Meet in the middle at the schultuete shop!

[PiratesKnittingTreasure]

Here we are .

oh gig, still in hospital, what a bore.Hope you get home for a visit today.

Thanks for veggie ideas, Nigel did home made pizzas last night, I'm making veggie toad in the hole today Linda Mac sausages on offer at tesco!

Red curtains could be jazzed up with something else maybe, I'll have a think about it, maybe fabric that you really like with a pattern, eg. trains or something, cut out around shapes, hem and sew onto red curtains, or gold braid so they look like theatre curtains, I've seen the videos of singing, I think your ds is quite a performer

at DS's singing performances. He does like to sing! Mind you, there are only so many renditions of the Thomas the Tank engine song you can take.

That's a good idea re: trying to jazz up the curtains - the room will have a bit of a pirate theme, so plenty of options. I'm now thinking that being able to sew and make curtains is a useful skill to have. I'm sure DH's mum uses a reasonable dressmaker etc for alterations and I think she might do curtains as well. I might investigate to see how much it would actually cost to get some curtains made locally if I bought the fabric.

I am contemplating whether to buy a cheap sewing machine for my various soft furnishing challenges. Until last week, I hadn't sewed anything since doing textiles as a 13 year old. Skills and knowledge are very limited, but having had to hand sew a roman soldier's outfit last Christmas, I can see the merits of having a machine on standby.

DS1 will be getting plain red curtains in his room in a few weeks which isn't much help

Glad Lisa is settling in. Some female company for you Deb!

Did you get home today Gig?

No manflu yet. He is perking up after a knackered and dopey Saturday bless him.

Pirate, sorry that your trip to your parents wasn't very happy for anyone. I must be a real worry for you.

That is exactly the kind of chat I need secret but red sounds a plan.

I think a sewing machine is a good investment if you are doing this much. I had one for years (was 16th birthday present) and made lots of bits . I know John Lewis do demos as they have all sorts (it is something of an obsession of my mothers).

Trip home was lovely - very normal (play, made dinner, bath) which was good as also I was happy as felt fit (as indeed I am except for what "charts" say).

Deb missed veggie recipe call- I have a fair few from when I was a veggie including a brilliant book that is about doing 2 in 1 recipes that I lived off for years. Basically you make something like a mushroom sauce and it is used for say pasta then something else. Also I remember none of recipes took long as I used to make them when came jn from work. Would this be useful?

So pleased you made it home for normal routine things Gig, must make you feel better too. Thanks for the veggie ideas, I made toad in the hole today with veggie sausages and she ate it all .She said that all her family is veggie so they don't usually eat meat substitute type things, must be me being a meat eater I just feel that she's missing out !!

LaG, I got a sewing machine when Stefan was a baby and learned how to make basic curtains but that's as far as I got with it. IF I had more time I would use it more.

Pirate , I was sorry to hear about your visit home, can't be easy. I didn't realise that LaG, was such a worry to you as well Has your schueltute arrived? I still need to assemble everything in mine and buy some sweets.

Secretself, how's the report? Hopefully you're nearing the end and have found enough words to fill it out.Striped curtains could work for a pirate theme and be neutral enough when the theme changes.

Beginning to panic now about school and the amount of stuff I need to do before Monday , gulp. I took Lisa to a car boot sale this morning, I know how to live the high life up here. I was buying for my under-resourced classroom and I did really well. I got 2 hobby horses for 2 of my girls who are always clip clopping around the playground, a big box of cars and my best bargain was a box of playmobil. It had a couple of old(1970's) playmobil boats and a broken helicopter on top and what I thought were a few people underneath. On further inspection I saw there were lots of people so I got him down from £10 to £8 for the lot and I've just counted up 40 people, big rescue helicopter which we fixed, racing car,horses, truck pulling trailer with 3 motorbikes on, dinghy and divers, and another big boat.Needless to say when I got it home and tipped it out on the kitchen floor vultures(in the shape of 3 boys) descended and Stefan and Tristan discovered 2 sets of soldiers on horseback which they needed to "keep for Ethan" and Ethan has taken a liking to the bikes and helicopter so my class aren't getting quite so many but the boats and divers etc will be great in the water tray.

Just for you Gig, inane playmobil chat

Doh - just checked back to see what I wrote. I'm a worry to me too.

Gig - glad you got back for a normal evening.

Deb - I see it's not just my Mum who equipped her classrooms out of her own pocket (state and private sector). Shopping for playmobil gave me horrible flashbacks to being dragged into my Mum's classroom at this time of year for days at a time I help her get ready for the new term. It's no wonder I decided against a teaching career!

Aww, DS1 has just seen a photo on FB of Secret's DS and is now very keen that we meet up in London at a museum with all the gang. I have tried to explain the geography involved, but he doesn't think travelling from Scotland should be a limiting factor.

at lag ds.

That sounds like a real bargain deb even with the cut the boys took. Lucky kids to be in your classroom.

Have given into playmobil love (as pirate knows) so rather than a schultuete edie has a Carry around school as starting school pressie.

feeling ok but got worrying signs of a running nose (from mini gig) which would mean nothing in normal world but need to hide it in case that means have time on my sentence. I tell you never has taking a paracetamol and putting up with stuff looked more attractive

Now to decide how i kill time before being let out. Might meet a friend for coffee.

self I hardly dare ask but how is report? If it helps I will be stuck at home so can read it over if you like

LaG.

Thanks for the offer to read my report Gig. However, I am pleased to say that it is printing as I type Not convinced about how good it is, but hopefully it will pass (as I am completely out of time).

I now just have to write a year's worth of CPD and update my CV to present a development profile but that's easy (albeit time consuming). So glad it's nearly over!!!

In other news, plain red curtains it is. Must stop sweating the small stuff. We won't be in this house forever, so there's no point spending a fortune on curtains to fit my weird windows.

Right, back to the CPD.

Did you get home last night Gig?

Ummm....not much to say. Really enjoying having DH at home. Just pottering around doing long neglected jobs. Even managed a run this morning.

It's just started hammering down and I need to pop out to get my haircut later on. It could be a short lived sleek blow dry.

Yes eventually as had last drugs at 9. It is lovely to be home but some work needed on mini gig- she knows who I am (one fear) but a bit wary - I am for amusement mostly . Now I sympathise with any parents who work long hours or are away from kids.

Home days sounds Nice lag- its tipping down here so good luck with the haircut.

Glad you're home. Sorry to hear that mini gig is a bit uncertain of you. I sure she will warm up fairly quickly now you are at home.

I'm never great at hairdresser small talk but was a bit stumped for platitudes when she told me she and her husband had split at the start of the summer. It's only the third time she's cut my hair so it's not as though we know each other very well.

Mini gig will be fine but has had a bad cold so that coupled with coming back from holiday and then me being in/out is a bit unsettling. Plus she is at an age where doesn't take much to unsettle her.

I am not sure what you say to that kind of small talk at any time - but does hair look nice?

LG, I do worry about you all the time .

Thanks for all your kind words - distance is not good at this time, esp as I start back to work on Monday but what can I do?

Re: the hairdresser, it never fails to amaze me the intensely personal nature of some stuff hairdressers have told me in the past, very strange!

Gig, so glad you're home and can enjoy some quality time with your girls at last. Only two more sessions to go .

Should be in bed so will catch up properly tomorrow .

Great that you're home Gig, I'm sure minigig will be fine soon

LaG, must be the day for haircuts, had mine cut too but this was all 5 of us for £20 in our kitchen!Been in school today and resisted taking in any of the boys , don't want them having traumatic memories like you I'm aching after moving every piece of furniture in my classroom, feels like my own room now though as the teacher is definitely gone now.

Pirate, you can't do anything about the distance you live away from your parents, just be there when they need you, within reason. It's just not great timing at this point of the holidays is it?Not like we have a job where you can make phone calls in the day to check up on them (((hugs)))

The haircut was just a trim: perfectly acceptable but not interesting. £20 for all 5 of you is some deal though Deb!

Please never ask your sons to mix poster paint or help to stable sugar paper to the walls of your classroom. They will be scarred for life [twitch].

A good day today. Ikea for some bits. Avoided falling out with DH (just) over our differing tastes in light fittings, then visited our good friends in SW London from uni. They are one of the nicest families I know. I always feel like a better person for having spent time with them.

Staple even

Do you know I am oddly quite enjoying not having to fuss about haircuts

I share your pain about mother as teachers- I still cringe at having to be seen going in the car with a teacher to school each day.

Looks like Big Gig had fun at the rugby yesterday Gig !

We had a fab day at the Paralympics but are now all really tired and snappy with each other . Have managed to get DS1 into his school uniform this morning though (photos on FB) and he did look super-cute .

Have sooo much to get done today before I go back to work tomorrow - off to procrastinate for a bit longer .

Don't want to go back!!I want to be there on Wednesday morning for Ethan, boo hoo

deb but hope goes ok today.

Big gig loved the rugby (and the ice cream). Sounds like boys had fun (dh loved. Ds2 comment about legoland pirate.

Enjoying last few days of holiday here- although must admit to lazy start today as although feeling more normal (can always tell as can manage a day without a nap), mini gig getting up at 4 wasn't so good.

When does ds1 start lag

And how was weekend away secret

Also is anyone else watching parades end?

Oh pirate is it bad I hope that they would forget to attach the rope to prince Andrew when he abseiled Down the shard in London?

DS1 doesnt start till next Thursday. The other years at the school start this week, whilst the Reception teachers do home visits. Then they stagger the start with 10 a day per class over 3 days.

Have you got your home visit date yet or are they still keeping you hanging on lag?

Big gig got her meet the teacher thing at school today. She is definitely way more excited about seeing her friends.

But most importantly lag it's bake off day

Yes I have just been nursing the happy thought that Dh will be at squash this evening and as long as I can pack boys off to bed in good time I can indulge in GBBO at 8pm.

Teacher visit is on Monday afternoon.

How did your DS get on today Pirate?