 March, its a different issue almost everyday. Never again.

32cm yellow bath duck has arrived and DS is dancing with it. It apparently hates baths too though!

Ds hates the idea of baths. But loves them once in and won't get out. Number of times he's told me he's clean and doesn't need a bath (because once the mud is dry it'll brush off).