The One and Only TEA Room: Everyone Welcome (bring champagne and muffins please!)

[Jacksmama]

Wow, we're on our third thread!!!
Previous (second) incarnation of the tea room.

A warm welcome to everyone, whether you have one child, none, or ten. This is a tea-and-muffin or booze-and-sofasorcanapees sanctuary for all. But certain standards of behaviour continue to apply - anyone engaging in fisticuffs will be ejected by George Clooney, ably assisted by Mellors the Gardener.

Cheers all!

I've got the teapot. Here, pass your mug and I'll fill it up for you. I think there's a milk jug (potter made variety) and some sugar over there - I don't have any over here as I drink my tea black...

Yes, was and and that I managed to get 2 tickets (in fact, I didn't find out about the 2nd one for a while as somehow the first letter didn't arrive). Also a bit as there is absolutely no reason for that road to be 30mph - in fact I remember looking out for the 40mph advisor signs - its just I didn't read that the 40 was actually 30 and they'd got signs up as it really doesn't look like a 30mph (2 lanes in both directions, separated, the full height (motorway height) lamps, no residential properties, in fact hardly any turnings or junctions for that matter)

ooh, is this now the map-appreciation society as well? Hurrah, I'll join. I am very good at maps but also very good at faces, although names are starting to be a bit more slippery these days (age, y'know)

I love GoogleEarth and Aboutmyplace (which do a fantastic 'birds eye view' as well, rather than just straight down) too in addition to maps. If find it fascinating - the changes in the countryside, the changes in the different forms of development etc.

Don't get me started on maps. Trust me, it's a Bad Thing . We don't want to be here for a fortnight with me describing the finer points of the Ordnance Survey series from First Edition onwards, or Mellors will be evicting me head first into the snow-filled haha

Seem to have some winter vegetable soup and fresh rolls available if there's interest?

Oh drat, I've missed another lively morning in the tea room!

I am very good at faces - in that I spotted that someone who lives a couple of streets away was my contemporary at university - but less good at attaching the correct name. Am quite good at maps, thanks to the Girl Guides!

Would anyone like some soup? We have lentil again or roasted pepper. Should we offer some to the ecumenical prayer group, do you think?

ooh, if there's such a lovely choice of soups, I'll go a winter vegetable (so long as there are no parsnips - can't be doing with parsnips, never have, never will. Blech.)

Thumbwitch - Yes, there's somr winter veg left over from yesterday. Rest assured that no soup I make will ever contain parsnips. They are the work of the devil.

Oops. Sorry, Your Grace. Didn't notice you standing there.

oh I'm so with you there bocca - plus they are of a naughty yet humorous shape, quite frequently so yes, I believe Old Harry had a hand in the design!

"If it's a Bishop with blonde hair, tell him the database is nearly ready, and I'm, er, out researching things for it...!"

I rather like parsnips actually. Aubergines are thought to be the devils testicles in this house though

I like maps too. But I lurve my satnav - which fortunatly doesn't try to take me to Maidenhead. DH has a set of solid geology maps, and tries to make me describe things by them. He is a geological nerd though

For anyone interested (not that I think you are ) my car hunt is over, and has come down to the Mazda 6 estate 2.2D SL. The only A4 I liked the drive of was the SLine, and it was too much. Sigh. I loved it though. Mazda has lots of nice geeky toys and is a great drive. DH out driving the final deal now

Glad you've got the car sorted. You should found a small child to send with dh - they'd have agreed to a better deal just to get him out of the showroom.

I like parsnips. I like aubergines too. Mind you, I can't actually think of any vegetable that I don't like. Good thing really since I don't eat meat!

Amber - he's not got blond hair, so I think you're OK. Here is a pair of dark glasses for you anyway - so no one will recognise you except regular customers, and you might not get quite so at Mellors (and / or Justa...)

We did take him to the garages - apparently DS likes convertibles, and the pricier the better. You should see them all move when your sticky toddler heads for the 80k car... He very much enjoyed test 'driving' a whole range, but was only put off a 2 seater by the fact that our friends DD wouldn't be able to go in it too

Its amazing how fast they can move - having ignored you until your other half enters with unrestrained toddler!

I don't like parsnips (taste). Or aubergines, much (texture) or mushrooms (texture, very much texture). I'm not too good at eating veg, neither is DD and neither is DH - between us we eat a lot of frozen peas.

My boss told me today that there is an array of miniature snowpersons in the smoking shelter at work, all lined up on a ledge. However I was shocked to hear that someone had also made a snowpenis, complete with snowtesticles. It was humanely destroyed, but the snowpersons remain.

Right, I need to try again to call a church hall to book it for DD's birthday. I HATE making phonecalls, the requirement to do so is ruining my afternoon.

[Looks round the door a tad worriedly]

If Georgie is only a cardboard cut, who gave me a lovely massage glass of water and an aspirin before I went off to bed last night? Please tell me it wasn't the Bishop!

Names, dates, faces, they are all a blur to me too. and I'm a professional historian. My classes tend to go "then thingjumyjig and wotsit went to Idunnowhere sometime in the 19th century" No wonder my students get that glazed look.

Google maps, however are great fun. I particulary like starting in space and whizzing down on a spot, its like the funfare but without the candyfloss and accompanying sick....

Gah, no parties for under-21s. I give up, we're going bowling unless DH can sort something out. We could have had the village hall that's two minutes away if he hadn't ruled out the week after her birthday by going away with work, so it's his fault anyway.

DCMB - tell me the date, phone number etc and I'll make the call. It will be booked in your mn name of course...

Can you do the week before - that's what we'll probaby do (if dh has a job by then proviso ) as ds's bday is on the first weekend of the easter hols so lots of people might be going away....

I'm trying for the weekend before her birthday - it's the 18th, so the weekend is the 14th/15th. Another child in her class is having a party on the 14th, so that's really ruled out (I want to do whole class as the only additional cost for more kids will be the extra food, so might as well). I can't get the 15th at my first or second choice halls, the third choice won't do children's parties, DH is supposed to be trying a local pub which may not do children either, and is too expensive ... the weekend of the 7th/8th I guess is possible, but I'd have to see if the entertainers were free for then. Plus the two weekends are the beginning and end of a VERY busy week locally, although not sure if that will affect things like hall bookings.

I now understand why DD has been to some parties at church and community halls that bear no resemblance to where the children actually live!

DD wants to go to the cinema.

Okay, how many 4/5yos do we think it's wise to take to the cinema?

Ha, just realised - I'm asking this of a bunch of (mostly) mothers of one. I think I know the answer.

I can cope with 3 at a time - so if dh was also helping, perhap up to 6? That of course relies on you both having a car and managing to borrow safe car seats for all guests - unless you ask people to meet you at the cinema.

I would try the 7/8th - same situation with ds this year - birthday on Monday - previous weekend 1st week of easter hols so lots of people (including best friends) away. So we're probably going for the week before his birthday weekend....

Its worth ringing the entertainers isn't it, just to find out?

Def no more than 3 to each adult. I think that a party of 6 is quite nice though - that way you can have pizza or whatever together too.

My mum didn't do big parties as she had enough child wrangling at work - so I did swimming/cinema/ice skating etc for my birthdays which I actually preferred.

I haven't had a party for DS yet, and he's only been invited to one, so have all this to look forward to

Am PMSL at Catitas history teaching

Yeah, six seems reasonable - DH will definitely be helping! Our car will take seven at a push (never actually tried it, it would entail putting a booster cushion between two highback boosters in the middle row of seats, cos there's no way three highbacks would fit in that row). Parents would normally expect to take their children along to a party though, so I figure we can offer to take up to a certain number and then others would have to meet us there.

I will consult with DH, he needs to contribute something to the decision-making. And phonecalls. I might try the village hall for the 7th/8th, and then the entertainers.

Shared party was so much easier for the last two years!

I remember that swimming parties were my absolute favourite. I'm not sure, however, if they do them for such young children ... ditto the skating (also a great and wonderful treat).
What about the zoo? There is more room to run around riot than in a cinema. (And as far as I can see, running and screaming is what 4/5 year olds like the best)

Cmotdibbler: I'd be happy to enlighten you on any aspect of history you so desire. My expertise knows no bounds...

Swimming - looks like there isn't an age limit but the ratios apply, so in the small pool that would be three children to one adult.

This is no good, I'm going to have to reboot this laptop.