When I asked for luck I didn't mean the bad variety!!!

mummytogirls

Hope the cold goes soon PLMBL, great news about parents evening. Does your DS get homework? My DD is in year 1 and she seems to get loads!

xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

Thanks for all the posts everyone!

laineygirl some greats ideas there! We have a 'The Works' in the metrocentre so will check that out thank you! The teacher did say that DS1 is very bright and can make up fantastic stories with lovely adjectives etc when asked to verbalise a story but falls short when putting it down on paper. It's like he can't be bothered to write . His writing also starts off neat then turns scrappy - you can tell exactly which point he got bored at!

Lovely to have you back Steph and nice to see you as always HAW

SBO the Tories are as good as any to blame :rotfl:.

Robin you are right that DH can pitch in. Will have to make sure it doesn't descend into a slanging match though :eek:

Mummytogirls, DS1 is in Year 3. He has to learn 10 spellings every week which are brought home on a Monday and he is tested in class on a Friday. He brings homework home every Friday which is an A4 sheet of paper and it alternates weekly between maths and literacy. He is supposed to read at home a minimum of 4 times per week with one of us listening to him as well. The teacher said yesterday that if he isn't interested in his school book then she is happy for him to read a book to us that he is interested in! I think this will be a good break through Xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

Lovely 5.45am start this morning thanks to DS2 . I think he just likes to make sure I'm home from work as he goes to bed while I'm still out on a Thursday night, and he never fails to either wake through the night shouting for me or wakes up super early on the Friday! Wouldn't swap him for anything but the bag-eyed zombie look I'm sporting isn't ideal!!

Money feels a bit tight right now. We seem to constantly have very little room to manoeuvre and I think it's down to the fact that ESA has been reduced due to the carers allowance, but they haven't adjusted it yet to reflect my now reduced wages from Mr A's. Will have to get on to that as there will be a back payment owed. I did try to make a Job Centre appointment for them to fax over my payslips etc like last time but apparently they don't do that any more :mad: So I'm assuming as normal my wage slips will 'never arrive' at DWP and then be found 3 months later :mad:.
On the positive, next week is the last week we need to pay DS2's playgroup fees as he is free after Easter. That's a saving of £24 a week! We also got a letter home from DS1's school saying that as he gets free school meals, they can also apply for funding to cover other things like trips etc, so when they send letters home asking for permission and contributions I only need to give permission. The other letter in his bag was asking for £19 for their swimming lessons so I suppose that's £19 I don't have to find.

This month will be expensive too, with the boys being off for over 2 weeks for Easter, a wedding and Mum's Fianc!'s 60th birthday. Will be doing it all as frugally as possible, so I'm hoping for an improvement in the weather for free days out. DH and I need to try on outfits we already have to make sure they are suitable for the wedding, so that will just mean spends for the day and a gift needed. Boys aren't invited to that! Mum's partner's birthday will mean a gift but he is paying for the meal for everyone himself so that's not too bad.

So that's my whinge for the day. I know other people have it much worse so I'm still counting my lucky stars. Off to get breakfast now. Was still asleep earlier and couldn't face it

Skint_but_Optimistic

A mixed bag of a report there lucky. Your boy loves you and needs mammy home mine is like that and if I take the mick even though hes only 2 he does a trout pout! Petulant little monkey!

I hope your money situation gets sorted but the 24 pounds a week should really help things to ease for you. A day at a time eh.

Despite the spends the wedding and the meal out should be nice, some family time to look forward to. x

poohbear59

plmbl I agree totally with laineybird about reading. I did a pg course in reading intervention. Let DS1 read whatever he wants. Writing should try to be fun too. Try letting him use chalk or whiteboard at home. write funny messages etc or about his fave bit of a story/book. He only has to write one sentence. Writing in magnetic letters on the fridge or a biscuit tin lid is good fun too. I didn't know all this when my kids were little.


We had battles with teachers about DS3. He refused to write more than a few words. He wasn't allowed play time until he wrote. It just meant he missed play time Poor child.
I took him out of school until the end of the year, when he changed teachers. He still hates writing
BUT is a marine engineer. Not everyone is the same. It is difficult for teachers because they have to meet targets but not all children fit into the categories the government require.:mad: I'd better not go on more as I won't stop.

I hope you can find cheap/free things to do over Easter. How I wish the weather was like this time last year. We were on the beach for DS1's birthday on the 23rd. Tomorrow we are likely to be snowed .

grannyx2

Hello my lovely, sorry to hear you have been feeling unwell and sorry I missed your post re OH. You've had some great advice and seem to have tackled it in the right way. Just remember these pointers for the next time

It is so clear from your posts how much you love and care for OH and you are doing a great job with your DC too

Excellent advice re the reading. I agree that starting him off with short sentences about his favourite bit of a story is really good. A scrap book with pictures and a few words on his favourite subjects should get him interested

I hope you have a good day today, despite the early start

Granny x

HeadAboveWater

Early start! I could've come online at the same time and messaged you!! lol And I'm sure 'bag-eyed zombie' is a bit of an exaggeration!!

I dunno what it is about March, but I think most people are struggling financially! I'm on the NSD challenge and there's a lot of people on commenting on how tough it is, so remember - you are not alone

Busy month ahead for you, but you know as well as the rest of us that there's no need for it to be expensive. Swap clothes or mix and match your wardrobe for a new outfit. Actually, get everyone to do a fashion show for a day for a laugh and unearth stuff in cupboards that haven't been worn in a while! See what you all can find!! Free days out over the hols. Late DVD nights seeing as there's no school (microwave popcorn is cheap and always a fav in our house!).

Hope the weather isn't as pants with you as it is here. It can't decide between rain, hail, sleet or snow. Either way, it's miserable

On a brighter note: it's Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay :D:D

Skint_but_Optimistic

PLMBL apparently saltwell park has had another overhaul my DS went with his granny a couple of weeks ago - weather permitting that could be a cheap and cheerful outing for us northeasterners in the school holidays.

I bet its brassic cold though - we went to Sheilds last school holidays and had a walk along the beach for driftwood.... in the sideways snow..... I know how to spoil my kids!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Thanks for popping by everyone, wise words as always!

Apparently DS2 has been quite tearful and asking for me at playgroup this morning which isn't normal for him. Hoping he is just tired because of the early start rather than because he is coming down with something . Unfortunately I have to leave him with MiL this afternoon also, as DH has another appointment with the lady that is helping him with his confidence issues etc.

Had a letter from DH's endocrinologist today following his last appointment at the hospital 2 weeks ago, saying that his blood sodium levels have got too low again . He needs more tests and to increase his sodium chloride tablets which is a bit of a blow to DH. He was on 9 sodium tablets a day after the accident and we have managed to reduce that to two per day over the last 20 months but it seems we need to go back up again to at least 4 per day. I'm not sure whether this will have been impacting on his recent mood swings or if I'm just making excuses for him again.

HAW that's exactly what kind of weather we are having here too. SBO, your family days out sound just like mine :rotfl:. Thanks for the heads up re Saltwell Park too. Last time I was there DS2 was just a baby in his pram so it's been a while!

DS1 was a pain in the backside this morning and I told him he is banned from his xbox today! Perfect time to do some creative reading/writing instead!

please-let-me-be-lucky

Appointment yesterday with the confidence building lady went very well for DH. He has some homework to do and will be going back on a weekly basis (except next week as it's Good Friday!) for about 6 weeks.

Thankfully DS2 has not come down with any illness etc so I assume yesterday's behaviour was tired related. DS1 has been impeccably behaved after the shock of being banned from his xbox. This has had a knock on effect with DH being calmer also :j

We are lucky enough to be avoiding the snow so far, but are being battered by gale force icy winds :eek:. We were literally blown into the coffee shop today! Grandma paid for the drinks :A. We have £14 to last us til Monday, but we don't need any shopping etc so it's doable as long as we don't do anything flash tomorrow.