ELEVENSES - the next chapter

[MaryAnnSingleton]

here we go !

hippi - huge hugs - how horrible for you
Recycling bins can be a huge generator of discord - the people who lived in my parents new house (before the people they bought from)who I know fromT's school used to have huge set-tos with the current next door neighbours over bins as they had to access the side alley through the neighbour's garden -they have the right of way, but the neighbours made it very difficult. Once the horrid neighbour threw the bins into the road in a fit of pique. They don't exactly make it very easy or welcoming for my parents.
Try not to fret and if you can bear it,show him you are above pettiness and apologise (even though it isn;t your fault0 - it'll wrong foot the slob..

Thanks MAS

Basically, on Weds eve he had a bbq with some friends. He then put both recycling bins out on the kerb (we always do eachother's bin out of neighbourlyness)
I had a blue Ikea bag full of recycling under my sink so took it out to the bin to find it chocablock with his wine bottles, beer cans etc. No room to squeeze any of my stuff in. So I took some of his stuff out and put in by the side of his bin. I then put my stuff into my bin.
He comes knocking 5 minutes later and starts ranting about our pettyness, lack of values and how unbelieveable we are. We told him he should have asked to use our bin. He told us he tried but we were not in (does that mean you then do as you like?)
Anyroad, he then calls his wife out of the house and tells her to put our bin back by the side of the house. So dh goes back out to move our bin back to the kerbside and he comes storming out of his house and starts ranting about our pettiness and ridiculousness again.

Yesterday I tried to politely explain that I had not removed his recycling out of pettiness but that I had only taken some out to make room for my own recycling. He starts raving adn ranting about my values, my morals, how I am selfish and petty so that is when I lost it and told the fat slob to fuck off. I am still ashamed but no longer feel guilty. Am damned angry with him!

Anyroad, house is going on the market and hopefully within 6 or so months we are shot of him!

Can't apologize, he wants us to stay away from him and he would not listen anyway. He is like that.

Sigh.

what a complete git - lots of love to you xx

Oh no Poor you and poor O! You have got so much to deal with ATM.

I'm so sad the stuff with O is worse. How is he handling it? Bet he didn't want to go to school this morning... Make sure school fully understand and support him Hippi, this has been going on way too long, and they have the power to turn it around. Honestly, little shits

Your neighbours sound delightful Why on earth are people so precious and spiteful? I remember how awful I felt when our neighbour was being mean, almost like we were under seige. I didn't want to go out in the garden incase I saw her, as I knew there would be another stream of abuse. I can fully understand why you want to move - fortunately for us she moved out first! We now have a fab family next door, and I'm forever wasting hours chatting with them. They have a 10 year old daughter who isn't too cool to play with B, so the girls flit between the gardens. It's great I had begun to feel really low about myself, maybe we were awful neighbours etc, but now I realise how unreasonable the old bat was. Hippi, you're a lovely family and they have a screw loose. Try not to get involved as it just makes you feel worse, also then when you do the moving form about your neighbours you can just say you don't see much of them - not a lie!

MAS - fantastic news that your results were clear! (you sort of got lost under my anger at poor Hippi's woes!) You must be so relieved The lady in the loo story made me giggle

You can help me hopefully.. We had B's friend over on Saturday and took the girls to Claremont which was lovely. However, her friend J kept wanting B to come into the bushes with her, we think to go to the loo. Anyway, we managed to persuade her to walk round to the loos instead! Anyway, when we got home, the girls played in the garden while we got tea together, and then J went home. Later we went into the garden and discovered that she'd pooed at the bottom of the garden and covered it with a leaf She'd definitely come into the loo for a wee but obv not the other Now, she's done this before, so I'm beginning to think she has some sort of problem... WWYD? Do I ignore it and make sure I stay outside with them next time, talk to her mum (embarassing!) or talk to her? It's pretty gross

hope O is ok this morning for school Hippi - and that you are feeling ok too - as hotcross says, you are a delightful family- lovely children and am sure Mr Hippi is every bit as fab as you.
B's friend - I would speak to her mum - just straightforwardly- see if there are any lav probs at home. I suppose it could be more than that though but am no psychologist.

O was fine this morning and in fact spent the day hanging around with boy L. Problem is, L is one of the cool dudes and to be in with the boys in O's class you have to hang around with L. Never a good thing. I told the head of Y6 and she wants to speak to both boys later this week. O now cross with me as he wants the whole thing forgotten about. Argh!

Glad to hear your results were clear MAS. Had to chortle at your story of the lady in the loo!! Bless her!

Hotcross - I too think I would have a quiet word with B's friend's mum. My first thought was that she had got caught out but to be honest at rising 7 she should not be getting caught out like that.
The covering with a leaf does suggest she knows it was wrong....
How approachable is mum?

you were right to speak to the head of yr 6 Hippi
btw congratulations on the 92 lbs

Wow! fantastic weight loss hippi. I'm in awe!

Well done for talking to the Yr6 head. I know O is a bit peeved, but inside he'll be comforted that you care and support him, and it might be enough to stop any further happenings

I chickenend out of talking to J's mum I think I'll set ground rules next time she comes, and then talk to her mum if it happens again. I think she'd be mortified TBH.

Right off to bed. I've a drs appointment in the morning to talk about my migraines - 2 in 2 weeks seems unmanageable. Hope he agrees!

how did it go with the doc ?

Hi MAS! I'm a bit at the moment tbh.

He was very very nice, smiley, approachable etc etc but I'm not convinced he truly listened. He pretty well ignored the shoulder/neck/back pain and focused solely on the migraines, not seeming to see them as particularly connected IYSWIM? I have quite a lot of time when I barely notice any pain in my shoulder, then it seems to go into spasm, my neck aches etc and then along comes the migraine, which makes me feel they're part of the same whiplash problem.

However, he wants to try to prevent the migraine from starting in the first place by giving me amitriptyline, which is an antidepressant but it works on nerve pain including migraine apparently. They seem to be fairly powerful drugs, but I'm starting on a very low dose and can then increase it if necessary. The leaflet says no booze etc etc.

I'm a bit scared of taking them tbh and I don't think they're going to tackle the muscle pain and that's sore too...

Was a bit when he mentioned migraine can be triggered by sex! Dh will laugh at that one - I'm sure he'd feel very lucky if we did it that often Also didn't help that he's pretty good looking A bit TMI!

arf !!! I think my friend F takes amitriptyline for fibromyalgia. It would make sense that it was connected to the whiplash

hello - hope you've both had good weekends - we've been entertaining my aunt and cousin..was fun.

Weekend has been great - but the rain meant we could not get half the stuff done int he garden we meant to get done (mow lawn and fix broken fence in preparation for estate agent to take photos)
Am still very torn about selling. I love this house and I love the low mortgate. But I don't like the road and the lack of parking is driving me mad. Not to mention the noise of people in the high street on Friday and Saturday nights. Oh and idiot neighbour who I really don't like.
Really not sure what to do.... eek....

O's play at the Electric Theatre last night was FAB!! We went for dinner at Jamie's Italian across the road afterwards - it was lovely. And O is 'in love' with a girl from his drama group who is a year older than him, we met her parents and have arranged for O to visit her in the half term.
We LOVED B's drawing on the pirate statue - E was particularly taken by it, well done B!!

MAS - who is Nick and why are you agreeing with him??

excellent to hear that O's play was a success - well done to him and that he is in love-awww.
And you saw B's drawing
Moving is hard - you have to weigh up the + and - and see which comes out top.
Nick - election ?

Hello

I'm so glad O's play was good - you must be so excited to see him up on stage! How lovely about the girl, must be good for his confidence and great it's something outside of school.

I agree with MAS. Moving is always a wrench, and particularly when it's a choice to move rather than out of necessity. However, it sounds like many of your negatives are quite considerable (lack of parking would definitely drive me mad). Anyway, you don't need to actually sell until you exchange contracts, so have a go and see how you feel a little way down the line - you may spot somewhere perfect for you

Glad you liked B's art too. We actually met the Tree Pirates this week... I've been arranging for them to quote for the school sensory garden, so they came to look at the playground for ideas. B was very thrilled to meet them again

We've just got back from a lovely weekend in Southampton. We were supposed to be camping with friends, but saw the weather forecast and booked an hotel instead It was great! We went on the ferry to Hythe, spent yesterday on the beach (bit cold but sunny) and ate in nice pubs. All in all perfect

INSET tomorrow, but no idea how we'll spend it.

MAS - I did think Nick as in Clegg but was not sure

Southampton sounds great hotcross - we love Hythe.

I am so torn about selling. This house is spacious, albeit only a 2.5 bed. We have a big and fab garden, two reception rooms, a generous kitchen, a huge bathroom. But only 2.5 bedrooms. And no parking. And are on a busy little road where in the summer we can hear the revellers falling out of the pub on the highstreet and come clattering past our house shouting, singing and sometimes effing and blinding. We will struggle to afford the most basic, bland, 3 bed semi. Probably a 60's thing on an estate. It will be practical. It will have parking. I will be able to stand up in O's bedroom. Hopefully it will be quiet. But will I love it? Like I love (have loved) this house?

Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh, I just don't know what to do.....

Can you imagine yourself in a newer house ? would your heart be in it ? perhaps take a look aroun d some just to get the feel. Very difficult decision to make. This house is slightly smaller than our London house - we had to pay my brother a share from our house sale as the house we owned was originally bought with my dad's help -and he always splits things like money evenly between us. It was a sizeable chunk so we could only afford this house -which we love dearly- so compromised with space in favour of charm and character.

I am beginning to MAS (seeing myself in a newer house that is...) I am beginning to picture it. I grew up in a 1960's open plan house which my parents made really funky with wood flooring and a cool spherical log burner and it really was great (misty eyed emoticon)

It is just the worry of committing to a larger and longer mortgage. When we could make do in this house.

Argh, being a grown up is hard sometimes!

when it has your things in it and you make it your home then it will feel different - I think so many people don't put their individual personalities into their homes -they either feel scared to express themselves/have no aesthetic sympathies ! I grew up in an Edwardian house which my dad made very funky with 60s/70s cool styling -it was very early habitat - mum silk screen printed the curtains and there was a whole wall with part of a painting printed on to it (can't remember what the title was-wish I had a photo) He lowered the ceilings in the sitting room with wood strips and fixed a light that slid across the ceiling and went up and down- it was nice being different but I used to sometimes yearn for net curtains and ordinariness !

Hello

I haven't been on here for a bit, hope you're both well and your housing dilemma is becoming clearer Hippi? It is hard to make such a big decision though. I love the sound of both of your houses when you were growing up BTW!

I have to say having new neighbours has made me love where we live I used to avoid going into the garden incase I saw the old bat who lived next door - she would always be moaning about something we'd done wrong. Awful. Anyway the new people are great - we're spending a lot of time chatting and B and C get on well so they play nearly every day. We're about to share a skip, so we must be getting on OK

Hello you two

Well, estate agent was here today and house will 'go live' on Thursday. eeeeek. Am terrified but also believe it is the right thing to do.
Having some trouble finding something we would like to buy (not much about in our price range) but new properties come on the market all the time so I'm sure something will come along

So please make sure you are both here (at all times!) for lots of handholding!!

We'll be here lovey - you'll find somewhere and it'll be fine
I wondered whether you two might be able to come to my Strawberry Tea party in June -raising money for Breast Cancer Care - I have gathered (through the huge generosity of folksy shop people) lots of really loved handmade things as prizes for raffles etc. I know it's a bit of a trek(about 15 mins max further into Hampshire from Alice Holt) so quite understand if you didn't feel able.

Thanks MAS

There is a house we have fallen in love with (from the outside, have not viewed it) but it is £30,000 out of our pricerange. I asked our estate agent if in his experience people were ever willing to drop the price by this much and he thought not. Might still view and put in a cheeky offer. Nothing ventured and all that...

Let me know the date of the Strawberry Tea Party and I'll see what I can do

oh go for it Hippi - nothing to lose by trying...
tea will be on Sat.19th xxxx