Autumn Term At Crepey Towers

[QueenQueenie]

I did it!

1700 you say, BD? Feh, try one that's somewhere around 2500 with only 5 year groups. I second MI in as much as there are many benefits to large schools, not least there being a wider variety of friends to choose from and indeed a wider variety of teachers and more subjects on offer.

OPM, make flapjack instead. I've just made masses, partly under co-option to sell at school open morning tomorrow (DD1 as student guide again , DD2 going round) and partly to take to one of those sodding parties that ask you to bring food. I sort of think that this takes the gloss off going to a party. And I speak as someone who mostly likes cooking.

Flapjack is incredibly easy.

yes, unfortunately one of the downsides to small rural primary schools is that the children have to move onto much bigger secondaries in the towns. It will be a bit of a jump for him, but as the others say, a much wider choice of friends, teachers, subjects and ASC's.
At least one of the children I know who struggled a bit socially at primary, has found more friends and confidence at the big secondary that he goes to.

It is also incredibly moreish, MI

We have my cousin and family coming tomorrow. Apparently he is now thinking that he is gluten intolerant

And to this, too, BTM, the answer is flapjack. Feed the bugger flapjack.

I think geeks, in particular, need big schools - speaking as a former geek. One is more likely, statistically, to find fellow-geeks than in some small school where the drive is towards the jolly, not-too-over-achieving, and well-balanced norm

BTW I have now sent FOUR emails to the school asking for its GCSE results. If they think I'll give up they have another think coming.

You saying my ds isn't well-balanced MI? Are you?

I know, I know, and I know that big school does not necessarily mean rubbish teachers and all that. I guess it's partly thinking about the private thing and teeny tiny classes sizes (well you'd expect something for your money)

We have open day tomorrow...dd2 is a student guide, singing in the choir twice and has to be there all morning. Ds has been told he's not needed and he doesn't need to be there . Wonder who they are trying to show off, eh?
Dd has 1200 in her year at 6th form, bonkers! But as you say, big schools means there are lots of different 'tribes', so it's easier to find your people!

MI, is it your DD's school you want the GCSE results on? I thought they were up on the web?

Beachy at 1200 in your DD's year at sixth form!

BD, private is a huge undertaking - not just the fees, but the uniforms, trips, keeping-up-with-the -joneses, etc. Be sure it's how you want to spend your money!

No, another local school's. Which is almost certainly not going to be an option but I would like to know. It is not on the site. When I rang last week the reception staff suggested I contact the council and/or look on the DfE website. Then someone was supposed to be 'calling me back'. THen I was going to be emailed.

It is mainly sheer rage that is keeping me going, frankly. I have a fairly good idea of how bad those results actually are but, as someone who ferrets out facts for part of my living, I find this fobbing-off highly significant.

It's not my DC's, is it? Although there is a cryptic webpage on t'internet about results!

No, I've kind of deciphered that one

My most recent email pointed out - again - that this is hardly difficult information to ascertain since every other damn school in the country appears to have worked it out.

But on the other hand, the more you pay the less they seem to go to school! All the private school holidays seem at least twice as long as pleb schools.

I'm a bit bushed. Still a bit gyppy of batty, and have the world's most exhausting weekend ahead. Lunch tomorrow near Chelmsford, being shown, in exhaustive detail, tedious relative's work to his house. Drive to Tunbridge Wells to partake of 'girls night', involving curry and sharing a bed. Drive back, no doubt slightly over the limit, to four-year-old birthday party, involving bouncy castle. Then AGM of local park friends' group, of which I am interested in becoming chair.

Then: collapse face down into Observer.

Such a weekend is proving a wardrobe challenge, also. Dress, leggings, ballet flats, cardi?

BTM - yes, aware private is a huge committment - DB did it for his two and it nearly killed him (wave bye bye to a holdiay for 10 years...)

Maybe it's just the enormity of the decision....

Herbs...is a curry night the wisest choice for a lady in your condition?

Speaking as someone who is v partial to a curry but nearly farted loudly during choir warmup last night

I hear you, MI. But what I eat doesn't seem to vastly affect my condition. I might not have a curry as well tonight, though (as suggested by DP), as that could be asking for trouble.

Though we do need a way of using up veg. Once again, admin cock-up means we have both a Riverford and an Abel & Cole box to get through.

What have you got in your boxes Herbs... we can brainstorm supper ideas for you....
Your weekend sounds exhausting! I plan to do mainly loafing...

Which reminds me, did I miss the bit where people posted their favourite veg curry recipes? Remember it being mentioned on last thread but don't remember seeing them. Need more inspiring ways of getting veg into dh and dd.

Just spent knackering three hours building Ikea wardrobe for dd's teenage penthouse. On step 27 of 40. Then chest of drawers and dressing table still to do. Don't see much else getting done this w/e.

Wishing Crem straightforward treatment and swift recovery (but you really do need all the rest and time off they say)

alto, see another thread for dad who gets his teenagers to build their own furniture!

Oh yes, Cremo,

We have all - apart from dh - been feeling a little manky here this week. Dd had 2 days off school with a sore throat, I've got whatever she had but am pretending I AM COMPLETELY FINE and ds has been battling on through the week not feeling terribly well at all. He came home on Wednesday looking like a tomato and staggering a bit, so I kept him at home yesterday. I had to actually prise his hand off the door handle and order him back to bed. He was all ready to go off to school, despite having a temp of 39. Today the dr measured his temp as 40 and it turns out he has bacterial tonsillitis. Now he is lying on the sofa complaining about the number of repeats on CBBC and requesting ice cream.

Funny how there are 2 of us working from home, but I'm the only one who has to devote the time to all the other stuff apart from work and still make the deadlines. A couple of days ago, dh made the mistake of saying smugly "I've delivered blah-blah amount of work today". I was, I admit, a teeny bit pre-menstrual, but I couldn't help my rather acid retort: "I have also delivered blah-blah amount of work, plus I have done 3 loads of laundry and hung them out to dry, made soup, walked the dog, dealt with school admin, made you a drs appmt, taken ds to school and collected him from school and taken him to his drama lesson, done the washing up and done an hour's circuit training, whereas you have not moved from your office chair all day except to get yourself a coffee and eat the aforementioned soup."

Stropps, is there any way of dragging your DH into the post-feminist era??

I am happy to share curry recipes again and can also recommend a couple of fabulous books: the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Veg book and a vegetarian one by Anjum Anand.

Great, thanks, MI, will try those.

Stropps, dh huffed and puffed today when I suggested that instead of telling dd to tidy up after herself he could set her a good example

Dd had two days off with cold this week too - missed the play auditions but they saved a part for her. She was touchingly delighted.

MI, he does usually do the school run in the mornings (because I force him to, because otherwise he wouldn't actually get dressed. Ever, probably) only he didn't that day because he worked until 2.30am the day before and I was feeling generous. By the end of the day, I was feeling a lot less generous. He will generally do things if I ask him to, although he is unable to cope with doing lots of work and doing anything else and I sometimes don't want to have to ask. I am probably one of the worst multi-taskers ever, but I force myself to somehow muddle through, because, er, people need feeding and clean clothes etc etc, as well as customers requiring this and that. We all know how it is, I'm sure.

I occasionally amuse myself by doing such things as suddenly throwing open a drawer in the bedroom and shouting theatrically "Oh my GOD!!!!" When he rushes over to see what happened, I point in it and shriek "It's magically filled with clean pants! AGAIN!!! How did that happen?!". Well, it makes me feel better...

I have the HFW veg book and can also thoroughly recommend it. My dcs would never eat lentils before and they do now.

Do you think I should pitch a feature/book on 'Lies they tell you about pregnancy/babies' (ie 'it's only a day' 'you'll forget it all when your precious baby is in your arms' 'your stretch marks will fade' 'you won't mind the flabby wreck of your body because look what it produced' 'you'll bloom')...?

I do want to suggest a book on pies too

Just brought back a big tin of lovely cakes from my friends Macmillan Coffee morning. Yummm!

Your DC eat lentils? I may have to get that book