Dec 08 Mums - Happy New Thread, You Beauties!

[beans37]

Come join me....

Could it be slapped cheek? My friends DS has it at the minute and he has one bright red cheek.

I looked up slapped cheek but hers is just red, not a rash like the NHS website says.

Molars?

DD2 has that, but I think it's just from going from v cold to relative warmth of the house.

We've been asked to some friends this weekend. Was really looking forward to it, but it turns out they've run out of oil so have no heating. I REALLY don't want to go now. Will be misery, especially as girls having to sleep on blow up beds, which aren't exactly cosy. Grrr. Offered them to come to us, but generously wouldn't hear of it. Shiver.

My lovely MIL and FIL took us out for lunch today. Was so sweet. I said howmuch it meant as it's Dad's birthday today abducted she knew and that was why she'd asked us. I almost wear. How very thoughtful and kind. Weepy sort of a day. My sister and I just been weeping on the phone to each other!

PS for 'abducted', read and!

Oh poor Beans, thinking of you, how's your mum. That was thoughtful of the inlaws.

Very snowy here. Pre school closed early - Very thankful for all wheel drive as our street a big hill. Snow very powdery so not the best for snowman construction but good for playing in!
Nice of the in-laws Beans. Yes I'd be put off by the no heat factor at friends house!

Hey Jam thanks for the Facebook tip have already had two enquiries from the status I put up. Also have been looking up online letting agents, should we decide to go down that route, the ones I have looked at seem pretty good. Not sure if we'll use this time but might one day. We are still yet to change our mortgage to a buy to let (I know naughty) but if we do we have to go with a lettings agent, for some reason we aren't allowed to manage it ourselves.

Vag, meant to say yes I've only ever used Gumtree other than actual bastardagents. FB seems to reach so many people these days! Might be the way forward. Good luck with the inquiries.
We haven't ever changed our mortgage either [naughty]

Hello all,

Arti How is the bp at the mo?

Vag You mightn't have to do a masters first if you've employment research experience. I did my phd without one. Your topic sounds really interesting.

Indith Slapped cheek can look like a red rather than rashy cheek.

Re Kirstie she reminds me of my dotty, yet very clever friend who is quite posh so I like her! My friend is lovely but sometimes says things that are out of touch with the world at large. She once said she thought wearing jeans over 30 was a sign you'd let yourself go! She also had a set of strange old fashioned dating rules, like no 2nd date if she didn't get a present or flowers on the 1st.

Almost bedtime, phew!

Evening ladies

Just a quickie message until tomorrow....Lots of snow here! More than a foot. I am a bit of a killjoy about it but I must admit it looks very pretty.

Gosh about the jeans, Hons! I love my jeans but now I am 40 I do wonder how long I can wear them and still look ok. I don?t think they look that good on the old, it?s true.

Vag (and Rubes) re: buy-to-let mortgages ? I rent out my flat on my normal mortgages, but just let them know and they charge me £90 a year for permission. No need for me to get a buy-to-let mortgage. It is so variable according to mortgage lender. But I would caution about not informing them cos it usually invalidates the buildings insurance and is certainly a breach of the terms of the mortgage agreement. Maybe I am too much of a goody goody

Rubes, it?ll be smashin? to see you next weekend. Either day is fine by me.

Good to hear from you ZJ, and I was very impressed at your firmness with your DH both about current work and the terms on which you would work with him. Bloody good for you. I was thinking about Trace the other day. I hoped she might look in at Christmas. If you do text her, do send her all our love.

Oh, and car seats...DD1 is only 14.3kg so we are a long way off anything other than a very involved car seat.

Beans, you can?t go to see those friends if they have got no heating! It will be horrible! I do feel for you. Glad your PIL were so decent about today and oddly it is my Dad?s birthday on Sunday ? two January Johns. Oh yes, and 17th Sept is my sister?s birthday and also our very own Sybs?!

Indith ? Perilla socks are lovely, but yes, rather dear!

Kayz - don't be so hard on yourself my love.

Oh thanks for that Lady we hadn't thought about the buildings insurance. So did you just say to your bank can I have permission to rent out the flat? DH started talking to the bank about it but they said we would need a decent amount of equity which I'm not sure we will have enough. Your set up seems exactly what we need. The Derby place was easy they just swapped it & charged us ?399 for the honour.

JB - thanks for asking about my BP. It is fine although I have some protein in my urine, not much, just 1+, but when I went for my check I got a very young GP who got nervous. She found the protein and wanted to send me to the hospital but I pointed out I'd had it a fortnight before at the hosp and they just said to monitor it every fortnight. Then she took my BP which a fortnight ago was something like 116/63 and this week was something like 121/67. She said it had risen and despite me saying that was surely just a tiny fluctuation and not a rise she made me trog all the way to the hosp clinic where they
weren't worried at all. I know she was trying to be careful but nevertheless it was rather annoying.

Kayz - thanks for worrying re helicopter crash. It was about 15 mins walk from my work but I saw nothing and didn't even notice any transport disruption. Does your DH work in the oil industry? I was wondering with the situation in Algeria.

Indith - how is DD?

Beans - do NOT go away to a place with no heating! Our heating is working and we are still cold. Don't do it to yourselves!

ZJ - it sounds like you dealt really wellcwithbyour DH's views about you staying at home VS working. Shame ge won't let you run an arm of his business though.

Vag - your Masters sounds fascinating, really, thatscthe kind of area that really interests me. Is it all distance learning or will you have some face to face teaching?

Arti, yes DH does work in the oil industry. The situation in Algeria is awful, hopefully they will all get out safely.

We have loads of snow. I might see if I can get out with the pushchair. I really should have gone shopping yesterday.

Kayz it is aweful we have a lot of friends working for Shell as the head office is here, and it is quite scary when dodgy stuff happens. I know a woman who had to he evacuated out of Syria with her family when things kivjed off there.

Kayz we have a sledge to get around & it has changed our life. You can get an adapter thing here that allows you to put a baby carrier thing on it. Trying to get around any other way is quite exhausting.

We had a brilliant sledging afternoon in the dunes yesterday, quite bizarre sledging with a nice view of the ocean. DH & ds1 back there now but ds2 has had a gut full & is refusing to leave the warmth of the house. So I'm here with him & DH & I will swap later so ds1 & I can go ice skating on a little canal near here.

Sling and a sledge is the way to go. We were yomping through deep snow yesterday :)

Vag the pics of sledging by the sea are fabulous! of skating on a canal.

More sledging to be done this afternoon .

It wasn't too bad taking the pushchair out. I don't dare use the sling in this weather.

Get yourself some yaktrax and you'll be fine :). I love mine even without the baby as when one of the big ones slips I can grab them without them pulling me down too.

Morning all
So, we went to the cold house. It was ok, but bloody freezing DD1 now has a cold. Brilliant!

Schools shut today, so hanging at home. After last two days outside, both girls refusing to go out, so poor dog a bit confined. May have to call on a friendly neighbour!

Also, morning sickness seems to have started. Is it possible? I'm only 6 weeks, tomorrow, I think. I just feel constantly a bit hungover and, to my horror, the thought of coffee makes me heave. And I am pining for some!! Poor me. Off to first midwife appointment at 12. All a bit real and scary!!

Also about to book our two week trip to Cuba in March! Hurrah!

Oooh Beans Cuba sounds lovely. Sorry about morning sickness. I couldn't drink coffee with any of my pregnancies. Mint also made me want to heave. I had to use kids toothpaste.

We decided to leave all 3 kids with my Mum and treat this trip to Singapore as our honeymoon. Only will be about 18 months late. If any of you have been to Singapore do you have any must see's? I'll be on my own most of the day so will probably go exploring.

Morning all! Hope you are all surviving in the cold. Its freezing!! We took the DC's sledging at the weekend but after about 30 mins they had had enough. DS has never really liked the snow. It dumped a load down overnight too and the roads to school were pretty treacherous so we walked. Neither was amused.

Beans Whereabouts in Cuba are you staying? I went pre DC - loved it! It was beautiful, and such lovely people. The whole communist thing was quite an eye opener too. I'd love to go back. We have just booked Lanzarote for this summer.

Kayz defo the night time zoo. Its awesome. Plus a trip to raffles. The shopping is all very very pricey. Go to the street markets to eat the food is amazing! Will think of some more and get back to you.

Loving the snow here the boys had a whale of a time yesterday. DH had his first day off since NY day so that was fab.

Cuba Beans, cant wait to here all about it we have looked there a couple of times. Let me know who you travel with need ideas for this Summer.

Beans urgh. Bringing up memories.
Not great ones for me! Mine was fishy stuff (I love seafood!) and an obsession with OJ both times. I know what you mean about the cold. Can't deal with it. Luckily the posh dog here can't either! My thighs arw suffering tremendously though. Planning on walking her decently later.

Cuba. I've only been with work to Havana. Love the buildings / architecture. People are nice. Would prefer to go with someone other than crew. Tend to get swamped a bit.

Singapore is lovely. Haven't been in ages. That big wheel like the eye (Singapore flyer I think) is Spose to be good albeit very touristy. And those bump boats I've heard friends say are fun. (little boats along river) def eat market foods. Yum. Singapore much cleaner than Hong Kong which I LOVE (and know much better) good idea going as second honeymoon. You'll have fun.

Bloody freezing isn't it. But am loving the snow. Dog is like a puppy again in snow. Darts around a bit mental then keeps eating snow mans carrot nose and stick arms that kids lovingly put on!
Am out shopping for the day so dh can get a full study day in ( hes already text to ask when If im coming back for lunch! Erm, no I'm at yo sushi blue Mondays I'm on a mission (been instructed by ds) to get ds proper gloves that don't come off and have fingers difficult mid season!
Am also spending Xmas gift vouchers and am on rather a high as lady at the Clarins counter steered me away from a product and said "oh no dear that's for more mid 30's skin" loving her
Must post. An missing decent salmon sashimi sliding past!!!

2nd honeymoon? I meant 1st.
We haven't had a 1st !! Light at end of tunnel though!!!

Rubes that is a fab comment . Would have me grinning for days. Sadly I have come to the point where I look older than I am . It's probably my very thin skin that wrinkles easily and rubbish sleep in the last four years!

Anyone else got a 2008 boy baby who is going absolutely bonkers? Moody, aggressive, insolent. Maybe this is the famed testosterone surge but I'm buggered if I know how to deal with it. Struggling a bit with discipline in general, and sanctions for really naughty misbehaviour. He is being rough with B a lot, and that makes me see red (and shout a lot).

All ice here now, we don't have any more snow forecast for the week, but temp not expected to get above freezing.

Sorry to hear about the MS, BEans, hope it's a "goes away after some salt n vinegar Hula Hoops" type, rather than a more insidious kind.

I am buggered if I can't wear jeans. I own nothing else. Although ALL of them have holes in the knees. I must have very pointy knees.

of all the travel chat. I also went to Cuba pre- DCs and loved it.