Woa-oh, we're halfway there...Countdown to Christmas 2021 (thread 4)

[NoWordForFluffy]

Here is thread 4 this year. With an appearance from Mr Bon Jovi himself!

129

Soooooo close to 100 now! 🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻🎄

Another gloomy start here today. I'm hoping it doesn't get too warm while we're away as then the inlaws will have to water more, and I feel it's a bit of a burden really. I'm going to give everything a good water before we go and hopefully they may only have to come twice.

Two more days at work. I've about 70 tasks between now and next Friday (as I haven't been putting them in for next week really). I need to power through!

Drizzly here. DH was going to walk back from Sains, but decided he didn't want to get soggy so came back in the car with me.

Sainsburys have removed their fish and butchery counters and fitted a load more shelving in prep for Christmas so I might have to go back again on Sat to see if there's anything I need

Last night started well with DD going down quite well and DH and I spending some time together, but then DD started being sick everywhere at 1.30, so our chilled day at the park with DSis and DNs today has been cancelled, and I will instead be spending it trying to deal with the aftermath.

I had a really weird dream as well, where the lovely cottage I've booked for our family holiday next week moved from the Dales to a swamp, there was a crocodile dressed up as a crocodile swimming through my bath, which took up most of the ground floor, and I kept pulling tiny crabs out of my hair! Wonder what the meaning of that one is... 🤣

Oh, and DS wet the bed the middle of all the spewing, so even more washing! He's still asleep, bless him...

Bloody hell, send caffeine to chez Firefly! 😱

As for your dream, you're not pregnant are you?! That the type of weird shit dream caused by mental hormones!

Very autumn like here today. I like it

Definitely not, Fluffy! Started my first post-pregnancy period yesterday, so could be that!

I'm not ready quite yet, Chips. I want some lovely weather for our holiday!

As soon as the kids go back, though, absolutely!

Ah yes, it'll be the hormone shift related to that! I'd say it has no meaning in that case! 🤣

Feels autumnal here too. The nights are really drawing in too. But I agree, I'd like warm weather for my holiday please!

I'm watching the bank holiday weekend weather forecast as I'm hosting a family bbq. It's not looking brilliant although every forecast so far says it's going to be dry.

Off to deep clean everywhere...

I have to spend most of the BH weekend at the allotment as I won't be there again until 28 August after going purely to pick stuff later today.

I'm getting into clearing and digging to prep beds for the winter now.

Sending thoughts and wine / gin to Firefly 🍷
Hope everyone is feeling better?

Weather here is supposed to be grey and drizzly but it's bloody boiling!
We've not long got home. Have unpacked, cleaned and returned the camper and put a load of washing on.
The house I left spotless is now a tip so we're sorting through and putting things away. Not helped as DH is going away again tomorrow so some stuff needs to stay in the way overnight 🙄

Have also returned to a mint plant that has flowered which apparently ruins it, half dead sage and an aloe with a tall flowering stem.

On the plus side, I did just open this....

So pleased for you chips!

Dd went shopping with a friend today and I took ds for a walk at the local national trust place. Not much else going on, it was a bit drizzly but warm.

I'm starting to feel ready for autumn, it's dark when I get up for the gym and I can definitely feel the season changing but I'm still clinging onto hope that we might get one last week of summer as this year has been shit.

We need the bank holiday weekend to be nice too as we're going to a festival on the Sunday.

Hey Hey Christmas Fans!

Its feeling a bit crisp here today, and as I've been labelling all DD'S school stuff I'm feeling very much in the autumn spirit.

I've also bought some wrapping paper to start wrapping up the Christmas Presents

My resolution every year is to wrap early. Hasn't happened yet...

DD managed to get to 4.30 before vomiting again, purple (blueberry) this time 🤷

Work have sent an email round, that they have seen the benefits of flexible working this past 18 months. They're wanting to set certain limits (eg someone at my level would need to be in the office 3 days a week, for at least 5 hours a day, and you need to have somewhere suitable to work from) but they're being much more relaxed about the 9-5 aspect. It'll work really well for my department, as our main clients are pub companies who don't really do traditional office hours!

I'd love to start wrapping earlier. I always fail, however! 🙈

That sounds promising in relation to your job, Firefly. Will you go back full time? (Were you doing 4 days, many moons ago...feels like forever ago!)

I wouldn't want to go back to working in an office now.

I always end up doing 2 or 3 wrapping sessions. I try to start at the beginning of December if I can - I think the thing that holds me up is I just cannot wrap anywhere other than on the floor so can only manage about an hour at a time - old knees and ankles 😂

Dentist check up for DS tomorrow and shoe appointment on Monday. I think he'll only need shirts and socks as far as the rest of the uniform goes.

That wfh/office balance does sound good Firefly. I'd love to know how my first employer after I left uni coped with wfh. They were so inflexible they needed a week's notice if you wanted a slightly different lunch break.

I think it will have been an eye opener for a lot of grumpy old men business owners, Woolly!

I changed my hours when DS started school, Fluffy to work around drop off/pick up times, so I was doing the same hours but spread over 5 days. You're right, it was a lifetime ago! Going to have a chat with my supervisor about changing them again under the new rules so I can spend one day a week with DD. Hopefully will save on childcare costs as well.

In other news, DD has just slept 6 hours with only a couple of quick resettles, and touch wood no vomiting. I'm not used to sleeping so long in a row, and apparently was in such a deep sleep my body didn't move, so I ache everywhere 🤣🤣 Joys of getting old! No crazy dreams yet tonight, though.

We were off work yesterday and school shoe shopping in Darlington.

We wandered into B&M Bargains and they had stripped two whole isles of products. I said to ones of the shop girls “getting the Xmas stuff out?” and she confirmed yes, moaning that some staff hadn’t had their summer holidays yet they were putting all the Xmas stuff out now.

128

Morning!

Last day at work before my holiday today! I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped yesterday (never do; stuff always crops up!), plus I'm getting to the tasks which have set deadlines as per the Court rules, so can't be done early. I'm not in too bad a position though.

We have a foot measure at home, so we measured yesterday. DD had shoes recently so is fine, and DS needs new ones, so they're ordered. They've barely worn shoes all holidays so far!

I've considered doing 10 in 9. I did mention it to HR, to see if they preferred a casual approach rather than a formal FWR, but didn't hear back. I'll ask again at some point. Might be worth just waiting until the new year now. Good luck with your request, Firefly.

Woolly, I have to wrap on the floor too. I wish I didn't, mind you!

We're not doing anything today. I need to do some housework. I've just seen the bin men walking down out path to get our bin, they're half an hour early and dh was just about to leave and take it out, I expect ours won't be the only one that's not out.

Good news on the sleep fire. That's more than I got dd is just emerging from her room now.

Fantastic bin men Wreck. Ours are good and come when they are supposed to but if your bin isn't out then hell mend you.

Firefly our workplace is having a similar approach but the amount of time you need to be in the office is decided by your department rather than level of seniority. My dept is aiming for 40% in the office which is 2 days for me - seems like a nice balance I think.

Woolly could you sit on a sofa and use an ironing board as a desk to wrap on? That's what I do - I think I've said before I try and have a huge wrapping session while DH is at his works party. Fairy lights on, either rum or Buck's Fizz to drink, Christmas candles burning and I have Christmas films on then just work my way through the present pile.
Should be easier this year if I make drawstring bags for a lot of things though.

This morning I am surrounded by washing and mess. DH is going away again today so once he's cleared out the stuff he's taking I'll put a load on and wander around the place straightening it up. It's clean just messy so it won't take long. Then it's cross stitching in peace for a few hours before going to my parents for tea to see everyone as sister niece and nephews will be there too.

Have just got rid of a horrible looking spider . Was small ish but had a huge belly, thick legs and was wrapping its web around a butterfly.

Crazy I remembered that you had a wrapping night. I think I did have one last year too. I end up doing everyone's wrapping and then by Christmas my back is broke. Dh only has to wrap mine and he never does, he just puts it into a gift bag. It does my head in after I've gone to all the effort for everyone else.

Some year I'm going to be like Smithy in Gavin and Stacey and wrap everything in tinfoil. "You just scrunch and your done"

Our drains are smelling really bad in our whole street so we are waiting for someone to come out and see what the problem is. I don't think I want to know 🤢

Nero Foil is the future, and if they're careful it can be reused for birthdays for the next decade or if they rip it, recycled
I'd love to see someone wrap a kids bike or a massive dolls house in foil.😂😂 they'd still be peeling bits off on Boxing day.

Crazy have a lovely quiet afternoon/evening. Using the ironing board is innovative.🙃
What's wrong with the dining table?? unless it's a bike, obvs

Grey and still here, so we're having a Chicken dinner with pigs, stuffing, yorkys, herby spuds n veg for lunch...hoping for a quiet afternoon... will give DH 🤭😴😴