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

sfx,
Is that in Kew Gardens? Dd would love that. I would have to make sure she doesn't eat too much sand though.

can't make 30th, 2cute, but thanks for invite [smile}.
kew beach? sounds fab

even

the beach @ Kew is brilliant. spent a good part of sunday there with friends and their two.

i love taking people to kew, i rediscover it all over again each time.

where's the bum sex thread then?

took dd swimming this morning, she's doing sooo well floating around like the queen of sheba.

she's started squealing again and is showing very real and far too early signs of the terrible twos!

i think i'm going to have to take up the extra day at work - money is in serious short supply at the mo

So has nobody heard from Nanou then?

What a day! I'm seriously considering changing ds's name to Oscar the Grouch, its just neverending at the minute.

2cute - we'd love to come on 30th - thanx for invite

Where is the beach in Kew then? That sounds excitiing

Step - LOL at your DS's comments

Bloody hell that rain is so loud it just woke DS2 up!!!

the river was very high a little while ago, think we get get flooded

the beach is by the cafe in sight of the pagoda it is small but adequate and the kids love it, there is a tiny sand pit next to it for the tiny/ shy ones i guess

and they're forecasting nice day tomorrow then rain all week and weekend

My mum came around today to let the locksmith in (front windows locked and no keys) and cleaned the ktichen whilst she was wiating. Now you might think I am pleased about that but the note left sort of took the edge off a bit. saying she cleaned because it was filthy (it is, cleaner has been away but somehow don't like having it pointed out) and I must buy dishwasher tablets and dish cloths (err, no I have some but you don't know where they are) and I must get my carpet cleaned because it needs it (it does but have taken the decision that there is little point just now). And i must cancel my veggie box because my fridge is full of unused veg (true and I have already cancelled just too late for this week and again - don't really want her opinion).

I just feel a bit taken over. Free childcare has its drawbacks (one of them being your mother has a key...)

Hi everyone!!

KC - right at the moment I'd put up with anything to have free childcare. I'm so stressed, have no AP, am juggling various cm's and df's to have dds and ds as cm has just had an operation. I've got my niece coming back in a couple of weeks to help out for 3 weeks and then my new AP starts in September.

At least I have a cleaner starting tomorrow and that's one less stress I have to deal with.

How is everyone? Pc - hows the flat hunting going? My sister's house is on the market and she's going to buy a 4 bedroom house in Essex for £170,000 - don't ask!! - its a long story and I'll have to tell you all when we meet (think storyline in Eastenders but 10 times more controversial).

MrsR your sis sounds v intriguing

Kew - can I have your Mum then?

sfx - our patio was flooded!!

QC, totally empathise on the mother front.

MrsR, tell me more! I'm in a bit of a quandry really. Comms going well with H but am severely stressed about money and housing situation.

Don't feel able to talk to him about it as worried about the effect it'll have on him.

Landlord is happy to go with extending our lease but for 5 months as he's getting wed and is off on a long honeymoon. I don't want to stay here till Jan but equally don't want to move before end August. Originally he said he was cool to go on a 2 month rolling contract.

Appreciate he doesn't want to deal with re-letting etc in run up to or during honeymoon. Options are to move and downsize on a 6 month lease which will save 200 or 300 pcm or sit tight and pay mega rent.

Flat sale isn't going swiftly but i never thought it would. Anticipate completing Sept/Oct and then will put real effort into buying elsewhere. Timescales are prob right for leaving here in Jan but had hoped to cut some costs.

Think I am going to have to take up the extra day at work but that leads to childcare probs as CM isn't available Tuesdays.

Am really feeling battered by life at the mo. Never seem to get a break..........

Paddle [mega hugs]

thanks foxie

btw, i've got a few bits n bobs clotheswise that you might like. will have to pop over sometime.

wanna see ds2 anyways, he's such a cutie!

oh pc poor you - you must be so stressed out at the moment. I really hated going back to work and leaving ds - straight into a full time job as well - but the money coming in has really relieved a lot of the pressure (although we have childcare problems). I can work for the next 5 months and then take another 6 months off. I know you probably won't feel like doing another day but I haven't found it particularly hard going from zero days to 5 days. But sorting out childcare is a nightmare isn't it?

I guess you just want to know where you'll be living in the future and not knowing really adds to the stress eh? If you ever want to get away from it all (like we do!) our caravan is free during the week - you're more than welcome to take a trip down there. Your dd would love the beach and you'd be glad of sometime away from it all.

In fact, I had a lovely Sunday down there just gone - ds slept from 10am til 2pm and I read a book - something I haven't done for a long long time.

{{{ pc }}}

oh pc, hugs to you. money worries on top of it all. i understand you don't want to do anything which might somehow upset your h but really you are hardly responsible for that.

maybe if you find an acceptable smaller place within the area, it might actually ease some worries and give you breathing space without upsetting too much routine/familiar for both of you

hi everyone looks like another sunny day
boogie tots to start i think

{{{{hugs}}} to pc, sfx is right, you should just concentrate on you and dd right now.

We've got our swimming lesson today, last week ds held onto the wall on his own for the first time and has also started to paddle and kick, which means everyone in a 5m radius of us gets soaked!

OK have forgiven my mother for cleaning my kitchen! (think I have PMT )

Paddle I think moving is stressful and not what you need to move twice within 6 months. Only you know how tight cash is but I think you should consider

a) asking DDH for more money just to tide you over until you get a permanent home ( I know you are concerned about his mental health but no point you developing stress or depression and sparing him)
b) borrowing a little from your mum (don't know if thats an option)
c) getting a credit card that has all purchases interest free for a year, put all your shopping on it for 6 months (then cut the card up) then pay it off over the following 6 months when you have cheaper place.
d) find out if you can do a 9 day fortnight - ie four days then five alternately
e) go to a five day week short term

I think any of the above would be less stressful than moving twice.

sfx there is a nice (calm'ish) music class at 10am on Wednesdays in the church hall on Kew Green.

PC - in fact, anyone: my lovely neighbour is back from uni for the summer break and is avaialble for babysitting or daytime care from mid July onwards. She can do day care but does not drive. Babysitting is £6/hr - I have not discussed daytime care...
So if you are looking for stop gap cover for Tuesdays she may be teh one for you....

well done Foxy - hope shitty boss behaves himself now.

sundays as a meet up day are off as I see so little of DH durung the week I best make the most of him at weekend.IFSWIM

this weekend we are off to get a new TV as ds has just peed into the back of ours... grrrrr . apparently dd said that he could not do it so he wanted to show her he could.

word of warning for parents having kids too close together, they get conspiratorial around the ages of 3 and 4.
word of warning to parents of girls - they are pure evil. face of an angel - but mischief personified....

wtf do we do in the evenings now we have no TV??? talk????? uuugggghhhh

kewcumber: is the music class ok for 3 and 4 yr olds? I am looking for a music/ singing/ dancing class that suits both dc, and 10am is fab as it means M&S lunchbox then pop off to school.
too good to be true?

Hi all. Having a rotten day. DS isn't ill, but in a foul mood, throwing tantrums about everything. We had to leave "monkey music" class today beccause he refused to do as he was told and lobbed a tambourine aanother childs head