Renovations and Repayments.

ourcornercottage

AlexLK wrote: »

Thanks, NG.

Rather sad the half term is over and son will be back to school on Monday. To be honest, it's selfish to want him home purely because he takes my mind away from the negative. For 3 days next week my wife is going to be away with work, son will be at school and my parents have decided they're going to Spain for two weeks.

Nothing financial to report and I haven't done much work over the past day. However, I have some plans for the business.

I'd selfishly like to keep Miniocc home too! I love spending time with him,but he loves school so there you go!

maman

Try to look on it as a positive Alex. Give yourself a pat on the back that the parents are planning on going to Spain. You've done wonders in helping them recuperate as only a few weeks ago that would have been unthinkable.


Plan some family time with MrsK and LittleK when they are available in the coming week. There won't be too much time left over when you're 'Billy No Mates' and you still have some work, music lessons and study to do.
ETA: and dog walking!


And then you've the weekend visit to the Scummies!


Life is good!!!:D

AlexLK

ourcornercottage wrote: »

I'd selfishly like to keep Miniocc home too! I love spending time with him,but he loves school so there you go!

Unfortunately, my son doesn't enjoy school all that much. Today he's told me he doesn't want to go back. I said he needs to try his best and be well behaved. It does concern me that he doesn't particularly like school.

maman wrote: »

Try to look on it as a positive Alex. Give yourself a pat on the back that the parents are planning on going to Spain. You've done wonders in helping them recuperate as only a few weeks ago that would have been unthinkable.

Plan some family time with MrsK and LittleK when they are available in the coming week. There won't be too much time left over when you're 'Billy No Mates' and you still have some work, music lessons and study to do.
ETA: and dog walking!

And then you've the weekend visit to the Scummies!

Life is good!!!:D

Thanks maman. My parents are a lot better and I'm actually quite proud I've managed to get them to see that being retired isn't all that bad and there's perhaps a little more to life than business. Mother has more or less recovered from her fall, which isn't a bad timeframe for someone her age and father is a lot more willing to get out. They're really enjoying meeting other people their age at the moment and I do hope that carries on after their holiday. I think I did the right thing for once in my life.

Had a rather nice family weekend apart from visiting the "delightful" in-laws. That wasn't so good as father-in-law decided he wanted to talk about politics (EU referendum / deal, of course), how he detests "Call Me Dave" and the rest of "his ilk". For some reason father-in-law seemed more interested in my opinions than those of his own daughter and wouldn't take my noncommittal, not made my mind up stance for an answer, even though I really haven't made my mind up or done enough research into the potential implications of being out / in. As for CMD, according to my father-in-law I'm his number one fan and part of "the problem". :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I suppose I have a fair amount of things I can do to occupy myself. Tomorrow evening we've planned to play some board games before Mrs K goes away, so should hopefully have a nice evening.

newgirly

:rotfl: sometimes people want to get a rise out of you don't they! My fil still tries this sometimes with me, today it was racist comments about the "type of people" who usually drive the car we have just bought. In the past I would (and have!) asked them to leave our house, now I tend to ignore it and let my kids wipe the floor with his silly views.

Anyway, hope little k goes back ok tomorrow

maman

AlexLK wrote: »

Unfortunately, my son doesn't enjoy school all that much. Today he's told me he doesn't want to go back. I said he needs to try his best and be well behaved. It does concern me that he doesn't particularly like school.

father-in-law decided he wanted to talk about politics (EU referendum / deal, of course), how he detests "Call Me Dave" and the rest of "his ilk". As for CMD, according to my father-in-law I'm his number one fan and part of "the problem". :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Great news about your parents. The more you/they can do to enjoy retirement the better all round. I agree your mother has made a good recovery time. She sounds like a strong 'old bird'.


It's quite normal for children not to want to go back to school after a holiday so don't beat yourself up about that. I think the best thing you can do is be matter of fact that everyone has to go back to 'work' after a holiday and take every opportunity to praise him and the school.


I'm not surprised that FIL thinks you're CMD personified as the world and his wife sees him as a 'posh boy' with a public school/wealthy/university background and you are probably the nearest your FIL has got to that in RL. I'm having a problem with the EU question. It'll be hard to separate genuine information from political posturing in the run up to finding a successor for CMD as he needs to get out PDQ so he can send his son to Eton.


Enjoy your evening tomorrow.:)

AlexLK

newgirly wrote: »

:rotfl: sometimes people want to get a rise out of you don't they! My fil still tries this sometimes with me, today it was racist comments about the "type of people" who usually drive the car we have just bought. In the past I would (and have!) asked them to leave our house, now I tend to ignore it and let my kids wipe the floor with his silly views.

Anyway, hope little k goes back ok tomorrow

My father-in-law is very similar to yours, always trying to get a rise. He and I have different political views.

re. the racist comments, that's very difficult to deal with.

I hope son is OK going back to school tomorrow, too.

maman wrote: »

Great news about your parents. The more you/they can do to enjoy retirement the better all round. I agree your mother has made a good recovery time. She sounds like a strong 'old bird'.

Can't quite believe I'm going to say this but I'm really going to miss them when they're away. My father's attitude has been a lot better lately, can only hope this will continue.

:rotfl: Yes, you're right about my mother, Derbyshire born and Derbyshire bred... Seriously, I think it helps that she's in very good health and does a lot of exercise. My father seems to have realised getting out more is better for him too.

maman wrote: »

It's quite normal for children not to want to go back to school after a holiday so don't beat yourself up about that. I think the best thing you can do is be matter of fact that everyone has to go back to 'work' after a holiday and take every opportunity to praise him and the school.

My son dislikes going to school even without an interruption in routine. I cannot help but wonder if this is my fault and by sending him to the school he attends we made the wrong decision. However, I find my old school is very technology focused which is something I don't really like, either. A lot of the children there are very into iPads / iPhones etc. etc. at a young age (know this from music teaching) but at son's current school, other pupils are much more interested in the outdoors.

Mrs K has tried the "work" approach.

maman wrote: »

I'm not surprised that FIL thinks you're CMD personified as the world and his wife sees him as a 'posh boy' with a public school/wealthy/university background and you are probably the nearest your FIL has got to that in RL. I'm having a problem with the EU question. It'll be hard to separate genuine information from political posturing in the run up to finding a successor for CMD as he needs to get out PDQ so he can send his son to Eton.

Enjoy your evening tomorrow.:)

You're certainly right about my father-in-law. He regularly mocks the fact I went to a public school that was not Eton, apparently meaning (to him) that my parents couldn't afford to send me there. :rotfl: I'll admit he used to wind me up terribly.

Your problem with the EU question is more or less mine. I feel very uninformed and do not trust the media. CMDs years are indeed numbered, as you know I like him in a happily go for a drink with him way (something father-in-law really can't get his tiny mind around) but don't necessarily think he's a great leader. However, I cannot currently see many (any?) alternatives.

maman

AlexLK wrote: »

My son dislikes going to school even without an interruption in routine. I cannot help but wonder if this is my fault and by sending him to the school he attends we made the wrong decision. However, I find my old school is very technology focused which is something I don't really like, either. A lot of the children there are very into iPads / iPhones etc. etc. at a young age (know this from music teaching) but at son's current school, other pupils are much more interested in the outdoors.

Mrs K has tried the "work" approach.

However, I cannot currently see many (any?) alternatives.

There's always Boris!!!:D


I don't think it's the choice of school that's the problem. My take is that LittleK prefers staying at home with you. You also prefer him staying at home with you and he knows that. He also may feel a little protective/concerned at leaving you at home when he knows you miss him.


While MrsK may have tried the 'work' approach it's not something you just say once and all sorted. You've taken the decision that he's going to the village school and that's where he's going to go every school day until he's 11(?). So you just use the broken record technique and say the same thing every day if needs be until he gets the message. I think it would also help if you praise him and the school and his teachers at every opportunity. You may not be telling him, in as many words, that you don't approve of his teacher/the curriculum/standards/state education etc. but I believe it's coming across and he's bright enough to know which buttons to press.

gallygirl

maman wrote: »

I'm not surprised that FIL thinks you're CMD personified as the world and his wife sees him as a 'posh boy' with a public school/wealthy/university background and you are probably the nearest your FIL has got to that in RL.

Feeling dense - CMD??????

Watty1

CMD = "call me dave" as in PM - prime minster not private message
at least that is what I think it all means x

gallygirl

Watty1 wrote: »

CMD = "call me dave" as in PM - prime minster not private message
at least that is what I think it all means x

Ah, thanks . I just call him 'kn*bhead', usually accompanied with a 'fingers stabbing eyes' movement :rotfl:.