The Thirty-Fifth Republic - Covid - the gift that keeps on giving even during the Christmas Break

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You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

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Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

Well, dinner is done. The Yorkshire puddings were just about done, so they were just a bit flat but edible. The potatoes were not crispy, but were at least cooked all the way through. It was a pretty rubbish dinner, and dh had a bit of a face on all the way through. Not the most festive dinner ever, but we have all eaten enough not be hungry.

Dh is always in a bit of a grump at Christmas. He doesn't like the food, isn't interested in seeing family, just generally has an air of being put upon. Having seen Christmas in his family, I can sort of see why, but it does make a bit of an atmosphere for the rest of us.

Well I think you’re ace, Awesome. Your DH should stop casting a storm over proceedings.

Plague and now floods , 2020 the year that keeps on giving www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/25/storm-bella-bedfordshire-residents-urged-to-leave-homes-at-risk-of-flooding

All the floods around the country definitely put my dinner disaster in perspective. Those poor people being evacuated from their homes on Christmas Day.

Gah. ABBA’s ‘The Winner Takes it All’ ha s just come on tv and mother has started going on about how it’s ‘her song’ because my dad cheated on her...OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO.

Gah. Gah. GAH.

Sorry, I needed somewhere to get my frustration out. As you were 😂

Oh dear, Time

Can you leave the room?

Ah yes @MsAwesomeReindeer you’re right, that does provide some perspective. Those poor people.

@SmileEachDay She’s gone to bed now because I may or may not have rolled my eyes rather emphatically...

Oh MsAwesome

Timeturner - deep breaths! I have to laugh though (sorry) sounds a bit emotional manipulation ish - just like my mother!

I've eaten too much and failed to get the kids into bed. My mother has moaned about being neglected and all alone, despite 3 video calls today, and it being her decision for us not to visit ... Ah well!

Ah time that's familiar. I unwisely mentioned that my aunt, dad and stepmother's presents were delayed. Cue mum "serves the bitch right". It was over twenty years ago and I don't think openreach dug up the road to stop the parcel as payback!
I've just eaten a whole trifle.

@GleamingBaubles and @MrsChristmasHamlet maybe it’s a particular generational thing? Women who were divorced in the 80s without a career or life of their own?

I mentioned to DP today that Dad sounded like he was having a nice time at lady friend’s house today. DM grunted and muttered something about his ‘latest one’. I had to bite my tongue to not refer to the fact that his wife, the ‘other woman’, DIED at only 44, and dad was widowed at 58. Luckily he’s one for getting on with life.....UNLIKE SOMEONE ELSE I COULD MENTION.

I think you're probably right. They've been apart now as long as they were together but she's still so bitter!

Reading this, I'm very glad I haven't have to deal with mil this year. She's much the same as your mums time and MrsH. Fil left her when dh was 18 and she's never got over it. Then she remarried and he cheated too (at one point he wanted to move the new woman into their house with them!), but then he died so he's now an angel on a pedestal. It's exhausting being with her at Christmas, and is a lot of the reason dh is grumpy every Christmas.

Dh has put his headphones on and is playing computer games, so dd2 and I snuggled in the sofa and watched a Disney film together. Dd2 has had a lovely day apart from dinner.

@Timeturnerplease, i had only been at my mum’s for 5 mins this morning when i was picking her up before she started complaining about some behaviour of my dad’s 60 years ago, they have been separated 50 years😳
Amusingly my dc who she adores started discussing same behaviour after lunch ( gambling) and were laying bets on their poker game ( no complaints then)

Said dc are 20 and 22 and both students btw in case anyone thinks i either am a) a dreadfully lax parent letting kids gamble or b) breaking Boris’s rules. The older dc weren’t at home.

@MsAwesomeReindeer

Well, dinner is done. The Yorkshire puddings were just about done, so they were just a bit flat but edible. The potatoes were not crispy, but were at least cooked all the way through. It was a pretty rubbish dinner, and dh had a bit of a face on all the way through. Not the most festive dinner ever, but we have all eaten enough not be hungry.

Dh is always in a bit of a grump at Christmas. He doesn't like the food, isn't interested in seeing family, just generally has an air of being put upon. Having seen Christmas in his family, I can sort of see why, but it does make a bit of an atmosphere for the rest of us.

My DH is the same. We went to my parents for lunch and he took his own lunchbox with sandwiches and a salad. He didn't have any of the festive lunch at all (says he "can't eat dinner in the middle of the day"). In fairness, he does have stomach issues but I've given up trying with him. Having seen Christmas at his parents (no tree or presents or Christmas dinner, no decorations or crackers or Christmas music), I will happily ignore his grump and enjoy time with my son and parents. I went back today later without him when my siblings were visiting and had a lovely hour and a half doing Christmassy things.

I had images of primary age children merrily fleecing each other there @Loshad - cheered me right up!

This is clearly a particular generation of ‘wronged’ women, judging by the comments. Luckily I live 200 miles away from my mum (apparently this is also my dad’s fault) so I get longer breaks - though when she comes to stay it suddenly feels like a VERY small house.

I suppose this is a lesson to us all to never give up our career/friends/independence for a man, for fear of ending up the same!

We've had a lovely lovely day mooching about, dancing and singing with DS. He knows more Christmas songs than I thought he did. No challenging behaviour today which was brilliant considering Christmas used to set him off big time. Eaten too much and watched some silly tv too. Tucked him into bed (which I really miss day to day) and now to hope he sleeps tonight. What a perfect day. Night all! x

I'm so pleased you have had Christmas with DS, @KnowingMeKnowingYule What a lovely end to a horrible year!

Lovely Yule! Night night

time I don't think I could cope with overnight visits from my parents or mil. We agreed on a happy compromise of living half way between them, but less than an hour's drive from either. So it's too far for either set to just drop in, but close enough that an afternoon is perfectly doable. My parents understand that term time is not good for visiting so they make do with school holiday visits (which also means dh doesn't need to see them as he's still working). Dh deals with his mum, which means we don't see her very often (which suits me fine)

You sound like you've had a fabulous day Yule. I'm so happy for you. 🎄⛄

@MsAwesomeReindeer You’re winning there. My dad lives next door and is easy peasy - he’s always off cycling/skiing/golfing/seeing his lady friend so we barely see him, he just swoops in to play with DD and catch up on our news. Will babysit so long as it doesn’t interrupt his plans. That’s the kind of grandparent I’m going to be!

Hope everyone has a lovely day....

Merry Christmas everyone. We had a day of lovely food and lego building. Random parents on zoom who had already had a few cocktails and aren't the most tech savvy at the best of times. DH and DS both very happy and that is lovely to see. Also, SIL very jolly on video call. She is a secondary teacher with a covid denying head so it was lovely to see her more relaxed than we have all been lately. Glad everyone seems happy too - especially @knowingmeknowingyule

Hope those on their own made it through the day ok

Oh, I manged to uspet my stepmum yesterday by telling her I wasn't sure it was advisable to have some woman they know who clearly ahs some severe MH issues coming to stay with them on Tuesday , because she 'begged'. SM seemed most stressed about her house not being clean. She has a close family and I suspect is lonely but you don't have someone to stay when you have been shielding since April (my DF is 80 and has no spleen FFS!) who has just been in hospital. She ended the phone call by saying 'thank you for making me think about this. I am now going off to cry'

SM had just admitted to depression so I think this may all be wrapped up in it.

My DM didn't call yesterday and hasn't managed to send presents. She has not sent my DCs presents for birthdays or Christmas for about 12 years now.

Oddly for MN, my MIL is the most easy of the bunch! (although there was much stress when she left now deceased FIL years ago). My family are super odd!