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.

Milk. I can't do cat. I am on hotmail. My name then hotmail then co and uk. I'm also on run so hopeless cwill come pup with firm suggestions fir anyone anyone xx

I've had/have a Mrs W, a Mrs T and a Mrs R. Mrs W and Mrs R were my Cadette and Senior leaders (aged 12 to 18). They knew me during all of those awful teenage years and they loved me anyway. They still do. Mrs W passed away while I was student teaching in uni I cried for days. Mrs R is still an active force in my life she came to England for my wedding and has adopted BabyScout as the grandchild she'll never have so spoils him.

Summer colds are awful! Which remind me, thumb, how's yours doing? (Though I do realize it's winter for you.)

Mary, has the Head talked to the girls yet?

Have just realized (well, not really) that my birthday is during camp. I used to work at day camp on my birthday so always took treats for the girls in my unit. I CAN TAKE TREATS!!! I've just decided I'm going to make party bags for my girlies.

I would like to say that my cold had gone but it hasn't yet . IT's a real klingon, this one. MiniTHumb is mostly better, just a little bit of coughing.

It's raining cats'n'dogs here today again - I think we're going to someone's house to sing and play but I forgot to phone yesterday to check so need to do that in about an hour's time.

MiniThumb has taken to waking up earlier than normal - and patting or pulling at my face, saying "Wake up! Get up!" - it's not good. But I should be grateful that he's only just started it, I guess - and 7:30 would be a lie-in for most parents!

I'm sorry, thumb.

Hi Guys!
Sorry for my bizarre and nonsensical post earlier. I was walking and trying to catch Tea while she was posting!

Right, I am busy trying to make a plan for Saturday, looks like it's later on afternoon tea - come by the hotmail to discuss please!

Tea, have you an email or can we get hold of you as you rampage around with friend in London?

Could do a quickie fnar fnar this weekend and then try more later?

Racing, I shall look hard at 22 July and come back to you

so, now to catch up
AandO I don't really know what to suggest with Little O except he seems to be thriving in some way on confrontation - I wonder if you should think entirely differently? Maybe not punish hitting - since it is aimed at you only - treat it as boring etc - I know that when Oxboy gets hitty when he's tired etc I just blank it and carry on, and he calms much more quickly but if I am cross he gets crosser....

Tea hope that London is good and ill health not too crazy

Thumb sorry about cold and sorry about hopeless DH hope he cooked good supper!

Scout, so glad guiding has resolved, your enthusiasm is so boundless!

Amber, if you want to come meet on Sat twould be brillig - look at the emails to see!

Morning all!

Full English for those that are up and hungry!

Full English please!

Am still a little freaked out by what someone said to me in a message room last night, about body language. I've only got a rudimentary understanding of body language - I know crossed arms is defensive, open arms means open, and about eye contact but thats about it. But I am concerned because I was told that if 5% of my language (verbal) is saying one thing, and 95% of my language (body) is saying something else, then what I say will be ignored, in favour of my body language. Which explains why in the past I've had trouble with men, but to be told "you need to modify your body language" is like saying to a blind person you need to understand what the colours in a plug mean. So how ARE you supposed to talk to a man, if you have a common interest? Given that talking to them about something they are interested in implies "I'm interested in YOU"??? And why do I only find this out now?

Argh (in the priest's hole if anyone wants me)

Wait....the other poster was saying women only talk to men because they're interested in them? Is s/he crazy?! What about at work? I was support staff in a male dominated office -- was I only meant to talk to my female "bosses"? That's insane!

Mary - relax, chances are you aren't giving out the wrong signals all the time. I doubt very much that you flutter your eyelids, tilt your head to one side, open your eyes very wide, touch the man on the arm or hand a lot, play with your hair etc. etc. - all signs that say "I am interested in you.

OTOH - if you do act like that when you are talking to random men about e.g. horses or cassocks, then you need to learn to avoid doing all of the above!

HTH

No sauce on breakfast, thanks.

No, I don't do all of those things, thumb, unless you count fiddling with my hair, which I don't think is the same thing as playing with it. The reason it came up was because we were talking about whether a particular woman felt threatened by my getting on well with her husband, and looking back at all the times I've had unwanted attention from men despite CLEARLY stating I was in a happy relationship etc (including 1 sexual assault from the friend of my fiance).

well - next question is do you have stonking great bosoms? Because you can be completely austere, show no interest at all, glare at men and be generally repulsive in manner and some of them will STILL go after you just because of your bosoms. (I have friends who have problems with this). Sad but true.

And very for you that your fiancé's friend took such dreadful liberties - I hope he was sacked as a friend.

I'd like slightly larger bosoms. Was happy pregnant and BF -- actually looked like I had boobies. They've gone completely back to my pre-preggers size now. Mom said I'd gain at least 1/2 cup to 1 cup size. WRONG! At least boys don't look at my bosoms.

Very at "friend", Mary. Agree with thubm, hope he was sacked (and worse!).

Put BabyScout in one of the new pairs of shorts I bought the other day -- ones that I bought slightly larger since he seems to be rapidly outgrowing things his size/next size up. They look like 3/4 length surfer pants on him! LOL. At least they have an "adjustable waist" (like the type you get in maternity jeans/trousers). With his plaid button-down surfer shirt on, he looks really sweet (if a bit Californian!).

Oh, thumb, what did DH make you for dinner last night?

I agree that unless you are doing overtly flirty body things (too close to them, touching them, flicking your hair etc), that it isn't you.
In my experience, some men will make unwanted advances even if you are talking about the price of soap, wearing neck to ankle clothes, and making stringent efforts to give off 'not interested' vibes. And some women get funny about their DH talking to any woman between 16 and 60 - possibly due to bad experiences of their DH misbehaving, but they transfer this to the woman rather than the offender.

And you can add hanging onto partitions (if you've got them in an open plan office) whilst leaning slightly towards the man in question... its so difficult to advise Marn without seeing what you're doing! Is there anyone that you might be able to ask about it that knows you in RL? Something along the lines of 'you know I have problems with understanding body language - is there anything that I might regularly do which might be misconstrued ' or something like that? And it might be that you might be missing out on subtle body language of the men that are talking to you about entirely safe subjects - and because of that, they think that you might welcome their potential advances? Difficult to know what to suggest on that one - its certainly not your fault...

Scout - glad that camping issue has been resolved - sounds much better.

Thumb - 7.30 would be bliss... Mistlechick has woken me up so regularly now at about 6 (we really put our foot down on 5 / 5.30!) that I now wake up automatically then - he didn't wake until 6.40 this mornign - by which time I was up, breakfasted and on the way to the shower!

Lots of meet-ups planned and in-planning - how exciting!

LAst night we had turkey pasta - it was very nice. Tonight though I am cooking - we are having deep sea perch with a cheesy breadcrumb coating. I shall make DH cook over the weekend - he seems to have got out of the habit again and he's away 2 nights next week as well.

Agree with both CMOTD and MT re extra signs and other women's paranoia.

I'm quite matronly, I have size C cups, but then I'm a size 18, so not out of proportion to the rest of my body. I did once obliquely ask a close friend about it, and she said no, she'd have noticed that, because she is good at spotting things like that. But it doesn't explain the wife's behaviour - and from what I know of the husband, he wouldn't be unfaithful, and never has been. It may be in the past that women have chucked themselves at him, but I wouldn't know about that.

As for the "friend". We broke off contact, yes, afterwards. But it was horrible at the time. And the fiance concerned was my exH.

Thanks, you're putting my mind at rest...

Emails?

Oh that's good Amber - didn't get stuck on the M25 on the way back then!

Pimms o'clock, is it? I miss Pimms as well - I can get it here but it costs about £30 mail order. Ouch! (I might have already told people that, sorry if I'm repeating myself )

Mary - some women are just naturally jealous and paranoid, without any indicative behaviour from their current spouse/partner - she might have low self esteem, or a previous partner might have cheated on her so she is more wary, even though her current partner seems ok. Still unlikely to be your fault though!

BTW Scout - ds - 5 in April - is now wearing size 7 - 8 shorts as his new ones... at least that way I won't have to throw them all out next year and start again! And adjustable waists are your friend! So much better than plain elastic, or even worse, traditional fit - that don't ever.

(Scout - I should have said - adjustable waist short FOR BABY SCOUT are your friend... )

Racing - Can't do the suggested date for Wilton House. Any chance of a rendez-vous in the school hols when SmallGirl can avail herself of the adventure playground?

Mistle - I am, ahem, rather fond of the adjustable waistband mesself.

Running through. Mary I think it sounds like a case of blaming you for (mis)conduct of others but Mistle's advice good

got to work tonight so swift pimms and off. Plan hatching for tomorrow. Anyone around and want to join come see my email. Address is name and it's hotmail xx

Anyone have a disco ball I can borrow?