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.

Say hello to Henley for me, Amber - I do love Henley. Many a happy hour spent there on or near the river. :)
Very of your candlelit dinner in a wooden canoe - take a fire extinguisher! (River water isn't good enough until it's too late).

Whenever I've been to Henley festival, most of the picnics are eaten under (rather plush marque) cover, although some uncouth people have been known to sit in the front row of the concert and have it there... My mother and I went once (free tickets) and the people in front of us put golfing umbrellas (which were unusual at the time) up when it started to rain - which of course showered the water on us. So we put our (much smaller) brollies up which tipped the water back down their necks. Luckily they were too tipsy to notice It might have changed since I was there of course as I've not been for over 20 yrs (to the festival)

Don't do too much Amber - take care of yourself - and make sure other people do too - and make sure you have long-sleeved anti-mosquito clothing on, and plenty of blankets or extra layers for when it gets cooler.

They're not getting me in that canoe!! I'll be on the banks of the river, waving fondly at them

Just a quick 'hello' - I am madly trying to finish off work things and assemble holiday packing - if anyone has a spare pair of hands please send them over.

Alternatively I'll settle for a .

Tee/MT - I always find the transition between nursery rooms far more traumatic than Small Bean does. The nursery staff are now used to providing me with tissues on 'big milestone occasions' . Looking back, Small Bean used to come on leaps and bounds during the first few months in a new room - he really benefited from being with the older children. I am very, very apprehensive about his final year at nursery - particularly when a lot of his friends go to school in September and he is one of the oldest.

Amber - have a wonderful time at Henley - it sounds fantastic.

Will be back later.

Good morning all.

Had lovely afternoon yesterday at a friend's who has a huuuge backyard. Nothing but sunshine and naked children running around. And good food - we made vegetable and chicken skewers on the barbecue. DS fell asleep in the car home and slept for 11 hours :)

at Catita.

Hmmm... DS can count to around 20... misses some numbers. He can recognize some letters... we'll see what happens when he starts preschool in the fall.
To explain, here, children start preschool in September of the year they turn three. It's usually two days a week, 2-3 hours, for the 3-year-olds. The 4-year-olds go three days a week, 4 hours or so, I think. Then kindergarten starts at age 5, and that's 5 days a week, 5 hours or so. Then at age 6, they start elementary school, or Grade 1.
Some of this can be flexible - for example, DS is a February baby, and will be 5 1/2 the year he starts kindy. If his preschool and we as his parents felt it was right for him, he could skip kindy and go into Gr 1, or he could skip the second year of preschool and go straight into kindy. And preschool is not mandatory, just very recommended. Kindy on the other hand is part of the provincial educational system and so is mandatory.

Must get in the shower and get ready for work. Have a lovely day everyone!

Hiya all.

It's a long time ago now ::ancient:: but Girl could recognise some letters and numbers from about 2 - she could recognise her name, the names of supermarkets (she always knew where we were shopping ), and some numbers (eg 2 because it represented her age). I think she probably 'got' all letters before she started school, but she couldn't actually read before she started. She could count a long way but she probably only recognised numbers up to about 20.

I am always amazed by the primary ed board here and the teeny tiny issues over which people are willing to confront their child's teacher, all the while egged on by other MNers telling them that some tiny and probably one-off departure from best practice is an outrageous infringement of the child's human rights.

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Ah, nursery transitions ... :) I had a minor wibble when DD went from Babies to Toddlers because she wasn't actually toddling, bless her. They moved at 15mo and she only started crawling at 14mo (walked at 16mo). Next move at 2.6 was fine - that group had the best room, with easy access to the garden, so they were able to use it spontaneously and were often outside when I went to pick her up. Move to preschool at 3 was awful though. There were some weird demographics that meant that there hadn't been anyone make the move for about five months, so she barely remembered the youngest children, and would only have overlapped with the slightly older ones in the toddler room - and the eldest, never. She had come through the system with mostly little girls, and suddenly was in a group that were mostly boys, with a ratio of 1:8 instead of the 1:4 she'd been in for six months (and 1:3 before that). I am in NO WAY anti-little boy, but the general feel of a nursery environment with 1:8 ratio and mostly boys is really quite different to 1:3 or 4 and mostly girls! She and friend were the last to go up until the 4yos started school, so they were the youngest for six months. The eldest child (who is a lovely but REALLY tall boy) turned five just as he started school, so was 18mo older than her, which is HUGE at that age).

She had also spent nearly 2 years being dropped off in the same room downstairs (Toddlers and the next age up started off in the same room before separating off), and the preschool room was upstairs (as was Babies, but of course she didn't remember that). To compound it all, the nursery (who were otherwise brilliant) did a rather silly thing - having sent DD and her best friend up for 'settling-in' visits together, they sent them up SEPARATELY to start in there properly. They each went on their 3rd birthdays - fortunately only two days apart, but DD was pretty distraught by the time her buddy came up. The first time I collected her from a full day in the preschool room she had black eyes from crying ALL DAY. :(

Two and a half years of confidence in the nursery and what I was doing with my life and hers, wiped out in eight and a half hours. BUT ... she settled down a lot when her friend went up, and after a period of crying when dropped off (on DH's watch) settled completely. When she started school we had to visit nursery on a regular basis throughout her Reception year and well into Year 1 (she hasn't asked for a good while, and we wouldn't go now as it's under new ownership). One of the staff was going on holiday just before she finished, and hadn't realised it was the last day they would be together, and cried when she realised. As did I ("Mummy, why you looking at ceiling and blinking like dat?")

Sorry. Essay.

Sounds similar to LCT's nursery, DCMB in that Toddlers and Fledglings are together in one room first thing and then they separate at 9. And the Toddler room is right on the garden!

He apparently had a great time in Toddlers after a few moments uncertainty. He was off to a bad start today anyway since he cried at drop off. He'd not been there for nearly 2 weeks and was very upset this morning and has been very clingy tonight. He went right to sleep but I have a feeling we're in for a bad night.

Can't remember what I have actually said and what has been 'eaten', but Wriggle at nearly 5 has no interest in letters, apart from the first letter of her name, and can just about count to 10, very unreliably, in English and French, with 14 always making an appearance somewhere. She is also not interested in books, really , prefering to jump, bounce, swing, hop, dance .....

Don't talk to me about Significant Milestones; far too sensetive atm.

Would anyone like a holiday ?

Not sure how reliable my phone will be next week for MN-ing and I will miss the Tearoom. I am so looking forward to a week in the sun with Small Bean and Mr Bean. Small Bean has packed his own bag and so far we are taking 30 trains, a JCB, an ambulance "for emergencies mummy", a fireman's helmet, some jelly worms, cuddly turtle, Lightening McQueen and 2 pairs of pants. I can feel some re-packing coming on...

Still room in my very large bag though. Could I borrow Mellors for suncream duty????

grrrr tax credits. I checked ours, and thanks to the limits being changed we no longer get any tax credits and have been over paid. DH is on a pay freze, so I guess we just get less and less well off in real terms until we come back into the tax credit fold when that goes up a tad again.

Thank goodness we havn;t been burning oil in the last week, our annual tax credit wasn't enough for a FULL Tank but it was probably 3/4 of a tank. Solar hot water is GOOD.

We have solar hot water, have had it for a year now; but now we also have full solar for everything, the man is coming this morning to change our meter to a smart meter and commission the solar system. HUrrah! We just squeezed in before the govt rebate cut-off - last Thursday, which is the day it was fitted! so saved an extra $1600 on the cost. Actually, more than that because our Renewable Energy Certificates (don't ask) were worth more before July 1st than they are now, so we got even more of a rebate. Yay! Let's hope it actually starts to cut our bills though or I'll be in right trouble over it! Of course it will, as will the smart meter - if we do all our washing, dishwashing and tumbledrying overnight, we'll save heaps.

I was asking about the number thing because although miniT can count up to 10 no problem and 20 with some help (he gets lost around 15 and goes a bit random) he doesn't actually recognise the numbers. I have made him some cards with counting things but it's not working too well so far - he can't tell the number without counting the smiley faces. And he can't do letters either. I don't want to push him too hard but I'd like to have it a bit more sorted before he turns 4, only because I learnt to read when I was 3 (although I realise that means nothing and I shouldn't impose my stuff on him).

Many boys literally don't have the brain wiring in the right order for reading etc until they're about 6.

Wouldn't worry about it in the least until after that point, personally.

Morning all. Brilliant time at Henley. Didn't fall in the water!

Thumb the flip of that is that many children can recognise numbers and 'count' at that age, but don't understand that, say, 'three' refers to three objects, three wizard biscuits (any excuse) for instance: [hbiscuit] [hbiscuit] [hbiscuit]

So he is actually doing well on that count (ha ha, pun not intended but noticed and left in).

DD and I have just run 2.25km. Who knew you could take a 7yo for a run? This whole parenting thing is just one long voyage of discovery, isn't it ...

Thanks Amber and DCMB. I shall cease to fret forthwith. [hgrin]

Am impressed with your DD though DCMB - that's quite a distance! (Well it is for me - the most I ever managed was 1 mile, which is 1.6km, and that was when I was 15/16 and at peak fitness). I have lead feet, no bounce, and running therefore is Not My Thing.

What do you all think of my Harry Potter name?

I am actually very [hsad] as I was suppose to go out tonight with three of my bessie mates and 2 of them are ill and the other one is broke so I'm staying home.

I hope everyone had a lovely day.

it was school report day!!! boys 1st report. Not tooo much teacher double speak and no nasty surprises. After school boy and I got busy with his bike fancy dress for Sunday. He wantsto be a flying chef! so bike is gaining areo nose, wings and tail section. Boy has made some plates of "food" to stick to the wings, tomorrow when the base coat is dry he will paint the wings and tail as he wishes!! he want to do flames?? He has a chefs hat and an apron.
Sorted.

I'm making ginger beer tonight. Care for a glass??

Yes please, UniS. Once again I am in awe of your ability to make incredible fancy dress out of nothing - and for a bike too!

Some twiglets with the ginger beer?

::Proffers a platter of twiglets a la mode::

Two weeks ago was the anniversary of my S'siL death. She died three years ago, aged 25 (just before her 26th birthday and their wedding anniversary). I found myself thinking about her today, and my brother. This was their first dance song.

They took an armful of blood today and my arm is sore. No more appointments until mid-January. And I didn't lose any weight again. [hsmile]

Will we get to see pictures, UniS?

Anyone have any tips to help me get Toddler to stop kicking/throwin himself about when changing him. He really fights having a pooey bum changed and has practically launched himself off the bed. That said, once I get the nappy open he usually calms down (not all the time but mostly). But, on a positive, when he sees the fresh nappy coming out he grins and pulls his legs up and can get a decent amount of bum up off the mat.

I'm so sorry to hear about your SIL, Scout. I was talking today with a colleague about how much we love Paul Simon.

DCMB - I so hear what you're saying. For me, I think it's about wanting Girl to have the chances that I didn't (in the sense of all the things that my dear mater forbade or didn't approve of).

Oh drat. .

Ah
good choice Maud
::raises glass to SiL and all who loved her::
Oxboy is quite good conceptually with numbers, a sense of more and less and can count when covering the numbers. When "chanting" he counts to 100 but somewhat haphazardly. 14 often goes and I shall miss it when wexno longer have Two-ty one and Five-ty five

Reading he knows his letter and recognises some words buthasnt "clicked" that letters grouped in a certain way will always read the same word - the code aspect of it

but I care not a jot. The idea that this child isn't going to read and write fluently when he's ready is not one I need concern myself with. You know what I mean? it's so short a span he's been on this earth and he learns such amazing things daily it's all ok really. And he's almost five- same as Wriggle, Tiddler, Uniboy and Mistleboy. I think their commonalities and differences are a wonder to behold