The 1 year anniversary thread of the UMN: we're not fussed about Tinkers or Tailors but we do like Soldiers and Spies

[PassTheTwiglets]

Ta-da!

Come on then Lady D, wallop the Champagne over our bow :)

Only £49.99, Twiggy, for a gorgeous photo covered in another woman's lipstick.

Really going now.

a gorgeous photo covered in another woman's lipstick

As long as it's only that, and no slobber.

You have probably all seen this confession anyway but...

When he stops doing that, possibly..

Night night ladies!

I'm off to get my Porter on!

Night Spiro, and have fun!

Argh!! I missed a night of fun with you girls by looks of it!! My last post crossed with loads!!

Quite liking that canvas photo - definitely slowly converting to the leather-clad look!

Lol at better lipstick than slobber!! No mention of either on the description but her Dad did lose two wives over his obsession with meeting and collecting artefacts from famous people by the sound of it!!

And I can almost see myself developing an interest in cross-stitch!!.

Science museum does look fab but too far from here too. Although isn't RA from Leicester? We could tie a trip in to visit his childhood haunts to the museum trip just to lower ourselves to level of wierdo stalkers as that would add a history element to the tour!!

8.40am wake up call this morning...

Am officially loving DD's new clock and Enid Blyton right now (ok - and a bit of bribery, an extra £1 on the pocket money this month!)

DD has cross stitch as one of her mini projects for school this term...

Your DD goes to a fab school!!! What a perfect excuse to get that cross stitch then!! How old is she again? My DD 7 loves cross stitch but I can't do it so she's teaching me!!!

Ps 8.40!!

DS was awake at 6.20am!! Despite clock!! But works most days!!

DD usually wakes any time from 5.30 onwards - mostly 6-6.15, which is ok in the week, but a pita at the weekend.

I cannot remember the last time she let us have a lie in like that!

DD's school is brilliant - and we're lucky as I wasn't seriously considering sending her there at first as she went to nursery out of catchment and all her friends were going elsewhere. Then I saw it and met the head and thought - it's great, I like the head and it's our catchment school - no brainer. Best decision ever so far (thank God!).

Your DD is very clever to be managing cross stitch at 7! DD was only 7 a couple of weeks ago and I suspect she is going to get very frustrated, but I have found this website with a pattern generator so she can make a simple bookmark with her name on.

We'll see...

Found DD's Christmas present!

DD gets very frustrated with it especially as I can't help her!!. My mum is teaching her but as she lives far too far away (and about to move abroad) we don't see her very often!

We've been lucky with DD's 3 schools so far - dreading a posting where the school with spaces is no good!!! Her current one has pupils from a 20 mile radius so must be ok and it's our catchment school. dS at local nursery where over 50% go on to the same school which is great as chances are we'll be moving him after reception so at least this way he gets 2 years with same friends! But DD's last school was outstanding with 14 in her class so nowhere is going to come up to their standards!!

It must be tricky with schools when you move about so much too.

DD's reception teacher was not brilliant, but the school as a whole and the head teacher made up for that. She had a fantastic teacher last year and we've been incredibly lucky as she has moved up to teach Yr2 and DD is in her class again.

Teacher is only about 27 but has a real knack of keeping them in line without being unpleasant and treating them all as individuals even thought there's 30 of them. TBH I'd love it if she went into Yr3 and the same thing happened again but I can't see it somehow!

It's the education side of things which really starts to make this lifestyle and job so much harder! Unless you happy to send your children to boarding school (and the allowance isn't slashed beyond affordability) the only choice is move your children every 18-24 months and hope for a space in a local enough good school or settle down and see your husband only at odd weekends when he's able to get back! Tough choice especially as kids get older and school more important and serious. We'll see. Not a time to leave your job through choice but morale is at an all time low in the armed forces due to all these cuts in funding but not in war commitments. Expecting too much of too few - see they need to resuscitate John porter as the army needs men like him!!

Mmm - that was a bit serious post! Sorry!!

In an even more depressing note - Scotland just lost the rugby!

I think you have to be quite tough yourself to cope with that.

Has anyone been reading the thread about SAHM's with kids at school 'what do they do all day'?

I have just worked out that if I was to pay for out-of-school-hours childcare, cleaning and laundry (washing & ironing) services - presumably a large part of what SAHM's get up to all day - I would be looking at nearly £12k a year!!!

How can people possible say there is no intrinsic value to being a SAHM if your kids are at school!

I work part-time but I'd jack it in in a heartbeat if I had the money!

Mmm I'm a SAHM and I don't have enough hours in a day to do everything!! probably because i spend too long on the puter! But then I still have a preschooler at home 2.5 days a week.

I did work full-time when DD was little but when DS was born and DD started school I realised that being there at drop-off and pickup was really important especially with the Colonel off topping his tan up in some desert country for 7 months! I did love working and probably had more earning power than DH but I've (like a lot of other military wives) sacrificed it for our husband's career/family life to cope with all the moves! Have to watch what we spend but definitely very lucky that we can afford for me not to work at the moment.

Do wonder what I'll do with my time once DS is at school full-time next year - probably spend more time on here!!!

Didn't someone work put once that it was about £35 grand if you had two preschoolers at home that SAHM should be paid! £12000 is still a hefty amount considering kids are at school for 6 hours a day.

I am all behind -- loads to do and I got up far too late. BBL, I hope.

just got really excited that spooks was on this eve then remembered Lucas was running down the fire escape still!

I miss him.

I love being a SAHM but I'm also lucky in that I'm financially forced to do so. If I were to get a job locally then I wouldn't be able to earn enough to pay for childcare so it' s a no-brainer for us, luckily!

On the countdown to Spooks o'clock!

::wanders in very slowly and gingerly lowers self on to the chaise longoo, trying very hard not to set off pneumatic drills behind eyes::

Ooh what a night. Fantastic party but possibly the worst hangover in recent memory.

Where's DrGisborne with a pint of Coke and 2 neurofen when you need him?

Hello, LadyD. At least you had a great time! Hope you are better soon - want some of my coffee? It's only instant, but it gets the job done.