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When meeting up take sensible precautions. Meet in a public place and let others know where you are going.

Original poster

2013 Durham/Teesside/Tyne and Wear greet, meet and eat thread

831 replies

ArrowofApollo · 04/04/2013 07:44

Thought I would start a new thread as the old one is getting full.

Next meet up is on Wednesday 10th April, 10ish at the Durham Botanical Gardens. We will either be in the entrance or staking a couple of the picnic tables by the pond.
I will be giving Vikinglady a lift.

OP posts:
LeggyBlondeNE · 17/05/2013 12:56

Thank God for salary sacrifice, it makes my nursery bills much less painful knowing I can deduct 27% to get the actual cost to me. The limit on the new childcare tax reboot scheme or whatever it is should be much higher; within reason I think all childcare outside school should be tax deductible.

StealthOfficialCrispTester · 17/05/2013 13:19

Shock at 16k

Indith · 17/05/2013 16:40

yes dh does salary sacrifice. new scheme won't be as good as is per child, current scheme us per adult so you can save twice. plus New scheme I think both have to be working so with ne at uni we wouldn't qualify.

LeggyBlondeNE · 17/05/2013 21:23

But ... Really, you don't count? Don't you get a bursary, doesn't that kinda count as earning?

Bonkers. I would say write to MP but ... Well my experience of ours is you'd get a letter back saying, yes Tories are evil! We will make everything better when we get back in! And that would be that...

Indith · 18/05/2013 10:21

Being a student is all kinds of fun. I remember when I was finishing the last degree I was part time so I wasn't a student and had to pay council tax but on the other hand I WAS a student so couldn't get any benefits. On the plus side because I WASN'T a student I also got housing benefit which pretty much came to the same amount as council tax so covered that problem nicely!

I think with the new system it just depends on how many of you are working and how many children there are as to whether or not you get more money but the part about both parents having to work sucks as you won't be able to claim any help to give mum a break if she is struggling with PND or to pop toddler in nursery 1 day a week when new baby is born. One of you wants to do a part time course or OU module to help further career/get back in the job market? Nope, no help.

Now then, Spiggy you will be proud of me. I have bought more clothes. I got some pretty t-shirts and a dress. A short, midthigh dress! However, I am struggling. YOu know that top/tunic I got in fatface? Wrap front, long sleeves, flowers round the bottom? It is too short for leggings, it would break the golden rule of leggings and not showing your arse. But it doens't look good with skinny jeans. Maybe because my skinny jeans are not suck you in skinny. Does one do jeggings? Are jeggings just jeans with elastic waist or are they leggins pretending to be jeans? Can one go shorter with jeggings than one would with leggings? Does one's knickers show through jeggings the way they do with leggings? I don't want superskinny jeans, I value my comfort Grin. And what the fuck are treggings?

this I wear with leggings. It is arse grazing so passes test and looks good but this is the annoying one that is mid arse and does not pass the legging test thus is languishing unworn

juneybean · 18/05/2013 15:04

I'm currently doing jeggings, mine are jeans that are stretchy and elastic (perfect for my stupid small waist and fat ass)

I got mine in Asda for £12

FrozenNorthPole · 18/05/2013 20:18

Is curry a definite date then? Have we booked / should we booked? I remember last time we clashed with the Miner's Gala and couldn't get The Capital.

Re: childcare costs, I remind myself of:

  • value of me having a job once they're all at school
  • the fact that I absolutely had to finish my PhD otherwise the ESRC would have been able to reclaim all my maternity pay
  • the fact that the current setting is the absolute best for my children: Durham university nursery was not a good fit for R & C at all, judging by the tour we were given. I do sometimes think how much money it would have saved me though :(
Indith · 18/05/2013 22:13

I didn't get on with the university nursery either Frozen. You have to trust your gut. And yes, it will be worth it.

Yes yes yes for curry. Not booked yet. Will poke a few more people and then book, even if it is just the 4 of us (me, Frozen, juney, spiggy) then that is a bloody good catch up and night out I reckon!

Right. I am closing the books (working m way through MASSIVE breastfeeding workbook that I fear will be the bane of my life for the next 3 years but is a must to comply with UNICEF baby friendly). But right now the baby is actually asleep in his bed and not dangling off my nipple so I might be able to catch a hug with my husband as the baby currently cries if he catches anyone else touching me.

LeggyBlondeNE · 19/05/2013 02:04

J and I snuck off for a smooch while ILs entertained both kids for 5 minutes earlier. Was a nice change after 3 months of just holding hands around the baby in bed!

Velcro baby and toddler both asleep, latter no longer wheezy and coughing, why am I still awake??,

LeggyBlondeNE · 19/05/2013 07:59

Btw, Frozen I think you are right that R is much better off in her curnt place. DUDN would have been too big for her to jump into. Reckon C would have been fine ;)

I do remember feeling uneasy about the size of the middle room once all gates were open and the toddlers could mingle with the 2 yos when I first took T round, ut once they have been there since the baby room and you know all the other kids and staff you can see how they all k ow what's going on and it's well controlled.

spiffysquiffyspiggy · 19/05/2013 08:39

Indith, I'm impressed with the buying of more clothes but you lost me at jeggings. That sounds a bit more complicated than my clothes knowledge can cope with Grin .

What night did we say for curry? Mmm curry...

Indith · 19/05/2013 10:50

I know a lot of people who loved the university nursery. Dd would have liked it I think but we lived here by then. It was too big for ds1 though.

Curry on the 1st. woohoo!

I may have to venture to the shops again.

LeggyBlondeNE · 19/05/2013 12:24

Indoth, I need some clothes too if you want to join forces! Particularly some soft, loose combat style summer trousers. In extra long. It'll doubtless be a long fruitless day for me so better with company!

Indith · 19/05/2013 13:00

Sure :)

If you wanted to try Newcastle then next week I only have classes Tuesday and Thursday so one of the other days I could go in and hit the library for the morning then meet up and have lunch and a potter. But I have no money (buying new car this week and have just ordered carseats for it) so cheap hybrid trousers of some description have to be the only thing on my hit list!

goldenretriever · 19/05/2013 18:51

Eeek at nursery fees.

MIL/AIBU question: I had asked if she could buy my Ds a coat as part of a gift, she came back with a plain one + explained she hadn't bought him a bright one 'so as not to draw attention to him because of the way he is' He is autistic/has learning difficulties.

Btw, Lilleth, I took your advice on board with other things + did apply for DLA, as have signed the form to initiate the SEN.

Indith, excited that your first placement is coming up, assuming its Community? Horrified your maintenance loan isn't through. Decided to give up on the idea if Body Balance for the time being. We all kept being ill, so I decided I am meant to be a lazy git for a while longer.

Would be up for curry :) Am on holiday in a caravan next week, so its assuming I survive that, however...

StealthOfficialCrispTester · 19/05/2013 19:12

ugh did she definitely say that? Or did she think the bright colours would upset him iyswim?
Hope you get the DLA stuff sorted and enjoy your holiday in the boat caravan

StealthOfficialCrispTester · 19/05/2013 19:14

BTW not disbelieveing you! Just trying (very hard) to give her the benefit of the doubt! But I'm very probably wrong

goldenretriever · 19/05/2013 19:22

Unfortunately, Stealth, the old dear made matters worse by adding that she didn't want to draw attention to him. Obviously I have been dressing him in brighter colours than usual since then!

VikingLady · 19/05/2013 20:07

goldenretriever That is shocking! Perhaps he needs something in bright pink to really set off that coat? Grin

Back to a previous subject, is there a meet up at AP in Darlington tomorrow?

FrozenNorthPole · 19/05/2013 20:40

Leggy, I think when I visited the staff were having an off-day but it was a deal-breaker for me (I also wanted a 'familial' setting). Everyone with children at the uni nursery loves it, of those I know ... very much horses for courses!
Re: our nursery, I can't think of a nicer place to give my entire salary ... [sob]

Indith · 19/05/2013 21:22

Shock golden. I'm speechless. hurrah for curry. do you think we can justify taxi share between 2 of us or shall we just brave the erratic late night buses? note I don't list driving as an option. I need alcohol.

juneybean · 19/05/2013 23:00

Yes I'm hoping to drink also... are we sharing Spiggy?

Original poster
ArrowofApollo · 20/05/2013 06:18

Golden that is an outstandingly ignorant comment from your MIL. Am Angry and Sad on your behalf.
Indith you totally deserve much drinkinage. Grin

Darlo meet up today 9.30-10.30 ish at Adventure Point. Join us if you can!

OP posts:
spiffysquiffyspiggy · 20/05/2013 08:10

Ooh meet up today? Will try and come. Have day off for T's birthday but dh been called in to deal with something urgent

spiffysquiffyspiggy · 20/05/2013 08:12

And golden- your mother in law is a total cow. How you didn't belt her I don't know.