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!

I love the satisfaction of a page full of check marks after accomplishing all of my goals/jobs. I am a sad, sad soul.

Presents for SB's BFF and her brother wrapped. Candy cane reindeer drying. Success in trying to teach SB "Let's clean up this toy before you get another out." The exception is his railroad layout since he always goes back to it -- play with a toy, play with trains, play with a different toy, play with trains...you get the picture. Sometimes we'll leave the people and the blocks out since he uses them with his trains. Was hoping to make it to the post office today for a stamp to Ireland but got moving too late. Guess that's a Monday job.

Wish I could go back to bed....

Go back to bed, Scout, and let Mellors take charge on the home front!

Festive is on the side for anyone around on a Saturday evening...

JM - what a relief, you have been in my thoughts this week. Hope you had a good evening Unis?

I have been away nearly all week but finally got back yesterday and don't have to go anywhere now until after Christmas - hurrah!!!

We have had a great 'Family Bean' day with a bit of shopping, swimming, wander round exhibition at local sculpture place (Small Bean loved having daddy's camera so we are hoping that he will like his present from Santa!) and tea out at Small Bean's favourite restaurant.

::puts feet up, switches on tv and starts madly writing lists of things to do before next week::

Thank you for the . I am sitting here next to a box of Christmas cards but can't motivate myself to start writing them.

I haven't done cards yet either Thor, I keep thinking about it...

I have been through the address book and have written my cards for A to L.

::smug::

Ny US and Canadian cards were posted weeks ago. Family ones posted this past week. Friends ones in car to be posted today. Need to finish the stragglers and hand deliver some this week.

I just finished writing my cards. Wahoo!

I don't think I'm going to get cards done this year

Just read back a bit - thanks bean

Ultrasound on Thursday. I hope they warm up the gel :o

Hmmm... someone's in here in fancy dress - but its just too good to be able to work out who it is.... Can someone please enlighten me (even if in pm?)

I have not finished any lists. Actually I've not even managed to write them, but I've not finished doing anything on them that would be written on them even if I had written them....

However, mistlehound has had a good weekend with no accidents, and an improved digestive system - and when she snuck out of the garden, came back in on being called, looking slightly sheepish. In fact, whilst she managed to push her way out, she had to jump her way back in (which she did very easily)(which makes me even more that the person we'd asked to do the fencing still hasn't got back to me following my queries and still hasn't done the work....). Does make me wonder about her really being an escapologist though - because she's shown no tendencies to actually want to get out really.

DH and I are spending money on halfterm holiday in the summer for our Christmas present - I've got him a little book apart from that. It makes it more justifiable getting a cottage for then and saves on buying presents for the sake of it!

Someone unwrapped a box that was carefully in a bag which was something that Father Christmas was going to use as a Stocking filler... so back to square one on that!

Mistle - the fancily dressed party would normally rather be outside...

Mistlehound actually sounds rather sweet :)

DH is home. And my parents are arriving today. And lots needs to happen between now and evening when we pick them up at the airport.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed.

I'm thick, I don't know who the person in fancy dress party is. Not worried, though, I'll figure it out at some point.

I made an emergency last minute batch of mincemeat today. Must remember to give the cake one last feed this week.

Found out over the weekend SiL with the brood won't be 'round for Christmas and/or Boxing Day. Feel bad for my MiL but am silently rejoicing at the peace (and without worrying about SB's toys being broken or disappearing).

SB and I spent the morning going into town along the path, pretending to be steam train engines and carriages. The irony is the path into town is the old railway line (it doesn't have rails & ties any more but is still know as the railway line). I'm sure people watching us thought we were nuts.

your not nuts scout, your a good parent. Stick with the playing trains, that one can run and run. we still do it sometimes and boy is 6 and a half. Best place is in an old railway tunnel.

Hello thorin.. think I can place you when your not hiding behind a head of drawfish beard. Or even a loaf of drawfish bread ( always something better to eat) . Is it tempory or permentant name change?

OHhhh, DH has just told me when and where for carol singing on Friday. And I have a work Christmas do on Thursday.

We also did a lot of stopping to watch the squirrels, birds, dogs out on walks with their owners and the odd cat who thought was stuck in a tree but really was just being stupid.

::waves at everyone from beneath a pile of wrapping paper and Sellotape::

Just about finished doing all of Small Bean's presents. Still have Mr Bean's to go but will do that later in the week.

Nothing wrong with being nuts Scout! You're in good company here I think!

I'm still buying presents and haven't yet started to wrap them.

::panics::

I have just about bought presents, but they are not wrapped or coralled into anything sensible. All the "thoughtful" ideas of photos in decorated picture frames etc ... well that's not going to happen!

cards? well the old and infirm may be lucky

I am still trying to finish work

scout your daily list always makes me feel faint, inadequate and quite clear why I am not a Queens Scout

Oxboy and I always jump and dance about - current game is either leaping over more than one paving slab or jumping on utility covers to get points. Pedestrians usually smile and jump out of the way

We have one present left to get but I'll either get it on Friday in YOUT after dropping MrScout off at work or we'll go into the big town in Berks over the weekend to get it (it's a voucher so want to get it as close to Christmas as possible). Most of the presents are already down at the in-laws so can't do much in the way of wrapping until the weekend. That said, though, and all of the presents for SB (from my parents -- which I wrap when we return from Thanksgiving, from Santa and from us) are wrapped and ready as are MrScout's presents from SB and me. Most of the presents for the now-not-to-be-present-on-Christmas-Day family are done so I'll probably finish those first on Friday night and get MrScout to deliver them on Saturday morning while I attempt to navigate the grocery store. Christmas cake will be iced/decorated over the weekend and Gingerbread Christmas Train will be decorated with SB on Sunday or Monday (that was not me, honest! Blame MomScout for that... ).

oxeye, it probably won't surprise you to know I have the GSUSA (for the time) equivalent of the Queen's Guide. I was crap at sports and average in school so I wanted to be top at something.

SB and I do lots of things like jumping up and down curbs (as long as it's safe), jumping on letters in carparks (as long as it's safe) and shouting out the names of the letters, being trains and airplanes on our way to/from town, having races, talking to the animals and the rainclouds and the sun. Yes, we are a bit loopy but it's fun.

This feels like the longest week ever.

Mistlechick is beside himself with a combination of tiredness, excitement and end-of-term itis. And the 'Christmas Production' is an hour and 20 mins long and he's got to do the whole thing again this afternoon having managed it pretty well yesterday under my occasional hard stare (think Paddington) - I hope he manages to get through again today and we don't have a repeat of the dress rehearsal which has his teacher telling me that he'd been talking.

We can't get anything done simply or straight away - its all interspersed with talking about irrelevant things or whistling tunelessly.

I still have presents to get - not sure when or what which is a bit of a problem... I think we've got DS sorted, just need to make sure things are all wrapped up securely and hidden!

MT - Small Bean is in a similar place - fortunately he finished school last week so he is trying to burn off the excess excitement at Holiday Club! He bounced into my bed this morning detailing exactly where Father Christmas might put his presents - two in a stocking, one by the fire and one under the tree apparently...

I have one more big work task to do and then I'm finished until January - haven't given any thought to food shopping yet so it could be cheese sandwiches all round if I don't make a list.

Scout - there is something in the post to you.

Boys wobbly tooth FINALLY fell out. It's been wibbly since June.

Morning all, any one care to join me for Soup avec Jour and rolls tres sugestive.

Present shopping done n most things wrapped. need to get perishable foods , maybe tomorrow maybe friday. But I'm always a bit previous with christmas so don;t let me worry you.

SmallBoy seems to be able to pick able to pick out much loved pajamas for little girls. [awww]

I'm off to have my sonogram now . It will be ok.