Episode 33 - The Orangery - Tea anyone?

[mistlethrush]

The tearoom has traveled back to the Orangery for another visit. There are bluebells in the nearby woods, and Mellors has Earl Grey and Lady Grey ready for some excursions. Mellors has, indeed, been overwintering away from Canada for some reason - I think he's been helping Maud out in the garden. There are tulips out in urns outside, and there are a few tables out in the sunny courtyard for use between showers.

Whether you have one child or several, pull up a chair and share a or a . The only rules remains no fisticuffs.

Phew, half term over. Its not been easy.

I think that mc has had something on his mind (probably moving up to junior school next year) and as a result he's been completely unfocussed and hasn't been hearing things (I think, probably, because he's not been listening, but possibly due to something to do with his ears....). It has been completely exhausting. Some days on holiday went fine - but generally it took a huge amount of input from me to engage and get him interested and interacting positively. Will be a rest to go back to work.

Looks as if lots of people have had quite a bit on... will read back and catch up properly.

JM - its OK to grieve and it can be peculiar in the way it hits you...

feeling all end of hols/ back to work/ school itis.

On the one hand gloomy, on the other sneakily looking forward to having a strong coffee in relative peace!

JM so glad to be of help

(((((hugs to all)))))

(((((((((everyone in the Tea Room)))))))))

Thank you all for being so lovely this past week. It has helped a lot.
Friend's memorial service is Tuesday. Apparently there's going to be a slide show. I know if I end up crying my eyes out I can count on you lot to help me find them :)

put them on elastic JM, stops them getting trodden on. All teh best ( heres a hand hold to put in your pocket, and a hanky)

this is how wet my day has been. Thank the lord for waterproof dungarees.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=guinea+pig+swimming&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=_wLW6U-70gi1WM:&imgrefurl=www.guineapigasapet.com/guinea-pig-swimming/&docid=w61xeOIe-xuq0M&imgurl=www.guineapigasapet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/swimming.jpg&w=360&h=231&ei=9lLWT_CeGpP-8QOPir2jAw&zoom=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This is how wet my garden is.

UniS, that made me a little. So sweet. Thank you.

Sssshhhhhhh... but it's actually sunny and warm today... don't tell anyone!!!

You'd need a hovercraft mower to mow our lawn at the moment.

am liking the handhold

so wet here that water got under my waterproof leggings and inside my waterproof cycling shoes and everything

thinking of you tomorrow/ today JM

DH ventured to west Wales yesterday to organise rapid repairs/rehousing for flooded people. Long day, but nice that they've got things started right away.

DS has been in tears every day recently about how much he wants a dog . Trouble is, dh and I would like one too.

Wriggle has just asked to have her ears pierced for her 6th birthday. I thought nothing of it - yes, if that's what she really wants - and DH just suggested that she asks her French grandmother for some good quality gold earrings for her birthday. Have just seen that it is apparently a terrible thing to do - at least here in the UK. Do I go with Wriggle or do I worry about what everyone will, it seems, think of me?? Interested in your reactions (as the sort of people where I would mind what you think).

LaBelle, are the Brits saying it's terrible to get her ears pierced to ask her grandmother for earrings?

My friend from school has just become a 38 year old grandmother. But I am thrilled that the baby is here, is healthy and that everyone is well. Shame she's in Canada so there's no chance of getting a new baby cuddle.

Racing - I would be wary - I got mine done aged 14 and was very conscientious with not fiddling, keeping clean etc. Took them out after 8 weeks as instructed - and struggled to get one back in - ended up not following correct route - which ended in a horrid puss filled channel that took weeks to sort - and got some 'normal' rather than thick stalked studs to wear with rolled gold posts. Felt itchy, my mother ended up having a look and found I was reacting to the back of the earings that weren't rolled gold - and she ended up putting in solid gold studs through a pool of blood as the old ones took the top layer of skin off...

So, I would suggest a slightly older age so that she might be more prepared to cope with the potential side effects.

In terms of 'horror' I think this is normally restricted to babies having their ears pierced - not sure that there are quite such strong feelings about older children who are old enough to have asked for it themselves.

Here I THINK a 6 yr old girl with pierced ears would be not the norm. BUT I also think that in some other parts of the world ( and indeed in some parts of UK ) it would be quite normal....

Any implications you need to think about for school? Policy at boys school would be that child should not wear ear rings to school, so any peirceing should be done at start of summer hols. IF ear rings are not removable they must be taped over for school,( not just PE).
I don't think any one in boys class has pierced ears, but a few boy do in older years, at least one ignores the policy and wears a stud to school.

I have had totally trouble free pierced ears but would second getting good solid gold stud and backs
Our school would not let anyone wear earrings, girls or boys.but it's quite old fashioned. I had to take oxboys nail varnish off at the end of half term

I would say go for it, other than school don't think anyone would raise any eyebrows save that they might think Wriggle was from The Continent, which in part she is

Thumb may remember there was one girl in our school year with pierced ears from school. She was Spanish and Catholic. I wanted to be her for years

I must have had my ears pierced at 6, and never had any problems, even though I very rarely wear earrings now.
DS's school don't allow them to wear earrings either.

Oxeye - tiddler was rocking red white and blue nail varnish at half term. Strangely, this didn't seem to raise as many eyebrows with the neighbours as him calling dh by his first name. Which he doesn't do all the time, but when he did, it started a lot of muttering

Strange - mc often calls DH by his first name - but rarely me.

He's been packed off back to school today - clearly wanted another day off after DH allowing him to watch TV a lot of the day yesterday

Will talk to Wriggle about the implications. There is at least one girl there with earrings; not a very strict school. Not like the one where I teach ... which is a large part of why Wriggle is not with me.

The school she goes to is so lovely that the HT last week cut up Wriggle's fish to pretend it was fish fingers, after she had (mendaciously) claimed only ever to eat fish fingers at home. At my school the HT would have told her off for making a fuss and I would have been Discussed In The Staff Room for my lack of parenting rigor.

Wriggle often calls me by my first name, although not always. She calls DH by his name when she talks about him, and sometimes to him. We don't think it matters, although I know some friends were really upset when their children tried it.

Hmmm... I don't necessarily think 6 is too young for pierced ears. Unless she's the type to roughhouse and have someone pull on them. I really think that some people are prone to problems with earrings and some aren't, and you can't really tell which category someone is going to fall into. You could always try it. At worst, if she has recurrent problems, you'd have to let the holes close up, and try piercing them again at a later age. I know it's not as simple as it sounds, but it would also not be the end of the world.
I think pierced ears on little girls actually look very pretty, as long as they're good quality studs, and not cheap little dangly awful ones.

Thank you all for various hand-holding and hugs yesterday. Memorial service was wonderful and heart-wrenching. I only knew D for such a short time, a couple of years, and only through the yoga studio where I practice and teach. There wasn't time and opportunity to get to know much of the rest of her. And there was so much! Of course there always is, when you only know one aspect of someone. But what a woman she was. What a loss to all of us, and most all of her little girls. They played a slide show at the end, and I'm still undone thinking about it. I've been seeing pictures from it in my sleep and half-awake most of last night. She was so beautiful. Such a smile. And the love for her little girls that showed in the pictures. I'm so glad JB had a restless night so I could bring him in bed with me and hold him close most of the night when I couldn't sleep. It helped a bit.
It's so unfair. She was only three years older than I am. So unfair. Bastard cancer.

And bugger, but I left my rain jacket at the service. Cr*p. And of course (why not) it is bucketing it down today. Hopefully I can retrieve it this morning.

On a brighter note, I gave my mum-in-law some ready-planted flower baskets to put out in front of her house last week. She lives on a gorgeous bit of property but only has the lawn mowed and the brush at the edges kept under control. My green thumbs regularly have twitching fits when I'm there. She saw my hanging baskets and recently and commented that those would be easy to care for. So I got her some planters. She rung up yesterday and asked if it was too late in the season to put in some plants and still get some colour and if she could "hire" me to do so. Ha!!!! Twist my rubber arm. :o
DH likes to say "two things distract my wife, something shiny, and something blooming. Oh, and books." True.
So, something to look forward to.

How's everyone today?

ummmmmm, hot choc as teh sun sets?

Which biscuits would you like?

I have today realised that ist fathers day on sunday !!! arrrggggh. must try and fit some kind of card making activity around all the sport of teh next two evenings.

I'm glad it went well JM - and cuddles are lovely at the right time. Mc seems to be somewhat more still when he sleeps now so it is somewhat less fraught when you do share a bed.

We're lucky in that we don't 'do' father's day in this household. MC understands.

We're going with the PiL on a steam train special Father's Day thing cream tea on the train. It means steam train rides three weekends in a row for Toddler he will be a VERY happy boy.

happy steaming scout. toodlers gonna think that all trains chuf.

well, I started today thinking I had no work ( apart from school ) till August... by 2pm I had 3 days work lined up for next week... cue rapid phone call to Childminder to see which days she had spaces for afterschool next week.

sweetie? may ai pass you teh choc box, I expect there is peanut butter cup in there somewhere.

Sorry, haven't been around for a bit. I am currently 'on tour' with work and it's been a really, really tough week and a different hotel each night which sounds glamourous but is totally draining. Missing Small Bean and Mr Bean and can't wait to be home tomorrow.

Scout - please could we join you on train trip? It sounds like Small Bean's idea of a perfect day!

LaBelleDame - I'm not sure about the ear piercing. I was 13 when I had mine done and I think I was just about old enough to look after them myself. My personal opinion would be that you should only have them done if you can take responsibility for the cleaning etc. Like a lot of these things, only you can decide whether Wriggle is old enough to understand, I'd be tempted to try to leave it a couple of years but that's just me.

I'm glad it went well JM - you know where we are if you have a wobble

MT - hope you and MC are ok even though half term was tricky, we must try to arrange another meeting?