Due April 2009: Episode 21 - RLT officials have stern words with the April mums after stocks plummet!!

[PuzzleRocks]

Thanks to Nutty for all the thread suggestions including this one. I hope no one minds but I picked this one in honour of the brilliant race commentary we had from Nuts and Frekkles the other night. Hopefully we will get some more.

I love line drying all things, but especially little things. I should be getting on with this but I am not really up to buzzing about doing things like this at the moment, despite spending the past 3 days within a very small radius, even having packed lunch so as not to leave the room.

I am thinking about FISH AND CHIPS - for some reason the thought will not let me go, although the weather is beautiful and I usually crave them when it is raining.

Bleu, sorry to hear you have been depressed. Such a strange time at the moment.

Springy, I feel your pain. Does your DH also have a strange susceptibility to branded food in supermarkets? I think it very odd that women have the reputation as being frivolous and style-over-substance when it is the men who tend to be successfully programmed to buy the expensively packaged stuff next to the nearly-identical own brand stuff. ("It looked nicer.")

deal

Yes! - ginger my DH is the same

gotta go write an essay..I've prevaricated long enough..

back later

my dh is another the same. He knows hes crap with money but knowing doesn't help at all.

Gosh Bronze I didn't realise they were all so little. You really must have your work cut out.

My DH has a thing for expensive shoes

He claims they last forever but fact is, they don't and he ends up buying 2 pairs a year. So his overall shoe budget is higher than mine!

I have no clue how Bronze does it. I have a lot of respect for anyone with more than 1 child

My DH is being v. frugal at the moment (probably because our house is haemoragging money). He told me how he made his lunch sandwiches from the hotel breakfast buffet this morning. Which makes me extra for having the odd hot chocolate out now and then.

Schulte - my DH wears v. expensive shoes too. His do last for years but only because he spends an utter fortune on getting them re-soled and re-healed all the time.

Welcome back from the hospital, buddy-of-mine!! Glad to hear you and LO are OK...

For anyone needing to stock on RLT - Holland & Barrett are offering 3 boxes for £2.50... I am now drowning in the stuff!

Freezer is stocked with essentials from Cook - macaroni cheese, haddock gratin, giant raspberry pavlova... ooops, that's what happens when you send me shopping when I'm hungry...

PS Springy - Cook now have an online delivery service... get googling, girl!!

And Schulte - I have no idea how I will cope with 2. I'm really trying to encourage DD to help around the house but the best I hve manged so far is that she takes her own nappies to the bin. Most of the time she follows me round the house un-doing my housework (e.g. clambering into freshly made beds and piling the bedding onto the floor, pulling ironed clothes out of drawers and rolling in them, taking all the plates out of the cupboard, eating a pot of Philadelphia cheese with her hands and leaving little white fingerprints everywhere etc etc etc)

I don't do 'it' most of the time thats why hence why its taking me so much time and effort to even start getting on top of things. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere (actually I lie our bedroom finally feels like a room I want t o be in)

Why is it so difficult for men to make packed lunches? Lulu will yours give lessons?

Dh took a packed lunch today but still went a bought dinner as everyone else was going out for fish and chips!!!

Bronze - at home I make it extra easy for him (although I usually make his lunch myself unless he's catching a really early train). He likes ham & cheese sandwiches and I splash out on the ready sliced emmental so the whole process takes seconds - chuck in an apple and a pear and a slice of cake if there is any going. Hey presto. Couldn't believe he was pilfering lunch from the hotel though. That really was surprising.

DH is very good at doing his own packed-lunch. Although we've now run out of bread, but I have made some leek and potato pasties for him to take instead.

Have just uploaded a couple of bump-y photos from my NCT group. The one with all the bumps goes due soonest to due latest, right to left. Apparently I do wear funereal black all the time!

I have two domestic questions:

1. Why is my shortcrust always too short? Wrong fat? Not enough liquid? Overworked?

2. Is there an easy way to clean DH's ties at home without destroying them?

V. impressed by your pasties Ju they sound yummy. I'm not really a pastry expert - possibly not enough fat or possibly overworked or possibly hands not very cold during working?

My grandfather used to soak his ties in water and fairy liquid but I don't think any of them ever used to look particularly good for it. Get DH to wear a bib instead.

(if in doubt buy ready made pastry - lazy slattern that I am!)

JUW
My answers to your domestic questions

1. Why is my shortcrust always too short? Wrong fat? Not enough liquid? Overworked? Overworked! you would know if you used too much liquid (wow I can't believe that I potentially know the answer to that - my nan was a pastry whiz!

2. Is there an easy way to clean DH's ties at home without destroying them? Take them to a dry cleaners!

OK I know I have been to hospital and heard the heartbeat so I KNOW it's all OK but have just had a warm bath and seriously that is the guaranteed thing to get LO bouncing around and NOTHING not even a flutter

erm BB a bit of a personal question but when did you last have a poo? I often find if I'm a bit bunged up then the bump doesn't have much room to move, and I don't feel nearly as much.

Failing that, something sugary like chocolate or a can of Coke normally gets this one moving!

BB - it may have just got to the stage where there really isn't any room to move around any more.

Or maybe it is getting ready for labour in the next few days.

I always found ice-cold diet coke gave DD a jolt (haven't tried with this bump as desperate to produce a calmer child 2nd time round rather than a caffeinated nutcase!)

LOL WFH this afternoon so am alright there

Have tried coke and lemonade, ice cold water and milk - the thing is I KNOW it is fine, I heard the heartbeat for 45 minutes straight - I am just being silly!!!

Springy - exploit away dear friend

Bleu - tough times, maybe your dh actually wants to get out of his contract early so he can spend more time with you and LO?

LuLu - "like a kangaroo on amphetamines" classic!! i cant wait for my trip to bath spa post baby, so excited your dd will get more helpful, the want to copy mummy bug sets in at about 2.5/3

Conker - yay for a bit of you time xx

BB - awwwww ((hugs)) i was looking forward to a good labour from you everything!! xx cant be long to go now though xx glad you're both ok though xx

WFH - yay for no impetigo

Boffin YAY for good doo!! yep pics please

Gingersarah - yum for fish and chips oooohhhh the lovely salty vinigeryness ahhh bliss

Juw: if your pastry is overworked, you need one of these. I have used one ever since I lived in a climate where the butter literally melted when you took it out of the fridge.

As for the ties, I'd like to know too.

BB: glad you're OK and the baby, too.

Boff: let's have a gander at your luscious locks, then!

Bleu - I think health and safety rules mean you are not allowed to plug anything in that hasn't been checked over? I may be wrong though.

FreshHell - Re BLW, how do you ensure they eat enough. I mean if they are not feeding themselves what do you do? I'm thinking about it this time round.

BB - I know this sounds daft but honestly if you are stressed then your LO may respond by being quiet. This seemed to be the case for my sister. Maybe they are saving their energy and gearing up for some imminent birth action?

Boff - Hurrah. I feel a million times better when I have had a decent cut and colour. Where are the pics?

Yes Boff we need pics!! You Yummy Mummy with the sexy lowlights lights you...

good to hear things are fine bb but i know you dont feel you can relax yet - sure you will feel it at some point this evening - try not concentrating on it and just lie down for a bit or something and it might happen when you least expect it.

ds has a copy mummy thing now at 19 months and tries to help with everything - dishes, brushing up etc etc- maybe when he is 2.5 he will actually be good at it though.

feeling a slight need to nest too but dont think its a real urge - probably more because my pil are coming round tomorrow rather than cause any baby is on its way.