Sour Crepes

[QueenQueenie]

Well someone had to do it....

I thought it was interesting Beachy

Exam stress here too. Dd is almost permanently bordering on wibbly. and tired beyond reason. Was back in her pyjamas at 5pm
The actual exams are so spread out at A2. First one on 5th May and last one on 19th June. I predict a meltdown or two between now and then. And May is hectic at work, what with the Giro and festival season being upon me.
Tonight in the spirit of Mr.Ottolenghi I made his caramelised garlic tart which was heavenly. I seem to be eating my way through the stress... Oops
Windy, sorry to hear dd is under the cosh too, but glad it wasn't appendicitis too.

It was really awful at the hospital. Absolutely heaving. There were gentlemen with dementia from local nursing homes; people who were drunk; people who were in a far far worse state than us. I felt so guilty at having "wasted" the doctor's time although we went on the recommendation of the school nurse.

Melt-down here tonight too. Not exactly exam related

Still, it seems fairly normal for most teens

Cremo, I am finding that I am resorting heavily to chocolate - at least the caramelised onion tart sounds a bit healthy!

Windy, glad it wasn't appendicitis, but sympathies.

I enjoyed the article too, Crem.

Sorry to hear your dd is suffering exam stress too, Windy, but good that it's not appendicitis.

Dd has something like 24 exams between May 12th and June 14th. This morning did not start well. There was screaming and crying and my attempts to calm her by offering breakfast were only rewarded by a bowl being lobbed down the stairs. I just focused on getting ds and his friend to their school swimming at that point and then gave the dog an extended walk. Dd eventually got herself together to do the work that was needed and then went to school after break. There was more squeaking and teeth-gnashing this evening, but I think we have now sorted out the issues for today. However, all this has severely messed up my already tight work schedule. Bum.

I'm another one put off Ottolenghi by the ridiculously long list of ingredients.

Oh no. I have to work. I want to go to bed.

Bowl throwing would be a relief. It's the outer calm and inner panic I can't deal with - nothing is wrong until she tips over - ever.

Windy , yes I can relate.
Dd completely flatlining on the outside. I ask repeatedly if she's ok , to which I get 'yeh fine'
Then dh will tell me she wept in the car, or I'll hear muffled animated / enraged conversations on the phone behind her slammed shut bedroom door.
There's clearly a maelstrom in her 'hinterland'

Dh keeps muttering " Brace , brace" and hiding behind the FT

Oh dear all - hope it improves today.
My admins son got a D for his DTC project work and was/is devastated as it means best he can get is a c (or generously a B ) overall. He has belated realised he needs to buck his ideas up. However on the flip side his school are great and taking the 'sod it, as long as you get the grades to get you into the 6th form and on to the a levels you want' which I find very pragmatic as an approach.....

Well done Stropps for weathering the storm. I don't bother to try to offer breakfast - just give her those breakfast biscuits for later There is no outer calm here!

Here we're swinging into a cycle of Thursday bank holidays which is immensely disruptive in the run up to exams and also means we miss lots of Physics lessons.

DD1 seems to be in a state of resigned calm so no bowl throwing at least not yet. I'm not sure how I'd deal with that Stropps. We are in the process of having interviews for French uni's here and they seem to tell you at the last possible moment so we risk a clash between language orals and uni interviews plus a lot of time off school.

I have discovered that the German oral will be in another town 20 mins up the motorway (les mureaux for Mrs S). I've had to clear the decks so I can drive her up there as it's an hour and several changes by public transport. At least if they selected a Lycée in central Paris everybody could get there.

I hope all storms subside today for exam-ridden dc.

dd says she is stressed - she says she she is confused about her future, confused about what she is confused about, is worried university may require going through doors with no labels on and worried she won't get the grades for university. She is quite a stressy/anxious person anyway, but at least at her age I feel I can offer tea and sympathy not revision support. Much of the time she seems fine but I do think the build up to leaving home and school, and mixed feelings and hopes about that, gets wrapped up with A2s.

Exactly Lalsy - DD1 confessed that she was really anxious about leaving home, her friends, changing country. It's true, her move is much greater than mine, I was only an hour away so could nip back home for a weekend if I needed to?

That is a big move, Hatty. Does she know people here?

I think dd's feelings are mixed. She is ready to leave school, but has loved it and much of her life has been bound up with it. She says she can't wait to go to university but is scared too. We talked last night about how it will become normal - with rain, recycling, laundry and so on (bet you are all envious of my inspirational talks with my dc aren't you? ), because I think it is important to remember it is normal life, they are not going to Mars.

I am having a rather dreadful day caught between designer, publisher and client and may cry quite a lot.

Ach, bowl-throwing is the least of it round here. Volatility is the name of the game. I once threw an entire stack of plates over a balcony during a row with her father (and could list, um, a few other incidents, but I won't ) so as long as the bowl isn't aimed at me (it wasn't), I don't actually find it that bad. Better that she does that than some of the more self-destructive things she used to get up to 18 months ago.

Lalsy and Hatty, I think the fact that your dds are feeling anxious about the big changes ahead is healthy and normal. There are, after all, plenty of students who struggle hugely in the first term or so precisely because they hadn't thought about the implications of really living away from home. I love the sound of your inspirational talks, lalsy. Can I book one?

Found ddog this morning sitting in front of the kitchen radio staring at it and wagging his tail furiously. The Today Programme had a report about the origins of the Dogger Bank (shipping forecast fans ahoy!). Stropdog had clearly heard "Dogger" several times and was waiting for them to say something else of interest like "cat" or "sausages".

MI - I used to spend my entire life like that as an editor of contract magazines. It's shit.

Stropps,

MI, do throw a bowl or three.

Mad pet here too. The cat has pulled the washing off the airer to lie on. He always does this, despite there being umpteen other soft and comfy places to choose from. Today's choice of garment is DS's school trousers, fortunately also black.

Sorry to hear of all the exam-related woes and hope more cheerful children are available soon.

I need some inspiration for dh's birthday on Saturday. Have got him tickets to some I he wants to see, plus a book and a waterproof cover for his Kindle (for that beach holiday we never, never take ). Any other good ideas? He likes cooking, clothes, bicycles, & drinking. I would like to find him some new semi smart tops or summer shirts for work, he doesn't wear a suit, but can't be too scruffy either, but have no idea where to start. Any suggestions?

Now the proofer is (understandably) busy with something else and no it has to be her, I can't just say HERBS AND LALSY HELLLLLLLP

Stropps - clearly an intellectual doggie .

Lalsy - whichever uni she ends up at there will be others from her school - also I have various relations scattered round the country so hopefully she should be OK.

MI don't let them get to you.

I am having a horrible day because it is raining and DH is drilling sending dust into every corner of the house. I hate this.

Well, if they change their mind and you need a proof-reader, send it on over...

Stropps :) at DDog....

MI - ahhhh on your behalf.

Wilbur - erm cookery books? Cuisine he is particularly into? I will nudge dp on the Coward thing again too - his head is currently somewhere else.

I'm putting off calling the dentist. The weird 'bone loss' thing is now causing my cheekbone to hurt.

The cat is sleeping in DD1's bed. I am trying to juggle everyone. ARGH.

On the other hand I am due a royalty payment (for that textbook I co-wrote) of £140, which is hardly plutocratic but is gratifying.