Tea Room the Fourteenth

[amberlight]

Welcome to the 14th instalment of the Tea Room. It's now officially spring, and we've moved the tea room to a Gipsy caravan pulled by the tea room horses, which is making its way up the countryside in an effort to follow spring. There are of course hedgerows filled with spring flowers, Mellors the handsome gardener/driver/handyperson, the usual virtual Bishops, and the assorted animals and characters from previous tea rooms. All are very welcome to join in with us parents of one (or indeed more!) for general chat and the occasional very odd conversation. Climb aboard, grab a cuppa, enjoy the view, relax!...

Don't apologise, DMC. I think the fact that so many voluntary groups for children - anywhere from mums 'n' tots to Scouts and Guides - have some sort of connection to a place of worship is worthy of discussion. I'm really interested to know how comfortable (or not) people feel about that.

Donki - We have lit the special BatMellorstorch, to indicate that one of his unique massages is required.

OK, DP has just said: 'you can buy a heart-shaped vagina cell-phone charm for a steal at $15'. I say, step away from the laptop, step away from the laptop. Apparently you can also buy uterus plushies here - see there are far scarier things than people with strong convictions...

Donki - really sorry to hear about your dad, lost mine to lung cancer in Novemeber, so sending much hugs your way. Do consider all options and remember you'll all need to take care of yourselves as well as him in order to do your best for him. In my experience, the help isn't automatic so you need to do exactly what you are doing, call out to the vairous networks and charities - I was amazed just what was available.

lasted 20 mins of debate, predictably it was a 'must discredit this other bloke that's turned up and doesn't look as either paramoid or tired as us!'

T&E I thought your posts were utterly spot on, but up against someone who must absolutely make their point, what can you do? They are using the online tactic that is the equivalent of speaking slower and louder!

Something completely different - yesterday DH was sitting in the sitting room with Wriggle with the French windows open, when two sparrows hopped into the room, collected a beakful of dog hair from under the rug and flew off again. Is the local wildlife so shocked at my our housekeeping standards that they are taking positive action? Or, just as bad, do all local birds know the easiest place to collect dog hair and dust for nest-building purposes?? Should I get out the hoover?

Ok. I think I have had a varied range of life experiences, but nothing has prepared me for a Frieda Kahlo cuddly uterus. Is it offensive? I think it's rather cute - and far more attractive than the knitted placenta (yes really) at our NCT classes. (And, DMC, I think that the most offensive aspect of the phone charm is its price. Methinks one could make one's own out of Fimo).

And, thanks, Mindy. I think everyone is entitled to make their point, but when that point relies on oversimplifying and misrepresenting other people's experience ....

oh, I dunno - just seem to be slightly miscuing with my comments today. I think they're hilarious

but people are sensitive about all sorts of things
T&E do you knit then? I knitted DD the loveliest little stripy jumper, but DP and I had a misunderstanding about the highly complex laundry system in our house and it got washed on the wrong cycle and shrank into a very diddy jumper indeed so have been a bit reluctant since.

ohhh, knitting. I'll join you. I'm still doing squares. If I keep going I MIGHT manage to send Boy off to college with a blanket.

Spring has got as far as bluebells in hedge rows here, in sheltered places any way.

Step away from the hoover, ladies!

Ha! the curse of the complex laundry system. I hide some things so that TrowelBloke won't shove them in the washing machine.

In RL, I am barely past the knitting squares stage - although I do knit them diagonally, corner to corner, as my dear mater taught me, as that way they hold their shape better. Am better at crochet . But in the tea room I am capable of the most elaborate multi-needle knitting masterpieces. Are you offering tuition, DMC?

Drawing together several of tonight's themes, I present to you the knitting bishop

the knitting bishop is wonderful - also has an Irish connection (the Ardagh chalice) and the pic of the mitre does look faintly gynaecological...

Agree, hoovering over-rated - DD likes to chase the hoover around, using it as a walker. Last time she did that (think weeks, rather than days) she slipped and nearly put her tooth through her lip blood everywhere...

Right, best get going - morning full of student presentations to get through. Strong coffee required.

This is the time of year to take dog into garden and try to get as much fur out as possible (we use a rubber curry comb which was designed for horses but is better than anything you can get designed for dogs if you have a short-haired dog) so that a) the birds have nice, soft, colour coordinated nests and b) there is less drifting around in ripples across the floor...

Yes - other thread - can't win on that one. I've walked away (sorry Lara) as nothing will make some people realise that there are lots of different people with different experiences...

Donk - when Carol Singing, Grove Court nursing home on Cardigan Road in Headingley seemed to be at a somewhat higher level of the scale ifykwim - haven't sung there for some years, and don't know whether it would be remotely convenient for you though.

Music groups - we found one that was set up by a musician (ex teacher, NCT bf councillor and mother of 4) and she had a young singing teacher taking some of the classes for her - much more relaxed than some of the other franchise operations - eg 40 mins class instead of 30mins, and 5min change over rather than none at all. Each lesson was on a theme (eg animals, vehicles, nursery rhymes) and we did some songs we knew and new ones. When I could get him to concentrate and sit still and act sensibly () mistlechick really enjoyed them. He was singing the 'Defer-er to the Lord High Executioner' song from the Mikado this morning - after he did the first two phrases absolutely no doubt what he was singing (despite peculiar words!).... I suppose other children are going to school able to sing bits of various pop groups - here's mistlechick who can do bits of the Mikado and Buddy Holly!

at Mistlechick. DS likes to sing Cwm Rhondda and Swing Low Sweet Chariot, plus an assortment of rock and roll songs.

I can't knit - my Dad had to be roped into finishing knitting for me at school

I do hoover sort of weekly, but the cats are shedding, so there are various colours of cat splodges on the floor where they have rolled round. Cat3 who is huge and ginger is the worst offender.

When my parents had collies, dad would groom them outside in the spring, and the birds would come down while he was in the process to get hair

I must admit, I am NOT a knitter! I was taught how to knit at primary school, but it is not something I find easy, or even get pleasure from, do I don't!

Feeling a little blurgh this morning, no real reason except DS didn't want to go to school as he hadn't done his spellings (spelling test today) and had a major meltdown on the doorstep and all the way to school, and on the playground

Morning all.

Donki, Sue Ryder are fantastic - have only ever heard good things of them.

Trying to pack for the weekend and leave last minute notes for boy and dsis.

• Just dropping in a basket of pain au chocolat!!!

Enjoy xxx

ooo yum

Amber, maybe you can get the bishops crocheting these for toddler church!

MaryBS - the latest educational guidance is not to send home spelling lists and have spelling tests, since research has shown that they make no difference. In our school, the children who are 'bad' at spelling, when they do badly in spelling tests, have to miss playtime to do extra spelling practice. Ie - they have a problem, so we will draw everyone's attention to it and make you miss something you enjoy to do more of the thing you hate. And then expect you to be motivated at school.

Racing, can you point me to the research on this please?

And many thanks to everyone for their suggestions (and Tea and sympathy and carrots. Especially the tea and carrots!)

Oh my, oh my, oh my... We have been picnicing and painting by the Seine and I am completely exhausted! DH isn't home until at least 9pm... maybe later seeing as Friday night is beer night .

AIBU to take Milk to the town hall where there is an open cafe and I can sip coffee and not move while she runs around doing chimpish things on the esplanade for two hours???

• I know your answer already!!!!

Other flavours of smoothie are available with Mellors. Just tell him what you want and he'll magically make it appear.

Knitting is a no no with me. My mum is an ace knitter as was my grandma. She knitted me a cuddly bunny when I was a baby; Kittenito is now inseparable from it. My mum knitted a new one for Gatita, but she's still too young to appreciate it. Having said that, I hated the knitted cardis/jumpers etc I wore as a child. How I yearned for a shop bought products (just like my pals). We were a strictly home made family in the 70s.

Mmmmmmmmmmm

Thankyou very much Catita.

odd kind of a day - sat through 3 hours of student presentations thinking that they are undoubtedly much more sophisticated in the ways of the world than I was at that age (not hard ) but that they are incredibly intellectually naive - by which I mean not very analytical or critical, overly reliant on untested assumptions and slogans...sigh...haven't read very much etc, etc, the usual moaning of the middle-aged about the youth

then came home to take over from frankly frazzled DP who is going stir-crazy; DD in great form, but just starting to get a bit tantrummy and defiant (understands 'no', stops momentarily, goes back to whatever mischief it was she was making, gives you The Smirk and carries on. As You Were). She's also working out 'yes' and 'no' - the latter is head shaken from side to side slowly, the former head shaken from side to side very enthusiastically. Assume she will work out proper nodding in due course .

allotment digger man says his machine is busted, then spent 1/2 hour wrestling with bockety (ah, there's another good Irish word for ye all) IKEA drawer (bottom keeps falling out)...DD declined my delicious spag bol in favour of avocado, cheese and ap-pul. But whilst I've been busy all day, I've done nothing, somehow. And now I am boring you all to death. And now I am knackered

shame that my thread-killing skills can't be transferred to the weeds...