Year 7 Summer Term !

[MargaretMountford]

Here is a brand new thread for the new term !

Unfortunately, my ds's only have me/dh, my parents and my brother, so they don't really get a lot in the way of presents/money.

No, nor do mine Bellavita. I have three sibs none of whom bother to remember birthdays, so it is just my mum, PIL (who only do the aforesaid Smith's vouchers) and two of DH's sibs (one of his sibs ignores all family DC completely and quite possibly doesn't even remember their names).
But my

It's hard isn't it... this will be the first year we have spent anything like we are doing on this bike. DS2 had £40 spent on his last birthday, so no doubt we will have to match it this year, but it is very close to xmas .

I suppose as they get older, they want different things and we have to get used to spending more money - eek!

Maybe I am out of touch on what other people normally spend on their dc's?

This year the DCs main Christmas present was a computer between the three of them which worked out at about £120 each, but that was more than we usually spend, and justified by the fact that DD1 really needs it for her homework (and the others really need it for Club Penguin).
Normally we would look for a main present to be £50 or so.
I strongly suspect that DD1 could buy the camcorder herself in any case as she hasn't spent a penny of her allowance for months - she must have close to £70 in the bank.
Anyway I asked her at teatime what she wanted for her birthday and she said watercolour paints and a sketchbook.
She

This year the DCs main Christmas present was a computer between the three of them which worked out at about £120 each, but that was more than we usually spend, and justified by the fact that DD1 really needs it for her homework (and the others really need it for Club Penguin).
Normally we would look for a main present to be £50 or so.
I strongly suspect that DD1 could buy the camcorder herself in any case as she hasn't spent a penny of her allowance for months - she must have close to £70 in the bank.
Anyway I asked her at teatime what she wanted for her birthday and she said watercolour paints and a sketchbook.
She

It's ds's 12th birthday today and he has a microphone thing to attach to computer which hooks up with his garage band application (don't ask me the technicalities) which was expensive I'm afraid but he absolutely loves it and will use it a lot (singing/making music is his big passion)..he has also a nice book and a few Simpsons things from us..I don't think spending loads of money is a good thing and ds is very modest in his wants- in fact he never asks for things-but we knew he would really appreciate this more costly than usual gift. Hope DD1 does buy herself a Flip thing LGP -ds has used his a lot -was a very worthwhile present.
I know what you mean about WHS vouchers - ds gets them and of course is very grateful but ours is small branch too and we are awash with drawing stuff and pens.
Amazon vouchers sound a great idea.

MAS - you are back!

DH informs me that MM won't be on next years Apprentice as she is going on to do a PHD.

Happy birthday to your DS - are you having a special birthday tea?

Tbh, we have never ever spent a huge amount on birthday presents, but his friends have bmx bikes and I really don't want to hold him back making him use his mountain bike that is so not designed to do what he wants it to do. We could have got a lot cheaper bike at say Halfords, but this make of bike is renouned for being good.

He is having a friend over on Sat (his birthday) and we are all going out to Pizza Express in town and then the friend will sleep over.

Happy Birthday to your DS, MAS.
Glad you are back as MAS, I was always very fond of her.
Bellavita - it makes total sense to spend a bit more to get the right bike and one that will stand up to hard wear!
DD has now requested tennis lessons for her birthday.

Have you got a local tennis club LGP?

Yes, quite a good one, or so I am told! DD has had no interest in tennis before, but she has started playing after school now as her beloved netball is not played in the summer term and has realised that most of the others she plays with have actual lessons.
She has also taken up cricket and rounders and apparently goes to the weights room one lunchtime a week as well.

wow ! LGP what a sporty dd !
thank you for the welcome back - not only as my transformation back from MM but also I feel I've neglected this thread a bit !
Ds has had a nice birthday tea (Thai takeaway and grandma baked him a lovely cake)..

and bellavita, yes,proper bike for appropriate use is best idea

She isn't at all sporty really, that's the funny thing. She is dyspraxic and has terrible hand-eye coordination (all inherited from me) so her dogged peserverance with all these activities astonishes me. I am proud of her for trying, but it is heartbreaking too, as she doesn't often get picked for teams even though she never fails to show up for practice - she was crying tonight because she wasn't chosen for the rounders team. I don't know what to say to her except keep on doing your best.
Glad your DS had a lovely birthday - Thai takeaway and a homemade cake sounds fab!

It's hard isn't it when they try so hard then don't get picked. But well done to her though for trying.

Mmmm yes, Thai takeaway and homemade cake does sound fab.

oh bless her for trying - that is fab -she sounds great !

Grrrrrrrr, DS has left his hoodie on the flippin bus

Have phoned the bus co who gave me the number for the depot. Nice man at depot said bus would be coming back through our village at around 5.10pm this evening if DS wanted to go to the stop and ask the driver otherwise we have to wait for the bus to go back to the depot and go and look for it. and rolling eyes emoticon

oh bellavita - what a pain

oh what happened at the end of my post?

I put "sighs and rolls eyes emoticon", oh well!

Hoodie safely back home

Phew at rescued hoody!
Did he retrieve it in the way suggested?

phew from me too

Yes he did roisin

Glad the hoodie made it home!

I cannot believe this but I have somehow agreed to let DD have four friends sleep over on Friday night. I know two of them and the other two are new friends - the first time since she started Y7 that she has had new people round.

Hah! My dd had 4 friends for a sleepover recently. They were very sweet (more interested in pillow fights than boys still!) & it was lovely to meet her new friends. They got very little sleep though! Be prepared!

DS has a new school friend to sleep over this Saturday, he came to sleep a couple of weeks ago too. A very polite boy - he came into the kitchen at tea time and asked if he could help with anything , bless him.

I asked them to go to bed at 11.30 which to their credit, they did and went straight to sleep. Next morning though, they were up at around 7.00

LGP - think you need to be prepared for lots of giggling!

Am prepared for plenty of giggling, oh yes! I asked DD what her friends would like for tea, and the answer unsurprisingly was pizza!
It's a funny thing, but although she has has lots of sleepovers already with her old primary school friends whom I know very well by now, I am slightly stressed by having 'new' friends to stay - I find myself needing to tidy up and make the house look nice, which I never normally do before sleepovers.