It's Friday!

[Panders]

On 11/03/2022 at 08:08, zigzag said:

Friday again and a good week back for us. Three families with Covid but all agreed to my request of staying away, thank goodness. Have had an email from Ofsted to say they were trying to make contact (last week when we were closed) to arrange inspection. FINALLY! Last inspected in 2014 so you can imagine what the last few years have been like, living on tenterhooks. Hoping they will phone today and we can just get on and get it over with.  I’ve got a stinking cold and am meant to be going to watch Sarah Millican on Sunday, so hope to feel better by then. Happy Friday all.

Good luck Zigzag!    I should think Sarah Millican will disperse any stress you might be feeling.    

[Panders]

On 11/03/2022 at 08:08, zigzag said:

Friday again and a good week back for us. Three families with Covid but all agreed to my request of staying away, thank goodness. Have had an email from Ofsted to say they were trying to make contact (last week when we were closed) to arrange inspection. FINALLY! Last inspected in 2014 so you can imagine what the last few years have been like, living on tenterhooks. Hoping they will phone today and we can just get on and get it over with.  I’ve got a stinking cold and am meant to be going to watch Sarah Millican on Sunday, so hope to feel better by then. Happy Friday all.

Good luck Zigzag, I'm hoping Sarah Millican will help with any stress that might build up.

[Panders]

Hmm - 2 posts, one of which went missing so re posted, now both appear  Freaky Friday maybe😱

[louby loo]

On 11/03/2022 at 08:08, zigzag said:

Friday again and a good week back for us. Three families with Covid but all agreed to my request of staying away, thank goodness. Have had an email from Ofsted to say they were trying to make contact (last week when we were closed) to arrange inspection. FINALLY! Last inspected in 2014 so you can imagine what the last few years have been like, living on tenterhooks. Hoping they will phone today and we can just get on and get it over with.  I’ve got a stinking cold and am meant to be going to watch Sarah Millican on Sunday, so hope to feel better by then. Happy Friday all.

If funny how relieved you feel once you've had the phone call. :)

Hope the cold feels better soon. I've had a sinking cold for the last two weeks- I swear I have had every know covid symptom- all separately- spread over the whole 2+ weeks!! Obviously I've tested (everyday for the first 1.5 weeks) but given up now.   I did go to work as testing negative but kept away from everyone as much as possible.

 

[louby loo]

On 11/03/2022 at 10:16, sunnyday said:

As zigzag has said - Friday again - time still goes just as fast when you are a retired person!

Yesterday's 'Knit and Natter' was really good - less people, but I knew some could only attend sporadically, which is fine...anyway, lots of laughter and I'm so, so impressed with the amount of squares that people had knitted, an amazing effort

Hopefully we will be going to eldest son's house tomorrow for dinner - they will all test beforehand, in order to make it as safe as possible for Mr S...

Hope that the weekend is kind to all x

Have a good meal tomorrow 😁 (positive thinking here!)

Glad the 'KnK' continues to be fun as well as doing a good deed (the blankets)

[louby loo]

On 11/03/2022 at 12:13, Panders said:

Hmm - 2 posts, one of which went missing so re posted, now both appear  Freaky Friday maybe😱

Just keep drinking the wine maybe ........ 🤣🤣🤣

[finleysmaid]

well ive had an interesting couple of weeks! the electricity cable snapped outside our building so had to close for the day...then they put us on generator....then the generator broke down....had to close for the day....now on new generator! should be fixed this weekend but who knows.

One of our fathers has gone missing....really bad 😔 He's been missing for a week now. Police involved. lovely family...but he's a bit naughty! 

Raised the question of a pay review....causing issues!

Deputy off with major chest infection and as we are already 2 members of staff down have had to call in some emergency help.

All fun and games!!!!!!

[sunnyday]

On 12/03/2022 at 07:26, finleysmaid said:

well ive had an interesting couple of weeks! the electricity cable snapped outside our building so had to close for the day...then they put us on generator....then the generator broke down....had to close for the day....now on new generator! should be fixed this weekend but who knows.

One of our fathers has gone missing....really bad 😔 He's been missing for a week now. Police involved. lovely family...but he's a bit naughty! 

Raised the question of a pay review....causing issues!

Deputy off with major chest infection and as we are already 2 members of staff down have had to call in some emergency help.

All fun and games!!!!!!

Crikey fm that's an awful lot to deal with

Hope that the 'missing dad' is found safe and well

Wish I was closer, I could provide some 'emergency help'...

[Mouseketeer]

FM - I hope the missing dad is found and that all your problems are rectified asap 🤞

zigzag - good luck with Ofsted, I’m sure you’ll smash it!

Also having the pay increase discussions 🤦‍♀️ but on the plus side I have managed to recruit 2 experienced/L3 staff to start after Easter, we will be over-staffed again for the first time in a long while, but it will help with opening up places again, flexibility when someone is off and I get office time back 🎉 

have a good weekend all 😊 

[louby loo]

On 12/03/2022 at 07:26, finleysmaid said:

well ive had an interesting couple of weeks! the electricity cable snapped outside our building so had to close for the day...then they put us on generator....then the generator broke down....had to close for the day....now on new generator! should be fixed this weekend but who knows.

One of our fathers has gone missing....really bad 😔 He's been missing for a week now. Police involved. lovely family...but he's a bit naughty! 

Raised the question of a pay review....causing issues!

Deputy off with major chest infection and as we are already 2 members of staff down have had to call in some emergency help.

All fun and games!!!!!!

It really is fun and games for you!   Hope the dad turns up.

[zigzag]

I would just like to say, having a whole weekend to be anxious and nervous before inspection is VERY unpleasant! There is a lot to be said for the no warning inspections. It would have saved the full blown panic attack at 4am this morning!  Not helped by a message later to say a staff member has tested positive! 😱😱

[Panders]

On 13/03/2022 at 12:17, zigzag said:

I would just like to say, having a whole weekend to be anxious and nervous before inspection is VERY unpleasant! There is a lot to be said for the no warning inspections. It would have saved the full blown panic attack at 4am this morning!  Not helped by a message later to say a staff member has tested positive! 😱😱

I agree zigzag, I wasn't a lover of being given the weekend to stew on everything either.  Shame about the member of staff. hope they recover quickly.  Hope you have cover for them too.

[sunnyday]

On 13/03/2022 at 12:17, zigzag said:

I would just like to say, having a whole weekend to be anxious and nervous before inspection is VERY unpleasant! There is a lot to be said for the no warning inspections. It would have saved the full blown panic attack at 4am this morning!  Not helped by a message later to say a staff member has tested positive! 😱😱

I feel for you dear zigzag x

So sorry to hear about your staff member too - this bloody virus needs to do one now 

[sunnyday]

We got to go to our eldest son's yesterday - it was fabulous to be able to spend some time with them, especially our two youngest grandchildren!

Our six year old granddaughter kept us entertained with lots of singing and dancing - this included a dance that she called 'the Covid shimmy' 🤣 she donned a face mask for that one 🤦‍♀️ I love her uniqueness 🤣

Our poor DIL is really struggling with her blood levels - she has spoken to her consultant who explained that is down to her having Covid and that she probably won't be back to her usual self for another six weeks - not good at all...

Anyway, it was a wonderful afternoon and evening and I will never, ever take this stuff for granted again

[finleysmaid]

Unfortunately it is looking increasingly likely that a body found locally may be that of our missing father 😪 

[Panders]

oh dear Finleysmaid how very sad for the family and yourselves

 

[sunnyday]

On 13/03/2022 at 16:11, finleysmaid said:

Unfortunately it is looking increasingly likely that a body found locally may be that of our missing father 😪 

Oh no, that is absolutely awful, I'm so sorry to read that

[finleysmaid]

I have unfortunately just had confirmation that the body found on the M4 on friday was indeed the missing parent.....This job is sometimes really Sh** isn't it.😥

[louby loo]

On 13/03/2022 at 16:27, finleysmaid said:

I have unfortunately just had confirmation that the body found on the M4 on friday was indeed the missing parent.....This job is sometimes really Sh** isn't it.😥

So sad to hear.

[louby loo]

On 13/03/2022 at 12:17, zigzag said:

I would just like to say, having a whole weekend to be anxious and nervous before inspection is VERY unpleasant! There is a lot to be said for the no warning inspections. It would have saved the full blown panic attack at 4am this morning!  Not helped by a message later to say a staff member has tested positive! 😱😱

Are they actually coming tomorrow?

[zigzag]

On 13/03/2022 at 16:46, louby loo said:

Are they actually coming tomorrow?

Yes definitely.

On 13/03/2022 at 16:27, finleysmaid said:

I have unfortunately just had confirmation that the body found on the M4 on friday was indeed the missing parent.....This job is sometimes really Sh** isn't it.😥

Oh no, that’s awful, so sorry to hear this. All the best to you and your team in the coming weeks dealing with this.

[finleysmaid]

Good luck tomorrow Zig zagxxxxx

[louby loo]

On 13/03/2022 at 16:46, louby loo said:

Are they actually coming tomorrow?

Good Luck. Hope it all goes well- just remember to sell yourself big 😊

[sunnyday]

On 13/03/2022 at 16:27, finleysmaid said:

I have unfortunately just had confirmation that the body found on the M4 on friday was indeed the missing parent.....This job is sometimes really Sh** isn't it.😥

Yes it is and all too much to deal with at times x

[Froglet]

Oh FM, I am so sorry to hear that. Sending good thoughts to the family and yourselves. Times like this are tough.

[Mouseketeer]

Oh no Fm, that is awful 😞 stay strong 

 

I’ll be thinking of you zigzig, I agree and wish it had stayed unannounced, try and get some sleep, you’ve got this 👍

[Cait]

Oh FM, that’s awful.  We lost a Mum just before Christmas one year - a car accident on her way home from Edinburgh where she’d been Christmas shopping for her boys.  We had a strong emotional attachment to her, as she was a young mum, only 23, who had had to cope with febrile convulsions in her youngest boy, and once ran into preschool carrying the almost lifeless little boy and dumped him in my arms whilst she collapsed. (He was okay after a trip to hospital - ambulance called and whole village ripe with gossip)  It was truly hard to deal with.  Dad continued to bring both boys to preschool and we opened spaces (that sometimes didn’t really exist) whenever he brought them. We made it clear to him that he could just bring them whenever he needed to, as he had no local support network apart from his Dad.  I enlisted a few volunteer Mums to assist at a session so that two of us were able to attend her funeral, after a discussion with staff about whether closing would be appropriate.  We had her boys to look after, so decided to run as normal.  
It’s going to be tough for you, you’ll be juggling your feelings of sympathy, love and compassion with bouts of emotional detachment (which you’ll have to do, just to be able to function and run the day to day sessions) and boy that’s hard!  
We made a scrap book of things with the boys, pictures of their Mum and bits and bobs they found, pictures they continued to paint for her all stuck in that they took home when they left (we looked at the books quite a lot on days when they wanted to chat about her, and each time something new was added) and we had a condolence book for parents to write in.

Phew - that went on a bit, sorry! 
 

ZZ, I’m sure you’ll absolutely smash that inspection!  Enthusiasm goes that extra mile! 

[sunnyday]

Coooeeee zigzag how did it go - you have never been far from my thoughts today

[zigzag]

On 14/03/2022 at 16:01, sunnyday said:

Coooeeee zigzag how did it go - you have never been far from my thoughts today

Ahh bless you.  It went brilliantly, it was a very positive experience and worth the weekend of anxiety! I am delighted with the result. Will share with you when I can. Now just breathing deeply again and unwinding! Eight years was a long time!

[sunnyday]

On 14/03/2022 at 16:19, zigzag said:

Ahh bless you.  It went brilliantly, it was a very positive experience and worth the weekend of anxiety! I am delighted with the result. Will share with you when I can. Now just breathing deeply again and unwinding! Eight years was a long time!

Whoop! Whoop! so pleased for you - well done!

Is eight years a record?????