Ready to do it all over again ...

benbenandme

Feeling strange this morning - missing Dad today, will go up to the burial ground later on when it's cooler. In other news ds should be at his Dads this weekend but he cancelled it as he has a stag do to go to. Ds was quite upset as he wanted to spend fathers day with him. He also cancelled his next weekend as he has a wedding to go to. And guess what ... he's cancelled the one after that as well as he has another stag do :mad: :mad: Ds needs to spend some quality time with his Dad before the new baby arrives in the summer, but can quite clearly see where Dads prioirites lie ... I have managed to swap some of my plans so that ds can go next weekend instead and one weekend in July, but that's all he'll see him until mid-August. Some people really don't deserve to be fathers I did ask ds if he wanted to post him a card / present but he said no, he can't make time for me so what's the point?

benbenandme

One trip to the tip done and the car is loaded up ready to go again. Tesco shopping has arrived, quite a few substitutions this week - most are fine, one of them has meant I didn't qualify for an offer which I didn't realise until he'd gone, so ended up costing me more than it should :cool: I won't bother to email them as that is becoming a regular thing,but a company as big as theirs should be able to get it right.

Todays shopping came to £56 but I should get £9 back through clicksnap, so quite happy with that. They have kettlebite baked crisps on offer at the moment, so 5 bags work out at 25p - I have now got 85 bags of crisps :eek: They are both mine and ds favourites though, and keep until September, so all in all it's a big fat bargain

Now I need to do another tip trip then go and buy a hanging basket to replace the dead bush

benbenandme

Car insurance is sorted - last years premium was £304, renewal quote was £396. The best I could get on the comparison sites was £276 but that was with providers I'd never heard of. Anyway, I thought I'd try a couple that don't use comparison sites - admiral came in at £856 :eek: and Direct line came in at £229. Glad I bothered to check that one Anyway, I've paid for it in one go (on the new credit card) and will move the money from my car maintenance fund to cover it, and then will transfer the monthly equivalent back into that savings pot. Happy with that

blackcatsx2

Sounds like a productive and MSE day.
Sorry to hear about DS's father - I had similar with my ex - he treated his weekends with his children as optional and to take place at his convenience rather than a privilege and a pleasure. Our wonderful children are now grown up and they make their own choices ..... He continues to miss out ..... DS has you as a fantastic and consistent role model and loving mum

Eager_Elephant

Sending hugs to DS ((( )))

My DS is now 20, I split from his biological father when he was 2. The man I met not long after and went on to marry and have a child with is his dad. My son's father took me to court for access and he was granted every other Sunday which worked well until he started a new family - then he told DS that they couldn't go out on Sundays any longer (bowling, the beach) etc as he didn't have the money due to his new family. Then visits whittled down to every 4 weeks and then when DS was a teenager it became every 6 weeks and then when DS went to college his bio father told him to get himself a job so he wouldn't have to pay maintenance anymore!!!

Honestly you could not make this stuff up, good job your DS can see his true colours.

DS does not even contact him on Fathers Day (and doesn't sent a card or anything) and he hasn't seen him on his own for a few years now.

DS sounds better off without him - you are a fab mum and more than make up for his father - I love the fact you go off train spotting as well.

benbenandme

I took the dog to a rather well known pet store for his haircut last week. We did this a while ago and he developed an infection and needed antibiotics, I put this down to a one-off and rebooked again. Unfortunately the same thing has happened, and we were charged £52 for the groom :eek: and another £52 for the vet appointment and tablets a few days later. Anyway, I emailed their head office yesterday and said (a) the original cut was much shorter than agreed - they said he was matted and needed to be shorter although his previous groomer (now retired, but shows at Crufts so knows her stuff) said she has never needed to go that short on a Lhasa, she combs the matts out and does them with scissors rather than the all-over shaving he gets there and (b) the vet appointment was only necessary as a result of the cut, he was fine before that ... anyway, they replied today and have offered to refund all of it so I am pleased with their customer service even if their grooming doesn't agree with our dog

beanielou

Good news on refund

benbenandme

£9 withdrawn this morning from quidco for the crisps I bought at the weekend, that's pretty quick :T :T

Another sunny day here today, just about to jump in the shower then I've got the dentist after work - I'm gonna have to psych myself up for that one, not feeling very brave at the moment

Florence_J

Good luck at the Dentist, I'm sure it will go well.

benbenandme

The dentist ended up being a checkup appointment and she has booked me some more appointments to do the work needed, luckily they are all in the summer holidays so not a hassle with work. It will cost me £244 in total :eek: but I do need quite a bit doing.

In other news, it has been a fairly good week, until last night. Ds went out after school with a couple of other kids from his year group - there seems to be a budding interest in a girl, who has a reputation as a total tease and not very pleasant However, he is so deperate for friends and to fit in that anyone being nice to him is going to be seen as the best thing ever ... anyway, he went out for a bit and came back at 6 to get ready for Scouts. He was fine when he came in but within 10 minutes had the mother of all meltdowns and trashed the lounge, and shredded his English book. Eventually (about 2 hours later) calm was restored, we went for a long walk with the dog and talked and I think it was triggered because (a) he's really tired this week and (b) being with other kids after school was hard work for him and highlighted to him that he is different and doesn't get social situations

He also said he wants to give up Scouts, he's not enjoying it anymore but hasn't said anything as I have paid for uniform / camps etc and he feels bad. He also said he didn't want to go to his Dads this weekend, he hasn't seen him for nearly a month as it is but said he can't do the travelling, he's too tired. His Dad was actually alright about it.

So, this weekend now we're having a very low-key chilled weekend. He's in the bath at the moment, then we're going to the train station to enquire about work experience, then it will be a walk with the dog, decent food and early nights. Monday is an inset day, so he has a long weekend too.