Tea Room the Fifteenth - The Viking Hall

[amberlight]

Here we are in the 15th instalment of the Tea Room for the One Child Family board. All are welcome, whether parents of a single splendid offspring or any other number.
We are this time in a Viking Long Hall tearoom, complete with optional helmets, roaring log fires (in case of chilly spring evenings), rugs aplenty, and all the usual mod cons of life as well.
Our Viking tea room contains Mellors the gardener/handyperson with a talent for relaxing massage (amongst a variety of other characters including Bishops, camels, bison, horses, guinea pigs, dogs, etc etc for reasons that would take too long to explain but you're welcome to read the other Tea Room threads and prepare to have your mind thoroughly boggled). Plenty of tea/coffee/cake/virtual bolly always on offer.
Join us, relax, chat, enjoy.

to Donki's dad

"Free, free at last. Free to fly like a phoenix, to fly home on wings of love."

Chink.

A belated toast, so top em up ladies.

Evening all.

I have a fuzzy head. LittleO will not let us leave the house. He wants to stay in and play all day every day. Sometimes we make him leave but other days it seems like too much hassle and screaming and kicking and we stay in. DH is at work today and this is my third day in the house without leaving . Ok, I've nipped to the local shop, but that is the extent of it. I'm going mad with boredom and isolation......I mean it's kind of nice, today I spent the day reading the papers, watching a kids dvd, and playing dinosaurs, farm, zoo and school, and we had an hour long bath, but still, I need fresh air!!

Ok, moan over !

I have just found Mellors' secret stash of Bolly behind the aspidistra, for anyone who'd like a top up.

For Donki's dad

"Free, free at last. Free to fly like a phoenix, to fly home on wings of love."

AandO - Doctor SmallBunch prescribes you a Bolly for medicinal purposes.

We have attempts at this quite often, AandO. I use guile, bribery and manipulation.

This morning, for example, Wriggle wouldn't go to town because she was a dog. She also wouldn't get dressed because she was fine in just her fur. Various approaches were tried; 'Let's go out and buy dog food', 'Would you like your Mummy Dog to come with us?' (RacingCollie is Mummy today ), etc, until DH left the room and I could use my last resort; 'If you don't get dressed now, I will count to three. 1 ... 2 ...' 'Ooooo Kaaaay, Mummy'. I don't know what she thinks will happen at '3'.

Things only work for a short time, though. Some days stickers work - 'If you can get dressed really quickly I'll give you a sticker; if you get into your car seat quickly you get another one ...'

Other days everything stops if she doesn't get ready and get out of the house quickly; no DVD, no stories, no toys, no conversation from me and no eye contact. (Doesn't work if DH is present as he can't do it.)

I usually have to prepare her well in advance, even the day before, so that she has time to get used to the idea, and if the outing is not that appealing for her, will add something at the end that is, such as a visit to the park, or to a charity shop.

Quite often we take the toy with us. 'You want to play with your lego/dog puzzle/dinosaurs? Let's take them with us and play in the park/cafe/at Ned's house.'

Inside, the teacher that is me is saying, 'She should do it because I say so,' but as you say, the fuss isn't worth it, and DH wouldn't stand screaming and crying.

mucho sympathy AO , grim when they do that isn't it.n How is little AO once you do prise him/ her/ it from the house?? I find boy improves once 1/2 mile from house, esp if on his bike or bounding along a footpath with a stick in hand. Its just the first 1/2 mile of whining that is hard to bear.

why not pack them off for a ride on teh tea rooms own very gentle reliable pony " Lady grey" with mellors in charge. Whilst you take Earl Grey for a mad gallop along the sands.

Hello, Racing. I recognise quite a few of those gambits (and there's the one you don't deploy, of yelling ).

I've had a lovely afternoon gardening. What news from your polytunnel?

Oops. Didn't mean to ignore you, UniS.

Is the unicycling season officially open yet?

When he is out we have problems getting him back home .

He just is 100% involved in whatever he is doing and doesn't want to stop. It just is a fight all the time. Just dressing him and putting him in the car involves more hassle than it should. But once we are out he fights getting back in the car to go home!

Also, his love for playing is amazing, he will play for 12 hours solid barely stopping for meals and then will cry at bedtime because he wants to stay up and play for longer!

RS - I love the I am being a dog type reason, I get that all time from LittleO !

What, UniS unicycles?! Wow!

I also use yelling small bunch!

We usually have to take toys around with us and lots of if you do this you can do that type of bribery.

UniS is (I hope she will forgive me saying this) a very talented woman and has some pretty amazing skills.

Yep- I'm VERY good at packing vans. I can over load a van in half the space available....

Yes, unicycles. I guess teh uni season never really stops. I'm not riding as much as I used to but some people are dead keen and play hockey or ride off road all year round.
I'm just starting to use one around the village and its turning a few heads.

For Donki's dad

"free, free at last. Free to fly like a phoenix, to fly home on wings of love"

Hello Oxeye. I think that's the first time you've ever mentioned your dad (although that may just be because I am Very Old and A Bit Dotty). Come to think of it, have you ever told us anything about your sibling (or not) status? You are a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

Yes, to all our dads.

Shall raise a cup of tea to my own dear departed Dad, and indeed dh's equally dearly departed Dad as well. Plus the mums.

Just been admiring the outfit of a mate of mine who's off to see the Queen soon. (Hope you'll treat her well, Oxeye! )

Must get to church to herd various youngsters into place...

'allo mes petites chouxfleurs - I need a hand with a pronunciation ishoo, if you please - how do you say "Boursin"?

Is it nearer Bour-san or Bour-son? I've always said the former but here in Australia (not the most European-culture friendly place but still) they keep calling it Bour-son, to the point that I am doubting myself.

Au secours, mes amies! (sure that can't be correct usage of that version of "help")

Shall raise a cup of tea with amber to Mums and Dads of all, whether here or in the hereafter. (Dad would approve, he's teetotal)

C'est "Bour-san", je pense.

I have been wearing myself out in the garden. I'm now off to have what my dear Nan would have called a "right old nosh-up" with DH. Then back for a wee glass of bolly later.

Oui, c'est"Bour-san", with the 'an' bit being a nasal sound which just doesn't exist for English speakers.

It is Mothers' day on my side of the tearoom!

Ontop of a some beautiful offerings from Milk's school I was presented with a cup of tea in bed, two interesting books and a card from Milk and Eccles!!!!

[pretty amazed 'cause Beer usually forgets emotion]

So - Here's to Mums everywhere!

happy mothers day.

happy memories of fathers day.

happy sipping bolly or tea day.

I would liek to be inteh pub, but Dh is playing cricket at other end of teh county and isn;t home yet......

Unis taps foot impatiently and goes off to round up what she needs in order to beat hasty exit when he does get home.

Thanks, Tea - you've just made sure that DH 'remembers' to phone his mother!

• that is sooooo sooooo funny rs!!!

I have fond memories (I've probably said this before) of the year I had two Mother's Days, as we went to France just in time for the Fete des Mamans.

Would anyone like some raspberry (imported, sadly, but give it a few weeks) pavlova with their Bolly?

Hi guys,

The weather was lovely today. Sunny and hot. Did you get nice weather too? Lay in the garden all day reading the papers while LittleO played animal swimming pool and animals stuck in mud for hours quite contentedly.

Spoke to my dad today actually. He has to get a spot removed. He said its some small cancerous spot but that it can be just removed and is nothing to worry about. It's shocking to even think of my parents in any kind of getting sick way, they are only in their 50's (I'm in my 30's) and are world travelling, gym going young people. In fact it's my grandads 90th birthday party in a few weeks, so I have not yet had much experience with bereavement or illness in the family. I realise that I am very lucky, and of course that my parents had me at the very beginning of their 20's.

Happy mothers day Tea!

UniS - is that where your name comes from then? Your unicycling?

Yum, pavlova!