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Tea Room the 23rd - The Canadian Rockies

996 replies

Jacksmania · 11/02/2011 16:49

Welcome to the 23rd incarnation of the One-Child Tea Room. Not to be misleading - although its inmates inhabitants mostly have just one child, we also have mums of many (but no dads yet... hmmm...). Everyone is welcome.

The usual rules apply - no bunfighting. If you like that sort of thing, go elsewhere.
Other rules: bring Wine. Or [tea]. :o

We find ourselves in a lovely spacious log cabin in the Canadian Rockies. Enormous west-facing windows show a gorgeous view of the sunset over the mountains, and there are log and/or gas fireplaces in every room, even the priest hole (which is a Hiding Spot of Requirement for Those In Need) and the bathrooms. In the open-concept living room, we find the Aga gently simmering against the wall, the bar fully stocked, and the cappuccino bar prepared to dispense any hot beverage of your choice.

Fluffy duvets and colourful pillows abound on the deep, squashy couches and armchairs. Outside, we see a vista of deep snow, dotted here and there with deer and bunny tracks. The walking trails and access roads have been ploughed clear of snow by our able (and hunky) handyman, Mellors, who is also available for massages and facial treatments in the Log Cabin Spa.
There is a hot tub outside on the west-facing deck, with a mini-bar conveniently nearby.

There are no aspidistras in this log cabin, as the cold of the Rockies causes them to shrivel and die. However, the Naked Mohawk Babies have come along and are swarming along the rafters, and in the adjacent stable, the Tea Room horses, Earl and Lady Grey are available for snowy rides. The bison are frolicking in their snowy paddock, and I have no idea if the bishops followed the trail of breadcrumbs or not.

(For newcomers, the last paragraphs obv. makes no sense - just go with, all will be explained.)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 02/03/2011 20:20

Hello Unis.

::Proffers sticky buns::

I know one can't leap to conclusions based on anecdotal evidence, but your two paragraphs there sum up very well what I feel.

Would you like some Bolly with the bun? Or I think we have beer.

JazzieJeff · 02/03/2011 20:40

Er... Hellooo!
Please may I join in?

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 02/03/2011 20:41

Of course. Welcome!

Settle yourself on the distressed chintz sofa, have a drink

::magically proffers tray laden with Bolly, beer and Twiglet Surprise::

and tell us what brings you here.

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 02/03/2011 20:43

Hello JazzieJeff. Have another drink. Do you like aspidistras?

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 02/03/2011 20:49

Everybody here ::glares menacingly at JM:: loves aspidistras.

JazzieJeff · 02/03/2011 20:51

Well, I am JazzieJeff and I am 23. I live with DH and Jazziebaby who is 4.5 months old. We decided a while back that Jazziebaby would probably be our only child. I was an only and DH's sister was mentally ill and so he didn't have a positive experience of having a sibling. I suppose also, being a forces family (both of us still serving for the moment), we wanted to put all our resources into our one son, rather than spreading ourselves. I know that's a very sweeping generalisation but that's the way we feel!

I wanted to join this forum because I do get a lot of people asking me 'when the next one's coming along' and instantly deciding that because we don't really want another, I've got PND Hmm So I guess I'm not really sure how to deal with that. Lots of people say 'oh but you've got so much time left yet' as if I'm just a very young cow with plenty of calfing left in her! I know I'm being a bit mean there Grin

So... that's my story really, not much else to say Smile

JazzieJeff · 02/03/2011 20:52

What's an aspidistras? Is it like a secret handshake? Smile

UniS · 02/03/2011 20:53

Beer I think. NAd a shuffle closer to teh stove if I may. I havn;t lit the stove at home tonight and its a bit late to do so now. Guess I should just go and get another jumper.

HI to Jazzie

Twiget surprise is not as alarming as it sounds, worry not , you don't have to like it.

JazzieJeff · 02/03/2011 20:55
UniS · 02/03/2011 20:56

these are aspidistra.

JM, do NOT click on teh link, you will not like it.

Don;t worry Jazzie JM just has an irrational hatred of the green plant, its not her fault. and we try to Wind her up humour her.

Tee2072 · 02/03/2011 21:09

Evening all.

Welcome Jazzie! I have a nearly 21 month old (MY GOD WHERE DID MY BABY GO...sorry) son, Lower Case Tee, or LCT. He is at the moment full of germs. As is his mother. cough cough

Speaking of where did my baby go, I was telling my mum about the earrings I got my oldest niece for her birthday and she said 'you know younger niece has pierced ears as well' and I said 'but her birthday is ages away' and she said '3 months isn't ages' and I said 'yes it is, it's ages and ages because there is no way my baby will be 2 in 3 months!!!' Grin (niece's birthday is 7 days and 8 years before LCT's)

And on that slightly hysterical note, brought to you by an ill toddler, mama and dada and a serious lack of sleep...I'm off to bed.

UnAgentSecrete · 02/03/2011 21:45

Hello JazzieJeff, I'm still rather new here myself so we can sit in the New Girls' area together if you like, and ponder aspidistras together. Smile My boy is 3.4, and was a last chance saloon baby.

Thank you all so much for your interesting perspectives on Homeschooling/school. (And Scout, thank you too for your explanatory message last night, I am really looking forward to hearing your take on things!) I do really appreciate people sharing their views on this, it's mostly been going round and round in my head and is good to see thoughts written down.

I have probably thought about most of the concerns people raise, and yes, they are concerns of mine too. I do worry about the social side of things and about whether we would meet like-minded people homeschooling locally; some of the threads in HomeEd are a little alarming in that they talk about local networks often being taken over by those with an agenda or an axe to grind, people who are just difficult to get on with generally - and I've seen that kind of thing happening myself in other "alternative lifestyle" type groups. Also worry whether SBoy would miss out on things like having a big crowd of other boys to kick a ball round with at playtime and so on.

As far as diversity goes, we live in a pretty diverse area and already have quite a wide network of mum/small person friends, and we will be in contact with a reasonable proportion of them whatever happens. So I don't think we'll ever be living in a bubble. I suppose there is the issue of learning to get on with people you wouldn't choose to be with - but I'm not sure about the importance of that tbh; I do sometimes wonder if a really solid sense of self esteem (assuming I can parent him well enough to ensure that!!) grown when you're a child/young person isn't actually the best preparation for going out into the world and rubbing along with everybody else. I tend to think that if you're genuinely comfortable in your own skin, then you will have good boundaries/respect for others too. Not sure how many would agree with me though!

Some of the threads in the HomeEd section I find quite inspiring - some of the comments made by parents who do it really echo my own sentiments, and offer a picture of a way that I would love to live - and most of them are very happy with the way they have chosen. And apparently it's possible to be Homeschooled and go on to Oxford, for example, so it obviously can produce results that matter in the wider world.

I must confess I have no idea how secondary education would work - primary level I am pretty confident I could manage, have done quite a bit of teaching myself anyway, and SBoy is a very keen learner already. And has a fair bit of that auto-didact personality too. I really don't imagine he would get to 8 and not have wanted to learn to read; he started recognising some letters very early on and was doing 36 piece jigsaws on his own when he was 2 (not meant to be a stealth brag Smile but a teacher friend told me at the time that early ability with jigsaws is a marker for early reading ability).

There's loads more going round in my head after reading all your thoughts but am absolutely wiped out tonight and really must get to bed, so I will come back and ramble some more when I'm rested.

Amber - glad to hear your first esperience of chemo today was so positive, may it continue so! And I like the idea of you educating the nurses!

Tee - sorry to hear about ongoing illness in the family, hope you can get it sorted soon, and thanks for the pancakes this morning! Oh and v excited to finally discover the meaning behind LCT!

Oh and Serpent, I have been wondering - when you were talking about school uniform and you said you teach in one, what did you mean exactly?! Quite a few of my mum friends are teachers too, so I obviously have an affinity there, which is quite ironic in a way.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 02/03/2011 21:46

::Slaps on the Oil of Ulay so that Jazzie doesn't think her grandma's in the room::

I was wondering, Jazzie, whether

::Was young and groovy once emoticon::

Your experience is very different from mine, in that I was so ancient when I had my solitary baby that people soon stopped asking whether we were going to have another. The surprise element of Twiglet Surprise is that - as this is the Tea Room of Requirement - even people who dislike twiglets like Twiglet Surprise.

UnAgentSecrete · 02/03/2011 21:59

Was fully expecting summer summer summer summertime myself, Maud!

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 02/03/2011 22:06
suitable for us arthritic old dears.

::Proffers the Oil of Ulay but considers upgrading to Creme de la Mer::

::checks bank balance::

::reverts to Oil of Ulay::

Scout19075 · 02/03/2011 22:15

Internet was down again today. ARGH! MrScout needs to stop messing about with it/hardware/software/servers. Just barely back from Seniors so off to eat and catch up.

Scout19075 · 02/03/2011 22:16

Nearly hit two deer on the way to Seniors tonight -- scared the life out of me. Still shake when I think about it.

Scout19075 · 02/03/2011 22:17

And whoever says teenagers are lazy didn't spend two hours at my Seniors meeting. Grin

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 02/03/2011 22:41

Wine for shocked Scout and St Davids for shocked deer.

Interesting that early jigsaw ability is considered a predictor for reading; Wriggle was extremely reluctant to bother with puzzles and now at four, when her friends are exploring their phonics, she is happily stating that "'m' is for banana and oreille." Hmm I am not worried in the least. She'll get there when she's ready.

Amber, glad that chemo was acceptable. Smile

amberlight · 03/03/2011 09:01

Jazzie, welcome!!! Cuppa? Anyone else? I see Mellors has stopped the NMBs from nicking the cooked breakfast, for those in need? I am Amber. I am quite mad Grin, and fairly old compared to most people

Tee2072 · 03/03/2011 09:19

Good Morning Campers and the rest of us who wouldn't be caught dead without a flushable loo, comfy mattresses and internet! (I hate the outdoors. There are bugs out there. ::shiver::)

In any case, LCT and I are heading back to GP today as his cough is worse and has added wheeze and my ear still feels full of fluid. As he quite possibly has asthma (too young to tell) wheezes are a concern. Which is what I told the GP's receptionist when she told me coming back wouldn't help. And when you have the correct letters after and before your name, you old harridan, then you can override the standing orders from the GP, mmmkay?

Amber glad to hear the internal chemistry set isn't making you ill.

Sidebar: it's Oil of Olay in the US. And TJ Maxx, just for pointless information to fill your Thursday.

UnSerpentQuiCourt · 03/03/2011 09:35

It's Oil of Olay everywhere, since it's Euronamechange, but us oldies traditionalists stick to what we know. Snickers and various other iconic brands did the same at much the same time.

Please say something nice to me. I have just shouted at a blameless Wriggle again, on my day off, which I was so looking forward to (and which has been filled end to end with rather stressful things I have to do and no time for anything I want to do). And it is cold. 0 degrees, but we don't budget for heating during the day. And AP had forgotten that we have chickens any more, even though she helped me chase them round the garden on Tuesday. Sad I feel that life can only be one long spiral descent from now on; there's nothing to look forward to any more - very late pnd??

amberlight · 03/03/2011 10:17

Blimey, Unserp - sending you a hot water bottle/duvet/hug

AP may need a proper 'social services' assessment/reassessment to get some support in place, I suspect. Never easy. Doesn't take away the emotional eek that goes with it, but at least it means they're a bit safer (hopefully).

I'm a lot more cheerful after getting one of those LightBox thingies, though if money is scarce they're not cheap.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 03/03/2011 10:19

Haven't got time for a proper post, but here's a virtual bar of luxury chocolate for Serpent. It is grim when aged Ps start to lose their faculties and you're under a lot of stress. Shouting at Wriggle isn't the greatest, we know, but it's understandable and forgiveable. Was it Tea who before said something very wise to the effect that it's actually beneficial for children to know that not everybody feels hunkydory all the time and sometimes one's emotions can be overwhelming and the art is to manage them rather than suppress them?

Have a Constance Spry flower arrangement too.

St Davids Brew
amberlight · 03/03/2011 10:29
St Davids Wine

Had a sudden urge to see if it showed the daff in the wine glass...