December 08 ers still going strong.

[Vagolajahooli]

Hello ladies, can you believe we will be entering into a 6th year of this thread this year?

Thanks. I decided I needed something other than the usual trim and few layers. It's my first haircut in months.

nice one Kayz.

I made the world's most delicious soup tonight. Yummers. I want more. Also made the loveliest lightest chocolate cupcakes with the boys. I want to eat them all.

It's actually properly looking like spring now. So I let DS2 cycle home from school today which he is pretty happy about. We're in too much of a rush to let him cycle to school in the morning.

Waaaahhh why do you always bump into the most glamorous person you know in the oddest of places. When you are in yoga pants and a tshirt which your child has vommited on and having not washed your hair for two days.

Sorry beans just saw your post about lunch. Am chock full next wk but I can do the wk after?

Vag home made soup is the best. Loved your crocus pics on FB.

Well done on the driving Kayz.

Rubes are you feeling better?

Where is everyone??

I did an emergency stop today. It was pretty cool. Usually I am terrified of driving but I am really enjoying it. Next lesson is on Tuesday.

Lady, are you planning on having another go at learning to drive? How are you feeling? Not too sick I hope.

So sorry about your Grandad Jam . Also sorry about the glamorous friend - people shouldn't be allowed out without at least one thing wrong with their appearance.

Good work on the driving Kayz, if you're enjoying it then it should be a breeze to pass your test

Hello!

Just catching-up.

Jam - so sorry to hear about your grandpa. I hope you get to go and see him again soon. Has he met DS3?

Rubes - you've had a lot on. Where is your DH's new fellowship? Will you have to move areas? And any news on your hernia op? Getting those tests must have been stressful.

ZJ - I'm with you on bedtime stress. Mine often go into hyper mode just as I'm trying to get the baby settled. DD1 is seven and a half and still does it so not much light at the end of the tunnel for you there!

Veg - sorry we didn't get to catch-up in the uk. Are we all going to try for one mid-country meet before you go?

We watched Gravity last night. It was utter pants, i don't get why it received such acclaim. It was so unrealistic and why, why, why did Sandra Bullock agree to wear her underwear throughout, it undermined any credibility the film had left after the enormous plot holes.

I have a stinking cold which seems rather unfair on the first spring weekend of the year.

I wrote a post which amongst other things was giving Jam my sympathy and thoughts, but slightly more eloquently than just saying that. But it didn't post. anyway thinking of you Jam. That's a lot to deal with for you & him. I can't imagine how he must be feeling after losing his wife and now facing this without her.

don't worry about the glamorous friend I'd happily run into you in the street and have a natter whatever your wearing. She is probably just happy to see you (resisting saying 'she is probably a sad lonely person who has a crap sex life' as that would be mean).

Arti thanks for the movie review DH wants to see it and I just wasn't convinced it could be all that. Then it won some awards and he has been pushing for it again. Maybe I'll let him watch it & I'll do some reading for uni. I managed to get through life without seeing Titanic & it won some awards too. Though my main reason for not seeing that was Celine.

Yes, I'll clear everything up again as always, shall I? And cook all meals and clean the house and go to Homebase and walk the dog. Ho hum. Feeling put upon. Which isn't fair as DH does pull his weight. Am just grumpy.

It's ok Beans you can vent. my DH is wonderful & great with the boys and def pulls his weight but there a little things that niggle for me. When I came home from the UK the house was lovely & tidy but he seemed to want a medal for his efforts. He'd been home alone all week so he'd only been cleaning up after himself.

We bought a tandem bike today. DS1 is getting too big to fold into the trailer on Saturday mornings for swimming and for some of the other longer trips we have to do. He can ride himself but when he is already swimming flat out for an hour it's a bit mean to make him cycle over 50 mins each way. But it is getting a bit much for me & a bit cramped for him. Though I do like the exercise. But the best option was to buy a tandem bike with the tandem being a kids size one. It also has a little foot plate so I can take DS2 & if he doesn't fancy cycling he can just rest his feet. I love it, tandem bikes are quite popular here with families and this is a cool retro one. it needs a new paint job & some rust sorting out but it should be up & running soon.

How amazing is this weather. We have a 5km race tomorrow, but thinking afterwards it will almost be beach weather.

Ah, Beans, the great division of labour debate. Although DP is out at work I just feel like I never get a rest (or rarely) and that it's me 'on duty' regardless of the time of day.

We drove to Milton Keynes today and had Yo Sushi for lunch, which I really fancied. Then we went to Costco for our first ever time at DP's insistence. He was bizarrely keen to join. I thought of you Rubes, I know you are a fan! By the time we got there I was so knackered I just slept in the car for an hour and caught up with the others later...DP seemed as happy as Larry with his trolley full of random bargains.

Am still ridiculously nauseous and tired. I just fall asleep on the sofa at 9ish or have to lie down for a bit in the day. Never known anything like it. Draining nausea still causing me to gorge on carbs. Again - unknown for me, even when pregnant. Next scan is 17 March then Harmony test on 21 March, which is the amazeballs new blood test that Arti had where they can check for chromosomal abnormalities with a high degree of accuracy. Results a fortnight later.

Will post this chunk then carry on.

Kayz, that is smashing about the driving, keep it up my love. I think a positive attitude with it is key (which I never had!) Actually, DP is around quite a bit in May/June and I am seriously thinking about booking an intensive week's residential course.

Rubes, was so so sorry about the rough time you've been having. The hernia business must have been so worrying, and the house stuff...my goodness, what a shame. Getting a mortgage is a f¥¥¥er. So frustrating. Annoying about your DH's fellowship and work woes. As for your brother, again if am very sorry about it but man, she always sounded like a grade A bitch tbh. Poor fellow.

Is Sandra Bullock really in her smalls for the whole of the film? I didn't fancy Gravity anyway, definitely don't know. Mind you, I don't care much for her clothed either.

What was the ace soup you made, Vag? I heart soup, always on the hunt for new ones.

Jam, that is such sad news about your Grandpa though if he is v sprightly maybe he will do better than they think. How are you settling down to life with three? Happy you did it?!

Invis, you mentioned you were in Brum quite a bit. I know it rather well and my Mum still lives there. Do you stay up?

It was Book Club last night. Struggled to stay awake but did a skilled job at not drinking, but inconspicuously. We did a book called Beautiful Ruins which was just pap, really. Next one is The Book Thief, which I wasn't sure I fancied...

Lovely to see you ZJ. How is the work/life balance these days?

And DB, any more rumbling from DH about you increasing hours at work?

DP is doing a gig in a pub with one of his bands tonight. Sleep for me. Soopah doopah. I am a slave to sleep, bread and rice. It's like I have had a personality transplant.

Oh Lady, The Book Theif is lovely but please please don't see the film. Apparently it's total pants.

We went out for dinner with some friends last night. They are obscenely wealthy and live in a ginormo pad. Actually too OTT for me and DH. DD1's best friend's Mum and DH were there. It pains me to say it, but they are DREADFUL. I wonder if they were the cool crowd at uni and have never moved on. She is very beautiful but her personality is v unattractive and they were telling this story about being sure one of their friends is gay and I just couldn't see the point of it, except he kept saying, 'I just call him a big poof'. It was so awkward and no one laughed remotely. Thankfully there was another couple there we'd never met before who were hilarious and I saw her catching his eye whenever these 2 spoke. And they were such embarrassing show offs. DH was horrified too. Thank god. But v funny in retrospect!

Have I broken it?

No, I am here but working at home so not really supposed to be reading! When I stop for lunch, I'll try to catch up

Hope everyone is doing well.

Naw, I think I broke it actually! Booked yet another holiday. Taking my mum and her other half to Sorrento last week of May. As well as Spain for a week next month. Holidaytastic.

Right, endless (and fruitless) tidying beckons. And admin. Still trying to get rid of mountains of stuff and papers. I reckon we need to cut the amount of stuff in this house by about a third. I have boxes and boxes of stuff to EBay though I also make sure some goes to the charity shop as well. My house will never be zen but I would like it not to look like something off one of those hoarder programmes on Channel 4.

Lady, I'm not sure what is different this time but I'm really enjoying driving this time. Before I've found it terrifying. I really want to pass and be able to drive. I can drive to school when it rains, pick DH up and go out with the DC.

Your holidays sound nice. We are off to Cornwall in April with my mum, step dad and brother. Really looking forward to it. Then we have a week at PIL in August. I guess it's not a proper holiday but it's nice down there.

also supposed to be working from home...just did a 2 hour call where could barely hear a thing.

lady, would love tips on Brum, I don't know it at all and am overnight for 2 nights a week. Even better, if you happen to find yourself there on a Monday or Tuesday night between now and late May and you fancy a drink, just shout!

kayz, just cross-posted. where are you going in Cornwall? we've taken many of our holidays there since the kids, love it.

I love Cornwall and we go most summers en famille. Very exciting.

So glad the driving is going well kayz. When is your test? It is truly liberating to be able yo get to places with kids and all their crap without having to set out hours in advance. Before I drove I walked miles, which I still love, but it means you can nip somewhere in ten minutes rather than an hour each way. I am off yo brownies in a min. Only 5 mind in car but would be a jolly slow round trip for all 3 when it is only one actually doing it.

I must try to find done dates for a London ladies meet up. Will consult calendar and come back to you. Fridays are best I think?

We are going to St Merryn Invis. We stayed at Holywell Bay last year which was nice. DDs godparents live in Newquay.

Sybs, my test is April 4th. DH is home next Tuesday all being well so I might go out in our car for a bit extra practice.

April 4 is Lucy's birthday. An excellent omen. Only 26 days to go. We can do an hourly countdown virtually ....

Our wedding anniversary is the 5th so hopefully we can celebrate both.

very auspicious day for your driving exam then Kayz. must be a good sign. if you are enjoying it so much you are sure to pass.

radio silence here due to freaking loads of uni work to do. Why oh why did I decide two units was a good idea. Anyhoo apart from the freaking out, very much enjoying. Finding the units very interesting and is quite refreshing learning in a non health focused area, strange, after so long, but good strange.

DS1 is unwell today so have him at home, poor thing won't get much out of me as I have an assignment due next week and an exam the week after to study for.

We've just booked our summer holiday to Cornwall, I'm really excited about it. I've never been, but have fallen for the beautiful pictures on the tourist board site. We're staying on the south coast, Mevagissey.

I'm also on a big de-clutter mission LadyT, my lent 'thing' is to get a grip on paperwork. I never set up a proper filing system when we moved in (7+ years ago) so now I have cupboards and drawers full of papers waiting to be filed, of which most of it can probably be binned, it's so out of date. Tonight's task is the drawers in the lounge, an old dumping ground so suspect it will just be a big bonfire. The work/life balance is good, but the home/life balance is tough, there just aren't enough hours in the day!

Arti I have a meeting next Thursday about one street away from your office - I'll fb you to see if you're free for a cuppa (or if anyone is else is free late morning)

Today DD had someone from Tesco come to talk to her class about where food comes from - and they tried mango, pineapple, bananas and chocolate. So she came out of school and announced that she'd learnt that food comes from hot countries. I can't deny that those foods do, but apparently there was no mention of British produce at all. I am a bit miffed that Tesco have probably earned brownie points or something for an educational outreach programme that totally ignores home grown food. I'm quite tempted to complain (although not sure who too), but at the end DDs teacher asked all the farming children (at least a third of her year group) to stand up and tell the Tesco lady what they produced, so I suspect her feelings are similar to mine ...