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Tea room the 5th - welcome to the yurt

1000 replies

UniS · 24/02/2009 10:49

Welcome to 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.

You have found us- did you like teh slide/ bridge over teh HaHa. Teh priest hole is still available, its just over there.

Mellors and I have erected the yurt, strewn rugs around and good a good fire going in the wood burner. The place is feeling toasty and warm with not a draft to be felt.The kettle is now singing away on the hob. selection of teas for all taste on the shelf along with the hand made by potters mugs. Mellors very ably fitted teh yurt window with a window sill onto which can be placed a selection of pot plants and george.

Can someone sort out RP ( who I think came over with the sofa) and plump up the hay pile for donk.

A Previous incarnation of Tea room may be found here

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
CMOTdibbler · 16/03/2009 20:43

Donk and I exchanged emails, thanks MadBad

Mum demonstrated ably what happens if you don't boil an egg enough, realise this, and then put it in the microwave. DS was not impressed with being presented with an exploded egg

My problem with the garden is not really ideas, nor plants, but more actually looking after the things. Apparently gardening will hit me at some point - I am the gardening black sheep of the family.

Our garden is on rather a slope too - we were going to GALMI, but the dire state of share prices meant that vesting share options to pay for the heavy landscaping needed to make sensible levels, and make more usable garden, wasn't going to happen. Apparently I am to grow the potatoes in a bag

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 16/03/2009 21:23

Splitting my sides at the exploded egg, Cmot, although I hope she doesn't do it with anything tinned next time.

Gardening hit me when we bought this house and we had no budget at all for GALMI, at least not for anything as frivolous as the garden. And then I got addicted (and it was a very convenient distraction when it took so long to produce MadBadBaby - an engrossing and time-consuming hobby was just what I needed). But I digress. Potatoes in a bag should work well. As would a very large pot.

I've never really researched aspartame but heard on the grapevine that it is a Bad Thing so now avoid it. At least you know where you stand with sugar (obese and with dental caries, mostly).

More wine, anyone?

mistlethrush · 16/03/2009 21:32

OOOooo I wish I lived on a slope! My garden is flat (ish) except the water runs off my neighbours gardens onto mine (like a stream in front of the garage) where it then stops and makes the top 6 inches into a mire. I've laid drainage pipes in a bit of the lawn, draining into a lower section (made into a bog garden) - the bit that was dug out of the bog garden I put into a raised bed for veg. Although last year the slugs and snails got practically everything.

When I moved the soil, I could pick it up in blocks. Its now not bad at all (in the veg garden) - I'm trying to get it so that its 'no dig'.

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 16/03/2009 22:10

Oooh, Mistle. I don't envy you the water run-off but I do envy you a garden that's big enough to have distinct areas. It sounds as if both you and Cmot have acres of garden and I'm imagining you both on ride-on mowers (although that might not be very practical on Cmot's slope, I guess). My city garden is tiny (boo hoo).

CMOTdibbler · 16/03/2009 22:15

Oh no, not big enough for a ride on mower at all. A nice size, but not huge by any means.

Parents, on the other hand have a big garden, plus a field. They have an assortment of mowers, plus rotavators to deal with it

Your drainage sounds a nightmare MT

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 16/03/2009 22:18

Pah! Another illusion shattered. I want to imagine Cmot in her bikers' leathers, zooming around on a souped-up ride-on mower.

daisy99divine · 16/03/2009 23:14

Evening all!

Sorry that Grobag's are not answer to all problems. Perhaps CMOT you could put the potatoes in them

I have never yet got DaisyBoy to sleep through. He goes to bed about 8 and wakes about 1ish when he comes into our bed. Marginally more restful than sitting by cot/ bed trying to get him to sleep. But it is improvement, I used to be a feeding slave and fed him about 3-4 times in night (between 10pm and 9am) long after I had gone back to work I don't think I come close to the "firm" school of parenting!!

Mistle, sorry about DH both lack of job and lack of patience iwth MJ

I wish I was more patient. I realise to my dismay I am not very good at playing I always seem to get or be a bit distracted or do other things first. I feel bad particularly as an only relies on you so much more

I read Wikipaedia about asparetame and decided mostly to be avoided but some essentials like Ribena probably ok...perhaps I was wrong

Amber - the landys were floating in about 7 foot of water. It was amazing. They got through the water, opened the door and it just gushed out.....

Very envious of garden. We have window boxes. That's about it!

slumping on sofa feels better. Good to see Paul and Wesley again... looking forward to George's ER return!!

Jacksmama · 16/03/2009 23:26

Hi all !
May I have some vino please?
Thanks!!

daisy99divine · 16/03/2009 23:41

Hi JM

having some lovely Merlot here!

Seen any twiglets? I think that RacingPig has swiped them all

Catitainahatita · 17/03/2009 03:26

Evening ladies,

I think I saw the NMBs swoop down just now (disguised as owls, would you believe ... CMOT's DS has been giving them ideas) and swipe the bowl of twiglets. They seem to be constructing a mini yurt in the rafters. It's all very cute in a baby-copying-an-adult kind of way, but I for one would prefer to eat the twiglets.

Unis Have just seen your pics! Wow, ¡fabuloso! Congrats on winning a prize (I hope it was tequila!)

Mistle Thanks for the lowdown on aspartame and Splenda. The brand you mentioned isn't familiar to me, so I reckon we don't have it here.

Catitainahatita · 17/03/2009 03:59

Oh and, Racing, LOL at your netball story. I think I left the UK too long ago to be too much of an organic lover (although trying some yoghurt, the brand of which I can't remember, nearly converted me once at my mum's)

I have mixed feelings about controlling my DS's diet. I have to follow a diet every blooody day for ever and it depresses the crap out of me. I am reluctant to inflict such boredom and "odd one outedness" on my DS. Then again, we live in Mexico, where they drink the most amount of fizzy pop anyhere except the US. Everything is so sweet: they add honey to fuit like melon and papaya (already sweet). So much sugar seems excessive (and is, obseity is a big problem here).

My Dh just laughs and tells me that once DS is in school I will have no control over his eating habits (tuck shops on all premises selling sweets/cakes /fizzy pop). But I stress about it anyway.

amber32002 · 17/03/2009 07:30

Daisy, there was water in the cars?

Oh my! Mine's forded 2 and half feet of the stuff, but no deeper than that so far. I don't 'do' large quantities of water. Nasty stuff. Very wet, I find. And often cold, too. A shower is quite wet enough. Apparently some people swim in it, I'm told. Poor things...

It was quite a problem getting ds to be confident with swimming. I made a point of never taking him in case he noted my own hysteria, so he learned through lessons and friends etc. It worked well.

Nice cup of tea/coffee/beverage of your choice, anyone?

Racingsnake · 17/03/2009 08:31

Interesting about swimming, Amber. I had been wondering how to get Wriggle to swim, since I never managed to learn, as I do not float. I suspect other people don't, either, and it's simply a mass illusion which would cease the minute anyone shattered it.

I have bought a swimming costume, the first since school, and sometimes go and stand in a swimming pool with her, which she quite enjoys, but she does spend a lot of her time trying to climb out of the water, rather in the manner of a spider in the bath, up onto my head if necessary.

I missed Daisy's flood story, but have my own happy childhood flood remeniscences (sp) of sitting in my bedroom window on long rainy days, watching cars whizz down the lane to Brickyard Bottom just past our house and, a few minutes later, whine dejectedly back up in reverse, or, even better, be towed out by tractor. Once, the story went, a man left his wife sitting marrooned in the car while he went to the farmer next door to locate a tractor. The farmer was a hospitable sort, and when they finally reeled out to the tractor to retrieve wife, they found her sitting on the roof of the car, surrounded by swirling water...maybe not best pleased.

Catita, I don't know about you, but Splenda will stay in my diet, otherwise I will have an obesity problem. I sometimes put it on fruit, too. Fruit is so sour in England. When we go to France and buy fruit in the market, or even the supermarket, it is always unrecognisably wonderful.

Redbush tea would be lovely, Amber. How is Mr A doing?

amber32002 · 17/03/2009 10:59

Mr Amber is doing very well thank you though awaiting even more tests at present which is as we can do without the extra stress and worry. Oh well.

Swimming...you stand in the water?
I'd rather be at the dentist for some unpleasant major work. Cold, echoey, sensory overload from the splashes, uncomfortable swimming costume, smell of chlorine, people jostling for space in the pool, slipperiness, there's no limit to how many things there are even from that. And you can drown, too. People do this for fun, I hear. Well, not the drowning, but you know what I mean. Quite irrational in my view.

mistlethrush · 17/03/2009 11:22

Sorry, I like swimming as does MJ. Give him a noodle (long thin cylindrical float) and he happily does lengths - and he can sit on the side, dive in and swim to me about 3 or 4 m away... Wearing a headband and earplugs to stop the water going in his ears....

He quite likes holding onto my shoulders and getting me to swim under water - taking him under too - or swim under water whilst he sits on top gliding along the surface!

Dh has an interview with an agent that sorts out contracting as well as permanent jobs this morning. So fingers crossed.

I've still got some ginger flapjacks (sorry, no non-sugar products used unless you count golden syrup!)(Catita - it wasn't me with the sugar/aspartame info!) as MJ isn't that keen. Would anyone like one with a coffee?

Garden - quite a good size for a house on the edge of a city. And yes, a hole in the ground would just fill up, but not sure that anyone would want to drink it. Sadly I've not got a ride on - dh might do the lawn if I had - I've just upgraded to a petrol mower, but often have problems with the pull start... Its really difficult doing the lawn if its a bit wet underfoot too! The lawnmower sinks!

daisy99divine · 17/03/2009 11:31

Love some coffee and flapjacks! Have that post merlot hunger

Hang on
bacon sarnie anyone

Mistle I think you should bottle and go. Remember that bloke that rented a flat in New York, filled bottles from the bath and made a fortune???

Racing, sadly not my car. Great cars in Africa on Tele, being brave. Not like me

I do like swimming though. DaisyBoy has suddenly started to like it too. We have gone from the Spider-on-head a la Wriggle to the Swimming-in-a-noodle like MJ. With about 1 day in between

DaisyBoy is like that. He watches, analyses and then decides it's for him. Now he likes to jump off the side. He counts himself down. Given his wayward counting I never have a clue when he is going to launch. Makes for a fun day out

daisy99divine · 17/03/2009 11:32

Oh, Mistle, good luck for Mr Mistle

and Amber good luck for Mr Amber

Hugs to all others who like them/ pats on arms/ supportive glances/ gin bottles, you know the rap!

Donk · 17/03/2009 12:39

A bacon sarnie sounds wonderful Daisy!

I would have brought another carrot cake, but thought it sounded risky with low flying NNMBs about...

mistlethrush · 17/03/2009 12:45

Hi daisy and donk - would you like some soup too or are you making do with just bacon sandwiches today?

Daisy - ds is very good at jumping in now. Trouble is that he can jump quite a long way, and he doesn't always remember to make sure that I know he's going to jump in... MJ now bobs up for a breath after jumping in all on his own, and is starting to manage to get his head up enough to breathe when trying to swim without any floats - trouble is that this at the moment means that he goes vertical in the water and loses all momentum!

thumbwitch · 17/03/2009 13:01

catita - stevia is a plant, not a brand! links here and here - it is grown and cultivated in Mexico so you should be able to get hold of it.

MT good luck to Mr MT for the job interview!

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 17/03/2009 14:46

Mmmmm. These ginger flapjacks are delicious, especially with a carrot garnish. Thanks, MT and Donk.

MadBadBaby has suddenly become a far more confident swimmer - she used to like playing in the water but would grip me like a limpet unless buoyed with noodle and arm bands. I think the credit belongs to the school, though (she's just had a term of swimming lessons), rather then to me. I enjoy swimming but am more of the barely-staying-afloat variety. And, frankly, I agree with Amber's assessment of most swimming pools!

Would anyone like a cuppa?

Donk · 17/03/2009 14:50
mistlethrush · 17/03/2009 14:54
Catitainahatita · 17/03/2009 15:02

Morning all,

First of all abject apologies to Thumbwitch who I transformed into Mistlethrush . On top of thinking stevia was a branded sweetener. I will try harder from now on, promise. I shall also have to find out what stevia is called in Spanish (Probably stevia, but since I've never heard of it, I shall check).

It does however, sound too good to be true... having read the webpages you linked to Thumb. But most certainly merits further investigation...

I have to admit to loving swimming. When I lived in Mexico City I swam on a team and competed avidly. It's great fun. I am not keen, however, on cold water or cold changing rooms that smell faintly of pee. DS is also ver keen on being in the water, but it has to be lovely and warm for him.

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 17/03/2009 15:04
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