Dec 08 - three is the new two.

[Vagolajahooli]

Well it seems appropriate you cheeky breeders.

Hi All

Still melting here. Although we managed a weekend of camping in Oxfordshire at the weekend and it was perfect camping whether: warm but not hot and not too much blazing sun but no rain. There were 23 of us, 10 adults and 13 children and DS was not even the youngest. I was dreading it before we went and seriously worried that it was the worst plan ever but DS slept well and the girls were in heaven and I got to hand out with friends and stay up late and drink lots of so it was a great success.

In other news we have found a way around our loft wall issues. We still cannot knock the whole wall down as there are supporting pillars in the wall so we are keeping the pillars and losing the wall and trying to make a feature of the pillars. It won't look great but its better than keeping the wall.

In other, other news I got DD1's KS1 SAT results yesterday and she got the highest level in every test. I am so proud of her but obviously can't say so to many people in RL so thought I would creep on here and let it out. She also got a glowing report which said not only is she very strong academically but she is funny and kind and a great role model for the class. I cried! Love her so much.

How are you feeling now Hons? Better I hope. It must have been miserable being ill in the heat.

Are your relativs still here Rubes? Thats a long visit. It sounds like you are enjoying it though which is great. Did your DS like his "meet the teachers" day?

Beans I hate cooking in this weather so the DDs are getting lots of quick food like omlettes, pasta pesto, baked salmon, sandwiches etc. I am totally uninspired by it all TBH. What about you?

Right, got to go as am sevign squash at the KS1 end of term disco. I know how to live I do.

After a sort of rubbish last night of hols with the fam I'm now having the most awful day ever.
If taking my family to the airport and saying goodbye isn't crap enough, I then broke down on the M25 hard shoulder with both kids in car and had to wait at least 45 min on hold for AA to answer then, had to go thru ridiculous lengthy new membership details before they would even take my location down and get a bloody tow truck on its way!! I'm now at a "safer location" waiting for their guy to come and look at the car!! And beans you will appreciate this. I actually pissed in an empty bottle. Worst day ever. And it's not over. This fiasco has been 3 hours now

Oh heavens, Rubes! What a nightmare. I hope the AA man arrives soon and gets you back home.

530 pm. Am now on a train. Still not home. My brother will probably be in Tokyo before I get home.

530 pm. Am now on a train. Still not home. My brother will probably be in Tokyo before I get home.

So bad I had to say that twice

Oh Rubes. Misery on such a hot day. Thinking of you all xx

Oh Rubes that is terrible. xx

Crap Rubes a plenty when you get home.

Hows things today Rubes?

Have just solved the problem of what the hell to wear over my bikini on the beach. I have customised 2 of DHs old t-shirts. Who needs expensive maternity wear when a pair of scissors and an old t shirt will do.

Talk about highs and lows Jam. Have gone from holiday high to sad about family leaving and major car issue : money etc.
H&M have a lovely comfy lightweight loose beach throw dress. Sort of knots at the back. I took it on hols. Was about £6. Perfect if preggo!

Got back at 630pm last night after tow trucks busses waiting at services waiting for trains and walking to get home.
Specialist poncy dickhead says gearbox buggered. we Find it VERY hard to believe in a car of 40k miles. Quote from him 4k. Garage down the road says 1300. Either way seems odd to have this problem. I'm ready to call watchdog. It's like we are getting signs not to buy the house - or rather our hand forced.
Also sucks that I can't plan when to see fam again. Governed by school holidays now, which is disastrous.
Anyway. Won't bang on about me.
Oh and one more thing- dd has decided to blatantly start pissing and pooing on the floor. Thought it was no prob as started when family arrived and house full plus hols. But just did it again. Don't know what to do about that. Guess I have to plonk her on loo and make her go periodically.

Well if no one else is around I will bang on about me!
Turns out I didn't need to join AA either as we were covered under private banking. Guess they are slightly helpful banking. Shane they don't highlight this more. Shame dh isn't more contactable at work that day so I'd have known

Hello! I'm here. Albeit briefly; off to Cotswolds tonight for DD1's starring role as a bridesmaid tomorrow. I have even just conditioned her hair. We're not leaving til 8ish, so going to try to get them off to sleep first, then hopefully they'll snooze the journey away. But I doubt it! Worth a try. DD1 in first ever bunk bed experience tonight. Could be interesting.

I am zonked already and need to do a 2.5hr drive. Then DH off on his road trip tomorrow, straight from The wedding. It's my first time ever of being treated as one of the oldies and having to leave at 4pm and not invited to evening do! Am delighted as means I don't have to entertain the girls at the party! DD2 not being a bridesmaid, but very excited about being allowed to wear her favourite dress (despite wearing it most days!!!). Then we're driving home post wedding. Hopefully home by 8 and kids straight to bed. Then take away for me. Yay!

Gosh, that was boring! Sorry!

Guys! So quiet... Did I send you all to sleep??

I'm here beans. Hope the wedding goes well!

Rubes What an awful day. Can you get a 2nd opinion on the car? I hate dealing with garages as I know nothing about cars and feel that is taken advantage of.
Arti Fantastic news on dd1's report. She sounds lovely.

Thanks for wishing me better but I'm still coughing and sneezing delightful green snot. I smell like winter - all olbas oil and eucalyptus pastilles. Hideous.

Was the wedding good, beans?

I was horribly unwell yesterday and still feel a bit delicate today. A quiet day beckons. What are you all up to?

Sicky ill, Sybs? Hons, are you feeling any better? Poor you lot. Am hoping against hope not to be struck down in next 2 weeks without DH!

Wedding was lovely. DD1 looked just glorious. I was v proud. And DD2 behaved really well as well, so was a great day. Long old drive home yesterday... Less than 24hrs in the Cotswolds! Dropped DH off at Cheltenham Spa station and he's gone down to Penzance. He was v nervous. Set off this morning. Got a very excited message from him as they got going! Girls and I just have just been on an idyllic walk, with them dressed as fairies. V sweet and they LOVED it! I did too. They ran for about half an hour, non-stop. Hoping they'll sleep well tonight! They didn't get up til 8.10 this morning. Heaven!

Sybs, hope you feel better soon.

The wedding and walk sound lovely Beans.

Hons, I hope you start feeling better soon.

Rubes, I second getting another opinion on the car. We took ours somewhere for an MOT last year and were quoted £550 for all the work, labour, parts and another MOT. We took it somewhere else and it was only £200.

I have woken up with an awfully painful back. It really hurts to move or sit still, I can't stand up straight at all. I've taken paracetamol and ibruprofen and used that Voltogel stuff. No difference.

DH will be home Tuesday. There was a huge cock up on Friday as he was meant to be going to Singapore for a course but he wasn't given a visa of flights or anything. Just told he had to get a helicopter to Port-Gentil and Gabon and someone would meet him there with everything. Turns out he was meant to go to Libreville but the helicopters don't go there.

He was pretty annoyed but it means he can come home a few days early. He also got to see some elephants, giraffes and zebras as the helicopter flew over a reserve.

I hope you are all ok and still have nice weather.

Oh tis a long story. Only had that outrageous quote as we had it towed directly to Volvo after they said over the phone they'd extend us a courtesy on the expired warranty since the car so young. Turns out one service was not done at authorised service centre so it was promptly towed elsewhere. Aside from that Volvo will obviously only drop a new gearbox in rather than rebuild so the new place can do much cheaper fix although we still want to follow up with Volvo as a gearbox shouldn't get shredded after that little usage. All a bit odd, And annoying, and expensive.
Anyway am knackered after dds birthday yesterday and now ds's friends birthday today at soft play followed by pub on the way home.
Kids still knackered from Spain. Sleeping late, but they're a shambles by 6pm.

Sybs hope you feel better and Beans the wedding sounded lovely albeit a quick jaunt and tiring being preggo. Hope dh does well. Did you get your takeaway?

Just popping in for a quick hello from Wales where we are holidaying with the in laws. They've only made me actually cry once, the rest of the time I'm just silently screaming inside. Actually it's not all bad at all, we've had two glorious days on the beach, managed a 3 mile coastal walk with the girls, been crabbing and today we are dolphin spotting on a boat. DS has been sleeping amazingly! I've had some 12 hour stretches between feeds so my breasts are rather Dolly Partonesque.

I hope you are all enjoying your summers. Beans you are a hero for facing the next two weeks so cheerfully. And Hons and Sybs I do hope you feel all better soon. Enjoy your reunion with your DH Kayz and Rubes I hope you get your car fixed without breaking the bank.

It's a BOY!

Congrats Jam

Yay! Jam, that's ace! A whole team! How gorgeous!

Arti, well done you for bearing with it. Whereabouts are you in Wales?

Have been cheerful until DD1 had a total meltdown in the car today. I was driving along with the radio on full blast so I didn't have to hear the screams! On the up side, dropped the hound off with inlaws this morning, so that's one less thing to deal with! I feel a curry coming on tonight. Bugger it. Too tired to cook!

Congrats Jam! And wow, you really have a football team now!

Why do the inlaws have the hound beans?

Dd Is being a proper cow lately. Worse at 3 than as a terrible 2

Car won't be back until Thurs or Fri. Ran to preschool along tow path and wasn't sure where to cross canal. Turns out I went a bit too far but pleased I got a bit more exercise in.
Took bus home and had crazy driver. Quite scary.