December 2011- <Haddocks> are in the deep freeze as we won't be needing them, no, siree! Grab a <cuppa>.......

[Aethelfleda]

Shiny new thread: we forgot to discuss the title this time!

Just home and no DS he's having dinner with the cm and her kids tonight ......I love her!!

I also love all crap music to continue that discussion, steps r turning on the local Xmas tree lights and I almost screamed in excitement but I have seen boyzone/westlife/take that more times than I'd like to admit so

Mahoosive Take That & Bon Jovi fan here

Sorry to hear you're fluey northern, get well soon! Remember to only use those decongestents for 4-5 days max, lOnger than that and they start causing rebound congestion (ie more bung than you started with).

xiao, we second viewed today and the house is definitely growing on us. Fantasy house remains off the market so it seems not to be, and honestly this other one (hereby referred to as House X) is better placed for secondary school cachements than any other we've seen. The vendors also seem really nice, I kmow this means nothing in terms of negociation, but we chatted about the area (they are planning to move locally) and I don't feel bad about potentially throwing all our worldly cash at them. Will discuss with DH and we may put in an offer in the next few days even though we've no buyer, we lose nowt by offering, it shows our interest and gives us a price to aim for if they say yes. They are moving to rented and relatives (so an end of chain), if we could get a buyer here it could be all systems go. W00t!

Ps I like a really eclectic mix. Definite fondness for the 1980s and New Romantics, but everything from Mozart to Mumford&Sons crosses my stereo system. And I must be one of the few to retain old formats, I love tangible music media you can actually pick up and put on, so CDs, tapes and Vinyl are all in evidence chez Aethel....

Northern get well soon, you poor thing! I've only had real flu once and it was the pits

AWCH fingers crossed for your BFP

Aethel hope the house stuff all works out for you...how potentially exciting

Xiao you naughty, naughty thing. How dare you mention peppermint hot chocolate?! I WANT one now, and have been trying to be so good

Another one who likes a wide range of music. Not that I get to listen to much these days, DD always insists on nursery rhymes when we're in the car and I'll do anything for a quiet life!

Cheers all. I've only just started with the decongestants today aethel, so won't take them past Thursday/Friday. I am very very grateful that my tonsils were whipped out ten years ago otherwise I would be getting tonsillitis with a vengence.
I can ill afford to be ill with work at the moment, and just my luck that it ruined my and my Dad's birthday weekend. My concern now will be visiting my Mum, as she has a very lowered immune system owing to the drugs she takes for her rheumatoid arthritis...

Sounds good on the house though!

And you're very brave admitting that figgy though I have to admit to being a massive Take That fan of yore...

Northern Feel better soon.

Aethel Hope all things housey goes alright.

I went to my first Zumba class tonight and found out I can dance Gangham Style

So, we managed to get through the weekend and got some time to talk once DSS had gone home on Sunday. All I managed to get out of DP is that he's struggling, I think this is with everything work, family, money, our relationship.

I get the impression that he just wants to cut off from everything, and thats where the asking me to leave came from. The only conclusion we came too was that he isn't happy but also doesn't want to make any decisions he might regret. I'm very confused and not sure what he wants at all. I don't really know whats going to happen .

Healthy and sleepy vibes to all those of you who are sleep deprived and ill.

It made me smile reading all your posts about LOs starting to come out with words. DS still says dadada and bababa for pretty much everything, he reserves mama just for me though. He also randomly yelled what sounded very clearly like book at me a few days ago, or it might have been boo but I was holding a book at the time, which I promptly handed over!

Found this thread on MN & it got me all excited about what we'll all be doing very soon

DSM, what is Gangham Style? sounds painful, hope you enjoyed Zumba, would you recommend it?

Aethel, DH has vetoed the purchase of a record player (and jukebox), even though I argue that older stuff sounds better on vinyl. He looks confused& mentions something about me being born 50yrs too late.
Oooh, glad that there are a few Adele haters on the thread! Can't stand her!
Another who listens to everything from Bach to Dolly Parton to Anthrax. Was quite sad when Andy Williams died a few weeks ago, DH asked 'who?'
Get well soon Northen! Sorry it ruined your weekend.

seven, good to hear you're more relaxed, although understand looking forward to scan to make you more relaxed.
Really hoping if I am pg I get a positive soon as we've got a few things to do in the next couple of weeks that won't be possible with pg moi!
Got it at 5wks with DS so fingers are crossed here too!

If I'm out, I shall be joining Oi in your weight loss quest (going for 5lbs by Christmas, to fit into a vintage dress made for lady with smaller norks)!

Xiao, Nigel Slater Beetroot cake!? Mmmm (well tbh you had me at Nigel Slater, he's my odd crush, has been since I was 15).

BJR, :( What do you want to happen?
Has he (and would you be happy with him) access to a sofa/spare room at a family members/mates house he can go for a few days to clear his head?
Sending positive, strong vibes to you. x

I listen to R6music... I detest R1. I like proper 70's cheese. Love a bit of 50's and 60's. Most 90's leaves me confused. Love blues, soul and swing. I can go a bit of classical though am dreadful at knowing who wrote what. I have a daughter that parps so will be getting used to the big brass sound:o I have a five year old that is determined to be a violinist when he hits y4 so will be indoctrinated into the world of strings in due course. Octoboy is going to have to be a woodwind or percussion bod so I can get going with my own orchestra!

Hope you're on the mend soon Northern and I agree you can call it flu now, sounds 'orrible:(

Sending good househunty thoughts you way Aethel:)

Xiao I think you should aim for dystopian as well as Orwellian:o

Right, I just spent a silly amount of pennies on my pram, so I'm away to bed before I can do any more damage to my bank account! Night all!

Hope you feel better soon northern

Sounds really hard bjr, hope you're ok.

I'm more of a ben folds/rufus wainwright/grandaddy sort of music girl, plus of course classical ( in the generic sense) although I do like music from the classical period and adore the early 20th century Russians esp Shostakovich and Stravinsky but am not a fan of baroque really. I meant to say xiao, our 'calm minimopsy down' music is the 2nd mvt of Beethoven's 7th. It's amazing. And when I was pregnant with her and at orchestra rehearsal she went mad kicking me whenever we were playing but stopped when the music stopped. Was funny! Don't know if it was the music she liked or the resonance.

AWCH you tube Gangnam style dancing. I loved it and going to make it a weekly event!

aethel please can you set me up with an IV drip of coffee?

We're still on hourly wake-ups over here, sometimes even every 10 minutes. > <

I generally have very high tolerance for people and it takes a lot for me to dislike someone but I really can't stand Nigel Slater, he makes me want to throw things at the TV. I can't even read anything he writes as his voice is really distinctive even when he writes. Can't really explain why. I'm sure the beetroot chocolate cake is lovely though!

gee I am in awe of u I would be hospitalised if we were having such over night horrors!!

not sure what happened there, but I just lost my post...

Hi all - sorry to butt in but wanted to let you know about a baby bath stuff product test we're doing that you might be interested in - see more info here - please do sign up if you're interested!

Grrr! Start again...
In summary... BOi insists on crawling into our bed these days, and snuggling right up to me. It does affect my sleep a bit, but I'm used to it now, and I love it. I know many will tut, and say I'm making a rod for my own back, and make it difficult for him to ever get into his own bed, I am sticking my head in the sand and just enjoying it for now.
I'm taking next week off work to finally decorate his room, and to decorate and tile the cloakroom/wc. I've never done tiling before, so it should be quite interesting!
Music ... I hate radio 1. I tend to listen to radio2, but I am bored of it. I used to be quite up to date with music, and regularly buy Cds and go to gigs until the last 3 years - I seem to have lost interest really. before then, i liked bands like the Arctic Monkeys and the raconteurs.I like Paolo Nutini, james Morrison, I liked Amy Winehouse. At a wedding disco, you can't beat a bit of Gaga, but I absolutely draw the line at gangnam style K-pop. No thanks. Sorry dsm, I don't mind a bit of cheese but that's taking it way too far! I was never into Take That until their comeback, and then really switched on to their music, but then the self-obsessed, think-I'm-still-a-teenager-with-all-my-teenage-angst Robbie came back and ruined it all. (I actually used to like him in his upbeat Angel/Rock DJ days, as he was a great performer). As for classical music, I have no idea.
In a brief catch-up attempt:
Sympathy to BJR and your tricky reklationship issues, and to northern with your flu.
Good luck to aethel and seven and mopsywith house selling, buying and completions!
Healthy pregnancy vibes to seven and get-pregnant-vibes to AWCH and anyone else who is trying.

For your delectation: chocolate beetroot cake, topped with creme fraiche and poppy seeds and here's a step by step in pictures (same cake recipe but uses whipped cream to top instead of the creme fraiche and poppy seeds). With regard to Nigel, I love his books a LOT but I agree with you, I don't like watching him on TV quite so much. I think it's because I like the way he writes but when he says the same things out loud it sounds unbelievably pretentious. I do love his cooking though and I've never, ever had a dud out of any of his cookbooks. Nigel Slater, the Barefoot Contessa, Feeding the Whole Family are the only general non-ethnic cookbooks I have which are completely reliable. (I rely on a few trusted food blogs too.)

Sciatica much better today, thanks everyone - I have messed about with my desk chair at the office and hopefully I am sitting in a better position today. I used to sit on my birth ball when I was pg to the hilarity of my colleagues - I wonder if I should bring it in again, just to give them a scare

Gee I really hope it's a phase and you can get some sleep soon. Dumpling boy was waking up that often about 3 weeks ago and we were ready to drop. With an iron clad bedtime routine, a big bottle/feed at 7pm and another just before we go to sleep around 10.30pm, he's been sleeping through for the last 10 days or so (except the one night we forgot the dream feed, oops).

LMF haha, life is pretty dystopian on occasion as well

bjr I'm glad you guys are talking at least. It sounds like he just wants to run off and be an ostrich and hope that his life magically gets easier or someone else fixes it for him. What do you want and how do you feel about him? I'm unqualified to give any advice but is he the kind of person who might feel happier if you sat down together and worked out a plan of action - one for each of work, family, money and relationship? And then followed it up with a once a week "family meeting" where you discuss how things are going (DH and I seem to only manage to find time to do this when one of us is in the bath.) Sending you love, support and strength xxx

Oi Zulily have toys from a company called Boikido If this isn't a sign from above for you to do some shopping I don't know what is

Sympathies to a poorly Northern, hope you feel better soon and that the decongestants are working. Flu really is the pits and since I had flu about 6 years ago, I get the vaccination every year (free through work).

Glad to hear you're feeling more positive seven, have you got a date for your scan yet? S&BIL had their scan yesterday and all was well :)

Pregnancy vibes for AWCH! Hope you get your BFP soon!

On the music front, I listen to absolutely everything. My iPod is completely random - from cheesy pop to some hardcore rock. I do tend to love something that I can sing along with rather badly though

I've been browsing Rightmove (I think this stems from all the moving talk on here!) and found an absolutely gorgeous 4-bed house. OK, its not in a great area but its not in a really bad area either. I've fallen in love with it and its SO cheap:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22266978.html

Oh balls, didn't convert link:

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22266978.html

Cripes MissRee that is a steal no pics of bedrooms i notice there is probably some pagan altar up there hence the price!!

Xiao glad to hear about the back sciatica is evil, i was amazed i wasnt incapacitated with it when pg but didnt have a twinge and am surprised it is not hitting me more than now am carrying round a 26lb monster baby.

DS has no centre of gravity whatsoever he pulls himself up on everything makes no attempt to sit down or lower himself gracefully he just lets go or falls back like he has been shot, i cant bare just to let him fall so keep catching him which is probably just reinforcing to him he can do these things.

Oi i am lucky DS seems to be like me and hates anyone near him when sleeping so is quite happy in his cot in his own room however he is now getting harder to get to go sleep and i keep hearing shouting and banging going on as he crawls around humpfing like a caged animal until he passes out.....usually on his face with bum in air.

Am off to a work related event at 4 wont get home until after 7 but hopefully still in time to see LO, on subject of bed times what time do you put Dc's down? LO goes bed 7.30 earliest 8pm latest and only if he has had a late PM nap, DH thinks that is too early have told him he is ridiculous but thought would do a poll!!

Minim goes down at 7 Oi and even my nieces who are 8 and 6 don't go any later than 8. Kids needs loootttss of sleep!

Figgy I still find the minions in bed, faces mushed into the pillow/mattress and with their bums in the air! They're 9 and 5!:o