WEST LONDONTHREAD - JULY/AUG 2007 (when we finally get a summer?)

[ComeOVeneer]

Just thought I would get this up and running before the old one is full.

dd is now feeding her breakfast to her teletubies. i am here, dreadful parenting.

regarding behaviour i found the clingy phase hardest, otherwise i feel it has been a matter of tuning in to her, if we are in synch it's ok but tiredness on either side tends to throw the balance.

i used to be constantly on the go and juggling a lot and i found that adapting to and infant/ baby / toddler was very hard work. lots of frustration, etc. these days it is far easier

mellow had a look at transport and it appears i need 2 buses which i find just a bit much for my lazy attitude.
i think i might have just pop to north sheen rec and the shops ibstead

sfx - alternatively you could go to Kew Gardens and swim across...

sushi - you're welcome to come over one morning at teh weekend - I don;t generally invite people becuase I know they'd rather spend time with their DH's (apart from Foxie)

oh god that doesn;t look right

Apart from Foxie - because her DH works Saturday!!!! Not because she doesn;t want to spend time with him. Am sure she's devoted to him

KC not training for the triathlon dear.

but they should really do a ferry service

Sfx,
I'll give you a ring.

I think they used to havea foot ferry but doubt it exists anymore - great marketing opp for Kew Gardens/Syon House...

LOL QC!

Thanks for the offer, QC. I might do that one weekend as we go to Kew Retail park every weekend. Oooh, I'd love to see your DS, bet he's growing fast!

ok off to kew then must drag dd kicking and screaming if need be

of course your Dh is welcome too Sushi!

Hi everyone. I see your all off to Kew again whilst I'm stuck at work.

And speaking of work, does anyone have an idea of rates of pay regarding a staff vs. a contract position? If so, can you please help me over here

Sushi,
You're a far more dedicated mother than I am. I'm just not cut out to be a stay at home mum and pay her undivided attention. I'm actually looking for a new contract job atm.

Having said that, we're going to Kew again as dd wants to go out now and there is no way I can keep her entertained all day at Syon Park.

Mellow, I read my post and I sound a right smug bxxch! And I wasn't even a SAHM (on maternity leave)... All I can say is it's a difficult phase (I know I've been there) and things will hopefully get easier for you.

Oh and when DS started nursery, I felt liberated. I love being with DS but don't think I can do 24/7, tbh.

Mellow IKWYM - I wasn't cut out to be a SAHM either - I like a mix and match in my life and SAHM is too much of one thing IMHO. Or three things in my case

Kew: PMSL at your reference to DH and I's relationship

Are you suggesting that after 16 years we might get a teeny weeny bit bored with each other? Surely not!!

Well I'm trapped at home today waiting for a wardrobe to be delivered and painting an old wardrobe to make it look snazzy and new. So no Kew Beach for us today.

I am around tomorrow Kew - and Saturday too

Spent all day yesterday clearing out old books and cleaning and stuff.

have loads more to do today, so off I must pop ....

well if you want to come over tomrrow am then you're welcome if not how about I pop over at 4ish with clothes?

Aren't you going to use CM's new space for DS2? [nosey emoticon] or are you still planning to split childcare between you and DH?

Kew - can I confirm tomorrow - its just all a bit topsy turvy here atm.. am madly rushing about in prep for lodger who arrives tomorrow evening!! If I don't get these wardrobes and mess sorted I am in deep poo!!

Re CM, I need to get DH to ask his employers if he can do a 3 day week. The ideal is that he and I will both work 3 days and on the day we are both at work, CM would have DS2. I also need to check with CM which day she has space (I belive its Friday, as she does not have your DS on that day).

Interestingly she might eventually also look after a baby girl, who is the sibling of my DDs best friend (who my DD met at CM's).

So we could have a situation where DD and her friend have been together at CM and then school since the age of 12 months, and then DS2 and that friend's sibling also follow the same route - same CM, same nursery, same class at school!

Their Mum and I have already agreed they will go to the same Uni, whether they like it or not!

BTW Mossies love my DD too - the best way to avoid beinf stung is to sit in the same room as her, so they all go on her!

she will have 5 days free in Sept so you can take your pick! No worries about tomorrow. Do you want to bring one or two of your's over for 11am and leave them here - would that help? Might be a bit boring for your DS though.

Hi all. Where has the sun gone? Well I have the little darlings back home and am trying to keep them occupied whilst the kitchen continues. I know these things rarely go smoothly, however we discovered this morning that the radiator they removed and were supposed to be putting back in another position, they assumed wasn't going back and have already taken it to the dump. They are now saying that it isn't possible to put it where we wanted it (not quite sure the reasons as there english isn't fantastic) and there really isn't an alternative postion, so we will now have a kitchen minus heating . I am hoping the heat from the boiler, the back of the huge american fridge and cooking, [plus general heat from the rest of the house will suffice. I said OK as we don't have much choice, but said that they have to deduct the £150 from the bill quoted for doing the radiator. The bossman said "but we have put in 3 extra sockets that weren't on the list so that will be for that instead. OH NO says I, I didn't ask for those so I'm not paying for them .

We aaren't 100% convinced about the inability to do the radiator, it would mean undoing then redoing some of the work they have already done and forking out for a brand new radiator, so not sure if they are pulling a fast one, but what can you do?

sorry to be builder'ist but I hate builders .

Would you like to come here Friday am Cov? 11-1ish if the weather isn;t good we could go inside or resort to the new poncey coffee place in KEw (where is it?)

and they did say it might be cloudier today.

Tomorrow morning would be fab KC. Today hasn't gone to badly. We went and did some holiday shopping, then food, packed a picnic and headed to the park. DS is now napping in my room in the travel cot (to be as far as possible from building noise as his room is directly above the kitchen). I am in the study on dh's computer and dd is sitting with me on cbeebies site on my laptop. The real difficulty comes at meal times and the builders are here from 8am until 7pm, so a loooong day to keep the children out the way). BUT IT WILL BE FAB (cov keeps reminding herself ). I am most excited about the frigde (how sad is that?)

Natural cafe is where the Italian restaurant was, next to the post office if you are thinking that QC.

CoV, I know it's too late but what about underfloor heating? We have one and it's good (but not so good for environment).

oh is it? I thought it was being replaced with another italian. Anyone tried it yet? Is it very expensive