May 07 Darling buds of May crawl this way...

[scootermum]

Sorry, best I could come up with in between making tea and trying to get Lils off to bed before the football starts...

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I got married in the local church, built in the 70's. I so wanted to get married in either a 'proper' church or a stately home but as MIL was paying for it I went for the cheaper option. I made the mistake of having my reception the Hawks football club. Would have been ok if it hadnt been the same time as the world cup so as well as my wedding decs we also had inflatable footballs and flags hanging from the ceiling The men loved it though and thought we had done it ourselves lol.

I had all the works incl 2 cars (had 5 bridesmaids and ds1 as pageboy so needed two)the big white dress, the bridesmaids dresses made to order, catering etc and at came to £3500 so not bad at all. Even my honeymoon was cheap, a week in Zante (had always wanted to go there)£99 each incl flights. It was a proper hotel as well although meals werent included.

Meg my dad got a tear in his eye too, probably a tear of happiness for finally getting rid of me lol

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Our Wedding cost a sodding fortune but was all worth it except by the time it came around I had gone off my frock-love those ones Tilly!
Congrats to Creena I WANT another one now..and only 50% becuase I hate being back at work and want another bit of mat leave!

Have done naff all today-had a meeting in Westminster at 10 am, went to that, came back via Oxford street, (lovely new H and M on Regent street and Topshop Oxford circus)Pottered about service, and now about to leave to go to early dinner before the theatre..

Its very odd not having kids at home.I miss them, but its wierdly like before we had them all this going out and not needing to worry about baby sitters..v. nice for a change but wouldnt want it all the time..

Bad news from our friend who has cancer-it doesnt look like he's long left Will go and see him over the weekend which will be awful but want to say Goodbye properly before he goes into hospice..it seems so cruel as he is only a few years older than me..

Anyway, better go and jump on the bus into town..am wishing had worn warmer coat however as its ruddy freezing out there..

Wow Meggle - I love Prague ! do you live there or did you just go for your wedding ? I saw a wedding at the town hall there (I think - the one with the clock) and really fancied going to Prague to do ours. Bit of a logistical nightmare though with the dc's etc.

Scoot - sorry to hear about your friend. So

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Tilly i love those dresses! I wish i could re do my wedding. There would be so many things that i would change. I am just planning MIL's for May and have dresses bought, flowers ordered and hotel booked. Just the cake to go. LG&T yes an iced creation is what i am looking for. Waitrose and such like only do fuit cakes with alcohol in and the groom is tee total so am having a few issues. also cant find the cake i want in sponge format or fruit/sponge.

This is the bridesmaid dress i am wearing and this is the dress MIL is wearing

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I like the second dress Tilly... The v-neck one with the waist sash.

I don't think we ever really added up the full cost of our wedding. Far too scary. We hired a Conran restaurant for the day. Was worth it though. People still talk about our wedding and how great it was and come to us for advice on how to look after guests really well. I think if we have the money, we might do a re-run for our tenth anniversary. (Just the reception, obviously.) The venue is in lots of ads and tv shows. I still get excited seeing it on telly and think, "Oooh, I had my wedding reception there."

Pebble, I'm absolutely gutted for you and your son, particularly after all the problems he's had. The whole system is shit. I wish they'd ban league tables and not publish results. Would stop a lot of this over-subscribed nonsense and give people a proper choice. Results don't get published in Ireland (or didn't when I was at school anyway) and you chose your local school or one that you preferred based on what you heard about it. There was none of this centrally controlled, middle-class advantageous nonsense that goes on here. I have everything crossed for you that your appeal is successful.

Thought Creena was preggo not SOH? Or did I miss something? Congratulations anyway.

M2LB - I'm afraid I'm in the Obama camp. I really liked what I heard when he said he planned to gather the best of the best people around him and take advice on everything, rather than trying to know it all. That and some other things, though I'll be happy once a Democrat gets in. That said, I think McCain is probably the most centre-right of all the Republicans, so I guess even he'd be better than the present administration.

I went to look at an iCandy Pear today. First shop I went to had the most miserable unhelpful cow of an owner who didn't even want to take it apart for me to see how big it was folded etc. Lost a sale there for sure. Went to another place and the guy was lovely.
Vs Phil and Ted's, the Pro's are:

1. Both children can face you, which is the one thing I miss with the Mountain Buggy I have
2. It takes a Maxi-Cosi plus other seat/ carrycot
3. Is no longer than P&T
4. Neither child has to sit practically on the ground looking at people's ankles/ other baby's arse.

Cons:

1. It's at least 5kg heavier than new P&T
2. You have to take it into FOUR parts, yes FOUR to put in car. Chassis, double converter and two seats, whereas new P&T Vibe folds in one piece including toddler seat. (I wonder could that be a pro, if it means I can talk DH into letting me have an old Land Rover to replace the ancient Jag.... Hmmm...)

So, any thoughts ladies? Pear Vibe Or are we all just relieved you don't have to think about buying a double buggy?

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Speaking of dresses... I bought this patterned maxi dress for the black-tie wedding in Oz. Think I might buy this plain one too and try them both on at home and decide between the two. I can manage to get enormous norks and slightly less enormous bump into both.

Problem now is S... Dresses for "girls" look silly on her (she's far too well developed), but most adults dresses are too sophisticated. I mean, she looked absolutely lovely in this, but do I want to spend £160 on a dress that a 12 year old will wear once? No. Also, I'd rather she wore something shorter (think it's acceptable for a young girl to wear shorter for black tie, don't you?) and not strapless. And definitely not halter. EVERYTHING in the shops is strapless... And expensive...

Bollox sorry that was me mistaking Creena with SOH. Its all this damn name changing. Tis not SOH thats up the duff.SOH if your lurking sorry got my nicknames all mixed up.

congratulations creena

TYG I would defo go for the P&T I know it means A will end up on the bottom. I think its easier when you think about when your bub is born for the first 6 months the baby will be on the main seat and A on the top then when it comes time to switch A will prob prefer to walk alot of the time and just jump in every so often for a rest.

All you wedding planner lot when DP and I get hitched, New York Easter 2010 I will be employing you for planning it. I will pay in KK's

Scoot what awful news much love.

Thanks Meggle... I was thinking of a Discovery, which has 7 seats and lots of boot space... And probably a £25 congestion charge if Livingstone gets back in. No matter, DH will never agree to it. Despite being surprised that the Jag actually consumes more petrol than a 4x4. He hasn't a clue about cars. He wants me to get an old Volvo estate. Not sure I'll get two baby seats and a teenager in the back though.

The P&T Vibe is only 10kgs, I think the Sport and E3 are heavier?

I was thinking of a tandem double, simply because I won't get into half the shops in my village with a side by side. Not even an umbrella fold. I struggle with the Mountain Buggy in a lot of places, and that's 8-10cm narrower than a double.

What will prob happen is I'll get a comfy big buggy to keep at home and when #2 is a bit bigger, get an umbrella fold for the car. (This is what I did with Mountain Buggy/ Quinny Zapp combo). If I don't hit DH with it all in one go he doesn't notice.

TYG 12 is such an awkward age for nice not slutty dresses what about Monsoon do they have anything?? I know not somewhere you would look for black tie but Topshop have some really lovely tea style dresses, demure but still trendy, how black tie-ish is it?

Evening all. I'm just popping in for LG&T to slap my wrist for not posting! We are so, so busy at the moment, actually sitting down and getting on the pc is a luxury I cannot afford timewise. Work is really hectic, dh is doing 2 jobs, the kids have got loads on and there just aren't enough hours in the day to be honest.
All the talk of weddings has cheered me up though, love all the dresses. AM my sister had that dress you are wearing for her bridesmaids, it looked fab.
Pebble, fwiw I would say definitely go for an appeal. I would never want to get your hopes up but I do not know anyone who has failed an appeal for Secondary schools, it certainly never happens round here. Good luck. Anyway, I have to go, I am absolutely knackered and feel like I could sleep for 100 years. Toodloo!

Hmm. She'll be 20 months when the baby is off the P&T "shelf"... I don't know if she'd manage the hills round here at that age. (I, on the other hand, will have buns of steel.)

Oh well, don't have to decide for a while. Actually, my friend in Sydney has a P&T, so I'll have two weeks of playing with hers to help me decide.

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JW - It's VERY black tie. I heard Melbourne was very formal so I emailed the bride to ask was it "dressy" or "full black tie", you know how some people don't really mean black tie when the put it on an invite. Anyway, it's full dinner suit for the men (late afternoon wedding) and long dresses for women.

I saw those tea dresses in topshop and they're lovely, but I don't think they're formal enough. Tsk. The dresses in Monsoon Kids go up to age 14, but they're quite girly and with DD1's D-cup boobs, they look quite odd. Bit Lolita-esque. Something like this might work. Or this.

Meggle, that's what my ancient vintage Jag is like, I say it all the time. Driving your living room around. It only has to go because there's only a lap belt in the middle of the back seat, so not safe for child seat. That and the fact the shocks are gone, the remote locking is temperamental, it costs £65 to fill the tank and does about 8 miles to the gallon in traffic. BUT it is a very cool car and I'd keep it if I could. Will go and see a couple of old V70's when we get back from Oz and try out the baby seats in the back. I think you can get ones with the extra seats in the boot too... Provided I can get the whole family, plus buggy and various accoutrements in the back, I shall just have to get over myself. For someone with zero money to spend on a car, I have expensive tastes. I reckon working in the City didn't help. DH laughed his arse off when I said I'd love a Lexus 4x4 hybrid. He said I could have one if I could get it for two grand.

I have verbal diarrhoea tonight. Will shut up now.

....runs in....
hello all, had a quick swoosh through thread, lovely to see you all doing well. JW big hugs, txt if you fancy meeting up at all. At Befnal central we're still alive and kicking, have updated photos. I'm off back to work part time on March 17th...eek. Will probably have more time for mumsnet then
....runs out....

xxx

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Befnalbub, hi! I was wondering what had happened to you.

Good luck with the return to work.

All these lovely dresses and talk of weddings is making me very . Would love an excuse to get dressed up in something really glam.

J was not impressed with the news about his school. Im trying to stay positive by thinking that it could have been worse, they could have put him in the school just round the corner

I know i moan about dh and he can be a right arse sometimes but I really feel sorry for him tonight. Hes been on the go since 8am, helping out at FIL's house and then at 4pm he went to do his usual job. Normally he would be on his way home by now but he popped home at 9pm to tell me that he was going to have to stay at work until at least 6am [shock}One of the big machines he fixes decided to explode into a fireball, they managed to put it out but there is a chance it may reignite and so poor dh and another worker are having to stay at work overnight to keep an eye on it E was awake when dh popped home and he got all upset that we werent going to have a daddy in the house overnight, he also asked if his daddy was coming home in the morning Its as if he thought dh was leaving us for good

Right im off to bed, had planned to have an early night but have been designing invites for J's party and lost track of time. Will be thinking of dh sat at work in the cold (-4 outside) while im snuggled under our warm duvet