The CrepeVine

[MrsSchadenfreude]

How did we finish the other thread so fast...? Less than a month.

wilbur I think you need to come clean - you could come to my neck of the woods and visit me instead ;)

Berlin - oh so want to go there - went as a child when it was still in East German!

I am going to Barca in July/Aug with dp - again if I said no he'd say 'well I offered'....I am, however, taking small one. We haven't been away without small one since he was, well, a small one.

Barca is fab, BD. We went sans enfants, stayed up late and slept in really late (courtesy of fantastic window shutters!), but I think it would be fine with a child - lots to see and do.

Berlin - how fab. One of my great life regrets (among a legion) is not going with some friends in the late 80s. I was planning to go but as always, didn't have the money and thought I should be careful. Friends went, saw the Wall and went through Checkpoint Charlie etc.

Thanks for wise words on the minibreak. Dh is not the type to bring up me not wanting to go along with his plan, so at least I don't have to deal with that! Will ponder.

Ahhh, Berlin is a most excellent place. We have a conference to go to there next summer (assuming life events do not get in the way, as they often do) - and I am wondering how to go without children. We have quite a few friends there and there will be partying. I liked the Hackesche Markt/Höfe, but I've not been for a long while.

Hope you've got good new, Herbs.

I think it may be 6pm in London? Fingers still crossed, Herbs!

DD has come home from school with yet another "dilemma" involving a group of friends and a ticket that she has paid one of the friends a lot of money for. She is being incredibly grown-up about it. I am supposed to be giving good advice, but it's a tricky situation. She is soooo fed up with the bitchy, etc shenanigans in Y9. No wonder she spends time with her boyfriend - so much more straight-up!

Ooh, Herbs, fingers crossed.....

I am waiting to hear from my best friend if she has got her youngest into DD2's school.

MI - Berlin sounds lovely - DH went last year for a week, and originally I was going to do the same as you, and join him for a couple of days, but it didn't work out in the end. I did do that very successfully in Barcelona a few years back - it's surprising how invigorating a child-free city break can be.

Anglesey.....hmmmm....I've only ever driven through it, tearing up and down the A55 to Holyhead. I guess only you know how your DH will react if you scupper his plans, but with no DCs the journey becomes part of the holiday and it could well be a fun break.

Ahem - "news", I meant, obvs. :)

Ho yes, Y9 shenanigans. We had plenty of those this time last year (dunno if you remember the whole French exchange fiasco).

Dd had a spectacular and completely unacceptable meltdown after school yesterday. She pushed me and dh around and screamed and shouted. I had firm words with her later when she had calmed down, as she really did Cross That Line. We'll have to see how she deals with the next lot of exam stress next week.

Yes Stropps, I remember! She is currently getting advice from friends...

I am NOT looking forward to the GCSE exam stress. DS has exams next week and his inability to focus and concentrate has become starkly obvious

Any news Herbs?
BTM been to Barca a few times BC so I guess we have to take him
Oh Stropps sounds tough in your house at the moment. Dread to think what ds will be like at exam time.

Fourth choice. Far from great, but not bad enough to appeal.

Oh herbs, competition must be stiff. I really hope that the school will' fit ' as in the end that's what matters most.
What a nerve-wracking time for you.
AND YOU Stropps . Jeez that year 9 nonsense( age 12-16 for me) was grizzly . Dds bestest friend from the age of 4 dropped her like a stone with a million repercussions( much screaming and self loathing , becoming a goth and random snarling) I was beside myself so you haven't sympathies. Fwiw dds turned out just fine

Berlin - so jealous MI . Great city. We sayed in a vair naice apartment of Orianburger Strasse . Good location. My recommendation is the Stasi headquarters museum if you like that sort of weirdness - I do

Wilbur- Anglesey is rather pretty in places, Beaumaris nice village and lovely forays up in to Snowdonia worth a jaunt. There's also a waitrose- where the Duchess buys he naice ham.

• have my sympathies - bloody phone HAVE !!!

Oh Herbs, make sure you are on the waiting lists for the others and hold your nerve - there is bound to be some movement before September And I was just wathcing BBC news which was quoting some ridiculously high % getting first or top 3 choice
And visit the one you've got again - there may be good stuff that you didn't notice before.

DD's dilemma has taken another twist....

BTM - I so feel for you - my DD1 had a terrible time with other girls - age 14 seems an especially bad age. Now she's 16 she has her girlfriends she can trust plus nice boyfriend and lots of male friends who she says are much less complicated and judgy.

By the way DD1 went for a week to Berlin on an exchange visit - and what did she come back with - loads of new underwear from Primark, Berlin (very exciting for her as we don't have this in France).

Herbs, stick on EVERY waiting list

Sorry BTM I obv meant you.
My heads up me arse today.

Have just been at a poetry reading with this chap
Who has reduced my stress-headed little self to tears.
He moved me readers.

So. The school in question gets a 'good' ofsted, seems brilliantly caring and inclusive, and would no doubt be fine.

BUT, it's one failing is that it doesn't cater for 'the more able pupils', and it's on two sites. The nearer one, for the younger children, isn't too far from us, but the main site is miles. Well, a 15-minute walk. So further than three other schools.

Will put him down for top two, once I can work out how to do it.

I can't do anything right today
www.lemnsissay.com/

I'm sorry herbs . I'm talking absolute nonsense today, unless you needed a holiday rental in sScotland

I'm going away now

Hi Herbs, Caring and inclusive is definitely a good start! Fingers crossed it all works out for the best...
Reading all your posts makes me want to go on a glamorous city break with dh. Need to make a cunning plan. Anyone been to Madrid? My main millstone in life is the bloody dog.
Dcs back to school tomorrow, hurrah! It's full steam ahead to ds1's GCSEs. Wish me him luck.

Herbs fight for other places, but...
You can top up - doable at primary as long as he doesn't disengage and MAKE them support him. Tiger mother ;) (ds's last school must have hated me for challenging them)
15 min walk?! Pah - last school was 30 mins minimum... I know it is a pain, but they speed up ;)

Yes queenie been to Madrid - personally prefer Barca - or if you like culture and tres good food, but less concerned re weather my fav is Bilbo/San Sebastian

Herbs, really don't let a 15 minute walk put you off.

Hmmm, . Have "done" Barca not too long ago and love it... I do fancy Bilbao... will have to investigate.

Fifteen minutes isn't much I realise, but my first three were all closer! It was one of the top 100 improving schools, but a new head is starting in september, so who knows whsy will happen!

Bilbao is fab - Guggenheim for starters - great hotels. Trip out to San Sebastián - arzaks, Martin B, mugaritez - tapas, my fav fav Spanish place ;) - pm me if you want info :)