September 09 - Hello world, we're here to destroy you!

[ChutesTooNarrow]

So the last thread could be used as proof that September 09 (and an August!) parents were kept far too busy by their babies to talk about them very often! Shall we see if we can get this one done before second birthdays (eek, 2 is so big) are upon us?

Lafyem, they are in Bramcote (of leisure centre fame)
I'm up in a couple of weeks I'm doing some Makaton Training and it was easier to do it in the Midlands and have my parents look after the girls, than struggle with a commute her.
I think I'm going to have to set out a few ground rules for the three days though . I think they will get lots of treats!

OFGS ladyem

That's rubbish Carp, you have a valid reason to withdraw - estate agents are knobs!

Yes, I'm in Fleet so literally 15mins from the hospital :)

I would love to come to a meet up but wouldnt be able to do anything until the summer given my current whale like status :-)

Peachy - Lol! Yes, it was always a big treat to go swimming at Bramcote leisure centre!! There and Rushcliffe! DH and I are from Hucknall originally! Not as bad as it's reputation, but getting a bit rough now, I think. We moved away over 12 years ago, so it is strange to go back now.

Busy busy weekend. Just sitting down with the last of the Christmas chocolates to watch Dancing on Ice!!

If I have to leave Cornwall anywhere is far away, Birmingham is direct on the train I think. Although Mads on a train might be a terrible plan :) I have family in Leics though so could maybe combine the two.

I drove to London and back this weekend. Like you do.

Good weekend everyone?

That must be one long drive, Berry!! Go for anything nice?

We had a nice weekend, but busy and not the relaxing one we were hoping for!!

DD at nursery, so am going to put J down for a nap and put my feet up tackle the ironing!!

Birmingham isn't so good for me (I'd have to drive I think, and don't fancy that!), but Leicester or Bristol both feasible.

we spent the weekend tidying the house, filled the bin, and took our futon to the skip. we have much more space now :o which of course, a certain toddler spent his time filling with toys. Plus I got DH to throw out any shirts he doesn't wear any more - he had 18 so I'm dragging him to Lakeside in a couple of weeks so I can go to IKEA and take him shirt shopping in debenhams. any excuse to go to ikea though :o

did you have a fun drive to London Barry?

15 minutes to the hospital must be great when you're in labour april :o hope you're enjoying these last few months of pregnancy!

enjoy ironing Ladyem!

so bored at work, roll on saturday

I keep reading your name as NoCrapForMe

I had to go and pick my cousin up, she's moved back to Cornwall for a bit. You should have seen me in my purple van hossing it up the motorway :o Also managed a brief stop off in Ikea Bristol (naughty)

Bristol would be better for me meet up wise. Tis less of a trip with my little travelphobe monster darling

Kveta, I have also spent today clearing out! Did mine and DD's wardrobes and filled 4 black bin liners full for rubbish/charity shop!! There were things in boxes in her wardrobe that were age 3-6 months and stuff in mine from about 10 years ago!! I tend to only buy things I really really like so I wear them until they are threadbare in case I can't find anything similar to replace it! Also being tall I struggle to get things to fit properly, so I really hold on to stuff!! I have so much more space now!! Just need to to J's room tomorrow and then I can see about changing his furniture. We still have a chest of drawers/changing table combo and a small wardrobe and he really just needs one big chest of drawers I think. No need for the changing table any more as he's way too big - although used it for DD for ages for some reason!! - I haven't used it for J for months.

Bristol would be great for me as I know it well and could bunk with a friend instead of driving home!!

When are we thinking of? Feb/March time?

Did you buy anything nice at Ikea, Berry?

Carpy, am gutted that did not know you were often in Farnham, it was from a town nearby that my mum recently moved from. Now I no have reason to be in that neck of the woods anymore.

My DP is a feb birthday as well, it is clearly the greatest month to be born I genuinely could not remember the other day if I was going to be 31 or 32 next month and unfortunately for me it is 32 .

Bigbang, I was also raised in Surrey, near Guildford. I did all my underage teenage drinking in Guildford High Street and religiously went to Loft night at Bojanglez every Thursday. I do miss Guildford.

Birmingham is a bit far for my reluctant car traveler. Bristol or London better for us but don't let me stop any Birmingham meets going ahead!

I am a bit down at the moment as Gabe's sleep (or lack of it) is really bad. His canines are all broken through but now he has more back molars popping up. I am taking a little comfort in the knowledge that 16 teeth are done so only 4 to go. I can not wait for teething to be over.

Come on, then! Let's do Bristol!!

Chutes, I think that those last 4 come though when they are about 2, so you may well get a break from it when these are through!! We have 4 coming though that I can see and J is very grumpy, so I can relate! DD was a breeze with teething. She'd just wake up with 5 new teeth all at once and never seemed upset by it. J is a different story!!

Name change for how I am feeling today!

Hope you are all having a good one!

ok, bristol sounds good! how's about we move this discussion to FB just to establish where we all are/where we visit and when, so we can do meet ups that suit us all! (anyone not friends with us on fb, message me, and I'll put you right :o)

love the name change lazyem :o

and barry, I like that I'm crap - we could be an alternative comedy troop called barry and crap (or crapbarry) with our mis-read names :o actually, crapbarry is a better name than nocarp. hmm. may just spend all of january namechanging until I'm back to kveta!!

latest house news is that the vendors have booked someone to do the full survey to certify the property, so if that all goes ok and the bank still won't lend, we'll be looking for alternative lenders - so it's a faintly positive, albeit still stressful time!! I think saying we were withdrawing ouroffer has seriously put the shits up the vendors/estate agents.

teething not really an issue in our house, he seems happy with 9 teeth for now! I still only have 1 wisdom tooth, as does DH, so I suppose late teething runs in the genes. I cut his fringe yesterday and he looks (according to DH) like a tit. however, he can see now, which is good.

ooh, and my wee sister is having a boy - she is NOT impressed (wanted a girl quite badly), but all seems healthy, so that's good! plus it means we can offload a lot of baby clothes in the southhampton direction!!

Hey all!

Bristol is not great for me to be honest, sorry, but it's a very long drive or a very long (and expensive ) train journey with a small girl. Birmingham is better but no good if chutes can't make it! London? Somewhere in Surrey? Do feel free to go ahead with Bristol though if everyone else can make it there.

If we were to do it London-way where could we do it? I don't know that way much - even though lived in Hertfordshire for a year - but am happy to travel to London! Would be good if we could all make it! Can I make on teeny request? No Softplay!!! I hate those places with a passion!!! Shall I start one of those event thingies on FB then we can discuss it there like Carpy says?

Carpy - I used to keep typing Kevta instead of Kveta before, so we we would have had a Baz and a Kev!!! Oh and we need to see a pic of the hair cut!! I'm sure Oli doesn't look like a tit!!

Bought my 2 puddle-suits in the sales and they came today, so they are both happily running round the house in their suits looking like more colourful versions of the baddies at the end of ET!!! Now we just need some rain so that we can test them out in a puddle hunt!

how about here? or here? both will require less baltic weather, so maybe april onwards (the month, not the mother of lucy :o) would be best? Alternatively, one of the museums would be good for littlies. The British Museum is good, but maybe not ideal for toddlers. Not sure where else we can let toddlers loose though. Maybe bigbang and peachy can suggest somewhere? (preferably easily reachable from liv st!!)

I've never been to softplay! which is good :o
where were you in hertfordshire lazyem?

I only do soft play when there are no other other customers. Or when I can't get out of it (parties etc).

Will need a bit of time to save up for another jaunt, Christmas has cleaned out the reserves somewhat. Looking forward to meeting up though! I apologise in advance for Mads. He can be quite full on at times :o

:o :o :o crapbarry :o :o :o

We lived in Hitchin and Stevenage after DH graduated. Didn't really settle in either (didn't help that everyone kept asking me to say things like 'drunk as a skunk' so that they could get the full benefit of my Nottingham accent!) and so moved to Bristol where we lived for 8 years before moving up here!

Prolong going to softplay as long as you can! It just winds me up how some people hide behind a newspaper while their kids who are much to big for the toddler area go mad and trample on the little ones!! Also the noise can be unbearable! Give me the outdoors any time!! (Rant over!)

Both of those places look nice and April should be good for us, although DD's 4th birthday on the 7th and we might be going away for a week at some point that month, but will know when that is by the end of the week hopefully!

Yes April would be really good for me as well. I can only offer knowledge of London pubs and music venues so will let everyone else decide the place.

Is LJ on FB?

I don't know, I get very confused about who is who in RL - I have to work it out each time!

Is 'LJ' MB on FB?

Corams fields is good for small children, it was a bit run down last time I went but I expect it's been brighten up a bit since then. Battersea park is nice, with a zoo, but harder to get to by tube so perhaps not this time. Any of the big central parks would be good. The museums are great, I love the science museum! There is also the Horniman down in Dulwich, it's free, has an aquarium, but again harder to get to than somewhere central.

April would be good as it gives us time to plan. To be honest I think a park would be best (unless raining) as it will be easier to find a quite area to set up camp and chat play with the babies.

I quite like soft play but I think I have been spoilt with it, the soft play at brixton leisure centre was great, quite small and only ever about 2 other families there during school hours. Also newish and clean! Our local soft play here is held in the village hall once a month with a few squishy blocks and cakes from the local WI members. Tis very civilised!

*quiet of course