The one and only Tearoom, to be sure , it is.

[UniS]

To pinch an intro from the very first one and only tea room thread. in 2009.

The tea room is now officially open, serving hot chocolate, tea, freshly-squeezed orange juice and a range of home-baked muffins. Tablecloths and crockery are charmingly mismatched antiques (no Cath Kidston here). We overlook an attractive although somewhat overgrown garden, with a distant view of rolling countryside.

Everyone is welcome but house rules dictate that anyone indulging in fisticuffs will be ejected.

Please come in.

2011
We seem to have fetched up in Ireland, this place looks remarkably like a pub,There is even a guiness barrel over there. The NMBs are all sporting shamrocks. The mirror ball is here, but I leave teh rest of the unpacking to someone else.

Hi back, everyone! Scout, I grew up Up North (right on the Boundary Waters) and now live in a teeny town a few hours west of the Cities. (Which as you know, is no distance at all here! :) )

Just going to bed now- I'm six hours behind. I'm trying to pretend that I'm going to get up really early tomorrow and go for a jog , but I'm not fooling anyone.

Jogging? In the morning?! I should think not! Here, have a nice comfy seat and let Mellors tend to your every need...

Morning all. How are we?

Amber?

How are you feeling today? I hope that you've done all the cleaning and dusting so that you can't do more of it today.

MC came in very quietly just after 6 and whispered 'It's 6.07' so I whispered back to go downstairs and I'd be down shortly. thump, thump, thump downstairs. 'MUMMY' from downstairs. Crash, thump, crash coming back up. Burst into our room 'Is it the last week of school this week' at full volume. Groan from DH......

But melt down this morning when I suggested that he might do his top button up and put his tie on in the car....

Have just dropped Wriggle off for her school visit. Feel very very very sad. I know others didn't feel like this, but I do.

Unserp - (((hugs)))

I know how you feel.

The really strange thing was that for me it hit on MC's first day in reception - not when he started going to (the same) school in nursery. So I'd already been doing the school run for a year and then ended up in tears at work on his first day because my baby was now 'officially' at school ifyswim.... Did get over it though

Ooooh - the good thing is that MC 'visited' his Yr2 teacher yesterday and said she was really nice - and he volunteered that information. Hopefully we can build positively on that.

I'm feeling fine today thanks. Back to whatever-counts-as-normal, pretty much. Phew. would be a splendid idea. Thanks.

Unserp, nothing wrong with feeling sad. It's a big step for a small Wriggle.

I'm trying not to think about FineLad's day tomorrow being his last ever in school as it's making my brain hurt.

Good...oops...afternoon.

Once again busy busy busy. Just taking a break before I head to meet my accountant friend who has agreed to look over my accounts, bless him. All it's costing me is lunch!

Unserp, I imagine I will blub like a baby when LCT starts school. I got sniffly this past weekend when he drank out of an open beaker at dinner for the first time.

Any my landlord's agent is once again trying to circumvent my lease by telling me I have until Monday to let them know if we are staying or not. No, my lease says 30 days. That would be Wednesday.

Oh, dear, Tee. I sounds as if you are going to have to be assertive. And when it comes to LCT's first morning at school, please don't book a smear test for that afternoon, so that you can't go out and do something nice with him to re-bond and instead have something horrid to look forward to. And don't make a horrible lunch, either. You wil need comfort food, not brown rice and dill pickles.

Mistle, that is one of the advantages (or otherwise) of private schools. We have weeks to go. And I felt fine about nursery ... I think. Not sure any more!

Oh - and MC also met the 'new' boy that has the same name as him. Who is, apparently, already 7, and will be EIGHT whilst in Year 2 (you have to imagine the incredulous tone of voice ). I still don't trust everything he tells me - so we'll wait and find out about that one! Apparently, other boy wants to be known as 'full name'. So Ds has suggested that he could be known by '2nd name'. Good idea in principal. However we already have both DH (known by full ds's 2nd name) and my father (known by shortened version of Ds's 2nd name) - my mother already gets in a complete pickle between the two of them, goodness knows what would happen if Ds started answering to that name too!!! I have suggested that he could consider, if he really wanted, a shortened version of his name. However, part of me thinks that he shouldn't have to change just because of another child coming into the same class (and, again, as there are 4 classes, why Ds's class???? (which is already wildly out of balance towards the number of boys))

Complicate names situation there Mistle. I was one of 4 with my first name in same class at juniors and one of two with same surname! I hated being referred to as UniS Surname to distinguish me from D surname and UniS A B and C .

Plumbers have departed again having tidied up somewhat after yesterday. Commissioning engineer due after school. I DID go on school trip for the morning only as another parent had to do morning only and then go to work so took their car. Wiggled out of school lunch duty no problem as soooo many classes are out on trips that only 4 year groups are in school at lunchtime.

Right now I could just do with a sticky bun and so Mellors if you would be so good, yes please.

UniS - it will probably come as no surprise to you that I was one of 12 with the same first name in a year of 75. Luckily neither of our children are destined to be quite so 'common'

No, Mellors! Sticky bun , thank you! Put that treacle sauce away! So sorry, he's not been the same since the party last night!

We have some chap drilling four perfectly ordinary holes in a wall for a grab rail here at the office. So far he's taken 3/4 hr of drilling. How difficult can it be?

Whoot Whoot!!

Ahem. That Whoot Whoot brought to you from the 'if you don't ask, you don't get files.'

Our landlord has agreed to let us go month to month after this lease is up and he's reducing our rent a bit. This gives a bit of wiggle room to find a new place!!! And a tiny bit of breathing space in our budget.

That large rock that was pushing me downward has now lifted! All this pressure is just gone from me!

As for names at school - my maiden surname is very unique so never had another one of those. Occasionally had another one of my first name. Now I have a very common surname and my first name seems unique around here! Go figure!

Mellors, may I have a bun and a as well? I need to go change as I am working tonight.

what is the wall made of?? or maybe better ask, what is the drill made of and is he running it ( the drill) backwards? If I'm being kind I'd point out that he probably has to drill 3 holes for each support bracket but you have to get the rail in position before you can mark all teh hole positions which often means tacking it up with one or two supports on one screw each then marking up, then taking teh rail off, drilling some more holes, checking it by putting rail back on, then taking it off again, correcting any wrong position holes etc etc. Its one of those jobs that looks quick but isn;t.

My name is Megan and I was born in the US in '82, so I was always one of many. :) In my grade alone were Megan P, Megan G, and Megan S.

Good news about your landlord Tee .

Our school let out on June 3rd and we won't start again til early September. DS isn't quite 4 but I'm already frantically debating whether to send him to kindergarten when he's 5 or when he's 6.

DD doesn't have a duplicate name, but there are a number in her class. The convention is to use their surname initial to distinguish them - in phonics. So even in Year 2, poor kids are referred to in this way, which I think is particularly unfortunate for Firstname Duh.

Never mind jogging; I am on a mission to have an early night. I am a terrible owl, and tend to perk up in the evenings, stay up too late, then suffer in the mornings. Over time this builds up until I HAVE to go to bed early.

Serp - I was fine with DD visiting school. And I thought I was fine dropping her off on her first day ... however as I got close to home the woman walking in front of me turned as she was getting into her car, and her face just folded into tears, at which point I rushed into the house and HOWLED! I also had hysterics on her last day in Reception, but that was in part because I was finishing work for the summer as well, and had had an absolutely insane day tying up every loose end under the sun and was Really. Really. Stressed.

I'm a bit more used to it now. Hardened up and everything. Last day in KS1 in just over four weeks - no problem. Not like it's a separate school or anything. Just because it's the beginning of a trajectory that will lead her to being practically a teenager at the end of primary school in a mere four years. Doesn't bother me.

Oh dear. These firsts which are also lasts are going to continue, aren't they?

I had a unique name at school. No-one has ever been able to spell my name until suddenly, a couple of years ago, it was 'discovered' and is now in the top 30. Do not approve of this and it constantly makes me jump in the supermarket when women appear to shout, "Serpent, PUT that down!"

DH had cold and is now back to suffering from his mystery viral fatigue (in his opinion) and I so don't need it. [selfish emoticon]

Actually having a child called Serpent would be cool ...

At one time in high school I was friends with seven girls named Michelle/Michele. Three of them went to the same elementary school and two of those had K as the start of their surname. All sorts of confusing! I never knew anyone else with my first name until I moved to Minnesota and then they were everywhere!

TS has been in bed since 6 p.m. and asleep within minutes of going down. YAY!

The name thing is a hard one Mistle. My only suggestion would be for MC to be called by whatever name he prefers and let the school deal with how they identify Mistle A from Mistle B.

We had a guy that joined our company a few years ago with exactly the same name (first + last) as someone else in the same team. The manager, in his wisdom, invented a nickname for the new guy and thought it would make life easier if we all called him that. It took about 2 years for this poor chap to admit that nobody had ever called him by that nickname and he hated it. So we went back to 'Bob A' and 'Bob B' like we should have done in the first place.

Hello Cheerful Yank!

DCMB - I too need an early night. I am so not a morning person but I'm terrible for still finding things to do at midnight. Mr Bean on the other hand trots off to bed at 9:30pm. It usually gets to a point where I just crash.

Tee - good news about the landlord. I hope you find something soon. Did you visit the flat that you thought you'd seen before? Was it any better?

Scout - only two more sleeps until Mr Scout is home?

Amongst one lot of my engineers, a particular first name is so common, they had to not just append surname initial, but actually contract the surname - so Peter Simmons (for instance, tis non english) was PSi. I don't have a common name, and Ds's is unique, so I think its ok.

We don't get new class lists till the last day of term (they are remixed each year) - apparently to stop mums hassling the head

I am sewing a dragon outfit for dpony to wear. Am pleased so far (fabrication from fleece blanket and bubble wrap), but a good shape for the wings is proving tricky

Bean it was indeed the same flat. Has some good and some bad points but would have taken it if landlord hadn't been so reasonable. He's really sorry to see us go and we're sorry to leave, I must say! He just can't come down any further in price, unfortunately.

Was out at another gig tonight, shooting video, and got a text from Mr Tee that said 'LCT asleep. Beer in 'fridge. Chocolate in cupboard.' I do love that man.

Just curious and canvassing for opinion -- is it worth getting TS a ride-on toy or just hold out for the one tots group we go to that has them and his grandparents' house?

Hey, I've been away for a few days, we went to LittleO's primary school (we are moving before school starts) to meet his new classmates! So all the kids starting in september in reception met up at the school along with their parents. LittleO clung to us for the first bit but ended up being pulled in cart by another boy and then spent ages in the sandpit digging. Serpent -I got all 'my little boy is growing up'! I spoke to two other mommys, both seemed really nice so I'm glad about that.

We also looked at two houses to rent there. One was sooooo lovely, an old stone cottage but too small by far. We were disapointed about that. The second one is in the outskirts of the village and is a dormer bungalow on a little cul de sac with a lovely green right at the front of the house. It's the righ size, nice location, lovely garden, but has no character compared to the other. Anyway, I phoned the estate agent and have asked if they'll accept 50 euro a month less. They haven't phoned me back .

I haven't reread the posts I missed properly but saw that we have a new person! Welcome Cheerful Yank!

Btw is Tea (and Milk) around in the tearoom anymore? I haven't seen her since I got back.

Hope everyone is well xxx