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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?
Tee2072 · 13/02/2011 21:03

Maud, no offence, but I don't really want to hold your hand during that. Grin

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 21:04

Ah, I see. You'll need both hands free to hold the binoculars.

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 21:14

News: Another wedding! MrScout's best friend announced her engagement on Thanksgiving (WAHOO!) and today another set of university friends announced their engagement (after being together since they were first years and are now early/mid-30s). I thought they were happy as they were and anti-marriage but seems they have decided to go down that road. Very happy for them as they are fabulous. (Was very happy for them as they were, too, but now there's a party.)

(Should add even though all three are MrScout's uni friends I have become good friends with all of them since moving here and often go out for girlie days with the girls.)

It's a Guide AND Senior Section week. ACK! Am also going to make a conscious effort to get to some of the toddler groups I hit-and-miss at. Lunch with the swimming parents. BabyScout's hospital appointment this week that I'm dreading. And MrScout working from home again one day.

Maud, agree, it can be hard keeping all neurons firing as a SAHM of a 15 month old. I think it's one of the few reasons I haven't (temporarily) stepped away from Guides. Long ago I stopped going to toddler groups for adult conversation and am happier now that I go for the sole enjoyment of BabyScout and for enjoying doing new things/playing with different toys with him. I can't stand just talking about babies/nappies/milk/sleeping 24/7. Some of my hobbies have been put on the backburner slightly but know that soon I'll be able to get them out again and when I do BabyScout will be able to try as well. (And I'd really like to do a cross-stitch project I've been eyeing but until I get my hands cleared up I dare not risk bleeding all over it.)

Is it possible to get a hot chocolate?

purpleknittingmum · 13/02/2011 21:17

Brew there's a hot chocolate for ya!!

AgenteSecrete · 13/02/2011 21:24

Grin Tee and Maud!

Has been a nice day here at Secret Towers - MrSecret back home, albeit comatose for much of the day. Took SecretBoy off to soft play for the afternoon with lovely mummy friend and her sprogs. Am about to persuade MrS that he really, really wants to watch Take Me Out on catch-up TV, being, as I am, a Master of turning off my really rather awesome brain Grin. Life is sweet!

Great sympathies/empathy for those of you struggling with chronic pain. Tee, I remember you from a thread about living with pain quite a while back - I thought that was such a good idea. It's always harder to talk about the darker side of life, but when that's part of your daily reality, it doesn't help to just pretend it's not there - if you even can! I have my own experience of that, although from a slightly different angle.

Right. Off to Paddy McGuiness and his Love Tube. Will JoJo ever realise that coming across as that desperate is never going to get her a date?! Has anyone here any idea what I'm talking about?!

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 21:32

Excellent news about the weddings, Scout. I love a good wedding (by which I especially mean wild dancing in the evening).

No, Secrete, I haven't the foggiest! Is it adapted from a work by Emily Bronte?

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:12

(In RL) I'm hungry but not hungry.... what to do?

purpleknittingmum · 13/02/2011 22:14

have a bit of toast, packet of crisps or a few biccies?

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 22:14

A little snackette, Scout?

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:15

Don't fancy toast. No crisps in the house. Biccies that are around are for Seniors (though could eat them and replace, I guess). I think part of the problem is I don't know what I want.

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:19

Oh... do you think BabyScout would notice if I ate one of his jellies? (Made him jelly the other day but put them in individual little pots so just have to take one out and a spoon and presto, little surprise treat.)

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 22:20

I'm sure he wouldn't begrudge his mom a jelly!

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:24

Oh you say that, Maud, but you haven't seen the looks he can throw when he thinks I'm eating lunch instead of feeding him! Grin Went to the pub for lunch and as soon as my plate came he was diving for his fork and my plate and when I paused in the feeding action to have some myself he sat there like a baby bird and gave me a look as to say "Where's mine?!" He loves his food (even things I don't like like tomatoes and cauliflower). Though he doesn't know how many jellies I made him so he won't know if I have one. Wink

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 22:26

Yes, that's what I was going to say. Unless he can count, he'll never know.

::stealing food from a child emoticon::

AgenteSecrete · 13/02/2011 22:27

More Austen than Bronte, actually, Maud. You really don't know what you're missing.

Yes, Scout, go for the jelly! Especially if you happen to have any condensed milk lurking in the cupboard....

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:28

Condensed milk?

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 22:31

Secrete - So what is it? Is it Blind Date in a revamped format? When you said Austen I had high hope of bonnets and sprigged muslin!

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:34

Mmmm, red jelly.....

AgenteSecrete · 13/02/2011 22:49

Scout, condensed milk aka evaporated milk, if that's any help? Condensed milk (tinned, most well known brand was Carnation) was v popular here when I was a small child in the 60's, and I loved it with jelly. It's thick and very sweet and... have no idea what it would taste like to my now adult palate actually!!! Is it still out there, I wonder? Did you have any equivalent in the States?

Maud - It is kind of like the trailer trash version of Blind Date, if you can imagine that. There's one guy, 30 girls, and they can all see each other; girls have the power of veto, guy gets the final choice. Repeat times 4 guys per show. Actually a higher first date success rate than BD, showing that physical attraction really is rather important, IMO!

Was a great relief today to find that my similarly well-educated, well-travelled, professional friend is another fan of this guilty pleasure! I have written rather too much on this subject, I fear.. see what happens when you deviate from sprigged muslin, indeed...

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 22:51

Deviant seems to be the word, Secrete! ::wink::

Scout19075 · 13/02/2011 22:53

Secrete, I use both condensed and evaporated milk in various recipes just would have never thought of it on jello/jelly! Whipped cream perhaps, but not milk.....

MrScout said "awww, poor BabyScout, you're eating his jelly." Poor BabyScout still has five left and rice pudding and yogurt and fruit and biscuits. I think BabyScout is stocked up just fine in the treats/snacks department.

AgenteSecrete · 13/02/2011 22:59

We had few pleasures in Britain in the 60's, Scout. Rationing had barely ended, after all. And necessity is the mother of invention, and all that. Still recommend it highly tho!

Maud - well, there was a tranny on tonight's show. And all the girls vetoed him. That what you meant?

And so to bed. Pip pip!

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 13/02/2011 23:05

Secrete - You were, ahem, a child in the 60s?

::peers closely::

::Considers a code word for identifying anyone equally long in the tooth who might stray onto the thread::

Scout - Give MrScout a gentle poke in the eye. It isn't BabyScout's jelly until you give it to BabyScout. Until then it is a communal resource. Condensed milk on jelly is goooood.

And likewise to bed.

oxeye · 14/02/2011 00:20

Am I too late?
Point my long tooth in Maud's direction
agree re "ownership" of jelly - in our house we have a rule that when I steal someone else's food it is just a lesson on sharing Wink

big fans of condensed and evaporated milk, they are not the same. I have both in the cupboard, we used evap milk all the time as a kid re cream, as well as Top of Milk - did you do that too?

Condensed milk fab for cooking.xx
now off to bed for me too

thumbdabwitch · 14/02/2011 06:08

Condensed milk and evaporated milk definitely not the same - we used to have evap milk on puds as cheap cream as well, is runny like single cream. Whereas condensed milk is thick and requires spooning, rather like sugary clotted cream. We didn't have that often - it was mostly used for making things (like fudge, for e.g.)

Agree on jelly-"stealing" - Babyscout didn't buy it, he didn't make it, it's only his cos you said it was so it can be unsaid and one of them can be yours.