Crepeys do Christmas...

[oldqueenie]

Will this fit the bill. Dull but seasonal?

[Blackduck]

"Get me outta here" indeed :)
I think I will cancel Christmas - that will save all the problems... :)

[motherinferior]

Argh. Had to leave work at lunchtime because DD1 has The Bug Going Round. Don't feel that brilliant myself. DP just rang with long and detailed explanation of exactly why he can't take any time off tomorrow. I haven't got that much on, except I just logged into the work email and it looked as if I do have to do various things....

And DD1 is really not well and driving me mad with irritation-

[oldqueenie]

When I was working like a demon and the dcs were small and the nanny called at 7am to say she was unwell and couldnt come in dh and I would be having furious whispered arguments about whose job made it more impossible to take time off... hellish. sympathy MI.

[motherinferior]

It would help if I didn't feel distinctly below par myself....

[Blackduck]

I am the one who has to drop everything and rush back...I am currently on two/three short days and two/three long to cover dp's (variable) working pattern, then he drops a long weekend in Belgrade on me, and Erasmus dinners (he claims he has told me about)

[bigTillyMint]

What are Erasmus dinners?

The arguments wouldn't be whispered in our house. Luckily they are teachers children and never ill

[CointreauVersial]

In this house I have the "inferior" job and am always on call for emergency childcare, but fortunately I have a healthy lot (DD2 now in Year 5 and yet to miss a day of school).

Hope you aren't copping the bug too, MI? Not the dreaded vom virus, I hope?

[FuckingWonderwoman]

It is a true fact that if a man utters the words "I understand that your job is as important as/more important than mine and I will stay at home with sick children on this occasion" that his penis will shrivel and blacken and drop off, followed quickly by his testicles.

I used to dose DD1 up with calpol and despatch her to school because it was easier to leave work to go and collect her than to not go into work at all. This was with mild wheezing/low grade fever - never D & V, although I did get it wrong once and she ended up in hospital with double pneumonia. In my defence, she had no temperature, no cough, no wheezing and was only complaining of a "hurty chest". I'm afraid I now pander to her malingering which she inherited from her father and take her to the doctors.

[Blackduck]

MrsS so true....I worked with a guy who told his dcs school to phone HIM in an emergency (he was a teacher and could get out more easily than his wife), guess what? They phoned her every single time....
This morning gave dp a lie in (he was tres late) only for him to tell me he was taking ds to childminder this am so mad panic.....
He does have this habit of treating me like his secretary. (Not that he's got one)
When's the awayday MrsS?

[motherinferior]

I have taken today off because to be fair to Mr Inferior although he has taken time off with sick children he apparently had 101 reasons he couldn't take today off. And I thought I could till I found out about this afternoon's meeting, which is precisely when Very Kind Friend can't cover either.

Acksherly I am being paid by the day now so I could just take today off and loll around with a book, but suspect appearing keen might keep me in better books with work.

And in reality there is a good chnace DP will return home in any case as he has gone into work distinctly sickly. To share the love, a friend suggests. He is doing that Martyr thing of I Am So Important I Cannot Take Time Off Even Though I Am Dying.

Oh well, I can bite the bullet and send my accountants a HUGE cheque of over a grand. Admittedly they've found a tax overpayment of over £400 so that sweetens the pill a bit...

[FuckingWonderwoman]

Ugh, don't speak to me about tax. DH does our tax returns and he put the wrong figure on mine (less than half what it should have been) and I've been sent a bill for £9000! I estimate it should be about £1500 (still unpleasant but better). Despite having all of my tax docs (with the correct figure on) the tax office say I still have to write them an explanatory letter, with the correct amount and they will "consider" adjusting the bill. It is so clearly wrong, FFS, they adjusted some slightly wonky arithmetic, so why not this amount?

Awayday next week, I think. AB has demanded another meeting this pm. I can't do it and my colleague won't.

[Blackduck]

Dp has been chased to class three NI contributions for years. His accountant has told HMRC that he does not owe these a number of times. Latest missive said if he didn't pay they would put it in the hands of the debt collectors.
Dp phoned expalining he didn't owe it (again), got letter back saying 'in this instance' they would not pursue the claim (big of them, didn't admit they were actually wrong) A week later, guess what, letter from debt collection agency threatening to turn up and take the TV if dp didn't pay up.... .

You think it is next week MrsS? Isn't it engraged on your soul ;)

[motherinferior]

Well, work seems to have got its knickers in a twist over several Oh So Urgent things today...I'm going to charge for half a day [evil].

[Grincherella]

Ha, I've booked my hotel for Friday. In town .

Re: dcs being off school - mine are clearly a bit sickly and feeble. When they were toddlers they managed 8 hospital admissions between them. This was no fun with deadlines to juggle and completely unforgiving clients. These days they are a bit more robust but both have a tendency to malingering, frankly. Perhaps I have done too much pandering because of all the hospital admissions (there was even one blue light job).

[bigTillyMint]

We have had lots of A&E trips with injuries, but none of them serious (and some frankly phantom!), but thankfully no real emergencies.
We must have such an ingrained Protestant Work Ethic in our house (DH and I probably have had 10 sick days between us in the last 10 years, if that!) that the DC will not take time off, even when I am saying that they need one

Am looking forward to Friday, coming via Oxford St (hopefully) laden with bags of requested Christmas presents for the DC! I will PM you all my mobile no now!

[Blackduck]

1. stop with the christmas presnet buying updates - I have done NONE!
   
2. stop with Friday news as I am
   
3. yes, yes to PWE - I crawl in on deaths door (I get it from my mother who used to send me into school all the time)
   
4. However, despite 3 above, I am going to the Drs this Friday re knee (how's yours MrsS?) and might even mention HRT as I can't take these hot flushes any more.....

[bigTillyMint]

BD, I am on HRT - no hot flushes any more!

[motherinferior]

I am mucho looking forward to Fri

[FuckingWonderwoman]

And me.

[Grincherella]

And me

[wilbur]

Aha! Here you are! Very of your drinkies tomorrow, crepey ladies. Although we do have friends coming over which will be fun and dh has already made v delicious-smelling beef stew so it should be relatively stress-free.

In style news, I am wearing my new boots which are making me very happy. They are here. My feet feel lovely and comfy and just a little bit fierce, which seems to be the crepey holy grail.

[bigTillyMint]

Am liking your boots Wilbur

I am also looking forward to tomorrow night - just let's hope tomorrow day is less emotionally-charged (for my little students, not me!) than today

[bigTillyMint]

Omigod, DD has just commandeered my ancient and extremely rusty and dusty (got it for my 18th) sewing machine for her art textiles homework. I can't bear to look...