ELEVENSES - the next chapter

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

Ooooh, nice new thread, thank you

How are things with you? Here all is fine, we are all a bit tired and sore-throaty so definately glad half term is here! Dh is working today but has the rest of the week off - yippee! We are hoping to spend part of a day at Wisley Gardens, we want to visit the Milestones museum in Basingstoke, we are having a diy day (desperately needed as the fence to next door is not safe adn dillydog keeps escaping ), dh adn I have tickets for the theatre and we also want to go swimming one afternoon and squeeze in an Ikea visit at some point as well. We were also hoping to go to London next Sunday but O has a halloween party / sleepover next weekend so we just won't have time... Am exhausted just writing it all down

I think school applications are fine. Had email confirmation from the support desk at eAdmissions telling me both applications (one for O and one for E) had been submitted. Have printed off the email as proof should it all go pearshaped but I think it will be fine. Roll on March though, I just want to know for definate...

Have not had confirmation that I am definately booked onto that course - I finished work at lunchtime on Friday and the bursar had not yet managed to book it (or she had booked it but not put confirmation in my pigeon hole) Will find out Monday. They should also book T the other new TA onto the course so hopefully I am going with a familiar face

Hope all is well with you both

Loving the thread title btw!!

phew about school admissions ! Dh off today so the three of us went to Basingstoke this afternoon to see Up - was a lovely,lovely film,funny and sad and charming -recommend it hugely ! Nice early supper at Wagamama afterwards - I had to swap my ramen for Theo's choice of very hot spicy chilli prawn noodle soup thing,which was too hot for him -quite hot enough for me -yum though.
T is off to my brother and SILs tomorrow with my parents to see his cousin M in Bath -should be jolly - he is very excited. Seeing MIL later in week.
Have letter for my assessment with mental health team -need to make an appointment,which is a bit scary...

Have I missed something? Mental health assessment? Have read through the old thread, can't find anything. Are you okay?

Milestones museum in Basingstoke was great - we had a brilliant time. O and E especially liked the sweetshop, the dressing up in period costumes and the old toyshop. We also spent a happy 45 minutes making halloween witches and skeletons

Off to do dinner now (stuffed pittas, quick and easy) as I am playing badminton with the ladies from school tonight. Have to make the most of it because the sports hall will be unavailable for the next weo weeks due to the GCSE mocks. Apparently though, the cost of the court hire is £7 but all 4 of us pay £2 each and the spare pound goes into the kitty which contributes to an evening at the pub whilst the hall is otherwise engaged I like the ladies I work with

Glad to hear the film Up was good - we are hoping to squeeze in a cinema visit this week (are running out of time already) and are undecided between Up and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs....

Right, better go, back later

oh pick Up, it's lovely - O and E should both really like it and it'll make you teary -it's funny and touching and clever and exciting - looks a lot better than the meatballs film, imo
The assessment is for the CBT - they have to decide what my needs are etc and whether I should have CBT

Ah yes, the CBT , I remember now!!
Am a bit weary of UP - have heard many people say it made them cry. Am not really in the mood for a sad film (or any film with sad elements) tbh.

it's more uplifting teary than sad teary - it'll make you feel good after - honest !!

Okay, will consider it I think that is the one O wants to see so we will probably end up there anyway [shsmile]

!!

Hello! I love our shiny new thread - fab name!

Glad you're having good half-terms. Which film did you choose Hippi, or haven't you been yet? We want to see both of those too, so will be guided by your experiences... Dsis has just been to see Fantastic Mr fox and really enjoyed it btw.

Good news about the appointment MAS, how do you feel about it? I've never been to Wagamamas, but I know B would love it. She'd live on noodles if we let her

We got back very late last night from MIL's. I must admit it was the best visit we've had to hers. B was a star and was in good form when we visited all the family, she even played the recorder for great aunt B! We visited Rufford Old Hall and did lots of Halloweeny pumpkin hunting, went to the beach twice, and went into Liverpool and saw HMS Illustrious in dock there. It was really HUGE I'll post some photos when they come off the camera...

We had a meal with some old school friends of dh's, which was a bit difficult. They are desperately trying to stay together as a couple, but it doesn't seem to be working There was lots of sniping at each other and it felt a bit difficult being there. B had a lovely time playing with the toys though!

I have a mountain of washing to do, so will go and get on...

Hello
Trip away sounds lovely hotcross - shame about dh's friends though...

We have not been to the cinema yet, in fact I can't see where and how we would fit it in...

Last night MIL babysat whilst dh and I went to the theatre. We saw Our Man in Havana starring Simon Shepherd [drool], Philip Franks (he was the sargeant in Heartbeat), Norman Pace and a girl called Beth who has been in teh Bill. (she was the only one I did not recognize. It was brilliant We loved it!!

Today we went to Wisley Gardens which was fun - lots of leaf collecting, the dc decorated a pot and planted a wallflower, and we treated ourselves to lunch there. We bumped into 2 girls and a boy from E's class, O's great teacher from last year with her family (she has 3 boys in Y6, Y3 and YR) and we bumped into one of the other TA's from school. Bit busy!

Tomorrow we are braving Ikea as there are a few essentials such as lightbulbs we must buy and I love browsing their Christmas secion.

Saturday dh is at work all day and I am planning to get the pumpkins carved and then that night O is at a Halloween Cubs sleepover party. Dh and I have decided to take E to the halloween trainride at Mizens Railway in Knaphill and then out for a bit to eat

Hope you all enjoy the rest of half term!

Hi Hippi You're having a busy half-term too. We're so lucky the weather is OK to be out and about.

Which theatre did you go to? How civilised! We've just booked for The Night before Christmas, which should be lovely. We've been wanting to see it for a couple of years and been too late each time to get tickets, so this time I'm thrilled!

We went to Mizens a few weeks ago - it is so funny Halloween there will be fab.

We've had friends round this afternoon and the girls have trashed the house Will have to have a huge tidy up after tea. we were supposed to be going to a NT place but the girls wanted to stay in and play, so C and I have had a lovely time chatting

Must carve the pumpkin when dh gets home!

Oooh, Night before Christmas will be fab!
Theatre was teh New Victoria in Woking. It truly was a brilliant show. I have a huge, and I really do mean huge soft spot for Simon Shepherd every since Peak Practice . And although he has aged, he has aged well

Ikea was fab today - treated ourselves to new bedroom curtains (hugely expensive at £50 per pair and we needed two pairs as our bedroom has two windows) but so nice. Treated E to a bat glove pupped as bats are her favourite animal of all time (strange child) and O had to have a spider one to take to the Cubs sleepover tomorrow Other than that we bought the usual stuff - two wicker baskets (why do we always need wicker baskets when we are in Ikea??), some Christmas tree decorations, some washing up brushes, a saucepan, some lovely gift boxes, two huge rolls of red polka dot paper tablecloth (for E's party), two plugs for the kitchen sink.
Had lunch there - always nice

How funny you went to Mizens a few weeks ago - the halloween one is always brilliant, so I am looking forward to it!!

Back later, off ot have a cuppa and watch a bit of tv with dh hsmile]

hello you two - am having to catch up having been away until this afternoon..went up to Notts to see MIL and dh's family..was nice but tiring,all the driving really.
All your holiday activities sound great ! I bet B would love Wagamama - I certainly do ! Am feeling ok about appointment -I think ! apparently the assessment takes 2 hours - crikey ! Will catch up properly later - dh working from home tomorrow so might not get near computer

75 LBS HIPPI !!!! yay !!!!!

Thank you MAS Sadly I have put 3 of them back on again over the half term....[great embuggerance emoticon]

2 hour appointment - yikes! Good that they are thorough though!

Mizens halloween ride was fab - better than it has been for years! Really really great fun. We took E out for a meal at the Hunter's Lodge afterwards, lovely evening out
O had a great time at his Cubs halloween party - all the traditional games plus some serious trick or treating at pre-arranged houses (other scout leaders etc). Apparently it was not lights out until midnight so he was a bit tired yesterday. He also looks very comical - he went to the party as Dracula and all the face paint has washed off nicely ecxept for the black I put over his eyebrows. He now looks like one of those batty old ladies who paint their eyebrows very thickly in black eyepencil....
Oh well.....

Really don't fancy going into school today. Monday is my busiest day. I have some laminated A4 signs to do for one of the teacher's and am so rubbish on the computer I am just not coming to grips with it. And am getting embarrased about keep asking for help.
Also, the half terms was so lovely, I have remembered how much I enjoy being at home...
Oh well...

Have a great day both of you

Hello Have been without internet access for a couple of days don't like it at all!

Hope you're both OK. 2 hour appointment sounds very thorough. Good to know they are taking time over you MAS. Glad Mizens was so good Hippi. Was thinking about you what do they do differently on Halloween? Was it properly scary???

B went to a friend's Halloween party and had a fab time. They played proper old-fashioned games, bobbing for apples etc and went trick-or-treating later. Am still a bit about trick-or-treating, but all the households knew they were coming. M's mum had arranged it all very well.

We had exciting news. B has won a drawing competition at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. She had to draw something to do with the theme of 'families' and the winning design would be carved in wood and displayed on a totem pole. They've just chosen the winners and will start carving soon and the winning designs will be on display from next Feb half-term. YAY! She is so proud of herself

It's tipping it down here, so I'm sorting out clothes etc. Very boring.

Hello

Yay for B and the winning design - what a star!! Can you link to her design?

Halloween party sounds lovely - similar to what O did with Cubs. I don't agree with trick or treating either but don't mind pre-arranged houses

Halloween trainride was fab. They have a huge bonfire somewhere along the track, lanterns everywhere, ghosty masks/puppets in the trees and along the track, makeshift graveyards with funny inscriptions and a pair of upside down mannequin legs, spidersweb in both the tunnels along with spooky music etc.
This year they also had 3 dressed up staff members who 'spooked' you along the track which is something they had not done for a few years. Three years ago they were dressed as undertakers who opened a coffin and a person jumped out as the train went past. This year they had a person on a trolley and two ghouls were pretenting to beat him. Lots of Ketchup and it was very ovbvious it was not real
It is not properly scary - it is aimed at children after all, but it is just such good fun and a great athmosphere. At the station they sell hotdogs/burgers, there is facepainting etc. Most children dress up (and even some parents) so it is just nice.

Weather is miserable isn't it? I ahve to pop to Sainsbury's later.

First training session tomorrow - will ahve to cross Guildford in teh rush hour and get to the Cathedral. Should be fun
Am looking forward to it though.

Mizens sounds fab Hippi Will bear it in mind for next year!

I can't link to the design - I've forgotten what she actually drew but apparently we can pop in anytime to the Electric Theatre and they'll let us see it. It was part of this:

www.guildford.gov.uk/GuildfordWeb/Events/GreenWeek.htm Don't know why that wont link properly though!

Oh good luck on your course - it will be great!

I have a dilemma. I've had my tutees mum on the phone begging me (literally) to tutor him again. Apparently he hates school, is fed up of plasticene and playdough etc etc and it's 'made me appreciate how special M's time with you was' I don't really want to do it, but I feel guilty that apparently he's begging me to come back etc etc. WWYD??

I don't suppose you both fancy a pre-Christmas coffee at the Packhouse do you? I know you're really busy at work now Hippi, but if you did fancy it, I wonder if we should get a date in the diary before we get madly booked up? Just a thought...

Oh it did! yay! Just scroll down...

Have bookmarked that page to remind me to go and look at the sculpture - but do remind me nearer the time! Clever clever B!!

Difficult one about tutee - is mum asking for you to tutor him in addition to school or in place of?

I would really only do it if it fits in with you and your family.

I think the boy has only been at school 6 weeks, mum needs to give it time. E was dreadfully bored in reception (O less so, playdough was the right level for him ) but the teachers soon identified those children who would benefit from 'stretching'.

Don't feel guilty - doing the job out of guilt would be a bad basis for doing the job in the first place.

I accept that the boy is bright, but it sounds to me that this (judging from your previous posts) is all driven by mum. Is she making more of his being bored because she wants to single him out as 'special' and 'super clever'?

The whole thing (and of course I can only judge from what I have read from your posts) does not sit well with me.

Pre Christmas coffee sound great, when did you have in mind? I break up for the Christmas holidays on the 18th December. Of course that woudl mean I have O nd E with me.
I do work half days on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday but it might be a bit rushed if we have to get back to school for pick-up time.
But if there is any way we can fit it in then great!!

wow - clever B !!!!! you must be really proud hotcross -well done her
Good luck tomorrow with training hippi - am sure it'll be great and you'll be fine getting to the cathedral.
As for the boy dilemma - I do agree totally with hippi - it's very difficult,especially knowing he is desperate for you to go back - am sure he really loved having you tutor him,but maybe the mum is putting words into his mouth as she is desperate for you to go back ? If it is something you don't want to do though I think you shouldn't out of feelings of guilt/obligation/whatever - horrid to do a job but feel unhappy in it...sorry,not terribly helpful.
PackHouse coffee sounds fab - T breaks up on 18th - am happy to have him come along if the other dcs are there !!
Have been to IKEA in Southampton today with my friend S - my first visit there -not IKEA but that branch...it always overwhelms me a bit but managed to be sensible and bought some useful stuff (wooden coat hangers/washing up brush/paper napkins/straws/cute glass light with red birds on it,like a little globe/new wall clock for T's room/licorice/a few wooden picture frames/some christmas lights/little glass candle holders for presents and a lovely,cosy,chocolate brown throw to snuggle on the sofa in !) Had a quick lunch in the cafe - was fairly packed !

Oh I am so about your trips to IKEA! I must try harder to persuade dh to take me there. I love the whole IKEA experience, I am so sad

Hope your day is going well at the Cathedral Hippi. You are a proper woman of work now, courses and everything... I hope you come back inspired!

Thank you for your views about the tutoring. I agree with both of you almost completely. However, there's a little voice in me which, selfishly, says I enjoyed being able to say I was a tutor and not just a SAHM IYSWIM? So, I didn't enjoy the actual work, and the pay didn't cover the amount of work I was doing, but it gave me a bit of meaning I think. But that probably says more about me than about whether I should do the job. He's a lovely little boy, but he is being pushed more than I feel comfortable with. Oh, I don't know. Watch this space...

I've just got back from my lovely school mums bookgroup and I'm yet again struck by house envy! We were in a 17C cottage, beautifully and artfully decorated, and I didn't want to leave! The mum is such a lovely sweet person, very gentle and thoughtful and her house suited her perfectly.

are any of you having probs. getting a post to come up on a favourited thread - it's driven me mad on the tamoxifen thread so am accessing our thread on 'threads I'm on ' instead,which seems to work...bloody nuisance though.
Hope course was good hippi and that all is well chez hotcross

Hi, I am having problems with most of the threads at the moment - I post and it disappears, I can't find stuff, threads are not coming up, most odd
How funny MAS - we both went to the same Ikea! We had never been to the Southampton one before and were very impressed!! I loved the layout - it felt less warehousy!

Course was great. I bumped into a lady I used to invigilate at W.C with, turns out she had been offered a TA position at another nearby primary school Small world... I found the Cathedral with no worries, and it was a lovely day (but exhausting)

Work has been good this week. Boy has changed his attitude to work round completely and is keen to do writing etc. He still does not 'get' and does not like numbers at all (8 is bigger than 10 was one of today's gems ) but on the whole is is trying and his attitude is great.

I am at a girl's night in tonight with 5 other mums from the school (two of which are my close friends) and am looking forward to it. Am preparing myself for house-envy though, the mum whose house it is at has recently moved into a huge (6 bed) detached house on the posh side of Woking. They then immediately got builders in and had it knocked about, new kitchen etc. I have heard it is amazing But she is a great laugh and not at all snobby or big headed so I am looking forward to tonight (even though with only 3 bedrooms I am tonight's poor relation...)

Right, I need your advice. I am supposed to be going to water aerobics with a friend next week. I went on Wednesday night to try the class out and it was a disaster. The class was fun but I had a complete wardrobe malfunction adn was unable to keep my breasts inside my swimsuit.
Now, I cannot afford a new swimsuit (this one is brandnew) so I was going to wear my sportsbra under my costume. Costume is red with white edges and white straps. I tried my sports bra under it last ngiht and it completely disappears at the front but at the back, due to the cut of the swimsuit you can see the back clasps and shoulderstraps. Can I get away with this or will I get laughed out of the water? I really cannot do the class without any form of scaffolding and I don't really want to wear a t-shirt on top as it will cling to me when wet and stop me from being able to move my arms quickly during jumping jacks etc...
Or shall I save myself the embarresment and give up on the idea of wateraerobics?

And finally, do either of you have any good ideas for either obtaining or making a top hat and a colourful tails coat? I need to put O's costume for Dodger together and am already struggeling...

Hope all is well with you both