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Meet-ups

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

Original poster

WEST LONDON MEET-UP THREAD - SEPTEMBER 2006 - EALING, ACTON, CHISWICK, KEW, RICHMOND, ISLEWORTH, KINGSTON ETC

885 replies

MrsBigD · 01/09/2006 10:33

Let's start a new thread the old one is getting too long

I'm off travelling 22-29th but before then I hope I'd be able to 'find' some time but probably not in the week leading up to 22nd as dh would probably divorce me

OP posts:
fatfox · 14/09/2006 11:23

Nanou - could you go over to the evning meet up thread and clarify where I'm picking you up from? Also, do you have a mobile number?

Thanks

Nanou1 · 14/09/2006 11:24

yes sorry fatfox! on my way!

quokka · 14/09/2006 11:25

wheres the kew one! I did monkey music in Kew it's a bit spenny but good . THe music class in watermans (brentford) is great but thats on wed . SJ who is going to be looking after your special star when you go back to work?

Oh when you go to CPC it's not the cleanest place in the world but the kids love it. I have taken another mum there and she wont go back because she thought it was dirty . I don't think its that bad but thought I should mention it.

Paddlechick666 · 14/09/2006 11:26

erm okay i'll try this:

it's my paddling club

Paddlechick666 · 14/09/2006 11:28

oooh ooooh oooh! i DUN it! I DUN IT!!!!

clever me!

fatfox · 14/09/2006 11:29

PC666 - well done, now can you explain to me how to do it please?

suejoneziscalmernow · 14/09/2006 11:36

combination of childminder and mother - I have to find a childminder! Can't do anything until I'm back though without knowing age. Does your CM recommend anyone else FF? Or have any spaces form January'ish

Paddlechick666 · 14/09/2006 11:37

yes FF (says PC666 in a kindly but slightly patronising voice)

you cut and paste the stuff in bold under To Insert a Link instructions from the box to your right when you are doing a reply.

then you replace "url" with your webiste (including the bit) and replace description with something or other such as "Look Here for Free Beer" and

BINGO BANGO BONGO!

quokka · 14/09/2006 11:49

Nanou sound good about cpc on 29th. Will have to leave just after 12 to pick up ds1 from nursery though. Will have ds2 with me who has just got first tooth and is now crawling

Original poster
MrsBigD · 14/09/2006 11:53

29th? I'll be on a plane back from Greece

OP posts:
quokka · 14/09/2006 12:01

yes you'll be coming back to reality !

Original poster
MrsBigD · 14/09/2006 12:07

aaaaaaargh

OP posts:
quokka · 14/09/2006 12:08

ha ha

Original poster
MrsBigD · 14/09/2006 12:11

I'll get my revenge... one unfavourable photograph coming up!

OP posts:
quokka · 14/09/2006 12:16

I'm very photogenic .

Only joking, I come out terrible in photos so you wont have to try hard.

fatfox · 14/09/2006 12:49

Sue

I'll ask our CM - do you know how many days per. week you want?

She knows loads of CMs, so can put out some feelers: fingers crossed.

suejoneziscalmernow · 14/09/2006 13:04

2 or 3 hopefully if my mum can cope with one or two days. Or maybe two full and two half days (so my mum wouldn;t have to do all day). Can you tell I'm worried about my mum coping?!

Original poster
MrsBigD · 14/09/2006 13:08

SJ how fit is your mum? Not being nosey just wondering. When my dad is here and looks after the kids he's totally whacked and he's a very fit 65 year old. Saying that his body is used to the living cycle of theatre people... stay up late and sleep in so obviously being not so gently woken up at 05:30/06:00 and having a full on day wasn't quite what he had envisaged...

OP posts:
xoxoxo · 14/09/2006 13:11

quokka: we did that class in Brentford - she really is a nut but v sweet.
I think the kew music class on fridays is monkey music and is full of v small children, or was when we went. I didn't like it so much.

Lollypop club in kew is great for rainy days. Aquatic centre in Syon House has v cheap annual membership; we go once a week or so. I pretend it is educational but really it is just fascination with crocodiles and spiders - should I be worried for my sons future? He'll never get a wife.

PC666: gymboree is not bad when you add in the free play sessions. we went for years and would def go again but ours are getting too old now (almost 4 and 2 yrs).

Am curious about chiswick, wd like more info on Friday pls.

cheers

suejoneziscalmernow · 14/09/2006 13:15

thats the problem MrsBigD I think she's seemd VERY unfit the last couple of months. She's been pretty fit (though overweight) up to now but has got very "my back hurts I can't possibly walk any further"'ish recently. I think it's lack of exercise as she really isn't doing much at the moment so my sister and I have been trying to drag her out at every opportunity.

Problem is that I can't afford 4 days a week childcare and my mortgage. Her offer was meant to stop me moving to cheaper house further away from her (her choice) but I am beginning to think that this may not be practical unless I can perhaps get two half days arranged on the days she looks after them to give her a break. Doesn't sound very practical from a childminders point of view though.

Original poster
MrsBigD · 14/09/2006 13:33

SJ maybe looking after the little one will actually be good for your mum then as it will defo keep her moving!

How much can you afford for childcare? I'm forking out £788 per month for ds's nursery and that's my wages gone. Obviously I have the luxury of dh earning and paying for home and food...

Would you have enough room for an au-pair/live in nanny? Wouldn't be my thing having somebody else live in my house but I think it's not all that expensive, well relatively speaking anyhow

xoxoxoxoxo annual pass for the Aquatic Experience? How much? Didn't know about that and dd loves going! Does that include the Butterfly house at all?

OP posts:
suejoneziscalmernow · 14/09/2006 13:41

I'm banking on around £45/50 pre day three days a week (around £600 per month). I have a spare bedroom but would prefer not to share as my house isn't that big. Don't think I'd get a live in nanny for £7,200 a year! Au pair maybe an option later but I think 1yr old is too young to leave with untrained inexperienced au pair which I'm guessing is what that money would buy.

The other option is nanny share with someone perhaps who's children have just started school and want to reduce their costs - perhaps I should start looking into that as well.

I agree it may be the kick up the arse my mum needs but am feeling a bit anxious about it at the moment (I like to spread my worries across as many life changing events as possible at the moment...)

Original poster
MrsBigD · 14/09/2006 13:45

might be worth looking into nanny share especially as school has just started up again. Why not put up a few signs in the local shops? Can't hurt. As for the wording ... 'most likely under 2 year old immigrant looking for nice family/nanny share' . Don't you just love childcare arrangements! I'm sure it's one of the main causes for PND! Stay home with kids or spend ALL your income on childcare... ah what a choice!

OP posts:
suejoneziscalmernow · 14/09/2006 13:56

or perhaps I will just lie down in a darkened room and wait for the problem to go away.

Paddlechick666 · 14/09/2006 14:01

i'm doing the whole childcare dilemma thing at the mo.

i've contacted about 10 CMs in Isleworth/Brentford and only 4 have responded. I'm visiting one on Monday evening - she has a parents' pack and seemed really on the ball.

Of the others, one can't do the days and the other two I have discounted because their spelling and grammer and punctuation were dreadful - is that really snobbish and stupid of me?

Anyways, I am also considering a nanny share and I have registered here

another friend advertised on Gum Tree and has found a great nanny but i need to discuss this in more detail with her before pursuing. police checks and how pay is worked out & tax and NI etc are all a mystery to me at present.

am ringing friend this arvo to find out more.

hth
PC666