Start your runners (talk) and your new jars of Jam, 'tis the season-almost.

[Vagolajahooli]

Here we are ladies, time for all that talk of christmas table runners and chrissie deccy colour combos. And will we be getting some new Jam in this thread! Maybe not quite.

Good luck with the cot thing RT. You know he can. Not sure if it helps but I have one of those baby hammock things at a friends house in Lewisham. Maybe the snuggly hammock might help.

Hello all,

I've been struggling with internet access (the storm brought down our tree, which brought down our phoneline)and other boring stuff so sorry to have been off thread for so long.

Congrats Jammy! Can I have a clue to the name? I'm a non-fb person!

lady So sorry to hear your news about fil, what a terrible shock. Much love to you
arti Hope ds is improving

indith Hope the map does the job. Re condensation. We get damp walls upstairs if we don't air the room and keep the heating on low. A dehumidifier has almost sorted it now.

beans I got a breadmaker for my birthday and love it. Not bought a loaf since September!

Morning,

Lady, I hope you are ok as can be. Thinking of you xx

RT, how is DS now? Have you mangaged to get him into the cot?

Vag, where abouts in Oz are you moving back to?

DH goes on Friday. Booo! He has a week in Singapore and then back to Ivory Coast for 8 weeks. I am doing my driving course while he is away so I am hoping to be able to pick him up from the airport. Finger crossed.

I have been using the sewing machine I got last year. I made DD a skirt, I was really pleased with it. Even though my lines were wonky.

Hope you are all ok. x

We'll be moving to Brisbane Kayz. It is the capital city of the state of Queensland. It is currently super hot there 39 °C. It's been so long I can't even imagine that sort of heat. Think we might flee to colder climes over the kids summer break. Sorry to hear DH is off again. That's a big undertaking doing your driving test while he's away. Good on you. Just think if you can handle three kids alone, you can definitely handle a car.

Hey Hons. That's crap about your internet. I agree on the dehumidifier we got one as we get some mould on the walls in the boys room. Works a treat.

I'm at it again. Trying to sort out a trip to Tuscany where we got married over the Easter weekend. I knowDH iisn't keen to spend too much on anything. But I have it down to €837 for flights, accommodation and car hire. We won't be able to stay where we got married, and will have to fly into Milan but I think it's a pretty good deal.

Someone I worked with lives in Queensland. Brisbane is the nearest city but it's about 3 hours away.

I keep watching Masterchef Australia and it makes me want to go to Melbourne. It looks like a great city.

I was born in Melbourne Kayz, but didn't grow up there. I was 2 hours from Brisbane. I do like Melbourne though. Really brilliant that you are doing your driving test. You won't look back.
Vag you are going to miss these little European or skiing jaunts when you move. You'll have to replace them with Bali or Fiji! My parents best friends look after one of the ski resorts at Thredbo for a couple of months so might have to hook you up, although quite disappointing after the European resorts! Hope we can organize a meet up when you are over! An adult one would be good otherwise we don't get a chance to chat! What days work best for you? I saw you were planning some visiting on FB.

Only the 2nd day back at school and ds is knackered. He's taken it upon himself to display some spectacularly appalling behavior this afternoon. Shame, as he's been so good recently. The unopened bottle of Belvedere pink grapefruit Vodka I got from duty free on Monday is looking particularly appealing. I mustn't cave in though, as I was shocked beyond belief at the situation I was faced with when I dusted off the bathroom scales after the Christmas / NYE personal best calorie consumption.
Lady are you lurking? Hope you are ok.

dh has a folding bike now. Means he will at least be home earlier on the rainy awful weather days and can get on the train.
I am in love with our Nespresso. I'm quite wired today. Must cut back

Rubes I feel your pain on the scales! I too was taken about by my new year weigh in. However I'm 8 days into my dry January!! I'm when driving Fri night when I go out with friends. They think it's hilarious as the only time they've ever known me drive was when I was pg. but I really do need to shift some lard! Exercising is ok but it's just trying to fit it in with DHs never ending shifts.

My two have been back since Monday. Both very pale and very tired. But DS seems glad yo be back. A few of his classmates don't feel the same though. Quite a few weepers this week when parents have dropped them off.

RT how is DS getting on?

Lady thinking if you x

Oh god, I'm so very fat. Can't even think about weight loss as am a hog and can't stop eating. I can't keep using breastfeeding as an excuse.

Have had lovely MIL here today. She is magic and I miss her when she's gone. That's where the best parts of DH come from. I'm actually closer to her than my own Mum a lot of the time.

Lady, are you ok?

Kayz, well done with your driving test and good luck. It'll revolutionise your life!

DD3 not a routine baby today, but we seem to muddle through somehow.

RT, how is DS doing? When are you back to work? Have you managed to get any sleep? Xx

Deids my boys are tired too. They are both happy to be back (I think they crave routine, which I'm useless at sorting for them) but DS2 is a bit easy to inflame at the moment. His mate came over to play today and the smallest thing was making him fly off the handle. I think his friend wished he hadn't come.

It's a bit tricky Rubes because DH isn't coming over so bit limited with meeting up without kids. If we don't sort it this time will definitely sort it another. Another idea is to do it on a weekend and I can fly over. Could we maybe look again at a weekend away later in the year? A little farewell for moi, if you will.

Well I stepped on the scales for the third time since getting preg. Once at my booking in app, once the wk I was due and this morning. I have 2.5 stone to lose. looking forward to exercising again. Going to hopefully start swimming soon.

Massive result I have had one absoloutely pain free feed. Also did a good lying down feed. I hope this means that I am getting better and getting him latched and that I am healing it does look like I have two craters in my nipples but it's healing.

DH off to NY tom. Very very . I may be a complete basket case by the time he gets back.

How's everyone doing?

I am 235lb I am doing the 5:2 diet. But I'm doing 700 calories instead of 500. I am hoping to lose enough to look slightly thinner by the time DH comes home in March.

Woo hoo lost 4lb in my first week!! Still a stone or so to go but nice to know the lack of cheerfulness as made an impression!

Kayz a woman I work with gas been doing the 5:2 diet and lost about a stone in just over a month. Do stick with it....didn't you lose a lot with WW once?

Well I'm not pregnant which is good. Decided today was the day I would wee on a stick. Did so, while waiting the 2 mins wiped and of course discovered I had started my period. What a waste of money that was then.

So now I just have to worry about the fact my mother rang me last night to tell me she has cancer. Operation in 3 weeks. She thinks she is still going to have the dcs for our weekend away in Feb because she doesn't want to let us down. Daft bat.

Well done Deids, a great start. I'm off diets for a bit - having had to eat low fat for 4 months when I had gall bladder probs (and losing a whole half pound ) I am currently making the most of cheese and roast potatoes and everything else greasy without agonising pain. However it can only be temporary before I turn into a vast blob

Good luck with solo parenting Jam, pleased to hear that feeding is getting easier for you

Having ranted about solo bedtimes last week, I put my foot down with DD1 and said she had to play on her/watch telly for 20 mins and not disturb DD2, with the promise of uninterrupted play and story afterwards with me . Which she did beautifully, but each night she's fallen fast asleep before I got back to her and then has been sad in the morning when she remembers she didn't get a story. Heck, if I'm not feeling guilty about neglecting one I'm feeling guilty about the other.

Anyway, today's dilemma - DH are having a weekend away this weekend and the hotel has a lovely spa. I can have 2 treatments - so do I go for a facial, full body exfoliation treatment or deluxe foot treatment? Decisions decisions...

for LadyT, thinking of you and your family x

Oh Indith. Oh shit. What sort of cancer is it? Do you now the prognosis? Thinking of you xx

Womb. She started bleeding which since it has been 10 years since she had her ovaries out rang alarm bells so she had a scan and biopsy. It is stage 1 which is obviously very good. I guess with her not having ovaries there was no "Could just be menopause, we'll see how it goes" with the bleeding so they have caught it early. Still, CancerUk says stage 1 is 80% survival. So that's a rather large 20% who don't.

Am trying to work but not concentating. And this thread is pissing me off. If a child has an accident it your care then you should never be allowed near them ever again. I'll just call social services and ask them to pick my dcs up then.

Fighting the urge to shop. When I feel like shit I shop. Then I feel guilty for shopping so it doesn't actually make me feel better.

Indith, I am so sorry about your Mum. 80% is a hell of a lot bigger than 20%

That thread is bollocks too. I can understand the Mum is worried but she's over reacting. I better go leave mine at the nearest children's home.

Indith concentrate on stage 1, caught early and 80%. Love to you. X

Gosh indith thinking of you, percentages can be reassuring but at the end of the day how can you not worry. Your poor mum.

I have to say I'd be a bit nervous of leaving after that. Was it a baby? Sorry only read the first couple of posts.
We lost the hamster again today. I couldn't be bothered turning the house upside down looking for him so I just watched what the cat did. Sure enough I noticed she was spending a lot of time above the grate of the underfloor radiator at the back door. Poor little bugger was down there. I left the door to his cage open last night so no idea how long he'd been down there. Needless to say he took a very long slug of his drinking water when I put him back in his cage.

right back to this assignment. I've got to reach 2000 words today, 800 to go.

Indith I'm sorry to hear about your mum. But try to concentrate on the 80% & the fact it's been caught early. Much love to you x

Sorry to read this Indith. Very good odds to focus on x