Beware the Crepes of March!

[QueenQueenie]

Well someone had to do it as my last post was number 999...

A real light sabre! You can sort that out, Herbs, surely??

DS had a fairly cheap crappy one for a long time back in his youth, which he used with great effect on his sisters, but then DSM gave him the most fabulous thing one Christmas, with all sorts of interchangeable lights, handles and sound effects. It clearly cost a bomb. Unfortunately, the receipt of this wondrous item coincided almost exactly with him losing interest in light sabres altogether, and I ended up selling the whole thing, boxed and untouched, on eBay a couple of years later.

My happiness at DS's Science exam performance was dampened a little by my colleague telling me slightly smugly that her DS (who's in the same year group) scored 100% in his Maths paper. DS said "yeah, but he's crap at sport and dribbles when he concentrates."

CV at your DS!

I didn't do any improving activities as a teen (mainly because DM wouldn't have had a clue) - maybe that explains a lot!

Nice to hear good news about CV's DS's mock, and positive experiences of sixth form interviews from Tilly and Rudy…and dont listen to colleges who brag…don't let it steal your Mummy pride thunder!

MrsS I was exactly that age (14) when I spent months crying at night…it passed as all these things do. Its very hard to make suggestions to teens I am finding. When there seems to be a problem, all my suggestions are met with a derisive sneer. Sometimes I think my DC just want problems…not solutions

Molly I can't interfere between DS and PILs…the type of bigoted personalities we're dealing with are very incendiary. Particularly MIL who starts screaming if she thinks anyone is about to cross her. It has never yielded positive results, I have learnt to my cost in the past. We'll just have to wait and see. DH is sleeping better, at least.

I have finished a productive morning of writing with ConS and then had my hair cut at last. It was beginning to resemble a witches wig and no longer responding to my BBH magic.

And us too, awash with daily Amazon deliveries and hardly ever for me….

Some utter barsteward has made a film, which DS found, of a small boy playing with what looks like a toy light sabre in a toy shop, but then finding he can cut shelves with it, dig holes in the floor, etc, as LO 'tis a real light sabre! Amazoid! This post-production trickery has got DS convinced that there are such things that look like toy LSs, but are in fact real LSs. That's what he wants.

However, as DP managed to fob him off with one made of loo rolls, gold wrapping paper and some stickers the other day, we may yet be OK.

And yes - I expect this particular obsession to vanish as quickly as it started, rather like Minecraft, Buzz Lightyear, Peppa Pig, etc have all done in the past.

Herbs, he is a clever boy, he will be able to understand that the film was made with trickery, surely?
And anyway, one made of loo rolls and gold paper sounds far superior!

I am so glad it's Friday and it's after 3. My lovelies (especially one) have been particularly full-on today.

I've told him it's a trick, but he Wants To Believe in the force...

Off to get DS from school then spend a couple of hours sitting drinking Spanish hot chocolate while the little dears frolic in the nearby playground.

That doesn't sound like too much of a bad deal Herbs!
Spring has truly sprung round our way - it's lovely outside in the sun.

Am slumped on sofa after a rather too full on week. Still have work to get done but rather lacking in enthusiasm... a reviving cup of tea might do the trick.

Happy weekends to everyone.

Ouf, I can't keep up at the moment. So much to do and so little time and it always seems my efforts are needed to sort out some or other crisis. No rest for the wicked. Am reading here, but not managing to post much. Sympathies to Rose's dh for the nasty will issue. My parents were always scrupulous about dividing money/inheritance equally, even though there is a vast difference between my financial situation and that of my db. (IMO, they were not so fair on a lot of other scores, such as who got whacked with the leather dog lead for various misdemeanours (that'd be me) and who never got whacked ever (db). Apparently I was very naughty.)
Hope Auriga's conference is going well, despite the trials and tribulations beforehand.
MrsS, I think it is often hard to work out when something is a "real" issue with teen dds and when it is a passing gloomy phase. My dd has only one setting to cover all eventualities and I find it pretty much impossible to determine when something needs tackling and when it doesn't. Also, often they don't want solutions, they want a good moan about the general unfairness of life and it pretty much spoils things if you offer a sensible solution. You will get shouted at for "not understanding". I dragged dd to a series of improving activities for years, but I think in their mid-teens they have to decide for themselves what they want to do and get out there and do it for themselves.
Dd tried to do a weekend job, but it just gave her another reason not to get her schoolwork done, so she gave it up, as it definitely contributed to her doing badly in her mocks. As she is currently refusing to help around the house and therefore hasn't got any income at all, there are no Amazon parcels arriving for her.
Herbs, ahhhh, the light sabre years. Ds had a vast collection of the bloody things and still has a torch that makes a light sabre noise when he switches it on. Very annoying when we were camping, I can tell you. Give your ds some advanced physics textbooks and pretty soon he will be able to build his own actual real light sabre.
CV, well done to your ds for applying himself conscientiously for his exams.
Crem, do you have any news of a date for your back op yet?
Urgh, I have a bunch of other stuff I wanted to post about, but my head is so woolly I have lost the will to formulate any more sentences (talking about people who dribble when they concentrate)

Stropps like you lurking but not posting much

I am at Roses DHs situation. I just don't get people. But then dp's sil tried to change how much money her sister got from the will on the basis their father had given her 40k when he was alive.

MrsS nothing to add really, monitor it and as long as it seems fine I'd go with everyone else and typical teen...

Here I am holed up in bed after Ds gave me his vomiting bug - I feel like hell. And not looking forward to the return to work where we have started to get 'tough' and I'm taking the fallout.

Cremo hope the back gets sorted.

Bit of a twitchy day here as DS has been having his long-awaited tonsillectomy. All well I think (DiL doesn't speak much English) so will skype over the weekend even if it only involves waving!
Bottom of the freezer for dinner; some leftover vindaloo we made ages ago with some Lidl venison steaks. I think venison vindaloo has a certain ring to it.
Glorious spring day here, could be a barbie day tomorrow.

Hello crepes

Joining BD from the sick bay. Have spent the last 2 days in the bathroom with Brian the bucket on my lap. Not attractive. However, I feel much thinner and my jeans are loose. Given my weight loss campaign a much needed boost.

Lovely here too, and forecast good for the rest of the weekend. 2 children away at other people's, so just me, DD2, her pal and the cat. It's very quiet. I am surveying flights for the summer from my sick bed. Now need to work on DH.

Happy weekend everyone

Where's DiL from, Emily?

I have ended up skiving off. I could I suppose vaguely call lunch with a fellow-journalist 'networking'....I even passed up something that I'd have had to write instantly and over the weekend, on a topic about which I know bugger-all, and suggested v lovely friend who is specialist on this and can rattle it off instantly instead (what goes around comes around, dammit - I'd never pass up a health/parenting/pregnancy feature!). Then I came back through Soho, where I purchased a bottle of Nice Limoncello, and Waterstone's bookshop. I feel much, much better for it all.

In S&B news, my mascara has revived. OTOH shall I just face the fact that there is one (1, i) lipstick I really like, Bobbi Brown's Burnt Red, and buy it? Am taking DD2 to Westfield on Sunday. She wants clothes. She doesn't know what, though. I reckon she could rock a pair of denim dungarees...

But Herbs - the Force is true isn't it? Don't disillusion me now I'm 50.

What is a Spanish Hot Chocolate?

I have had a lovely lunch with a friend in a tea shop which was exclusively female. We then walked her dog and set the world to rights. It is a beautiful day here - I think Spring has finally sprung.

My remaining two children have deserted me for friends this evening and DH will be late so there is just me and the silent nephew at home. I am curled up with my book. Very annoyed that I cannot have a glass of wine as have to pick up DS at 10 pm.

Forgot to send you hugs and sympathy Crem. You sound very in the wars you poor thing. Do you have a plan? Was the GP any help? Take care lovely.

MI - buy the lipstick.

DiL is Spanish, MI. We muddle along face to face, but phone is hard. The children are getting better at translating, but DGS has Asperger's so he might tell me how Daddy is or he might be in listing the highest mountains in Europe mood. You never can tell. I love him to bits though and have appointed him as my successor as family historian. He has an amazing grasp of all the relationships.

DEFINITELY buy the lipstick MI. I have that one and it's lovely - I can imagine it really suits you.

In S and B news I bought this when I happened to find myself taking a shortcut through Topshop - You all know how I love a jumpsuit. Will I look mutton? Probably. Do I care? Not very much / enough..

It'll work on you, QQ. I would look faintly threatening in it.

Mr Inferior and I are both clearly in good moods - he's emailed me to say he had a Nice Indian Lunch too . DD1 is at a friend's 'to do a science project' yeah right. DD2 is dossing around downstairs. Boy my day off has done me good.

Dp has come home and commendered Brian the Bucket.... I am contemplating painting a plague Mark on the front door. MC if it's the same thing I have it's hell. I am a bit resentful that my weekend is about to be wiped out.

QQ I'd look shite in that...

LOL at "faintly threatening". I'm not sure what I'd look like in that jumpsuit, but it wouldn't be good. I find them tricky on me, but I don't doubt you can rock the look QQ.

I also got distracted on my way along the High Street today, and fell into a charity shop or two. Today's haul includes a white lace tee-shirt from Phase Eight (will be nice under a jacket at work); a navy spotty cotton shirt from Fat Face; an embroidered linen top from Monsoon (which reminded me of my grandmother's Madeiran tablecloths, but in a good way); and a navy Boden embellished cardigan. All items were immaculate, apparently unworn, and the total outlay was £19.50. Will barely show up on DH's spending pie-chart. Reeeesult!

Down to earth with DS's Maths mock result. Twas a D.

I suspect I'd put that on and me very take it off - fancying myself as one of the Abba girls. DD has just bought a jumpsuit but it's a slinky black thing .

..and never take it off.

CV - you have fab charity shops.

Commiserations for the mock result. DD has her French mock next week - I am not overly optimistic.

I am back to feeling feeling faintly homicidal towards DP, who has just rung and is still at his desk but would be "eternally grateful" if I cooked enough supper to leave him some for when he gets back. I know I'm still at my own desk and feeling v guilty now about having taken today off BUT I am physically at home and can go downstairs. It just annoys me that he is always at least an hour later home than he always says he will be. It just makes me feel that oh MI will be at home, stalwartly and boringly being placid and bovine and maternal, ho yes.