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.

Found it!

Thanks, UniS!

I don't want to describe my day. Need a large hug.

DCMB - bought back a memory from about 10 years ago, engaged in an office fizzy cherry cola bottle eating competition. Victorious with a whopping 25 in one mouthful - fast forward approx. 20 mins later to me experiencing both the most acidic and yet techni-coloured vomit of my life to date.

Oh the follies of youth (if dh weren't at golf, I'd be rushing to the corner shop right now for some!)

amberlight - hug has been sent on a gorgeous handwoven silk cushion...

(I am in the foulest of foul moods anyone have any G&Ts or something stronger they can pass my way while I get caught up on the newest Tea Room? Very nice, by the way, the new tea room is very serene. I'm loving the cherry blossoms!)

CMOT - how about humpty dumpty sat on a wall? or something less dumpy sat on a wall if you prefer? can you spray horses with hair colouring to give a brick work effect? Or have I got it all wrong and thats a dreadfull idea?

Knight sounds good, how about another kight? Or cowboy/girl? , Mountie? polo player?

For those in foul moods, stressed or otherwise not at one with teh world, may I offer teh choc box of requiremnet on a dainty silk cushion, followed by a large glass of something you like, and slightly later followed by a NMB with a soft woolen blanket to wrap you up in .

I commend this article to those in a bad mood. See, it's good for you! I printed this out for my boss today.

Ooh, the chocolate box of requirement contains a Fat Duck aerated chocolate with mandarin jelly ... no, I've not remortgaged to go to the actual restaurant, shelled out for an event with Heston which just had the sweeties from the end of the meal. Mandarin choccy was goood!

Ha! My colleague has been e-mailing us with that Victor Meldrew article.

Scout, Amber - Consider yourselves hugged and wrapped in silken loveliness, woven for you by the most exotic silk worms.

On the other hand, exercise is good for lifting the spirits - all those endorphins coursing through the veins - so perhaps you would like to do some Bikram yoga with our new personal trainer, Mellors' younger brother.

Have we had any Bolly yet, to celebrate our arrival in Shangri-La? I know we're supposed to have eschewed worldly goods, but if we have some crystal glasses and some Bolly here and it would be wrong, surely, to waste them.

Mood lifting slighty at chugging daintily sipping bolly. That, and at looking at buggy steering wheel toy I splurged on today for BabyScout. Will set it up tomorrow when I take him out for our daily walk/adventure.

Bought new dress yesterday on way to in-laws to leave BabyScout. In-laws live almost two hours away, in the Thames Valley, while we live in East Anglia. BabyScout was a very good boy for his Nana & G-pa and ate his dinner and went to sleep with no problems. Very relieved and proud -- he hasn't seen them in six weeks and it's only the second time someone other than me or DH has put him to bed. Went to theirs after the work dinner in the big smoke and just felt relieved to be back in the same house as him again. Got back home this evening after a stressful day. Happy to be home, though we're only here for two nights then back to the in-laws for the weekend for Fathers' Day.

I'm not sure who Mellors looks like....

(((((hug))))) for amber (and Scout if she needs it)

Am even more glad that we didn't see Robin Hood now - I feared it wouldn't come up to scratch (and do hate them messing with the story I know).

Fairly uneventful day here - had a friend over with her 2 little boys, 1 is a couple of months younger than miniThumb, but taller (!) and the other is only 10mo and has just started walking, bless him!

CIn cin! we're off to playgroup in a short while, just hoping it doesn't rain on us (we walk to this one).

Morning, thumb! (Or is afternoon now?) Anyway, thnaks for the hug.

Another bright and sunny one here in E.A. Hoping it's a bit warm so I can put BabyScout in a pair of shorts before he out grows them all! (LOL)

So very tired....

Morning all, what a beautiful day it is! I need the tender loving mercies of Shangri-La. DS jumped "affectionately" on my stomach yesterday, leaving me in agony! Am still tender this morning, so I hope he hasn't done any damage!

Wow, asmallbunch, the mellors charms certainly run in the family. Beautiful day in the west country - off on the bike for a quick whoosh round the roads then work ahead. Oh how I wish I could actually see the laptop screen outside!

MaryBS - are you OK? Hope it's just bruising but don't leave it too long. Scout - the coffee is on

oo-er Mary - that's not great! Probably just a bit bruised though. If you get any odd swellings, go directly to a doc though.

Scout - I have just put all miniThumb's shorts away and I doubt he'll fit into any of them by the time it gets warm enough again

I am coooold - I was dreadfully un-green this morning and drove to playgroup, despite it being a 5 min walk away, because it was so cold, so windy, raining, I still haven't found the big umbrellas and I don't have a rain cover for the pushchair. Then when we got back it was straight into piling the fire back up.

I think we need a chiminea or two in a corner of the Serene Courtyard - or wait! A hot spring, like they have in Japan, where the monkeys sit to warm up while it's snowing. Definitely hot springs.

OY! Where'd that monkey come from?? NMBs, c'mere and get rid of this monkey from my hot spring, will ya? Thanks!

MMM, hot springs goooood.

After my last post last night, I went to go through security, only to be told my flight was going from another airport - they'd transferred all their flights there for reasons that were never really clear. So, bus for 45 minutes, then another 1 1/2 hours waiting there... Got home at 12.30

My parents are Thames Valley too Scout - South Oxon/West Berks border

How are you this morning Mary ?

Amber - persusing the magazines at the airport, I have bought you back a selection of ubergeek plane magazines, and the book on the history of probability that I was reading - thought you'd like it

Sounds a nightmare, CMOT!

Am still feeling very tender. So much to do today as well! Argh!

I am beginning to feel as though I'm settling in here now - there is a ladies' meeting group this Saturday and two of my playgroup mums asked me if I was going, with the clear hope that I was! How lovely of them. So - I wasn't going to, as it's coffee and dessert night, and I don't do coffee and am wheat intolerant - but I shall now.

Also, I might have found a choir to join - one of the ladies who helps out sings with a little "choir" - but they sing things like the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Michael Bublé (not my kind of thing) - however, she knows a chap who sings in a different, bigger choir - and is going to ask him about it for me. If I can get back into choral singing I will start to feel much happier again (I miss it).

Things looking up!

Yay Thumb! (How long have you been out there?)

CMOT -- My in-laws are in Berks. Very convenient for our trips back to the States as they're not far from Heathrow.

How are you, Mary?

Got the driving consol toy on the stroller but can't find the screwdriver to put the batteries in. Might have to get a cheapy one in town so BabyScout can get the full use of his new toy. Was getting the stroller out of the car when a tot came waddling by looking for the "buba" and seemed very distressed that there wasn't one in the seat. Poor lad. He couldn't understand that "Baby's in his cot having his sleep."

Day slightly better. Can hear more than yesterday, which is good.

Not being very useful at following the conversation at the moment but that's because my brain cells aren't co-operating. Still reading anyway.

I am awake and I shouldn't be. Things are bugging me, which is unfortunate - like my post in the UK, my mortgage in the UK, my tax in the UK, not being there to deal with them - you get the idea?

Serves me right for getting that wee bit gloaty yesterday.

Scout, I have been here since mid-August last year, so about 10m now.

I shall have some soup - it looks excellent!

Amber, have you still got the dizziness with your ear thingy or has that gone now?

I am completely frazzled! My MIL is in hospital, having had a mini stroke, and a heart murmur - DH is with her. It doesn't sound too bad, or at least not as bad as it could be - there's a weakness down one side but she's not paralysed and her face hasn't dropped or anything. Additional complication is that she is diabetic. They are keeping her in overnight. AND its her birthday today

DS had a friend round, first time in ages. It was a nightmare from beginning to end, they both wound each other up, and there was fighting (some of it play fighting) and throwing things and at one point the friend had his hands round DS's neck because of something DS had done! I offered to pay DD to help me out! I couldn't leave them alone together

Oh Mary - here, one of the chalet-type things is free and so is Mellors - off you go for your full-body calming rub-down with amazing oils, guaranteed not to over-tax your senses. Have some chamomile and jasmine tea as well

I hope your MIL recovers soon - if she isn't offered NHS physio, and she can afford it, get her some private physio asap to recover strength in her arm/hand and leg. The sooner it's done, the better the recovery - it's really worth doing. Poor woman - what a horrible way to spend your birthday.

Boys together are a bit scary, sometimes - miniThumb isn't too bad yet, although he nearly headbutted a 10mo yesterday when he flung himself at said baby to stop him playing with his "amimuls" - but it was accidental. Today at playgroup he was "in" with the bigger boys, who are all 3, and they were playing rough-ish on a 4-seat crocodile see-saw. Thankfully no one was hurt but they easily could have been (PFB emoticon)

Argh - we've just had a blackbird in our kitchen - pooing everywhere because the kids got all excited it and spooked it! Have just been chasing it out of the kitchen through the window. Argh argh argh.

Relaxing massage would be good...

Oh MaryBS, I'd write off today, get Mellors to pour you another bolly and get yourself to the rose petal filled hot tub. It's horrible when you organise for friends to come round and it goes like that, we've all had 'em, even with sweet little girls (or not so sweet as it can turn out, crikey they can be vicious when cornered!)

Hope MIL recovers well - can realy sympathise as FIL had a heart attack whilst e were with him in Devon about 2 weeks ago. He's recovering well but having lost my dad last year, it really brings it home.

Thumbwitch - so annoying when you just can't switch off, have just invested in a 'light wedge' so I can read myself into sleepy oblivion without dh moaning incessantly!

I feel most unusual today. I have suspicions regarding my kidneys - last time I had lower back pain combined with feeling decidedly Unusual it turned out to be a kidney infection (to the GP's apparent surprise, but not mine, I think she thinks I'm a malingerer). Not sure if I'm currently still suffering or suffering effects of having been asleep on bed dreaming of pink champagne from 7.15 to 9.45 (pm, overseas types). But I have just twice seen a hallucinatory kitten walking downstairs so all is clearly not right.