Mangohood - 10 / 10 thread

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

100 you sound like my dd2. During dinner she asked 4000 questions including 'do people have tummy buttocks?' and 'where does the grand old duke sleep, top, bottom or middle of the hill?'

oooh, they are good questions 100.

i want ot know all of the answers now!

Stuffit, it was sunny this morning, then it rained. it was quite a shock as it has been nice and sunny for over a week

Yes, sorry, I do ask loads of questions. I haven't grown out of it. We all ask questions, mostly to dh who has to do the answering and he finds it tiresome. I fidget too actually. I was at a thing with dd, and we were sitting in front of the headmistress, and I kept moving about, and staring at things, and fidgeting and sighing and nudging dd and pointing out things to her, and head lent forward and said in my ear, 'I see where dd gets it from.'

Aahhh stuffit are you considering boarding school? I was a forces brat and went to boarding school from the age of 9. My parents had a two year foreign posting when I was 11, they were in the UK for the rest of the time. I left at 16.

Positives:
Continuity of education
COntunuity of friends

Negatives:
Missed family life
Didn't really like my school

I can elaborate if it helps

I bounced for about a minute on the trampoline and didn't wee

Kiwi
Juice (grape juice and wine!)
HUGE salad (3)
Apple

pink

how is your squidgy ds?

There are v v good questions 100! Does your mind go at 100 miles an hour? Is that where your name is from?

Also Boco's question about tummy buttocks most interesting. I have one large tummy buttock. My sister called ds2's bottom a beautiful peach on our last visit home and he told her -- well, you have two watermelons. Which she absolutely does. She is a womanly woman.

Tiger that sounds like still a very tiresome list of complaints. Yes, I would love to pick your brains.

Basically, your starter for ten is: shall I send all my children to boarding school next year?

It's all down to you now and I will hold you responsible for EVERYTHING that could possibly happen.

Oh, I like the watermelons. Your ds2 sounds like fun. How old is he?

Yes it does, it's the coffee not advanced mental processes though.

how old are dc? What do they think?

You have to give some information, otherwise it's impossible to take up this responsibility, which I am more than willing to do

Tiger don't go reading back to trawl up my boring nonsens REALLY. I should shut up about myself and get them all deleted.

100 there is a school here that does iGCSE. We liked it because it has a large proportion of non-expats. It's fine really but there isn't the roundedness involved with lots of sport and music and the biggest deal is the lack of independence. They are ALWAYS dependent on a driver to take them to a place, they can never just steam off on their own. I think that's so important. They don't complain about it but ds1 is closing in on himself and dd is becoming frustrated with the lack of sport.

I have joined a choir and it's just wonderful. During the most difficult months I knew I had two hours singing once a week and it was a lovely escape. Two big concerts this week, one of them's for charity. I'll post some pictures. It's all nationalities and a really good mix of women. I do like women. As I get older I get more and more bored of men and more and more interested in women, as company, I mean, am not lesbonic (yet ).

Dh and I have resolved almost all our issues. It was one of those times in a marriage where we needed to do boring spadework and digging, and we did. He is a love.

Sorry to go on. I suppose that's why I don't really say much, because it feels like it's all me me me, which doesn't feel that nice really.

I would've loved to go to boarding school! Get them to read Mallory Towers and all sorts of Enid Blyton and they'll be begging you to send them away

DS is squidgey and gorgeous and delicious Very windy at the moment unfortunately but not the end of the world.

Glad the MS is easing up TF but about the SPD.

LOL at 100x being told off by the head!!

Franny, why crappy day?

TooT, eat. Or stop running.

Oh, I like the watermelons. Your ds2 sounds like fun. How old is he?

Oh, I have et. Now I have to run more!

What do you want us to say to that, Toot?

No, I know what you mean it does feel weird, but it's okay, and it's better to say it ALL once (or twice) than let it seep through the cracks. Not sure why, but might be because I am interested, and I find the seepage unseemly and unbecoming.

Hurrah to resolved issues. So that leaves boarding school. How long are you likely to be there for? That must make a big difference doesn't it? How old are they? This is IMPORTANT.

I am half putting my children to bed, and half doing lots of other things. They are getting cross with me. I might have to come back later. Hold that thought stuffit.

Tell us what you et then, and we will tell you whether to run to the bridge or whether you need to circle it three times.

If you put butter on whatever it was then you might need to stop and repoint it too.

And another reason is, to be totally honest, that some details are just a bit embarrassing. For example: a huge issue for me and the children when we arrived was staff. SEVEN of them -- I kid you not. That's just not something to throw into the conversation, especially when it's not going well, and you want to hide from them, as I often did.

Apart from that there is always every day a story to be told from here. I'm sure you do this 100 you see a short scene on a street, or a strange person, or an odd family, and you start to wonder, and try to fathom the back story. I can't describe it. A woman breastfeeding on a rubbish tip. A family of four with a blanket of belongings hovering on the central reservation of the expressway. A beggar you haven't seen before makes a home on a corner you know -- where did he come from? Why?

When it comes to "coping with the poverty" I remember Mark Tully's words -- I don't have to. So give, or help, or don't give and don't help, but agonising is useless.

In addition, I don't want to give the impression that it's nothing but dreadfulness outside our privileged life. That too would be so so wrong.

Anyway nuff spillage . I feel so uncomfortable just writing about me all the time. It feels incredibly egotistical.

Oh god the pressure

Do they want to go?

My experience was skewed somewhat by a number of factors:

1. My Mum was terribly upset about me going, so much so that she was very withdrawn with me, never told me she missed me or dropped me off or picked me up because it upset her too much, only I thought she wasn't bothered because she hid it so well. Our relationship has never really recovered. Moral: Tell them you will miss them and that you're looking forward to them coming home.
2. My brothers stayed at home - they were younger and didn't get so upset by the upheaval of moving. I felt a bit singled out. Moral: treat 'em all the same
3. I didn't like my school (v strict convent) but never plucked up the courage to tell my parents. Moral: make sure they're happy with your choice.

Do you know anyone with children at boarding school? Do you have any recommendations? If it helps, the school I went to closed years ago

On balance I would have preferred not to have gone, but I hated moving house so needed the continuity. I think if I had been less shy and less awkward I may well have fitted in better and been happier. I know that many children have great experiences of boarding school. Do your children make new friends easily?

In short, you have to be absolutely sure it will be right. Involve the kids in the decision. DO they get along? WIll you send them to the same school? It might help them if they have one another as familiar faces, especially in the first few weeks.

Right back to the important things.

Toot my lecture was over but I might start off again. I could just talk about the joy of dauphinoise potatoes, and cauliflower cheese, and baby cabbage tossed in olive oil mmmmm. These are joyful things to be eaten in excess.

Ds2 is ten. He is a wicked wicked boy.

pineapple
grapes

[slurp]

Well, I'm not going out again now but I will in the morning.
I have et...3 oatcakes, a piece of toast, Dd2's sandwich crusts, 5 or 6 brazil nuts, handful of dry roasted peanuts, handful of faisins, 6 or 7 dates, 3 or 4 apricots, half a pizza with pretend base. And some halve.
Lots. See?

stuffit we all talk about ourselves and our 'stuff' at some point on here. We're all here to listen to yours when you need us to and advise if you want it, just like you would (and do) for any of us. Please don't feel like you can't offload.

7 is quite a lot of staff (well seems it to someone who's never had any!) That must be good for employment figures

I like the Mark Tully thing. He's absolutely right.

Thankyou Tiger, thank you for your experience. Good, especially the treating them all the same. Lots to think about. I do know loads of people. They all say it's great and their children love it, and I believe them. It's just not part of my life plan. I should bloody get over it.

What happened to Franny's day? Did I miss it with all that solipsism? am I using that word right?

Hope you have been able to take a breath and feel better Fran.

Stuff, I don't do cheese. And dauphinnoise sounds buttery [suspicious]

hello

oh gosh - have not read but have skimmed.

i remember the shop bought cake thing too.

i am a crap shopper. I pull up at waitrose, rush round shouting things at assistants about buffalo mozerella, buy some hand wash and rush out again - misunderstanding the token thing.

i wish i did proper eating and shopping and cooking and had people in my house to do stuff.

oh and i have tumy buttocks.