November 07 - Now they are FOUR they want so much more!!

[RGPargy]

New thread ladies to celebrate our DCs turning 4!! (!!!) :o

Hi ladies! Just bookmarking!

Greedy - that sounds like a good compromise re the uni work. Hope they agree with you! Dad's new place is a much nicer setting and closer to home which means we can see him more often, so it's better all round. He moves in on Wednesday.

I am having a little jubilicious tea party on Monday catered by me and DD. It's basically an excuse to eat lots of cake and for the grown-ups to drink pimms!

Back to the sort out - I am trying to do half an hour each day of something and today I am tackling a carrier bag which is stuffed with random things like bank statements, instruction manuals, photos and kids' drawings. I'm having lots of fun shredding stuff!

Hi everyone!

Finally I have got the chance to sit down for a bit and bash out a quick post lol.

Jubilee weekend - I am off on a fitness day tomorrow and DP is doing a Cyclosportive on Monday so nothing going on then, but on Tuesday our local community centre is having a "street party" which i am going to take DD along to. It's got a bouncy castle, stalls, a bring and share picnic and lots of other bits and bobs.

No plans for a holiday this year at all. DP is self employed and things are v. tight at the mo so it doesn't look likely that we'll be able to afford to go away anywhere. Oh well, maybe we could manage a couple of day trips or a night away or something.

Slightly exciting news - I made some choc chip cookies for my friend at work the other day and after they were tasted by a few people, it was recommended that i maybe make them and sell them to our firm (they have biscuits in meeting rooms and also monthly cakes). Anyway, i emailed the bloke in question and he said that they want samples and costings. So I will put together some sort of plan before i go back to work on 14th June. I know there's nothing in stone or anything but the fact that they didn't just completely write me off and actually want a sample is a positive thing - right?

Loopy - good move re the camp site. How are you doing lately?

Jet - good luck with the move! I hope it all goes smoothly for you. And dont go shredding any kids pictures!!

Right, well i suppose I'd best go to bed - got a long day ahead tomorrow. 6 hours (i think) of bag boxing and everything combat related lol. Erk!!

RG we will helpfully sample any cookies ! That sounds great! Fingers crossed.

Adam was a PITA yesterday, sun is shining today though so lots of exercise and fresh air and jubilee fun will hopefully sort him out! Enjoy everyone.

Hi ladies :)

Hope you've all enjoyed the jubilee weekend celebrations. Our local community centre a little party there on Tuesday, with a bring and share lunch outside, some dance demos, face painting etc. By the time we managed to get there, there was only about an hour left () but DD seemed to enjoy the brief time we spent there! Shame really as i wish we'd have done more to celebrate the jubilee but it just didn't happen really. Having said that, i remember when it was the Queen's silver jubilee. I was probably around 7 or 8 but all i remember was sitting down at a huge long table and eating party food. I dont remember anything else really so i'm not toooooo bothered that we didn't do too much else!! I know another lady who was about 9 years old at the silver jubilee and she also didn't remember anything other then the long lunch table! I feel much better about that!!

What did you all get up to?

PS Greedy - would love it if I could get the cookies to you without them being broken and/or pinched by the postman first!!

bookmarking

Hi everyone :)

I have come here for a rant! I'm really really pissed off with my GP. I used to have the hormone contraception injections and had my last one in November last year. I told my GP that i wasn't keen on them and that i 'd like to change. She said about having the mirena coil fitted (i've previously had the copper coil but had heavy periods so got them to take it out) which i agreed to. She told me to come back in February. I went back for a consultation and made another appointment to have the coil fitted. She had to cancel the appointment as she had to go away and i couldn't get in for another few weeks. So anyway, i finally go to make yet another appointment for today and went along all prepared to have it fitted. So then she asks about my LMP and i told her i haven't had one for months due to the jab etc (it can take up to a year to get back into the swing of things, menstrually). She looked a bit and asked if i'd done a pg test. I told her that i deffo wasn't pg. She said "How do you know?". I just said that i would know (meaning i know my body) and she just waved away that idea! Even the fact that I told her we were using condoms didn't sway her into believing me when i said i wasn't pg! She said that apparently they have a 20% failure rate!! Anyway, I know she is only trying to be better safe than sorry but FFS, couldn't someone have TOLD me to do a pg test the day before my coil fitting to save this complete and utter waste of MY time?!!

GGRRR, rant over!!! :o

That's bang out of order RG! A bit of info beforehand would have helped! I am still fuming because I have been recalled for a smear - not because of any probs but because the nurse who did my last one has bodged loads and they have had to recall all of us. I am mad because it was really painful and took ages and she was being supervised by another nurse so they must have had concerns about her already. Rah! Don't they know we are mums and don't have time for all this s**t?!

Oh I hear ya Greedy!!! It's so infuriating isn't it!! The thing that is really infuriating is that DD has to be picked up from pre-school at 11.50am so my window of availability is pretty small as i can only do mon, tues and weds too. Having had a discussion with the nurse about when i could and couldn't make another appointment, the receptionist then comes out from having chatted with the GP and the nurse and tells me that my next appointment is at 11.50 on the following week!! The nurse obviously hadn't listened to a word i'd said!! When i told the receptionist about my convo with the nurse, she looked at me and was like "so you cant make that one then, no?". Sheesh!!!!

ha ha! I love a good rant! Must book that flaming appointment today. Smears are so tricky because I don't feel it something that I can take Adam along to (nice memory for him!!). Remember the days when we just swanned around, unfettered by small people who watch and question your every move?!

Well Adam has demanded to have his beautiful curls cut off and DH resisted but I think it is fair enough, it is his hair and all that, so he has had a shorter cut and he looks v.handsome but soooooooo grown up [happy] - mixed emotions! He has now started the campaign not to go to school. His main concern seems to be being left by himself. I am sure he will be absolutely fine after the first time on his own but bribes may need to be purchased to soften the blow!

Bookmarking

Wondered where you had got to Loopy. Hope you are doing ok ? x

Loopy - how are you? I haven't texted because I'm rubbish, but do feel free to text anytime x

Wrote loads last week, hit post and was logged out, so I switched off the computer in a huff!

Anyway, to summarise:

RG - grrr about the pg test malarky. Been loving your baking pics on FB - can I join your group? I am seriously thinking about setting up a cake business and have been looking at all the health and safety requirements and legal stuff for baking from home to help me plan my new kitchen in the house when we move. A friend has asked me to bake some cakes for her sister's hen-do (lemonade and strawberry cheesecake) which is cool.

Greedy - I know what you mean about losing the curls, William looks so grown up now, but still as cute as ever! He had his second school session today, but wasn't as keen as he was last week. I think he'll be ok once term properly starts in September, but today he just wanted to stay at the park with his best friend. TBH, I get where he's coming from!

I'm an auntie! SIL had her baby last Thursday, a little girl. Can't wait to get to London to meet her, hopefully this weekend.

bedtime for me I think. I've just tried to fill the kettle with the lid closed and was wondering why water was spraying everywhere...

Jet - congrats on becoming an auntie!! . Anyone is welcome to join the FB group and for those who want to, just look up the Suburban Cookie Collective. Jet if you have any H&S requirement info and anything else that is pass-onable, I'd appreciate it..... . My next door but one neighbours have a little annex on their house when looks like it had any been used in years. In my head I have already leased it from them and turned it into my work kitchen lol. Going to experiment today and try and produce a cherry bakewell cookie!

*which looks like it hasn't been used in years..... Blardy autocorrect!

RG - this website is a good place to start. www.cakebaker.co.uk/health-hygiene-for-cake-baking-business.html Things like separate hand-washing facilities, food safety certificates, ingredients storage. I'm pleased I am getting to design my new kitchen from scratch anyway, so I can take all this into account from the start. A lot of it seems to be common sense, but important nonetheless. As I type, DH is on the Ikea website designing a kitchen! It would be brilliant for you if you could lease your neighbour's space. I love the sound of cherry bakewell cookie, yummy!

Hi everyone, thought I better come and catch up with you all!

loopy I posted a while ago to see how you were but then it went offline and I'd never got around to popping back. Hope you are ok and that you can come on for a chat soon.

jetgirl that made me laugh about the kettle. Adam is having his second session at school today, this time by himself, fingers crossed he enjoys it. I am a bit rah about the school's September settling in plan as, for the first two weeks, they are doing a flexible start time between 8.45 and 9.15 - well how am I meant to explain to Adam that other mummies and daddies might be staying but I have to dash to work? Also, even if I could stay, it would only prolong the agony I think. Anyway, he has a male teacher which I really chuffed about as there are so few working in primaries and he really enjoys it when the male nursery nurse is on duty.

rg pargy have your work commissioned your baking then? Sounds exciting!

Jet - thanks for the link - useful info on there. Think i will need to at least do the basic food hygiene test. As for separate hand washing facilities, is the bathroom ok? It's separate from the kitchen at least!! :o

Greedy - Not quite, but they are (hopefully) on the verge of doing so. I am baking 4 different varieties for the managers' meeting on Tuesday so once they have tasted them, hopefully they will give me the green light and I will be asked to bake them for specific meetings, or maybe even once a week or something??! My friend (bless her) has asked me to bake her some cheese straws for a mini work do at her office on Tuesday too so i'm going to be up to my eyes in it on Monday! It's all good tho!

The bakewell cookies were FABULOUS!! :o I wasn't sure whether or not i could pull off adding some jam to them as the cakes have a thin layer of jam in but tbh, it was a lot of faffing around for hardly any noticeable difference to those that did not have jam in. I have decided to not bother trying to add jam but will maybe add some jam to final decorating at the end.....

Will you stop! I am trying to be good and you are making my mouth water . Good luck for the meeting then, I wish someone would bake yummy cakes and biscuits for our meetings, we are still stuck with packets of custard creams.

Pleased to report that Adam went to school with a cheerful wave and came out looking pleased with himself for being "brave" going by himself. Got the usual one word answers as to what had done for 2 hours but he wanted to put his school jumper on straight away and wear it home so overall I am pleased. I am bit emotionally dense and was surprised when I found myself all choked up when left him! I do hope I can maintain my dignity at the school gates in September !

LOL sorry Greedy! If your office is in London, i would quite happily make some for you........ :o

So glad that Adam went to school OK. I think I am right in saying that we will not be the only mums blubbering at the school gates come September! Ellie is sooo looking forward to it, bless her. She is uber ready for school tho so i am also looking forward to her not being bored! :o I feel quite guilty when we get home from preschool and she is just rattling around the house quite bored in the afternoon...... I have made a vow with DP tho that this summer in particular we should both make more of an effort to do things with her in the afternoon so she isn't pulling her hair out with boredom..

Greedy - went shopping with William on Wednesday and got some uniform bits, which he then insisted on wearing in the evening and to nursery on Thursday and Friday! We find out who his teacher is on Monday and he has transition morning on Wednesday. I wouldn't worry about the rushing off to work - William is going to be going to breakfast club 3 mornings a week and so won't have anyone settling him into class on those days, and I know there will be other children in the same position. You will find it makes drop off easier for you in the long run too!

RG - I think the handwashing facilities have to be in the kitchen or next door. I think you can ask environmental health to come and inspect your kitchen and give you information about what modifications you would need to make to bring it up to business standard. I think it's a free service but check with your local council. Really exciting that you've got lots to do this week! I'm doing the hen-do cakes this week, and some for Saturday and taking some to SIL when we visit next Sunday.

Proud mummy alert - we went to the Nuffield theatre at the university this week for the southampton schools' proms as DD's choir were in it. They had had to audition to get in. They were amazing and I was so proud of DD, who I thought would freak out at the size of the audience. They were the smallest and youngest choir, only 20 of them and they are all year 2, and sang with huge smiles on their faces. I looked tlike this when I was watching !

Hi everyone, just bookmarking!

jetgirl ah that is so nice! I can't wait to see Adam in plays, school assemblies etc., I feel a bit tearful now if I just take him to something and he is watching and enjoying it ffs what am i going to be like when he is the one on the stage?!

Well Adam is such a sweetie at the moment! His manners are lovely and the more we praise him the more creepy he gets "you are welcome lovely lady" ! He is really enjoying role play and starting to be a bit more independent in his play too and it is so lovely listening to him waffling away to himself. If you make eye contact though, you've had it, you are in the game! He does have a cold though which is slowing him down somewhat and probably contributing to his angelic aura!

Are you out there loopy and lom? How did the cakes go down rg?