Crepes, Cats and Calamari

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Here you go.

Beachy, that is fan-bloody-tastic! Other parents will hate you .

Beachy, that looks, err, delicious! Lalsy is right, other parents will hate you.

Aaargh re keys, Herbs!

That is VERY wearing, Herbs.

DP, for all his faults, has largely stepped up to the plate (after many years of me badgering, it must be said) and has also realised that he can't just be so resolutely antisocial that the girls don't have friends round. DD1 was convinced he'd huff if she invited her Squad over, but we have now convinced her it's ok (I pointed out to her that I have people round whenever I feel like it and it's her home too) and she has now well and truly called his bluff.

at cake Beachy. Not sure how I'd feel about eating it though.

Beachy I'm sure she completely understands the process now

Herbs, the DP not driving thing would drive me mad! Especially if it means he has a get out clause for boring chores. Surely he should have an alternative mode of transport? My ex-NDN didn't drive, so he cycled with his DC to clubs, etc which very slightly alleviated the unfairness of it.

Went to see Fences with DH and DS this afternoon - can totally recommend - Denzel Washington (and indeed all the cast) was great.

He has said that he'll take DS on the train, occasionally, to Sunday morning choir services on the train, which is great as they have to be there for 9. Ooof. And while I'm out ferrying, he does domestic servitude. Which is good...

Beachy is that a cupcake or a big cake? If the former, I admire the fine detail!

He said to ds it wasn't his thing?!? I am very up front with ds but not when he was 6!

And centre parts story ahhh. Tell him he needs to get some coping mechanisms. Said to you before my dp will disappear off in the morning for coffee to shore himself up for the day ahead. And we give each other time, but it has to be equal

How did it go with the outlaws Rudy? I thought of you this afternoon, when I narrowly avoided losing it with DH's old friend, the one whose DW did a moonlight flit last year. I am still post-migrainous so hadn't touched the wine, otherwise DH might have needed to call the TSG

Cocoa, very sorry for your DS and you . But the boy's poor parents will never ever forget what his friends did for him.

Beachy, looks as though PHSE has improved since DD did it. She'd definitely have paid attention if cake had been involved 😁

MI, I do miss some of DD's concerts for my own, or for crucial rehearsals. I reckon that modelling reliability and loyalty matters, as you say. When our concerts clash, DH goes to hers (except once, when he had one too) but in the case of the forthcoming Matthew Passion , I've pulled rank 😉 and he's missing her chamber concert for it. She is old enough to find this amusing.

Yes, he said it in front of DS, which is what enraged me.

He wasn't going to come to CP at all, as he said he thought it would be shit, but I told him not to be such a snob, and that it wouldn't be much of a break for me without him. DS was about 18 months at the time. He came, but made it plain that he hated it, thus implying to everyone else that they were feeble minded for enjoying it. Or tolerating it. I went on my own next time, and it was much better. But he had won.

He has no compunction about turning down social invitations if he thinks he might not enjoy it, and I have to make excuses for him. Odd, as he's terribly easily offended himself.

Anyway. Enough bitching! He may well stump up for us all to go to Paris with DS's choir, which will be singing in Notre Dame and St Sulplice at the end of April. Oooooh.

Herbs - I think your DP needs to understand that it's not about whether "it's his thing" or not, it's about supporting and encouraging the development of your DS. He will be positively discouraged from his choir if he thinks his Dad isn't interested. I had an argument with somebody recently who said he didn't understand why his son was taught Shakespeare as it was dry and boring and boys don't like reading anyway - great attitude to transmit down the line!

Feeling grumpy as DH has turned over Call the Midwife for a French documentary on building prefabricated houses!

On the other hand it don't feel partners have to be joined at the hip and I will cut dp slack BUT he has to cut me slack in return.... had those hissed through gritted teeth convos...

Oh Herbs - if you come to Paris do let me know - will try to come and watch DS and am always up for a coffee in Galaries Lafayette as Crem will testify.

WTF, Hatty LTB!
On turning CTM over

So who else is up for 25th March?
GGG
Cremo
Hatty
BTM
Herbs
Lalsy
MrsW?

If I can get an idea of numbers, I will try to remember to ring and ask if we can book!

Herbs - DH is like that for holidays - if he doesn't think he will enjoy it, he won't come. When we went to Disneyland Paris one summer (just for a few days) he came the first day, declared the hotel "shit" and went back to Paris. We had a much better time without him. Ditto when the DDs and I went to Norfolk and he sneered at the cheap cottage we were renting and wouldn't come. And re DS's extra curricular activities - it's not all about your DP, it's about DS. And frankly, he should be grateful he's not standing in the freezing cold and driving rain on the edge of a football pitch on Saturday morning.

I rang my mother tonight. I wished I hadn't. I can't do anything right - apparently everyone is "disgusted" that I haven't been to stay. Pointed out that I had offered and she had turned me down, and she said "it was too late then, you should have come on the Saturday and stayed at least until the Monday," There was no point in saying that a) her surgery was never meant to be as extensive as it was b) that I can't just drop everything and leave work and the family (it was also my birthday, and she didn't tell me she was having the op until the night before anyway). It was essentially a litany of my failings as a daughter, and how I should have phoned her every night (pointed out that I had been away for work, but that was neither here nor there) as "everyone else has, and they thought it was disgusting that you hadn't". She had also crashed the car again, fortunately into her wall rather than into a person...

MrsS :(. I wish I was there to pour you a large gin and give you a BIG hug and tell you in person how wonderful you are and your mother is - well - I can't go there....

MrsS, your mum is what is known as a Fucking Nightmare.

Oh dear, MrsS. She doesn't improve, does she?

Mrs S, I think if she's got all that breath to complain about you, she's probably OK .....

I think there are going to be a vast amount of cakes festooned with genitalia in school tomorrow! Science homework was to do a project on what they'd done in the first half of term.... reproduction or energy. All the boys are doing posters on energy and all the girls, cakes

Hatty, can't believe you had to turn off Call the Midwife. It's my new best thing....

Herbs, I must agree with others that ds comes first in terms of running around for activities....

Sorry, can't do 25th....off with dd2 in forrin

Oh, that cake is absolutely marvellous, Beachy. I'll have a large slice of uterus, please.

Indeed Herbs - there's still time for DS to develop an interest in football - then bang goes your weekend. Actually, DH has done pretty much all of the touch-line duty for DS over the years, and I can't say I fought him for the privilege.

MrsS - ignore, ignore, ignore....

25th March
GGG
Cremo
Hatty
BTM
Herbs
Lalsy
MrsW?
Rudy
CV

She's such a charmer , your mum, Mrs S.

Hatty, sackable offence overriding CTM in our house. Although too too sad tonight's episode. I seem to now be watching some utter bolleaux with Gerrrrard Butler now. It's payback time.
Beachy, surely a MN classic that cake. I once did shamrocks☘️made of blitzed greet sweets , dusted over a stencil on top of fairy cakes for a Brownie sale. The other mums didn't speak to me again after that.
Herbs, a tripette to Paris might be fair reckoning for shitehawk behaviour ?

Have a good week crepeys 😘

Bloody marvellous cake, Beachy! I did one years ago for DD where the cake was supposed to be crinoline skirts around a barbie. A little friend (of hers) suggested barbie was drowning in quicksand. I've stuck to foursquare since.

Mrs S, it's hard to accept but you really and truly can't win. Your 'DM' seems to have everything invested in making sure you don't.

Cloud, I'm so sorry and how sad, but what a wonderful DS you have.

To continue the DH discussion, mine tends not to do the things 'I'm not very good at' - so that would be concerts, parents' evenings, trips to ikea but will do long stressful drives to sort out moving houses, etc. I'd say he'd do anything for his children as long as he thought it was worthwhile - he wouldn't necessarily listen or accept a difference of opinion. But then I've spent my Sunday helping out with not necessarily intrinsically fun bits of Word issues, writing and rewriting emails and proofing statements so maybe I'm biased.

Moving into Spring, Crepeys! count me in for 25 March:

25th March
GGG
Cremo
Hatty
BTM
Herbs
Lalsy
MrsW?
Rudy
CV
Addle

I can probably make 25th. Vaguely considering college reunion (Gaudy) previous night but not sure I can face it even if I get a place.

I am binge-watching early CTM on Netflix too.

Sorry, Crepes, but not able to make 25th March.

Boo....

DS eventually arrived home at 10 last night. I padded out of bed and had a chat with him downstairs. I think the group that were there to the bitter end, decided to just hunker down together and support each other. So one poor mum had about 8 teenagers descend on her for 24 hours. I do know her, and am trying to get hold of her to say thanks....

They chilled out, watched the rugby, and then went back to school for their evening chapel service. DS seems v level headed about it all at the mo.

We will just keep talking...

MrsS do as I say.... Stick fingers in ears and hum 'Lalalalalalalal' until the feeling passes. Or go NC - however, I'm not sure of your family set up- so maybe easier said than done.

Herbs hope marital relations are a bit better today. My DH saved himself yesterday and pretty much cleared up everything after every meal - all day. He's off the bench for the time being.

I am being encouraged, however, to consult a SHL by close friend - just to see where I stand. SHL is in Slough, which somehow makes me think of The Office, which makes me so depressed.

There is just too much swirling round me for me to be terribly rational in my thoughts.

Could you Crepeys just turn on your collective well wishes in the direction of Charring X Hospital today? Oldest friend is undergoing massive surgery. Think she's probably in the operating theatre now. She's not a Crepey officially, but satisfies all requirements - troublesome teenagers, difficult DH and infirm and unwell parents.

I am off to see the sea today. And to catch up with old friend who I hope may advise me on best course of action ( if any..) with batshit house sitter.