It is half term. I haven’t written about all the exciting things I’ve planned for the week because, well, I haven’t made very many exciting plans. My teenage son is right in the middle of his GCSE’s and so we’re staying at home to help him focus, even though clearly it would have been better go to the middle of nowhere for a week. He appears to have way too many distractions around here. My house is strewn with revision timetables.
Most days are pretty much the same. He tells me he’s going to get up at 8.30am, have a quick (substantial) breakfast and head off to school to work in the library all day. This is an admirable plan. Putting it into practice proves to be a little more difficult. He normally gets up about 9.30am after several prompts. Watches a bit of TV, does his Facebook thing and texts 85 friends. Then he has breakfast. He disappears upstairs to “work” around 11am. With his laptop. He recently suggested that I change his Facebook password so that he can’t look at what all his mates are doing all week but then immediately retracted that suggestion as possibly his worst “good idea” to date. One hour later when I go up and see him he is either asleep or about to starve to death. Two hours later he is in DIRE need of food. Twelve sandwiches or a takeaway pizza later and he is either ready for an afternoon sleep on the sofa or needing to watch 5 episodes of “Friends” TO RELAX!!. Food is merged into the sofa and he relaxes. The afternoon slightly goes wrong. The second leg of work doesn’t ever really seem to materialise. He seems to spend a huge amount of time making arrangements to meet his mates – either at school for some revision which is really a kick-around outside or at a gym near his mates house which is actually McDonalds and then 3 beers. Quite often he doesn’t come back until much later.
Obviously I am trying to be here for him and trying to guide him as best I can. This role goes something like this:-
“Can you go and do some revision now please”. “MUM, I’VE BEEN REVISING FOR LIKE FOUR HOURS ALREADY TODAY AND I NEED A BREAK” and then when I say “you probably need a break, so why don’t you come with us to see my brother for a cup of tea/help me take stuff to the dump/go shopping” he says ‘MUM OF COURSE I CAN’T COME WITH YOU I’VE GOT SO MUCH REVISION TO DO IT’S RIDICULOUS – I’M SUPPOSED TO BE REVISING REMEMBER!!’.
So I slightly give up and make him another sandwich.
My daughter is on a two days FREE workshop at The National Gallery with a friend of hers. How cool is that? Not very cool as far she’s concerned. She’s not interested in my platitudes about how lucky she is to live in London and what a beautiful building she’s in – clearly I only did it to ruin her life.
My youngest son is doing a football course this week so at least he’s happy. I am teaching my normal number of classes so finding it a little difficult to juggle everybody’s requirements. I was managing it all OK until yesterday morning when I dropped my mobile phone DOWN THE LOO!! Can you believe it. Interesting way to cull half my friends. It is completely dead and my new one will only have the numbers on that I had saved to my Sim card. Rubbish.
notSupermum
May 27, 2009It’s only Wednesday and I’m already exhausted. Yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to take my 9year old out shopping with 3 of her friends. Yes, really. They were all very well behaved, but it was so tiring. Then I went to cut my Dad’s lawn while he supervised (not a good thing), then decided to start doing some gardening in my own garden. I also broke up several fights between daughters, made tea, vacummed everywhere, did some paperwork and tidyed the kitchen. I flopped onto the settee at 9pm and didn’t move until midnight when I dragged my weary body into bed. Roll on Monday.
Wife in Hong Kong
May 27, 2009Funnily enough, the one memory I have of revising for O’levels (that shows my age!) is needing constant sandwich breaks. a fifteen minute break, or whatever it was, was too short for TV or a walk or a book but just enough to make and eat a sarnie. My other memory is how much weight I gained!
family affairs
May 27, 2009Good grief NSM that’s exhausted me just reading the list!!
I know WIHK – I think sandwiches (with sandwich spread!!) might have got me through too Lx
Fat, frumpy and fifty...
May 27, 2009l know l know..yesterday my daughter and son slept in until 12.35 pm…I did all the housework around them, hoovered, dusteed, washed kitchen floor, cleaned all the bathrooms..and still l had to yell to get em up..
My son is 14 and in year 10 he is taking 3 gsce’s this year and daughter is 1st yr sixth taking her AS levels 4 of which are all on 2nd june…can you imagine how stupid…what I mean to comment on is HOW do you get them to get studying, not sleeping nor eating nor facebooking nor msn-ing….??? I havent a clue…I am surplus to requirements..so am at work now, but then off till TUESDAY!!! and they had better get studyingI shall hoover around their beds, while they are still in them..duh
Mum's the word
May 27, 2009Oh what a week you’re having.
I wish I could say “roll on Monday” but next week is not looking good.
Monday is an inset day and Thursday our school is being used as a polling station.
I need a holiday from this extra long half term.