greent's mfw journey

Karmacat

It's all go round yours there's a bit of leftover wind here, but nothing terrible. Hope the film is good today!

greent

All 3 thoroughly enjoyed the film

More spending today - my clothes rail (goes-into- eaves storage in loft conversion so have an adjustable height rail in my 'wardrobe') has totally broken - it collapsed in the week on me (has broken several times before and had D*ck tape helping to keep it together) but today it did it again and then again..... have decided to give up on it (almost 10 years old) as the one bar won't stay up on it now - grrr. New (stronger) one ordered and can get it later today.... Fingers crossed that that is it for April! (although I do still need to order more trousers for DS2 for school...…)

However, one load of laundry on line, another just finishing in machine and will be hung out. Brighter, dry day today (still a bit chilly, though) and DD comes back from Wales this evening. And we have reduced Easter eggs! :j :EasterBun:easter_ba AND Line of Duty is on tv tonight! :T Life's not all bad! :D
xx

Moneyfordreams

Keeping fingers crossed for you to have a nice calm May

greent

So the students went back to uni on Monday - DD's dissertation and final 2 essays are due in tomorrow morning - and then that's it! :eek: :eek: OH is collecting her on Saturday morning along with some of her stuff - her flat keys don't need to be handed back until end of June, so no doubt she and the bf will go down sometime in June and stay for a few days and clean - and then we can get all of the other bits (all the kitchen stuff, bedding and the vacuum are ours/ hers) for a few weeks before we take them to the new flat for next year!

DS1 has exams coming up - last one is Fri 14th June, so he's away until then. We'll collect him that night, as we have a family wedding to attend on 15th June (timing - argh!)

Weather here is awful today - have given in and had heating on earlier, as the house was very chilly this morning. Am very glad I did 4 loads of washing yesterday! - most dried on the line and the few remaining items aired overnight in the kitchen :T

May spends so far have been on DS3's bday & my sister's bday - still to do are 2 family weddings (presents - cards bought) and my mum's bday - and best friend's husband's bday. Fingers crossed no large unexpected spends this month! (small unexpected spend of new filter for fridge/ water dispenser - but that's minor )

Worked every day last week - thankfully have this week off and then exam season starts for real - am in every day before half term (although sometimes for only a few hours) and am still waiting for the June dates.... Am focussing on the money at the end of it!

Have decided to fork out for a group tutor for DS3 and his 11+ - he is more than capable of it according to his CAT scores, but I'm finding it frustrating attempting practice papers with him - I think a few sessions with a tutor will help him to focus - and no doubt he'll try harder for them and then I can take back over. It's a chore for both of us, tbh and OH wouldn't get involved even if he was here! The problem is, our local comp (1/2 mile away) is dire (I've worked there twice so am saying it from that viewpoint as well as it's reputation and results) and virtually everyone I know gets tutors for their child for the grammar tests. It goes against my principles to do so, but I believe he can do it - he just needs to learn how to approach the papers and I think a stranger will help him more than I can at that.

Hmm... any money news? - biggest BTL mtge is now down to £48k exactly (focussing on that one as the end date is closer than the small one) and the Florida Fund is at £6k. May transfer an amount to it once I know our tax bills (am sending paperwork for SA returns to accountant this week) - am hoping they're not too large!!

Karmacat

Finances still looking good then, greent

I know what you mean about the principles of getting extra tutoring ... but really, you can't be expected to not help him that way, simply because not everyone can afford it This is the system we're in, I'm afraid and you know, it's pretty minor as these things go

shangaijimmy

There's also the argument that there's little point saving for future education if school doesn't allow them to get that far. We've been weighing up the same dilemma for DS1 and next year.

greent

Thanks, both. It infuriates me that people tutor their children for anything up to 24 months before the test (12 months is the usual) and I've known students have up to 3x/ week sessions, with daily practice at home. This is not something I've done with the other 3 - it was less competitive with the first 2 and the third is crazily bright (was ranked 8th in the results from over 1200 boys who took the test - no tutoring and we only did 3 or 4 past papers as practice) No 4 is more akin to 1 & 2 in terms of results (definitely grammar standard - but not in the top-top bracket), but the competition is fierce - we have so many children attending the county grammar schools from out of county now (over 20% of DS2's year live out of county) I want to make sure he can give it his best shot - once he's at secondary the playing field levels out and those who were 'over' tutored (ie: not really capable of the higher results) are usually found out. Plus, honestly, the local comp is (as I've said) truly dire - and the next nearest is in special measures..... so even worse!!

Visited my nan yesterday - was the best visit I've had - she was a bit teary reminiscing about when she was younger but was fine overall. I took a travel iron and stuck name labels on half of her clothes (some were already named) as they keep going missing. Her 'memory box' which the home have done is a bit rubbish (not their fault), so I've already found something else to go in there and am going to get some more photos of local things and birds/ gardening etc and see if I can get copies of some old local photos and will cover the outside of the box in sticky back plastic (Blue Peter style!) as the pictures on the outside are already coming off. Haven't heard anything regarding Deputyship recently - so am hoping that means good news and that there are no queries/ disputes and it's just a matter of time...…. fingers crossed!!

Today is D(issertation)-Day for DD! :eek:

And today's must-do job is pack tax return stuff up altogether to post to accountant - although I'm awaiting a couple of docs from the Lettings Agent before I can finalise it.... Need to get it off as I need the info for Student Finance for DS1 (I do find it a little crazy that I need to give them info NOW for tax year ending April 2019! )

Karmacat

Gosh thats a tight timetable for the student finance! I thought my French tax return was bad - their tax year goes January to December, and though the accountant starts badgering me during the prior October (!) it's acceptable to have the paperwork with them by the end of February.


It's interesting that you have that longer perspective on competition, because the older two really are that bit older. And the out of county thing doesn't seem fair!


I'm glad your visit with your nan went well. It must be so hard for people in her position to adjust to the situation

brizzlegirl

Great to catch up on your news and hear about your nan.

Thanks also for the reminder about student finance. It should help me get my a into g on the SA stuff too. Right. I will do it next week and get it into the accountant. I think I have also some VAT to pay. Boo.

Have a lovely day x

Hazelnutty

Hey greent we're in a grammar area too. Some of DD's classmates have been tutoring since yr 3 and she'd been lobbying me for it too but I'd held out as I thought it was just too soon and too much (she's yr 4). It's definitely a different level of competition from when I went to the local grammar - as you say there are now people coming in from much further afield and people have stepped up their prep as a consequence. Anyway, I finally agreed to a tutor (like you it doesn't sit well with me) but then DD decided she'd rather go to the local comp (luckily outstanding but as a result hugely popular and we'd only qualify by distance, so it's not guaranteed). I think it was partly that she's bright but not driven by academics and partly that we'd heard a lot from other parents and kids that the pressure that the grammar school is putting on pupils for the top grades is causing a lot of mental health problems. We decided it was her call and she's tutoring only (small group) for confidence now, no homework or tests. I wouldn't have been able to afford it but my dad's helping out. Like others have said, this is the system we have, so you've made the right decision for your son