The moving castle tea room touches down for the 29th time

[UniS]

Welcome to the tea room. Open to those with one child and those with more and maybe some with none ( hi dave the trucker).

This time we are heading to the mists and mellow fruitfulness of Autumn in a moving castle with a mind of its own. The roaring fire is maintained by magic and Mellors the gardener handles wine and spirits along with massage duties.

The first rule of the tea room is this
No fisticuffs.
The second is this
Put the kettle on for and help yourself to a

TW - that's a lot of ducks eaten - I have indigestion stuff if you need it!

Feeling a bit to be going home today. Enjoying a peaceful before I start packing if anyone would like to join me.

TS is chasing dust in the sunlight in our living room. HOURS of entertainment (for me and him).

Ooo, I love chasing dust!

Thanks, Bean.

Its soon leaf catching season too!

I love big piles of leaves ! DS and I are planning on a trip to the park this weekend to swoosh leaves and collect conkers

Tonight he and I are borrowing a dog to go for a walk in the woods which will be lovely.

Started physio yesterday. Much blue language was thought as it was v v painful for both arms. Alas, physio doesn't think rotation will work which is a bummer. But at least tennis elbow is treatable

Leaves already falling here. Saw a recipe for leaf preserving in the latest Guiding magazine -- if anyone's interested I can post it or PM you with it. I'm going to try it this year so TS can make some collages, etc.

Went to Little Explorers today. It used to be for 1-2 year olds but in the latest schedule it says 12-24 month olds. TS only has another month left to go to it. Poor TS -- I like that one because there aren't any big kids knocking over the littles.

How are you feeling today, CMOT?

Hi guys

Just got in from the gym, I took an exercise class, then swam, then went in the steam room and sauna. It was great.

Got a call from the social worker today, we have applied to be foster parents and we're having our first social worker visit next week! We are thinking emergency foster care and respite care, rather than a child living with us all the time. It's something I've always wanted to do, it was just a way I could think of of helping people out, but I wouldn't want another child all the time, as I love having an only.

Bum, bum, bum, bum. Just had a call from school - ds's teacher wants a meeting about behaviour management on Monday morning. Trouble is, they haven't told us that there were any problems before, so this seems a bit formal.

Sounds exciting LittleDeer !

Oh that's nice of them to leave you fretting all weekend, CMOTD! How charming. Hope it's something easily dealt with. Bum to the whole physion thing - hope she can help with the elbow anyway.

LD&M - that's a great thing to do. We have a new mum in our playgroup who is a fostermum, specialising in newborns and young babies - but she gets to keep them often for quite a while. The system here is a little different from the UK, I think - the babies can't be permanently removed from the parents, no matter how undesirable they are, without them signing consent. So the poor little things can be in long term foster care forever, but never adopted and never feel like they truly belong to a family. :(

Scout - that's a shame! Devil's in the detail, huh. :(

Had a letter from immigration today. They want more paperwork - miniTHumb's full birth certificate and a letter withdrawing him as a dependent from my visa application. Fine, except that he was never on my visa application - we applied for his citizenship straight off and got it 3m before my visa. So I have politely emailed them to ask them to clarify this - told them I will send them the paperwork but that I don't understand why they need it as he's not ON my visa application. I am sure that they just send out a standard letter to all comers and just change the first couple of paragraphs but am fretting furiously because there is a bit in there that says "What happens if you do nothing - your visa currently has insufficient evidence to be passed" - yeah, thanks for that. Again, got it today, so whole weekend goes by before I can do anything at all about it (except send the email).

Thumb - that is the situation here in Ireland also. Lots of kids in foster care but no kids up for adoption.

Cmot - That's weird, you'd think they would have spoken with you more casually before this alright.

Thumb - What a nightmare! Hate fiddly paperwork things!

CMot - hope physio goes as well as possible. Join the club re behaviour - we had the 'formal' meeting to 'agree' something re mc's behaviour when he was in reception - not that it did any good.

Thumb - hope you can get to the bottom of the visa stuff on Monday. Its always horrid having things hanging over a weekend.

Mc lost 2 warnings on Tuesday re possible golden time loss - its three strikes in the whole week and you lose the lot this year. He managed to restrain himself all of Weds and Thurs without further loss - just hope he made it through the morning today too. He's had his first street dance class tonight - I hope he enjoyed it!

Have major piece of work to finish over the weekend.

Whose ready for a ?

Spent the day working, dealing with removal companies and continuing the Great Clear Out of 2011.

Thumb I hate Visa issues. So glad mine seems to be a non-issue now.

CMOT yikes having to wait the whole weekend. I can't believe they haven't already mentioned something!

Deer sounds like a lovely gym day.

I also went to my GP today who has agreed a long cycle and bleeding for a week is preferable to a migraine once a month so I'm back on the pill. Now I just have to get back in the habit of taking them!

Yes please, Tee.

I agree, CMOT, bum. Hope it's nothing bad. How are you feeling?

Lovely afternoon going for a walk and to the playground with TS's little friend (and of course little friend's mum and baby brother). I got to have another cuddle baby brother is 17 weeks and so lovely and squishy but I'm happy to give him back. Toddler, however, was NOT impressed with my cuddles that weren't for him.

evening all.

DS found a Fantastic Moutain bike video on your tube this evening. Canadian North shore with style.

Made teh local newspaper today-for the sponsored ride we are doing tomorrow. Wonder how much it will bring in in the end. reckon I've had donations and promises of over 120 so far, there are 4 others beside DH and I riding.

Deer, we were foster parents for years. Well, AP started it and we joined in when we returned from Foreign Climes. Some of the little ones stayed for a long time - three years for one little boy; it was heart-breakinf when he left. Emergency and respite care involved some very challenging children. I'm not sure I would have wanted some of them in contact with my child. I hope it is better in Ireland. But it is a very worthwhile thing to do.
CMOT, obviously the teacher should have talked to you earlier, but quite often we are scared of parents .... I have sometimes talked to parents I thought were OK and would want to help me sort out quite minor problems, and they have turned on me in a quite suprising way. You do learn not to trust people ....
Haven't dropped in much recently ... interesting times ...

How's Wriggle, Serp?

UniS, how are you feeling?

Fine thanks scout, teh training up to 15 miles wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. Seems my body does remember how to do this and I used to ride much further than 15 miles regular. Just not in teh last 6 years.

Have all of the fall wounds healed?

Sorry Scout, didn't see you there! ::pours extra large glass of ::

My cold is still beating me down so I'm off to my bed very soon. Busy weekend ahead so have a good one all if I don't make it back!

Wriggle is unconscious and snoring, thank you. I think her day was quite OK; she played with a 'big girl' who gave her some stickers, although she seems to have very little clue what is going on at school. She had assembly in the 'hall' - "I thought it was a kind of tunnel with a green button and it goes up and down." How could anyone confuse 'hall' with 'lift'? DH thinks she is so clever while I think she might have SN ... but we both love her as we see her .. .

Tee, early bed is the answer. I am off myself now.

We like sleeping little ones.

ah serp- the mysteries of a 5 yr olds brain. If any much goes on in there beyond " tractooooooor" I wonder meself. Yesterday on being promted by his class teacher to "tell mum you bit of good news from today " Boy came out with " the skatepark is open" in VERY excited tones. Sir had meant the news that hes moved up a book band.... ho hum.

mind you some of the bigger kids don't see to have much common sense yet.

oh and, yes scout, pretty much healed, bit of a scabby elbow and still have bruised thigh, ribs only hurt when i lie on my side, But I can ride fine and did a 10 mile hilly ride on wednesday.