Tearoom 35: Sun, sea and sand...

[beanandspud]

This breathtakingly beautiful island has unspoilt powdery white sand beaches, crystalline turquoise waters that wash over pristine coral reefs, and verdant green rainforest.

Scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing trips are available and you can discover the island's charms on foot (with or without Mellors the guide) by mountain bike or private island buggy.

For those in need of pampering the spa offers a selection of luxurious treatments to soothe and heal both body and soul.

For dining, enjoy a freshly prepared meal at the tearoom, a picnic on the beach, or a delicious dinner in the oceanfront restaurant with its stunning sea views. There is , and good company, everybody is welcome.

[UniS]

Feel free to pack up and bring with you any particular favourite bits n bobs. The priest hole is already there donki, ready for when you get back from birmingham.

JM- the aspidistra is just fine, leave it alone.

[UniS]

Just before we get evicted for over stuffing a thread i thought I'd build us another tea room. Just follow teh trail of breadcrumbs thorough the snow to get there.

[Donki]

DH successfully dealt with the YD's wobbles on Monday and got him to school without incident.

My brain is melting and dribbling out of my ears after a day spent being force fed educational audiology on fast forward...

I'm not trying to be an educational audiologist - just a teacher of the deaf - but we need a reasonable working knowledge of hearing aid test boxes, hearing aids, cochlear implants, radio aids etc and how to test them. Plus how to read audiograms - and what the implications of different patterns of hearing loss are. And 2 days of practical is.not.enough.time to fit it all in

[Donki]

Well done Small Bean!

Lego is still very popular in the Donki household.

Unless I've just trodden on a stray brick. [Grin]

I've put breakfast out on the sideboard. With plenty of tea and coffee. And for those who prefer a slightly more genteel container than a galvanised bucket.

I am waiting for the train to Birmingham on my way for a week's residential at the Uni.
And the embarrassing conversation with my tutor.

The YD finally got to sleep around 11.30 pm.
DH has never had to cope with the YD in full anxiety school refusal mode before...

[beanandspud]

Happy New Year to all of the Tearoomers!

Hope this week is better for you.

Well done SB! We have Lego everywhere at the moment and I still haven't found a very satisfactory storage solution. Models tend to be 'displayed' for a bit and then put in a plastic tub with the instructions (so perhaps 6 models in one tub in various states of broken/built but hopefully most of the bits together). We have a Lego 'Head' full of random bricks and another tub with all of DH's old Lego.

We took Small Bean for his first rugby training session today and he loved it. He can't officially join the club until his birthday so we really just went to watch the minis but someone asked whether he wanted to have a go and he got stuck in! The nicest bit was seeing him so sociable with the other children, none of whom he knew before. Within a couple of minutes he was chatting away and really enjoyed himself.

Last day of the holidays tomorrow and it feels a bit sad. We've had such a nice break, pottering around, going out for walks and bike rides, playing games. Just another week would be perfect...

Anyone for a or a this evening? I am making the most of it as the diet starts in earnest tomorrow!

[Donki]

Well done SB!

[Scout19075]

Proud mom moment -- SmallBoy has finished his Lego Fire Station (complete with all of the vehicles). He did it himself (except for opening the bags, he couldn't do that). He is very proud of himself and has been running to tell everyone in the house. We still have a few unbuilt sets from Christmas but we'll pack those up for home. Might go and get a plastic box to carry the built sets, though specifically the castle and station, home.

[Scout19075]

Oh Donki.... Yes, worse things happen at sea but what happened today is bad, too.



Would a hoof rub help, too?

Went to a science museum/center south of PiLshire today with the boys. After reading a thread in one-child-families earlier and thinking about other medium-to-large families I know I decided to play a game of "spot the only children" and "spot the oldest/middle/youngest children." It was very subconscious, mind, my decision to observe and only after having done it a few times without realizing did I decide to watch with purpose. I made some very interesting, unscientific observations. In many cases it was easy to spot the onlies and those with lots of siblings. Some of it I'm sure were the children's personalities but some of it I do think was their positions within their families.

SB has had a good extended holiday with his grandparents but I think even he's ready to go home. He keeps asking how many more days until we go back to Scoutville/Scoutshire. I know I'm ready.

We're almost out of posts -- where are we going next Ladies?

[Donki]

Thanks Maud

?Slurps tea thirstily?

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Oh no, Donki. Worse things do indeed happen at sea, but that is bad enough.

::Proffers carrots, a galvanised bucket of tea and a soothing ear rub::

[Donki]

Worse things happens at sea..... worse things happen at sea...

[Donki]

Aaaargh - which means I can't go into school tomorrow to put out materials for the lessons.

[Donki]

Shit! The DH, in a foul temper over having to go to a family "do" with the YD (I am working this weekend to do the cover lessons) has put petrol in the car. It's a diesel.

He is now sat in a broken down car with the YD. Thank God he hadn't reached the motorway!

And our breakdown policy doesn't cover mis-fueling....
They are currently being rescued by the RAC - but we get to pay for having the engine drained.

[UniS]

We have just moved from 2 plastic lego bucket s plus a cardboard box of models to one big ( 60litre) plastic crate of lego plus a bucket full of instruction leaflets plus a couple of shelves of models . I no longer keep boxes, much of boys lego was second hand.

[mistlethrush]

[Donki]

Thank you you wonderful lot!

[Donki]

I feel as though its all my own stupid fault that it isn't finished. Chronic procrastination....due to anxiety, plus I wrote a 4000 word essay in support of the application for a statutory assessment for the YD just before the holidays when I should have been doing this. And it ate my brains. I found trying to write a coherent and well presented account supporting the application (and so having to focus on all the scary problems, our fears for next year (transition) and the future, and none of the good stuff) very emotionally draining. It left me with no brain space for ToD stuff.

But I know what was more important! So I am trying not to beat myself up but just to get on with... this evening off, then cover lessons for next week. Then if time, getting on with the essay and finishing it.

(Repeats to self: resubmission is not a disaster....)

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Commiserations for the ongoing essay pains.

Scout - A friend of mine uses a plastic chest of drawers (the sort they sell for stationery/DIY storage) to sort and store her Lego. Something like this. The big debate is whether to sort according to shape/size or according to colour. ::grin::

I used to love Lego and it pains me that The Girl has never been interested as I wanted to buy it for her and play with it myself. Maybe I should just buy myself some anyway. I could buy a little 'entry level' kit and develop my addiction from there.

[Donki]

I think I will try to forget it all.... whilst I write cover lessons for a week's lessons next week. (I am away at a residential for the course)

I guess I will be grovelling to my Tutor....

[mistlethrush]

Had I known, we could have looked for the walkie-talkies and lent them to you for the day to avoid the shouting.

I'm sorry I can't help now - although I could at the weekend if you want someone to read something through for you (or forget it all and have a cup of tea somewhere).

[Donki]

And having two boys shouting up and downstairs about Minecraft (they are on different computers doing multi-player) is not helping...

[Donki]

Shit! My brain is fried.
I cannot make it all make sense on the bage. I understand it all, but writing a coherent critique (with references) of my Audiology Protocol has led to buffer over-run so to speak....

Aaargh!

[mistlethrush]

MC has pleaded for the skylanders... but we have not given in to that - but have allowed minecraft - although he generally only plays on the 'creative' side. Some very impressive abodes have been developed....

[Donki]

MT The YD loves the new Lego shop

[Scout19075]

MrScout was torn between the fire station and the police station but police went out of stock while he debated with himself so fire it was. We have several Creator sets and SB has already done the three models on one of the mini sets Grandmom & Grandad Scout gave him for Christmas.

I now need to think of storage because the clip box cake box has long been outgrown....

I love a lot of the Main Street Lego (like the cafe, movie theater, etc.) but I have no where to house them.

I've always loved Lego.