The Creped Crusaders - new thread!

[wilbur]

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.

Me - model pupil (for lots of reasons) loved it, best days of my life yadda yadda....always wanted to do my best. Like rules
Dp - less interested, pulls out the stops when he needs to. Has done alright for himself....

BD, do you think your DS is like your DP? And because you were a model pupil, you find that hard to come to terms with?

BTM I am sure that is part of it. I wanted to please, ds and dp have far less of that characteristic in them. I would have been mortified to have been ticked off as many times as ds is!! Maybe I should just leave him be?
Ds, like MrsS's dd, says he is bored. I do think he is not challenged and pushed enough (and, yes, I know that is difficult in a class of 30). It's the same with his piano - his teacher thinks he could be on for a distinction, if she only knew how little he practises she'd be horrified!

Yes, there is only so much a teacher can do - the piano teacher scenario sounds familiar.... even on a 1:1 it is virtually impossible to get full concentration or compliance. Mind you, piano practice is mind-numbing when you are a kid

ruby was your DD making onion bread? Am liking the goggles effect and the thought of you in a Mog costume
Hope it's not too sunny and hot at your charity event!

Nice and sunny here for obstacle course birthday party....sandwiches made, goodie bags packed. I am taking a good book and going to set myself up for 1 and a half hours undisturbed reading whilst they run around and get hot and sweaty.....

DD1 seems to be remarkably calm about SATS. Although I am dreading her maths result.

MrsS, I really would think twice, and then twice again, before opting for boarding school - for your sake as much as hers. Would switching schools in Paris be feasible if it comes to that?

I wrote a massive post and lost it all (why does that only ever happen when I've spent ages on a post, whereas my banal comments on someone's scarf choice are uploaded with no problems?).

We have SATs starting Monday too, and DD1 is working herself into a bit of a tizz about it all. She is bright, and is sitting Level 6 papers in Maths and Literacy, which, of course, are pretty challenging, and she's been coming home from school most days recently exhausted and tearful after all the practice papers. Contrast that with DS, Mr Average Level 4, who breezed through SATs this time last year, blithely unconcerned about how well he was doing.

She went for a sleepover last night (possibly not the best timing) - apparently there was no sleeping whatsoever, and her best friend fell down the stairs at midnight breaking her wrist, so a bit of a disaster all round!

at Ruby in her furry catsuit. How on earth did you land that gig?!

I spoke to DD2's teacher today when we were manning the "Pin the Ears on Prince Charles" game, and she was equally shocked by DD2's MAP results. She said she is one of the best readers in the class and her score was just a joke. I had another look at the maths results and they are really varied - she got really high scores for more difficult things, such as algebra and geometry, but appallingly low ones for arithmetic. Her teacher has said that she has asked for DD2 to be "mandated" to attend homework club when she moves up, and to have more help with "organisational skills", which she thinks might help. I don't want her to change schools here - she is happy, and let's see what secondary/middle school does for her. I won't consider boarding school until she is over 13, and even then, it is highly unlikely that she will go. I am still waiting to hear if my extra year in Paris is approved, which will help us focus on what happens next, and whether we come back to UK or not.

It's interesting to see that others' children are in the same boat, which makes me feel a bit better. I was disinterested for much of school, scraped my O levels, cocked up A levels spectacularly (twice!), didn't go to university, and I don't want DD2 to do the same thing.

Oh no, poor CV's DD's bf! Or was it a subtle plan to avoid writing in the SATs?!

Thankfully DS will not be sitting any level 6 papers AFAIK (though now Im worrying wondering if they might put him in for the reading one - you can see how out of touch I am with high fliers in Primary at the moment)

MrsS, your DD's maths sounds a bit like DS's - he has no problem doing the maths but he sometimes writes down a different answer to the one he worked out /makes up the question to say what he thinks it should / only does the first/second bit of the question / thinks he can't do something, but really it's because he knows it's a bit complicated to work out and he can't be arsed......
Reassuringly, his maths tutor (who he wanted after dropping back a sublevel on a school test!) says exactly the same and is just as bemused as us.

Just thinking about the organisational aspect, does she have dyslexic-type or dyspraxic-type difficulties?

Yes, MrsS but look at you now! You clearly are no slouch.....
Having said that I worry in the same way about ds as I know the world has got harder and it would be rare now to do what dp did (rubbish A level results, rubbish degree result, followed by distinction in masters and PhD) - you simply wouldn't be given the opportunities.
Ruby enjoy being 'mog'

Ds's party was 'sickage' which is, apparently, a good thing.

I love the thought of the glam and stylish Ruby being Mog!

Laydees......page THREE - haev you all got a life or something ;)

Yeah, have y'all got lives or jobs or summat?

Sorry - I was joking.

Just had to dash to DS's school with his cornet (for his lesson today!) and sandwiches - DD text me to say I had given her DS's.... Clearly SATs are clouding our brains!

I have been snowed under with this buggering May Fair, which now looks like could be a washout anyway. The weather forecast is extremely ominous for Sunday.

I've just got the email from MI's lovely beauty ed, for a brilltastic day. But we're going to be on holiday! I am TOTALLY GUTTED. And it looks like it will rain all holiday too.

In offspring news, with two months before his third birthday, DS seems to be cramming in all the terrible two behaviour I thought we'd missed. Lying down on the pavement, demanding I present a banana in precisely the right way or he has a meltdown, etc etc. I'm hoping its residual tiredness from the weekend.

Mine and Sis's I Know Him So Well duet went down a storm, even though I think we must have sounded dreadful. Felt pretty grim the next day, mainly due to free-flowing champers. Still, not as bad as another houseguest, who threw up five times in the morning, then had to be poured into her car surrounded by potty-lining bags. She blamed it on the canapes.

Bleedin' canapes

I have child covered in blotchy rash so am working at home. Feel quite poorly myself, it must be said.

Herbs - hate to say this, but ds1 was a delightful 2 year old who became a monstrous three year old. Really, really horrible, and I was quite ready to give him back. He is delicious and lovely and kind now, but I still shudder to remember him at three...

Oh Herbs I got that email too - I was thinking we could have a jolly old time together. Can't you postpone your hol?
It's a Saturday, so I'm hoping I can go (will need to check with DH, and miss helping at the school fair) - I don't know if someone else could also partake, or If it is just a one person thing. Sounds lush - free lunch and products too - thank you so much MI

Blotchy rash doesn't sound too good MI - what do you think it is?

Re: toddler moments, DD was delightful - can't remember any toddler tantrums - until she hit teenage hormones, whilst DS was one of the most challenging children I have known (and I have known a fair few) between 2 and about 9. We all have to suffer at some point!

He was lovely all morning, in public, then lay on the pavement intermittently all the way home, cried because I wouldn't let him have a biscuit for lunch, because the toast was taking too long, because I gave him a bit of my cheese rather than cutting him some of his own, because he didn't want to go to bed, because his eye hurt, because I tried to take it out, because he did want to go to bed and I was postponing it by taking his eye out. etc etc. He did fall straight to sleep, though, so hopefully it was tiredness.

Re Grand Day Out, we're going to Lyme Regis on 25 May, which is kinda totally the opposite direction. It's all paid for - and it was Reet Pricey - so doubt I can put off going until 27 May. Harrumph.

Herbs
And at least your DS was lovely in public!

I suspect rash is post-viral but she looks leprous

Hate to say it, but both of mine were psychopathic quite difficult at three too, having been adorable two year olds. The good thing is that they grow out of it eventually.