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A Crepey Advent-ure

998 replies

MontserratCaballe · 21/11/2016 18:21

Over here, my darlings....

OP posts:
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motherinferior · 07/12/2016 19:41

Footwear - the last pair in my size - purchased. Awaiting DSis. FInally managed to meet a deadline!

GiddyGiddyGoat · 07/12/2016 20:00

WTF Herbs??!! Will there be a sad face? (Either your boobs or your actual face?) More info needed.

Nice sandals MI.

Bunch of rude bastards Rudy. You're too good / nice for them. How very dare they treat you like that? Hope they die alone and are eaten by their cats. (Not really).

Mrs W - how is your dd getting on in you-know-where? Ds seems v chipper. He spent last night making and decorating gingerbread men... do you think it forms part of the interview Grin?

Managed to buy some Christmas presents today which made me feel much better. Dh on his way to collect the prodigal ds1 from Uni - very much looking forward to having him home - which will probably quickly translate into very nice to know he's upstairs in his room, making brief sorties to join in family life - but I will still love him being here.

Love to all. X

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/12/2016 20:30

Herbs - is it a before and after feature? Grin Or maybe "How your tits should look at 50"?

I would not take your DS to see his granny. I don't think either side would benefit from the visit.

Rudy - my family are very, very odd in their dealings with those who have married in or were adopted, and they are not seen as "proper faaaamily."

Re school, they have suddenly leapt into action, have scheduled a meeting with DD1 and her teachers, and a follow up meeting with us. One of her teachers commented that if there was specific support set up for DD1 (which we were assured there was) he wasn't aware of it, and it certainly didn't appear to be working...

Rudymentary · 07/12/2016 20:44

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herbaceous · 07/12/2016 21:22

Oh rudy Sad. Now I don't know whether maybe I should take him... It might be good for her, but not for him.

Re tits, it is a kind of 'before and after', but about boobs that have got bigger after childbirth. Of all thing.

Rudymentary · 07/12/2016 21:35

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GiddyGiddyGoat · 07/12/2016 21:36

Why? How? When? Herbs You'll have to post a link so we can all gawp at your tits in the paper

Mrs S - of course the leaping into action by school is infinitely preferable to their previous nonchalance / ineptitude - but what does your dd say about it all? Nothing is going to improve unless she is motivated to make it happen. Does she think there's a problem? What does she think it is? Does she care?? Neither school (nor parents) time can make a near adult work hard at academic stuff unless they want to do it and do as well as they can... So I'm not sure it's right to direct all ire at the school. They teach her in lessons, they set her homework, they tell her when t's due, they mark what she gives in etc. What more can they do? Doesn't she already have someone who's meant to be helping her with organisation? If she plans to go to University she will be expected to get organised and do the work (with support if she needs it). You are right to be frustrated - but she needs to explain what is going on.

Blackduck · 07/12/2016 21:42

Herbs... I really wouldn't take him. Ds is older and I so didn't want him to see his nanny like that. I didn't want to see my mother like that - I still find the last 9 months incredibly hard to process.

I showed my mum pictures and she had photos on the wall. I think that's enough personally.

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/12/2016 21:47

GGG - she will care very much when she fails. All we get when we ask her what the problem is, is "I don't know," repeated over and over again in a monotone, followed by complaints that all of her friends are doing the AP instead of the IB and they have a lot less work and It's So Unfair. Trust me, I am not directing all of my ire at the school - DD1 is the recipient of the vast majority of it! But when they say they have put in a package of support to help her succeed and one of her teachers knows nothing about it, and says if it exists, it isn't working, then I think they need chasing up on it.

Basically, all she wants to do with her life is fuck all, lie in bed, go to concerts and shopping with her friends and not have to work or study or do anything meaningful. The work can't be that bloody hard. She is bilingual, so French should be a piece of piss, given that she is not doing the paper for bilingual kids, but the one for those studying French as a foreign language. She is doing maths studies, which is like GCSE, and the easy option. She's doing environmental studies rather than a science. When she does the bloody work, she gets As and Bs, generally. She is not stupid.

Her ideal life would be to live at home and to work a few days a week in the charity shop where she volunteers at weekends. When she is motivated, she works damn hard - she graduated from NCS with distinction, and put in a hell of a lot of extra work to make sure she managed it. Ditto her French last year, when she got 92%. She just has no get up and go.

MrsWobble3 · 07/12/2016 21:48

GGG, no news from dd3 but I assume that's good. We picked her up from school yesterday and dh has put her on the train today. The advice from school was that she needs to 'unleash the power of her brain' and she will be fine - it all sounds slightly scary to me. She has arranged to meet up with school friends during the course of the next few days and whilst I am obviously delighted for her I do feel sorry for those from schools without a significant cohort. Dh still doesn't really get the difference in our experiences - he had 30 school friends/contacts when he turned up in Cambridge. I have my fingers crossed for your son and wish him what I wish my dd- that if the interviewers can't recognise our dc's brilliance more fool them.

MrsWobble3 · 07/12/2016 21:57

Oh,and just in case any of you are interested I've booked Vienna for dd3 and me. I couldn't get direct flights so have saved £££ on getting there. Dh told me not to be stingy - which I am taking as carte blanche for spending when we're there. I am so looking forward to it -I need a break. I'm on my way home from work and it's the earliest this week.

Blackduck · 07/12/2016 22:12

MrsW good for you! - enjoy!!

GiddyGiddyGoat · 07/12/2016 22:14

It is all a bit nail biting isn't it Mrs W - you know you have to let them get on with it in their own way - but you soooooo want it to be an ok experience for them - whatever the outcome. Good luck and fingers crossed for your dd too.

Oh Mrs S it does all sound quite infuriating for you. At least you know she is capable of doing well. Hope the meetings are helpful.

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/12/2016 22:14

Mrs W - where are you staying?

GiddyGiddyGoat · 07/12/2016 22:15

Ooooh, Vienna! Fur coats and whipped cream. Lovely. Enjoy Mrs W.

MrsWobble3 · 08/12/2016 07:45

MrsS- we're staying at the hotel de France. I know nothing about it but it looked ok on booking.com. Please don't tell me it's a complete dive!

MrsSchadenfreude · 08/12/2016 07:55

Mrs W - don't know it but it's a good location. You can walk pretty much anywhere from there, or get the tram round the ring.

Hot tip - if you order a cappuccino in Vienna, it is topped with whipped cream. What you want is called a "melange", pronounced the French way. You should try an Almdudler, which is Austrian fizzy pop. And topfenstrudel is one of my favourite cakes. Smile

MrsSchadenfreude · 08/12/2016 07:56

Austrian wine is also good - Gruner Veltliner (white) and Blaufrankisch (red).

motherinferior · 08/12/2016 08:02

Arse, some potential v well-paid work has vanished...

Rosebag · 08/12/2016 08:37

Ach MI

Good luck to MrsW and GGG's DC who sound like they have important stuff going on!

Herbs I agree with the others....my DC visited Ddad in the home until he just wasn't like Ddad any more and then I wouldn't let them...and they were a lot older that mini herbs. I just don't think there's anything to be gained for either party. It's hard Flowers....
but boobs in the daily mail? Tell me more....

MrsS It sounds like motivation is the missing ingredient. She needs to develop a passion for something....a subject or a type of work. Hmmm...

tilly I'm glad you got in to work, and even though disrupted, things seem to be edging in a more positive direction. I am still up for Saturday lunchtime in the BL area Mi can we not persuade you? Or can you suggest a nice place for a spot of lunch in the vicinity?

I have received what I think is my SS. Ho Ho Ho. Must get on and do mine. We still have no heating and I thank heavens the weather is unseasonably mild. I have a day of driving DM around and trying to get ready for tonight's class. DD has another matinee.

Saw 'Sully' at the cinema last night. What a film!

Rudymentary · 08/12/2016 08:59

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Rosebag · 08/12/2016 09:15

OK, Sat lunchtime...

Rose
Rudy
BTM?
others?

herbaceous · 08/12/2016 09:17

Oh god. Secret Santa. Still no idea what to get mine. Or when I will get it. Or how I'll buy it. Panic panic.

bigTillyMint · 08/12/2016 09:17

so where and what time? Grin

Dropped DS and grabbing a quick coffee before my training....

motherinferior · 08/12/2016 09:20

Oh yes, I'm now up for Sat - I have to get up to the BL too! You know the BL is now up by Kings Cross?