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!...

Good morning all - just taking two minutes out from work to pop in and say hi.

Could you all come over to this thread and help me reassure DH re toddler behaviour? Thank you!

Have just offered my unique and penetrating insights, jacksmama!

My latest gardening efforts have been halted by the rain, so I am sheltering here in the potting shed with Mellors. Who'd have thought that a gypsy caravan could have its own pullalong potting shed, eh?

Would anyone like a cup of tea and a slice of apricot and date flapjack?

Ohh, I'll have some! Thank you for your insight T&E.

It's nicer out than anticipated today, which is creating a dilemma for me... do my taxes or garden? I have seed packets calling my name.

Oh, and a gardening question. I seem to have some dud tulips. For the last two years, all they've sent up is green leaves, no flower. Will they ever flower or is it time to pull the dud bulbs and plant new ones?

Hmm, bored toddler issues here too. On Wednesday we're off on our annual pilgramage to Mr. C's village (3 day drive yuk). You will remember how much I hate travelling, so I'll reduce tmy moaning to the minimum. My concern this year is obviously Kittenito, since he'll be in the back with Gatita and I'll have to be in the front seat; last year I travelled at the back with him and could lead games etc. I have a feeling that boredom will turn K into a wee monster (it usually does);; but there isn't much we can do about it. If anything works (beyond I spy and singing, the old standbys. I'll let you know).

Jacksmama - Hire an accountant for the taxes and then get out into the garden

Evening ladies, must share a rather amusing tale from today with you. I have now fully qualified as a mother -baking cakes for the preschool easter fair has made me feel as if I have passed some sort of rite of passage! However, it could have all so easily gone wrong. Made a couple of batches of Aussie Crunch and some cupcakes. Whilst the ifrst batch of aussie crunch was in the oven Mr. Mindy pops into the kitchen and says 'ooh they smell yummy, any chance of some for us?' Ok, no problem, but running a bit low of butter. Being a bit of a baking fiend, I regularly have 2oz-4oz slabs of butter left in the fridge so cobbled together a few to make up the 8oz. Should point out at this point in the tale, I currently have a good old helping of sinusitis.

So start melt butter sugar, cocoa etc in a pan and after a couple of minutes think ruddy nora, what is that smell? Must be pretty pungent with such a blocked up nose......only gone and throw in the last of a lurpak ready made garlic butter If I hadn't been so liberal with the olbas oil the night before and started to clear the nasal passages, Little Mindy's preschool fair could have featured garlic infused chocolate coated australian crunch!

BTW Preschool got the uncontaminated batch, all was right with the world, although Mr Mindy was rather disappointed!

I find playing I Spy with someone whose grasp of the rules or spelling is incomplete to be rather fun (but not for 3 days). DS's contributions are sometimes 'I spy something beginning with P' 'ActionChugger !'

CMot -we also have eyespy problems... Something beginning with G.. Grass,, gates, girl,,, Give up... Green car.

Isn't dontcallmebaby posh!!!!

We play I spy using colours...I spy something green...trees etc. Works better with a three year old!

We went to the cinema today, to see Ponyo. It was really good. Was not at all in the mood to play all day today so cinema with LittleO and then tea and cake in a cafe was in order.

Just spent a lovely evening sitting on the couch reading todays paper in front of the fire. Soooo relaxing.

What is everyone doing for the easter hols? LittleO is off school for the next two weeks. His childminder will take him part time this week and the following week dh parents are visiting.

Did you even attempt to eat the garlic chocolate Mindy? I can't even imagine how it would taste!

Doing 'colour' eye spy is fine. But playing eye-spy and including colours is not - just think, c for car could be bleu, red, black, white, green, silver,.....

We do story tapes and music and chatting and watching in teh car - not 3 days though, our most is about 10 hours. Also find that stops must involve manic running about (we sometimes have to be inventive and dance on the spot much to the amusement of the Truck Drivers Called Dave..... But three days is a bit

I am hopeless at gardening. Managed to sow some seeds but now they are sprouting in their little pots and I haven't managed to trasplant them at all....

Garlic and chocolate cake?! Well I never!

Much gardening took place yesterday. Lawn was mowed, potatoes were planted, borders were cleared of debris, Mr B helped by digging a hole in the trampoline area and ds helped by putting out two bags of compost and then declaring it was a bit drizzly so he was going inside . So much for the modern rugby player!

I feel quite faint with all your gardening effort Amber. My garden is a wasteland of (mown) grass and bird feathers added by the cats for extra colour.

Today seemed to consist of mainly washing. Mostly caused by DS joining me in bed at something o'clock, and me not noticing that he had removed his nappy before this. And both of us firmly sleeping in late. Oops.

Bolly and twiglets anyone ?

Oooh, yes please Cmot!

I am lurrving all this gardening talk. Today we wwnt to the Red House - William Morris' House in Bexley - so I am feeling the floral vibes. I am hoping to have another little planting session tomorrow.

Daisy - What seeds did you sow?

One bolly and a bowl of twiglets coming up.

The red house is lovely. What are your planting plans ?

My planting plans involve digging out the corpses of things which died over the winter and then arranging the lovely things which just arrived from the mail order nursery. Then there's the seed sowing to continue ....

Do you think I should go over to Gardening to talk cake, to redress the balance?

I really will ship the plants that my parents keep trying to make me take to you. Am unable to work out quite why the greenhouse is full of seedlings, even though they have no room to put anything else in.

Must do some more garage clearing in advance of the descent of the plumber tomorrow. We realised that they will want somewhere to work out of the rain, but there was not enough room due to junk proliferation

Ha. A fellow compulsive gardener. Although rather better at propagation than me, by the sounds of it.

The descent of the plumber? To do what? I want to do some major bathroom refurbishment, but it would involve moving walls.

They are very good at propogation - in fact would describe themselves as growers rather than gardeners. But used to do it for money

Bathroom refurbishment. No wall moving, but those are the only things staying. Am a bit about it, but can't wait

Oh go on. Post some pictures of your lovely new bathroom fittings.

Do we need to sashay over to Property and DIY and talk cake there too???

Garden on slow at the moment.

Haven't got out yet - still really much too wet here (the ground that is)

Isn't that the joy of the tea room? It's so many threads in one!

eveningall. just back from RL pub quiz. we came second. Our first month in our new team name ( which is top secret but based on our all being mums of onlys) . Hurrah, hurrah for us.

Garlic butter cake... yummmmm. Remind me to sniff carefully all offering of aussie crunch.

Ballet for 3 yr olds.. depend on the class, if its lots of music and movement and bouncing about pretending, YES. if ist pre primary ballet, no. For boys- try and get them to a class with a friend ( of either sex) who is willing to hold their hand. Some of the little pink children are right horrid little cows about hand holding with a "boy" ,yes, even at 3 and 4.
Took us 3 tries to find the right dance class for boy. 1st was fine till his friend stopped going, 2nd he didn't like at all ( and knew no one) 3rd was perfect and he goes with several girls and one other boy ( who he is very buddy with) from preschool.

Ta dA
We have exchanged contracts on a house....

Bigish garden, plenty of bedrooms for family guests. a garahe/workshop space for me. nice kitchen for DH.

Oh UniS great news about house. What name have you given your pub quiz gals now?

Trowel - there are online gardening places? Call me dim, that had never occurred!! I have planted rosemary, basil and thyme herb seeds and flowers - the ones that look like primroses but aren't and petunias. I have some potatoes and sun flowers and a packet of Easy Grow Children's Flowers to go. And lovely DaisyBloke found the bulbs that I had put out and he planted those so now we hvae lots of teeny daffodils. They were meant to be beauifully out in the boxes on teh window sill (we odn't really ahve a garden at all) so the neighbours could be impressed could enjoy them too but instead they are languishing on the porch enjoyed by US and US ALONE!

Red House sounds lovely.

CMOT I sympathise. I am being hopeless at getting DaisyBoy out of night time nappies. I jst can't face all the changing sheets [lazy emoticon]

Do you all remember the leak under out stairs LAST FEBRUARY? Well, after a year and two months it seems that it has finally been located by the insurance people and we are on our way to getting the kitchen wall put back in!!!

Yeah to bolly and twiglets!