Dec 2008 - Hello 2011 the Year of the Toddler!

[DeidreBarlow]

Totally unispired but hope you all find it...

They've already got a 2y/o Vag - she's quite normal surprisingly, but possibly too early to tell they've already got her married off to ds
In all honesty, I think you may be right. it's all getting a little too hard basket for me I think, and I don't really want to fly that far when I'm not even setting foot on Aust soil iykwim. The other thing is, they have thought all along that WE would be going to them, therefor commited to a trip up to help my brother in may which will cost them money so they can't do both. We would have to fund it all and fly them to NZ. i've just checked standby and due to the bloody taxes is still expensive.

That house looks lovely Vag!

PD - yeah she said the 7th didn't she! Prob meant 11th. I'll check my situation and see what dh is doing etc. All going well I'm up for anywhere they serve alcohol the kids don't have to behave as well but our old haunt is easy.

Effie, you can't really go wrong with Derbyshire but my fav part is right up the top of the Peak district so Hope and Castleton are really beautiful. However, Bakewell, Matlock and of course Buxton are all lovely. The town of Ashbourne is quite sweet as well. Really as I said though you can't go wrong. Lady might be helpful with actual establishments. I think for me the area around Matlock bath is quite pretty and there are some great pubs including a place called The Bear which does accomodation and a great Sunday carvery and that's coming from a vegetarian.

Rubes if its so difficult that you resent having to go I think its best you don't. I think if you phone your friend personally and tell her she would appreciate it.

Oh and the part talking about them helping my brother etc I was talking about my parents if that sounded weird!
I'm going to have a proper chat with dh tonight. Who knows we will probably change our minds yet again, but doubt it. I suspect a longer than overnight trip to the US is looking highly likely!

Hurrah hurrah, Louis' tumor is benign!

BRILLIANT news Jam!!! SO happy for him and you!!! He's WAY too young! I'll have a MN BBQ in the Summer and he can come too :-)

Am working on the house - BOOOOORRRRRING - more later dear girls but hurrah for Louis' reprieve!!

Hooray! Glad you got the good news before your trip Jam. When do you head off?

Hooray Jam, I was obviously worried what the news would be re: the biopsy but if you got bad news just before your trip that would be terrible.

Yay for Louis!

As Feb 11th is my 21st birthday, I expect all meetees to have some cheerfulness to celebrate

How many years of experience as a 21 year old will you had ZJ?

This will be the 11th attempt, maybe I'll get it right this time Vag

Hooray for jams pooch!

Does anyone have JJ address?

Jam: have sent you a message via FB.

Was thinking idly on the way to work: now the Secret Santa is out of the way is anyone up for another swap? I thought a music swap might be entertaining: ie do a compilation CD thing and send it off. Maybe I'm hankering after those teenage days hunched over a tape recorder making compilations called 'Happy' with added sleeve notes. What do you think? We could always list the music we loathe as a safety net.

Vag: thank you v much for the recommendations, v helpful as I don't know Derbyshire at all. Am v keen on the idea of a nice hotel, open fires, walks and sitting in 'the pub with a paper.

Oh that's lovely news - hurray!

Any tips on gammy tummy buttons? I was getting DD2 ready for her bath last night and her tummy button was a bit red. Had a closer look and there was white stuff in it and it was a bit smelly. Cleaned it with some hot water and a cotton wool bud and got the goo out. This morning it is still red and a bit smelly, but the white goo has gone crusty. Do I put anythig on it, or leave it??!

Sorry, minging!

PS Thought I had written about Dad's 70th on here, but I didn't!

It was a really really lovely evening. My sisters and I met him in the West End for a drink and while we were sitting there, his 2 friends we'd secretly invited down from where we used to live up north came in. They'd come down specially, which was lovely. He was so overwhelmed and happy. They all welled up. Was v sweet. Mum had told them about his tumour, so they knew, which was good. But no one mentioned it. We went to Quo Vadis restaurant. It was magnificent. Such delicious food and the nicest waiter ever. Then we went onto Lucky Voice, which was great. Dad loved it, although he didn't get enough time on the microphone apparently!!! Home around 1am. Should have had a terrible hangover as drank like a fish, but due to faine waine, I just felt tired. Marvellous. ANd DD1 was in nursery, so just hung with DD2 and took her swimming. Heavenly. Then slept from 10pm - 7am straight last night. Yeehah!

Dad absolutely LOVED it and had a whale of a time. It was smashing. Really perked him up. Then yesterday he went to see the specialist and they're going to go ahead with radiotherapy first, starting next week, then remove the tumour in about 8-10 weeks. We're all going, en famille, to Greece at the end of May and Dad is aiming to be up and running for that. It's his sort of aim to get better for. There's going to be 14 of us - 3 families and Mum and Dad. Should be amazing.

Hey Beans what a lovely evening that sounds, so glad your dad enjoyed it. I want to go there too. Love the idea that fine wine gives you less of a hangover too. I am clearly drinking too much cheap stuff...

Re the belly button - maybe a dab of antiseptic cream or something? I dunno though, I'm no medic, clearly.

Jam Superb news!

Feeling a bit shattered today after another night of DD waking up about 3456436 times, culminating in her getting up at 4.30. Bit cross wtih DH because he went in and started chatting to her in a normal, it's morning voice IYSWIM, whereas I would have gone in and talked really quietly and persuaded her to lie back down etc. As a result she was exhausted and incredibly grumpy and DH left for work early leaving me to handle her massive strops about everything. And I do mean EVERYTHING.

However this afternoon I am interviewing Justin, so that's nice.

Oh that is nice, Kiwi. Ask him about his todger. Do you think that would be good?

Ha I shall add that to my list. That, and "How on earth does Mr Tumble afford the mortgage on that huge house?"

I think Aunt Polly works at Madame JoJos at weekends. And possibly as a prostitute on the side...

Ask him if he likes sausages say (accompanied with the appropriate sign language & and exaggerated eye brow lifting). "do you like sausages? I like sausages!"

Beans your a lovely daughter.

How the hell does Aunty Mabel have access to a runway just minutes from her house, but is also a stones throw from Uxbridge bus station? Not to mention holding a pilot's license at her age, and her primary mode of transport is flying! I mean strewth, she popped out in her plane as she needed a new dust pan and brush the other day! What sort of a message are we sending these kids! Wish you would interview her Kiwi.

What happened to the cold turkey operation let her cry Kiwi? Hope tonight is better, as long as you don't have nightmares about MrT's tallywacker

Beans - sounds like your dad had a wonderfuly night.Not sure re the gammy bb - seems odd to have that now - no? I reckon just get it clean and keep it dry.No medic here either.

My eyes are stinging, DS awake from 4.30am. Thought I'd go for a run while he was at playgroup but its about minus 2 and it was really hard to breath. I now feel crap.

beans you are a fab daughter and that holiday sounds great. Just what your Dad needs to keep him going when his treatment is tough.

kiwi How are you going to keep a straight face in front of Mr T