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!!

I have decided to go for the birds and flowers. I think it is more Milk. I was blinded by the Eiffel Tower which since going up it with her cousin she has rather a passion for!

Thanks for all your advice... So much more helpful than DH who said "Yes lovely" which a) Didn't answer the question and b) was said before looking at the any pictures.

CMOT - Remind me, my dear, exactly how old is CMOTtiddler...?

[trying to think of nice books for you emotion.]

Hello. Yes please to cheese and anything else on offer. Despite the colic, Gatita is puttin on weight like a sumo wrestler and I am starving most of the time. She is currently waering clothes that Kitenito didn't wear until he was 3-4 months old (he is a tiddler though).

Good news to report on that front is that last night was a colic free one. On the downside, Kittenito is suffering badly with flu: he has a temp and a nasty, nasty cough and so kept me up for most of the night. This was after a major melt down in the evening provoked by his objection to a) taking his medicine b) drinking his juice (his throat hurts) c) putting his pijamas on d) going to bed. He tried to hit/bite me, arms flaying, the lot.

Happily he tantrumed himself asleep. When he woke a couke of hours later, he was much calmer, just feeling rough.

I haven't really had time to read the thread, but I gather that MThas returned (welcome! and that Thumb is in the family way. I suggest she ignores all my psts from now on Congratulations!

I find I get all the best food from taxi drivers. Have been known to just get in one and ask them to take us to a good curry restaurant - and it works

DS is 3.5 Tea.

Have some twiglets and other assorted snacks designed for the starving nursing mother Catita

Must go to bed early - up at 4 tomorrow for a nice trip to the Netherlands. DH is out on a crimbo jolly with his lawyers tonight, and at an awards thing tomorrow. Alright for some I think..

Not suprised teacher had no idea how to help MistleChick. We aren't taught about stuff like that, only the stages of mathematical development. And lots about SATs tests.

Still working on Something About Mary for tomorrow.

Catita I put something in a post yesterday on what helped minimistle's colic... hope it goes away soon (and colic certainly didn't stop mistlechick putting weight on - although he was never what anyone would call 'fat' even when he was on the 97th%)

Safe journey CMoT.

Thanks for ideas on things to fiddle with. I did tell the teacher that I ended up knitting in a computer science lecture at uni - only way to stay awake on a Monday morning - I could knit under the counter without looking....

at Cmotbloke's Crimbo celebrations. Heard today that my team's exciting Crimbo event is likely not to go ahead because some party poopers colleagues don't want to come and others think we can't go without them. As I am rarely out of the house after 8pm, I was looking for it to a degree bordering on the sad and desperate, so will go on my own if I have to!

Catita - You're right, Thumb should skim over your posts, but I'm glad that things are looking a little more hopeful on the colic front. Hope you didn't get injured during Kittenito's meltdown.

I haven't seen Orangehaze for a while, but heard a snatch of this song on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and thought it was time to set the tea room glitterballs spinning again. Groovy baby!

CMOT... 3 and an 'arf!

In that case I will tell you about my favourite most recent author discovery...

www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books-fr&field-autho r=Gabrielle%20Vincent

I was wondering will you be sending CMOTtiddler to French lessons -it sounds like he has quite a passion for languages!

MT - We used to give fiddlers and wrigglers a beanbag each and a little rectangle of carpet that was for them to sit on and not move from when I was teaching KS1.

T42 - the second one, much more funky , kooky and less baby.

Crusty bread and smelly french chese much appricated. I have found suitable present for teh awkward to buy for relatives and have started wrapping parcels, now stopped as run out of wrapping paper. ho hum. I'm getting twitchy as its already december and I havn;t writen all teh christmas cards...

Old habits do die hard don't they.

So, to all my friends in teh tea room may I say

Sending you all best wishes for Christmas, with fond regards from UniS.

The picture is one boy and I made with stampers and hole punch, funky but simple.

Hello chatty peeps! I have had a day in bed and am on day 2 now - still more deathwarmedup but lukewarm now, so may get to lukeskywalker status soon!

Tea- second one for sure, not least because you are feeling twee about first before it's even bought! But 2 has much more longevity

Mistle - long beads and something squidgy would be my suggestion, counting with fingers may take his concentration away from remembering his words as king, no?

Catita - hang on in there - I would strongly vote in favour of cranial osteopathy if you can find a good one

Thumb - happy birthday to MiniThumb!

CMOT- I wish I got christmas parties like your CMOTBloke - oh to be a client! [sigh]

MAdBad- perhaps we can have a christmas knees up, last night was a mums night out and I couldn't go [wail] I had been so excited, a new pub and everything ...

Racing - hope Something About Mary has gone well

UniS - I am in awe of your preparation, I am full of intention but lack of action so just spend December feeling a bit worthless. Glad I passed you, but quietly, on the A30

Mary and Amber - hope you are feeling a teeny bit better?

And I love the French book suggestions. We get Papoum - a magazine - comes every month, is great, DaisyBoy loves it and the pictures are sufficient cluess to aid the French!!!

Daisy - Glad to hear that you are gradually becoming less deathly!

A Christmas knees-up sounds like an excellent idea - shall we set a date (as we did for last year's extraordinarily successful craft fair)? I propose Wednesday 16th. We could have a virtual craft market during the day and a virtual rave in the evening (although I do notice that I was the only one strutting my stuff to Crosstown Traffic last night ).

How did you manage to subscribe to Papoum, Daisy? MBBaby wanted to subscribe to a French magazine but they would not deliver to the UK. Are you, in fact, another bilingual household or are you just a pushy optimistic mother like moi?

Must attach my nose to the grindstone but here is yet more soup and crusty bread.

Mistle - Now that you have returned to the well-upholstered bosom of the tea room, will MistleChick be supplying us once again with his renowned lewd rolls?

Hugs, waves and supportive nods to all....

I have no doubt that mistlechick will be doing some more baking soon. Although we are currently advocating afternoon naps at the weekend and very early nights all week as he does get VERY tired. However, to start getting the tearoom into a festive feel, how about these salt-dough decorations that he has made - quite an eclectic mix including hearts, pumpkins, apples, santa, a reindeer, angel, Piglet, Tigger and some flowers....

Bean bag and carpet square does sound a good idea too T42 - although that wouldn't stop limbs going everywhere (Ds's teacher: he doesn't look as though he has particularly large feet until he treads on someone...')(size 11.5 / 30 btw, and he's only 5 in April)

French is going quite well - he told me what a skirt (not attached to a top) was called, together with a shirt, a jumper, trousers and a hat, but then we got onto the hat that he has to wear for the play - apparently its too tight, althogh one of the others was even tighter (did I tell you that he has an adult 'medium' crash helmet for his bike that we got him aged 2.5?)

(Oh, and Unis, he can also now cycle on his 'big' bike with pedals, although he will sometimes still bring his balance bike out so that he can go a lot faster!)(Isn't teaching them to cycle painless after they've learnt on a balance bike!)

Yes, very marginally better thanks.

DS is going to the 6th form dinner tonight. We've been asked to sign an indemnity form allowing them to drink alcohol and it being a good Quaker school and all! It was never like that in my day...

Ooo, I hope there's lewd rolls again! - I've missed those a lot.

Large hot toddies for those in need of something to boost their health.

Yes, I saw your post Mistle, ta. I am going to google it to find out what the drug's generic name is, so as to see if it sold here. My SIL (GP) recommended some after mine told me that "cuddles" were the only answer. (He's the one who made the nursery comment, if you remember). He's a good doctor, but somewhat lacking in empathy or sympathy. I think his wife did all the childcare in their house.

At the mo, the old wives' remedies suggested by my neighbours have the best effect (warm chamomile tea, tummy rubbing with baby oil) coupled with having her permanentaly in the baby sling, much to Kittenito's disgust. He wants a ride in it too!

The poor lad isn't much better today, the lacking of proper eating/drinking has left him lethargic. He's surrently having a nap. It will probably last 3 hours, as all his others this week have.

catita - have you tried fennel tea? For you AND Gatita - it can help with your milk supply and is also a stomach settler. Obviously Gatita would have it coolish, not hot! According to a friend of mine who was in Germany with her DS1, they quite happily give cool fennel tea to babies almost from the off.
Fennel might work better than the chamomile as it has more "stomach" effects, whereas chamomile is an all-round soother.
(will go back to ignoring your posts now )

I had an Asterix book in French - the only bit I honestly remember, and probably incorrectly, is "Ils sont fous, les Romains!" I love Asterix - the names passed me by until I got a bit older but the stories were still fun!

MadBad - am on your behalf, both over the wimps who don't want to have a Crimbo bash, and the snooty French types who won't deliver to the UK!

UniS - am impressed with your organisation skills. I barely managed to get a birthday present together for miniThumb, although his cake was rather lush...

Talking of which, Devil's Food Birthday cake, anyone?

The zoo was great fun - there is a baby elephant there, only a few months old and miniThumb had a great time. I, being of unsound bod, am knackered. But it was still worth it!

ohhhh birthday cake, yum.

The Christmas thing is just coz I spent so many years working my socks off doing 14 hr days in December 7 days a week. If I hadn;t sorted stuff out early it didn't get sorted. DH being a bloke and lazy leaves it to me to do anything that involves shopping at any shop which doesn't sell bikes or outdoor gadgets.

The virtual craft fair? I think I must have mossed that one last year, but as I'm not working this year, yes lets. I can take a table and virtually sell you beautifully virtually hand made artefacts to light up your Christmas with LEDs and batteries.

Will order book and magazine - thanks for that. He has a french lesson at nursery (the lady who does it has an interesting approach with an action and phrase for each word, which seems to consolidate it, so DS is learning about 15 words a week and keeping them), and will do french at school. I forget when they start their second/third foreign languages, but is def before secondary school.

Daisy, when he goes out with them I always wonder whether he'll end up with someone you know, but doubt you would be doing anything as boring as his stuff.

I won't be going to a christmas party this year as it is 150 miles away, and its only a meal you have to pay for yourself. I note that our deutsch office are having a full featured party tonight tho. DH and I are planning our own office party tho

Totally knackered- got up at 4, plane at 6am, train, taxi, presentation, taxi, train, plane, car, home at 7 just in time to cuddle with DS and take over from babysitter.

I like the virtual craft fair. Shall be selling danish heart decorations (my mum used to make them of cane and red paper hearts), and tasteful textile decorations. Plus my famous Jack Daniels cake

Must now wrap present for tomorrow..

Has anyone got a god idea for Christmas cards to be made by someone who really only does random sticking? She made one amazing card using up all our cardboard stars, which was really 3D and designer and now everything looks scribbled and stuck by a toddler whose mummy is all created out at school.

Oh, and we will be providing wrapping paper and cards produced by the menagerie. Trays of paint in bright primary colours will be provided and the chickens, quails, guinea pigs, pigeons and dog will be driven through and then wander at random over the cards and paper. The result will be artistically pleasing and, this being a virtual experience, there will be no pooing,, weeing eating each other.

And the cats, of course.

pooing, weeing or eating each other.

Cut cards into the shape of baubles. Then provide glue, glitter, sequins etc, and they will look like fab decs. Hide until someone else cleans up, or make child do this in the bath.

I forgot my tearoom AIBU of the day. Was IBU to ignore the dead shrew/mouse/random rodent on the hall floor this morning, and leave it for DH ? I couldn't face disposing of it at 'urrrgh o clock'

Def going to bed now

Absolutely the most sensible thing to do IMO. Thanks for bauble idea. Bonne nuit.

Shiney Christmas theme stickers, metallic gold/ silver card stock. Only let child have a small number of stickers at a time and whip each card away when they are still visually OK.
Or chop up old Christmas cards to do same with. I held onto the front of most of last years sent to us cards to do this with, made 17 place mats that way ( stuck to sugar paper then laminated), boys pressie to every one in family.

Like the idea of organicly painted wrapping paper. very chic.

Will be making ballon hats at preschool bazaar tomorrow. Wish me luck.
I have a days work on Sunday- hurrah.

Sounds like the craft fair is going to be even more fabulous than last year's. I shall be bringing hand-made hair accessories in a range of colours and degrees of sparkliness.

Our Christmas outing seems to have had a reprieve - wey-hey!

Quite agree that rodent disposal can be left to the male of the species, especially if one is squeamish short of time.

Bolly, anyone?

MiL staying, so didn't get to drop in last night.

You'd have thought that she would know by now that that minimistle doesn't have a bowl full of Cheerios for breakfast - he normally has a bowl full of oats with a few Os on top. And of course she went out to a meeting, leaving us with a sugared up mistlechick to deal with!!! But at least he is having a good long nap this afternoon. Lots of people are a bit that he is still having naps - but he seems to get ultratired by the end of the week and needs to catch up at the weekend (and we'll wake him up in a bit, then give him an early supper and back to bed with no probs!!!)

Good think too. I think I've caught Amber's cold...