* Driving Home for Christmas * - It's the 2021 Christmas Chatter Thread!

mandco

welcome DaffyDaisies

Princesskitty - not feeling as low today but still struggling with whatever this flu type bug is I've got.
Glad your feeling better about the home schooling.  We really enjoy butlins too I love the fact we can park up and there's so much to keep taz occupied we don't have to go anywhere till we leave. I couldn't believe how cheap the break I booked is esp that close to xmas.
Toileting issues are a lot more common than people think its just that most people don't want to talk about it once the get past the potting training stage. We had to do a similar thing with Taz it is very time consuming and it took a while but he's mostly there now though he is still on meds and will be for some time. 

Redrobin sorry to hear about your mum - must be very worrying for you

Spendless -Its def hard to make plans at the moment I can't see lockdown being eased before easter. I would look at planning something for at home for on her birthday and agree to have a proper party at a later date. 
Dd actually spent her birthday in isolation last year so couldn't see anyone at all - I got her some decorations for her room ordered a pizza and she had a virtual party with cocktails over zoom with her friends.
Afternoon tea was really popular when I was looking for ideas.  

Spendless

I don't know what jab Nan and residents had, but  a handful reported cold/flu type symptoms a few days later and then tested positive. Nan has said she feels sick but hasn't actually vomited. Mum had the pfizer jab with no ill effects and I think my other Nan who is 95 but still lives at home has had hers without issue.
Thanks for suggestions re DD's 18th.  We did afternoon tea for daughter's 17th which fell shortly after lockdown 1, and then again for one of her college shows which should have been a meal in the college restaurant provided by the catering students whilst DD's course entertained her. Both were lovely but not sure about repeating it again. .  I've seen other areas doing the cocktails, I'd love that, but can't get DD beyond liking malibu and pineapple ready to drink cans currently - lol.
*IF*  the students can come like they were able to do for Christmas I am tempted to rent a hot tub and let everyone relax in there. Won't bother if it's only the 3 of us though. 

mandco

Spendless  if you've done the afternoon tea thing twice already then its going to feel very samey and not as special so I'd probably do something else too. I know someone who did a tiki themed 18th birthday including making up a mock tiki bar for serving cocktails from - might work will with hot tub hire? 

Spendless

I'm really leaning towards the hot tub idea. Someone I know hired one this week (yes, in Jan!) for her daughter's 12th birthday, just for the use of the household inc 9yo brother. The pics she put up looked fab it came with a 'disco' (flashing lights and music playing). I've had a quick google of local hire and there's various options, including a bar area or one with karaoke.
*IF* we're allowed guests by then, even if just in the garden and/or DS and housemates come here then I think that would be good. I did contemplate just putting off till later in the year but we sort of said that for her 17th and it never really happened. In addition this Autumn DD *might* be going to Uni and if she isn't, then it's likely several friends will be and not be around. That's without trying to guess what restrictions we'll still be living under. In the event we can only be our current household I did say to DD that instead we could make more of a fuss of her 21st (also falls at Easter!), she wasn't overly impressed about having a special birthday on 'hold' for several years though - lol 

I also heard from DS this week. He has got 3 hours of online learning a week and that's it!  It's all on the same day. I'm really glad he's back at his student digs, he returned late December, long before Boris told students not to return. Otherwise I'd be as mad as hell about paying for accommodation he couldn't use whilst only having 3 hours of online study per week. God, he got more hours when he qualified for Nursery funding as a 3 year old. 

Coxy11

Hi Spendless, just delurking to say what about igloo hire? I saw this on faceache recently - you hire the igloo and they set it up all cosy inside with beanbags/dining package plus large screen for watching a movie etc. Think they just need 3m diameter space and access to a plug. I will PM you.
Coxy

Spendless

Thank you for that idea. I don't think they operate anywhere near where I am, but I'll certainly look into if anyone more local does des something like this. Cheers.

princesskitty29

Hi all, I hope you’re all doing ok? We’re all ok here just plodding along. Sometimes it still feels a bit like Christmas as the boys keep watching Christmas films and wanting to read Christmas books! Although they were talking about Easter the other day and I started to get a little bit excited about having something else to plan! I don’t know if we’ll be out of this lockdown by then but I do like an occasion.

 

Despite the sales being disappointing I did manage to get a navy blue beret with little colourful hearts all over for my SiL’s birthday next month from Accessorize for £8. She’s obsessed with books and I found someone on Etsy who makes necklaces that look like books with the cover of your choice, so I’ve gone with Pride & Prejudice, I can’t wait to see it!

 

My dad had the Pfizer vaccine yesterday so fingers crossed he doesn’t get any ill effects.

 

nic I hope you’ve managed to break your Doc Martens in and your foot has recovered!

 

Spendless oh your parents, I hope they are doing better now? I’m glad you discovered what was going on and was able to take them their meals, parents can be too stoic sometimes. I’m sorry to hear about your Nan, but as you say perhaps the vaccine is having an effect and they’re not suffering as much which is a good thing. The hot tub idea for DD’s birthday sounds great if your son and friends come home, it must be hard turning 18 and being in lockdown. Wow I can’t believe your son has only got 3 hours of learning a week, it seems so odd as he’s doing a degree and then my 6 year old has 3 hours learning a day!

 

mandco it certainly has been hard work having Wiggle on this toilet plan and trying to manage his schoolwork, we’re not sure if this plan is working or not yet, if not we will have to go back to a paediatrician, as we’re currently working with a psychologist. You’re right though, it’s easy to feel alone in this but it is quite common but nobody talks about it. I’m glad things got better for you with Taz. 

mandco

I love the sound of the igloo's 
Spendless 3hrs a week is shocking I guess they have other work set? and are expected to just get on with it but even so for how much its costing them you would expect far better 

Princesskitty Hope your dad is feeling ok and not had any side effects must be a relief to know he's had it now 
the necklace sounds lovely and is something very unique 
It can take quite a while to see the benefits of the plan but hopefully it will work for him. Taz is under the care of the continence team and the nurse we work with is lovely.
I'm guessing most of the lockdown measures will be in place till after easter - otherwise there will be too much temptation for people to mix but there's still plenty of things we can plan to do at home with the kids and its nice to have something to look forward to. lots of easter crafts ideas for the boys to do while your home schooling too 

My bil & his family have all tested positive for covid - none of them have had any symptoms at the time it only got picked up through his weekly testing at work. They've had a few mild symptoms since like headache/tiredness but otherwise seem to be ok

Spendless

Yes 3 hours a week for a degree is a concern. They are his on-line hours (his contact ones). I know degrees can be low on contact hours as it's a lot of self learning, but even so and this is for a computer related course!
DS girlfriend gets more on-line hours. Sort of understandable she is in her final year though it's an art related one, so that can't be easy on-line. She is putting off her idea of doing a masters from this September due to not knowing if on-line learning will continue and housemate2 on a different degree altogether also has more on-line sessions. I do feel for anyone in the examination years of education, from GCSEs upwards and I do worry if in future years employers will favour these candidates less purely because their education has been compromised.

Parents are getting slowly better thank you. I had to take my Dad to hospital twice last week for different tests. He wasn't capable of driving himself nor well enough to use public transport. I dropped him off then headed back to sit with my Mum as she shouldn't  be walking around. It was nice to be able to see them, even if the situation wasn't ideal! My Dad and my FIL both ended up having the covid jab at the weekend, so that's all parents and grandparents done. 

On a (Christmas) present related front. I used my car for grocery shopping today and opening the boot for the first time in weeks, I found some items I picked up when Boots went to 50%. It seems so long ago now, that we were still in Tier3 at Christmas and daughter's college was Tier2 and we weren't in lockdown. Anyway any of them will do towards DD's 18th presents and one of them starts with an M. Just another 17 to find hahaha. 

Redredrobin

My mum is doing ok at the moment she spent 4 days in hospital then was taken in again two days later, unfortunately she caught COVID in hospital! She was negative when she went in but positive four days later ! 

She and dad are self isolating at the moment , she can come out of the bed Sunday when her 10 days are up . She has to have another lung X-ray in 6 weeks then all being well she can be vaccinated.
   Absolutely nothing Christmas related going on and to be honest I can’t be bothered thinking that far ahead at the moment.