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?

Don't think you are, magi

I have to say, I was watching Quartet, the film the BBC showed at the weekend about retired musicians, and it was quite a shock to realise I'd been thinking of myself as the same generation as Maggie Smith and Billy Connolly. Which I'm not. Quite yet.

I shall definitely sport a bikini in southern Spain this year. DD1 will no doubt do the same, in svelte teenage manner. DD2 looked prudishly horrified at the very idea.

Ah. I find a barrel is a better idea, Rose . Makes the pint look quite pint-sized.

My legs have always been hideous and I developed large red stretch marks at puberty. I have never worn a bikini, burn very easily but love, love swimming. I wear one-pieces and don't care what I look like when I am frolicking around in the waves looking like a multi-coloured walrus. Out of the sea, I tend to cover up put on jumpers because I would either be cold or burn.

MI, as I may have mentioned before , dd has had pronounced anxiety over the years - much better now. I am happy to chat IRL about this some time if you would like. Looking back, I regret that I worried about what it meant and the bigger picture (although that is the beauty of hindsight - things could have turned out very differently) instead of focussing on packing in new experiences and fun, regardless of how much behind the scenes help she needed the first few hundred times she tried things. As a wise friend said to me, she won't go to university clutching [insert name of favourite soft toy]. Actually, she did - but has made friends, written essays, applied for jobs, sat exams, partied all night just the same. She gets anxious still - it is part of her. She and ds had very similar upbringings, completely different attitudes to life from the moment they were born [looks at watch wondering when ds might see fit to come home and start revision for tomorrow's paper].

Herbs that you still have a waist.

V annoyed at DD2 whose lovely teachers both gave up their lunch hour to discuss her uni options and she arrived half an hour late . She then sat and played the silly little girl all smiley and shruggy and I don't know what I want to study. Her immaturity was clear. Frankly I had a more useful discussion with the teachers before she arrived. I despair!

Lalsy, that s very reassuring re your DD And my two are exactly like that - completely different attitudes to life in lots of ways.

Hatty, would she consider a gap year first?

I am with you on swimming, Lalsy, particularly in the sea. I am of the view that I will look fat in whatever swimwear I have, so have gone for bright red with even brighter flowers. And if I drown, they will be able to find my body easily.

BTM - not sure DH would go for this. It's not really done in France but working would do her good in terms of seeing how the world really is. I do worry about the loss of numeracy skills in a gap year.

Is she wanting to study maths? Could she do a night school class to keep it up if necessary?

DD is keen on the idea, and I think it would be really good for her. She could do with some time to grow up and find herself IYSWIM, being one of the youngest in her year.

Hello QQ - I'm one of the newbie's here - fighting crepeyness with a vengeance and failing - there's only so much hair colour and make-up a body can take! DS22, DS20 and DD15, who is only 1 GCSE exam away from freedom - hooray! And not forgetting WhattodoPuppy, a 9 month-old mini schnauzer/patterdale cross - who is utterly adorable and completely in charge and who has contributed largely to me going out walking and running a lot more than ever before. In all, A Good Thing. Specialist subjects?? Hmm, money-saving, investments and property-related stuff, I suppose. And juggling children, volunteering, multiple jobs and a house that constantly needs more work, single-handedly. Needless, to say, I'm trying to leave the country.

When I say 'children', I mean young adults, of course, who are not quite as independent as they should be .

No not maths BTM but we're looking at biological science or biochemistry - that sort of thing. Personally I think she would be better going accountancy fast track post A level or something like that but she absolutely wants to go to uni and that is the pre ordained path round here. Also, in France, without a degree you are very. such a second class citizen - your degree follows you for the rest of your life and seems to count more than what you have done during your actual career. There is not the scope for alternative routes that there is in the UK.

Apparently DD's maths was impossible. Rose, glad your DC weren't sitting it

Same here, BTM. DD is worried now as it's one of her A level choices.

whattodo, it sounds like it was really hard. There is a whole (very funny) Twitter feed on it, so it looks like everyone felt the same and hopefully the grade boundaries will be lowered.

I have made a very delicious low fat cheesecake. The base is not very low fat, but I couldn't decide how to make a low fat base.

Yes, and there is that UMS thing - the point of that is partly to make the years match (so UMS grade boundaries can remain the same - this hides variation - it is very hard to write exam papers of the same difficulty apparently). ds trying to revise biology now, with only two past papers to go on. Pah.

I have made a peculiarly nasty dinner of fish fingers, burned on one side only, oily potatoes (ds), an odd lentil thing I found in the cupboard for me, undercooked asparagus. Mmmm.

Ds2 said his maths (IGCSE) was 'OK'... and anyway a lot better than Add Maths (yesterday) so not very much the wiser. He has three (3, III) papers tomorrow poor thing . He's upstairs 'doing biology'.

Very surprisingly popular supper here - a new attempt to please the picky members of the family

• whizzed up sesame oil, red chilli, ginger with a stick blender, added chopped up peanuts, slathered the mix over some skin on chicken breasts 30 mins. Served with brown rice and a salad made from cucumber ribbons, chopped chinese leaf, spring onions,, toasted sesame seeds. Dressing of oil, lime juice, a little soy. YUM!

QQ, what an astonishing coincidence - ds said his paper (iGCSE maths) was 'OK' too. Well I never . Good luck to your ds with three tomorrow.

Your dinner sounds much nicer than mine!

Ooh - that sounds good QQ. Do we still have a cookbook Lalsy and how do we link?

I remember further down last thread MI did something interesting with aubergines and chick peas and I can't remember what it was now.

I made salmon teriyaki, home made chips and fried left over veg from the fridge, pepper,carrot and much to DS's horror courgette. I then spoilt it buy scoffing wine and Hagen Daaz with DH.

M&S Thai fishcakes here, plus brown rice and broccoli. How healthy. Then two glasses of wine and some lemon cheesecake.

I rediscovered the wonder that is the Tunnocks Teacake earlier today. I think they may become a mild obsession.

Ds2 loves a Tunnock teacake! Did you know you can get ones covered in DARK chocolate - in blue and silver foil - available from our local waitrose (natch). Our local corner shop sells Tunnocks Snowballs - they really are a phenomenon!

I went to a gay wedding once where the wedding cake was a GIANT Tunnocks teacake, surrounded by lots of little ones for the guests to eat. That was a good do.

And PHWOAARRRR to the idea of dark chocolate ones. It's a bit of a trek to a Waitrose from here, but once this assignment is over < rents garments > I'm going to treat myself to a couple of hours in a posh supermarket. Go me.

Hatty, just pm me for a link to the cookbook.

Anyone, pm me with recipes for next update. I may miss them if they are just on the thread. Wont share burnt fish fingers though.

I have discovered that Tesco sells alcoholic ice lollies. Mojito and pina colada. I have shiftily hidden them in the freezer in the garage and will test them at the w/e.

Dd has announced that she has no intention of having a boyfriend at any point in the near future. I am feeling sorry for the boy who took her out to dinner last week, as he is so nice and clearly trying very hard. However, dh is clearly v pleased about dd's attitude and said "Meh, he will get over it." Dd has had a long line of suitors, but they are lucky if they get as far as taking her out once. She usually just turns them down flat. (I have seen some of the IM convos) She is also a bit of a puritan and continually appalled by the things that some of her contemporaries get up to. I find this to be a good thing.

Still feel sorry for that boy, though.