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The Creped Crusaders - new thread!

999 replies

wilbur · 23/04/2012 13:27

New thread for chatting. Oh and swapping S&B tips.

Having a manic day here - INSET day at school and I have 7 kids (inc my 3) over for lunch. While also trying to "work from home" and talk to removal people.

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 10/05/2012 21:16

Nice colour and a bit fitted, and looks good for bad weather protection, which could be very useful in your jobSmile

I am going to have to go back to the shoe shop with DS's Kickers - only bought them at Easter and there is already a worn-through hole in one heel. At £75 a pop, it's not good enoughAngry At least he hasn't scuffed them at all, so they surely can't blame it on wear?

CointreauVersial · 10/05/2012 21:33

Great jacket, Ruby, the sort of thing you'll get years of use from (you seem to do a lot more dog walking/football watching/bike coaching than the rest of us put together). The colours are all nice (although I confess I am a sucker for purple, myself).

Wilbur - your poor friend. I think by the sixth occasion I would possibly be close to giving up. It must be awful not having a reason for it all.

Anyway, it's Thursday night (which is my Friday night, because I don't work Fridays), so I'm feeling very "relaxed". Nothing to do with the two large glasses of Rioja, oh no.

MrsSchadenfreude · 10/05/2012 22:05

Sorry for your friend, Wilbur. That really is shit.

I am attempting to make clotted cream for the school fete...watch this space.

motherinferior · 10/05/2012 22:19

Wilbur, how terrible. I am so sorry.

Quick one, my lovely Crepusculars - any of you able to give up a morning/afternoon, in London, and fancy a freebie contribution to journalism? Beauty ed's looking for a 40ish woman (so asked me if I had any friends, ahem Grin) who'd be up for a skin consultation for a feature - drop me a PM or suchlike if you are. You would get some nice things out of it Grin

herbaceous · 10/05/2012 23:34

raises hand

CointreauVersial · 11/05/2012 00:04

Sounds tempting, MI, always up for a freebie, moi, but the London thing might be impractical (school run, and all that....).

Herbs sounds like an excellent candidate.

bigTillyMint · 11/05/2012 06:22

Meeee!Smile

MrsSchadenfreude · 11/05/2012 06:58

Not me. I have so many huge spots on my chin that I look like the "before" picture in a Clearasil ad. I have resorted to antibiotic cream and squeezing them.

The clotted cream was a dismal failure - I don't think the cream was high enough fat - and I have a pan of warm runny cream with some dark yellow paper on top. Sad

herbaceous · 11/05/2012 09:24

MI - Is it a miracle product to get rid of wattley chin droop and jowl crepe? Please let it be - I am despairing of my lower face.

rubyrubyruby · 11/05/2012 09:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bigTillyMint · 11/05/2012 10:55

MrsS, clotted cream? Sounds very ambitious for a fete, but I guess it is Pareee!

Herbs, I need that and redness reducing - do you think that makes me more needy and therefore more entitled?Grin

wilbur · 11/05/2012 11:13

Stropps - are you about? There's a programme on Radio 4 right now about teenage issues - what are the totally normal signs of teenage angst and at what point extra help for someone who is struggling is needed. It's v interesting.

OP posts:
TheReturnOfStropperella · 11/05/2012 11:24

Good luck with the fete, MrsS. Your clotted cream efforts prove dedication beyond the call of duty. The republican in this house is very keen to nick the idea of the Whack a Queen game for use at ds's school fete, but I don't think many other people would approve. Especially as the school is named after one of the monarch's relatives. Grin (Probably just outed myself. Again.)

Wilbur, that is so very Sad for your friend. What a tough thing to have to deal with and it seems particularly harsh that no one is coming up with any explanations as to why it keeps happening.

Apparently it was very hot in Paris yesterday according to dd who spent a day there and thoroughly enjoyed herself. They had to leave at 6am to get there and didn't get back until fairly late because the train broke down. Today they are going to French school. Texting frequency has reduced to 2 texts yesterday and none so far today. I take this as a good sign.

Ruby, love that coat. I was wearing my dad's old sailing oilskins to walk the dog yesterday. Head to toe bright orange and approx 3 sizes too big. Chic. Still, it cheers other people up. Grin

TheReturnOfStropperella · 11/05/2012 11:25

OOh, wilbur. Am off to turn Radio on right now. Thx.

TheReturnOfStropperella · 11/05/2012 11:41

Just caught the last few mins, but I am going to listen to it again online. Definitely sounds like it has some relevance to the situation here. Funnily enough, as I rushed past the front door to get to the kitchen to turn the radio on, a letter dropped onto the mat containing a very relevant appointment. Have sorted something out via a referral from GP.

herbaceous · 11/05/2012 12:25

Ooh Strops, how very... what's that blasted word... things happen together for a reason... not symbiotic or synergistic... er...

BTM - I have redness too! Though less of it since I started using Wish Upon a Jar, and stopped with the Regenerist serum. Not sure what to conclude from that.

herbaceous · 11/05/2012 12:34

Serendipitous!

CointreauVersial · 11/05/2012 13:00

Afternoon, peeps!

There is a strange yellow orb in the sky over Surrey at the moment, casting an uncharacteristic warmth over the puddles. Could it be possible that I will be able to get into the garden this weekend?? The lawn is knee high, and the weeds are about to take over. There is a particular dandelion the size of a small shrub right outside the back door that I'm dying to apply a trowel to, but I'm very much a fair-weather gardener.

herbaceous · 11/05/2012 14:02

We have a similar celestial phenomenon here, CV. And the ground is strangely dry. What can it mean? I too need to mow the 'lawn'. But am away this weekend, doing my Elaine Paige to my sister's Barbara Dixon in a marquee in Surrey.

Running a May Fair for this BUGGERING toy library next week. Have advertised 'live music', and was going to perform with my little quartet. Now one of said quartet has pulled out, so we can't do it. FFS. Now I have a week to find a musical act willing to step in. Last thing I need, frankly.

bigTillyMint · 11/05/2012 14:53

Yes, we will have to get the mower out too! I am even wondering about a bbq tomorrow night, but maybe that will be the kiss of death to the weather!

Herbs, put a request out the the other parents? There are lots of musical folks at DC's schools - maybe your playgroup has similar?

herbaceous · 11/05/2012 14:59

I'd just sent out our monthly newsletter, where I could have requested it, when I heard from this buffoon. I've put a shout out on our local Facebook parents page, so you never know...

Blackduck · 11/05/2012 15:01

thank god it is going to be dry tomorrow as I have 10 children romping round an assault course for ds's birthday. Gardener/handiman booked for next week to tackle lawn/hedges/weeds and general debris that goes loosely by the name of 'garden' round here...

MrsSchadenfreude · 11/05/2012 22:21

Hags, what can I do about DD2? She has done absolutely abysmally in her MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) tests - has got WORSE since last year, so actually going into reverse rather than even staying the same. Her teachers all say that she is bright, but she just has no interest/can't be bothered to try with anything. She has had a rocket put up her arse in French and is now performing at the level she should be. To avoid being put down to beginners, she had to give a presentation in French and write a story in French, of 2 sides of A4. Her teacher said these were "flawless" which just goes to show she can do if if she has to.

Her MAP test results put her as "below average" (they score you on a centile, compared to other children at the same age in schools across the US and international schools following the US curriculum), largely because, I suspect, she couldn't be arsed to do them. Her teachers say "Oh she will do better when she is in Middle School next term, she will be more stimulated and challenged." But why aren't they doing this in Primary? Why can't they get her interested? She says quite frankly, that she is "bored with it all", and nothing, except her art, gets her interested. I am seriously thinking of packing her off to boarding school in UK, where she will have to settle down and do her prep and have a more structured day. It is a battle of wits to get her to do any homework at all at the moment - if she doesn't do it, she is kept in at break and lunchtime until it is completed. Even this doesn't motivate her to get it done in the evening.

We have tried incentives - more pocket money, a day out, something that she wants, but that doesn't work. Nor does punishment - removing ipad/laptop - she is just as happy with her nose in a book and drawing as she is with computer stuff. Quoi faire?

Blackduck · 12/05/2012 06:58

sounds like ds, will be looking for any advice too.

bigTillyMint · 12/05/2012 07:21

DS is not dissimilar - brightish, but totally underwhelmed by much of the primary curriculum, and just can't be arsed when there are more exciting things to do/think about, like sport!
He cannot wait to get to secondary and DH has high hopes that the subject teaching there will give him a boost of interest and more drive to succeed. I have my doubts, although he will LOVE the sports there! DH is enraged by the lack of "drive and ambition" shown by the primary school, which is pretty average, but I'm not sure that any school could really enthuse him enough to make him apply himself 100%.
I also think he fares badly in the shadow of comparison to DD who is (on the whole) a model student.

However, the SATs do seem to have put something of a rocket up his arse - he asked his teacher for revision homework yesterday Shock and has come home with an armful of past papers! He has footy this morning and a match tomorrow and should be playing in a scout tournament tomorrow too........

So no words of wisdom.

I, conversely, quite enjoyed primary (where we had a wierd system of managing our own workload) and was quite turned off by the 1950's-style Grammar that I went on to. I pulled my finger out the night before the O'levels and then worked a bit more at A'levels. I imagine DH was similar to DS, and he has done OK for himself.

What were you and your DH's like at school?