tea room 36 - Teh Alpine Chalet

[UniS]

Welcome to the Tea rooms newest incarnation. A cozy log cabin with a roaring log fire, comfy chintz sofas and a dedicated man about the house, our Butler, Mellors. Out of the windows you can see sparkling white snow gently drifted up under the green Christmas trees and bright blue skies. Children can all be packed off to play healthy outdoor stuff while we stay snug n warm in here with our mulled wine, tea,artisan hot chocolate and other beverages served in mugs, glasses or buckets.

The usual rules apply - no fisticuffs. And no messing with the aspidistra.

Hi all. Been away for a few days in a place with unreliable wifi.

Sorry to hear about problems with ear infections and kaput washing machines, although I am sure Mellors could put his biceps to good use, wringing out the washing.

I haven't seen Cmot in here for ages, although I occasionally spot here elsewhere on MN.

Evening all! All back to normal here, Small Bean went back to school and seems quite happy - particularly since he can wear shorts for the Summer term (easily pleased he is! ).

Had a lovely Easter weekend in the middle of nowhere with no wifi or phone signal which was actually quite refreshing. Scout - I think we did the same egg hunt as you did but at another place! We have a couple of nice weekends planned over the next few weeks so I do hope that the weather improves a bit.

I think CMOT is around elsewhere on MN but haven't seen her here for a bit.

Oh yes. We did the Easter egg hunt twice (and met some adults who were doing it without any children in tow).

I'm on a pointy hounds thread with CMot and she's been posting there (I'll remind her that the tearoom's dropped off...)

Yes, its a tearoom friendship.. but the funny thing about meeting fellow tearoomers is that I've felt as though I was meeting an old friend that I had known for a long-time (on each occasion I have met various ones)(including antipodean ones)

Donki - there are some lurcher pups that have just come in to Lurcher Link- 13 wks (sounds ideal to me) - 3 of 4 going into foster homes... (you've met mistlehound so know why I am sold on lurchers).

Thanks MT

I think it is too soon - I need to aim for the start of the summer break to do justice to a puppy. I am discussung type of hound with the YD.

How does Lurcher Link work if we do go that way?

Lurcher link is great because you can foster the dog first to see if you get on with the dog and the dog gets on with you (there is a dog there that is the duplicate of mistlehound from her pictures at the moment - but she's a 6' jumper and would chase cats so might not be ideal). My only hesitation would be when you go back to work - and what you're going to do for the dog at that point. We were very lucky that DH was working from home when we got mistlehound, although we still have a dog walker every day. If DH is working away we might have to see if our dog walker is willing to have her dropped off before work for the morning before her walk.

I am talking to another Mum at the YD's school who's working days exactly complement mine. I am also looking into dog walkers. There is absolutely no way I would leave either a puppy or a new rescue dog for the length of time I am out of the house when I am working.

I am also going to raise the subject at school. There may be a possibility of taking a dog to work if I can work out how safely and reliably to keep it seperate from the students. No good for a young puppy - but break and lunchtime could be used for an older dog.

I have another friend who would be willing to walk an older dog some of the time, but she works shifts so it's not a complete solution. Some weeks not even a partial one.

If I can work out how to afford it when MrD has gone (looks like mid-May - I am hoping that he will hold off until the end of SATs week. The flat is available from 14th May) then there are local dog carers who might look after the dog at their home during the day. But three days a week would be very expensive....

Frankly I think you'd be better off with a slightly older dog, not a puppy - something that's, say, 18 months old so that you get a reasonable idea of its temperament (really active, really affectionate, barky, lazy, solitary etc) - the other advantage of this is that you miss teething which can be a bit of a trial!

If there's someone that would be willing to dog-share, that would be really good - you might be able to get occasional weekend cover and holidays that way too.

You may well be right. That is why I am looking at lots of options and doing a lot of research. I do not want to get an unsuitable dog in haste and repent at leisure. Not fair on the YD, not fair on the dog. (I would add not fair on me, but it would be my own stupid fault!)

I remember a number of teething puppies.... I got well chewed. As did lots of furniture, books, toys and anything else left within reach. They didn't belong to us though.

When they belong to you its YOUR books, YOUR shoes, YOUR tablet, computer wires, Doors, skirtingboards, favourite handbags etc. And they only ever chew one of a pair of shoes.

I think MC and I will be going racing on the 2nd Sat in May - if you and the YD would like to join us (and see a wide range of pointy and other hounds) you would be very welcome. Its a shorter session again - starting about 12.30/1ish and ending 4ish.

That might be an excellent idea. I will consult the YD.

(The stable yard I trained on also had sheep, as Chris Bartle was officially a sheep farmer so that he would remain an amateur and be eligible for the Olympics!. The Spaniel (Emily) they had was young when I knew it - it chewed through an electric cable and survived electrocution. The ewes weren't so lucky when she got into the lambing pen and worried them. Several aborted at a very late stage, and one ewe died (I had to help the vet).

Grrrrrr, some "mean rude boy" (SB and his friend's words) took SB's glasses from his face and broke them. I managed to fix them, I think, but am going to go to the opticians in town in the morning to double check they're okay. Ggggrrrrrr. Kid must have cornered him to get them off because SB doesn't remove them out and about unless by a table (to put them down on so he can take off his sweatshirt) or in the rain (like today, he gave them to me to hold because he couldn't see through them in the rain). Grrrrrr.

And the way they were broken they were definitely off of his face.

Grrrrr.

:( Poor SB

I would be livid.

Where was this Scout?

Soft play. There were a couple "fighty" types there today (with some sit on their butts while the kids scream and cry types there today). SB didn't seem that upset about them but I suspect it's because he could still wear them (though not well). It was the arm bent at/near the joint but I'm afraid if they get bent like that again they'll just snap.

While I tend to half believe SB's stories given his age, his nearly seven year old friend was the one who told me when I asked SB what happened so I guess I'm more inclined to believe it. SB did tell me later so boy was mad at him because he didn't want to play/play following his rules and the boy got mad/cross so that could have been it.

Normally SB will come and tell me things (and I keep a beady eye on him, even if at a distance). I've stressed he must tell me right away if anyone is interfering with his glasses.

Ack.

DS went to a party at soft-play with several friends when he was 5 - one of his friends was being hit by another child - DS went up and the two of them faced the bully down... He wouldn't pick on the two of them together, and they didn't retaliate, just stood shoulder to shoulder... I was so proud of him on that occasion!

I do hate it when parents don't keep a close enough eye on what their children are doing at that sort of place. Even now I keep an eye on what's going on, particularly if there's an age range and some smaller children than need to be protected from over-rampaging...

I know one of the mums there who was sits on her butt with a fighty child -- I didn't like her when we worked together in YOUT and I still don't all these years later. While I've never seen SB hit first he will sometimes hit back if backed into a corner to try and free himself. I've spent a long time on teaching him words and phrases to tell someone to stop (though it doesn't always work on littler kids).

I always know where SB is and any crying kid gets me up to see if he's involved.

On Wednesday SB went and apologized to a mum for making her baby cry (he was on a trike and beeped the horn) when I asked if he was mean to the baby (I only saw a crying toddler in SB's area). He went to apologize then told me what happened "...and I said sorry to the mommy and she said it's okay!"

Anyway, sorry for the derailment. SB and I are watching Andy's Wild Adventures, having a cuddle, then we're off to make dinner.

Hello all, apologies for my absence, lovely to see you all here!

?Waves enthusiastically at CMOT and offers her carrots?