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.

[CMOTdibbler]

I only know because the Guardian came with a Festivals guide yesterday, and I was looking through it and making suggestions. Alas, the festival where I want to see loads of bands is one that is totally child unfriendly, so totally impossible.

Nice muffin

DS had a total sobbing episode in the car today as he wanted to know why he couldn't have a baby brother, everyone else does, he'd share with it etc. My explanation that mummys tummy was broken, so couldn't have more babies didn't cut the mustard, but DH managed to change the subject after saying that a baby would mean DS couldn't sleep in our bed

[ASmallBunchOfFlowers]

Oh dear, Cmot. That must have been hard to bear, especially in the car where there's no escape. Next time, you could remind him that there would be a risk that a baby brother would turn out - horrors - to be a sister. Would a comradely Viking hug be of any help?

Have been looking at the UOGB website. Have now planned my own national tour to see them twice fairly locally and then at the Cambridge folk festival.

And synchronicity - SmallBloke has just bought all the Noggin the Nog dvds.

[AandO]

I presume I already know you smallbunch? I am assuming you to be the paranoid, gardening head girl we all know and love ....I have been absent alot and am losing track.

CMOT LittleO is now asking for a brother on a daily basis. It is hard to hear. He told me to have a baby so that he could have a brother and they could play together and then he wouldn't have to play with mommy and daddy . I did point out that if we did have a baby it may be a girl but he kind of ignored that part. This is a pain particularly considering my recent feeling of happiness with the only child plan.

[Catitainahatita]

I think Smallbunch may be a trowl-weilding loon to be honest, AandO. (No offence meant, SBOF! )

I'm -gasp- off swimming in a mo. The weather is finally back to its very hot sunny self anthe outdoor pool is back in service. It just remains to be seen if I can swim more than a couple of lengths before I expire of exhaustion.

[Catitainahatita]

Oops. Just noticed you actually did guess there AandO. Sorry for being idiotic.

[thumbwitch]

oh dear, CMOT and A&O - that's not great . MiniThumb hasn't reached that stage yet, thankfully.

Noggin the Nog, hey - I remember those from being a Smallthumb. Although I definitely preferred Ivor the Engine...

Bolly would be fab (I love the virtual drinking in the morning here!)

[mistlethrush]

We have the odd 'can we have a baby' question, but not been particularly full-on luckily. I've mainly said that it took SO long for him to arrive that we might give up waiting...

I LOVE the UOGB. So does DH and mistlechick loves it too - we have a DVD and he loves watching it. Not sure whether he'd cope with the concert... might be worth giving it a go, althgouh we might have problems trying to persuade him not to sing along all the way through...

[amberlight]

Mary, blimey we like exactly the same films!

I need a kick up the bum to stop me feeling this bl*dy low. Any volunteers?

[thumbwitch]

amber, why so low? Is it work-related again or are you traumatising over the Lovely Boy getting all grown up on you - or is it something else entirely?

I could try my Reasons to be Cheerful list:

1. you don't have redbacks in the garden and under DS's toys
   
2. you don't have cockroaches the size of mice in the house
   
3. you probably do have lovely central heating (we don't and it's starting to chill down)
   
4. you aren't being bitten by mozzies on a daily basis, even now it's getting cooler.
   
   Does that help at all?

[amberlight]

Actually, that helps a lot. Though I'm not sure what a redback is. Is it like a Redcoat?

It's a situation with one part of my work elsewhere. But it's dragging me under. I'm waiting for the bosses of that bit to help. I suspect they won't - they're just trying to reframe the abuse I'm getting from some others as something I can just ignore, which I can't, because of my brain: It just gets scared and I actually don't want to spend my life hiding and being afraid any more. I want to have a safe working environment.

[thumbwitch]

that's rubbish of them amber. They need to sort it out properly. and for you.

Redbacks are nasty spiders with potentially fatal bites if you don't get to the docs in time to have the anti-venom. I had a "6th sense" moment a couple of weeks ago and got MrThumb to check under miniThumb's ride-on truck - he found 2 reasonably big redbacks and an egg sac . Not the sort of thing you really want a child to find in his toys .

[MaryBS]

It really bugs me Amber, as it shows a complete lack of empathy for you. If I thought they'd listen to me, I'd come and "kick ass" and sort them out. I have a pretty good left foot!

[amberlight]

I'll have to see what next week's meeting with that charity's new Director brings.
Thanks for the words of support - they help.

Very glad indeed I don't have redback spiders in the house. Or anything else venomous.

[ASmallBunchOfFlowers]

Tea and buns now available for those interested. And I offer this musical interlude for those in need of cheering up. It always works for me, anyway.

[AandO]

That's brilliant Smallbunch!!

[Donki]

Amber - my hooves are very good at kicking... where would you like me to aim?

We had a lovely day at Harlow Carr - complete with bitter wind and hailstorms. The tulips were beautiful - and the camelias and magnolias. Trilliums just look weird. Like small triffids.

Donkboy ran around the playground and chased us around the maze. He was intrigued by the alpines in the new glass house. And he spent about 15 minutes admiring the old push powered lawn mower in the garden shed (Gardens through time). He has loved that mower since he was 2.

I loved Noggin the Nog - I keep intending to buy it. I have got Ivor the Engine on DVD for Donkboy. He loves it.

Donkboy also asks periodically for a baby and seems unconvinced by my reply that Mummy is past her sell by date.

Do you think that we could send Mellors and his magic headache reducing hands to Sheffield to give my Dad a head massage? not that it would likely help, but you never know...

[ASmallBunchOfFlowers]

Isn't it just? Do you think that if I boost their sales by plugging them on MN they might let me join?

[UniS]

not forgotn you guys. just VERY busy in RL. on balance moving house 3 days before going to other end of the Uk for a convention may not have been the brightest thing we ever did.

Broadband is wrking now, but only for the net book as phone sockets are in wrong lace and PC is still in a box. so router/modem is in teh kitchen and I'm Wifi from living room.

love the hall, nice smokey warm fug and fab horned hats and horns of mead. the sheilds rund teh wall work well too. The St trinians / viking look is er, interesting, and possiby a traffic hazard...

sympathy to those with tantrumy, not sleeping little horrors. This too shall pass, even if its when they turn 18 and you encurage them t leave home and inflict themselves on their peers.

tomorrow I atack the garage and try and find enough space in there to call a workshop.

Boy was a super star singleton at the weekend. he got stuck in with what ever kids were around. spent about 5 hours laying with another 4 yr old at a hockey tourny, while we had the other boys big brothers join our team . Was soooo nice to see boy playing around with a uniycle and experimenting with riding it by him self. He was also invited to a 4th B/Day party during the weekend. he knew the birthday girl and her sister but none of others, got on very well and had a ball. all kids went home covered in chocolate after a choc fountain session .

I've vaguely invited someone to pop in, so, H, if your out there lurking. Hi.

[drivingmisscrazy]

hello all

nice day here - a run for me, DP and DD to swings in the park this morning; then family round for tea and honey cake (a possibility for the longhouse??). Still haven't managed to get to allotment, but the house is now clean, pending transatlantic visitor in the week (ash-cloud permitting). Am rather dreading the 'little sister' questions, as we will have to find some other excuse beyond 'your dad didn't want to"

talked to him and his family yesterday - a couple of things he said made me think he might be thinking about it - but I know it's stupid to hope (half the reason that we had put DD in the bigger bedroom was that we were hoping to be able to try for another) and in many many ways we have moved on. But DD is so so interested in other children.

honey cake was yum - anyone want some? it would go down nicely with a glass of Sauternes (thumb as I recall there are some scrummy Australian dessert wines - Brown Bros? or am I making up winemakers??)

[thumbwitch]

no you're not making it up - Brown Brothers indeed exists and they do a decent dessert wine. Although I am not a big fan of dessert wines in general (too sweet, ha)

miniThumb is under the weather. He didn't eat his dinner last night and I attempted to be stern and offer him no alternative - about an hour later he started to look very pale and purplish under the eyes - fair enough, he had no nap. But then he said his head hurt, it was ragin hot around the temples and his left eye was looking red and weepy. Looks like the poor little mite has a migraine. Anyway, I whacked some food into him so I could give him some calprofen and a bit later took him to bed.
This morning he still has a sore head but now he has a sore tummy too! If it is a migraine (runs in the family) he might be feeling sick but since he's never done that before, he wouldn't know the feeling.

He's so rarely ill, it's quite a shock when it does happen. no rash though and he's still alert so doubt it's more serious.

ho hum.

[Catitainahatita]

Sorry to hear about miniThumb, TW, I hope he feele a bit better later on.

Equally sorry to hear about Amber's work problems. I hope things can be resolved in a way that meets your needs.

[thumbwitch]

Thanks Catita - he ate his breakfast ok but is still intermittently complaining about "sore tummy" and "sore head". I'm pretty sure he's not making it up as well because I just asked him was his tummy ok now and he said "yep" but head was "still sore". Just given him some more calprofen but I think playgroup this morning would be a mistake so we'll just stay here for today until he feels better.

[oxeye]

'lo all
Mary wondered how your DD was? I had a miserable time from about 8 - 11 for same reasons - 2 "best friends" ganged up and turned on me. I never understood why. It was, I have to say, a focus for much of my early life, but it eventually helped me to understand other people's motives and become a much more empathetic person because I spent so much time trying to work out why they did what they did


But I wonder if a diary will help her? I find, and still find, diaries make me sort of "carried away" and much more negative that I was before I started pouring my heart out - are there other morale boosting positive things you could do without negatingher feelings? just an idea?

[oxeye]

not ignoring rest of you

donk hope the massage soothes your Dad and he is doing ok

amber your boy is always your baby. Bah hiss to work, good luck

driving glad settling down is going better, can be tough to change - what made you think Dad might change mind?

AandO hope all is ok - I thikn your ignoring in car was best final solution - sometimes confrontation just conflates...

Loving St Trinians - can I add Muppet Christmas Carol to DVD list?

Shall we have a festival meet up? I was thinking Womad, Cambridge and/or Latitude? And we're going to start camping next weekend

JM good luck with ragged bits doctor - thinking of you, and I remember the tea room support for Resumption of Full Marital WhatNots amongst our Canadian Friends

Good things about Aus - wine by Brown Brothers, Wolf Blass, Penfolds et al. Bad things red backs, funnel webs and spiders in general!

UniS good luck with move

Oxeye Boy said he would have a baby for our family bless his cotton socks

[thumbwitch]