On your marks, get set, go...it's the countdown to Christmas 2020. Thread 1!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

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Afternoon.

Here we go again! It feels slightly bonkers setting off again before today is over, but it's tradition, so who am I to argue?!

How awful! The man who ran our swimming club was so, so lovely. That's a big part of why we did so well, all his encouragement. I can't see how any child could flourish if they're being shouted at!

Just make sure it's unlatched, Wreck. You can't pass it off as an accident if you have to do it twice. I've seen it on CSI nods sagely

We have a swimming teacher here who calls herself the baby whisperer or something like that. She apparently screeches and yells at the kids loads! So we don't use her.

Our kids' teacher is lovely too. He has a brilliant reputation and it's bloody hard to get a slot with him.

Wreck, DS can get like that. It's soul-destroying, isn't it?

Those were the days Fluffy, couldn't hack it now though and no one goes out until very late either, I'm ready for home by then!!

Swimming lessons are huge must for dd2 this year, but she's a stubborn bugger and if he doesn't want to do something she won't, I remember when dd1 started, she jumped in for the 1st time, went under and nearly had a panic attack, she's full of confidence now though and loves it.

Bought myself the 1st Pinch of nom book today, and have done a recipe already, in the slow cooker, it was amazing and some left over for tomorrow!

Wreck breathe in, breathe out and then throw him out the window
PJ , I like the sound of that book saw it pre Christmas but didn't have the motivation then with a houseful of mince pies and crackers & cheese
Have been coughing so much l think l have pulled a muscle in my side hey ho, tablets thrown down gullet , kill or cure

Ah Mrs, hope the cough clears off soon, I had a really bad cough a year ago, turns out I had tonsillitis, the nurse couldn't believe I didn't know!! Well, considering I'd never had it before how was I to know what it was

There are a few recipes I want to try, done this today and it was amazing!!

PJ thank you for the recipe peek , it looks smashing , the thing l liked the best was you didn't have to cook the bloody pasta in a separate pan, you cook it all in the slo cooker and it looks really lovely
I have swigged on cough mixture and been sucking Killcoffs . I told you kill or cure

You're welcome, I liked that about it too, will come in handy when I'm at work at the weekends.

Ha ha hopefully cure Mrs!!

353

Morning!

My cold seems to finally be shifting a bit, touch wood. Not so much gunk today, though the sore throat and post-viral cough are persisting (Mrs, I feel your pain!). We had an early night and I feel better for it, I can tell you.

PJ, hell no. I couldn't do it either! It was good fun at the time though. DH's brother got him the new Ministry of Sound CD for his birthday and most of it is from those days; it takes me right back when we listen in the car!

The kids are back to school today. Wooooo! I don't think that DS is keen, but he'll be fine once he's there.

There were some great tunes about then fluffy

Back to school here too, have slept very badly though so early to bed tonight.

I'm a rubbish swimmer too flouncy and also hate getting my face wet.

We're also back to school today, but DS has an optometrist appointment at 8.40. I nominated DH to take him , so they've already left and I have 30 mins to just get myself ready for work. Bliss...

How did you get on at SW last night, Crazy? I need to lose weight this year. I was already overweight and then I was bedridden for 6 weeks last summer. Between sickness bugs/abscess/better plans, I haven't been to the gym since November, and I feel bleurgh!

Firefly, you shouldn't need the gym with an allotment! My thighs are arse are on 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 today after the digging and squats (weed removal) on Sunday.

I can swim, but almost drowned as a toddler, so I don't go underwater either!

Morning everyone 😀
Weather very mild here , we haven't really had that very biting cold winter days so far this Winter.
Am not so bad this morning 🤞😷 thank you Fluffy, Fanny & PJ 🤗🤧 you sound like a pop group collectively 😂
Fanny not got Manflu thankfully, how terrible would that be? 😷🤧😂
Of course Manflu IS the cousin to swine flu, so it must be terrible for the poor darlings 🤪
I can swim , not great but good enough for me to survive if l fell in the water for a couple of mins until least rescued but not that long mind 😂 🆘
DH watched the footy too , he doesn't like Arsenal and turned it over disappointed 10 mins before the end. 🙄
Just watching the news .
So am a bit in the dark re the young woman in this rape accusation in Aya Napa, surely she is telling the truth? You wouldn't make something like this up surely to God ? Makes you feel like there is something terribly wrong gone on . I hope she can move on from this .
Not doing much today, just chilling , must go to Aldi for washing powder, am going to get Pinch of Non book too l think, it looks great PJ .
On camera yesterday My Mum and my sister really laid into us about the meals we cook for My Mum. My sister gives her cheese on toast, tinned soup & we give her cooked meals, my sil meals were discussed in the same disparaging way and she has won awards for her cooking . I am pissed off tbh because we take time to plan / prepare/cook / clean up for her and Mum is so ungrateful. She does it to suck up to my sister. It makes me feel so upset. I feel like l can never win .
Had a really nutty dream in the night, DH and I were cleaning our Neighbours house for them we don't 😂 and there was an old woman crawling around the floor there. I am sure a psychologist would have a field day 🤪
So Aldi, Lidl, Ocado, did great, Asda, Morrison's,Tesco, Sains didn't According to Kantor predictions. I shopped in them all for different things.
Better shift bath calling
Have a great day everyone 😀

Just thought now. l am prob the old woman crawling on the floor , she's my alter ego 🙄😂🤪

Unfortunately, between am dram rehearsals and supporting a family friend whose husband is in hospital and not expected to come back out, we're not managing to get to the allotment at the moment! It would be great if it didn't get dark so early, I could do an hour or so after work! Might put DS's wellies in the car and go after school as his club doesn't start until next week...

I lost a stone and a half in the last year just by mindful eating. I also did seven months of weights and spinning but haven't done that since end of July (have started again now though!). Firefly look up hasfit on YouTube. I love them! And they reply to my comments on their fb page

The windows are in tact! He gave in in the end and went to bed of his own accord and we had a cuddle. He's on a tv ban for the rest of the week and DH isn't going to take him to football training Friday unless he goes to bed nicely from now on. Does that seem appropriate?

Mrs I agree there'd be no reason for her to make up such an elaborate lie not against 12 men or however many it was

She'd have nothing to gain. Poor, poor woman.

Wreck we always try not to punish in the future, as it were. Each day is a new start. But it's difficult to do that if the problem is at bedtime. I think going to football practice on a Friday being conditional on good bedtime behaviour the rest of the week is reasonable.

I usually do too firefly but nothing is working with him at the moment

Yes we used to do immediate action because they don't remember what it was all about and we weakened all the time soft 🤗

PJ have copied you 🤪
Aldi this morning 5.99 l thought that was an excellent price. Thank you m'dear 💐🤗

I find that DS gets more frustrated and therefore angry than DD ever does. He hates things 'going wrong' even only slightly / as perceived by him, even if it's easy to fix. He can be hard to calm down / get to see reason.

DD is far more easy going and compliant!

Mrs, you do so much for your mum, it makes you feel like why should you bother!! How have you not told your sister where to go with her opinions? I got it from Aldi too, bargain!!

DD2 is hard work too, she takes ages to calm down if she's hurt herself, almost has a panic attack, and gets very frustrated if she does something wrong, then I get frustrated, then we have cuddles and all is well again

That poor girl yes, I'm dreading the time when mine are old enough to start going out etc, poor thing, I hope she gets the help she'll need.

PJ, such a bargain l thought! Have been reading it avidly thanks to your bargain hunting eyes
I have gone very low contact with my sister and her DH , l never contact her , EVER. I heard from her last when she wanted to know something on the 16th Dec on messenger. I avoid her like the plague. She is toxic. l really mean that. We are going to give Mum soup and toast now we have had a feed of it and although that is what my sister gives her and it is fine for her to give it her , we will be in the wrong for doing the same . I go on a bit on here sometimes , l will shut up for a couple of weeks now till Mum's birthday l expect

Wreck, that is marvelous you lost all that m'dear, especially with you being Diabetic well done

We had a good bedtime tonight. Let's hope it lasts...

Email from school earlier. They want to do a day trip to France in the summer (on top of the two night residential in May). It'll be £50 and they'll need to be at school ready to leave at 6am

Your school takes the mick a bit, Wreck. Far too many expensive trips.

We swapped your bedtime from yesterday, but I just hugged DS and he calmed down. Overtired after going back to school.

Mrs, your sister is a horror!