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.

Ooh cross posts.

Tea - Who will the other child be? What age? You must go to Coram's Fields for lovely outdoor fun. And Trafalgar Square is much nicer for pedestrians now. And check out the museums for delightful activities at no cost!

tea-spot that is the funniest thing I have heard all week!!!!

I always forget which of you live in London Village...

Perhaps with me in London and Oxeye needing some back up - TWO HOURS SLEEP - no no no no no!!!! This is too much!!! Then... now is a good time for a big smoke meet up?

oxeye - if you're still around - google amber32002, no spaces. It does link to amber in RL - you then have to google again on what you find and an email appears. I know this as I have emailed her myself in the last few days.

Smallbunch - you don't need to be on the CAT system to receive one, only to send one - so your £5 is safe

UniS - thank you - of course it makes far more sense than my silly made up one!

CMOTD - I would recommend you go to an osteopath/chiropracter and tell them - it could be a neck issue. Or if you prefer, tell the GP first. I've just googled it for you and it seems not uncommon - and apart from sinus issues, no one seems to have any idea what causes it. However, the sinus issues include polyps as well as infections, so it might be one of those, and it only blocks when you bend forward.this is probably the most useful of the sites I found.

Happy - hello m'dear - oversharing again, hey!

I thought I'd do my utmost to retain my queenly status.

Have just taken delivery of 8 lbs of strawberries, courtesy of one of my patients who has what she calls a "hobby garden". She says what she's just brought me is a tenth of what she's picked. Surely that exceeds hobby status???

What shall I do with 8 lbs of strawberries?

Jam! HOmemade strawberry jam, YUM!

Night Scout - glad you all survived ok!

Mmmmm... I hope it was a good day Scout!

OOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo a big smoke meet up, shall we, shall we???

Tea, you must go to the Diana playground in Hyde park - huge wonderful pirate ship and music and teepees and it will really appeal to you, also the Diana fountain thing, great for paddling in . Where are you staying? Age of kids?

Mooch on the South bank, boat to Greenwich, walk the blade of light bridge, lurk in Covent Garden, hire bikes and bike seats, go to Science Museum and Nat Hist (and the butterfly garden outside) go early, and its before kids schools break up - not at Baden Powell House for all our Queen Guides and Scouts etc- so much to do, none of it expensive - who are the children, well Milk of course

Actually Small, what about a jolly to Coram Fields on Saturday?

Yes, I am trying to lay off the booze and eat with Oxboy but I must confess there is too much caffeine, and I am struggling tonight, hence on here, but shall go, get me gone!

The British Museum is also worth a look

of a Tea Room meet-up in London. Hmmmpf.

I will be in London with a friend's only just 7yr old son (it is his birthday on one of the days I will be looking after him).

The two of them live in Paris but his Nanna, who is a Londoner, is having a very serious op next week. So me and my friend decided that we should go to Londres together. Me on child care duties her on Mum hand holding duties and at night I have to keep her sane by listening to her day or going out partying or talking crap or watching a film or letting her shut her bedroom door and sit in silence or ...well whatever she feels like she needs to do really! IYSWIM!

BabyScout didn't seem to enjoy his outdoor cooking experience. Think it all got a bit too much too much smoke, too many new smells, too hot, too everything. He was good at the beginning but as more fires got going he just errupted in tears and none of the other leaders would do (I was trying to help one patrol so other leaders who were closer, who he knows, tried to help). Poor little man's heart was going a mile a minute. Got him calm and he watched one fire/cooking very intently. So I gradually started taking him closer to it not too close, but closer so he could see it was okay. We did go to "visit" the young leader fire (they're all also in my Seniors unit, so he knows them quite well) to "see what the girlies are up to and what are they making for their dinner." He was alright there for a bit. I put him down near his stroller at one point to get my camera out and he went wailing again (even though he normally starts cheesing when he sees the camera) so I ended up holding his 22 lb self close in cuddles, giving kisses and endless reassurance.

I imagine that something like seven patrol fires (What's fire, Mommy?) going, in an area you've never been to, can be quite daunting/scary when you're still very new to this world. Guess I hoped the three weeks of camping while he was in-utero would have imprinted on him.... (I know, I know, HA!) I'm hoping last night will help him not be so frightened in August when we go camping.

I'm sure he'll be fine by AUgust Scout - it might have just been the overwhelmingness of so many fires.

tea - that sounds both lovely and very kind of you - what a fantastic friend you are! I hope this poor woman's mother comes through the op ok. Whaty's going to happen after though - does she have someone else to take care of her or will your friend have to stay on in London for a while? I have no useful recommendations for you, sadly. I'm only any use a bit further out to the SW of London, edge of Surrey.

Still in a shocking state of nose here - it hurts so much, and I can't find the stuff to put on it so I tried some other stuff and it stung like a wotsit so no more of that! miniThumb is nearly better - I shall get grandma to take him to playgroup tomorrow, I think because he needs to get out of the house and I won't be fit by tomorrow, I don't think.

Perhaps it was Eddies in the space time continuum Scout!

I've just had hormonal daughter sobbing her heart out because she's been asked to empty the dishwasher AND DS has broken up her lego model to make his own lego model. ARGH!

Is it too early for tearoom alcohol?

Never too early for a tearoom drink, Mary!

Thumb, get thee to a doctor asap!

Tea, I'm not familiar with London, beyond the typical American Tourist places, so I'm of no use to you. However, I'd like to add what a good friend you are and hope your friend and her mother are okay.

happycopter -- Jam! Puree! Cake! Ice cream! Chocolate covered!

I need to find sweeties/food stuffs that can be made to look like pie fillings. Skittles, Smarties, M&Ms, raspberry gummies -- any other suggestions?

Finding an Amber: As TW says, go to google. Put in amber32002 Note what it says in the first entry. Google that name. You now have many email contact points for me.

Morning all. It might be a little early for tea room alcohol, but under the circumstances...

Brain still not really working at the moment - continued apologies.

no no, I'm not going to the doctor with a cold! That is all it is, it's just a bit vicious, probably because it's Aussie and I've never had an Aussie cold before so have no defence against it.

Hmm - sweets that look like pie fillings? Can you colour some marshmallows? Do you mean savoury or sweet pie fillings?

I've seen these in the supermarkets, but these DO look like raspberries and blackberries, especially the blackberries:

www.chocolatebuttons.co.uk/blackberry-and-raspberry-domes-kiddysway.html

Hi ladies,

Sorry to hear of colds etc. That sounds like quite a severe cold you have Thumb. Can someone mind minithumb and you take a duvet day? A complete day of rest might help clear it.

Oxeye - did you say you're only getting a few hours sleep a night ! Are you with oxboy during the day and then trying to work at night?

Amber - wow three months off work!! That's brilliant!

Happy - Strawberries and ice cream, strawberry ice cream, strawberry cheesecake, stawberry jam! mmmmmm

Tea - That sounds alot of fun....I would love to visit london, haven't been back since I moved away 5 years ago. at potential tea room meet ups, you are all more than welcome to come to Ireland !!

Scout - That's a shame, it must not have been much fun for you either. How long are you camping for in August?

A&O - thank you - it's been one of the worst I've had but I have been very lucky that MrThumb has been mostly at home today and tomorrow and is taking up a lot of the slack without question. As I said, he can visibly see that I Am Ill and has nobly risen to the occasion. I am very much happier now I have found my old nipple ointment though (bear with me...) - a herbalist friend made it up for me from pure beeswax, chamomile and calendula and it was lovely for sore nips - suddenly remembered where it was and have smeared it liberally all over my nose and lips! Aaaaahhhhh. So much nicer than Vaseline, plus I don't have any vaseline.

Am of London meet up too - if I were still in the UK I could have possibly joined in (although that might have frightened Oxeye off! ) - it would be such fun to help tea with her 2 charges as well.

Tea - are you going to fit in a trip to your visit your sister while you're over or is it too impractical?

Amber - I hope your brain gets back to its normal soon - have a 5000 piece jigsaw of a jet engine to help you. Here's the rub though - all the pieces are exactly the same shape. I've had to do a jigsaw like that before - it's challenging.

Mary - hope your DD has settled down a bit now? Poor love, it's annoying when one's brother has scant respect for one's things.

I've got another puzzle here you might like too Amber... Its of a herd of galloping horses. The only trouble is that they're raising quite a cloud of dust. Which is the same colour as the brown horses. And the black horses have white highlights and the white horses have black shadows - and there's dust swirling in front of all of them - and the sky (because of the dust) is almost the same colour as the ground.... Should keep you going for a little while!

3mo off - make sure you put your feet up and walk the dogs and do gardening and other things that are good for you!

Tea - would love to join in with the big smoke meet, but its not logistically possible I don't think....

Big news - DH has a contract for 3mo doing some more work at a better salary - only trouble is that he'll have to work away during the week...

It does mean, however, UniS, that I might well be in the picture for a Devon meet up if that's still remotely possible... We won't, however, have mistlechick's bike with us - although we might manage to squeeze the scooter in! Haven't decided on mistledog's fate - she might stay with my parents for the week!

Oh hurrah for MT's DH! That is good news, despite the staying away during the week.

Alas, only off that bit of work. My other main job continues, though so far this week I've had to cancel three meetings and get extra support in to help me through tricky things
It's such a balancing-act to keep everything running in my life...

Puzzles! Splendid!

Hurray for MrMT - being away will be a pain, but it's more work.

I find Lanisoh to be fabulous for sore noses, so imagine herbal ointment will be even better.

Tea anyone ?