Around the Cadac with bunting, tealight chandeliers and fairylights on the EHU

[notwavingjustironing]

Gawd, the minimalists will kill us.....

It was Someone Else's idea, all right?

Carry on where you left off, be it owls, bins, sharks, tins of vodka, karaoke etc. [grain]

to Freddie and the poor rta victim and all involved :(

Good luck to everyone with new terms starting this week. Ds1 starts his preschool, and dh is away all week-it will be a sleepless week!

New cars hmmm... No idea, I just seem to need more and more space! Soon be a minibus required

Slubber- that castle is incredible! I hope your journey northwards is going well.

We have had a nice weekend, friends wedding yesterday and teaching ds1 to cycling-he needs stabilisers but is doing well with peddling, I just need to get him to use the brakes

Collapsed on sofa after our local folk/beer festival came to an end. Had lovely relaxed time and even heard some music! DS1 was heard to ask, querulously, why weren't we camping at this festival? [grain] Because we live 5 mins down the road, sweetie.

Love Slubber's crazy gothic castle. Must show DS1.

Good luck with DS1's preschool, Seashells! DS1 must start back this week, but like the Bad Mother I am, I don't have term dates or anything. Must find out. Preferably before 1pm tomorrow.

Good morning all. So much to catch up with and have memory like a sieve, but as always good to hear what you're all up to. Yellow, hope your dad ok and not too traumatised.

Good luck also to everyone with dc going back to school / starting this week. Ds starting nursery year at big school on Wednesday, and I'm already wobbly. Must be so much harder when they start school. If it helps at all though, I was overjoyed when I started school (five million years ago) - always thought everyone goes off to have a marvellous time with loads of friends and unlimited mess! I do have one worry though. His current nursery (which is only 3 days a week and very informal) is more easygoing, but school nursery insist on them having name tags in all clothes. I can see why it is essential, but I forgot to order some in time. Damn. Will try a marker and hope I don't get into too much trouble whilst waiting for names. Not starting well, am I?!

Oh, one thing I have to add - lost, your ds looks lovely!

Poor dh is ill so working from home today, so dh and I off outdoors in a minute. Toddlers and phone conferences doesn't work too well.

Oh he'll, am I meant to put name tapes in?!! He is only 2(well, nearly 3)

I think it depends on nursery. His current nursery recommends, but doesn't enforce it. New nursery seem to insist (and monitor). Ds only 3, so I send him to school in cheap clothes anyway - with messy play and paint etc, I can't see the point of "good" clothes to nursery - so not fussed if it gets lost. But hey, I'll try and be a Good Parent. Mind you, not starting well, am I?! No idea if this is acceptable, but I'm going to get him Attach a Tags for tougher items like coats, jeans and shoes (through laces), and will get name tape printed for shirts. I can't bring myself to nametape toddler pants and socks though, so will take my chances on those.

Laundry marker pen is the way forward. On the fabric of the uniform not the label as apparently unscrupulous parents will cut the label out and nick the clothes. (If these vile people really exist I don't know but I have written his name on the fabric just in case!). I would definitely name stuff though, not because people nick stuff but because it cuts down on the inevitable time you spend in the lost property box. Some days I think the DS's just skip through school throwing their belongings into random corners.

Yellow I hope your FiL was ok.

Well I was sitting here wondering what the hell to do with all this time but I read through the thread and now I'm going to the nearest Skoda garage to have a look round. That will take my mind off sweet, good natured DS1 being teased for being different by the horrid boys (oh I really need to give my imagination a rest, he's probably blowing up the Chemistry lab as we speak with an evil grin on his face!) Oh and thank you MisSal I think he's pretty lovely, I'm just trying to restrain myself from putting even more photo's of him up. He's not going to thank me for the one I put on FB this morning!

Good luck to all DC's in their respective schools, better luck to the mum's coping with them going!

Oh lost I really feel for you. Keep yourself busy and he'll soon be home. Both dc were excited about going back to school although ds was still awake when I went to bed at 11 last night as he was nervous as well!
It's pouring down here again after a brief respite yesterday and I'm stuck in waiting for the washing machine repair man to appear and hoping it's not going to cost too much or worse, need replacing.
Sal I was always fairly rebellious re naming everything at nursery. I wrote names on the labels of big items but that was it. We only ever lost a couple of things in all their time there and fortunately never came across thieving parents. At school though I do try to name all the uniform, though named stuff does still end up in the lost property bin!

Hope your FIL is feeling a little less wobbly today lost .

This is agent damp in bavaria reporting. Still in Bavaria and not in Austria as planned due to syphlitic german rain. It is RAINING. it rained all night and has not stopped all day. dh madeexecutive decision not to strike camp this morning

This is agent damp in bavaria reporting. Still in Bavaria and not in Austria as planned due to syphlitic german rain. It is RAINING. it rained all night and has not stopped all day. dh madeexecutive decision not to strike camp this morning

catle utterly bonkers Ludwig II had ishoos. posting from sleeping bag.

me that is not Ludwig who died in a mysterious drowning incident. he had a CAVE built next to his bedroom.

me that is not Ludwig who died in a mysterious drowning incident. he had a CAVE built next to his bedroom.

before he was drowned. obv. his throne room was the most ornate compensation for a tiny penis i have ever seen

Do not return yet Agent Damp, I repeat do not return yet. The weather here is terrible and getting worse as the week progresses. Your orders are to remain in your sleeping bag and send DH out to acquire more beer.

Well Skoda's are very lovely cars, that was quite and enjoyable morning. They are doing mad cheap offers at the moment, we could actually afford a new car .

Hello everyone

Not sure what I've been doing for the past few days, but it hasn't really involved the computer!

Went on a fab day out with the DS's and their mates and their mums on Friday, which tired everyone out (me included). Fell off the wine wagon a bit, but am back on again today and am going running tonight for the first time in years months.

Yesterday was a blur of labels, roast chicken dinner, gf chocolate brownies and gf yorkshire puddings (a success, amazingly!)

Managed to nearly melt the hood of DS2's new school coat by ironing on a label a little too enthusiastically - and I even sewed on all the swimming badges which have been sitting in a pot on the dresser glaring at me for the last six months.

I think I now have my NVQ Level 1 in being a Good Mother.

All my camping gear is winking at me every time I go into the garage, but the weather just isn't going to be nice enough is it? Look away now if you dont agree with electricity in a tent are easily offended, but I upgraded my EHU last week, I've always used the "tower" type one with three plugs on, but its bulky and fills up a full sports bag - and precious room in the car. This one is like a cable reel, which stands up by itself and has FOUR power points.

Glad everyone is ok, Losty DS1 looks very grown up. I last dipped into this thread properly when you casually dropped into the conversation that an Otter had eaten your duck (not something you hear every day). Duke was indeed a very handsome chap.

Talking of birds, will we be hearing the chirp of tiny beaks soon Bramble?

In other news, I want a new car now too. Loads of people had Skodas when I was camping - they really are Tardis like aren't they?

Hellooo to Yellow, Seashells, Sal et al, and to Agent Damp in Bavaria. And anyone else who knows me.

Oooh lost, get shopping! Btw I also have a house full of redheads (and luuurve Tim Minchin )

Hello Agent Damp! I agree, Blighty is still very damp! I hope you get to dry out soon :)

I always used tO be in the swot corner-am
I going to be put in detention tomorrow? Tis forrin not being well prepared

XpoSt with not waving-you can join funtimes in the swot corner with a gold star for naming all clothing

do you want me to put your name in it?

Thanks for the reminder about sewing in names - have ordered some nametapes! (Am sad and actually quite enjoy sewing of an evening.)

Weather preposterous. All remaining tomato plant are bent double. Tent is again spread over spare bed, because I know it was dampish when we packed up last week. I'm meant to be packing for holiday on thursday, but instead we're vegging, watching the original Winnie the Pooh movie and eating chocolate ice cream.

Well I never, if you want a new Skoda it can take upwards of 6 months to be delivered?! I suppose the upside is you don't have to pay for it straight away either but I stand by my first . I have found a three year old one we can afford though so tomorrow I am going to drive down and have a look. Much more sensible than all the depreciation on a brand new car anyway.

I had everything labelled for each child this morning too, a first in the lost household, may I sit in the swot corner too?

Do we have a thread full of gingers then, I used to say when I was growing up that I was going to marry a man with red hair and then forgot until my cousin reminded me on our wedding day. (Mine and DH's wedding day, not mine and my cousins, I mean I know it was Yorkshire but still)

hahaha re naming hat. Hello notwaving. Heater sounds lovely, and means you can camp longer - that must be a good thing, surely.

Well, SeaShells, I'll temporarily join you in naughty corner, but from next week you're on your onw and I'll pretend not to know you , as I've just ordered woven name tape, name stickers for food boxes etc, and iron on stretchy name transfer thingies for socks. This is like a whole new world out there! In the meantime, I'll use laundry pen, but in my guilt I've now read the whole folder (yup, thick folder with dividers and everything ) from school, and they specifically don't want that. Oh well, hopefully tape arrives before I get my final warning. Messy looking website (which I find rather odd for a business involved mainly in keeping order), but really lovely sounding lady from Easy2name ensured me I'd get the items within 5 working days.

"(Mine and DH's wedding day, not mine and my cousins, I mean I know it was Yorkshire but still)"

Oh, I keep laughing at our thread today!

Well washing machine man arrived and pulled a small wire out of the pump, the machine now works perfectly again and he got £42 for his 10 minutes(ish) of work . Anyway at least that's better than it could've been. Luckily our rain has eased off a bit so I'm trying to dry everything on the line, tis windy so I should be in with a shout.
lost is ds1 back from school yet? Hope he got on okay.
Am also at the wait for a new Skoda.

Wish I'd not linked to Tim Minchin Seashells as I've had the song going round and round in my head ever since ! Proof that even a bloke with swampy hair and eyeliner can be phwoar when you've been married a few years .

Ds1 had a good first day but do they need to send everything back in the lunchbox ? I've got a pretty strong constitution but I nearly heaved when I opened it when he got home . Hope that everyone elses dc had a good day too.