D'ya ever wonder how life still carried on like this?

[Kelly1978]

A new thread!
Especially for throckenholt

I was hoping the original one would go to 1000, but it was gettign a but annoying scrolling all the way done, so come over here instead.

How is everyone coping with the school holidays?

I'm fed up with the rubbish weather, as we're stuck in the house too much. I daren't take them to soft play as it packed during the hols and then I can't watch all four of them. Plus it costs a fortune.
Mine are changing so much. Rav is becoming a right wuss, scared of new places. I suppose it shows awareness, but it is annoying when I've driven miles for a nice day out and he just wants to sit and whine because he is too scared to go on anything! Shay is developing his houdini skills, and now has a tendancy to bolt out of parks so I have to watch him like a hawk. I must dig out the reins before we go on holiday.

FG.... you could

take the exam for me
mark the exam for me
make it Friday already!

Your choice babe!

Doris-I got the package today, thanks so much, just waiting for the weekend so I can put my feet up and plough through it all. I'm so glad you found time to post as I (amongst many) was wondering how you were getting on.

Mars-Good luck tomorrow. I really hope everything goes well.

Had a much better day today all round so guess we were all just over tired yesterday.

Does anyone know if there's any truth in the "drinking milk to help grow the babies"? I'm struggling to eat much (although you'd never think it to look at me) and heard it suggested.

just a quickie...piximon - have you checked out the TAMBA message board? Lots of positive stories on there of natural births. You don't have to register to do a search through the threads, although I'm sure you'd get lots of helpful replies if you wanted to start your own thread on the subject. I find it always helps to have definite evidence on my side when dealing with the medics - they always flummox me otherwise!

mars - may the bard be with you today. Good luck.

No truth piximon.

Thanks for wishes girls. Bricking it currently, but am sure I'll be fine! Much love.

Goodluck Mars !

yes hope its going well MArs!!!

FG - I didnt realise you were in Scotland - whereabouts? You are probably the closest to me, given that everyone else seems to live either in London, wales or the South West! Are twins a rarity in the north do you think?

Doris - I cant wait to hear the next episode in your birth saga.....you have done so well to get this far. As I mentioned previously mine were induced at 39.5 weeks, so who knows when they would have made an appearance if left to their own devices!

people are a rarity in the north aren't they? It's jsut a vast, cold wilderness....

HI Kelly- yes you are right. It is like a wilderness...well once you have driven out of the town anyway. Harrogate is often called a little bit of the south in the north actually, but god knows why. Probably because its sort of genteel, old world spa town, although it does have quite a big drugs problem too!!

IF you want wilderness you just have to look at my back garden, me and DH bring down the tone of the whole neighbourhood!

PMSL Kelly . It ain't that bad up here - we even got electric light last year. And I'm quite a celebrity since I talk online to people South of the Border - and understand them!! And I stopped knitting pants last winter cos Tesco direct make a special air drop to me now. See, life is good .

Mars will be done. Mars will be lunched up. Mars could be singing in the streets. Mars better get her hips over here and lavish herself upon us and bake the lemon drizzle!!!

Just back from a neighbours house - and I took the DTs!!! I don't do socialising! It was lovely and the girl that lives there is lovely and I came over all guilty that I'd never asked her round here before in two years of living here. Made a mental note to do it very soon and then she told me THEY'RE MOVING AWAY. Feel very guilty and horrible with myself. I am such a nervous socialiser (hermit, loner) that I have missed out on an opportunity to have a nice friend. AND the DTs behaved impeccably .

I've been to harrgate. Very posh on one side, red light district on the other! I was quite shocked, coming out of the nice shopping center and round the corner to see sex shops and hookers! The North is scary, one wrong turn and you are in the middle of nowhere, won't be getting me up there!

that's a shame fg, hope you get some new nice neighbours.

I've had a pretty good day. we had a core group meeting today, of people who are involved with the kids and we all have to decide the next step in the plan of action but it went really well. They could see a lot of positives and so the ban on dp stayng over has been lifted. So this weekend we're planning on taking dd and ds1 to the diwali celebrations in trafalgar square and maybe the science musuem.

DS has been a right handful. I've realised he is copying the twins. It suddenly clicked as to why he has been so difficult, then was watching shay's mannerisms and realised that ds has been doing exactly the same things. I am getting really fed up with not getting any support for him. Still haven't had another appointment thru for an eeg, and yesterday he really hurt himself. He was sitting on a picnic bench and suddenly toppled backwards for no reason and hit the back of his head. I am worried he is going to really hurt himself sooner or later.

Crashing quick - glad to hear you're ok JuA - we've missed you!!!

Kelly, that's fab! I've been meaning to ask you how DP is, but being rubbish I keep forgetting. That's soooooo coool that he can come over!!! I know you've still got sorting out to do, but at least you can do it together.

Mars - how did it go????? I've been thinking of you all day... generally between bites of raspberry leaf cake, sips of raspberry leaf tea and swallowing raspberry leaf tablets. And walking to town and back, which isn't actually far but made sure I jiggled in as many shops as I could because I won't be visiting them again for a looooonnnnggg time, so it took me about 2 hours.

Thanks for all good thoughts to everyone too. I know I should leave the boys where they are, but logistically I need them out as soon as they can possibly come, just to have DH home for a couple of days longer. AND so I can go to DD's birthday party next Saturday, which I've just arranged (why???). Throckenholt - I have got a couple of friends who are going to do a nightshift per week when DH's away, thank goodness. FG - I have drawn breath. I must admit that I don't feel comfortable at the thought of staying in hospital but I'm going to try. Kind of depends on how much DD wants me home. Which depends on how well DH copes with being at home alone - he hasn't done more than a few hours at a time since she was about 6 months old.

I've just been discovered! DH came up and actually asked what I was doing! Now wondering if I should have chosen a slightly less obvious nickname...

Piximon - there's lots of stuff about nutrition in some of the books you've already got, and also in the Having Twins book which I will send when I get it back from my friend. The only thing that I think she does extol the virtues of is soya, which actually you need to be a little more careful of than most people realise. It's a phyto-oestrogen and shouldn't really be eaten in its raw state (as in unfermented).

Anyway, best go downstairs to splodge in front of the TV so I'm not missed. Hate TV. Not particularly keen on sitting in silence either whilst watching whatever crap is on TV, but dutiful wife and will be good!

Mars - where are you????? I'll only forgive you if you're out salsaing somewhere in celebration!

I've been wondering about mars too. Texted her earlier, dunno if she got it. Hope it went well mars!

Got your text Kelly... thank you

Okay ladies you can be the first to know.

I opened the question paper... but wait! Let me start at the beginning.

I arrived at Bishopsgate Institute at 9.30am. Met up with lots from my tutorial group and summer school. We all laughed at each other and told each other how well we would all do and that whatever happened we were going for a drink afterwards.

We were sat in great long rows (remember those days) and Attila the Hen gave us our instructions. "Be quiet!!!!!!!!!!!!" she bellowed. "This is an examination room and you must not speak. If I see anyone open their question paper before I say then it will be taken away from them!" Nearly wet my knickers. Not fright... was trying so hard not to laugh, but my shoulders were shaking and it was all I could do not to produce volume.

When she gave us the word I opened my exam question sheet and read it through twice. I had to answer one question from each of the three sections. Section 1 had 2 lovely and 1 quite good question. So that was great. Section 2 had 3 lovely questions to choose from and Section 3 had great questions, but it was hard to choose one.

I started writing and suddenly it was time to do section 2. Then before I knew it there were 50mins to go and I had to answer a question from section 3. I read them through a few times, then I thought I need to get writing so I wrote the first sentence that came to me and realised that it suited one question more than the others. Choice made. I don't think I did as well on the 3rd question as I could have, but I feel I did alright.

All I know is that I don't have to haul that huge tome around any more and I can have decent conversations with people and I can go salsa when I want and I have no more essays to write until February.

Now all that's left to do is to catch up with all the stuff I needed to do over the last 3 weeks.

So............. in other words...... (a la Independence Day)....... I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello, ladies!

I'm the first to know - hooray!

Glad it went well, Marsy - sounds like you breezed it! How was salsa?

I forgot the funniest thing.

Atilla the Hen told us that under no circumstance could we have a mobile phone on or near our persons and we were to turn them all off.

The exam finished at 1.00pm exactly and at 1.01pm someone's phone rang. Atilla the Hen went ape........... the hall dissolved into laughter and the poor woman who's phone it was looked like she wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. lol

Mars - that sounds fantastic! Well done! I'm so pleased you got good questions, but you've done so much work that I think they would have been good for you whatever they were! When do you get results? (Sorry, had to ask as it's the next date for my very empty diary and I'm going to have to live life vicariously for a while.)

Big from Devon. Hurrah! Go salsa...

Well done Mars! ! Euugh, brings back memories of school and exams!

Throckenholt - I'm orignally from Norfolk, where are you?

empty diary ?! What about the little matter of having newborn twins ? .

Well done Mars.

leogaela - south of Norwich - where are you from ?

Throckenholt, North East from Norwich. Born in North walsham, lived in a village called smallburgh, then North Walsham, then Wroxham. my mum lives in Norwich now, my sister in Lingwood (near Brundall - that's south isn't it?) and brothers in other bits of Norfolk.
I'm seriously due a visit back....!

Oh, meant to say - I spoke to my boss again yesterday to get my year maternity leave approved. He said he wasn't sure if he could approve it because we are so short or resources and they don't replace me while I'm away . If he doesn't agree it will mean that the twins will be at the most 5 months old when I go back or I don't go back at all! Its going to be a huge dilemma. i think 5 months is too young to leave them at nursery for me and them but its going to be really tough finding another 60% job when i am ready (especially with the money i get paid which we need if we are going to send 3 children to nursery!). Anyone got any thoughts or advice. When did those of you that work feel ready mentally, physically and emotionally to go back? how the hell do you concentrate at work when you are still being woken up several times a night?

I went back at 6 months to 3 days per week away from the house (and one from home - which was harder to actually do !). Luckily DH and MIL looked after the kids when I was out so didn't have the costs etc of nursery.

It worked for me.

We have cousins who moved to North Walsham a couple of years ago - only know it really from visiting them, and also have been to Wroxham and the broads quite a few times.

I grew up in the Fens, but am originally from Essex - so very much a hybrid !

Oh Mars, I've been sent back to my school days - exams were never my thing and the laughing in silence rings true again. I've never been able to stop myself thinking of funny things when I'm being told to behave and be quiet. I would not have been able to control myself, esp when the phone rang . Sometimes at funerals I find myself thinking how funny it would be if the deceased jumped out of the coffin and began dancing and singing and then I have to breathe out hard and pretend I'm devastated . Usually I am devastated you understand, its just a coping strategy . In my chemistry exam I didn't even follow the question so I wrote a paper on exactly that and why exams and being academic were difficult for me - I got 13% which I thought was excellent! Well done young lady, kick back and relax.

Leo I agree its hard to leave them at 5 months and I guess you won't know if you can until you get there. My thoughts are that you will cope at work regardless of how the nights are because you would cope in your day at home, you may need/enjoy the break and be a better mum getting away from it for a while, AND ON THE OTHER HAND, they are so little for such a short time that its hugely rewarding when you look back and see the result of your efforts, and by then you will be getting into a routine that allows you some control and thus enjoyment creeps in. Just all thoughts for the pot. Its a toughie and there is no right or wrong.

Anyway, I should be ordering my Tesco direct knitted pants.....