Episode 34 - The Tearoom moves to New England

[beanandspud]

At this time of year New England is famous for its glorious foliage as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colours. The air is crisp and cool ? perfect for hiking, biking or a drive along back roads, where farm stands are piled high with crunchy apples and orange pumpkins.

Everyone is welcome. There are tea, cakes and wine aplenty so pull up a comfortable chair and join us.

The usual rule applies - no fisticuffs please!

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Hello Banderchang. Well done on taking the plunge and delurking.

My one and only child is quite old as am I. We're well past the toddler stage.

[Scout19075]

Hello Banderchange!

I have ToddlerScout (aka: Toddler or TS) who will be three next month. He's an only for a lot of reasons but I love having just one. On his third birthday he will become SmallBoyScout (or SmallBoy or SB) -- he's not very toddleresque any more.

Ease-dropping on MrScout's work call (he's working from home this afternoon) and I am a bit more hopeful that an extended trip home may be in the cards. Fingers crossed.

Maud, how is Girl? Is it this week she moves?

[mistlethrush]

Hello Banderchang - my ds is 7.5 - sort of towards the higher range of smalls, but there are some largers too... and even one adult at least!

Tea and crumpets dripping with butter anyone? Must do something to improve the mood on such a grim day.

[JugglingWithPossibilities]

Ooh, yes please mistlethrush - rather nice with maple syrup too I've discovered (greedy grin) They'll go well with my before taking DS out to band practice. A warm welcome to Banderchang from me too

[Banderchang]

It is a grim day isn't it? Autumn is definitely here. DS and I went to a cooking class this afternoon and got soaked just walking 100 yards from the car.

Lovely to hear that there's a wide age range of onlies amongst people on this thread. I've recently been giving away DS's outgrown clothes/toys to various people or toddler groups and soooo many people have said to me "Oh you might think you don't want another now, but it'll be different when he's older". I've been hearing this since he was born (and haven't changed my mind!) - does it ever stop? I smile and nod, but it's beginning to annoy me now that DS is old enough to understand.

[UniS]

ohhh crumpets. Fab, and a roaring stove... just what I need. I haven?t managed to get logs in from shed yet or lay the fire, so I guess I'm putting off, for another night , the first fire the year at home. Dh is out at A PCC meeting tonight :-( I shall go and get another jumper soon.

Boy is 6 and a half. Rather keen on sport, keen rather than skilled in most sports except cycling which is is really rather good at for a 6 year old. pround mum moment. He will be presented with his bikeability cert in assembly at school on Thursday.

[Scout19075]

Banderchang, Toddler's just younger than your DS but I've noticed the questioning has started to lessen. Either that or I must run into the same people all of the time. I have a had a few ask if we want another/are trying for another in a "I'm very sorry you only have one and I'm afraid to ask if you want another in case your burst into tears" sort of way lately but I'm very blunt up front and say "Medical issues and I'm not going to mess with perfection! Toddler's wonderful." There are lots of reasons for us to have a singleton but playing the "medical" card stops questions and conversations in their tracks.

[Jacksmania]

Hi Banderchang, glad you de-lurked and joined us :)

DS is 4.7. I'm the Tea Room's Canadian Contingent, on the West Coast of Canada near Vancouver. So I tend to post at odd times.

Our weather has taken a downturn, too. I think I'm about to spend stupid amounts of money at The North Face just so I can stay warm this year. I have my eye on this and this. What do you all think?

[Scout19075]

JM, the first link took me to a home page. I like the second one. Is that CAN or USD? Just curious.

Oh, and JM, if MrScout does do some work in the US before going home for Thanksgiving we'll be in your time zone for a bit.

[Scout19075]

Oh, Banderchang and Juggling, I should probably explain I'm an American living in the UK. MrScout is British (Toddler & I are dual). We go back to my parents' every year for Thanksgiving and so I can get my fill of cheesesteaks, decent pizza and root beer-- to see my family.

[Banderchang]

Hi Jacksmania, I like the pink jacket too. And it doesn't look too bulky which is always good. North Face stuff is lovely.

I wore my (lighter) winter coat today which is always depressing when it's only September.

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

I don't generally like The North Face - a bit too functional-looking - but I like that coat, JM, and I imagine that in your climate it's worth the outlay.

::cheapskate emoticon::

Inspired (although that's hardly the word) by the current weather, I have just bought The Girl a proper waterproof jacket. Scout - She has been a Guide for a week.

[Scout19075]

Ooohhh, Maud, how was it for both you and her?

[Scout19075]

ooooh, I've heard Minnesota has had snow already. Kind of glad I don't live there any more. Brrrr.

[Jacksmania]

We can ask CheerfulYank if that's true :)
BTW she announced some happy news on a Baby Names thread :) :):)

[Scout19075]

JM, I still have friends back in Minnesota. One of the girls commented on her FB that Duluth had flurries. Brrrr. Don't think it stuck but still -- snow. Brrr.

I saw CY's thread and sent her wishes on it. Another American baby NOT called Madison. Wahoo! Not that it's not a nice name, mind, but it's so very American in the sheer numbers. Then again, when Toddler was recently one and we went for Thanksgiving we took him to see Santa. The Santa is lovely I remember him from when I was a bit younger and he commented to MomScout that Toddler was the first of his name he had ever met. It's NOT common in the US at all (though my sister works with a guy with the same name but she met him after Toddler was born) though it's slowly creeping up in popularity here in the UK.

Sunny here today but there's a bite in the air. Toddler wants to "scoot" today -- he's finally seems to have worked out how to propel himself forward. He's by no means a boy racer yet but he's so excited that we got the scooter out of the car before MrScout went off. We're also going to try a new group today (group only started this term and we haven't had a chance to try it yet). AND I'm going to steam the first Christmas pudding of the year (I'll do it in the slow cooker, though, so I'm not tied to the house for six hours).

[mistlethrush]

That's very well prepared Scout - I've done nothing! Have you got a balance bike for him - sounds as though he'd do well on it.

Mistledog has something that looks like a tumour on the bone of her leg which is not exactly good news.. she's nearly 12 so I don't think I can put her through any nasty ops as she won't have enough good time even if she does recover OK.

[Banderchang]

Flooding here today (North East). Had to evacuate work and only just got through to DS's nursery before the river banks burst. Living on the edge!

Now we are home and watching cartoons so I can pretend to be working from home (though clearing I am MNing!). Scary amounts of water, though luckily our street is not in a floody part of town.

[Scout19075]

MT, no he doesn't have a balance bike yet. I tried him on one at a shop and he thought I was nuts. Then again all day he wanted to scoot and all he did was walk the scooter. He wouldn't even stand on it for me to push him.

Banderchang, that sounds scary!

[Scout19075]

So.... if I wanted to do a treat basket of typically British treats what should I include? Treats can be anything -- chocolate, sweets, drink, biscuits, etc.

[Banderchang]

Scout, is the basket for adults or children? I would suggest shortbread biscuits of some type, earl grey tea bags, tunnock's tea cakes and ginger beer (all of which are a bit treaty). If you want more standard but very British stuff, maybe a jar of Marmite, a bottle of Ribena, some salt/vinegar crisps?

Was that the kind of thing you were after?

[CMOTDibbler]

I always think jaffa cakes are a bit different and nothing like any US produce, creme eggs (the ghoulish sort this time of year), marmite for sure, HP sauce, and a tinned syrup pudding

[UniS]

Marmite, shortbread biscuits in a tartan packet, Hundreds n thousands. Burts crisps ( or Sea brooks) . Clotted cream fudge or Tablet. Luscombes fruit drink of some sort. Or cider if for an adult who indulges. Tea.
Marmalade maybe .

[Jacksmania]

I'd say Marmite, shortbread, tea, tea cakes and salt & vinegar crisps.

Mistle, that 's:( about mistledog. I hope it's nothing serious.


A gorgeous autumn day here today :)

[mistlethrush]

We've got to decide whether to put her through a biopsy or not - the downsides are that it will be painful and another day in the vets and the recovery from that. The upsides are that there might be some sort of chemo or something she could have if we knew what it was - but major surgery isn't going to work with her (she's nearly 12 and a bit arthritic) so it might just be palliative care anyway - having put her through that. I really don't know what to do.