Tea Room the Eighteenth - the Cricket Pavilion

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Welcome one and all to our new abode - a lovely old-fashioned Cricket Pavilion, with decks outdoors and a rather lovely Members' Bar, complete with deep-seated leather comfy chairs and any drink you care to mention.

Our outdoor amenities include the well-tended cricket pitch, kept immaculate by Mellors, our multi-purpose man; a couple of tennis courts round the back for those who prefer the Wimbledon scene; and another multi-purpose pitch (can be used for hosting Fine Lad-style rugby matches, or Little Kickers' football, or the occasional All Comers' Lacrosse Tournament.

Bishops abound, mostly snoozing in the leather armchairs; there are sundry animals around - guineapigs and bison mostly - and of course the Naked Mohawk Babies, fetchingly attired in cricket whites (most unusual for them!)

The cricket pavilion tea room is open to all - those with only one child who need a safe haven predominate but having more than one child is fine - come in, have an egg'n'cress sandwich and a glass of Pimms!

*other fillings and beverages also available.

Blah to migraines hope scout hubby liked wooden bricks
thumb I went to reunion , tWas weird but fun!
Unis sorry the comment hurt. I'm sure he didn't mean it that way
mistle you're actually saving money tis vital!
Hugs to all others. Joins in bolly. I'm heading for sofa with book and wine. Heaven

Did someone mention Bolly? I think I might have an early night tonight with Alastair Campbell.

But first, Bolly.

Migraines suck. Didn't hasn't had the cure I hoped it would. Bah!

Wooden blocks were a big hit. Especially as I bought a set of Brio, which HubbyScout is always going on and on about, and it turns out he's never had Brio before (but wanted some as a child). He's already been playing with them (with BabyScout).

Does tonight's Bolly have medicinal properties?

Should be "DINNER hasn't had the cure..." BAH!

Indeed it does, Scout. Indeed it does. Until it makes you go cross-eyed.

Would you like some, UniS? The lying is Very Annoying Indeed. I wish I had something to suggest.

I'd be happy with a pain-free head.

No advice, UniS, sorry. BabyScout isn't talking yet, let alone lying.

Actaully, BabyScout says "yes" and things that sound like "it is" and "is it". I always thought it was just me but three other people in the past week have responded to him when he's said those phrases, so it's not just me. He also looked at something earlier in the week, said "What is it" and then looked at me for an answer. I was floored! I answered him, he looked at the object and then tried to say what I said!! He's quite a chatter-box and talks away. He's also starting to chat and look at us to respond, wait for us to, then chat again. I also hear him in his cot a lot, chattering to Bun and Ted and his other stuffies. Tis very sweet.

Just curious, do you find a lot of your onlies are chatter-boxes?

Yes, SmallGirl has always had a great deal to say for herself. She didn't (as far as I can remember - long time ago) start speaking particularly early, but she soon acquired a vast vocabulary. I believe it's (broadly speaking) true that first borns often acquire language faster, because they have no choice but to make themselves understood to the adults around them, whereas subsequent children can rely on their older sibs to interpret for them.

And SmallGirl remains very verbal. Including the aforementioned untruths. Inspired by the thread on which people are lusting over commending the artistics=c work of Richard Armitage, I dug out my box set of North and South yesterday. SmallGirl didn't want to watch it, so h it under the sofa cushions and then swore that she hadn't moved it. Grr. But I found it anyway and then swooned all over the ironing board. I think RA may be almost as handsome as Mellors.

Grr, long post just eaten by the internet. Will summon the energy to rewrite it later!

I'm trying not to be one of those obnoxious mothers that is constantly saying things like "This is an apple, can you say apple?" but people often look at me funny when I'm out and about. I talk a lot to BabyScout. Not in the above mentioned way, but will say things "oh, BabyScout, we need to find some washing up liquid so we can clean your cups. The store seems to have moved the washing-up liquid, let's see if we can find it." And we listen to the radio a lot (both music and BBC Radio4). And lots and lots of stories (HubbyScout reads to him from the newspaper and journals as well).

I always thought that younger sibs talked sooner because there is more chatter around them (ie, older sibs talking to them/playing, etc). But I know my youngest nephew (youngest of five), who is ten months older than BabyScout, has no/very few words (understands loads, though) and only makes sounds that, too me, sound like a dinosaur. After spending the week on holiday my SiL said to my MiL she was starting to worry about DN's speech -- I think it was spending the week with BabyScout who chattered away and tried very hard to mimic the adults around him that made her realize he doesn't try to say anything, just points and makes squeaky terydactal (sp) sounds.

My knowledge may be out of date because it's a looooong time since I was a student and the research may have moved on, but the view at the time was that first borns on average (so not every time, as there will be exceptions in either direction) acquire language sooner and get higher scores on measures of IQ because they live in an intensely adult world and get more interaction with adults (at least while they remain only children and even if other sibs come along later they have had that experience in their early years).

I used to talk to SmallGirl all the time when she was a baby, too. I think it was my way of dealing with the transition from being in a very social job to being on my own with SmallGirl a lot of the time. So I used to chat to her as if she was an adult.

PUT YA RADIOS ON laaaydiiies...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jj0s5

'tis interesting!

I used to chat away to boy as a babe in pushchair. Trying to explain the world I guess, it WAS all new to him, he had no idea WHY I was taking him somewhere unless I told him . IYSWIM

parent facing pushchairs are dead handy for chatting.

I have a pushchair that forward faces and parent faces. I love it.

Can I just say my native country is so weird sometimes!

Ah yes, Tea. I had meant to listen to the lovely Mariella. I'll have to catch up on iPlayer. What have you learnt from it?

I used to explain the world to SmallGirl, too. She was deeply involved in local politics at the age of 8 weeks.

BabyScout seems to like sitting on the floor with the Senior Guides (for some reason we've taken to sitting on the floor lately) and watching all of the girls chatter with each other.

what have teh yanks done now? but yes scout, your generally right, your native country is a bit odd.

Senior section into sitting on the floor, that'll be the rebellious teenage thing. Have to sit on a chair all day at school, so, at guides we will either sit on tables or teh floor, but NEVER a chair. I remember doing it when I was in Ranger Guides.

HOt choc night cap any one, or would you prefer a snifter of fine scotch whiskey.

Hot choccy for me, please. Can I have a flake in it, too?

I really am going to bed as soon as SmallBloke has finished watching Sean Bean striding around in knee boots.

I agree with your theory on first borns Mrs Small.

Interestingly in bi-cultural families it is more often the first born that more fully embraces the culture from the other country/ies and is more comfortable in the non-native language/s at home. A fact that IMHO is linked to all this Mummy chitter chat when you have just one child!

Milk and I have had a dreamy 'entering each others Worlds' afternoon!!!

Girly shopping including trying on make up, perfume, hats and jewelry and spending over an hour in the toyshop ending in leaving with a cowboy outfit and then accidently falling into another one! Then Haagan Dazs ice cream for Milk and un café for me... then we went to see this film...

and ended up finishing off in a bar for a cheeky martini and orange squash before chitter chatting all the way home!

!!!

Not my theory, Tea. I don't do original thought. Just passing on what I absorbed at my Ancient Seat Of Learning all those centuries years ago. I hadn't heard that before about bi-cultural families but it would seem to fit, wouldn't it? Especially if it is the mother who is passing on the culture that isn't the one outside the front door.

What did you think of Eat, Pray, Love? I've seen some stinking reviews for it, but that doesn't mean owt. We went to see Tamara Drewe last week, It was a Hoot.

It is very good candy floss, small!

UniS, have you not heard about it's latest "terror warnings"? All very vague and "Be diligent when abroad." Um, no sh*t Sherlock! Yet it says nothing about those of us living in the countries they're not naming. (The vague "Europe" really narrows it down, now doesn't it?!)

I think the floor thing, really, is because we meet in an infant school, in one of the reception classrooms, and the chairs are barely big enough for a foot, let alone a 5'9" girl and her bum cheeks. They sat in chairs last term but we moved rooms this term that has a nice carpet space and tiny chairs so we opt for the carpet space. A couple of them pulled up chairs last week but most were happy lounging on the floor doing their thing. For a lot of them, too, it means they're in the best position to play with BabyScout's toys.

Oh dear, does this mean BabyScout is going to be very pro-American?

Don't know, Scout, but we'll be able to tell once he can say tomato!

hehehe!

I got one of my Guides saying "tomato" at camp two or three years ago. It was the funniest thing. I hadn't even said the word and she wasn't taking the piss, it just came out -- she was helping prepare lunch and asked for the tomatoes. She didn't live it down the rest of the week.

Most of my pronouncations don't bother HubbyScout but for some reason "vase" does. So I do it to wind him up. He ALWAYS asks me to repeat it, like he's never heard the word before and doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about, so I do it even more. [evil emoticon]

Ah yes. We could compile a list.

Tomato
Vase
Aluminium .....

Yogurt