A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

kidcat

Evening all. Its been a long hard day but I think everyone enjoyed it, we went to Lego at Trafford and it was very good actually, having heard bad reports last year I held off going but this year some friends have recommended it and I was pleasantly surprised - I would say that for anyone going its vital you prebook, otherwise the cost is extortionate. Prebooking saves the initial queue but there are still queues inside which Ds found hard but not impossible.

However the effort of the whole thing meant that by two oclock he had real sensory processing issues and became difficult - however I managed to handle it so am quite proud of that.

Interesting that the house ownership thing has reared up again, having rented since we left home its only recently that we were able to buy. Two things however firstly had we not had both boys on the spectrum I may not have been so determined to buy, but having been evicted from our home of ten years with only two months notice and the upset and difficulties that caused I was absolutely determined to have more control over our environment. Secondly had we been in social housing I would definitately not have bothered.

We bought, simply as being at the whims of landlords and having to move on such sort notice was a nightmare with the boys. However I would never criticise or look down on those who rent - home ownership is expensive and fraught with difficulties, I worry about repairs etc all the time.

I have to say as well, that I always thought I would be overjoyed when we finally bought a house but I wasnt, I didnt feel any different to any other place we lived in which I think proves that a home is where you and your family are.

Fuddle - I have met TAs like you so many times, almost all will leave as they simply can not take it any more - and schools are a much poorer place for it. Good luck with your degree.

Byatt - I would store anything in damp cupboard, last house was damp in main bedroom - everything was ruined. I believe the new people havce stopped using the room for the same thing ironically.

As for DS and school he is in a new type of provision in that it is an ASD specialist unit ( is anyone laughing at the description?) within a mainstream school. Effectively that means two classes, one infant one junior, both with seven children each. All are supposed to be autistic, two in DS class are not but there was nowhere else to put them (rollyeyes needed). The class should then have the stability throughout of the same teacher and two TAs. The infant one is tremendous and works wonders but the junior one is clearly failing.

Words fail me over the guardian article - the workhouse steps closer with each passing day.

Byatt

fuddle wrote: »

It doesn't matter Byatt though. Your home is your home. You would never own a mortgaged house until the mortgage was paid off anyway. Whether it be a LL or a mortgage company it's still the soul inside that counts. And Byatt, you have one gorgeous soul

Yeah, I'm doing my degree via the open university. I have been lucky enough to get the courses funded thus far as we're one wage family but that is soon to end. It's looking increasingly like I'll have to get the student loan the government has put in place in order to do the rest. That is very scary.

Hi Margaret.

fuddle wrote: »

I've been looking into the long range weather forecasts for winter 2012-2013 http://www.exactaweather.com/UK_Long_Range_Forecast.html have not got a clue about how accurate etc this site is but I'm taking it as a heads up.

Thank you Fuddle, I appreciate your post and what a lovely thing to say. :A

mmmhhh, a snowy winter, I hope to be better organised this year and will try and get DD to be the same, food wise. Meds etc. I am lucky in that i got a freezer for Freegle, and it's a joy to be able to get YS things and know I have room.

I second Stiltwalker's post about the OU, I'm sure I've seen the same thing.


MG, love that cupboard!

The rain has stopped at last!

fuddle

Memory_Girl wrote: »

Just as well I have one of these then fuddle:



Tidied up specially for you - have now done a full inventory and I am pleased to report NO meeces in my Armageddon Cupboards BUT ...... I did find a packet of Haribo Sweeties ---- YAY!!!!!!!

MG

Envious or what! Well thanks for the tidy, I would feel guilty but you got some sweeties out of it so job well done It must give you all a sense of control having stores like that.

stiltwalker wrote: »

Fuddle - are you not eligible for transitional funding? IF you've completed /started a module towards a named first degree before Sept 12 not only are they holding the prices at a similar level (ie £7-800 ish a module rather than £2,500) but they are also keeping the funding options the same (ie grants not loans) OH has had a grant for his next module starting October so they are still going. There is info on the OU website or give your regional office a call, you should have had an email about transitional funding or will get one, I think they are working their way through as people come to a certain point in their modules and IIRC you have to register transitional arrangements by August so you've still got time.

I've put forward my degree intentions so I won't be hit with the price increases for some time. So that is good. I think it's more to do with DH's salary increase that I'll lose my funding. I think it's going to knock us over the threshold for full funding. I hadn't realised they would still be keeping the grants so I might just be lucky enough to get partial funding. I just hope I can get the rest saved in time because I don't want to be borrowing to complete it.

I'll get my next module sorted for next year now then, at least i'll know where I stand. My next one doesn't start till Feb '13 I think so plenty of time to save if I get refused. I'm completing one now that I have funding for. I feel lucky to have had it paid for so far.

LilySue

kidcat wrote: »

As for DS and school he is in a new type of provision in that it is an ASD specialist unit ( is anyone laughing at the description?) within a mainstream school. Effectively that means two classes, one infant one junior, both with seven children each. All are supposed to be autistic, two in DS class are not but there was nowhere else to put them (rollyeyes needed). The class should then have the stability throughout of the same teacher and two TAs. The infant one is tremendous and works wonders but the junior one is clearly failing.

Oh my goodness, so your son is in an ASD specialist unit and they don't have the tools to cope with a child on the spectrum.:mad:....You know I felt that because H is fifteen we missed out on the new schools with specialist units, I thought they might be the way to cope with having more and more youngsters with autism going through the school system, but I guess as ever they are only as good as the staff that run them.

And well done on a successful day of Lego-ing :T

Today has been soggy and cold, ventured out with my Mum to a local garden, selling plants to raise funds for a couple of health charities. Lovely people selling the plants but the house and garden were totally cluttered, it was like moving through an episode of that Hoarders programme....still when I came home my own house seemed quite spacious and tidy I bought a little shrub they told me was a nutmeg tree for a pound, got home and googled it and it's actually a nutmeg hickory, still I'll pop it on the allotment and see what happens...................

jpscloud

OH NO... someone help me. I've allowed the telly to linger for a moment on C5 and BB is starting. I already feel my will sapped, my resolve melting away... I have to watch it now. I don't want to, I don't, I don't. It will damage my belief in humanity! But just five minutes won't hurt, surely... I'll just see who the housemates are. That's all. Definitely. I won't watch any more after this. Just this episode. Really. I can handle it, I'm in control. One episode won't get me hooked.

short_bird

Step Away From The Television:eek:

katep23

Delurking to say, MG, I am impressed with how organised your store cupboard is.

I have a walk in larder and still can't find anything - recently bought two more bottles of worcester sauce as we had "run out" only to find an unopened bottle at the back of a shelf

Also Stiltwalker, is that the red pepper spelt from AF? I ordered some but OH won't eat it and I'm not that keen; food banks won't take it as it is OOD.

Feel free to say no (I understand about not wanting to give out addresses so won't be offended) but would happily pop it in the post if you could make use of it (free post from work). PM me if you are interested, no problem if not

kidcat

jps - I am avoiding all contact with it, I was an avid viewer a few years ago but when LF was dropped I felt it lost something. Last year I dutifully sky+d them all only to find it so difficult to bother with that I ended up with almost all of them backed up.
I find now that all the live programs take up so much time I simply dont have so why bother starting them is my view:)

LilySue

jps, wishing you luck, I watched the first couple of series, but have to keep away from it, as a procrastinator with an addictive personality I daren't start another time-sucking activity

Mrs_Chip

Just give in JPS, you know you want to . We will be watching, the naked ambition to become a 'celeb' is highly amusing, and it is the only way I can keep up with the current beauty regimes of bright young things :rotfl: