West London chat winter & beyond

[tillyfernackerpants]

Hadn't realised we were so close to filling up the last thread, hope you all find it!!

steppie - sorry to hear about your uncle and pity you're too busy to come out in March [bsad]

I think the dress will be the highlght of the wedding

Polenta has arrived, it looks like finely ground semolina, for some reason I thought it was be very course almost couscous like

hello
hope all well

thanks, vbus.

i know! here's to the next one...

yes, bet the frock will be v.sophisticated and understated. not like di's 80s meringue when everyone gasped:"but it's all crumpled" as she unfurled out of the carriage.

wouldn't it be fab if kate pitched up looking like something out of my big fat gypsy wedding [bgrin]

lordcopper - having a butchers at dress means having a good old gawp at it.
right, in danger of finishing my work. hope to be in danger of finishing my tax return tomorrow...

and to think i was telling ds1 off this morning for leaving the project he's had five weeks to do until the last minute..
pot calling kettle..
jeez, is it that time already?

...."I know! here's the next one..."
er, was talking about next night out, not next funeral..."
[bblush]

and, sfx, think you're right about shameless voyeurism being a catholic thing rather than a national thing!

you mean she will not go for the fibre optic dress and pumpkin glass carriage denied!

Maybe she will go for the 14 stone dress that lights up in the dark?

steppie, sorry about your uncle

I WANNA 14 STONE DRESS WITH BUTTERFLIES THAT LIGHTS UP

...just the attire for the school run...

..and thankyou, tilly

Just been to shoe shops. Not impressed that DS1's school shoes velcro strap has snapped. I declined 10% discount on next pair and went to posher shop. Principled, or more money than sense?

speaking of school shoes I am looking for Summer school shoes for dd like the one from my uniform when I was her age, warm countries understand the need for sturdy and safe summer school shoes

copper I always almost as much money on dd's school shoes as I do in my winter boots, she wears them everyday, shame she grows out of them so fast but last years are being worn by someone else

I am amused that the Sky sports guy seems to think he has been treated unfairly, although I imagine the footage/sound was leaked on purpose

Well I ended up buying DS1 new school shoes at start of term, the other pair only lasted 1 term but last Sept next size was too big. New pair already look really worn in but thankfully are pretty sturdy

DS1 had a friend over who just left, pretty manic. Had 5 over plus baby last week, somehow that was a lot more relaxing

DS1 had Start rite venture which lasted 1.5 years. Well worth the money. But apparently they don't do them any more. It does look a bit old fashioned.

Shoe shop said DS1 must be playing a lot of football to wear out those straps but that's one sport he doesn't actually play ... How playing football breaks a velcro strap I don't know.

vbus - there's a critical mass at which they organise themselves. When we had 4 or 6 or 8 kids in the house it was fine (well, fine enough).

dd has start-rite shoes too I really rate them, they scuff but they last just fine

vbus somehow there seem to be fewer conflicts when they have a group, of course it can sometimes depend on who is part of the group, yesterday I had to rescue the 3yr old on several occasion from being 'tortured' by the big girl

girls that should be, his sister found an ally to pester and punish him

Sfx - poor lad!

It's funny, most playdates go quite well but this particular mum is very controlling so not v. relaxing for anyone around, and I think she winds her DD up who in turn plays up all the more. When we've had friend round on her own she's been fine. Oh well, DS1 said he still had a great time

DS1 has the start-rite ones too, I am impressed with them

Another start-rite fan here!

Vbus, I guess she's a helicopter parent then, always hovering? I've found play dates go much easier if you shut your eyes & ears to whatever they're doing

Ds1's birthday today, can't believe he's 5 yrs old

Happy birthday to masterfernackerpants. Five seems such a milestone birthday doesn't it.

hello

happy birthday to tilly's DS1, baby no more.

I think I can be overprotective but playdates these days are easy just let them get on with it unless the noise gets high enough to seriously disturb the neighbours or it all goes too silent for too long

actually last week 3 of them managed to lock themselves in the bathroom in the dark and were screaming to be saved and we just thought it was normal play

mini sfx home today, not much sleep last night cough and snot are visiting

Hello!

Happy birthday minitillymark1!

Working. Bored.

Waiting for book from Waterstone online. Bought on Friday, email saying "on the way" on Monday. Still waiting. Is that a long time? Only a paperback.

5 does seem a milestone age, ds1 asked this morning 'am I still 5?'

Copper, yes, does seem a long time for a book

sfx, sorry but lol at you thinking they were playing!! Hope there were no lasting effects

Happy Birthday Tilly DS1!

Sfx - hope DD feels better soon. Also sorry to at kids play story!

I'm afraid I'm a bit more let them get on with it unless screaming to be heard. But friend practically wants to be by child's side ALL the time Her DD wanted to play upstairs then few mins later wanted to play downstairs and so on, the mum wanted to follow her everywhere she went, living in a townhouse you can see why this was not v relaxing!

Copper - hopefully your book will have arrived by the time you get home

Have builder coming round later for some quotes

vbus, I leave them to it as well, otherwise how do you get a cup of tea, cake & gossip in?

hello all
happy birthday mini-tilly - yes, indeed,5 does seem a milestone age

at screaming bathroom play. i leave them to it, too, apart from any called for referee duty and telling them to keep the noise down (do this all the time anyway, never mind playdates..)

vbus, that is so funny her going up and downstairs after child - maybe it's a form of keepfit?!

used to make the fatal mistake of wanting the kids' friends to like me and act accordingly. now, i couldn't care less. as i always tell my friends:"i treat your kids like my own kids....but of course i'm a bit nicer to your kids."

result? they think i'm all right. better than a needy "please like me" parent anyways!

back to tax return
sigh

anyone seen black swan?
heard very mixed reviews on it.
what do they expect, following in the wake of red shoes...

steppie Aronfsky is not everyone's cup of tea, watched most of his stuff,and love some of his films from Pi & The Fountain to the more conventional ones, so might watch it at some point, but Natalie Portman is incredibly annoying, especially now that she is pregnant by ever so slightly creepy boyfriend and makes stupid speeches about the joy of creation, creation of creation and love's purity

she was so charming in Beautiful Girls, maybe it will go back to normal when strange man is gone, is that gossipy bitchy?

vbus I am sure dd will be fine thanks but she woke up 3/4 times during night and has been coughing and sneezing I let her sleep thins morning until just after 9, and it is so cold out

now the red shoes is something else Powell and Pressburger were amazing

glad everyone seems amused at bathroom incident rather than thinking me unfit to parent