Dec 08 Mums - Onwards and bloody well upwards!

[Beans36]

How's this? Thought I'd just press on with it!

right, having driven all over surrey chasing a Citylink parcel at kids bedtime I have now finally let he anger go over 1) the cock up made by Safetots when I specifically ticked the box and left information to leave it in the porch if no answer, and 2) the fact the CityLink driver put ZERO information on the "sorry we missed you card" (like fuck they're sorry) that I had to spend another 20 min at the depot while they searched for it.
DD starts swimming with a new company tomorrow and they insist on one of the Splash about swim nappies and of course I left it to the last minute as I thought DS still had an old one.....
DH is on call again.... minimum 830pm so I think he's going to stay the night again - just stupid coming back all that way to have to go in again at 7am
Cannot wait until he has some time off after these exams.

I love NY too - going on Friday, for one night lol. Going to take DH in Dec as only working 3 days and have requested NY as he's never been.

Oh Deids, not sure about these things, but sounds pretty common. DD was bitten at nursery recently. I'm sure it will pass as you say how he's such a lovely boy at home so it's not all the time that he's naughty like that. Big alright!

DB the children who get excluded from parties etc are the little oiks who have parents who don't actually try to do anything about it not boys like yours who have lovely involved parents and who are just having a few issues understanding social norms.

What is wrong with asking before they join in? I consider that fairly normal and a good thing to teach children to do.

Like the boots, they'd be a good purchase, being plain they won't date.

Oh dear Rubes, I don't know what to say, you sound like you need a break. Roll on Dec!

I wish I had some spare cash right now. Someone is selling one of the most lovely wraps in the entire world on FB and I want it! (Natibaby dinos for anyone interested). It is a short one so not too expensive at all really but I don't have £60.

Beans those kurt keiger boots are on sale on the kurt geiger website here

Rubes what an eve. for you.

kids in bed and has been poured

Ooh beans, a sale bargain, go on!

I hate those sort of faffy problems Rubes, how irritating. Loved your breakfast conversation.

Deids Do not panic! Nursery are not handling the situation well. I think as your ds is used to this rule at home, a very sensible rule, then nursery could make an attempt to understand things from your ds's point of view.

Is this a preschool attached to a school or a private nursery? If it was the latter I'd be tempted to look elsewhere.

Good Lord the ebay nutters are at it again. Am selling a bunch of disney cars duplo. Thought if I was lucky it might go for a fiver its up to 22 with another day to go. Do people not realise you can buy it new for about 25.

Oh DB Flipping 'eck, it's just a bite - they're a bit heavy with this 'inclusion officer' nonsense aren't they? He's not cut anyone's head off! Great Scott, they must have come across stuff like this many, many times before. Yeah, it's a pain in the bum I am sure but he WILL grow out of it, he ain't the first and he won't be the last. It's fine and he is FINE! I know it's ok for me to say, but do try not to worry and keep on with the praising when he is good. Bet you any money he will be festooned with pals when he starts school.

I like those long boots, Beans. I want some long brown ones. Can't afford the ones I want! So may buy some cheap ones, I dunno. That dress is lovely, by the way, and the scarf and earrings are a nice colour combo with the black. I felt sort of shaken for the first weeks after my Dad died so go v easy on yourself. How are the rest of the family bearing up?

Wetting at night - DD1 still wears a pull up or a nappy. But I am just being lazy as they are almost always dry in the morning so I might start leaving them off soon. DD2 is keen to use the potty but given that DD1 was only TT'd in late January of this year, I am not sure I am ready for all that jazz so soon

Right, will read back when I have made a coffee.

Cross posted with loads then. Anyhoo - back anon.

Rubes, that sounds like an El Crappo day. I know it's hard when your DH is working so hard. And a trip for you both to NY will be such a nice treat.

RT - how are you feeling today? Well, you know what I am going to say re: GF - do whatever gets you through, my love! I doubt anyone's going to judge you on here. Mine both found their own sort of routines (or so we think - maybe we shaped them more than we realised, I never know - but FF babes probably have a different sort of feeding pattern in any case). How is DD2's leg?

A local friend's 18mth old broke his leg in two places about three weeks ago and she took the cast off herself because it was rubbing the top of his leg. The child is walking on it as well. Er...I don't think Rubes' DH would be impressed. I wouldn't dare take a cast off before I'd been told!

Don't diss the Ebay nutters, young Jam - they will hopefully be paying my mortgage and my enormous monthly minimum pyt on my credit card next month. I have another twenty or so items I need to put on tonight so better not chat too much on here!

I sold a small amount of old jewellery today (broken bits, some I didn't like) - got sixty quid. Not on Ebay though, to a jeweller. My trip at the weekend is going to be fairly severe in terms of budget. It's going to be a tenner a day for food (I get breakfast), some for bus fares and entrances to things and that's it. Gulp. I always feel like bottling it a day or two before I go.

How did your pals find the race, Vag? And how is DD1's violin going? tell me all about Austria.

ZJ and KP - you are both back at work now? How's it panning out? How did the drinking and ABs go, ZJ? KP -c'mon, you gotta tell us about your aunt finding out that her father wasn't her father!

Well, DP is in Manchester and from something like January 11th to April 11th he will be in a big, serious trial in London. I don't know how we are going to manage. It would have been so easy if I still had the use of my flat but now he is going to have to commute (horrendously costly and tiring) and/or try and stay with pals now and then. It's not even that. He gets paid anything between 3 and 9 months after he does a job, we never know when. So for the months after he does this big trial, he is going to have an empty diary (because he won't have been around to do the preliminary stuff for other trials so they will have gone to other people) and also we won't know when any money is coming in. We are both fed up of it. I know others are much, much worse off but I find keeping on top of all our ginormous debts a massive strain. And yes, I am going to Italy for the weekend but the combined flight cost was about £36. (I do feel guilty though! And I can't afford it!)

Roight, Ebay beckons. I'm up for Secret Santa, Kayz.

What do you all think of those brown ones? Think I'll go for it! Bugger the overdraft!

Lady have you thought about selling your flat? Or is that a cant ever happen situation?

Beans go for it!

I like the brown ones, Beans. VV nice.

Wouldn't make any sense to sell my flat, Jam (you are right I wouldn't be keen but if I had to, I would) - I get an income from it (mortgage on it fairly small), it's my (only) pension, and the rate at which property that central appreciates makes it worth hanging on to. We've thought about selling DP's flat but he has got bugger all equity in it and again, it's his pension (and once someone decides to rent it, the rent will pay for the mortgage with a bit over). What I would REALLY like to do is extend my London mortgage to free up some cash to pay off some of our debts, or else get some money off the back of this house to do the same. Except, in the current climate, tentative enquiries would seem to suggest I would be laughed out the door. Which is incredibly annoying.

Ugh, I think I am getting DD1's bug, I feel really sick.

So frustrating Lady. There is such a misconception about your DPs job that you get pots of money. My DM was in the legal business and said it was a nightmare. My DSIS got a first class honours law degree and chose not to go further with it and went to google land as its so hard to get anywhere going down your DPs route.

Jam, he wishes he'd never done it. The hoops people have to jump through to do it...There are still plenty of barristers who earn £££, but none of them do crime (or rather, they don't do the legal aid work that DP does). It is an immensely skilled job - and so stressful - and due to all the cuts in the legal aid budget plus the fact that solicitors can now act for people in court if they do their higher rights (relatively simple, and not like going to bar school, getting pupillage, and all the rest of the agonising route people take to become barristers)...When I met DP, as well as my own salary, he was earning almost twice as much as he earns now - THAT is how much the changes have bitten. Our knacker of a car is worth about £1200. And we struggle to pay every bill. Every time I see stuff in the papers about fat cat lawyers, I wince. Not my one. There are many, many days when he has to travel (not just to Oxford but to Reading, Winchester, Northampton) for a hearing for which he will get paid the princely sum of £46.50. Of course, he pays for his own travel, and chambers rent (the money they all pay to chambers to run it, for the clerks, admin staff and all costs) is 22%. That's 22% on the gross, of course So, with the debts we have accrued (DP had some before, the rest as a result of doing up the house/cash flow/and, at first, living how we used to instead of within our means, though we haven;t done so for yonks...we are up to our eyeballs. Your DSIS did the right thing.

Ooops, didn't mean to have a massive rant there. I am well aware that we still have three properties between us. But if we sell one of them, penury in old age beckons!

Lady, that really is frustrating amongst other things. That length of time to get paid, hard to plan, and then missing getting the work whilst working. The brilliant thing is the flats you two have. Agree about not selling. If they are paying for themselves and then some it's win win. Such a great investment / passive income to have.
I meant to pop over to the meet up thread to reply to you so will do that....

Absolutely, Rubes, I thank my lucky stars for my flat in London every day. DP's flat....not so much But it's the only pension he is likely to have so we hang on to it. People are leaving his chambers (and the profession) in droves because it's so hard. The Inland Revenue aren't very sympathetic when you say "well, I am owed x, but I could get it any time between now and about late spring, so I am not sure when I can pay you" - which is what DP had to say to them on the phone today. Again. On the positive side - I have become brilliantly thrifty, great at counting blessings and enjoying things that are cheap (or free!).......But doing stuff like selling jewellery or crazed Ebaying to pay a mortgage can be a little demoralising. Ho hum! There was a thread on MN the other week about a poor pregnant lady who had so little money for food her baby had a small abdomen which was a sign she wasn't eating enough and the baby was having to rely on stores in its tiny liver If I feel a bit sorry for myself ever, I do remember that there are people suffering more than I can imagine.

Bond DS is at the pre school attached to the school. I bet he has already been written off by the Reception teachers.

Blimey Ladyt that is tough re: DPs work/pay. Certainly not the glamorous profession some of these TV dramas make out. I think it would be daft to sell the flats unless absolutely critical. Like you say they are a great pension investment.

Who's bond? I meant Hons, bloody predictive text!

Lady T, DH proposed in Trieste and we have been several times so you must go! It's wonderful. I can recommend a couple of nice eateries if you'd like? Sorry about the cash. It's a bummer and I have many friends in the same situation.

Deids, my lovely DD1 bit someone once and was labelled as a biter which really pissed me off. Many children bite, and they all grow out of it. Usually by nursery end if not before. YOu don't have many Reception biters. Inclusion crap far too heavy handed IMO. Hang on in there. H is a lovely boy and will go back to being a top chap shortly.

Must bed. So tired. Love the clothes Beans. Hope you are OK. Talk soon.

Night all XXXX

Know what, DB - he will be better off at school. It's a year off, nearly, so he will have more time to get used to being with other kids, and hopefully you will find the teachers more helpful and knowledgeable than the pre-school assistants. Er, I can't say I am hugely impressed with the ones at DD1's pre-school.

There are elements of glamour in DP's profession But in the crime end, just not a lot of dough.

Oooh, Revolutionary Road's on the box. Good, if hugely depressing film (and a beter book).

Thanks Sybs. And do tell me about the eateries even if I just go to push my nose against the glass and eat the croissants I have stuffed in my bra from la colazione

LadyT, the glamour of the bar is a poor compensation for the wages at the criminal bar. I have a friend who used to sit on the circle line and just go round and round rather than go back to chambers and get sent to the back of beyond for a bail app for £30 less expenses. I think everyone perceives that being a lawyer is mega bucks but it sure ain't, and I think being Counsel is worse than being a solicitor. I'll look at my trieste books tonight to find the names of the restaurants / bars. One is on the main square and one is an ice cream parlour. Very lovely. You taking the nippers?

I got in from work last night at 9.30 and am running my bath. Am off again at 7.30 to drop kids at breakfast club then running to station to get to work. Shattered. Roll on half term.

Have a great day everyone.

So nice to see the thread healthy with posts again. [hgrin]

Lady I love the eBay nutters they have often got us out of a hole. I have stacks more to list. It's hopefully funding most of boys Christmas.

Maybe you need to start writing trashy novels choc full of sex. Those books seem to be flying off the shelf these days.

DB hope DS has a better day today. For what it's worth I think your nursery are being rubbish. Often these things happen because they are not old enough to have the skills to figure out a different way of dealing with the problem facing them. It will get better, I promise. I also think what you do at home is an excellent idea and I see no reason why nursery can't implement it too.

RT does constant munching help the nausea? I wonder could you try the techniques you learnt in your course for sickness now?

Indith how's DS? They are all so knackered. DS1 is hanging on in there but is soo emotional.

My poor beans are missing their daddy at the mo. it's just constant work. He worked from home yesterday as he hoped it meant he could at least be around at bedtime but instead was still working at 9.

DS1 has parents night tonight. Am not loving his new teacher. Am hoping tonight she can redeem herself as he has her for the next 2 yrs.

Right spose I best get in the shower. Happy days everyone.