Friday night thread.....

[Becaroooo]

....bit early but planning an early night tonight...am knackered after half term!

Mixed week this week...

Ds1 had a hospital appt and had to have a blood test - he was v brave and didnt cry.

My aunt came round yesterday...she hasnt seen the new house and hasnt seen the boys for about a year It was really eye opening seeing ds1 through her eyes...I could tell she thought his prancing was odd and his constant questions/info/repitition about dinosaurs...sigh. Just brings it home sometimes...

Ds2 is being 3 so a bit of a handful

Just parents evening to look forward to now.....

Also, ds2 has had his appt through for his booster jabs on the same day as parents evening...thats going to be a fun day

He will only be 3.5...I thought it would be next spring he would have them???....

Have a good weekend everyone x

Flipping half term homework!! DS1&DD have to construct a castle each. FFS. Half term is a holiday!!!!!!!!
My tip is to keep old history projects and then recycle for the younger child. We made a Greek Temple in year 3 and used 50ml bolus syringes for the erm Doric Columns! I have kept it for DS2. The Viking longboats were fairly torturous. Just created volcanos. Fun fun fun! Whatever happened to just learning....

at the time DD didn't have a 'diagnosis' so i just looked crap. now it all makes so much more sense.

Unfortuately in this instance ds's dx doesn't help, as despite usually being fantastic, his teacher just doesn't seem to get why he can't/won't do it. She seems to think that because he's interested in the topic, it naturally follows that he will come over all enthusiastic and produce reams and reams of work.

The thing is, its not all that easy to explain why he hasn't done it. Its not that he doesn't want to do it exactly - he would love nothing more than to hand in a spectacular project that his teacher is really impressed with. Its more that he underestimates the amount of work involved and then gets overwhelmed by it all and that coupled with the 'school is school' and 'home is home' and n'er the twain shall meet mentality, is a recipe for disaster. He's the only child that's allowed to use a computer instead of drawing and writing the whole thing too. Unfortunately, that hasn't made the slightest bit of difference either.

has he been talking to my DD2? that sounds scarily familliar.

Back again... with 2 pairs of jogging bottoms - my usual size and they're almost too big, so healthy eating and toning exercises are working .

Hi SallyBear

Beca loving the song.

Hello everyone else. See there's been lots of going about.

Don't get me started on school projects . They're the ones the parents spend more time doing than the DCs.

My DD (NT) doesn't even cope well with them . We visited Stirling Castle for one of hers (not that close by, so day trip involved). All she wanted to see was the medieval toilet. I kept pointing out usual info for the project, but she wouldn't read it.

She had some questions, but wouldn't ask one of the guides. Humph!!!!!

Thankfully DS is in Autism Unit and they tend to do projects in school time .

Moosemama I sympathise on the homework though it does seem like a big project for primary school. I have spent all half term trying to get DS to do coursework for IT for GCSE. He likes IT, he is good at it, he knows he needs to do it and he wants a good grade, but it is still next to impossible to get him to sit down and do it. School is very supportive but obvioulsy he can't get the grade if he hasn't done the work. He also can't see the point of writing about things he knows about. You should hear him on the subject of writing up drama practicals. Its drama why would I need to write about it.

Cervix

I have dh ranting away in the background now about why on earth schools set homework projects that they know will need to be pretty much done by the parents with minimal input from the children.

Half of me thinks it would be less stressful if I did just that. Knocked something up myself and stuck his name on the top! Thing is, he's too honest and would fess up as he handed it over to his teacher.

Hi Creatovator, well done on the weightloss - another thing I am failing dismally at at the moment.

Have just grabbed some carrot sticks, a big bag of vegetable crisps and a pot of sour cream dip - so that'll be about a gazillion calories and double than in fat grammes for my dinner then.

NoHaudin, your ds sounds very similar to mine. I'm dreading secondary school.

Hi Moose

Sorry you're still not feeling so good. I reckon you're being too hard on yourself. When you're feeling so unwell, weight loss should be the last thing on your mind. I've only just started again because I'm feeling much better and I'm hoping that getting toned and fit again will give my body the final boost it needs to be 100%. I wouldn't have tried before now.

If it help you feel any better the plan I use is the one from a magazine called the Healthy Eating Guide. It's much more doable than so many of the others. You can even have chocolate . It's basically just healthy eating and substituting low fat stuff for full fat stuff. I've been having low fat cheddar cheese at times this week which I'm really enjoying. Who'd have thought you could have cheese on a healthy eating plan. There's even a small glass of red wine on one night. In fact I'm eating a few more calories than suggested and still losing the inches .

Thanks creatovator. I'm an all or nothing girl really. I have to go cold turkey on sugar and fat and take it from there.

I'm managing to maintain at the moment - just going up and down the same two pounds, but still have just under a stone to lose to get to my goal weight. I'm more frustrated that all my lovely toned muscles have turned back into wobbly jelly after months of building myself up using the 30 Day Shred and other Jillian Michaels dvds. I have tried three times to start exercising again and been knocked out again after a week.

I'm determined to be healthy, fit and at goal weight for our big anniversary party in July though.

Gah. Life is never simple is it? Just had a text from that person, this one actually aimed at me. Saying life's too short to fall out and she'll have birthday cake at the game tomorrow if I want some.

Thing is, do I want to get involved with her again? I'm happy now, I've got a boyfriend, lovely friends who care about me, and I can't get rid of this nagging instinct in the back of my head saying "Is this another mind game?"

I need to reply to the text before the game though, or things really will kick off, I think...

I'm all or nothing too, which is why this is so good for me, 'cos it feels like nothing!

The toning exercises I've been doing are the really easy ones from 6 Minute Morning Toning by Faye Rowe. It usually takes me about 10 mins before breakfast each morning, but really works for me. I don't understand why, 'cos I don't feel I'm putting much effort into it, so again it's ideal.

I'll bear in mind you're July target iyswim.

Lollipop Can you be honest with her about how you're feeling?

Hello all not too bad a week DD5 has been delightful (probably due plenty of attention) DS4 has been really happy YAY. DS 3 had a nasty seizure and
required 4 stitches in head and has a black eye but is so laid back he is just brilliant. Hope you all have a good w/e. I will learn how to do smileys etc but I am getting on you know!

Creatovator, I think I'm going to leave replying and say I didn't receive the text if I'm asked. I've got a shoot tomorrow I need to be on top form for, and I know if I say anything it'll weigh on my mind and stop me focussing on the important stuff, which right now is uni.

I'm a believer in "if it's meant to happen it will", so we'll see what tomorrow brings. Although there's a big warning klaxon sounding in my head saying "Don't get drawn back in" and I'm inclined to listen to it.

As I say, we shall see.

Hi 2old2be Glad you've had a good week. Hope DS3 recovers soon.

Hope the shoot goes well Lollipop. Sounds exciting.

I feel my bed beckons now. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Thanks creatovator.

Oh projects!

The tudor project last term wasnt too bad as he is really interested in the tudors and kings and queens, but it was still hard work.

This time its bloody India...I dont know anything about India! The sheet he brought home gives some ideas; comparisons of school life, homes, food, religion, traditions etc...ds1 is doing;
homes, food, transport and wildlife!

Oh well, he has barely started it and am so fed up that its always me that has to do it with him..he also has had his regular homework too...so maths, literacy, spellings and science.

Bah!

(have done no reading at all!)

Beca, sounds like you and I are in the same boat this weekend.

I get so grumpy that its always me that has to do it with him as well. I made dh do some with him last weekend - they produced virtually nothing and most of what they did produce was wrong anyway.

This weekend we have finish the blooming discovery timeline, come up with a few discoveries that aren't suggested on the homework sheet (couldn't find any yesterday, as they've already given us 6) and write a bit about each one.

Circumnavitate the globe - write about what happened on the way and produce a world map with route and significant points of interest.

Produce a picture of a Tudor galleon, label all the important points, then write about what each labelled item is for and how it was used and what life was like at sea for Tudor sailors.

Write up the recipe for ship's biscuits and bake a batch to take into school.

Then put it all together in some sort of attractive way to make it look like a cohesive project.

Blimey, moose. That's one enormous project.

Beca, moose, DS2 always did the bare minimum, I we always did it on the computer rather than hand written and added big pictures to fill up the space illustrate. I'd type while he dictated or he'd type while I dictated. So he got a bit of practise at both skills, thinking up the ideas and presenting them, but crucially not overload him with both at the same time. Amazing how much easier it was when he could do it on the computer. If school didn't like it I quoted 'reasonable adjustments.'

Oh no you poor things with all that homework.

We had a lucky escape this holiday with only literacy and numeracy to do.

Dd3 is in the home is home and school is school camp to , although since she moved schools she has been tolerating the 2 pieces a week that they set. She makes such a hash of it though, she doesnt even read the instructions half the time and i am not allowed anywhere near it (thank god).

I keep waiting for something to be said to her about it but nothing so far. I am dreading secondary although Dd1 was usually able to complete hers at school so i will be asking for that for Dd3.

Thanks to everyone who wished me a good night out, i went to the theatre and the show was fab.

That's why I didn't see you then, Ineed, I went for a curry.