West London June thread (one day early)

[ComeOVeneer]

Almost made it to the end of the month. Children are gone. I am free until Sunday lunch

can't bloody afford ruislip woman!

and isn't it illegal to replace someone who's being made redundant?

btw, anyone know a seamstress?

not convinced about your definition of "eligible" foxie

okay am feeling sorry for myself now.

recently married friend just announced she was pg.

friend with daughter 1 week older than dd is pregnant again.

other friend who's dd is 3 months younger than dd has just announced arrival of his son.

nct friend is pregnant with twins.

am having serious family envy.......

Sorry paddle. (((hugs)))

I think it's legal to make outgoing girl redundant if MrsR is not an employee with the same job title (i.e. if she's contract). Just like I could make a nanny redundant and then hire achildminder, effectively outsourcing the the position. I'm not sure about this, but I expect this might be legal.

Glad you are enjoying your new job, MrsR. It's an awkward position regarding the girl wh ois being made redundant, but I'm sure you'll be so fab that they'll forget all about her.

Buy vs. rent? I really just feel I am NEVER going to get on the property ladder. But, I do agree, Paddle, that you should be thinking about schools now.

I agree with foxie about buying vs renting. Needless to say, we completely overextend ourselves.

There is a block of flats in my development that is run by the Housing Association but I think they're all sold.

MrsR,
It must be quite awkward for you to work together with the woman you're replacing. But presumably it shouldn't be for too long.

I've worked in contract positions where I'm replacing a contractor who hasn't performed to expectation and I find that they go out of their way to make life difficult for me. Hopefully, that's not the case for you.

QC,
I presume you mean Asian as in from Asia not Asian/Indian sub-continent.

I've found a variety of Asian dolls in Harrods, my local toy store.

To be serious, I find Harrods has most things in stock as no one else seems to go there for baby essentials. And it saves me from making the trek from store to store.

I did think ds looked a touch Oriental (Northern Chinese). Is Kazakhstan close to northern China?

We should get dd and your ds together. Dd gets very excited when she sees people who look like mommy (atm, that's only in Chinese cafes). Dh who took her to the toy library said she was especially taken with a Oriental doll at the toy library but the doll wasn't available for loan.

Paddle,

I just found out that a friend is pg and it made me envious too as I don't think we're having anymore children.

so Foxy, given the description of your friend, I can only wonder why he's still available

KC: can't you do the american thing and organise a 'singles night' where your friend (male and female) bring one single friend for BBQ or something? I know of two couples who met via t'internet: but both sifted through a load of dross first!

I thought the typical London way of meeting partners is at work? Anything shaggable at work (forget marraige, concentrate on the nookie for now!)?

I met DH as he was my landlord. Now there's a way to get your foot on the property ladder and any other bits that you can think of....

PC: I used to be a 'seamstress' at uni: prom dresses for cash etc.

I have a sewing machine you can borrow..

you've made me think of when we bought our first home together. We lied to teh bank and got a 100% mortgage and lived on beans for about 2 years. sad but true.

have just figured out where ds' wind turbine comes from.

just did a google search and found www.storesonline.com/site/480020/page/536592?gclid=CLiY1_2Ix4wCFSWZEAodDUsb8w

and cgi.ebay.co.uk/Asian-Boy-doll_W0QQitemZ290125583645QQihZ019QQcategoryZ239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

oxo, thanks but i wouldn't have a clue how to use it!

i've got so many decent things that are just hanging off me now. i need someone to take them in for me!

dd won't take the wellies off!

Oxo - am perhaps happy to forget the marriage and concentrate on teh nookie - thats why I'm still single (and tbh quite happy with it!)

Mellow - yes DS is "a touch" oriental - he is possibly Eurasian but then so many Kazakhs are its difficult sometimes to put your finger on exactly what their genetic make-up is. Originally a turkic race but then Genghis Khan had a lot to answer for! Many people would mistake full Kazakhs for mongolians. No-one is ever quite sure with DS - slightly oriental eyes, caucasian head shape (quite long and thin), brown hair and very dark eyes, medium complexion skin which would probably be considered European in winter and generic Asian in summer.

The (alternative) short answer to your question is that kazakhstan borders both Mongolia and northern china on its Eastern flank (Russia to the north, the "stans" to the south and Caspian sea to the west).

OK geography lesson over.

Morning all. Haven't had a moment to get on MN since the weekend . Hope everyone is well. Has Quokka fled this hallowed Isle yet? Nanaou, any more thoughts on me hosting your leaving do? More than happy to do it. Getting back into the swing of things this week after it being half term and the children being away has been hard. Sunday night when packing dd's lunch box I found meager pickings in the fridge so she ended up with cold asparagus with parmesean shavings and a vinagrette dressing, parma ham, homebaked cheese twists and fruit salad (all left overs from Sunday lunch ).

thanks Paddle, though I do think that the one on ebay is a bit wierd with the painted on hair!

And yes Mellow we should get the DC's together. Would be good for both of them I think.

CoV LOL at your DDs lunch box

Oxo - PMSL - I didn't know you shagged your landlord!! My friend did that too and now lives in a six bed mansion opposite Kew Gardens (shrewd girlie) . I lived there as a lodger too and he tried to shag all the female lodgers and we all resisted apart from this one. More fool us!!!

I don't agree with shagging people at work, but then I work for an HA, which seem to have an active policy of employing the most unattractive men on earth

Mellow/KC - I'm fascinated by all that physical anthropology stuff and the finer details of mixed race children. I waffle for hours about my kids facial features and skin tones until I can see people eyes glaze over, or sometimes they just walk off

Did I announce that I have given up chocolate (applause please)

BTW Paddle - you can always give your perfectly good lardy size clothes to me you know!! I'm already wearing half your wrdrobe so why not just hand over the whole lot?

Can I join you, Mellow and QC? DS deffo looks oriental, increasingly looking like my brother. I am thinking of taking time off work sometime this month or next, possibly on Friday so maybe we can meet up for tea/coffee?

CoV, did you see that thread on lunchboxes a while back? some woman who photographed each days' box contents and then reviewed what the child had to say about it! you could join in with a lunch box like that LOL!

KC, yeah i know what you mean. be glad i didn't link to the even weirder ones!! i quite liked the american site tho.

foxie, i'd be happy to hand my wardrobe over except i have no funds to replace anything thus needed a cheaper option of having stuff altered!

LOl when she came home after school yesterday she was well put out that she opened her box at lunch time to find hoummus, pita, some carrot and cucumber sticks, cubes of cheese and a banana

My DS1 is always very chuffed when he finds a penguin bar as a treat in his lunchbox

Mine have sandwiches, a yogurt, apple juice and a biscuit.

That lunchbox fetish woman sounds a bit obsessive to me!

QC,
I was actually looking for a geography lesson.

Right, I'm off to Lollipops now.

Yes, I'm happy to meet up, Sushimum and QC.

And everybody else who have non-Oriental looking DCs are welcome to join us too!

Ooh lovely a Eurasian sub-group

Happy to do coffee either Fridays or over the weekend. If the weather is good we can meet in my scruffy garden or at Kew?

Just for interest (or boredom!) DS is from Oskemen, north east part of Kaz