Silly question regarding starting secondary schools

[scarlett]

My neighbour did sew her son's polo shirts to the inside of his jumpers last year. After he lost 3 jumpers in his first half term she decided to ban him from taking his jumper off altogether, and when he disobeyed she bought 3 jumpers and sewed them to the shirts. They were worn and washed together (both black) until the weather was warm enough for him to be unstitched and he could go to school without a jumper. It reminded me of Tom Sawyer getting stitched into his clothes to stop him going swimming but seemed a bit draconian for the 21st century.

This lady must have attended your old primary school, PPMum and got a taste for having things sellotaped/stapled/sewn to you . I wonder if she spread goose fat and brown paper on his chest during the winter.

[push-pull-mum]

I've run out of name tapes!!

Where do they all go???

I bought the largest number it was possible to order from Cash's (130 something) when DD was 4. She and her brother share the same initial and so have always shared the tapes (yes, that it is why they share the same initial - I have 'issues' ). Every summer there is a grand 'unpicking' and tapes get used over and over again and there are always a few fresh ones in my sewing box. But now they are, finally, all gone.

Ordered more.

Just read all that back and realised that I sound just like my Nana when she used to complain that she didn't still have all the clothes pegs she was given when she got married in 1935.

Scarlett - do you think I might be living in a Victorian novel and just haven't noticed yet?

[scarlett]

Thought you said Victorian hovel for a moment then...surely not I was thinking...you sound like the perfect housewife.As long as you are doing your sewing with an electric light on rather then a candle, then probably not.I'm quite proud of you having a Grand Unpicking Day and a fully functional sewing box.I guess you won't be scribbling in biro or stapling garments like me then.Perhaps I'm the one living in the victorian hovel !

I think in our Victorian novel you are the gutsy, capable one and I'm the limpid , lace hanky held to my nose one.

[scary mum]

I'm the one drinking gin in some dark hovel

[push-pull-mum]

Thought you said Victorian hovel for a moment then...

It's early Edwardian actually - but definitely getting more hovellish as the holiday drags on.

[scarlett]

I'm the one drinking gin in some dark hovel

No, that's me ..Unscary....the house has gradually been taken over by toys and I'm stressing as we are due to go away again and I have to leave the house looking pristine.No time for cleaning though, as it has taken me hours to label and organise DS uniform and of course DS2 has just announced he actually needs new plimsoles for school.

Any ideas as to what I should do with DS blazer which has been modelled on an orangutan and have very long sleeves. Do I fold them under, sew them ( after a fashion ) or what ?? The problem is he has to wear it in lessons so really needs to be comfortable. It's a good job he feels the cold.

[scary mum]

Do I fold them under, sew them ( after a fashion ) or what ??

Do you have local dry cleaners or somewhere that does minor alterations (sometimes the school uniform shops do them)? I'm hopeless at sewing so it would end up all lumpy! Or you could leave them long so he has something to wipe his nose on

[scarlett]

He has an annoying habit of pulling his sleeves over his hands anyway...so I'm sure he will wrench the stitches free.Just don't want it to affect his hand writing, whichis messy at the best of times.