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.

[Donki]

NOOOOOO!
I have just been offered tickets for cross country day at the Olympics. AND I AM AWAY....

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Oh no Donki! Is there no chance of coming back early?

[UniS]

oh donki... I didn't know there was a donkey cross country event in the Olympics! what fun. Are sandy beaches involved or just general beast of burden ( accompanied by old ladies in black frocks) duties.

Boy enjoyed a pony ride at the open day thing we went to on sunday. He struggled a bit to get UP on to the pony concerned but had a huge grin on face once on board. Little cousin had a ride on a tiny shetland, her first horse borne experience.

[Donki]

We are only away for a week - but right the other end of the country. It is in the MIDDLE of the holiday. A day to get to London. Cross country day. A day to get back to N.Wales (Lleyn).

Not quite the relaxing holiday I had in mind..... I don't know what to do!
DH won't want to come - don't know about the YD. (He is asleep)
And we are away with friends.

[oxeye]

::props George up in the corner by the Aspidestra::
::nibbles an asparagus ear proffered by Mellors::

well met dear fellows! Lovely tea room MT
Donk. that is a disaster. Can you shift the week a bit? Fly back within a day? Late train/ cut the travel??

[OhDoFuckOffJacksmania]

Please avert your eyes if offended by swearing, the name change is only temporary as I'm supporting the sweary names thread. Apologies for lowering the tone of the thread .

I gardened today!!!! It was blissful. Weeded, pulled up useless tulip greens, severely cut back the purple lupin which is threatening to take over everything... my garden looks very green and tidy.



That aspidistra is looking lovely, by the way.

[mistlethrush]

I've booked someone to come and cut the lawn for me . It feels very self indulgent - but hopefully it will mean that the time I can get into the garden at the weekend between showers I can try to get on top of the couch grass problem oh - and the forgetmeknots in the veg bed!

It will be a great relief not have to battle with the pull start of the mower again for a bit.

Oxeye - George is looking amazingly OK given where the nmbs packed him... I'm not sure that they approve.

Mellors appears to have got caught in a shower of raid.

[UniS]

ekkk, a shower of raid!

or is it a shower of RAID?

Sounds painful either way, perhaps one or two brave souls might like to go and administer first aid to the poor man. he looks quite pale and about to feint in interesting directions.

[mistlethrush]

Or even Faint

Its George that's going a bit feint where he gets picked up rather too often....

[UniS]

maybe the NMBs should stop using George as target practise , he's getting a bit tattered about the knees. They have polished up the aspidistra nicely, or was that JM?

What are you reading currently?
I'm 2/3 of the way through T.Pratchetts " The Truth" again. I intend to read "going postal" again next.

[Donki]

Uni - it never occurred to me that it would be a donkey cross country event. I can't wait!

Hang on, there's no sand in Greenwich, precious little sea, and probably no sun.

Hmmmmm.

[UniS]

Old ladies, straw baskets over flowing with carrots and steep hills it is then donki. <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=old+lady+donkey&start=105&hl=en&client=ubuntu&hs=c0Z&sa=X&channel=fs&gl=uk&biw=1257&bih=857&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=Yqbak9zKjbvoRM:&imgrefurl=aussietweety.wordpress.com/category/uncategorized/&docid=aOZxQSoAe6FJBM&imgurl=aussietweety.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/img_2486.jpg&w=2592&h=1936&ei=5hOsT6OwN4XPhAf0nc2dCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=637&vpy=386&dur=7228&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=139&ty=100&sig=102082506942514907068&page=5&tbnh=151&tbnw=209&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:105,i:73" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Must be.

[Jacksmania]

For some odd reason I read UniS's post as "straw HATS overflowing with carrots"...

[UniS]

Maybe Donki, you would enjoy a holiday here at Carrot Bay .

[mistlethrush]

Donki, on a normal weekend in the summer, there are donkeys outside the main (Blackheath side) gates to Greenwich Park, so you'd feel right at home.

My MiL lives near there and has managed to rent her house out for the family of a very well heeled member of a visiting equestrian team. Have had to look out some appropriate toys for her to borrow from our loft!

Lovely to see you back btw!

[Donki]

MT I suppose that by definition, members of equestrian teams will tend to be well heeled (although not true of every rider)!

Uni I like the sound of carrot bay - although I am not sure about donkey racing. This donkey does not gallop! Not ever! (well not since the time that DH demonstrated that he can run faster going backwards than I can sprint )



(Still no idea what to do aboout the Olympic 3 day event! I have discovered that it would be an 8 hour train journey each way to Cambridge))

[Scout19075]

Oh wise friends with older children, I need advice (please).

I've posted on here before about my PiL "tats" (cats) and the tat called "Foff" (Fluff). Fluff was the only non black one and the only one Toddler could identify by name though he learned very early on to leave her alone as she was old and crabby and didn't like people (not just babies/toddlers but most people as well). He would walk into the room and say "Hello Foff!" and then carry on with playing. He will "play with" the other cats and just say "Hello Tat!" since the black ones all look alike.

Anyway, we had word through today that Fluff died overnight.

I'm off the stance that Toddler is still young enough that I don't have to explain dead cat. He never actively sought her out but would acknowledge her if she was in the room and he saw her. MrScout was asking if I was going to tell Toddler about Fluff's demise and how was I going to do it.

Do you think I can get away without telling him anything but say something if needed (as in, if he starts looking for her next time we're down)?

[oxeye]

Hi Scout, personally I would tell him that Fluff died. Nice and simple, just answer questions asked. I think children are confused if they are told a cat/ person/ anything "went to sleep" or "moved on" or some other euphemism. Children are direct and blunt and inately take on just enough information to feed their need imho

if it's any help our lovely lovely OxHound died (well we put him to sleep) when Oxboy was nearly 2. SO we walked out of house with dog and back without him.... we told him OxHound had died.

Am currently reading "Before I go to Sleep" - quite compelling but I think clunkier as I near the end...

[beanandspud]

Scout - no real advice I'm afraid. I would be tempted not to say anything just now and if Foff's absence is noticed when you are next down you could always change the subject/say that she has 'gone away'/try to explain death of cat /whatever is most appropriate at the time?

I can't remember exactly how old TS is but I took Small Bean to my Gran's funeral when he was 2 - he was naively clueless about death and I was quite happy for it to stay that way.

My baby has grown up though. He met his new 'Big School' teacher today for the first time and apparently was completely star-struck. He took her on a guided tour of nursery, asked what sort of car she drove and then asked for a hug .

[Scout19075]

Thanks oxeye. Do you think it matters, though, that we don't see the cats regularly? We haven't been down since Easter. Toddler asks about his grandparents but no one/nothing else. There were five cats total, never all in the same place at the same time, etc.

And no, I wouldn't say "going to sleep." Especially how we're struggling with staying in the big boy bed to go to sleep -- I don't want to spook him.

[Scout19075]

Bean, Toddler is just 2 1/2. I was able to keep him oblivious about his Grandnan's last summer but he was only about 20 months or so.

[mistlethrush]

One of our chinchillas died the Christmas before last - we told mc shortly after Christmas. We did something together we could put with him when we buried him. In some ways its a gentle way of getting a child used to the fact that there is death around. As Fluff was old perhaps this might be a sensible approach?

[Scout19075]

I expect they've buried Fluff today (she died over night) and we won't be down to the PiL for another two weeks at the earliest which is part of my dilemna.

I'm just not sure he'll realize she's gone so I don't want to freak him out unnecessarily.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

As Foff wasn't your pet, I would perhaps wait until your next visit and then say matter of factly that poor Foff was sick or old and died. Two and three year olds are very sanguine about death, partly I think because they don't really grasp its significance.

Well done to SmallBean - such aplomb!

[mistlethrush]

Why would it freak him out? Its part of life.... If you are really straight forward and matter of fact about it, ie, we'll miss her, but she was old and cats normally live for ... years etc it shouldn't be too bad.