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.

Drat, I was looking forward to admiring the hoover. But a hot choc would be good.

Beer and I have had a good chat about it znd are making a timetable as I mn too...

Did I tell you about my birthday presents???? Usually the Beery one forgets runs through the door past ten o clock with a cd he has been wanting for a while wrapped in a FNAC (WHSmithsish shop) carrier bag...

but....

he really did 'go to town' on the birthday front and so did a good friend of mine... It isn't a big birthday or anything so odd really that both of them 'blew the budget' and went to so much trouble for me but LOVELY jubbly all the same!!!

I'd gladly take the Hoover. But will settle for hot choc.

How are we all today?
(Other than tired, frustrated, overwhelmed, mildly or moderately panicked :()

henryhoover.org.uk/

this is the hoover my Mum has and has helped her greatly with her empty nest syndrome!!!

Milk has spent many a day in the under the stairs cupboard having a chat with him... as I did with the first Henry she ever had many many years ago!!!

Evening all .

Just back from a lovely day at the zoo with LittleO, my sister and niece. LittleO fell asleep in the car on the way home, so yay, no sleepy time tonight! I love our routine but am glad to skip it once in a while. It takes about 45 mins, as we do 2 stories from book, 1 made up story, a chat about our day, and then snuggle.

Serpent - I seem to have missed your post on smug friends, sorry!

Tea - I love it when parenting phases are thrown back at me! At least it shows they listen! I also have cleaning woes.

Ok, so if one of the tea roomers fb me with Oxeyes address I can then get in touch with her - thanks!

evening all.
Today I ( and friends) built a pumpkin Coach.... but don;t tell any one I told you. Tis a surprise.

Boy has invite to watch cinderella DVD mid week. DH is currently sewing dish cloth patches onto his sackcloth skirt. Fancy dress fever is hitting the Uni household.

Who was I sending a parcel to?

Now, I have a question. I have two fantastic charity shop pure wool tweed coats in interesting/unusual (very odd retro patterns)for the winter, but I need a mid length jacket or light coat for autumn. It must be really interesting and definitely not black. I am willing to break the bank and even look on ebay. Any idea for brands? Quite like the idea of something like catimini but obviously for grown-ups.

Ugh, 6 a.m. is too early a start after a 12:20 a.m. finish. But, to be fair to BabyScout, he slept through from 7:15 p.m. until 6 a.m. without a wake-up (YAY!). The same can't be said for me -- damn medicine; I drink more therefore I wee more and it's always in the middle of the night! ARGH!

Serpent, I am so not the person to ask about style/fashion/brands. Good luck, though!

UniS, how does one build a pumpkin coach?

My kitchen smells like a cross between Christmas and pre-school -- I'm steaming a pudding and made a batch of playdough to play with BabyScout later.

How about Gudrun Sjoden ?

Back from my brothers wedding - I'll spare you the full details, but at least I know now that mum and dad are entirely my problem, and theres no point in continuing my efforts to establish more of a relationship with db and sil.

oh dear, CMOTD - that is a shame. Siblings can be such a letdown.:(

Hmm. Oh dear, Cmot. It's very tough on you that your brother won't step up to the plate. (The only small solace here - not really solace at all - it's that it's another nail in the coffin of the argument that one must give one's child a sibling so that they're not left along to deal with aged parents.)

Tell me about Gudrun Sjoden. I have always liked the clothes I've seen in their ads but I fear they would be derided by the MN S&B crowd (as is Per Una) for being too Fat Pottery Teacher.

Serpent - How about this? Certainly unique and never dull. Or Desigual?

And, ladies, you'll never guess. I went to see Tamara Drewe last night and discovered that Mellors has a starring role. No wonder we haven't seen him around so much lately - he's been hobnobbing with the rich and famous.

Hot chocolate and a sticky bun, anyone?

I hear all of the stories of dealing with APs and I feel very guilty. In my family I'd most likely be the one to take care of the APs but I am the one a quarter of the way around the world. I often wonder how this is going to work. I'm fortunate in that my parents are quite young (they're the youngest among my peers, but some of the oldest among my siblings peers -- my sibs are 7 1/2 & 9 years younger than me) so hopefully don't have to face it quite yet.

Anyone for some pasta?

Mmmm, pasta. I have a very nice recipe for pasta with pumpkin and rosemary.

I love Gudrun Sjoden and see nothing wrong wth being a Fat Pottery Teachern- two of the most stylish and beautifully dressed of my acquaintances are - ahem - Very Large. Trouble is, I looked on ebay and didn't see anything in my size - all L or XL. Karen Wotsit looks amazing, but I didn't even dare look at the prices. Have seen some lovely Desigual dresses in Wriggle's size in the second hand shop. Thanks for good ideas - will follow them on ebay avidly!

Yes, I still like the look of Gudrun Sjoden but that whole folksy/eclectic/embellished style usually gets a panning on MN! I think my whole persona is Fat Pottery Teacher.

My own Aged Ps are getting increasingly infirm and difficult to deal with. Which I must do on my own as my brother is Far Too Busy and (in my parents' eyes) it's A Daughter's Duty.

Pasta with pumpkin and rosemary sounds lovely. I need to collect more recipes which use herbs - the herb crop in the garden is pretty good but I don't have much idea what to do with them.

'Tis so cold here we've lit the stove. Would anyone care for a mulled wine - Scout's posts have put me in the mood for one?

Grr, I have locked myself out of the on-line doctor's appointment site. ARGH. Will have to remember to call when the surgery opens tomorrow to get appointments for myself and BabyScout. My hands, especially my dominant one, are getting worse, no matter what I do. My dominant one is getting a bit swollen, it hurts to grip things and it feels like pins and needles. argh. BabyScout has started hanging his tongue out again and the HV the other week said it could be swollen glands/sore throat (or it could just be breathing issues because of his runny nose or he likes the feel of his new teeth). Better to get it checked, I think.

Hoping to go to ye ol' university town tomorrow -- do a bit of wandering around and a little bit of shopping. We're going to have a birthday tea for BabyScout next month so want to get some invites and some paper products. And I want to get some muslin squares for the mulled wine kits and some packaging to bundle everything together.

Thanks for the warming drink, Small.

After spending yesterday afternoon cleverly putting together a housework timetable based around people's strengths and needs as well as logically what should be done in advance of what I am spending the remaining parts of the evening picking up toys (Milk's job) and cleaning the kitchen (Beer's job) and haven't even started my remaining job yet (preparing Milk's school things)...

They have both gone to bed in strops because Milk wanted to 'help me' with my lesson prep and I said "No" and Beer was having one of those nights where he was wishing he was footloose, fancy free and single instead of upto his ears in mess or anti-mess timetables.

Booo hoo hooo!!!

Here, sweetheart, have a glass of mulled wine.

Things will settle down soon, I'm sure. It6's early days yet. But I think you have to be strong and not do the jobs which you have jointly decided are Beer's. With Milk it's a bit trickier, though.

All GP reservations systems are the Work Of The Devil, I find. But a day shopping in the university town sounds fab.

Tea, have another glass of mulled wine. And a ((hug)).

Who am I sending a parcel to????

Lovely day at Wilton House - didn't we once sort of tentatively fail to plan a meet up there? Would have to be after Easter now, of course, since it has closed, and not at a weekend ...

Awww - thank you, small!!! (hic)

scout - get thee to the drs. Hand situation sounds scary!!!!

RS - I think clothing choice depends very much on state of mind, daily activities and geography. Gudrun Sjoden is dreamy and seems to match your lifestyle perfectly! Earthy, natural and pretty - just what someone living in a cottage, baking, surrounded with animals and a dreamy little girl should be wearing.

A named napkin? Comme c'est chic a Paris!

havn't the foggyist who is supposed to be sending a parcel my way, but if any one wants an address use the inbox message thingy, it works.

um, pasta, just the ticket on a chilly moonlit night. The stove has been on here too, first time this winter. I on teh other hand, have been at eth pub. Quiz night, and we came 4th! AND I won some lego alike in the raffle. Dh looked at it and said " that'll make a nice present for someone" but I don't think he means boy.

Pumkin coach- Pictures will follow AFTER the race next sunday. Today boy and I painted the wheels.

Good night x x x

just flitting through - taking miniTHumb to Little Kickers in a few mins

Recipe for pasta with pumpkin and Rosemary, please? Pretty please?

I am family'd out. Officially.