Proportional Crepresentation

[Cremolafoam]

There you go lovelies

Grease was good fun - not perfectly executed but enjoyable to watch and DS had swag (if that is the correct term) .

He is now sleeping it off.

Sounds good Hatty!

Really love that dress Cremo. The colour and the style. Do you think it would crease up and look like a rag after a bit?

Mmm. Lovely dress. Though it would require ironing, and is therefore a non-starter in the herb wardrobe.

Teacher types - I've got to take three little lessons on my own on Monday, two of which are with our arch nemesis. Not Huge Romanian, but another one. He is rude, disruptive and manipulative. He has a zillion 'behaviour' points, but nearly as many 'achievement' points, as he knows how to play the system. He gets sent out of most lessons. I am bricking it! Considering bribery with sweets, plus zero tolerance on bad behaviour, but bribery could set unfortunate precedent.

I think my problem is I don't believe in my own authority, so don't expect anyone else to. How do you fake it till you make it?

Don't ask me. I am frequently informed people are scared of me and I am never anything more than agog, since I am v obviously a bovine little creature who wouldn't say boo to a goose...

Remember my experience is with younger children, but I think this still stands. And I'm sure you know all this anyway.
Don't do bribery with sweets, but reward good behaviour with achievement points if you think that will work.
Use humour wherever possible to diffuse and de-escalate (you are very good at humour!)
Try to read the situation/how he is feeling and act appropriately to avoid confrontation/get him feeling positive.
Treat him as an adult as much as possible.
Be as assertive, calm and consistent as you can.
If all else fails, send out/send for help!

You could always just send him out at the beginning of the lesson, Herbs then you don't have to deal with him (or is that not done in teaching circles).....

Sitting waiting outside ds school, he's finishing up some coursework, having just had a really lovely walk with both dogs. Completely unfamiliar area and just followed my nose.....so beautiful. I'm more than happy waiting here (radio and MN) as MIL has just arrived at home, so I'll be 'on duty' for the rest of the weekend

Happy birthday BabyBD.....

I'm loving all these dresses. I must admit, I bought one last year that Rose had bought from Next, but it hasn't worn out yet. Maybe next year...... I will get those T shirts from H&M though. They look like great staples....

MI - thinking of you today.

Top tips BTM! I shall apply each and every one. I am also working on The Look.

Herbs, just to add to BTM's tips: I'd be wary about using too much humour before you get to know him/them well. Using humour with adolescents can easily backfire if they are on edge anyway and needs to be very carefully judged. I'd probably plan a lesson with a lot of quick-fire activities and lots of small incremental targets with maximum possibilities for achievement and therefore lots of praise. I have found the special "I'm deeply disappointed and yet sadly unsurprised by your behaviour choices" look to be more efficacious with les ados, than the straightforward Paddington hard stare that I give the younger ones.

I would love to see BTM, Stropps, Hatty and Herbs, all demonstrating The Look with various nuances. Perhaps we could line you all up at the next MU?

That dress looks great on her - it is very advanced though - on me it would look as if I have sewn some faded J cloths together.

Glad about swag, Hatty.

MI Thinking of you on difficult day. xx

MrsS It's really good to hear others are clamouring to work in your team, and never was this more deserved. You too BD glad to hear some good stuff may be on the horizon and Happy Birthday to DS.

Stropps that's good news re your evaluation. Congratulations...bask in the achievements for a bit! Agree with BTM don't compare (altho' I guess we all do it to some extent)...that way madness lies. I have also been the grandma of all my Mum friends on account of the 10 year gap between DS1 and DS2, and 12 years between DS1 and DD. Actually I am rather starting to enjoy how they tell me I look young for my age and seem to think I'm wise for some reason . One of the others at least 5 years younger than me, has just had a hip replacement....

Crem I'd see that dress on the tall, reedy sort...very stylish. On me sadly it would look like a dressing gown...

Speaking of dresses....the the Gina Bacconi LBD arrived, and my size fits comfortably. I am going to need to try it on again wth Spanx though, as what always happens with me is that it's lumpy as hell over the hips. The size up is far too loose every where else. I hate my 'cello hips, saddle bags and thunder thighs. I will also need some sort of cropped jacket.

I feel like ordering Plumbs Stretch Covers for my arse.

Any Crepesters fancy a walk in BP next Sat at 2pm with Molly and Me?

Stropps you are tiny! Well done on the appraisal.

That dress is beautiful Crem but agree with those that say you have to be gorgeous to pull it off. Rose you always look gorgeous in your dresses - I would love to have the curves to fill them out - they just sag on me.

Lalsy - we could see who could wither you most effectively.

I find if I use humour, they tend to think you are their friend and then start to take advantage. Obviously, I lack sufficient experience and have to stay mean for the time being.

Rainy non descript day here.

In the same vein, I feel like ordering a sack..

I tried on the haul again this am & decided that the red dress & sjirt from TKMaxx are just not right on me & will have to go back.

I have felt irritable all day - DH losing stuff that is in front of his nose & then coming into the kitchen while I was cooking & trying to be helpful...

I am a real grumpy old woman today.

LTB, Magi. That is sooooo annoying.

I would love to join for a walk but will have to see on the day.

I have bumbled around feeling morose and meh all day. Which is ridiculous. I feel as though someone took me apart last night and then put me back together all wrong with my head jammed firmly up my arse. I have tried various wholesome and practical remedies (long bath; nice dog walk; hugs from dh; getting practical stuff done), but still felt self-indulgently meh. So I had a big bowl of cheesy tortilla chips and a large glass of red, and now feel much better.
I ordered a linen mix shift dress from Next (absolutely NOT my usual style - ur-crepeys may recall I am a dress-hater) and am most pleased to report it is v nice indeed. The regular length is just below the knee on me and crepeys of normal height may like to know that the dress comes in a "tall" length as well. £24. What is not to like?

Hattie, you are very lovely, but you may need glasses

Oooh I was pondering that one in the black and/or pink.

Am idiotically rabbit-punched with exhaustion. DP clearly feels this is out of order as I "spent all Monday in bed" but he can sod off.He did make a very nice lunch.

Stropps is it that one you linked to? Glad the wine and nachos have done the trick!

It's another one, BTM. Give me 5 mins and I'll go on the desktop and give you a link.

Here you go. Looks much better in (on) the flesh that on that pic. Weirdly, only the other floral one has that neckline. All the other colourways seem to be v-neck. Which I don't like. I also made the entirely dodgy purchase of a suedette dress, which is a bit too short (can see knees) and poss makes me look a bit pantomime. But I don't care and will wear with silver flatform trainers and a denim jacket and will throw caution to the winds. Feh.

Oops, the linky shows the white floral, but I've got the navy floral.

(and I'm pretty sure that in the past I have posted about never wearing big floral patterns because they make me look like a sofa )

Oooh Stropps, I am all excited now. This is similar to the one i ordered and had to send back because of the cunning show-your-bra-strap feature. I will try again with these. You do not look like a sofa, you daft moo.