Tea room 16 welcome to Shangri-la

[UniS]

Shangri-la = a hidden valley with beautiful views and crystal streams of course, and some inter-far eastern type of chalet things set around a Serene Courtyard with ever-blooming Japanese cherry trees, lots of refreshing fragrant teas, silk cushions, tinkling tiny waterfalls and bonsai trees, Gardens of Tranquillity etc.

Home to teh 16th Tea room, a haven for those with one or more or less children who like cake, tea, talking nonsense and oggling Mellors ( our handyman/ butler). If its your first vist, pull up a cushion .Mind out for the guinea pigs and other pets and do take care not to squash the teeny tiny naked mowhawk babies ( nmbs
, no longer naked and now toilet trained you will glad to hear)as they go about their duties helping Mellors.

Confused... come on, jump in and have a hot chocolate.

Ohh, ohh, I love presents/presents shopping/spreadsheeting my presents! How old and a couple of interests and I might be able to give some suggestions. (Yes, I really am that sad in on-line life and RL.)

(Not a huge footie fan but on the edge of my seat over here....)

(D'oh! Well played, Ghana.)

never mind Scout!

amber - am at your new boss's attitude and think that is possibly a form of intimidation in its own right. I'm also sure that he has a duty of care towards you and if he doesn't fulfil it, consider complaining to the Charities Commission. They like to know about wrongdoing of any kind in charities. So for you - have "The World's Most Complicated Manual for Heath Robinson machines" to mull over for a while. (there are even instructions on how to build your own tea and cake maker!)

Must...have...caffiene....

Oxeye, if you can help in some small way with your fine advice and learned wisdom, it would be wonderful. I can't remember if I'm contactable on mumsnet at the moment but putting my old username of amber32002 into google soon reveals all, and a tiny bit more googling yields many contact points. And thank you to the other lovely fine and wise tearoomers who have listened and convinced me that I'm not being unreasonable to be about my boss's comments to me.

Et Voila! A cake made entirely from tea! Who wants a slice/cup?

love the idea of a literal tea cake! Slice/cup for me please...

One sugar with that? Dash of milk?

amber - I feel a bit naughty but I had a quick look at your stuff and have just finished reading your "Day in the Life Of...". I think if I had to deal with that on a daily basis I'd spend an awful lot more of my time in bed! I think you are amazing.

er, thanks. It's always a bit of a balancing act, to use a phrase.

Is tea cake like G&T jelly ? In which case, I'll have a slice please.

Am unreasonably tired this morning, and off to a pony show later with DS's friends shetlands, so will be running around doing gymkhana games. This may work off a little of the cake I suppose.

Amber, I am that people have treated you so badly

(amber, I sent you an email - hope it helps)

I am still ill. Pants. V. fed up with acid reflux and stuffed up head. At least the sore throat seems to have passedq quickly

LArge echinacea, lemon and elderberry tea for me please Mellors... oh, and another slice of tea cake.

Good morning all!

As usual have not read back much but gather that oxeye's DH is going away for a bit (eeek, lone parenting, hard) and amber is having a tough time at work because of an asinine boss (hugs)... will read back in a bit.

I've been quite ill with a sinus infection. Never had one before, never want one again. It started as a cold that DH very considerately passed on to me when we came home from California, went into my ears and then sinuses. Pure misery. I'm now on potent antibiotics and feeling better but would quite like to stop waking up with a monster headache!! (No, it's not too much wine at night... I can just hear all you jokers ).

Thumb emailed me to ask if I was anywhere near the rioting in Toronto and I'm not, I'm all the way on the West Coast but my parents and some friends live in T.O. and they're all shocked and outraged.

Just a quick opinion asking post, and then I'll be back tonight after I feed/bathe/bedtime routine BabyScout.

Went to collect cot/bed and other bits today and friends and DD kindly gave us other things as well (more toys, some vests, and some sleeping sacks for camp, in addition to the pre-agreed high chair). I didn't offer money again and they didn't ask -- do I dare mention it again or leave it as I offered on Thursday when I went to look at the bed and collect other bits. I realized after I left that maybe I should have or should I leave it as I offered once and left in their court. A comment was made about "It's just collecting dust and taking space in our loft, so glad it's being used again."

Thoughts and opinions, please?

Personally I would leave it, but then I'm crap at social decisions .

Have now recovered from a long stressful family day yesterday. Argh, could do without all the heat though, spend much of my time either feeling dizzy or under a cold shower trying to cool down!

leave the ball in their court IYSWIM.

In laws gone again.
off to pub shortly. cup of tea cake please ans a slice of twiglet suprise.

Unis waves and scatters you all lightly with flower petals .

scout - next time you go out for dinner etc with these friends pay for them too say "Now, please, I want it to be on me it is the least I can do to say thanks for all the kiddy stuff that you handed us and we have used and used and used!"

CMOT and Tea, Babette Cole, who wrote 'Mummy Laid an Egg', lives two villages away from me. She recently hosted a children's party to mark the launch of her new book. A friend went to meet her - apparently she is rather eccentric and rides side saddle - and Wriggle is now the proud owner of two signed copies of Babette Coles in French.

Interesting weekend; Wriggle managed to choke on a sausage and stop breathing briefly , spotted two pigeon chicks in the greenhouse, so now have six pigeons, including Racingracingpigeon, who has moved in and Aged Parent had to kill Wriggles favourite pet chicken, which was very ill.

RS - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have 2 signed copies of Topsy and Tim books because Jean Adamson lives a couple of villages away as well! Is that about the same in Brownie points, she wonders?

Happycopter - sinus thing sounds horrible - glad you are better now! And nowhere near the riots.

Scout - you've already asked, they said they would discuss it, they didn't ask for money when you turned up - so I'd say they don't want any for it. However, if you are still feeling the need to do something about it then tea's suggestion (if appropriate to your situation) is an excellent one.

RS - wow! at everything. S'funny, someone was saying on the "things I should know but don't" thread about never seeing baby pigeons (squabs) - but I've seen them because where I used to work, the windows looked out over a flat roof and pigeons nested there. So I suppose normally they don't leave the nest until fully fledged with adult plumage. (not sure why I'm telling you that, however )

Mary - soothing pats or whatever re. stressful day and Wow! to your signed books too.

UniS - yay! You survived the ILs! Always good.

My cold is getting worse - I thought I had mostly got away with it last week but it appears it just hadn't got going - now it has. MiniThumb had several coughing fits in the night - just wondering at what point I should take him to the docs, as I don't want him having antibiotics UNnecessarily. Looks like we'll be missing play group tomorrow as well though and it's the last one before the winter break (only 2w, thankfully)

I have been throwing shapes in the sitting room while watching Stevie Wonder at Glasto. I may have dislocated something.

Would anyone like a Pangalactic Gargleblaster before I go to bed? They're medicinal, I'm sure. And, after all, it is hotter than July.

Scout - I would send photos of Scout using the items (such as high chair wearing clothes etc) with a small thank you letter saying here they are all being used etc- and in the bottom ofthe letter say do please let me know if you want and remuneration. Then you have clearly raised it in a non embarrassing way if they want to ignore

OUCH for all the aches and pains. Thumb sounds like you may need help

Racing eek for all your woes

Friend at uni hand reared a squab in our shared kitchen. It was vile in many many ways

Are you feeling a bit more "copable" now, Oxeye?
miniThumb seems to be a bit better today - he has a cough but far less snot - hurrah! Just me now but I can cope. A handful of ibuprofen, elderflower and echinacea tea with manuka honey and lemon - seems to work ok-ish.

Yuk re squab in kitchen - just yuk.

Thanks for all of the advice/help/tips, ladies! As I've said before, money chats with Brits can sometimes be a bit... well, awkward! Last night BabyScout kept studying the bed pieces with great interest (the rest of the things are still in the boot and I need to get them out and make a list so I know what we were given). They gave us the bedding they had for the cot since it's gender-neutral, but I think I'm going to splurge and get him something very boyish -- cars or planes or something. All of his baby-baby things were gender neutral and I'm feeling the need for something a bit different.

Looks to be another warm day. Hurrah!