Crepeys say Bah Humbug, (it's not Christmas yet)

[beachyhead]

Here we go

I love Edinburgh and would quite like to live there, were it not for the weather, which is a bit shit. My few remaining inlaws live near there. And a forebear of mine was Rector of the University and his portrait is in the library.

You'll all be relieved to know I now have some wine.

When I come to the UK I love seeing the kids in uniform. They look so nice - I'm somewhat wistful my DC's have missed that. DS would look sooooo cute - he doesn't even own a shirt never mind a tie.

The PDO is the preceding direct object, yes? And the past participle has to agree with the gender and number of the PDO?

J'ai lu les livres

Je les ai lus

J'ai lave les chattes

Je les ai lavees.

Need accents but can't do them on this laptop.

I have never been to Edinburgh.

Stropps, he sounds plenty busy!

I've been to Edinburgh for work and for the festival. Lovely place, weather terrible. Makes me wonder what London would have been like if it had never been bombed.

Ooh - another thing about Edinburgh: Valvona and Crolla! (deli and restaurant, fab wines)

I have never been to Scotland. Tried once, but there was fog

Perfect French Mrs S - much better than mine.

I went to Edinburgh in December last year (first time for years) and I was disappointed at how run down it was away from Princes Street. Mind you, we went on a Sunday and were very impressed that the parking was free. It's a lovely drive from here.

Herbs, sorry the lesson wasn't how you hoped it would be, but really good that your mentor now knows the extent of your experience. Enjoy your vino.

I can still remember the trauma of having to go to see the headmistress at my girls' high school because I had been sent to school in my weekend mac instead of my navy blue gabardine. My protestations that DM was washing it fell on deaf ears I really can't imagine any children getting so stressed these days!

Rose - David Cassidy, Mr Spock and large reel to reel tape recorder in my case.

Bad luck Herbs - but it's done now. Enjoy your weekend.

Were any of us taught grammar? I wasn't either and still panic about it.

I certainly wasn't taught about present perfect, Addle, although yesterday I said to DD that I find it interesting that DGD2 (18 months) uses the indefinite article a lot as she is always saying, eg a bite, a spoon. DD (well educated) then said "what's an indefinite article"?

I remember having a particularly vicious argument with my first husband caused by the present perfect. English & Drama / dyslexia teacher privately educated in the 60s/70s vs MFL teacher mainly state educated in the 70s/80s. He won.

Was no one here subject to the evils of box analysis? (grammar teaching)

I never did understand what they were on about

If you missed the comet landing, this is lovely clip of one of the people who has worked on it for years, accidentally hugging BBC science editor. She'll make a great crepey one day I think.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30022765

Can we please revert to talking about chin hair, mood swings and uncooperative teenagers? These things I know about.

Many commiserations to the Crepeys with teenage daughters. I have been through this phase and hear you all.
Rudy my reaction is this:
Is dd ok- I mean is she well, healthy, unharmed , eating properly, got friends, generally untattoed and not pregnant. I am assuming so .
Having a split in her skirt is not even in the same category as some of the grim things that could befall her. I'd make that point quite clearly to school when telling them that they are being heavy handed with her fragile self-esteem.
I think you have to be her knight in shining armour in this instance and swoop in and explain ( yes, probably in a calm and measured way, although I'd have to say my interactions with School have not always been that way) that in order to maintain 'a mutually supportive approach' it 'might be useful' to spit ball a constructive way forward.
You can imagine how School looked forward with anticipation to my visits.
Rudy- ignore. I'm rattled today by a particularly galling upper management decision which has got my heckles up.
Your instincts will be right, I know it.

I'll give them this, the school had a uniform monitor rota for all kids in school which meant that any uniform atrocities were reduced to the bare minimum, as everyone knew they would have the power to shop each other. It left only 2 or 3 pupils who were repeat offenders and were never going to moderate their look. As a result they stood out like sore thumbs and we all know how great it is to 'stand out' when you're 14.

Sorry I'm so ranty. I'm stressed out and sleep deprived and am looking at
a night in a ruddy niteclub tomorrow after another days work. Woe.

What Crem says re teenage DDs. Mine don't have uniform and just wear T shirts, jeans, Converse and hoodies.

I have had DD1 hysterical on the phone because of her MAP test results (I think they are like SATs, but you are given a centile that you are on - like the red book of old - in comparison with every child who ever took the test in the US or any international school anywhere). She got 88 centile for maths, 99 centile for use of language and 95 centile for English. She is hysterical at her maths because this means she is failing, and bright kids do better in maths than English and you can't get a good career without maths. How do I inject some confidence into her? She can't see that her English results couldn't really have been any better, all she sees is Big Fat Failure in maths. Have tried explaining that "everyone" can't be on the 99th centile for maths, but to no joy. She is very young for her age, and very sweet natured, but she does get completely hysterical when things go wrong. Or not even wrong, but not as she thinks they should be.

Lalsy, clearly DS wasn't on your bus! Actually, he looks like a man in his uniform, despite the white sports socks and is always very clean if not exactly tidy!

Had a lovely evening catching up with friends over a few drinks and still no one else is home!

MrsS, DD would be the same - always looks for the worst and gets very upset. I'm not sure what to say, but DD has always thought she can't do maths and doesn't like it. She has now got a tutor who she sees intermittently, but her grades are on the up - would that help your DD?

I completely understand MrsS's explanation of the PDO, but don't remember it being taught as that. However, I think I learned a lot of my French grammar by osmosis when en France, speaking French rather than in lessons IYSWIM.

Mrs S was going to suggest similar re maths coach, however, she's hardly failing is she? It's more about her perception that she has failed.
I think getting a grasp on the concept that it's not the end of the world, just gradually comes with maturity. Not that that helps much in the mean time. Perhaps asking her what she wants to do about it in a calmer moment. Put the ball in her court ; give her the impression that you trust her judgement and think that's she's grown up. Get her to solve it.
Them she can't take it out on you .

Right, far too much sense for this time on a Saturday morning. I have to go and do something with PowerPoint ( no clue) for this interview on Tuesday. Meh!

Good advice, Cremo - we did similarly with DD.
Also if she's anything like DD, it's not that she can't do maths (she clearly can!), but more that she lacks confidence in her own maths ability and thinks that because she is not currently achieving the top grade, she is rubbish at it. The tutor has helped enormously with this.

Hope the interview prep goes well, Cremo!

Crem - I think this is what DD1 has realised - not to sweat the small stuff ie. skirt splits.

By the way - saw a thing saying tattoos are no longer fashionable because everybody has them. Also tattooists can tell when you had the tattoo as certain styles become fashionable - so your tattoo can go out of fashion and you're stuck with it.

DS (12) has man flu ie. a small cold. He has made himself a steamy basin of Vick and hot water to unblock his nose. He asked me to fetch his dressing gown and slippers earlier on so he didn't have to move from the sofa. Needless to say I refused - I do not want to be reproached by his future wife.