March 06 - the other thread ran out of space!!!!!

[laundrylover]

Oh no - the thread ran out of space so couldn't even post a link!!!

Let me know when you find it ladies.......

Well last sunday may have been bliss, but this weekend in teh same park it was piss wet.... and I had 150 people on site for an event. JOY. still, teh food was good and most people seemed to be enjoying themselves.
See you later, need to wake boy up.

Friz, I wasn't being sarcastic about the weather!! It really was fab .

Not today though eh? Pissed it down on my washing.

Glad you all enjoyed spring while it lasted then ;)

We are back from the Mountains - lovely autumn weather for us though. 2 days of rain/mist so the kids watched DVDs and DH and I read and ate cake and drank tea. We did a little bush walk one day, indoor play centre another day, wandered around a quaint little town an other, Botanic gardens another day and park and cafe with my brother another - so all in all very chilled and very nice.

DD back at kindy yesterday and DS stated the sports group we had trialled last term and loved it.

Unpleasant to come back to earth and be back with my parents. Still nothing at all for DH - only endless gloom in the papers about unemployment

Astro, sounds like a lovely break, shame to come home to doom and gloom.

We are having a family week as sis is down from Scotland...mum and dad manged to have big fall out though and much tears and snot ensued. All sorted now though and my dad has agreed to come on the family holiday from hell at half term!!!

Sis has a HUGE bump already.

Boy's 1st morning at preschool today!! hurrah for my little bear, he handled it pretty well. his early morning bravado and excitment became nervous and a bit clingy when we got there, I stayed the whole session but for most of it managed to stay in teh background. Ended the morning with 3 kids sat on me for story time! my own and two little boys he had met for 1st time today.I think I'm going to enjoy vounteering as a parent helper- I got to play with lego and compost. not at the same time I hasten to add.

Hello all,

Weather here is sounding similar to yours... Much rain but the occasional beautiful morning or afternoon.

DD2 started a much awaited ballet class and she is LOVING it. The dance teacher was quite amazed by how well she got on given that she has never been to school/class before. (I am slowly debunking myths about homeschooling with my well socialised crew .)

She was devastated on Saturday when she discovered that she is a spectator at baseball rather than a player. She kept insisting that she is a BIG 3 year old. Not a convincing argument as she is on the 5 th centile for height and below the charts for weight... They don't start T-ball until 5 here so she is out of luck.

Astro: I am sorry about the bleak outlook for employment and the challenges at your parents' house. I hope it all changes soon.

My closest friend in Vienna has lost her home back in the US, declared bankruptcy, decided to stay on in Vienna for another year and found out that she is expecting a baby all in a matter of days. I almost wish I was back there to help her through it all.

Gosh, preschool and ballet already!! They're not babies any more are they??

Uni, you'll be very popular if you stay and help I think.

Yesterday I took my mum's 3 bottle fed lambs into Tilly's school...chaotic but fun! 3 lambs and 60 pre-school and reception kids!!

Having a strange week which has resulted in me starting a plan for a community farm in my local area! Any fancy buying a share??? Will keep you updated....

Just doing a bit of work before the Apprentice..DP in pub watching football so just me. Have lit a fire to keep me company

IIRC parents are expected to do a session or 2 a term as parent helper at this pre school. I've signed up for 2 already so I could do 2 at a time I chose, rather than wait till the list is looking busy. My Sure start volunteer manager is making worried noises about not having trained me so I could go volunteer some place else :-) However her training will be VERY releventto pre school volunteering as there was lots about good practise in play and conversations with children.

at community farm idea LL, I like the sound of it though! I can see you doing that.

for your friend loosing house and bancrupt Caddy. for dd2 starting ballet though, dd2 here has been tagging along to her sisters lessons too and loves it

Astro for no work still, but for lovely holiday.

Uni, for boy starting nursery, glad that you're enjoying helping out

Been busy decorating ss's room here, oh and working!final glossing to do tomorrow, his new bed should be delivered in the afternoon too (my mum is coming over to look after the girls and wait in for it!)

LL, tell me about the community farm - it is for petting animals or eating them? Sounds intriguing either way!

Uni, we help out at kindy too, although its not required, just hoped for! Last term DH and I each did a stint of covering and repairing books, and DH spent hours helping with their neglected computer system...and now they adore him

Caddy, so sorry to hear about your friend. What will they do? Do they have the funds to keep renting or whatever where they are?

Friz, you go girl with all that decorating!

Lovely sunny day here - cool in the shade and warm in the sun. I am washing and trying to fluff up nappies for DD2s arrival, (we have nice soft water here, so hopefully just washing them will fluff them a bit. They seemed fine for DS when he was in them, but seem far too 'crispy' for a newborn bot!)

Had a midwife appointment on wed, midwife confirmed that bub is 'not small' and that my abs are giving me 'no help at all' - hence massive bump stretching out a foot in front of me. Baby is big and well

DH gone to look and hopefully buy a car today.

LL, do tell us about the farm idea.

Astro: I am glad that the midwife visit went well. You can sort out the abs later when you have to cart the baby around! I hope DH lands the perfect job soonish.

Friz: Just reading about all of your decorated has exhausted me. Stop trying to make us all look bad, will you?

Uni: The preschool sounds lovely. I can picture you under a heap of boys at story time. They are lucky to have you!

My DH was not offered the job in Scotland. Mix of relief and sadness as this economy makes me nervous about making a change unless it is for his dream job which this wasn't...

We are 1/2 thinking about another move. Dh is applying for a variety of posts in other duty stations. Not too sure about how that will work out except that he and the dc are not happy here. (It figures, eh?)

My friend in Vienna is bracing herself for another few years in Austria and hoping that things recover (economy wise) back home before they move back. Not much else to do I suppose. She is also going to be holding a newborn by Christmas assuming that things go smoothly so hopefully that will bring them much joy!

Just escaping to the computer as Tilly is in meltdown! Just stopped screaming after a good hour - I flipped and pulled her out of the room at one point. Oops. All calmer now...

We had a lovely day yesterday. Bike ride on an old railway trail. Tried Tilly's new tag along but needs a new connection so both were in seats. Did about 14 miles. Then we went out for a Thai meal with friends and kids. Very nice but late night seems to have been an issue!!

Caddy, it seems like your friend may have to sit out the recession with her new baby eh? I think that people just have to view it as a temporary lifestyle change - for people I know it's the 'not knowing' thats harder IYSWIM? Will I keep my job? Will I get reduced hours etc... We are very lucky as doing OK despite being self employed and DP doing mostly building on my sister's and our houses this year.

Friz, is the shop still doing OK? Well done on all your decorating! Tilly is being given a new cabin bed so we will have a change around next week I think...

Astro - your bump sounds HUGE. Can you put some pics on your profile? You are also still living in Derby on there! Nappy talk may make me broody so less of it please. Mind you after having my naughty nephews around for a week I think any remaining doubts have been banished!!!

Uni, we are probably meant to volunteer too. I did take the lambs in though and am doing a worm survey with eco club this half term [polishes halo].

Community farm....will tell you more after I've met with local council and interested parties next week. It will involve a bit of cuddling but more growing and some eating of both veg and animals I expect!! Only veg for me of course though.

waves from unis.
I got to ride my bike today- 15 miles each way to cricket match. Boy and Dh took car. Tomorrow its Dhs turn, hes doing 100ish miles training ride for an even bigger ride he plans to do in June.

It was nice being out on my own on teh bike. Nice country side too. Was our 1st day at teh cricket club this season. DH arrived at 3ish to find people asking why he hadn't been there on time for teh game.. DH pointed out that no one had asked him to play, or even inquired of his availability... oops, captains cok up.
Suspect he WILL be playing next week.

Uni, 30 miles on your unicycle or with 2 wheels? Either way I'm very impressed! Your poor DH must have felt really left out eh?

Off to London for a couple of days - staying with 2 friends in a swish hotel so should be fun. Still have to work tomorrow and do my final course day on Weds though so not all lounging by the pool!

2 wheels. I used to do it on one, by a shorter (12 mile each way) route. But am not really up to it at teh mo.
Dh is falling asleep up-stairs at teh mo, he did about 90 miles today!

Far out Uni, you are an animal My current association with bikes is this: we bought a basket yesterday to go on the one DD is getting for her birthday. LL your recent riding sounds fab as well! No riding for me at the mo!

DH has gone to collect our new car today!!!!!!!!! I am VERY excited - never appreciated how wonderful cars are before now!

LL - I know I am not to talk nappies, but I need to ask one quick question of you and Uni. How can I get them soft? All ours are so crusty from having been washed in hard derbyshire water and seem too hard for a little newborn bot. I have washed 3 times and added vinegar and tumble dried to try to soften them, but no joy.

And, speaking of nappies - DS is now, finally, dry at night! Hurrah! He was almost dry when we put him back in nappies for the van trip, then has been wetting 3-5 nights a week (but refusing nappies) since december. Now he has cracked it! Hurrah! (Just after I shipped 2 extra hippy chick wee sheets from the UK to here, at great expense of course!)

astro- when yo are washing them now are you using any detergent? if so, STOP. try a few rinses with vinegar only or nothing at all.try wash balls if you have them. try line drying in wind . try ironing them. try scrumpling them up and sitting on them and generally getting teh fabric moving. they will never go back to beautifully soft and fluffy like new but you can increase the absorbency and they "might" get less crunchy.
www.treehuggermums.co.uk/articles/clothnappies/article.php?article=37 is a pretty good article on washing nappies. she advocates tumble drying, and a dash of fabric softener.

I'm not envious of you re-visting nappy land. I did like cloth nappies, but I don;t want to go back to umpteen nappy changes a day, a boy who takes him self to teh loo is MUCH easier. Even if he doesn still need his bum wiped. He tries, but tends to smear pooh all round his b*llocks.

Still laughing at your post Uni. Boy's bum wiping paints a picture... I wonder if he will crack the code or grow up to be like most men who just don't care?

Astro: I don't envy you the crunchy nappies either. I hope they soften up before your new arrival. I went entirely disposable with dd2 because we were in an apartment in NYC with communal laundry facilities and nappies were forbidden so it has been 7 long years since I have laundered a newborn's nappies.

We are camping our way down to Croatia this weekend but the weather forecast is for rain in Italy. YIKES! That will not be very fun as we are meant to be taking it in small chunks. I hate packing a wet tent and four children into the mini-van...At least we have an apartment there.

Friz: Are you finished decorating yet?

LL: I hope that London is fab. I am .

Morning all,

Sitting here with Kiah who is just getting over her tummy bug but not really bright enough for playgroup. Means I missed my run but we are going for a buggy push instead.

Uni, tittering at your bum wiping comment. I have no experience of the dangly bits!!

Astro - if you can't get your nappies fluffy you could splash out on some new ones. My sister has these lollipop ones which are great.here

Caddy - I hope the weather picks up for you. Has stopped raining here after days of it. I was in London tho where it was dry.

Had a lovely night away - had a meal out but I ordered a steak by mistake! My face was a picture when the waiter brought it over. They soon replaced it with the most fantastic nettle risotto ever.

I made a huge boo boo yesterday as was in the kitchen next to our course room and made a joke that as part of our 'personal reviews', my colleagues and I had discussed our joint lack of libido....everyone in the room could hear. I have never gone so red!!!!!

LL and Uni, your posts made me lots, good gaff and fab bum wiping pictures

Caddy, sorry I'm not trying to show you up with the decorating, its not been done really for a good 5 years so was ready for a good go! can report all done now (ignoring our room for now) and ss's bed is up and ready, and his new flatpack units and wardrobe mainly assembled (missing one screw on a door hinge, which I've asked dh to nick one from our door with same hinges at work! then that will be sorted hopefully)
I'm for your week camping your way to croatia, that sounds lovely, I hope the weather perks up for you. We're heading to South of France in 3 weeks (ish) very excited!

LL hope your hotel was lovely

Astro, yay for your new car has dh had any more luck with work?

Uni, bike ride sounds lovely, lol at cricket forgetting to ask dh to play doh! I went horse riding the other day for 1st time in a year or two, am still going ouch when I sit down will be going again soon though

hooray for horseriding, camping trips, biking trips and nights away not eating steak!

Have tried hot washing (no detergent), line drying, tumble drying - might try a tiny dash of softener, although I've heard thats not goood for absorbency. I have splashed out on a couple of gorgeous bamboo velour one-size which have highlighted just how crunchy the tots bots are! Can't justify a whole new kit though, so will keep on with them.

Baby is trying to kick my breakfast bakc up right now, kids are watching Charlie and Lola DVD where Lola losese her tooth (very popular as DD has her first wobbly tooth atm!), and I am faffing whilst DH sleeps in after going to see StarTrek premier last night - nerd that he is

Horse riding . I ran (jogged as so fat!!) up to my parents' farm yesterday and followed a route I use to ride as a kid. Lot easier on a horse.

Forgot to send clean knickers up with DP so had to wear a pair of my Mum's Sloggi belly warmers. Am worried that they felt so comfortable!! Am getting old!!!!

Kiah has been sent to playgroup this morning after a week off with her tummy bug. DP and I need a couple of hours off!

Sun is out.

DP is wearing your Mums knickers!?

at LL in the pants, they do claim to be very comfy

Astro of dh at the premier!

No horses tomorrow, haircut instead, have penciled horses in for the following Friday am.

No I wore the knickers!!! DP takes my clean clothes with the kids up to the farm for after my shower!!

Riding again Friz....must get organised and go whilst we are up in Scotland at half term.

Think I'm going to go for a bath and read some more of my book...reading 'When will there be good news' by Kate Atkinson. Very good read.

Catch you all soon,

LL