Crepeys on the Verge of an Examination Meltdown

[whattodoforthebest2]

Not sure if I should be starting the new thread as I'm the last poster on the old one - is this how it works?

Crem, yes we did. The Shitten used to delight in crapping right next to the bloody thing. We've also tried Zylene. Am contemplating giving Big Pussy one of the Shitten's pussy tranx to see if that helps.

We are going to have roast beef. Will need to go and make some Yorkshire puddings I suppose.

Back from our night away, both DH and I feeling slightly jaded after a solid night of drinking local beer and dancing madly in a field until 2.30am. The theme was "beach party" so everyone was decked out in straw hats, tropical shirts and hawaiian garlands, and they had a big square of sand for volleyball. Loads of crazy music, including a ukulele Orchestra and a weirdly hypnotic rave band that had everyone swaying drunkenly in the wee small hours. My right knee is protesting painfully after its 5k outing, followed by all the dancing, so no ladyjogs for a few days.

The DCs survived their night home alone; DS got everyone to bed by 11pm and remembered to lock the doors. However, the kitchen looked as if someone had detonated a bomb filled with pasta and tomato sauce.

MrsS - poor kitties. but MI, PMSL at "PMSL" I'm also still chuckling about you commemorating the anti-austerity march with a good old shopping trip.

Just had a long catch up. Herbs, concert sounds lovely, coincidentally we were listening to the Sound of Silence yesterday on our long drive. MrsS, sorry about cats, no advice. MI, I think long suffering describes how most DHs feel about themselves.

Had a wonderful drive up the Icefields Parkway yesterday; it was one of those special days. I can't recommend the drive enough. Glaciers, lakes, waterfalls - it had it all. And then on our last leg I saw three of the rare (so I have been told) mountain goats which look like a mixture of a goat and a yeti. We then stopped for a burger at one of those places you see in the films: with men with full beards wearing jeans, checked shirts and braces. Good food, though.

Just realised I have CDiff's AGM in Weds. Not sure what the weather will be like (bear in mind I am vv bad at weather I classify as cold, which is when most people are striding around bare legged. Found white linen tunic top - nice, not too mad middle aged lady, part of my current ongoing love for white linen - in, you'll never guess, Sainsbury's. Did you know it did really nice clothes? Herbs, you should try it some time. Will wear with narrow black trousers and silver sandals again.

NU, that sounds amazing. Thanks you - added to my to do list.

MrsS, at morning cuddle and at cat effluent.

Crem, I think they do build up a phoney picture of us while they are away, even in very minor things like parental desire to wash undergraduate pants.

Having lost no weight via no booze (virtually no booze; I had a glass of wine in Paris and a couple of glasses with MI the other week) and low fat diet, I am going to treat myself to a glass tonight, and a few twiglets before dinner.

Have stuffed Zylkene down the more compliant cat and hope that sorts him out. Will attempt to shut him in the bathroom tonight to get a urine sample. Wish me luck.

Dh is away for a few days and dd has just thrown a diatribe at me about how much her teachers all hate her. Trying not to panic. But I think I will have to talk to the school. Her reports don't look like they hate her...It's exam exhaustion, isn't it? She's only just finished AS levels.

Good luck with the cats, MrsS. You have faaaaar more patience with them, and indeed with your neighbour, than I would have.

Very probably Molly. Is she worried that she hasn't done as well as she hoped to? Worried about next year and applying to Univrsity etc? The good news is that there really isn't long to go for her... September to Easter really...

NU, it sounds beautiful. Hope you got lots of photos, including the men in lumberjack outfits!

Molly, we get that. It's not true in reality, but in her mind it is, especially when she is tired

Had a great afternoon/evening in Hyde Park. Chic/Nile Rodgers and Grace Jones were amazing. I can't believe Grace Jones is 67 - she has the body (covered only in bodypaint this evening!) and voice of a 20-something. She is five years younger than MIL. Got back to find the house still in one piece - DD was only a couple of minutes late to meet DGodSis from train and then took her off to get her nails done, and DS had his mates round.

It seems to be because she hasn't been made prefect. I deliberately haven't asked her about all that, so as not to put extra pressure on. It's a shit system, seems to me: like not being picked for the team. Dunno if they tell you why you haven't been picked.

Sorry to moan on about my own probs. It's disconcerting when this blows up while dh is away...plus I've got a busy week and feel I ought to be giving dd attention instead - ain't gonna happen. She's enjoyed uni open days though, and seems optimistic about the future, QQ: of course she may wonder what results she'll get, given that she's so keen on her first choice. So hard to gauge how much to ask, how far to be hands-off, worry, worry, worry.

Oh Molly, sounds like she's exhausted. It will be fine in a few weeks when the hols start. Sorry you're on your own too; hope Dh is home soon to soothe you both.

Mrs S, I just roared with laughter when a vet asked my to fetch her a urine sample form Cremcat One (1, I). Htaf? Bonne Chance!

Nighty night sweep Crepeys . pleasant dreams.

Gah, and now I'm sounding precious about her being a prefect - it's just that they seem to make all of them something or other, to look good on their UCAS form, so to be left out of all the appointments seems a bit harsh. She is her mother's daughter though. bit of a rebel/contrarian.

Had another amazing day which finished at Beaver Boardwalk where we saw three (iii, 3) beavers! I am so excited- one of them was out of the water a few yards in front of us. We have also been close enough to an elk to see the fur on his antlers. Tomorrow we are off white water rafting and then going on a gondola up one of the peaks at Jasper.

Molly, hang on in there with DD. Am at the thought of getting a urine sample from a cat. Good luck with that.

Morning all. Haven't caught up yet but NU holiday sounds fab and sorry about the trials and tribulations of Crem and Molly not to mention the shitten.

Have had a very full on weekend as went to collect DD1 from uni and saw two groups of friends at the same time. One, her FiL who lodged us overnight and also one stop for lunch with a family who have recently moved near to Elstree. DD1, of course hadn't packed properly so needed to go an buy bin bags to shove assorted stuff into. She said she has hay fever as she has an allergic reaction to something. Her sheets looked yellow and it transpired she had not washed them all term - hay fever indeed[h
On arrival here, I immediately shoved the offending articles into a hot wash! I have several washes to go readers so - onwards and upwards.

NU, that sounds fab, though white water rafting!

Molly, you made me remember when I was in sixth form. I think the PE dept chose House Captains, but we had to nominate and then vote for each other as prefects - the teachers must have gasped in horror when I got made one My BF from school was one of the cleverest girls in the school but was neither made a House Captain nor a prefect, but it has not affected her professional success at all - it may seem like a big thing when they are announced, but in reality I did nothing at all that I can remember in my role. It was just a badge.

Oooh NU, an elk!

Molly, sorry to hear dd is upset, I can see why if everyone else has a post (and what a rubbish system), even though it means nothing long term (and not for university entrance - they aren't interested AFAIK unless circumstances exceptional). I think relationships with teachers can change at this stage, very quickly, and maybe that means signals can get tangled up? We know as parents how hard it is to keep up with their intermittent maturity and independence and get the tone right.

NU sounds fab
Molly poor DD - I am afraid I turned down being a Prefect as I was a bolshie individual didn't see it as a great honour. My father was then accosted at the next parents evening by my form tutor who was incandescent about this. Poor papa knew nothing about it but said 'some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them .... And some thrust it right back'

Hatty yuck!!!

Here I am sure I didn't sleep again :(

BD . On second machine...

Molly Of course in the grand scheme of things, it means nothing but, (and this is the central theme of my next play as you know) being ignored, passed over for "promotion/recognition", left out etc etc is huge from an emotional perspective. I agree with BD that it's not the honour it once was…doesn't really have much kudos at my kids' schools anyway. DS2 was very unexcited about it all. I don't even know if he was one, or not TBH, (they called them "Student Officers" ) They also had prefects at primary school, IIRC. DD who was amongst the lowers achievers in the year was finally offered the badge just for the very last half term of year 6…for litter duty. fxxking insult I'd rather they hadn't bothered.

Trip sounds amazing NU

Hatty at your DD's sheets….I seem to remember being brought clean sheets every week or so in my hall of residence…

Most of today is devoted to ferrying offspring here and there. DS2 is taking his Grade 6 piano this morning…then I have to drive him in to school. This will take until mid afternoon by the time I get back. I have dispatched DD to her first lot of exams…after a weekend of feverish cracking of the whip re revision. I'm picking her up from school and taking her to YT afterwards…she needs the light relief and she hasn't got anything she can revise for tomorrow. I am overwhelmed by the excitement in my life.

Molly, sorry to hear your dd is upset. It does sound as though she's had enough of school this year! My dd is constantly going on about how all her teachers hate her, but in her case some of them do find her extremely frustrating - and with very good reason. Prefects? They are still a thing? My dd would never get made one if they had them at her school and she wouldn't want to be one either. I can imagine her running v. fast in the opposite direction if anyone approached her to award her with any position of responsibility whatsoever. I fear she has absolutely cack-all and diddly-squat to write on her personal statement, unless it can consist of "statements" like "I once had a job for a month" and "I got my gold lifesaving award, but only because my mum dragged me to the swimming pool every week" and "I have the potential to be good at loads of stuff, but cannot be arsed trying to do any of it".

NU, sounds as though you are having a marvellous time. Am very of seeing all the lovely wildlife and scenery. You can see wild beavers in the UK now, though. There is a colony on the River Otter in Devon. :)

Much strength to your DP for today, Herbs.

I am doing the final prep for handing in my giant box of coursework tomorrow. And I should be doing a job app, but now I'm not sure that I want to as it's a pretty much full-time job for crap money and no holiday pay. I don't mind a crap money job for the experience, but I will just feel resentful if I end up doing it full-time.

Aaargh, having just typed that, my phone rang and it is the school hassling me about whether I have sent in my application as it is the closing date today. Bugger.

Dh's band played a storming set at the blues fest at the w/e. Ds was really impressed, bless him. I have to say I probably did the lead guitarist a disservice when I mentioned her on here before. Now I've had a closer look, I'm sure she is wayyy too young to be a crepey.

Thanks so much for all your comforting words - I might quote your fine example of "thrusting it right back", BD. We know it counts for nothing and we have said she's better off doing maths than poncing around being a prefect. Still, as you all say, it's the rejection which seems to have hurt her. And not getting the honour . Meat for a few convos over the summer, I think. She's already a bit of an outsider given that we are a) not half as wealthy as most parents at the school b) a rather random household led (or misled) by her oddbod parents c) not a conforming family in any way. Seems mean to rub her nose in it...I think she is heroic for turning up at school every day...

Hatty, your dd must be exhausted after a full-on term, as must all our returning unlaundered students, I suppose. NU, your animal encounters sound fantastic; I'm dreaming of being there with you.

We are at the music exam centre....My headphones are not loud enough to drown out DS's playing. Aaaargh

Don't, Rose, DD2 has grade 5 trumpet coming up (wibbles).

Sorry, Mollster. It's that thing of even if you don't want to go, you want to be invited, innit.

My own dear DD1 has decided firmly that her parents are the cross she has to bear - or perhaps the bears she has to cross - and that there are some positives (like bursting into a group chorus of What's Love Got To Do With It) in the situation. Hmm. DD2 is just embarrassed by most things.

We have already had one escaped hamster situation.