we went for a look at Warwick uni to day..very nice

Don't do it SnOwY.....


(is there an echo in here?)


Batty - take loads and loads of kleenex and don't offer to drive home.

Hello lovelies. Arsebiscuits, obviously, footy-wise. Grump: I couldn't round off the day trip in London 'cos I had to get back to the sticks in time for me replacement bus from Gatwick. Good news is that I can still type.

Vibes to all having an attack of the sniffles and weepiness today.

Good advice Sad - just watch my shares rocket.

(((((((batty and Sadp and Amica))))))

((((KJ))) for footie - blokehug from Mr M!

Domestic jobs here today. For some reason it was *essential* that Mr M stripped the mouldy sealant from round the bath and replaced it before I go into hopickle (I have no idea, 'kay, I'm just humouring him!). Any way - he's done that, and we've both had opticialn's appointments and are a total of 300 quid lighter; though that's for four pair of specs altogether so not as bad as it might have been.

And Melony spelled out and read aloud her first complete word today, at the age of three and not quite eight months. What was it? T...E...S....C...O *facepalm*
To be fair it was written on the shop in letter 20 feet high, so....
And W...A...I...T...R...O...S...E is a much harder word...

Thanks for the tip Sad - we're setting off soon (should've left an hour ago ) and little sobs are starting to escape already. I'm not kidding. All I can say is it's a good job I know how daft I am...

M is a superstar handy. And I want to know when you'll be ready for a batty visitor - I can't wait to admire the clean bathroom and your stitches. I'll bring cakes.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((all with young adults off to uni))))))))))))))))

It's a good job Batty's left by now - so she can't read that I've just had several panic stricken texts from Young Sad already. These have reinforced my suspicions that he's entirely dependant on me for guidance and advice and have totally terrified me. I'm trying to breathe and not panic - there are people at the Uni who are employed to deal with this sort of thing - but even so.... this is bloody hard.

Hugs to the rest of the Grumpy Student mums.

HM - hopicklecoming around sooner than I'd realised? Or Mr M being super humanly prepared?

Loving Melony's language skils

Commiserations on the footie and missed out rounding off KJ (((((((May Babies))))))

Today, I have mostly been sleeping although I've also mowed the lawn - which hadn't been done for a couple of weeks so has left me with a huge sense of achievement Shopping trip cancelled in favour of doing it online.

And we have molehills in our back garden never had them before

(((((((((((((((sad)))))))))))))))) xx

Thanks Snowbes. Had a crash course in Skype this afternoon and feel better for having seen him but suspect I may be heading up there sooner than anticipated - which is fine, it's not a million miles away, and better than allowing him to come home, cos I don't think he'd go back!

Hope other students settling in more happily

(((Sad)))

Mind you, I think I need a hug too. I'm being a complete wet blanket, and I also suspect the boy's not chosen all that well. He doesn't seem to be in the right place, for him. Obviously, it could be just my wet blanketness talking but hmmmm... I'm not so sure.

Life's complicated. *deep, damp sigh*

((((((((((((((worried Mums))))))))))))))))))
*passes the tissues round*

Hopickle next Monday, Sad.

Still not sure why bathroom *had* to be sorted this weekend, but sorted it is, so that's that. And we had visitors on Sunday so I washed the kitchen floor and hoovered the sitting-room carpet - house is emerging from the pit...

Tonight I'm having a meal out with a friend so Mr M and M can practice doing bedtime without me... it's a hard life, innit?

As for batty visitors - all being well I'll be back in my own bed on the Friday, and I'd think I'll be compos mentis by week 3... you'll have to make your own tea, though!

I'm allowed a laptop on the ward but no charger, so think I'll just take my mobile in with me and keep in touch by txt. Not allowed the charger for that, either, but it'll last longer than the laptop battery will!

It's a bit late, that's the thing about a Kindle, if you don't use the WiFi or 3G and just read on it, it holds charge for weeks.

Thanks, KJ, but can't afford one atm

Will just have to take good old-fashiond paperbacks... and my cross-stitch!

Handy - nothing like the smell, the touch and the feel of a paperback.

I'll pass on the cross stitch.

I'm hitting the cider. So what if it's a school night. Needs must

Seventeen texts so far today from the boy who never uses his mobile ((((((((Batty)))))))) I bet he loves it eventually

Amica's awfully quiet ...

HM - not sure how easy it will be to visit but I'd love to rbing you some cake sometime xx

oh dear poor Sad boy...where is he?

Oh, he's only an hour or so away SnOwy - although it took twice that on Saturday, getting from the motorway to the city centre. Lesson learned

But it feels like much, much further.

Reading all this parental sadness left me really down last night at the thought of being away from LittlePlum and she is only 9! Living at the arse end of nowhere here means that if she ever decides to go to Uni she'll be 1000s of kms away. There is a uni here but chances are she would have to go away. Mehhhh and pfffffft. I'll save that worry for a few more years It must be hard though, we're programmed to help make everything right for them for years on end and all of a sudden they are far away and a bit helpless.

On a more positive note though, I'm sure they'll soon settle down be eating take away pizzas, chips, or beans straight from the tin and survive like the rest of the student population. They'll come home looking a bit thinner and raggedy and you'll spend their weekends/holidays fattening them up, doing their washing and looking forward to taking these by now strange creatures back to Uni

I know I've been a bit flippant about offspring spreading their wings - but I do feel for mums and sons/daughters. I know that some of my peers at uni found it very difficult to settle, but it it's any consolation almost all of them stayed the course - it just took some a little longer than others.

Kitchen saga.

An update since my kitchen fitter took a 2 week holiday

Week 1.
During the first week of his absence the corgi registered gas fitter arrived to connect the gas supply to the hob. On his first visit we couldn't locate the fixings, brackets, screws etc. He phoned the shop and was instructed to buy the appropriate fittings, but come his second visit ... surprise, surprise they didn't fit. Shop then phoned to inform delivery of new hob and gas fitter returned for the 3rd time. Not a happy chappie, nor was I.

Floor Tiler arrived ready to lay tiles but guess what? Tiles had not been delivered to my address and he was instructed to pick them up from the wholesaler before he could start my job. Fortunately he had the foresight to examine the tiles prior to acceptance - they were slightly different in shade and colour! Yet another hold up.

So by the end of the week sans my fitter I have a working hob and a beautifully laid floor.

Week 2.

Monday of last week, my house felt ghostly. Dustsheets were laid out; tray set with coffee, tea, milk and sugar to satisfy the thirst of those suffering from building dust in the back of the throat, but ..... no ring of the bell, nary a sound of knocking or sawing so come Tuesday I ring Mr. Shop/Project Manager. Brrr brrr.

Me: At some inconvenience I stayed home yesterday in anticipation of further progress with my kitchen or at the very least a phone call informing me of this week's programme of works. If I don't work you won't get paid - so I suggest you get your act together.

Him. Painter will work Wednesday/Thursday and wall tiler Friday and it will be all systems go when fitter returns Monday 26th.

In the event painter arrived Thursday and worked through till Friday afternoon. A hardworking chap who got on with his task quietly and assiduously - unfortunately he was the wrong side of 70 and much as I admire those who ply their trade long after normal retirement age I have a feeling this paint job was a cost cutting exercise.

We are now a further day behind schedule - so this morning I make a further phone call.

Me: Brrrr brrrr - It is now 10 a.m. where is the wall tiler?

Him: Sorry - I should have told you, kitchen fitter is back from hols - he will do the wall tiling, he'll be with you mid day.

I then decided to email him, simply to put some of my dissatisfaction in writing - only to get a response informing me that the original quote underestimated the cost of plastering by 2 thirds.

I told him to go whistle in the wind - but I'm reluctant to see the plasterer suffer.

^^^ Grrr Iggy.


Here's a link involving pants.

Poor Iggy!

Poor Sad! (((((hugs))))))

KJ - thought that was meant to be *budgies*...

That linky gave me a chuckle.

I did shed a few tears after leaving the eldest at uni but facebook shows he is settling in well - there is a photo of him drinking from a small bucket with a straw whilst wearing a glo stick around his head. mm. So he's not missing home then...

Meanwhile I fell over and damaged ligaments in my shoulder - was sober so it hurt like hell - and am here typing one handed whilst waiting to go back for a hospital appt to be referred for physio.

Hope young sad is settling better and battyson is in the right place.
Hugs Iggy- hard to hold shift and press another key but maybe I could send them like this 0000000 - that's the one arm hug without the shift key.

Waves to all - can do that - mwah x

Oh Amica..get well soon

Oh am fine. Painkillers and wine = no pain and smiles - see- it's all good