Friday chat thread!

[Ben10WasTheSpawnNowWeLoveLego]

Hi All

I still don't post much at the moment as still recovering from my operations and typing sets everything off but I have been lurking and checking up on you all .

Good things this week:

1. I am ebaying all of our junk and so far in the last 3 weeks have made around £400-500 which means that Christmas is free and the credit card debt is starting to reduce. I still have a huge amount of stuff to go inc a spa break that I can't use as can;t travel to it and don't want to be touched by a non-physio at the moment.

2. I'm starting Triple P with a very supportive group of parents in January. and I found a mum who going through AS dx for her son in the same school who is in the position of having to fight for her son etc. I'm pleased that I could give her some pointers :)

3. DS has volunteered to speak in the Christmas production and is happy about it :) :)

4. 6 weeks today I will be in Egypt on holiday thanks to the Family Fund

As you were.......... Cider, the telly and MNSN tonight. Perfect. I'll be lurking :)

Ben10 well done on the ebaying. That will make a lovely debt-free Christmas for you!! I really need to get going on ebaying some things, but just can't deal with the extra work right now. (is there a "I'm very lazy" smiley? ) Well done to your DS for volunteering for the Christmas production. And very jealous of the holiday!!! Have a lovely time!

It's been chaotic here. DS2 in hospital last weekend, busy week with appointments and all sorts of different things going on, and then he was vomiting last night (think "Exorcist" and you've got the picture), so he stayed home today from school. He's been a bit all over the place (meaning even more than usual ) today, because we've been putting up the Christmas decorations and the tree, although we won't finish the tree until the end of the weekend as we tend to do it in stages. DH is perfecting his "hello, I'm going to annoy you to no end and be petulant and throw teenage strops" act today, so I'm ignoring him. It's less aggravating than arguing, and takes far less energy. Added plus that it irritates him that I don't rise to the argument. Yup, just one of those days.

Other than that, despite the hospital, today, and just generally super busy, it's actually not been a bad week. Does that sound crazy? hahahahaha I had a talk with the OT, who confirmed that the school is talking out their bum regarding the CAF, and they can't make me do it. I warned the OT that when I tell them to shove off regarding the CAF, they'll probably ring her. She's not too worried, she'll tell them to back off. Love that woman! She's managed to get arrangements for our kitchen door to be replaced (previous tenants disposed of it and council won't replace it) with a lovely barn door for DS2's safety, as well as fixing our downstairs toilet door (which we put up - again due to previous tenants - but our DIY skills in door hanging leave much to be desired ). Thank goodness!!! She has been such a help to us!

Sorry... rambling... typical me

Hope everyone is doing well this week

Hi Ben10

Glad you've had a good week and are in a good parent group for Triple P.

Well done for DS volunteering for Christmas production.

Holiday in Egypt... ooh sounds lovely.

We've had a good week too. DS came home with pupil of the week today for trying hard with his work . I like these awards and the positive approach of his school in awarding them for effort in all sorts of things.

DD did a 2 min talk on herself in class today. They've all got to do it for homework. It seems to have been well received.

I met my tutor for my MSc today. She's impressed with the work I've done so far and thinks that I'll be able to publish some of it [grin)

DH has man flu, (a cold), but has kept going as I'm still not up to the mark healthwise yet.

Christmas shopping is underway .

Evening Ben, lovely to see the evening kick off with a list of positives.

Am very impressed at your ebaying, I have so much stuff to ebay but am scared to even start listing stuff. I don't even know how to do it! I think dd's old clothes alone are probably worth a couple of hundred and we could really do with it at this time of year.

Not such a good week here. Spent the first half with a horrible stomach bug and no sooner did that go than I came down with a humdinging cold. I am not a happy bunny, because my sister and I have a no-men, no-kids, girly Christmas shopping day planned tomorrow, but I'm really not sure I'm going to be able to go.

Ds1 has been proper poorly too this week. The first lot of antibiotics didn't see off his chest infection and he was really not well on Wednesday, so called the surgery, who said to take him straight in. As soon as the GP listened to his chest he looked worried and asked me to rush him up to corridor to be put on a nebuliser! So, we did that, then back to the GP who said he could then clearly hear infection in both lungs and he thinks its highly likely that ds could have developed asthma. We knew that was a possibility, as the previous doc last week mentioned it, but I really respect this doc, he's head of practice and really good. So, he's on oral steroids, another course of a different antibiotics and ventolin as and when. Needless to say, he has been keeping up awake all night every night and we are all short-tempered zombies as a result.

We're back at the docs next Tuesday for a follow up and to arrange asthma testing once his chest infection is completely clear.

Ended up having to sit out in the cold for an hour with him yesterday, as he was devastated at not being able to attend the last cricket club of the term, so I promised we could sit and watch the match. Blimey its cold when the sun goes down these days.

He is still insisting on going to school - fortunately the GP said that was ok if he felt up to it and hilariously told his teacher yesterday that it would be fatal if he went out to play in the cold! He also insisted on doing a risk assessment for his inhaler in his teacher's draw. Apparently he needed to be reassured that it wouldn't freeze, get wet or be exposed to temperatures over 30 degrees.

BUT despite all that ...... we have finally got our SA request in and have the date of 2 January for their deadline to let us know if they are going to assess. Spoke to them at the end of last week and found out we could just send a request letter after all and send the Parental Advice when they request it. Deadline for that is 21 December, but I'm hoping to have it nailed by the end of the weekend - just a few amendments and prettying up to do, plus an executive summary of the things we most want them to take note of now.

How big were everyone else's? Ours is 17 pages plus 11 sets of appendices/reports/evidence. Not sure if I should try and cut it down.

Blimey, cross posted with everyone! Will go back and read now.

Oh Moose sorry you've had such a bad week. Hope DS1 gets better soon, and you too.

Triggles hope DS2 gets well soon too. and Yeah for great OTs. We've had one who has craftily managed to work with DS by working with his class in school. Seemingly she's not meant to 'cos there are no new strategies she can offer us .

I mean she's not meant to work individually with DS!

creatovator glad you've had a good week. Lovely positive award for your DS! Well done to him! Sympathies for the manflu - DH had it earlier in the week, apparently it's one step short of the end of the world for them.

moosemama so sorry to hear you've been ill ! Stomach flu is awful - HATE vomiting! Would rather have pain than throw up. (spleeny whingy smiley here) Hope that your DS1 is feeling better soon! LOL at the risk assessment! And best of luck with the SA. Ours was huge - I'm sure they probably groaned in exasperation when they saw it! But it's such a relief when it's all written up and turned in. I went back and forth as well - do I put loads of detail in or be straight to the point? If I skip the detail, will they be able to read between the lines or will they not get it? It's hard to get through with any shred of sanity.

Triggles, do they know what's up with your ds? Poor thing, sounds like he's had a rough time of it.

Good to hear you've had a reasonable week in spite of things. Your OT lady sounds like she's worth her weight in gold.

Christmas decorations already! I haven't even managed to think about ours. We usually do them the first weekend in December, so I guess that would be next weekend then.

Creatovator, sounds like a positive week for you as well.

Forgot to say. Ds2 had an accident at school yesterday where someone ran into him full pelt and his face hit the deck. Not only did I not get a call, as is the school's policy re head injuries, but his teacher didn't bother to come and see me at the end of the day either! Ds1 was there and there were lots of both boys' friends around so we have plenty of witnesses to say he was absolutely covered in blood. His mouth is swollen out on one side, so he can't talk properly let alone drink or eat, his lip and cheek are all cut inside and his upper gums are painful - in fact, if he hadn't already knocked out the upper incisor on that side when he was 3, I am positive he would have lost the tooth yesterday.

So, I phoned to tell them he was in no fit state to be in school today and to complain. His teacher told me that it wasn't her fault, because the dinner lady only said he'd bumped his mouth and cheek - not his head. So I pointed out that his mouth and cheek are on his head actually and having hit the ground full force - that constitutes a head injury - as confirmed by the nurse today. I could see how swollen his face was before he'd even left the door when I went to fetch him - I am so cross that they didn't follow protocol and give me the chance to get him checked out by a doctor straight away. Especially as he told me he didn't actually remember the fall and has had a headache ever since. I will be following it up with a letter on Monday, explaining why he was off today and that we aren't at all happy with the way things were handled - he didn't even see a first aider ffs - just had a cold pack put on it and was told to wash the blood off.

creatovator it's so wonderful when someone goes out of their way to help, isn't it? Sadly, it's rare. This OT sorted our Maclaren for us immediately, she got the council to fix and upgrade the locking mechanisms on all our windows so they are safe for DS2, and now the doors as well. She is absolutely brilliant!

I think I'm most concerned they'll take one look at the size of my PA submission and not bother to read it. I have really tried not to be too wordy - but it doesn't come naturally!

The good think about my stomach bug is that despite not exercising since last Saturday, I still managed to hit my weightloss target his week. Every cloud ....

Gosh! I can't keep up tonight . DH was reading over my shoulder about your post about manflu Triggles. He was most affronted and said it's not as bad as that [oops]. Don't worry he won't get to look again!!!

And Yes, these people are rare, but are like amazing lights in the darkness when you meet them.

Moose jings . I'm amazed the school could be so (I don't know what word to put).

Moose have some brandy to settle your nerves, prep you for the letter writing and calm your stomach. Medicinal purposes doesn't put any calories on .

Hi guys

Sorry to hear you have been poorly Moose. That bug is awful and takes so much out of you.

Ben 10 I am glad you are well on the mend. Well done on selling off all your odds and sods its amazing just how much mounts up. I know my loft is straining at the seams with toys from my eldest dd who is 21 let alone my other two.

This week has been for want of a better word ok at the start but finished last night badly. Cant post here as way to public. Wish I could as I have no one to talk to and its taking a lot to stay positive without cracking, but suffice to say my eldest had something terrible happen and a few weeks on police have let her down. Dont they always.

DS is ok and OT is doing as she promised and visiting his school next week to put things in motion so for that I am grateful.

Have a good evening all

Gosh, how much cross posting was there in that lot?

Hi Ben10, glad you're still lurking. Egypt sounds fab.

Triggles, do you think they'll get to the bottom if your DS2's hospital visit?

Creatovator, well done on the MSc start. Your DS's school does sound lovely.

Moose, my DS2 had a nasty chest infection while we were on holiday one year, nebuliser, steroids, inhaler, the works but he's not asthmatic, just prone to chest infections. He's fine 80% of the time but gets wheezy every cold he gets. I've got an inhaler for him and he's done all the breathing tests etc. Hopefully it'll be the same for your DS1. [hopeful]

Tough week here. Dickhead and I have been trying to arrange long term access, up until Easter. He wants to take the boys on holiday for a whole week. Gulp. I can't in all honesty think of a good reason why not, except that I'll miss them terribly. It'll be the longest by far that I've ever spent apart from them. So a few tears this week. I've realised that I'm fine without him, but anything to do with the boys still has the ability to upset me.

So sorry to hear that Coff33. Your poor DD. I'm afraid I can imagine but you are right not to say if it's still sub judice. (sp) (((Hugs))) for you both.

coff33pot Sorry to hear about your eldest . Hope you can get some way of resolving whatever it is.

EllenJane understand you missing the boys. I once went to USA for 10 days on a course and missed my family terribly. So much so that when we were delayed in London on the way home due to bad weather I made my 2 friends come all the way across London to another airport and get another plane home. It cost us an extra £120 each.

coff33pot so sorry about your eldest. Hope it gets sorted in a positive way soon!

ellenjane no, not really sure what it was. They thought it was appendix, but then decided not.. could be anything from an infection to trapped wind. ah, well, at least he's better now. I think we all would have difficulty being separated from our children even for a short time, so sympathies to you on the child visitation arrangements.

Things are still touch and go with DH right now as it is. I haven't really decided what I want to do yet. A lot depends on whether or not his counselling is a positive thing or not. I can't tolerate it much longer. Damn doctor the other day said to him "what you REALLY need is CBT... " which we asked for MONTHS ago, but they told him it wasn't available on the NHS... and apparently still isn't. Charming, really, isn't it?

Triggles Surprised that CBT not available for you on the NHS . I got a leaflet about counselling and things offered on the NHS from my GP, and I'm sure this was on it. It was all self-referral stuff. I'll go and check.

Same here, I thought CBT was available on NHS. Is it just our local NHS trust doesn't offer it? Hopefully someone will know.

Yes, it's definitely on the leaflet. As EllenJane says it may be a local thing, but worth checking again I think, particularly if that's what he needs. It worked well for my brother , though his problem was health related.

Thanks, I'll do some checking. We were specifically told the only thing available was the phone counselling, which he's been on the waiting list for since JULY!!!

Right... off to make myself a and get some more Christmas Shopping online. I love Christmas Shopping when it's not busy, but I can't get to the shops when they're not busy at the mo and hate the crowds , so online it is. I like getting the parcels coming to the door anyway .

Will check back sometime over the weekend.

Just popping in to say hi, hope everyones week been ok.

We have had a good week this week and Dd3 has gone away with the Brownies for the weekend [see my hand holding thread].

I am sorry, have not read everyones threads am knackered but will be around over the weekend so will po back at some point.

Hope everyone has a good one.

Hi all, just caught up on all the posts, so hugs to those who have had crappy weeks/been ill and to all the good stuff.

good week here in chez sign. DS is the inn keeper in the play (as per my thread, ) and I have made in-roads into my first PGCE assignment... so feel less 'argh' about it. Really enjoying the course.

except for 3 I have to finish making and one I need to buy, all pressies are sorted and wrapped, . House looks like bomb has hit it... but we aren't expecting visitors so I am content to be 'slack mummy' .