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Original poster

Episode 34 - The Tearoom moves to New England

998 replies

beanandspud · 22/09/2012 23:25

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!

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Original poster
beanandspud · 30/11/2012 18:21

Happy Friday!

That sounds like a fun hobby Unis Grin and thank you for the lighting tips - Mr Bean most bemused by my spending last night googling electrical stores.

Just me and Small Bean for the weekend, I need to work out what we are going to do otherwise we will spend all day snuggled up on the sofa - it's Baltic here brrrrrrrrrr...

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Original poster
beanandspud · 30/11/2012 18:24

Just found these, Happy St Andrew's Day to everyone!

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UniS · 30/11/2012 18:29

ahhhh, the NMBs are back... in their Nac Mac Feegle phase still I see.

Lock up your ginger wine MT... or you may find teeny tiny straws being stuck in it.

Scout19075 · 30/11/2012 19:26

For the second night in a row SmallBoy fell asleep on my lap (in his room) while reading Thomas the Tank Engine stories before bed.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 30/11/2012 22:17

Welcome home, Scout! And many thanks to the SmallBoy for his exciting postcard!

Scout19075 · 30/11/2012 22:26

SB told me tonight, as he was getting ready for bed, that he wanted to write a letter to Father Christmas. I'm assuming Santa can decipher a three-year old's scribbles drawings? When we went to see Santa SB said "presents" when asked "what would you like for Christmas?" I'm amused that SB, at 3.1, said to me "Write Father Christmas? Presents? I like train presents."

Now we need to sort out the train present. SB originally was getting Brio from us as his Mommy & Daddy present and other bits from Santa. But since he's asked F.C. for train presents we need to put some train toy in his stocking but not sure if I should go with one of the bits of Brio or find something else completely different that's a train. Any suggestions?

Scout19075 · 30/11/2012 22:28

HELLO! I hope Girl was surprised? Both you and she should have post next week.

ComeIntoTheGardenMaud · 30/11/2012 22:38

Yes, she was.

::in suspense now::

No ideas about trains here, as they're not really our thing. I'd suggest a dvd of The Railway Children, but not for a few eyars yet.

Scout19075 · 30/11/2012 22:43

His stocking is mostly trains -- story/picture books, socks, coloring books, cup, etc., but he specifically said track and trains presents. So I think that means some sort of toy....

It's something American and for blankets not very exciting but I hope, at least, Girl will be happy with post.

Original poster
beanandspud · 30/11/2012 23:16

Scout, fwiw I would go trains if that's what he wants. Last year Small Bean wanted cars/trains and when pushed for something else he came up with a play set he'd seen advertised. Stupidly we bought it and apart from a few hours over Christmas it has pretty much gathered dust since, whilst the trains and cars are played with every day.

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Original poster
beanandspud · 30/11/2012 23:17

::waves at Maud::

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Scout19075 · 30/11/2012 23:23

Oh yes, SB is going to have a Traintastic Christmas. I just need to figure out what train toy is going in his stocking as the Brio pieces are a bit big (he really Really REALLY wants the 5-engine shed and we found it at a stupidly low price over the summer so have had it tucked away for him but I can't fit it in a stocking). I'm thinking the turntable MrScout ordered and an engine and some extra pieces of track (like points, junctions, etc., since he loves points Hmm).

UniS · 01/12/2012 18:59

an engine and points sound just right for stocking presents.

Scout19075 · 01/12/2012 20:29

Engine (Black Five) and two different types of points secured and put away for Santa's elf to wrap. Grin

LaBelleDameSansPatience · 01/12/2012 20:58

Oh for the days when Wriggle would have been happy with a few pieces of brio. (Actually it was always M.SansPatience who really enjoyed them.)

This year she has written to 'Frvr crismus' (she's a late developer Grin) and asked for a 99 euro mechanical moving rabbit with carrot. Why?? She has a real rabbit who is scatchy adorable. We should never have taken her into French toy shops. Now have to work out how to give her something completely different without spoiling her belief.

How is everyone? ::Waves::

Scout19075 · 01/12/2012 21:49

LaBelle, I am very grateful for the simplicity of SmallBoy's wishlist. Honestly, shopping for him is very easy right now. I dread him in a few years and see him being like MrScout -- wanting the gadgets and geek-toys that go over my head.

MrScout told SB that he was going to work at the airport tomorrow -- cue lots of upset from SB and "demands" to "ride on airplane too with Daddy!" Sad

UniS · 01/12/2012 22:44

boy has written to "fver crismus" with a shopping list culled directly from the toy & game catalogues that he ( and I and DH) have been reading over breakfast for the last 2 weeks.

I need to do a toy shop when I'm next in a town with a toy shop. Rush hour was a game we were thinking of getting him and he's now asked FC for it... I see a match made in geek heaven. The boy seems to like these logic puzzle games. Got him going with tantrix tiles this week.

Original poster
beanandspud · 01/12/2012 22:45

LaBelle, I love the idea of a mechanical rabbit Xmas Smile. How are you all?

Finally got Small Bean to commit his Christmas list to paper today. Only one late addition - a Disney Cars car that he doesn't have - so it will be posted tomorrow. We are going to see Santa on the Santa Steam Train next week - he doesn't know yet but does keep asking whether the shopping centre Santas are the real Santa or not.

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UniS · 01/12/2012 22:45

LaBelleDame, he really did spell it like that, so its not wiggle being a late developer... its just how they spell it in year 2.

LaBelleDameSansPatience · 02/12/2012 20:42

Yes, being a teacher of older children, I can't quite understand how they can have learnt the phoneme 'ar' and yet not use it Hmm.
Hi, Bean, we're fine, apart fromAP. I just had a quick look in here while supposedly planning my lessons for tomorrow.

ComeIntoTheMistletoeGardenMaud · 02/12/2012 20:45

::Waves back at beanandspud::

::Pours Bolly for all in need::

ComeIntoTheMistletoeGardenMaud · 03/12/2012 09:34

::Wakes up with hangover after a night of solitary drinking::

mistlethrush · 03/12/2012 10:37

Waves back at Maud.

We had a 'go to a concert down south' weekend - mc went to his first ever concert - he listened for a good 20mins before getting started on his book - and listened to a bit of the 2nd half too similarly.

Unfortunately, he seems to have gone down with some sort of lurgy on the way home - luckily due to car sickness practice, the car doesn't need washing, although we did have to stop to deal with things - but he was in tears saying that his legs hurt and he had a temperature when I put him in bed (quite late by the time we got back - at least he was already in his pjs). So he's home, watching a series of DH's favourite cartoons from long ago that has been put together for MS....

Dog won approval from my parents which is a big positive. And we have the papers to formally adopt her too.

I asked Father CHristmas for a pony one year - and got a lovely china one (still have it now). I wonder whether something similar might get round the issue and perhaps be the start of a collection? I got my goddaughter some Beatrix Potter (not the china) models and regularly added to the group when she was little.

Scout19075 · 03/12/2012 16:15

Home again. MrScout away again. The upsides: I get the car for the week, I get to watch what I want on television when I want and I get to eat when I want (and only cook once, twice if I decided to eat later than SB, not the three times that sometimes happens). The downside: I'm all alone in the evening. Oh, wait, is that a downside?

Scout19075 · 03/12/2012 17:11

I feel a bit bad for the royal baby and for Kate's parents -- how much input/helping do you think they'll be allowed to have/do?