Hopes and dreams for a new home...

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Thank you for the pictures! Awwwwwww

I really can't give you any advise re your son but I can say that my brother dropped out of college after a year, got himself a job, got made redundant and is now back at college actually doing the work. He's 23 and still uses my parents house as a hotel. Guess I'm trying to say that things have an odd way of working out sometimes.

gerbiljo

Lovely tree, oh and the broodiness has returned
Can't advise re your oldest son as I only have a toddler so completely clueless really. I think in most cases if they get their space they come back
Good luck with you course

sarahevie

Iris I just had to stop by to say I love the JL tree (very very classy). I don't blame you with your tumble dryer I use mine three times a week and there's only four of us.

As for our DD1 I think being 16 is difficult I was forever being told off for treating the place like a hotel.

When I read it my first thought was he's jealous of his stepdad. But I'm sure he'll come round.

I completely understand about being torn between parties my OH is forever telling me I'm a great mummy but a useless partner. It was particularly bad for the first 6 months after DD1 (she was unplanned and he only came round when I had 10 weeks to go and my grandad died). The week previously at 29 weeks he had Marie Stopes on the phone he was desperate! It took until she was 6 months old before he even held her, but now she's two they get on fabulously I think with a lot of things time helps!

DD2 was planned and he has taken to her a lot better - I think that her health problems have helped with that one as well too.

CathT

Sorry you are having troubles with your son, he is at a difficult age. My parents are divorced and although while at home I mostly got on with my Step dad my younger brother didn't. However, as he has got older things have got easier.

Gorgeous pics - he is a beaut!

Fancy tree too. We have treated ourselves to a new tree this year and i can't wait to decorate it. Will be even more fun now that DD more aware of christmas!

Iris_Blue

Another op to make:

£1.60 saved from Mr T fuel voucher
£7.45 TCB

= £9.05

Total Op for November = £407.51



I've been sent a freebie to review from a survey company and I'm thrilled. I can't say what it is but I use the product anyway so it should save some pennies.:j

My new dryer came yesterday and has so many features on it. I tested it out straight away and then ran to the electricity meter to see if it was whizzing 'round or not. How sad is that?! I religiously read my meter every Monday morning and recently its been quite high with using the dryer so with buying this A rated one (its actually 40% better than a A rated one ) we'll see if it gets better.

Still waiting for the alloy to come :mad:

Everything else is good so mustn't grumble

Iris

X

cha97michelle

Hiya.

Beautiful piccies of baby blue and the tree. Starting to really look forward to christmas now.

Didn't spot your question to me the other day. My sister was 16 when she was kicking off. I think she felt under a lot of pressure to achieve as i had although not from my parents, more from within herself. She also put herself in silly situations where things happened to her which then spiralled. At 17 she moved out of home into a flat, and calmed down a lot as she had to earn money to pay for it. Then at 18 she fell pregnant and went home again. She regrets now some of that time and not doing any exams at school, but you can't regret too much can you.

I think all you can do with teenagers is hope you have put enough in to help them make the right decisions in the end, and be as supportive as you can. Doesn't sound like he is being too horrendous, just asking for extra attention when it is difficult to do so as your other kids all need you to.

From being the eldest one of four, i did kind of feel pushed to one side in the attention stakes as a teenager. I was the type who just got on with it though, and never really fussed for it. As a parent now i find it hard to split myself 2 ways and have time for DH so you must find it really tricky.

It will all come together for you though.

Gas/electric use - mine has shot up too as it has got colder/darker, and my new appliances are more efficient but bigger. Can't be helped.

CathT

Are you ok Iris, your diary very quiet x

pammyj74

Lovely pics, dont seem 5 mins since he was born.

I can totally empathise re teenager as my son is 16 too and at college. He has decided to go college near his dad and so I rarely see him at all. In fact he didnt even come on holiday with us to Turkey and it broke my heart. I am wondering if he will even bother at xmas I text him to ask what he wanted for xmas and he said not to get him anything as its not fair cos he hasnt been back home. He just seems to have completely cut me out. And I dont know what to do.
My younger two have a different dad and I guess as he was older I did probably have to concentrate more on them as he was more independant but then he never wanted to do anything with us. There is 7 1/2 years between him and DD and they never got on. My last ex didnt get on with him either (as he saw his dad in him and he isnt a nice man) so i was constantly in the middle of them.
I keep emailing and ringing and texting him and I get a reply about 1 in 5 attempts All I get is college is ok, gf is ok, and an excuse why we cant meet up cos he has something or other on every single time. Its been a few months now and I think he is now just scared to see me as times get on.
sorry to bombard your thread.

gerbiljo

hey Iris hope you are all ok with you and your family

Iris_Blue

Good afternoon and .. long time no "see"!

I'm sorry I've been absent for a while but I've been getting my life back in order and my head together. I've been on the site but avoided my diary and other peoples so I could concentrate on me , my family and the manic month of December. Thanks to the grabbit board, I have been busy buying presents but all within budget so I'm happy. I feel like I know the local couriers extremely well now!

Life is good at the moment and my family is healthy and well. The babies are growing so fast. Little boy blue is 8 weeks old and so big now, he's going to be a big lad when he's older and Little Miss is such a diva , like her mum! , her favorite word at the moment is Sh&! ...I don't know where she's got that from! :whistle: It's a good job that she isn't that clear when she's saying it but WE know what's she's saying! Why can't she have a NICE favourite word ?

All in all , things seem to have levelled out again and are back to normal .. well as normal as a household of 8 can be.

Good news... OH's work is giving him a FREE turkey at Christmas. What great bosses they are.

Bad news ...have I even mentioned I don't have a cooker...!?? Well I sort of have one but its a microwave oven so it isn't that roomy. I tend to cook on the gas hob . How on earth am I going to cook a great big turkey ! Mum said to ask the butcher if they would halved it and wrap it so I can freeze it. Great idea. I'm still hoping it'll fit in the oven though!

Other good news - I ordered a 2 x cases of 6 bottles of wine for Christmas and I was sent 2 cases of 12 bottles instead ! :beer: This has happened to me twice now as I also got sent two of something before Christmas that wasn't traceable! I love ordering online you never know what you're going to get!

( My theory is that I think this is the case of these big companies paying out minimum wages and getting packers in who can't read English writing properly..they think they are saving money but in the long run...! )


Money , money money ....

I've put any overpayments on hold for December. I'm starting again in January but will probably do a set amount a month rather than bits here and there. Once we move house then I'll pay off as much as I can as quickly as I can.

I've spent the morning sorting my budget for next year and now that we are straighter than we have ever been money-wise I've gone the whole hog and calculated a budget for hopefully every possible event. I've upped my food budget to £120 pw including magazines and formula as currently £100 is just not do-able ( Im about £400 over budget food wise at the moment - eek! :eek: I need to get this back by cutting back on grocercies until it evens out again) ..(( I'm sure the free 12 bottles of Pinot Grigio wine will assist in this ! ))

The house...We had another offer on the house by the same couple. They first offered £110k and have since increased it to £115k, it's on the market for 128k so I'm not really prepared to go that low. They don't seem to be in a rush with their offers as they have left a month in between them. Not like me If I want something then that's it I want it!

and I think that's it for now!

Take care all

Iris X