Tea Room the Eleventh

[amberlight]

Goodness, we seem to have run out of space on the other one!
I shall assume that we are still in the same premises as for Tea Room Ten for the moment until wiser people tell me otherwise!!

Mistle - my first thought was worry beads. Or what about one of those plastic bracelets which a lot of charities sell? As long as it's not confiscated by the school as part of a no jewellery policy, it would give him something to fiddle with and would not be too conspicuous if he wears a long-sleeved sweater. But if he's a wise man, won't he have a present to carry?

Oh dear about Mary's poux (I said we had our only infestation in France, didn't I?) MN threads about nits often mention tea tree oil, as both cure and prevention.

A steaming jug of honey and lemon is now on the aga, next to the hot chocolate. Inside my advent calendar of requirement, I just found a Thornton's Viennese bar. Yum yum.

I have a confession. Its not really mine - its Mr Mistle's. Ds was bought an advent calendar, despite having last year's that I had intended to recycle. Its a lego one. (Ds has got into lego in a big way (already)) So far he has had a person throwing snowballs, and a snowman.

Years ago, a bf used to use up his fidgety energy by rubbing his fingers around the edge of a hankerchief, and I have to say it's quite soothing. A silk square would do when being a wise man.

Todays oddity - I was reading 'The First Christmas' to DS, and felt decidedly weepy about Mary trailing round looking for somewhere to give birth.

Handkerchief might be a good idea. I think I might have a word with his teacher and see what we can come up with.

Theres a place near us which researches headlice and they said that tea tree doesn't work . Have smothered daughter in Hedrin. never heard of Rosemary infusion, doesn't she mind?

Headlice seem a pretty much permanent to our home. No soon as we get rid of them than the children bring them home again. DD has long hair and its a real bugger pain!

teatree used to be fairly effective but its overuse in many preparations mean that lots of the little buggers are now resistant to it.

However, it may still work in conjunction with rosemary oil, have a look at this website - despite being American it is still relevant and seems very useful in terms of methods for dealing with nits/lice.

Actually rosemary oil might work better than the infusion but once you have got rid of them, if you always use rosemary on her hair, it might prevent them re-infesting her head. They don't like the smell, apparently.

Tea tree oil doesn't work? I won't waste my money buying any, then. When we are sent the school warning letter, I do extensive combing with lots of conditioner - MBBaby so hated the smell of the French version of Hedrin that I've given up on it. As a preventive measure, have you tried plaiting your dd's hair across the top of her head, Heidi-style, Mary?

I'm drinking Bolly. Would anyone care to share?

I do plait her hair sometimes, but she has a sensitive scalp, which is another reason why its a nightmare to comb her hair. That at least has got easier, with the use of a tangle teaser hairbrush...

I think the tea tree oil results in really healthy nits, free from infection and very shiny.
DS always had very short hair as a primary school child, so it was easy to use the conditioner-and-comb method with him.

Bit too early for Bolly, but will happily join with the Honey and Lemon Infusion Drinkers. Got to get to a meeting today despite feeling like death warmed over. Might need to play my most alarming music in the car to keep me awake.

Can I ask your opinion on this please ladies...

I had chosen this for dd (3) for Christmas...

www.vertbaudet.fr/Fr/housse-de-couette-fille-poupee-pur-coton.htm?ProductId=3_0_0_70406_3376_76_VB

but the more I look at it the more twee I find it and wonder if very quickly it will become a little babyish for her. So yesterday I saw this one in the window of a shop as a rushed by and I think I love it for DD...

www.vertbaudet.fr/Fr/housse-de-couette-mini-labo.htm?ProductId=3_0_0_70406_3359_76_VB&t=7

What do you think?

Not that I'm any judge, but I prefer the first one, particularly if your little girl is a "girly girl".

I like the second one - but am not very pink and frilly myself.

Could you recommend some french books that DS would like, and I can manage to read ? I'm fed up of having to read Max et Matilde, but he really enjoys finding the objects he knows the names of in the pictures.

I suppose the french equivalent of ORT would be good if such a thing exists, as the story is in the pictures as well as the text

CMOT - I will have a think... and ask around!

Hmmm... you see Milk is more kooky rather than girly...

The reason I went for the first originally was she is mad about The Eiffel Tower!!!

I like some of the others on that site...

tea, if it's any help I prefer the second one but mainly because I am slightly allergic to sugar-pink. I know nobody worries about it these days but as a young ginger-head, I wasn't good with pink. Still am not (Autumn colours)

amber, hope you feel less lukewarmdeathlike soon - have some Guns'n'Roses to keep you awake later!

Am feeling slightly smuggish - have managed to make a batch of banana oat cookies today (and discovered that my recipe on MN is WRONG! - dunno how) AND a birthday cake for miniThumb for tomorrow. It's a Devil's Food Cake from the G&B recipe book - never tried it before but it looks ok; had to do it in 3 layers rather then the recommended two because I only have shallow sandwich tins but it seems to have worked - will let you know when it has been tasted tomorrow! We are going to the Zoo - better day out for miniThumb.

Yes Amber, less lukewarmdeathlike and more lukeskywalker (lightsabre at the ready!)

Lunch anyone? I have some tasty cheeses left over from yesterday's lunch at church!

My vote would be for the second duvet cover as I love funky flower prints - we have some wall stickers in a very similar style, bought in Leroy Merlin a couple of years ago. I love just about everything Vertbaudet too, especially because they don't asssume (as UK companies seem to) that little girls should be dressed in sugar pink at all times and anything else is an aberration.

Amber - My favourite rousing choon is Run DMC/Aerosmith's Walk This Way - very good for air guitaring, although possibly not in the car !

Excellent bakery, Thumb!

It's still grey and dank here, so would anyone like some hearty broth and fresh crusty bread, straight from the aga?

Soup and crusty bread to warm up a dark, dank, damp day would be good! Still have my light on in the office, despite being under the window...

I like the 2nd quilt - its more grown up - but still girly - and I chose to have my bedroom in precisely the same colours when I was 3 (I was asked what colour, and I responded, Pink, purple orange and green)(I was a child of the 60's after all - and my parents found a (rather grown up!) flower pattern wall paper for one wall, the other walls were pale pink, and I had the most lovely curtains that looked like a meadow with flowers in - purple, pink and orange on a green grass background.)

Have talked sitting still techniques with ds's teacher and will see what she suggests in terms of 'something' to have in his pocket to fiddle with at appropriate times. However, when I said we'd talked of counting (silently) by having his fingers pressed gently on his legs, she looked a) surprised and b) enthused and said she hadn't thought of that () but would remind him about it!!!

MT, I had another idea - but not for every day use, only if he is being a Wise Man/King - he could have a lovely long beady thing round his neck that he could fiddle with. It wouldn't look out of place as part of a costume.

Much prefer the second one, Tea.

French books to read to three/four year olds - who is going to start? Tea just sent me a very exciting list.

I think the 'fiddling object' is a good idea if discussed with the teacher. If not, there is a chance it will be confiscated. The only argument agains that I can see is that she might say that all the children will want one/ it will get taken or broken. If I were the teacher, I would go for it. (But then this is the new reformed RacingTeacher, not the pre-child one, who was far less tolerant.)

Earlier in the term he did have 'his teddy' and he was the only child to have this - just to give him something to hold/fiddle with when he was meant to be sitting still. Don't think teddy is still around.

Bead idea good for the Kings - will also raise this with his teacher. Next on the list is a plain (not white) t shirt to wear under his costume. I think he might end up wearing the charcoal one that we got as part of his ladybird costume...

Note that the book has to be read by an adult whose french is normally constrained to talking to taxi drivers and ordering food/wine I looked at Barbapapa books when in Brussels the other week, but couldn't read them myself

DH is going to try to find his Asterix books...

I've never tried ordering food and wine from a taxi driver in French. Does it work?

I must stop coughing! And why is it so cold? Or is that just me? Going to find the tea room hot water bottle...