(Good) Friday night thread...

[Becaroooo]

...hello everyone!

Hope you are all surviving the hols so far! Its been a bit mixed here in that the weather has been rubbish and I feel rubbish so we havent done much.

So...went to a craft session at church this morning. Now, I dont normally bother (obv!) but I thought "No! Ds2 likes craft and I need to get out of the damn house!" So off we went.

Well.

Ds1 met up with a couple of kids from his class and I didnt see him again!!!! For nearly 2 hours! He made a minature garden of Gethsemane, a basket, a hat, did some colouring, and made a choc easter nest!!!

This...from a child who wouldnt go farther then 2 feet from me 6 months ago Ds2 was a little monkey but he was pretty tired.

He is having a friend over on Tues and going to another friends house on weds!! So...fingers crossed

I hope you all have a peaceful and blessed easter x

Happy Easter to everyone too x

Sounds like your DS1 had a whale of a time :) Hope the playdates go well!

Well this week? Hmmm countdown to maudsley and nerves setting in. Tues is the day.

DS fractured finger so we spent most of yesterday in A & E but thats another thread lol

Went to beach today as great weather. Came home to find my email account hacked grrrrrrrr!! apparently I now live in the Philipines!!!!

Oh and DS got hold of................blue food colouring AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Have just soaked him in TWO baths and he is still blue, my carpet blue, my sofa BLUE so I may get back here after I have shampoed everything oh and including the Jack Russel who currently has blue paws and tail

DS said? "art mum" "its art"

Sounds good becaroo, we have had a mixed week Dd3 was assessed for her glasses on monday. She is have yellow lenses to try to stop the words moving around when she is reading.

We have been bowling and to the cinema.

Today we went to visit one of her friends which was lovely.

Busy next week and looking forward to trying to get to the seaside for a couple of days.

Hope everyone is ok..

coff oh poor ds! Hope his hand gets better

ineed Hope the glasses help. One of my friends sons uses them and has seen improvement. Seaside?

Will be thinking of you on Tuesday coff x

Thanks! be back later

Sorry.

But it is quite funny

Happy Easter everyone!

Off uni due to Easter break - awaiting feedback on my flying film, trying to get it publicized etc.

Bit fed up of trying to find a job. Not driving due to bad eyes = VERY hard to find work in the industry in which I've trained. My boyfriend has the same problem, for the same reason.

Speaking of boyfriend - I'm getting scared (in a good way). He's been talking about when he proposes to me - which is fine, we've been having jokes about wedding colour schemes etc for a while. But he's waiting til I'm out of uni, which is June. Which isn't that far away!!! Aaaah! Never imagined myself being married, was always that fat girl with glasses, the one no one liked, so nice to be proven wrong :)

"Little blue, little blue, took his mommies fountain pen and broke it in two - the ink it squirted in the water - WOW! His mommies got a blue boy now!" [bugrin]

Dh sings that one - it's a song from one of his favourite childhood programmes apparently. here

Good luck for Tuesday Coff33 and Blueboy.

I have a very poorly ds2 - temp of 38.5, weak, wobbly, shaky, pain in his chest etc Doc said he thinks viral, but we're keeping a very close watch on him, being slightly paranoid by the several atypical pnemonia presentations he's had over the past few years. I really thought he'd grown out of it after he didn't get it this winter.

So, good job we didn't have much planned for the holidays (boys only broke up yesterday).

Ds1 will be 10 - TEN YEARS OLD! on Tuesday and Amazon and the Royal Mail have between them conspired to not deliver his presents, which stoopidly I put all in one order. Have to speak to sorting office at 7am tomorrow and if its not there, Amazon will send them again on express delivery, but they may not arrive until lunch time on his birthday. Of course this won't help when ds1 expects the same birthday morning he's had every year for the past 9 years and only has a set of books to open.

Dh and ds1 are taking the Microsoft Technology Associate Qualification together. They're going to work on it for a set number of hours a week and then take the exam. Part of our plan for him to build up a portfolio of useful work-related qualifications as a back up to mainstream education - just in case. Hoping this will mean that eventually he will always be able to find programming/development. This one is just a test really to see if he will be properly engaged and stick with it.

Had a meeting with the SENCO re the proposed/draft statement yesterday morning and it went really well. School are happy with the content and with how I want it quantified and specified. We went through each of my amendments and were in agreement with them all. She's advised me to just send them in under minor amendments, rather than ask for a meeting, and see what happens. So, fingers crossed. Am pretty sure the LEA won't change them all, but maybe its worth a try?

Next battle is visiting secondary schools and meeting their SENCOs etc.

Lollipop, sorry the jobhunt is proving difficult. Lovely to hear things are going so well with your boyfriend though - I love a good love story me!

[bugrin]

Coff!!! The blue food colouring incident happened to us the day after DS3's birthday. I stupidly left the food colouring bottle out, he found it and gave it a good chew all over my gold coloured carpet!!! I hate to tell you thus, but it doesn't come out (or it didn't for us) as everytime you try to blot it out with a damp cloth it just seems to make it worse!! It became a lovely turquoise colour over time..... Laminate floors reign supreme in this house now!

We have had a great week so far, we are looking forward to a great weekend with family and friends. Feeling particularly delighted that I managed to buy a 10 foot trampoline in Argoooose for £100 with enclosure!! It's coming Wednesday, so I need to do some serious gardening this weekend to accommodate it!

Have a lovely and chocolate filled Easter everyone!

Hi all.
Good luck with the blue removal Coff and for Tuesday. Hope the anxiety doesn't spoil your Easter weekend.

Glad you have a good Senco Moose. Hope the LA accept your changes. I asked for a meeting when ds first had his statement but to be honest it was a waste of time. I would've been better just submitting my changes.

Lollipop sorry jobhunting is difficult, hope you find the right thing evenutally.

Met up with my sister on Bristol on Wed. As she lives in N. Ireland and we live in S.W. England and Ds doesn't really do overnoghts away fromhome, the only way we can meet is for her to fly from Belfast to Bristol and back on a one day trip and we go up on the train. We had a good day although it was cold! I am a singing widow this weekend. Dh sings in church choir and they have wall-to-wall services for Holy Week/ Easter.

Hello all. I've had a nice week visiting friends and family in Devon and Cornwall, and took the opportunity to call in on coff33pot for a coffee, unsurprisingly. She seems to have had a few too many disasters this week, so maybe I'm an unlucky influence. [busmile] Will be thinking of you Tuesday.

Really glad to be home with the boys now, 5 days without them seemed an age.

Glad your DS had a great time, becaroooo. What a lot of progress!

Ineed, really interested in the glasses. Which optician/optometrist did you use?

Lollipop, glad things are still going well with DBF.

Moose, computer course sounds good. When do you have to choose secondary school? I suppose your statement is still unfinished, but I had to choose for DS2 by Easter in Y5. At least it was guaranteed once I had chosen.

Sally, couldn't get your trampoline link to work on my phone, but sounds a real bargain. Our trampoline still gets good use from DS2.

Nohaudin, sounds like a lot of work for a meeting, glad it went well.

Thank you soooo much Moose for the link That was just about DS in colour! The soles of his feet looked like blue leather and I had to do a scourer attack I dont think he will be doing it again in a hurry. Just incase though I have chucked out EVERY colour I have tonight!

Carpet came up ok but doubtful on the sofa as he didnt know his socks had soaked it up and went on that. Now drying out infront of the fire. Got insurance for accidents when I bought it just before xmas so i am hoping they do what they say and re-cover or the air will be BLUE

DH was clever put socks into my washing machine and turned it on for me BLESSSSSS yep everything is now..............blue. I have said several times under my breath "dont thump him I love him, dont thump him I love him"

Ineed what did you see at the cinema? DD went to see the new Pirates one and said to take DS as it was the funniest film she had ever seen to date. So we are thinking of taking him.

Moose Your poor DS :( I hope he gets well soon there is a horrid cold about down here and my father has not left his front room chair all week bless him. glad it was all positive on the statement meet up with school :)

sally that trampoline is a bargain! I take it you are going to have first go seeing as you are doing all the hard work setting it up

Nohaudin Your meet up sounds like it went well. Its great to see family and catch up on things. Is your DS any closer to his london referral? I know you said last friday you had been messed about a bit. Hope its all sorted for you.

Yes it was great to see Ellen this week! I meant to put that in my first post! First ever MN meet up! What a pair of latte guzzling chatterboxes we were. I think we out did the two pensioners next to us

lollipopooooh! an MN wedding! Good luck on the job hunting keeping my fingers crossed you get the break you deserve :)

zzzzz great news on your Dd3 being seizure free for so long! Glad for both you and her that you have a less anxious time in that department :)

I now have a picture of you doing a wuthering heights with sunkissed cheeks and wind blown locks............with a mower?

Fish tank? Warm towels and a low slow watt heat lamp. Sing to the little darlings under the influence of the baileys and they might hatch. Even if the poor chicken might get jealous

My brother hatched two baby cockateels this way (minus the baileys lol) then hand reared and they are the two most tame birds I have met.

zzzzz and everyone else - thank you :) The reason job hunting is so crucial is, that'll determine where I live (could end up moving down to London from the Midlands). Also, as DBF also has sight problems and no driving licence, he's in the same boat job wise.

He used to work on farms, and loved it, but now lives in our little city and the buses don't start early enough for that to be an option. He's also developed RSI in his wrists, which means a lot of warehouse type places won't accept him, because of the heavy lifting.

We need money to put The Plan into action. Hasn't stopped me fantasizing about dresses and colour schemes though!

Coff33pot. Being first on the trampoline would mean finding my sports-bra. I fear lives may be lost without it!!!

Hi all. Couldn't find you last night.. must have had brain failure when reading (good). I've managed to read all the thread. Well done for everyone's successes, hope everything goes well for appointments, reports etc.

Lolli lovely [bgrin].

Moose sorry to hear about your DS. Hope he's better soon and also hope you got on okay with sorting office and presents.

Coff33pot not sure what to say about the blue. So far we've managed to escape that one. We've had a few floods though.

Ellen glad you had a good week.

Sally trampolining..... seems a bit energetic to me!

We've had a good week. We were at Eurodisney and everything went really well. DCs coped extremely well. Definitely some highlights and DS managed to stay outside when fireworks were being shot up into the sky for the Dreams show. We did a parade, bumped into Mickey (so no queueing for photos) and went on a few rides. We had booked self catering so drove to a local village for food from the supermarket and the pattiserie (cake makes everything fine ).

We got back on Thursday and yesterday went to an Inflatable Fun City in Glasgow. DS has struck up a friendship with the family who run it over the past couple of years. He used to have a phobia of bouncy castles and the family have helped us to get him over the phobia. He was bouncing away merrily yesterday . Lots of firsts for him this week... I've had tears in my eyes more than once. DD is doing well too. She coped with losing one of her favourite cuddly toys somewhere on route from France. I promised her another one and got told I am, "the best Mum ever!"

Sorry for long post. I'll stop now.

Happy Easter to everyone and hope it's a good week.

Ellen, we get a pack in July to name a secondary school and it has to be submitted by October, by which time every child on a statement will have had a sort of extra Annual Review meeting to discuss the options.

Glad you have had a good week and have got your boys back for Easter.

zzzz will let you know how the studying works out. I think, once they get started he'll be hooked, as he tends to really get into studying online. Dh has a plan of progressive courses for him and we're hoping it will seem like fun, rather than work, but give him a secure future in the process. Dh manages a team of programmers and in his sector they seem to be able to prett much just walk in and out of jobs whenever they like and of course quite a few of them earn more than he does too, which makes him very . So that was what gave him the idea and he thought he could get some of his own qualifications at the same time, in case he decides he'd rather programme/develop than manage at some point.

Fantastic news that dd3 is doing so well and your other dcs are all doing well too. Hope the school works out.

Creatovator, glad you had a good time at EuroDisney. Lovely to hear ds is coming on in heaps and bounds. I totally understand the shedding a tear when they overcome a phobia - its huge. Your dd is very brave, I dread the missing cuddly problem.

Thank you for all the well wishes for ds2. He's a tiny bit better this morning. Still spiking a temp, but more with it. OOHGP didn't want to see him yesterday because calprofen was bringing his temp down, so we are still keep a close eye on him.

Moose, that's good, you don't have to decide any earlier than anyone else if October. It was hard for us as all the open evenings were in Sept so we had to go in Sept of his Y5 which seemed miles too early. Obviously revisited all the likely ones but DS really enjoyed the open evenings as they were busy and had lots of activities. Anathema for your DS I'd guess! My DS is not typical. [bugrin]

Ellen, according to the LEA transition meeting we attended, we should be visit schools and meeting SENCOs etc now. They said not to leave it until September and don't just go to the open evenings, as the schools prefer you to have a 1:1 meeting and tour with the SENCO to discuss your dc's specific needs. I was going to wait until the finalised statement comes through (should be mid to late May - all being well) and then book some appointments.

All the advice is for your dc to visit all/any schools that they might go to and then to visit the school they get into as many times as possible. Unfortunately, we can't even mention the word secondary at the moment without him breaking down. He's completely traumatised by even the thought of leaving his primary school and he's actually counting down the months/weeks. In fact we're already having tears several times a week about him moving up a year, so lord knows how he's going to cope with moving schools.

It was the SENCO that told us we don't have to get the forms in until October. I am a bit to be honest. Obviously she should know, but I was pretty sure they'd told us at the LEA transition meeting that we have to complete the forms in July. They told us it was all in the handouts so not to take any notes, then lo and behold - its not in the handouts. [buhmm]

Hi all.

I'm back reading the boards now but my brain isnt working to deal with answering all of your posts still

Anyway :( for those with crappy things this week inc Moose hope DS2 perks up a bit, and Coff I'm sure the insurance will be OK as it's not just been put on risk.

Very about Disney Creatover. I love it. We'll probably try next year. We went when he was 3 or 4 and it was a nightmare. Now we know why, it sounds like we can have a good time next time :)

I'm just starting my plan for getting support now we've got an ASD dx. Been sent some details from the LA so that will be my plan on Tuesday. There seems to be a lot on offer, it's just whether they think that we are deserving enough I guess given the cuts.

I'd love to meet up with another MNSNer! Anyone in Kent? [bugrin]