West London chat - christmas & beyond

[tillyfernackerpants]

Hi all, can't believe I have to start the new thread

Slng, lol @ ds2!

Sfx, sparkle sounds nice!

I'm having to bribe ds1 to leave the house atm, that can't be right surely

He had his nativity yesterday, all lines remembered though there was a bit of yawning during it

We assembled bunk beds for the kids so we actually have room for some wall shelves, and the choice is between Ikea wall shelves, or homemade ones. And Ikea with sales on just does not bear thinking about, so we might go for home made ones.

Need lots of stashing-away space to stash away bloody toys.

Pics of gingerbread house and occupant on profile page!

We spent a hellish four and a half hours one year, stuck in a queue of cars trying to get into Ikea car park on first day of sale ('twas bosing day). In the end the police had to attend to get ppl to go home

Hi everyone, glad you all seemed to have a lovely xmas!

Dusty, can't believe its so close now . How's the packing going?

I've been up at my parents for the week which was nice, though ds2 wasn't very well so has been very clingy. He seems much happier now we're back home.

I also took ds1 to a panto, also a little bit scared in the beginning & wanted to leave but then seemed to enjoy it! We're also off to see the Snowman at Sadler's Wells on Thursday.

Right, need to find somewhere to put all the toys. I think something's gone a bit wrong though, ds2 wants to play with ds1's toys & ds1 wants to play with ds2's

Sing - the gingerbread house is fantastic, well done!!

Tilly - glad you had a good Christmas and am very re: your planned visit to Sadlers Wells, I'm sure it will be fab.

Braved the sales in Richmond - was v, v quiet, and got loads for ds. dd's wardrobe is groaning with clothes so nothing for her, although may see about getting some new shoes tomorrow. And that's it.

Am soooo loving the holidays - I just asked dh if he'd stick the kettle on for a cuppa and was instead presented with a small glass of baileys - good man!

Hello all!

Just been to the park. It's freezing.

Am now baking bread and trying out a gluten-free cake recipe which looks very complicated.

PC - baileys for tea: "exceeds expectations", eh?

Slng - the house does look fab, has it been eaten yet?!

PCW - what a result with the baileys
For some reason DH seems to have done all the cooking since Xmas eve, we didn't plan it that way it just seems to have happened, but I'm certainly not complaining!

Tilly - glad you had a good trip, enjoy the show. Yes we have the same in this house too with kids playing with other's one's pressies indeed

KC - have a good trip away

Sfx - hope Ikea was not too stressful.

DS2 seems to be teething badly since Boxing day, v.feverish & clingy , looks like next molar on the way. Anyway had a good day at home and had a really good sort out in the garage & living rm

Might brave the sales tom. Any ideas what to get for my mum's 60th???

vbus - house was a gift for MIL. Don't know whether it's been eaten yet ... I think we have overdosed on gingerbread for the time being.

Have baked a quinoa and hazelnut gluten-free cake. How poncy is that!? But haven't tasted it yet ... It smells very nutty.

Splashed out and having prawns with spiced salt for tea.

Need a drink.

@ Baileys

hello all

slng you are very generous

vbus sympathies for the teething

tilly show sounds great glad Christmas went well

pcW dd needs boots but really can't really face shops with dd. excellent service at home I see well done

we did ok at Ikea but there were a few things missing so we might return there tomorrow morning just to get it over with while we have the car

managed to run a bit this morning I am, however still eating too many puddings

We need plimsoles, though DS1 said they haven't done PE "for ages"... Just what on earth are plimsoles for anyway apart from supposed PE lessons??

slng, ds1 has to wear plimsolls for school. Cue revolt by parents in the winter as they're useless for keeping feet dry!

pc at bailey's also, you seem to have got dh well trained

sfx, well done on braving Ikea and more so for doing it twice!

vbus, hope ds2 is ok. Teething's a nightmare, ds2 here also seems to suffer more than ds1 did.

We're having another quiet day today, might venture out to a soft play but we have xmas day with dh's family tomorrow which will have the ds's bouncing off the walls no doubt.

Plimsolls for school seems a bit odd. In this weather nothing less than leather shoes would do, surely ... Having said that, DS2 habitually goes about in sandals and shorts, even now, and DS1's school shoes has quite big air holes in them. DS2's excuse is that "I'm never cold."

We might go into town. But it looks a bit rainy and grey ...

hello

dh went alone to Ikea today, so much nicer

slng/tilly plimsolls I got dd a pair but school said normal trainers would do so dd not passing up the opportunity of wearing her sparkly pink number

hoping teething eases soon, such hard work

think this will be a very quiet day looks so wet out can't really be bothered to make plans

What a rainy day! We went to the RAF Hendon museum, and then lunch at Wing Yip. Then came home to find that I've forgotten to license my car so had to pay a fine amounting to about 3 cheap family lunches... Then shredded two years' worth of paper work, which is quite satisfying.

Hello

Just made turkey soup and while it was cooking I decided that was one turkey dish too many and now I don't want to eat it. Think I've OD'd on the stuff for this year

Took it easy today seeing as DS2 was awake for 4hrs last night DH gone back to work but my mum arrived last night so help is at hand, phew.

We may even go out for NYE for the 1st time in 5yrs as my mum has offered to babysit. Anyone else got any plans?

Hello!

DH and kids out today so I was (and still am) free! Went to John Lewis to get some dull stuff but ended up with a filofax . Now must go and populate it with friends' addresses and social engagements.

vbus - this year we got away with NO turkey leftover at all! Still don't fancy turkey soup though. Last night I made the world's best leek and potato soup (which I nearly burnt - yes it is possible to burn soup) but thick soupy things are not really my cup of tea ...

I always thought one of the best things about having young children is having the perfect excuse NOT to go out on NYE! So, no plans, apart from some friends coming round for lunch. Malaysian chicken curry, 5 spice beef, and quinoa and hazelnut cake.

Slng - you're such a yuppie Lunch does sound lovely.

Bizarrely we ordered same size turkey as last yr as didn't have much leftover last yr. DH watched a programme about how to carve turkey, he was so efficient we ended up with laods more leftover this yr despite more meat eaters

hello

it is all so quiet

vbus no turkey here, one of the perks of Christmas at inlaws

slng thick soups are at the very heart of my childhood meals, always find them comforting

dh took dd out for most of the afternoon, they seem to have had a great time, I went for soggy run and tried but failed to study an well in trouble for coming essay another bluff job

no plans for NYE all people who could possibly babysit are otherwise having fun engaged. but I don't mind perfectly happy to drain lovely bottle of bubbly with dh
then wake up early enough for a nice new year's day run

slng is the quinoa cake a repeat or a leftover? interested to find out how it turned out

wanted to bake something for new year maybe a polenta and lemon cake or the orange almond one

but possibly better to go without puddings as jeans feeling tighter

Just popping in to say hello, munching on a cherry choc liqueur accompanied by a glass of wine for tea - same tea as per last night I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!!! Well, what a great time we've had so far, lots of mayhem with family and friends and more still to come! Out for New Year visit with friends tomorrow but it is a daytime thing so might pop in to neighbour's party in the evening. We'll see - I'm really very happy to stay at home.

Might take dd to see Room on the Broom at the weekend plus some swimming perhaps - we need to get back to normal on Sat/Sun and take things a bit easier as she is v tired after all the excitement. We risked Heathrow Gym before our friends arrived for lunch - and it was great, v quiet actually.

SFX, am impressed at running in the rain, you are a true pro vbus, I hope you have a better night tonight - you poor thing. Thank goodness your mum will be around to help and support.

pcW where is room on the broom? am sure dd would love that

sfx - I froze half of the quinoa cake. Hopefully it defrosts nicely tomorrow, otherwise no pudding. It's quite nice, very nutty, and extremely healthy, and kids scoffed them for breakfast without complaining, though I might possibly cook those pesky quinoa a bit longer next time, slight crunch in cake not being a good thing ... BTW it's that recipe in that free Guardian guide.

We are going to see banger-racing on New Year's day if anyone else is interested.

slng/sfx I'm always impressed when I read your baking recipes. Though I think my oven is a bit dodgy hence I can only do the basics!

vbus, poor you with 4hrs sleep. At least you've got your mum to give a hand, hope you & ds2 manage some rest today.

No plans for tonight other than a meal & film, our standard NYE now

Pc, I've heard room on the broom is good, am sure dd will love it.

We've got The Snowman today, ds1 thinks its going to be like the pantomime so am having to impress on him that we do not shout 'he's behind you' today