Jan/Feb locals chat

[SJ99]

How exciting to be starting thread

Yay, thanks Sfx, am already looking forward to banana bread, mmmm!

In Sweden they had Noise Police (everything is so formally governed over there) but what a great idea, they used to go and put a stop the noise polluters, no messing.

Hi all,

paddle, hope dd's sleeping improves soon, ds has also started waking up much earlier than usual but he's happy in his cot until about 7-ish.

Sj, sympathies with the tantrums as well, been having lots more with ds this week. I think a lot of it is down to frustration at not being able to say what they really want.

We're staying in this afternoon, too grey, cold & wet!

Hi Ros,

Sent you an email.

Thanks Ros, hope you're having a better day. DS seems to to be ok this past 2 days, I think in his case it's more tiredness/teething and not so much lack of communication

Sfx- Went to CM for 1st time and it's one of the nicest & biggest playgroups here & v. well organised - there was a play table for drawing and for playdoh, climbing frame and slides, massive trainset, separate baby area etc. It was all lost on DS though as he spent the 2hrs in there just playing in the car area Would go again, he seemed to enjoy it, nice walk to Marble Hill too

hello all

how you all diddling?

sorry about the insomniacs amongst us..(i include myself in that..)

well had my hair cut and coloured yesterday (my hairdresser saiid' you've left it a long time.."

she was right, too, as i surveyed my acres of grey. but, as i told her, the only time i ever really look in a mirror is when i'm at the hairdressers...

and had a facial this afternoon,

so feel (semi) human

ds1 and ds2 have just been pruned, too. ds1 looked like he had a busby on his head and ds2 a tad too grungy..
i live in hope of dd having enought hair to warrant a haircut

torchwood was bloody scary this week, don't you think?

not sure if can make the art thing tomorrow as dh just reminded me i'd stay in to see a chartered surveyor chappie. trying to rearrange apptment, so will see you kew, paddle and mr SJ, if i see you..iyswim...
have a fab evening, one and all
toodlepip

steppie, am very of your afternoon, sounds lovely

sj, fingers crossed those teeth come through for you soon!

We've had quite a nice afternoon, I decided to make a fruit crumble and ds helped with the crumble part. First time he's helped with any kind of baking/cooking, think he enjoyed it!

Steppie, nice to have a bit of pampering
TW was a bit scary but I'm getting dead into it

Ros the last one took about 4wks to come through so I'm not holding my breath! Glad DS enjoyed making the crumble, hope you all enjoy eating it. Haven't tried DS on baking yet, I'm sure he'd enjoy making a big mess though

SJ, CM is good isn't it? I used to take dd there quite a lot until she started nursery. Ros, crumble ... yum ... perhaps that will be the second thing I make once the kitchen is in - after pancakes. PC, I thought you looked good today despite your nocturnal wakenings. I was up from around 0130 to 5am-ish, what the h*ll is going on there, then, am I secretly preparing for the shock of having a newborn again ...? Oh well, still motoring along here. Got oven/hob deal from John Lewis, actually seemed reasonable plus free and speedy delivery. Mind you they are still all packaged up and sitting in the hall!

evening all

sounds like good days for all despite weather.

mad dash to office went off okay and friends visit was lovely. still hasn't sunk in that they will be gone on weds. last time they will see dd today but i will go to the airport for final farewell. i will be the inconsolable weeping wreck walking out of the departure hall

bunyan, thanks! i thought you were looking blooming too actually. i am very impressed with how well you guys are doing what with the new house and new arrival getting closer and closer.

did dd bring lots of "art work" home with her today? i have a very interesting lump of pink clay of which dd is very proud!

thanks for tip re: JL. will have a look. got my pay rise details today but boss didn't have bonus figures. honestly i am very about the guy. payrise was acceptable and it would appear i have a bonus which is a bonus on the last 2 years having had nothing! apparently "it's difficult to award a bonus if you're not here" ie: on mat leave

friday night treat of pizza is on it's way.

DB seems on the ball wrt to sunday lunch and i am almost thinking he might actually be of some help

must find artytots link again, can't remember what time it kicks off! anyone fancy lunch in a cafe after?

"Dear please watch over me as I sleep and please let that sleep be unbroken. Please also help dd sleep till at least 6:45am and then stay quiet until at least 7am. Amen"

IIRC its 10-11 - yes I'd be game for lunch after. Steppie - if you manage to rearrange I can give you a lift if you remember to keep the car seat. I'll call you in the morning to see.

Paddle if you are on mat leave, they are supposed to give you the same bonus you had the year before you went on mat leave.....

Glad you got one this year though. My boss hinted I'd ger a good pay rise this year (not bonus, but aligning my pay so its in top 25% of market rate for the role, rather than bottom 25%) - but it all seems to ahve gone quiet on that front . Think we are all getting just over 4%

Anyhow - Slng IKexactlyWYM about the clutter. I have just done my 4th declutter this year. Each time I get rid of 4-5 bags of stuff and its only after this time that I felt I was making any in roads (which means it has taken 20 bags to make any impact!!). Where does all this cr*p come from. It is actually the biggest challenge of my life atm - trying to declutter and keep the house from looking like a squat!

Paddle I am a bit about the Simply Food in Richmond Station as there was a fab auction house there for years previously, which was a great place to pick up bargain furniture and bits and bobs (OK now I know where I get all the cr*p from which clutters the house)..

DS1 was poorly today with a croupy cough so I had to take dependancy leave. I spent the whole day decluttering and feeding him ice cream and lemonade - he had a very sore throat and assured me he was far to ill to et anything else

DS2 has broken my Blackberry - subjected it to Death by Sucking

Oh and DS2 walked a few steps today!!! . When he got back from CM's she said, "he nearly walked today", then this evening he did his first few steps. He was very pleased with himself

DD made me the most beautiful Mother's Day card

at first steps, not

foxie, my lot are really underhand when it comes to that sort of thing. they sweeten the pill with giving you a slightly higher pay increase which is better over the long term.

this year i don't even have the % increase altho if i were clever enough i could work it back from what my new annual salary figure is i guess. clearly i am not that clever.

i have the bracketed figure for what my bonus will fall into and am erring on the lowest side of that. my boss knows i would kick up a right stink if i got nothing again this year. not only because of the last 2 years but because of the projects and savings i am delivering this year.

and also i suspect he'd be hard pushed to justify why i am the lowest grade in the team but working on such iconic projects. and i suspect he is using this salary award (to bring me to market rate says he except my role elsewhere is worth £20k+ more than I am on) to avoid giving me the 5% increase as and when he does approve my 'promotion'.

i can honestly say in all my nearly 20 years in this industry i have never felt discriminated against until the last 3 years.

anyways, i rant and ramble!

congrats to ds2, dd was same in that her first 2 steps came in the week of her 1st birthday. sorry to hear ds1 is under the weather, hope he'll be back on form in time to pamper you tomorrow.

nice sunny day, hope everyone else is well.

dd slept 7:30pm till 7:10am , I slept better too altho 3rd night running neighbours have been noisy. it's so annoying. ranges from low level noise of talking a little loudly, thumping around etc to full on shouting and rowing.

i am wondering if i should just stop dd's naps. altho she gets a bit cranky by bathtime she goes to bed earlier and sleeps later. but then i feel that would be cruel!

honestly by 7:05am I was 95% certain she was dead!

I have a wedding to go to this afternoon. We've got the champagne and card, but what to wear!!??

left my mobile in work and something wrong with my home phone. So will meet at art class for those going. Paddle could you do me a favour and call steppie and see if she's coming and wants a lift?

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