Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Crepes in this petty pace from day to day

[CointreauVersial]

Anything but the C-word!

MrsS, good luck with your DM. It sounds like your DD1 is having a similarly tricky time with all the school work, etc. Not sure if I'd prefer crying down the phone to vile rudeness and lateness - they both/all seem to be moaning about the work.

Good Luck Rudy - bet you'll look great!

Auriga, yes, good to Be Firm about dogs. And timings.
I would vote for your dd to be Head Girl. Where can I send my ballot paper?

Sadly, my dd has now taken to her bed and refused to go to school at all. I went in at 7.30, she ambled downstairs about 9ish, had some breakfast and went back to bed. I emailed her tutors. Then later I went into school and managed to have a chat with one of them. I have given the tutor the full story, including the details of the extreme behaviour that we had to deal with over the summer. Essentially, I think everyone's view is that there is nothing to be done. The school is going to take a hard line about laying down the law the next time that dd makes it in there (assuming she ever does), but they are highly sceptical about it making any difference. As am I, tbh.
When I got back, dd was still in bed. And is still there now. She said that she had nothing wrong with her and was just "tired" and "having a lie-in". Her attendance so far this term is slightly over 50%. She also told me that she did not have anxiety or "any headache stuff". Yes, the diagnosis of cluster headaches is allegedly firm, she has seen 2 GPs and an A&E doctor. However, I suspect that our GP is wondering about some things in relation to this diagnosis and dd's, er, creative abilities.
After further investigation, I think her line about the driving not being ok with the medication was a reaction to the driving instructor asking her if she was ok to drive. She has now had 2 really bad driving lessons where anxiety has prevented her from doing anything, pretty much, and I think the driving instructor is wondering what is going on. Of course, dd is blaming her inability to drive on the fact that I will not agree to getting our car insured for her to practise in at the moment.

So there we are. Guess I will indeed just have to step back, but the problem is that if she reverts to the violent and threatening behaviour we had in the summer, stepping back will not be enough. It's all really very sad.

Ooh, looking forward to seeing your new 'do', Rudy.

Am smiling at the thought of your ds and his secret handshake, Herbs. Hope it works!

Hope the visit goes ok and you don't have to endure too many barbed comments, MrsS!

Stropps, . So sorry to read this. I think you are right - perhaps in this context, it is less clear what stepping back even means...... Look after yourself in the meantime, I hope you can get some time away from it all over the weekend. (Can the driving just be quietly shelved for now?)

[Over-use of brackets because of shiny new keyboard].

OUR HOUSE IS CLEAN!!!!!!!

Stropps

Great MI!

I need a large - just had my second mammogram (can't believe it is 3 years since I was moaning about the last one) and am home with my lovely DS who is watching old Only Fools and Horses, which he loves. He is happy because he had another good week (some decent test results) and his mates are coming over to play Fifa16 and sleepover.
DD is asleep in her room. I know this because her phone must be on the floor and keeps vibrating because friends are calling. Yet another f'd up day/night sleep pattern, never mind the rest of it

here too. In our CLEAN kitchen.

DH has dragged me round the corner for a . Shall we dance? was playing, now Suffragette City. Great play list

DD1 has texted me to say she has gone to a party tonight, but will be home at a reasonable hour. This is the child who has no friends. My BFF is here, back from NZ for a couple of weeks, so we had a nice catch up tonight.

DM is Hard Work.

Stropps that all sounds really hard.

Here dad is continuing with memory clinic despite Dmum being less keen. He is thinking vascular dementia, but also his pharmacist who has a family member with similar problems strongly recommended pursuing a digsnosis and getting firmly in the system in case nursing homes becomes a requirement.

He was checking with me and bros that we were happy with this - I am - think it has to be done for everyone. And power of attorney is next on the list.....

BD that sounds very sensible, and glad that your DDad wants to be proactive.

MrsS how lovely to see your BFF
What has your DM done this time?
Re your DD, you see, that is exactly the conundrum of the teenage girl

Think of me tomorrow Crepeys - off bright and early with a car full of stuff and a bike on the back to take ds1 off to University .

Aw, best of luck GGG and Gggs big student boy child. Bring tissues and gin. I'll be thinking of you.

GGG, thinking of you. I am visiting dd today. I have to try not to mention, under her close questioning, how peaceful the house is without her . Plan something lovely for you afterwards and I hope he has a great start.

Wow, GGG, hope it all goes well today. A Big Day, indeed. The start of a new era. I'm impressed you can fit a bike in your car as well as everything else!

Have a nice day, Lalsy. You picked an excellent day weather-wise.

Bd, your dad sounds as though he is being bravely proactive. Such a hard decision.

MI, hope you find your Dm is in reasonable shape today. And that the visit is not too stressful.

My Dm's eyes have suddenly deteriorated and she has lost confidence in her ability to drive any distance. She is being referred to have her cataracts done and wants them done at the hospital down the road from us. She asked us to come to lunch tomorrow, but there is no point in trying to get dd to go, so I will need to fit in a visit during the week. And fit work around that.

Happy goodbyes, GGG and have a lovely day Lalsy!

I can only dream of a future without the vile screeching fiend that is DD at home at the moment

MI hope the visit goes OK.
Stropps, my DM has had both her cataracts done and now has better eyesight than she had for the last 60+ years!

It is Dps 50th Wedding Anniversary today. Dsis and I have arranged nothing, having learned from the 70th birthday debacle that it would not be met with out and out enthusiasm. I have a card and a bottle of Veuve Click for them. They had booked to go to Mallorca ( place of their honeymoon) but ddad is too anxious to get on a plane. He is in a permanent state of anxiety which is keeping him in a chair. Any ideas how I can encourage him to be calm? I think he imagines 'this is the end', despite being signed off by a cardio surgeon and gp saying there's nothing wrong with him. Makes me very
I do also feel guilty that there's to be no 'party'. No doubt dmum will express disappointment at a later guilt-inducing moment of her choice.

MI hope today isn't awful and dmum is ok.
GGG , seriously I cried all the way from Glasgow to Holyhead.

Sympathies to those dealing with challenging teen DDs. BTM - must surely be the school stress causing this, poor thing.

GGG. Hope the drop off goes well.

Just had a text from XGF's DM asking for the return of a couple of items left here (fair enough) and asking to meet for coffee (eeek). The first thing can be dealt with easily, as our NDN is in XGF's class at school and can easily act as courier, but the second?? I really have no wish to spend an hour rehashing the breakdown of Young Love, and I didn't particularly click with her, tbh. What can I say to get out of this?

Laughing at the "talking to randoms" thing. I do it all the time, and none of my DCs have taken after me. They are particularly horrified when I reveal some snippet of information about them to, say, the cashier in Waitrose. Which makes me do it more often.

Short visit to the Village where I grew up. Uri Geller has been usurped as Most Famous Resident by George and Amal Clooney. They wanted to buy the Village pub but the church wouldn't sell it to them.

GGG hope all goes well.
MI hope mum is okay.

Here I am scrubbing the house for arrival of friends next weekend!

Cremo, my friends DDad is like this - seems to be just waiting to die. Friend and DMum are very frustrated. I think a card and bottle of fizz plus your company will be lovely for them

Thanks CV.
DS has had a brother-to-sister chat and ascertained that she is stressed with the workload/new subject and is putting blame onto us for being rubbish (her words are not so polite) parents. I am just going to try to step right away and ignore until she calms/comes to apologise/ask nicely for help.

CV could you say you are really busy ATM, but maybe in a few weeks when work/whatever dies down and hope she forgets/gets the message?

MrsS. the church owns the village pub? All sounds very Father Ted

Well - visit was OK!! I have to hand it to DM, she is now back in remarkably good shape (cancer, stoma and weight all considered) and is quite clear that quality of life and enjoying it is a priority - she's even working a fair bit. Kudos to her. And I firmly kept the conversation on stuff like my book research - not that they know about the book but there's lots I can talk about - and we did a little jaunt to a posh shop/gallery and then I set off home. Am on train now.

Massive sympathies to all. Stropps, either go without DD or postpone visit. Your week is already busy enough.