Jan 07 Part 19: This time last year we were cooking our own little xmas puddings!

[Lizzzombie]

TA DAAAAH

Brand new and shiney, just like all those xmas presents which have already been wrapped up () and are underneath the colour co-ordinated tree!

[walkinginaWILKIEwonderland]

UD - living opposite a park, could get trouble with kids, just a thought

Lizz - hope D is OK now.

EAH - can't believe you have already got your crimbo decs up! Mine will go up weekend after next.

1 week and 1 day to TT. Whoooooo!

Not much to report - I am turning into a very boring person

Ummm, ummm ummm.....

[RudolphtherednoseEANDHdeer]

wilkie I bet in 3 years time you'll have yours up earlier as you'll have an alomost 3 year old moaning about wanting them!!!

Only 3 days to TT for me hurrah, Laughalot is at Kaiser Cheifs tonight

Been at work today been very busy as am off this friday and next friday so am trying to to sort all the end of year meetings and performance reviews but its a nightmare with 10 Branch Mnagers and their staffing issues!!!

[walkinginaWILKIEwonderland]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo lucky bint! I am desperate to see KC.

[Dragonhart]

Took Luke and Ruth to tinytalk chrismas outing today and they had a great time! It was at one of those big climbing play places and Luke loved the big bit while Ruth slid herself around the soft play bit on her bottom Suppose it is a kind of mobility!

Then Ruth had her 7-9month check (at nearly 11 months ) and all was well with that, except she refused to put her feet down when they tried to check if she was weight bearing. Everytime I tried, she would scream and lift her legs up! Got to take her into clinic in a months time so they can check it now, but I know she can do it so not worried. I think she is going to be a little monkey!

Pink- Ruth is not great at drinkning milk and my HV told me that the recomendation for 1 pt a day is for people who are not very educated when it comes to nutritional info on diet. So as long as they are getting the equivilent in their diet then not to worry. Sorry you are having a tough time with A. x

2happy and Urban- glad you had good nights out.

Urban- statistics show that women choose houses so I'd say that your decision goes

Forgot to say hi Love2dance!

What is the deadline for ss? Found something but have to get it posted to me first and just wanted to know if we were going to have an opening on MSN or something? Are we going to find out after who got who what or will it be a mystery for ever?!

[Dragonhart]

Forgot to say hi Mom! Hope all is well with you xxx

[walkinginaWILKIEwonderland]

Opening on MSN sounds fun!

[RudolphtherednoseEANDHdeer]

ooo I love the opening on msn, my ss present arrived on saturday and it smells lovely thru the paper

[Lizzzombie]

hi,

Well, DJ has a nasty cough and cold. Am hoping nursery will still take him tomorrow but he looks very peaky.
I dragged him round Ikea this morning though, and he was ok. He managed over an hour before he got crotchety with me. DP manages about 10 mins in Ikea before that kicks in!

UD - Dancing to Abba is a regular occurance in my household I am afraid!

everyone - Please can you vote for Dylan on Huggies if you have any votes left. I didnt realise he was up there, and I used up my votes on other peoples babies!!!! (bad mother!)

www.bounty.com/babyphoto/browse.asp?btysc=2&btyCurrentPage=221

I need to win something!

ps - SS present opening is a good idea on MSN. I had to hide mine so I would not be tempted!

[Lizzzombie]

here
DOH - I hate this link thing! Its on page 221. He is Dylan. (obviuosly)

[asecretsanta]

I need to ask a question - how are you all posting your presents?

I had to put my present in a box, which I have wrapped up.

Can I post it like that? Or do I need to wrap it up in parcel paper too?

[pinkcandyfloss]

I'm not in the ss but I would think parcel paper would be a good idea. Wrapping paper implies something valuable might be in there as a pressie so might be more likely to not reach the destination!

[katwith3wisemen]

I've voted for you lizz, he looks soo cute

what are you hoping to win ?

UD dont be swayed by the decor, you can easily change it, but agree in that a downstairs loo is a godsend.

Nothing much to say .... but what do you think of my festive name ? DS1 is in his nativity tomorrow and he is a king/wise man. Just found out tonight that he has a solo singing part, so we spent till 9.30 practising his words. Just hope DS2 is quiet tomorrow during the peformance.

I LOVE christmas and everything that goes with it.

[RudolphtherednoseEANDHdeer]

voted Lizz (4 times as used my home and work email address, dh email address and ellies email address!)

[laughalot]

kaisher chiefs was mad !!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were standing and was about four rows from the front. My feet were killing me I had beer all over me from the mosh pit we were in all I could see was peoples feet as everyone was being thrown through the mosh pit. Dh had to hold onto me when I predict a riot was on as it went crazy. I dont think I am used to mad concerts like that as I had my high boots on and a pretty little top all the sensible people had hoodies and trainers on lol. Loved it but wish I was going to tt next week.

[theUrbanDryad]

KW3 - we can't change the decor as we're renting and they're quite strict. i really don't know what to do!

LaL - at you going to see the Kaiser Chiefs. i'm off out tonight (i'm such a socialite) with my rl PN group, but only for a meal...

[vinorouge]

LL - KC sounds like a good night out. My bro and wife went to TT on Fri at o2 and said it was great.

Not sure when we will put our tree and decs up. Trying to decide if we should have a real tree this year or not.

Had an ok weekend with my bro and family. Guests have to sleep in the lounge which I hadn't really thought through cos it meant putting E to bed upstairs then having to move her (so she woke up) downstairs when we were ready for bed. I was poorly and my brothers house was sooo hot it was ridiculous. I was glad to be leaving - had a sob to my mum (who was there with me) on the saturday cos I wanted to leave a day early but I stuck it out until Sunday as planned. I was glad of a days rest at mums yesterday.

[SecretSantaWearingNoPants]

Gonna wrap mine and then wrap again in brown paper. Surely we will figure out who they are from because of the return address on back? Or is there a sneakier way to do it?

[vinorouge]

Maybe it will be a test of who remembers where the others live! I wrapped mine and then put it in a box.

[2Happy]

Put your pants on, Santa, you dirty beast!

[RGee]

I've just wrapped TONS of presents for all the relatives (I get really impatient when wrapping pressies and don't really enjoy it).
Then was in the lounge with loads of toys going to DH "Christmas or birthday? Christmas or birthday...?" Anyway, then packed up all P's presents and took them back upstairs cos I didn't have the energy to wrap them up . I mean, how awkward is a ride on toy to wrap and how much paper do you need!!!!!!

[walkinginaWILKIEwonderland]

Why is Santa wearing no pants? Has he just had a bit with Mrs Claus?

RGee - I was present wrapping too - I LOVE it although am a bit crap. My BF (and I suspect EAH) matches the lines perfectly on the paper and chooses co-ordinating ribbons. Me, I just whack it on I don't worry about creases etc too much! J's presesnts are wrapped and in his sack cos I didn't need to add faffy twirly ribbon to them so his are done. His sack is HUGE even though we have only spent £50! I then wrapped the grandparents pressies from J. I hve just bought little things, no more than £3 - i.e. Thorntons fudge, some lovely dipping oil etc.

DH is proving tricky to buy for PLUS I have to get him something from J. We have a £50 limit and then J's pressie to him will be £10.

Other good news - a job has been posted for DH at Huddersfield! He is going to apply. Fingers crossed for the Pontefract one though - closing date is 14/12.

Must dash, really need a poo....

[RudolphtherednoseEANDHdeer]

wilkie hope you feel relieved now you've been to the loo!!

Were you spying on me wrapping my resents, I do indeed buy matching ribbon, bows, paper and try to match creases etc BUT only on adults stuff, all cildren only get paper and tag because they don't care (and now my secret santa on here will giess who I am!!!!)!!. E and H both have a black sack of presents from 'us' (aka father xmas) Hattie has less number of presents but they are bigger iykwim??? Picked ellies cindrella dress up from my friend who has just come back from USA (her parents live there) and its fab it has a hoop in bottom of skirt so its going to be tricky to wrap, but she has tiara, necklace and clip on earrings. I am now on a mission to find childrens dressing up long gloves (in blue!) and some cinderella glass slippers but they are going for silly money on ebay, eddas sister works for disney so Eddas says she'll be able to get them with 30% discount so am hoping she'll be able to b4 xmas!!

I have bought DH a jacket he wanted from Next from me, Ellie has bought him a hat (he rides his mountain bike to work and its 3 miles each way) and Hattie has bought him some new biking gloves.

Normally i give my parents/ils presents from E and H but il's present cost a bit more than we normally spend so they'll just have the one present from us. Think I'll get my mum and dad a little present from them probably be novelty I have seen an electric sudeko thingy reduced to £5 so that'll do for my dad and maybe a new make up bag for my Mum.

Had fab nights the last 2 nights both slept for 11-12 hours without waking, Hattie has 2 pillows in her cot as she has a cold but she seems to love them and sleep so they are staying.

Friend I saw yesterday is pregnant with baby no 2 so she is on a mission to find a phil and teds double buggy now (her 1st wont be 2 before baby due) and my other friend had her baby on Sunday and called him Max (thought of you PCF) but Ellie is insisting his name is Baby Jesus

[RudolphtherednoseEANDHdeer]

2happy I posted buggy board on Monday via Royal Mail its on recorded delivery thing (orange sticker) o you'll need to sign for it (I did potage through work so it was free!)

[walkinginaWILKIEwonderland]

Really good recipe here I have just done for J and he LOVED it. SO quick and easy to do:

MINCE HOTPOT
2 Onions
300g Carrot
1kg potatoes
1lb minced beef
2 stock cubes
1 can baked beans

Cut onions into 8 wedges. Chop carrots and potatoes into slices. Brown mince off. Crumble in stock cubes. Chuck veg in. Add 1 pint boiling water. Simmer for 25-35 mins until veg is v soft. Stir in beans and heat through.

Et voila! SO EASY. Just gave it a quick blitz in mixer and he nom nom-ed about 10 cubes up!!

[Dragonhart]

We make something similar without the baked beans but I cook it in the pressure cooker, so its even quicker and put it in a pie dish and put pastry on the top. Yours is much healthier though

When I was weaning Luke and we were still having seperate (less helathy) meals, I used to use these pots as he was a big eater too and I got tired of having to use ice cubes. Also makes it a take away meal when you ae out and mine lasted for ages ( I only bought one set for him). Then you can just mash it before he eats it rather than having to pocess it. Anything for less washing in this house .

I bought a set for Ruth but I have not used it as she just has what we have as we eat healthier food now. Im going to give it to dsis when she gets started.

Glad you had fun at the KC Laughalot after you TT troubles.