Hot town, Crepes in the city

[bigTillyMint]

I think Jamie Bells ears are bigger! And DSs hair is lighter (though he is sporting a 1980s barnet!), and his jaw a teeny bit widea, but he looks a bit like him in the pics of JB aged about 18 which I am incapable of linking to

Scuppered on sundowner front as it is raining Though still hot However no we get to try the huge complimentary umbrellas! Not sure how we'll fit them down the street with the mad traffic/pedestrians

Major lump in throat for the Rosebud.

Rose, congratulations to DD and to you.
BD enjoy your break and Beachy, have a good holiday and post us a selfie of you with the pilot, go on.
Good luck BTM fingers crossed.
Rudy, hope DS is recovering.

Stropps so glad to hear things are looking up with DD - where is she going?

Here it is overcast but warm. I have had a go at the zip wire :) and am watching chickens pottering around the garden.
Yes I can't thank Beachy enough as a holiday was off the cards due to the mega expensive patio....
Rose I think you are a star, as is your DD! Big hugs to her.

BD, she is going to UWE. Enjoy the pottering chickens. Mine have all become crepey, which means they are barely laying and 2 of them are very bossy and competing for matriarch status. One of them growls at me if the snacks are sub-par.

I would have really, really liked to take up Auriga's offer to go and inhabit her spare room on holiday and take a breather, but unfortunately I am required for possible nursing and supportive duties for dd and ds is in a show on Friday and Saturday, which all of us (including dm) are going to see on Sat. And I am supposed to have completed various things for work (school) by the end of the month and I haven't done them yet. However, Auriga's offer cheered me up no end and knowing that the lovely, caring crepeys are out there has helped me get through some difficult stuff without losing the plot completely.

Welcome, Flora :)

Stropps KBO. You are marvellous. There will be a place at the Birthday table for you both.So hoping you and BD can come. If not we can all cover it, I'm sure, as food won't cost too much for both of you I'm sure.

That sounds fab, BD - enjoy!

DS picked up his results (only 2 as Y10) and bravely said he was fine with them - B and C (must have been a bit gutted as he did work really hard) and that he knows hes not really academic - that others will have got A*s without even trying He has now gone up to PIL who will congratulate him and then not mention it again, thank god!

Well, he pretty much met his predictions - 2B, 5C, 2D, 1E (this includes last year's Science). Consensus is "not brilliant, but good enough". I'm mostly relieved he's done enough, but secretly wishing he could have aced them all.

The E was for English Language, but thank heavens the school entered all marginal students for the iGCSE as well, in which he got a C, so no retakes necessary (Rose - this has a speaking module and little writing, and DS, who is NOT good at writing found it comparatively easy).

He was gutted not to get B in Maths and Additional Science, which means he'll probably have to re-assess one of his choices, but hey, he's got a place at either school or college for next year....onwards and upwards......

I've been completely rubbish at work today, unfocussed and distracted. DS has Decisions To Make, and I wish he'd get on with it so we can prepare for whichever place he's going to study at.

I'm resisting contacting any fellow mums at the moment, some because they will crow about how brilliantly their little darling did, and a couple because I'm worried their DC haven't done well, and don't want them to think I'm crowing.

BTM - well done to DS - that's a solid start!

Rudy - hope your DTs have got what they needed.

Gosh cv this is a minefield, isn't it. I too am avoiding friends who are parents of DDs peers until it all dies down. I am genuinely pleased for the kids who have got great grades. I just don't want to hear about it 24/7. I didn't do it with DS 2's grades last week either. Anyway well done indeed to your DS because they aren't bad grades at all and they have got him where he needs to be.
Similarly tilly with your DS. It's hard when they're gutted but he's done fine !
DD had a small cry earlier on when all her friends were what's apping their grades and it broke my heart, but she rallied when DS 1 all the way from Oz pointed out some of the positives, and told her how much he loved her. DS 2 then showed her some of her individual module marks which were good although her overall grades were low. I luffs my boys. They can be vile but rally round when the chips are down.
DD and I are having a quiet lunch in a nice pub and enjoying the radio silence.

Rose - aww, those lovely boys. DD should be proud of herself for working so hard.

Rose and Stropps - such lovely news and parenting.

cV good stuff on getting to next stage

Btm sorry ds disappointed - remember that from my own d ds in yr10

Such a good idea fr everyone to get away from it all

My lovely dsil just posted congrats on fb to her Dd and some idiot asked fr details. Am sure they meant to be nice but she didn't say, so leave it, idiot

Herbs I loved stranger things. Love Winona generally ESP in beetle juice

CV, well done to your DS. Decent grades and met predictions.

Rose, what lovely brothers - Awww.

I just read the riot act to DD1 and said THE COUNTDOWN STARTS HERE...

DSis says her older lad got Bs with one A - could have done better but didn't, er, do much work.

Your DS is doing so well now Addle

I don't think DS will be dwelling on it too much - just hoping he keeps up his more mature attitude to school for the nightmare of Y11!

Nationally all results are down..

Your DC are so lucky to have caring, concerned parents re the GCSE results (and everything else,too, of course). Congratulations to all, but I think especially to Rose's DD and what lovely boys you have! Wiped away a little tear there. I so get where you are all coming from regarding boasting parents, and agree completely.

DH has just gone to DD's: she is off today and tomorrow and she is borrowing my bike and they are taking DGS1 out for a ride. She has only ever seen him riding in the street before so will have a big shock at how capable he has become.

I am just slobbing about, what bliss.

Have a great holiday, Beachy, Greece sounds lovely (almost raining here).

MI, not really surprising in that fucker Gove's brave new world.

Haven't braved the eyebrows yet - currently lying in the sun. Again.

A massive phew for you all and a huge well done to all the Crepey dcs with a special round of applause for rose and the rosebud for all their hard work in the face of a unforgiving exam system. Very pleased they have all done what they need to get to the next stage - whatever it is.

BD! Holidaying at Beachy's - enjoy. So pleased you are having a h nice time away after all you've been through. Are you responsible for all livestock??

Still shockingly clement in E Anglia - had a lovely lunch + a gin cocktail and shortly heading off to the beach to swim (again). It's a hard life here....

So happy at Rose Junior's well deserved good art mark and touched by her brothers support.

Also at the 'rightness' of Stropp's DD's new place and BD on Beachy's zipwire.

Which Just for Men? I want to play the dyebrow game.

I've been delighted by tales of moaning teens on hikes, rushing to Edinburgh shows and all manner of everything.

Our Ireland trip was packed and fab and am I pathetic to still be knackered on my second day back? Crem - We were on a coach trip. We had an hour in Belfast 20 mins of which we spent bickering as we looked for a loo in a shopping centre. As dd2 kept glaring at me, I left them (not altogether graciously) in Gregg's and took Rose's/Crepey advice and found some (gluten free) cake and solitude which worked A TREAT. dd1 and I liked what we saw of Belfast very much. Robust attractive Vic architecture and sunshine (remember? Monday afternoon?)

Here I am suffering the start of RSI with nerve irritation in arms. Have ordered some more ergonomic hardware but have limited typing time.

Best to all, and Crem I hope to bark up a soupcon of glamour on 10th - in eyebrows if nothing else.

CV, good for him, and yah boo to crowing parents, how rude and insensitive. I don't understand why people can't hear themselves. I hope the decisions happen smoothly and he moves on happily. Being able to give up subjects you find hard is very motivating, IMO!

And BTM, good for ds, he should be pleased, especially a year early - IME these boys of ours change a lot in a year. ds was nearly chucked out of his non-sport activity in year 9 for pissing about (it is potentially dangerous) and got an award this year for the contribution he has made for the younger ones. He has some very high flying friends (he pointed out their lower choice unis are likely to be his aspirational ones) but he plugs away in a way that still surprises me.

Rose, what lovely brothers.

Such a minefield - dd has an extremely clever friend who aced everything at school without much apparent effort. I am pretty certain something is/was badly wrong at home .

Stropps, that sounds great, I am so pleased. I know you will worry about her and there may be more excitements ahead, but maybe it will also be a bit of a relief not to be pegged to every day-to-day emotional twist and turn, in the medium term? I hope that doesn't sound heartless. Every ounce of good luck and good health to her.

BD, have a lovely time in the Beachypad and Beachy, have a lovely time in Greece!

NU, loved your weather misunderstanding phrase....aww about the little cyclist.

Just for men beard and moustache dye.

I appear to be ALONE this evening - DD2 at a friend's, DD1 at a sleepover, DP up Norf for work. We have new Netflix trial. I have a one-person portion of salmon and prawn curry in the freezer. I am somehow managing bravely to cope.

CV, when does he have to state his decision?

Well done to all those with results. I always think life is really unjust in that some seem to breeze through and some have to work so hard. So extra congratulations to those who have slogged through and achieved. Agree people can be so untactful and parents boasting about children's results on the internet is a definate no go.

Eyebrow dye? - I wouldn't dare - I have a sort of giant wax crayon thing from Maybelline which I love.

Quiet last day here - we went into town and had a boat ride on the lake. DD2 - actually said she had quite liked hiking, now she's finished, she was pleased to say she did it. DS still moaning about sore soles of his feet.

Tis cloudy in Greece

Still we're here and going to do lots of roaming around the island. Dd1 is busy tripadvisoring beside me, but keeps turning around asking 'where are we?'

So dd2 in pool, ds in room with phone, dh asleep.... Home from home really

Hatty, I am just amazed that you got them to do it! Though DD was the star of our 9hour trek up and down that bloody volcano in treacherous conditions 2 years ago and DS chose to do a few hills with us in NZ last year

Lalsy, great to hear your positive DS story

WAF, well done you for escaping Greggs (though DD would think you were completely mad!) and getting some nice cake and time to yourself.

MI, it's a hard life!

DH is being slightly curmudgeonly but it is to be expected - his results aren't good. Am going to prepare him something nice for dinner before I go out. And we are planning to go to the coast tomorrow

VC for MI for bravery

Just back from the beach - I love this weather. And we are going to the newly refurbed local for supper so no cooking.

Enjoy the coast tomorrow, BTM - hope the drive is OK.