The pressure of Exams

We finally caught up with her yesterday evening. Mammy2 was at home, when she barrelled home, went to bed for 2 hours and then when she finally got up, she announced she was going to hang with the mate K. For the third evening in a row. We have a rule about hanging out on a school night, ie it doesn't usually happen. We are trying not to come down hard on her, but we have to get her to do some work else come the Leaving Cert she won't get the grades she needs to get into art college. I was working late and so when Mammy2 announced the kid was off hanging again, I decided to try and talk to her. Ringing her, she was in a prize snot of a mood. She knows she has to study etc, but she wants to see her mates. As it turns out, they were all ripped into yesterday by the principal for their bad grades. One of the teachers actually said that they should forget about their social life. Ah, I remember those days. Except, I didn't have a social life and I loved studying so there was nothing to worry about there.

There was a bit of arguing back and forth about the time she was expected home at. She said 11, I said 10. She said 10.30, I stayed at. I laid on the guilt trip, about how we understand she needs her time, and all the rest but she also needs to do some school work. I got a Fine, when I knew it was far from fine but she has to know who's in charge. She arrived in at 10.05. Always pushing buttons. She was a bit upset, telling us her depression was getting worse and how she feels like shit. Her empathy is acting up as well. I never know what to make of her empathy to be honest. I don't know whether its real but apparently, she's been having stomach pains because someone in Kildare that she knows online has been ill. I was going to suggest it might be the lack of dinner but decided with her current mood, perhaps not. She has to drop her portfolio into Dun Laoghaire today and then DIT next week. I think.

I can't keep up with the colleges she's applied to or has to drop stuff into. I'm still trying to get her to do Maths. I mentioned it again and she mentioned she was hanging all weekend. All weekend, granted the mere thought of having the place to ourselves for the weekend is enough to make us a happy set of Mammies but she has to start working. We agreed that we would do Maths on Sunday morning, she'd have Sunday dinner and then she could head off to hang. She has a date apparently. She's not too excited about it, its one of her mates. Supposedly there's four of them interested in her. She has no interest in them. She's a strange one. For Mother's day, she wants to go out and glare at people who have a mammy. I think she's harbouring some issues. Its been a month or more since she's seen her counseller and its starting to show. She's ringing her this week and catching up with her. Its strange I guess, I never notice the effects of the counselling until its been a while and she's acting like a woman possessed.

Mammy2 is also sleeping a lot, I think the depression is acting up for both of them, although with it being spring and the evenings getting longer it should be okay. I love Spring, its much nicer then summer because you still have the frosty mornings, the odd day where the rain is coming in torrents and the mornings where the sky is blue, the sun is shining and the people who pass you are frowning whilst you skip to work. Love it! When the sun is shining, you just can't stay in bed.

Perhaps its because I am a culchiee at heart! Up at the crack of dawn, to throw some hay up in the air, cut a bit of turf, have a hang sandwich or 2. I miss the country at times.