From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

themadvix

Seconding the views around the north coast - they were brilliant. We stayed in Derry for the night after our GC and C-a-R adventures - nice purple chain hotel and the town itself was lovely. (Also recommend spending the day in Belfast - loads of brilliant murals (not political ones) to see for free.)

ETA: I'm hearing you on the washing/weather front - forecast was for today to be wet, so haven't done any washing... it would definitely be drying nicely at this point!

greenbee

It's been wet here. I left the dog outside with his lunchtime kong while I was on a call and he was a bit soggy when I let him back in... 

Blackcats

I'm pleased the Greying Family enjoyed the summer holidays which seem to have flown by.  My neighbour is a teacher and it doesn't seem 5 minutes since they were gleefully looking forward to 6 weeks off.  Now they are back to heading off at 7.30 am ready to nurture another set of pupils.

are there any Saturday morning clubs that LG could join that might be easier for the whole family to go along to and would be less dark?  Probably sports based I suppose which may or may not be LG's type of activity.  Our library has a couple of Saturday clubs for kids and I wonder if yours has anything?

i hope the first few days back at school have gone well.  It's such a shame that some kids can be so horrid to others.  In my experience there's sometimes a distinct lack of sugar and spice and all things nice about little girls.  But then I didn't have sons so I can't compare but I'm told they deal with things in a more direct and immediate way that can involve violence 🙀

Greying_Pilgrim

Blackcats - the holidays did indeed fly by.  I'm really not sure I've ever experienced them so 'whooshy'.  Even the hols before LG started school didn't seem to pass by so quickly!  But, if it's because we were doing 'things' and exploring, or having fun, having a laugh - being together (as a fam. or with friends), then I'm all for 'Whooshing' - so long as it's recorded by photographs/diaries/vlogs & precious memories held in our minds and hearts 😁

Behaviour has changed in general - LG mentioned something that had happened in school today (not to them), but it was a younger child doing something inappropriate to an older child - the mind just boggles as to where this is learnt/seen as acceptable.  

We'll see (hopefully next week), if the school-based 'after school' activities have anything to offer.  They've become a bit hit and miss tbh.  Personally I would prefer to avoid weekend commitments, as it's the only time when DH can have a bit of down time with LG.  Plus we do want to try to keep up visits, or fun activities or whatever, and the weekends are the most time that we have to do this - however, I will never say 'never' and if something came along that floated LG's boat, then you bet we'd try to accommodate it.  I certainly don't want LG to be 'scheduled' for every minute of every day - that wouldn't be a good thing, but now that we've given up one activity, there could be space to pick up something else.  And I'm being honest, I won't miss the travel, so if something a 'bit closer to home' comes up, that is interesting to LG - well then I, for one, will be relieved 😁

Greying X

themadvix

Totally with you on not clogging up weekends with activities. It was one rule my mum insisted on when we were young and it was definitely one I agree with, looking back. The only exception to this was when my musical instrument teacher stopped teaching at my school - I had an 8.30am lesson with her on a Saturday instead (a 20 minute car ride away) - as my mum is absolutely not a morning person and she took me to these, you can see how desperate she was to avoid it taking over the weekend!

Fingers crossed something good will come up after school!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good evening MFW'rs

We now have sun 🙄 which isn't useful past 7pm, and when the washing line is obscured by houses as the sun sets 🙄  Ah well,  i shall try again tomorrow.  We still didn't have as bad rain storms as predicted - this morning it was the consistency of the mizzle that caused the issue ☹️

I ate one of the grapefruit at lunchtime.  I think they are probably red grapefruit.  They are definitely less sharp than white grapefruit (I think that is the correct term), but the one i had wasn't super-duper fruity sweet.  But if I take the price for a red grapefruit - which appears to be about 45p ea. from what I can find, then that's £1.80 of grapefruits - never mind everything else that was in the box.

LG had vegetable tomato pasta and a cheese and onion roll for tea - as they weren't keen on the courgette quiche, so DH  and I finished that off, along with the remaining Ranch House surprise and some baked beans.  The funny thing is that courgettes were a key ingredient in the vegetable tomato sauce, LG had on their pasta...... but don't no one dob me in, right? 

I'm trying to tread a thin line between giving LG a certain amount of free rein to come up with a possible activity, without dictating what that activity might be, or that it must be focused to some goal (ie competing at county level) - I just want them to 'try something out', or 'do something fun' - but the other side of the coin, is that they will just as easily do nothing, if DH and I didn't 'gently encourage'.  If they had a gaming device, they would sit on that in all their 'non' school time - which is too much the other way.  At least with club, they mix with different people, it's not school, they do non-school things, it's a nice break away from 'Grey Street Primary' as it were.  I think there is room for something else - and that there would still be time for gaming when we get to that point.  My mum wasn't at all supportive of after school activities, and I was only able to go to Brownies (which was run on Sunday school lines by two ladies of a certain age that were doing it for 'status' not for the children ☹️) and wasn't allowed to continue on to Guides - despite it being far better run, and more interesting ☹️  So I don't want to be like that, and deny LG opportunities, but I don't want to dictate what they may do, nor let them just coast and moan that they are bored.  I'm trying to support and encourage, but not dictate.  

Neither do I want to live my childhood over, vicariously through LG - they must be their own person.  I am willing to continue with little trips out during holiday times, or at weekends, and I shall cross my fingers that for some time to come, LG may wish to accompany me (and, ideally DH), because I know the way time is whizzing, that period doesn't last long.......

I'm grateful LG seems to have had another OK day at school, and they were looking forward to going to club this evening.

I'm pleased that tea was made for everyone from the freezer.  It makes different meals/mealtimes easier to manage somehow.

I'm grateful that we have options, and choices, and can at least contemplate activities together as a family.  I realise not everyone has those avenues open to them.  

Ta for popping in and having a chat.  It's greatly appreciated.  

Greying X 

beanielou

My DS loved martial arts & lots of girls went too.

ladybird1106

Ahhh the mystery ingredient in pasta sauce ploy. Brings back memories of when my kids were little.
love 🐞

Cherryfudge

In the days when I used to eat grapefruit (can't have it with current meds), I would sprinkle on brown sugar and let it bubble under the grill.

Sunshine_girl2

My children did swimming from a young age which led them to the city swimming squad and competing around the uk. It was good in someways , taught them to be  organised there social life was with their swim mates ,, my son carried on until 18 , daughter 15 . The downside expensive and time consuming for parent me .