"D'y ever wonder what Paolo would look like in my shower?" <<because I do>> For FG xxx

[largeginandtonic]

How are the pox today HM???

throck! Caught in the act of bellowing like a fishwife, how embarrassing! I don't believe people who say they've never done it. And anyway, I never heard you so it can't have been that bad . Which part of the country/world do you live in?

Hi leo, hospitals and sleeping . Don't you think its time we had 7 star hotels offering 2 nights maternity stay? I'd pay. Might even have another baby just to try it out

I'M K I D D I N G!

Don't laugh FG, when ds was born I went to a private hospital (health insurance paid most of it) I had my own room, dh stayed with me the week I was there, fantastic food from a very good menu. Dh kept accidently calling it the hotel. This time I'm in the normal hospital but will definitely have my own private room if they have one free, its worth every penny.... and taking earplugs with me just in case they don't have a private room available!

Very very funny Throckenholt. PMSL!!!!!!!!!

Not stopping. Off to Great Ormond Street with one of my ladies and her baby. Who knew that when I got busy I would get so busy!

Anyhooooooo............ I will catch up I promise.

Pixi... that's why I haven't gotten down to you yet. I'm hoping to soon though.

Hi all, Leo, i will have a think with regards to your other thread and then let you know.
throck, very funny indeed, and could really be cut and pasted from my life
Piximon - What about Fabian, or some welsh boys names, Iestyn, Ioan, ? Or some welsh girls names, Arrianwen, Anghared, Bronwyn, Mared, Heledd, Seren, Gwynnor, Olwen, Eleri, Myfanwy (sp), Bethan, Manon, Maron, Mair.

bacardi and coke, myfanwy I'd never be able to not think of little britain with that name.
I do liek bethan tho.

I'm crap at thinking of unusual names. You could always check out indian names though, some are beautiful.

Just a goodbye from me ladies, am off to Plymouth today to stay with the inlaws and my parents. Have been rocking in the corner a bit the last week and am in danger of burying one of the children in the back yard.I should be back by monday unless i degenerate further when i get there (you know that whole someone puts their arm round you and then you really lose it)

Hope you are all ok, Mars get some rest, FG glad to see you back, overrun you sound all calm and collected, Throck PMSL at your lovely twins! Hello to everyone else too.

Am packing the car up for the drive to Plymouth after i do the school pick up, byeeeeeeee xxxxxx

Have fun LGT, hope you come back refreshed.

LG&T we will miss you , have a good rest!

Hi and bye LGT, Kelly , i don't watch Little Britain so had forgotten about that. I agree, Bethan is a nice name
Well, I am cooking dinner as usual in the full knowledge that at least one of them will throw it on the floor, hopefully not dh

Hello everyone, not posted for a few days so just trying to catch up on everyones news, it takes so long!

I have been into work today and had a meeting with my boss. We had discussed me going back to work and I had said I would do 3 days per week, 8 hours per day instead of what I did after the twins which was 4 days a week, 6 hours per day. He had verbally agreed to this. Today he said that he wants me back 4 days. I said I cant do that financially (3 kids in nursery for 3 days = too much), logistically (already dropping a day at nursery, they helpfully suggested I find another nursery!), and personally (want to work, but want to spend time with my kids too).

They had the audacity to say that they couldnt believe it would be a problem financially as my DH earns a decent whack. Can you believe it! So I told them I would need time to think and got in the car and burst into tears! I dont know where I stand so I might create a new thread in employment issues section to ask experts. Thought I would ask you guys first what you think though??

I can't really advice you legally, and I suspect that it is a grey area, i.e, they are legally obliged to consider your request for part time, but not to agree to what hours you want, I think they probably are within their legal rights to do this. Maybe (hopefully some one who knows more than me will come along and contradict me), they will back down that you have said that you don't want to do that?
Other things that occur to me are as follows: I think their comment about your dh was completely out of order. Did they contact you then? I thought they had to be careful when contacting some one on maternity leave.
Sorry to hear how much is has upset you though

THanks Overrun - I had asked my boss for a meeting as I wanted some clarity about what my role would be when I went back. I ran a busy Customer Service Dept before I went on mat leave and he had said that he had a role for me in Marketing on my return verbally but that has all gone down the swanny it seems!

Cheers for the kind words though! I am not backing down, I will set forward my reasons for doing 3 days and why it wont impact the business, and if they refuse I will say, ok, I will come back4 days but will take my full years mat leave (which means would not be due back until Oct) and then I will give them a months notice that i'm not going back.

I will also appeal against their decision, but we'll have to see what happens!

Sorry to hear about that hm. I think you can appeal and they have to show that it would not be possible within the company to agree to your request in order to be able to refuse it. My knowledge on the subject is a bit shaky, but dp had a similar problem where he had to request a change to workign hours due to parental responsibilities and he won, so it is possible. Good luck with it.

I've jsut fired off a rather pissy email to my sw following gettign the mintues from the core group. I am so sick of him managing to put in all the negatives, and make up what he wants to see in it. Aaaargh!
He said that I agreed to paly therapy for ds1 and a homestart volunteer when I did neither, and managed to mention that I am stressed by the prozac because of involvement by ss (errr, lack of support actually!) and that I've fired the cm, but not that I've found the twins a nursery place.

HM, I'm no expert............

I would say that 3 days is part-time and 4 days is not. Four days is doing without you for a day and squeezing 5 days into 4.

Your husband's earnings have no bearing on your working life, and it is nobody's business to comment on his earnings and that effect on your family and, frankly, it is vulgar to bring it in to conversation. 'We' are not discussing his earnings, 'we' are discussing your working hours and finding a happy medium between the life/work balance to the satisfaction of you and your employer.

Your decision to work is not (I'm guessing) financially motivated but personally motivated and it is that that is the tricky bit. I fail to see the importance of where your nursery is in the world.

I think they have to be assured that when you turn up to work to do your 3 days you will be fully committed to that time. Legally I have no idea how you stand with a verbal agreement.......(I know in Scottish law a verbal agreement over, say, buying a property, is binding).

I would be inclined to sit back and think through how you want to approach them. Then ask for a new meeting to discuss it further and politely and calmly state what you would like and why and why they will benefit.

Before then though I guess you have to face the big question of......if they will not back down, do you love (and need) that particular job enough to do 4 days.

If the answer is yes then do not feel bad and grab it. If the answer is no then be prepared to throw in the towel.

Look at life from a different perspective. Weigh up how satisfied your working life makes you and how satisfied your children do. (Think ahead too, your children are constantly changing.)

There is no right and wrong here.

Kelly, sorry to hear that. Make sure you send that email (if you haven't already) once you have fizzed and been mad for a bit. You will write it better when your mind is in clever mode and not revenge mode. (Not that I'm saying you are a revnge seeker you lovely girl you ).

You are doing very, very well. Your DS1 is settling and growing in his nursery place and you have both secured and introduced the DTs nursery place. In my mind, a nursery place is hugely beneficial (esp to DTs), much more so than spending time with a CM. They will have many more challenges and space within a nursery environment and, most importantly, time to learn about how their peers interact. This will allow them time to busy their minds in a massive variety of ways where a childminder can really only simulate a home environment. A CM has an invaluable role but your DTs are at a stage where they need more. You recognise that and you have addressed that. 10/10 from my camp.

And so frumpy retires from her diamante encrusted soapbox and decides she will have that glass of wine.

Ah, its been a busy day and I so need to sleep. Feel better for my rants though

well, the grobags arrived today. dt2 immediately twigged the disadvantage of them from his point of view, and we had to virtually wrestle him screaming into his.
Dt1 was all excited until I finished zipping up, and then it dawned on him, and his little face crumpled
Now for the positive bit, so far they seem to be staying in bed, and just talking a bit.
RESULT

Have you noticed, when I get going I really get going. Paolo, get your clothes on honey, we're hitting the town.

Yahoo Overrun! There is something in the air tonight. Its a "don'tmesswithme" night .

Grobags may limit their bodies, but they will grow their minds. Here my sweet I've just poured a glass of white. I'm off to do the nightly duties........

Ta very much for that love

Having a very very bad day (and evening). And DH has gone out for a work do. grrrr
DS (4 nearly) has gone nuts, poo in night nappy, then poo in pants, being aggressive and rude, spitting on everything, found loads on his bedroom furniture, winding up the other three, etc
gotta go feed twins...

Okay ordered pizza, got wine! Not going to post much as still rather tired.

Pixi... I'll be over to see you next week I promise. Now that my longest ever job is done I'm all yours.

I'm away in Blackpool this weekend. That's right........... you've guessed it..................... salsa!!!!!!!!!!!

DD1 brought home a letter about her school journey for July 2008. She may or may not get it. They choose the girls that they take. It's a trip to Canada and it's going to cost £1,565 So if any of you know anyone who needs a doula full time lol.............

Kisses my lovelies and don't let those bloody people win HM and Kelly! Or I'll be there to see to them for you

Oh and my new website is fabby I'm so so so pleased with it!

chin up pixi........it WILL GET BETTER!

FG and Kelly, I love you girls, thanks for your words of advice, why cant I write things like you do and think things through so rationally!!??

Mars, just saw your post - loving you too!! Hmmmmm £1,565.........not cheap hey......

Hi Mars - whats the address for your website?