The One-Child Tea Room, version 21... the Hawaiian Islands. Cocktails, anyone?

[Jacksmama]

Welcome everyone to the 21st (!!!) One-Child Tea Room. Not to be misleading, we do have inhabitants who have or are planning more than one! Everyone is welcome.

The usual rules apply: no fisticuffs, or you will be escorted out by Mellors the Hunky Gardener. Depending on your preference, he looks variously like Daniel Craig, George Clooney, David Boreanaz, Gerard Depardieu... I have a feeling we all see something different but whatever we see makes us drool! And considering that this Tea Room is in the Hawaiian Islands, whoever we see is definitely shirtless! :o

Cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, yummy food that is entirely without fattening effects, and lewd rolls abound in the Tea Room. There is also a full cappucino bar.

This is essentially A Tea Room of Requirement, and we're currently on the lovely sandy beaches of Maui, with beach huts, lounge chairs, cabanas, mango and papaya trees, and of course, lots of coffee directly from Kona.

Pop on in and stay a while. We may all seem a bit mad eccentric but we're very friendly!

::Preens:: I just made my first Cottage Pie. Even made some mini ones for BabyScout for later in the week.

Did it have real cottages in it? [over-literal emoticon]

I went to the cottage store especially.

It's okay to cover & refrigerate a pie before it's cooked, right? I mean, all the parts are cooked but I haven't put them in the oven yet.

::Passes thumb a working oven for her place:: Seriously, though, ouch.

Yes, it will be fine Scout. Just make sure it's hot all the way through. Sounds yum!

My mum is making chicken soup. Whole flat smells LOVELY!

Cool. As soon as the mini pies cool I'll wrap them and put them in the 'fridge for later in the week.

Oh, Tee, what time is dinner and I'll be over. I LOVE Chicken Soup!

About 6, Scout. We're having some salad and nice crusty bread with it. Plenty for all!

I'm so there!

That's a point - what the heck am I cooking for dinner? Aha - Chicken stir fry surprise I think.

amber aren't you suppose to still be resting? Looking wan and asking for a hot drink brought to you on a tray?

But...what's the surprise?

Oooh, amber, I'm at yours when I'm done at Tee's. Yum! [not greedy emoticon but trying to stop losing weight emoticon]

The surprise is probably the absence of chicken, unless we still have some in the fridge!

Resting? Er, I don't suppose that tackling a large pile of ironing matches with this?

This is the trouble with going home - I'm resting better in the office where there's no manual labour that can tempt me

::Whizzing diced chicken breast amber's way::

Hardly anyone knows how to whizz a chicken breast in an Amber-like way. I'm impressed!

Hi All

I'm newish, have been an infrequent lurker for a while but am coming to join in. I flipping well love having just the one child. It wasn't by choice but it's great nevertheless.

Am going to pour myself a big pink drink.

MM

Hey MM.

Watch out for flying Chicken!!!

Hi MM! Welcome! Good to see you here. What's your splendid only like? Mine's 18 and built like a rugby player (er, which he is...), which isn't very mumsnettish but here I am anyway

Think I might have a big pink drink too.

Does carriage driving count as 'resting', by the way? If it's done with Riding for the Disabled??

My darling only is 4.75 yr old girl in Reception at school.
I keep seeing mum after mum struggling with 2+ kids and give thanks for my simple life!

Amber, woman, REST!

Hi MM! I'm Scout -- BabyScout is 14 months old.

ACK! Instant messaging with Mom and it sounds like Dad is craving a granddaughter and thinks we should have another baby to "balance out" our family. ACK!

::Uses a conveniently-placed lacrosse stick to catch the chicken breasts which, in breach of all known food hygiene regulations, appear to be winging across the tea room at head height::

Hello Moodymama. Nice to meet you. My name (for the moment) is Techno. I am very old and have one delightful daughter. Settle yourself on the distressed chintz sofa and have a nice relaxing drink.

Well, the sun's over the yardarm. Would anyone care for a Bolly?

Oh Scout. Why did your mum mention your dad's not very constructive idea? How would a second grandson fit into his 'balancing' scheme?

::Offers Bolly in ack-reducing manner::

Welcome to MM.

Amber, suspect carriage driving is not what would count as resting ... but what fun! I have a friend who has a carriage which she hitches up to her very young Shetlands and we have been haring around the streets where she lives, with Wriggle clinging on to the seat and me running behind for about two minutes before collasping.

Thumb, I quite understand about the universe being Out To Get You - I find it happens quite frequently. And I know it is all aimed personally at me.

Children's shoes - poor WRiggle has never had a new, full-priced pair. She had no shoes until she was firmly walking and then has only had shoes bought in the sales or second hand shoes (and yes, I know shoes are the one thing they say you should never buy second hand.)

Life at ChateauSerpent pootles on .. I'm quite stiff today due to unaccustomed exercise, having tardily started to clear polytunnels yesterday .. Quite often at the moment I think that this is exactly how life should be, having lovely days with M.Serpent and Wriggle, interspersed with a couple quite pleasant days at work ... then I realise how dangerous it is to tempt fate like that or M.Serpent reminds me (on an hourly basis) that he might well be losing his job in the summer and I will have to go back to work full time and I realise that it could all come crashing down so easily .. please all pray/keep your fingers crossed that his establishment feels the need to keep M.Serpent for the next few years ...

Speaking of which, we have seen very little of Mistle for a while. My totally-home-made parcel for her is just not making progress; it's not that I don't care; I may have been over ambitious. Likewise Wriggle's home-made book for Milk - she keeps wanting to work on it at the most inappropriate moments ...

I dunno. I sighed and thought "I like my family as it is. I LIKE being the only girl in my home." (Yes, I realize BabyScout is still a baby, but I'm really enjoying being "Mom of one child who's a son.") I did want to ask what would Dad say if we had another BabyScout (as opposed to a BabyGuide -- HA!) but BabyScout went for the keyboard and I had to deflect/distract/close the computer before BabyScout pulled another key off my laptop.

Thanks for the ack-reducing bolly, much appreciated!

Mistle has just posted elsewhere, I think, but I haven't seen her here for, well, ages.

Serpent - It grieves me sore that we couldn't find any shoes in MissTechno's size in the sales. I never pay full price for my own shoes. Ouch.

Fingers crossed about all jobs.