It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

gailey_2

Morning guys.

Reading the schools post with interest.Daughters preschool attached to primary was a charity and rrelied on committe of parents. helpers, donations, parents supoorting events like book fair and volunteers to run.

I found 2.5 hours with 20 4year olds very challanging playing and making mess.
But The school was lovley and did so many lovley things

sports day-not every preschool round here did one
xmas party
end of term party
books at bedtime
picnics
summer fayre and xmas fayre in partnership with primary.

My eldest is starting the ajoined primary next week.
Its rc and voluntary aided which means they have to raise 10percent of costs themselves.

This is done through large ptfa
They run lots of family events which meants everyone knows each other as way of raising money.
Parents make donations and reguraly help.
The school does alot for charity too.
The money they do raise its awlyas evident what they used it on upgrading play facilities, extensions ect.

Once daughters settled would like to volunteer.

On food issue

with eldest pureed all orgabic homemade food like a phycho food bill was high .
With 2nd shes had some non ornanic crisps and choc.
We baby led eaned so waited until 6months and started with soft finger foods never did purees or jars.
Shes better eater than eldest mostly eats homemade stuff, try and ensure kids have 5 day fruit and veg, enough dairy and exercise they seem quite happy and healthy.

I love making lasagne but takes me ages.

I have huge rectangular dish.

my recipie is 2tins chopped tomatoes or passata.
half abottle of basics red wine
finly chopped onion, pepper and 1 chilli
dried mixed herbs.
mince
red lentils if I bulk it out.

I boil lasgane sheets before hand.

white sauce is just creme fraiche with grated parmasan stired in.

I try to do as many layers as possible.
takes about 2hours as red bol sauce takes 1.5hours on hib simmering.
lasagane sheets n20mins on hob
layer it then bake for 30-35mins.
With top layer i put final sheet of lasagne.
mozzarella -chespts one
grated chedder
sprinking or parmasan and black pepper.

Might be chese overload but is yum.

cost slightly more I guess as cheapest red wine is 3quid
used dried lasagne sheets-80p for big pack in lidls
mince normally 2,50 for the pack.
creme fraiche over quid
parmasan buy cheap block from lidls lasts ages
basics mozzarella 49p
chedder least 1-2quid apack but dont use all of it.
guess 1quid for veg

so whole thing over 5quid to make about 8quid would be fair maybe less but divide by 10 80 a portion. I normally freeze few portions and serve with chips in week.

Might try soy mince , definatly need to get more red lentils.
find quorn so pricey farmfoods seems chepest at 1.50 a pack still got 1 bag in freezer but thinking shepards pie.

I love cooking but feeling so tired and been sick this morning debating what to make today that wont make me feel ill.

Had hardly any sleep both kids up like yo yos.

Watched labour leadership debate this morning on sky news no one impressed me much.

took girls over park yesterday as was lovley picked few blackberries but need lots more for jam.

Got some cardomon pods for green chutney smell like vics vapour rub.
worried about the chutney making me want to be sick.

raining here today sadly.
should do some housework as been slack last few days.

might go docs in week see if I can get some anti sickness pills as feel awful.

Lindy_-_Loo

school Pe kit ironed this morning, house turned upside down looking for book bag until friend text to ask if DS1 had brought his home in July as her son hadnt! Then got his new lunch bag out and found it had a rip in it. Managed to stitch it up but have dug out his old one and washed it just in case.

Our Indian summer has officially ended- windy and coll here today.

I've never seen a ghost but think a month or so after my dad died I felt his presence in the room but didnt see him. I do believe in them and people who do tarot and readings.

Pizza, tortillas, salad and chicken nuggets for tea, desperatly trying to get the boys to try and eat different foods. Ds1 went to a party last month and didnt eat as it was sausages, pizza and burgers!

TooMuchDebt - take care xxx

sammy_kaye18

Ben has a spirit in his bedroom. He use to come and tell me that Val wanted to play with him and his toys and I always just thought it was an invisible friend as he was only 2/3 at the time and even his teachers knew about Val. Whenever I go into his room I get a really flowery smell but there are no plants near his window - in fact there are no flowers around our flat anywhere!

Then one day it freaked/comforted me completely and the second time it scared the wotsits out of me!
First time Ben was 3, I was putting clothes away in the draws in the corner of his room, with my back towards the window and the door to my right, well Ben started laughing hysterically and telling Val to stop it and I saw a flash of white between me and the door and I presumed it was our jack russell (all white) Bruno so I turned round to tell the dog to get out and Ben was stood looking up at his curtain rail where we had hung a frog pyjama case he has, and the frog was spinning around really quickly as if someone was spinning it but the curtain rail is easily 8ft high and Ben was about 3ft. Needless to say I grabbed Ben and didn't go back in the room till Owen was home.

Second time that scared me was I was home alone with Ben because Owen was working late, and as I put Ben to bed he was trying to tell me something about Val but I wanted him in bed so ignored him. About an hour or so later I was sat on the sofa cuddled up in my duvet and the dog was on my lap and I heard the living room door knock, so I got up, checked the door thinking it was Ben messing about, no one there, checked on him and he was fast asleep in bed, so I went back to my seat with pooch. About 10 minutes later the same thing happened. So I checked again, same thing - no one there etc. So I go back to my seat, Owen text saying hes stayign at a friends because its a late run and traffic is bad. So I cuddle up with Bruno again. Living room door knocked again, dog growls and then the door opened and nothing. :eek::eek::eek: even the dog didn't move. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: So I get up, check everything, check the whole flat, lock front door, check the windows everything and go back to my seat and then bed about an hour later and all is peaceful. Until 2am.

I get woken up by things being smashed in my garden and a figure outside my window. A person obviously intoxicated with something or another was looking for a previous tenant. He smashed my garden up, was fighting with the washing on my line and that was all over the garden, broke the bottom of my front door trying to kick it in (should add my dog is the worst guard dog ever as he was hiding in my room by this point) smashed next doors kitchen window, smashed her bedroom window which was her little girls room and I could hear them crying and she shouted she was ringing the police so I rang them too. Police arrived within a few minutes and caught him. Turned out he was high on some man made substance and had been found with drugs and a knife in his pocket.

Even weirder though is I mentioned it to my in laws the day after and Ben mentioned Val again and my sister in law asked who Val was and I said his invisible friend. My sister in law was in home help years ago and told me she cared for the lady who lived in our flat and her name was Val and she passed away in her sleep in what is now Bens bedroom. Plus according to my sister in law she always had a vase of flowers next to her bed because she couldn't get out and about and her daughters brought her a bunch every time they visited her.

Ben still see's Val - I never have - but they seem to enjoy each others company and I always hear him giggling with things she's done/doing when I go past his room so I don't mind now.

I'd love tarot readings - have seen before people who can give you a reading from a picture - that sounds good and Id love that done too.

***********AHEM BACK TO THREAD *****************

Things are ok here. Still have my infection/abscess but it seems ok at the minute thank god. Hoping the 16th hurries up though but am dreading the extraction at the same time but at least its being dealt with. My mum is coming up to have Holly here for me - basically she'll be an extra set of hands to help me whilst I look like manimal and I'm hoping she'll stay long enough for the school run!

Ben had his dental check up and all is fine - teeth are in fantastic condition and he even has a big boy tooth coming in now. Also had an opticians appointment and his eye sight has improved but he still needs his glasses for a little bit longer yet so he has chosen soem funky black and purple striped garfield ones! each to their own I guess.

I have an opticians appointment on Tuesday so that will be my turn then.

Nice surprise this morning too - was down to the last £20 in my purse and panicking a bit but checked bank and for some reason (and I've no idea why) Ive left £50 in there. Be bu**ered if I can remember what I needed it for though! But brought some chicken thighs, cheap gammon, cheap mince etc the other day so food/meal wise we are good for a while and got some packed lunch bits today.

Also a nice fellow MSEr messaged me asking if I could rehouse any WWE things her grandson no longer wanted and I kindly accepted. They arrived yesterday and are fab! haven't shown ben them yet but am debating - save them aside for Christmas for him OR give them to him now. Only problem is I really want to send a thank you card etc but there was no return address!

Apart from that - plenty of cleaning for me this week and winter/Christmas planning and hopefully some no spend days!

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: GIANT POST

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SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!

Lindy_-_Loo

Gailey - will your doctors give you something? Mine wouldnt, just said to rest (not easy with other kids) and drink plenty of fluids and the usual eat little meals. They wouldnt give me anti biotics with either pregnancy for water infections due to having miscarriage and 32 week birth - I so didnt bloom!

Leave the housework - lie on the sofa

Bitsy_Beans

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Might have known you'd have all the booze prices committed to memory

Hrumph I used mysupermarket thanks very much. :p


Besides I don't drink brandy, I am a rum, vodka, cider, lager and beer drinker

mardatha

I'm a Tarot reader, have been for years. But if you mention that on a forum you get trampled to death with people wanting read
Ceridwen - you cant say anything to people. even if they're trailing a whole mob of spirits behind them. They might not like the idea, it might go against their religious beliefs, it might spook them, etc etc. Not done

purpleheather2810

narabanekeater wrote: »

ELISA and to all looking at volunterring/working in a school. You can train as a TA P/T in local FE (goodness lots of shortenings there) Ive just re done my qualification this year and this academic year shall be voluntering at DD school and my local secondary. Can I also metion how much I enjoy my work on the PTA.
Thats if we have one now as we lost 2 memebers last year so theres only about 5 of us now. It makes me cross when parents critize what we try and do. Its hard work and with only 5 of us theres only so much spare time we have
Lasy year I made 500 mini fairy cakes/tray bakes for the summer fayre. I wrapped 200 presents from santa, made up 600 20p sweetie mixes for the disco and thats just the start of what I was glad to do. I see the quality of the education my DD gets as being on par with a private school. Her school is amazing. The staff always have time for you. Even an hour listeing to a child read can make such a difference to a child. I read once a poem that said along the lines of a childs life is like a piece of paper and everyone they meet leaves a a mark on it. I think thats lovely!

I'm currently trying to get work as a TA. I have been running out of school and early years language clubs for the past 2 years and have decided that I want a career in the classroom. I think I eventually want to train as a teacher but at the moment I can't commit to the training until my youngest is at school. My degree isn't good enough to do a primary PGCE so I will have to do another degree. I thought in the meantime I could try to get work as a TA but not having much luck! I haven't got much time left in the week to volunteer and I can't put myself through the NVQ as I can't afford it. So I'm a bit stuck at the moment!!

jackieglasgow

Sammy you should save them for Christmas, how delighted will he be that Santa's left them all for him I'm sure the MSE'er knows how grateful you are without you having to send a card, PM's are fab for that!

narabanekeater

Heather it does go to show how things differ round the country doesnt it. There always advertising here for TA
The NVQ here is £180 pounds and if just paid £197 for another course as well. Ive been through the 'abit stuck' phase so understand what your going through
Have you tried Open Uni theres lots of funding available?

Toomuchdebt

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Oohhh! don't tease! Do tell!

am just off to church but will tell you all about it later