June 08: I see it, I want it, it's mine!

[spongebrainmaternitypants]

Welcome to our new thread .

I wrote a long waffly post earlier and then mumsnet was down when I tried to post.

Debs- Given the option I would move back to Yorkshire, I grew up near Ilkley and loved it there, beautiful countryside but only 20 mins on the train into the centre of Leeds. Houses are very expensive round there though.
The Peak district is lovely and very central, not too far from Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, there always seem to be loads of outdoor activities going on, climbing etc, no skiing.
Ali, you are right about Nottingham, I believe it's terrible reputation is down to the comments of the old police chief, it's no worse than other cities I've lived in.

Whinegums - exciting about the house! No idea about negotiating, I'm terrible at it!

Morning all, having some quiet some while my boys are in bed .

poppy, completely with you on delaying the MMR until more convenient ! Although, I'm beginning to wonder when that will be. I just don't think I can cope with a poorly babe at the moment - may do it early October when I start mat leave.

Congrats to DSS - where is he going and what to study?

whinegums, now there's a story ! How did your dh go from nearly joining the priesthood to becoming a heathen?!! I'm intrigued .

As for the house, I would echo what others have said about the move date - we bought our last house from people moving into a new build, we were supposed to move in May '03 and ended up moving in August '03! It was a pain in the arse. However, saying that I would be a bit wary about the 'play area' behind the back of the first house cos IME these tend to end up being lovely in the day and noisy teenage hang outs at night . All sounds very exciting though - I really want to move now!

Deb, how wonderful just being able to put a pin in the map and go anywhere! No offence to the Scottish contingent on here, but I absolutely couldn't cope with the constant rain in Scotland so would tend to stay south of the border, plus if you want to go back into teaching I think you'd find it harder to find work. I love Yorkshire and sometimes do wish we'd stayed there, if only to give our kids a better quality of life. But we're kind of stuck in the south east now cos of jobs/friends/family. It's ok but not ideal - too many people!

I have also lived in Cheltenham , but I think the countryside round there is equally dull if you are a mountain person. The town is lovely but hideously expensive!

Not much news from us, except we finally settled on the Out 'n' About for our double buggy. Now we've just got to decide on a name which is proving much harder than I imagined!

Off to make myself a cup of tea - rock and roll .

AAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Scary x-posting with ktpie again!!

Oh, and I meant a name for the baby not the buggy in case anyone was confused!!

I've had some quite good negotiating advice on my thread. Just waiting for DP to come home so I can leave B with him and go, complete with hard face!

Sponge - DP went to a boarding school/seminary, and apparently was destined for Rome! His sister is still a devout Catholic, as was his mum. He had a falling out with one of the teachers when he was nearly finished there, and that was that. Discovered women, booze, etc etc, started making up for lost time and never looked back. The theatre was an obvious alternative career for him! I sometimes say to him that he would have been on the front page of the News of the World if he had become a man of the cloth, he would have eventually, and spectacularly, digressed!

We did consider the play area could become a ned hangout, however, it may just stay as open ground with a lovely old tree (which is why it can't be built upon), it's not that big, and there are two other bigger play areas nearby that would be more of a ned magnet we think. Additionally, the local ned contingent would have to walk up a pretty steep hill to get to the estate, and then locate it in the middle. They're not that fit round those parts (think diet of IrnBru, pies, etc. Salad = cold chips).

Glad you have decided on a buggy if not a name.

How exciting! Lol at the unfit neds but I agree, if it's out of the way then probably not much chance of them congregating and it would be lovely to have a garden that wasn't over-looked.

Oh, and I did laugh at the description of your dh too . Looks like his teacher saved him then, in more ways than one?!

I just walked into the room to find J merrily dunking the remote into a pint of water. Doesn't work now so trying to dry it out in the hope it comes back to life. Not quite the end of the world as it was just the TV remote not the digibox one.

Sponge - I have spent quite a bit of time in Scotland and have never experienced this constant rain you talk of! Know a lot of people with the same opinion but my experience has been going up there at unlikely times of year (September and April spring to mind) and having weeks of beautiful red hot sunshine when it has been miserable back in England. Maybe I'm just lucky!
Glad you got the buggy sorted, remember to update us on how you get on.

Good luck with the negotiations Whinegums!

sponge I think it's drier in north east scotland than some parts of England. You can see the maps here. I love the open space, mountains, lack of crowds, and generally family focused lifestyle. I'd definitely recommend Scotland deb! The north east of England would be my second choice...

This thread getting to be like location location location . subdued day as was up at 3am to clean out a poonami covered cot and daughter - who was then sick (probably as so upset as was crying hysterically). No fever or other signs and seems fine in herself if a bit subdued. Trying to give her rehydration stuff water and toast but avoiding milk/ proper food as that seems to cause the nappies. Any other tips for getting liquids down her or good stuff to eat? It's very tedious as have been on constant poonami watch since Thursday night-think mistake was not to cut out milk earlier but trouble is won't really drink anything else.

Knew I'd upset the Scottish contingent! The weather map for the last week has shown a constant band of rain across Scotland while it's been lovely down here! Plus a friend of mine has just moved ot Dunblane from Reading and has commented on the constant rain - it is probably partly an English myth though!

Have to say the weather down south is generally better, but I'd still prefer to live oop north - it's much prettier, less crowded and more friendly. If I was in Deb's position there is no way I would consider moving down south and certainly not the south east!

poppy, really sorry to hear E is poorly. I would stick with the rehydration stuff but then A's bouts of d&v generally didn't last longer than 3 days.

I have also sky plussed the show - how exciting!! I have no idea of anywhere to move to - blimey it was bad enough tyring to choose somewhere 30 mins from central London let alsone having the whole country to choose from! Also I have never really been anywhere in the UK (shame faced emoticon) but from the few time I have Oop North is much more fun than Dahn Sarf! I'm fairly sure Essie will be along soon to do the Welsh Tourist Board bit - remember she lives near Snowdon - probably the closest to a proper mountain the UK has to offer!

Poppy - congrats on DSS! Mark and I pray the Luke will end up in university. Mark did and and I didn't and I really wish I had.

Been summoned so can't write mor - be back later

Poppy, I think the normal advice with v&d is to avoid diary and give clear fluids. I know when J was poorly the only way to get anything in him was via a straw. He was on diluted apple juice and is a bit of a straw addict!

I would also say that Derbyshire is lovely Debs as I grew up within 20 mins of the amber valley. Currently in North Herts though, which also has lovely countryside, is only a 30 min. train journey from kings Cross/St Pancras and europe via Eurostar. We also have excellent schools and are only 90 minutes from north norfolk so you'd be good to visit your mum.

J had hiccups on the way to tesco today. After 15 minutes of being really cross with them and getting progressively more upset he burped, and threw up all over himself and his carseat. It really stank and we had to clean it up as best we could, put him into his 'emergency' sleepsuit, do the shopping and then drive home in all the sicky stink. Yuck.

The straw is a good idea although it did get chewed and used as a cattle prod on me. Another poonami here although first since 3am so that's something I suppose.

Thanks Amber re dss- Ali it's in reading so not too far

I don't have sky plus or one of those fancy recorders deb can it be watched online later? I'm still working tuesday morning.

poppy sorry to hear E is so ill, hugs to you both!

sybil yuck! parenting is smelly sometimes...

poppy a mother at my book club was so excited on Friday night as her son's gotten into Cambridge. I think she said Cambridge about 20 times in two hours... None of the rest of us have kids that age so it was funny.

Did anyone read the article that said that Napier and Robert Gordons were the two best universities for jobs? (Both former polytechnics). As we're not rich enough to have any useful contacts I'll be hoping the boys go somewhere very practical. I guess DH and I haven't even considered the boys not going to university since we both did. It would be an adjustment for us - but we're joking that Fraser is so stubborn that he'll probably decide to be a poet just to panic us.

hi there

Debs, glad I came on, I'd Tiscali plussed it for tomorrow instead of Tuesday, silly me. Suffolk is nice - good for music, though not sure about rock, but not terribly mountaneous!

Poppy, sorry about the V and D. In America, they advise the BRAT diet, I believe. The r is rice and the t is toast ... not sure about the others!

Dorothy just got stung by a wasp. She was very brave after a couple of minutes but yelled like crazy at first. DH, DS and I were running around like mad people, and Dorothy was waving her finger in the air and foaming at the mouth. gave her piriton and she was fine.

whinegums, the new house thing is very hard. If you had to score them out of ten, what would you do?

alipalli, how are you and your long days? I know he was waking up early, but that was resolving itself.

abden, when do you stop work? I go back in three weeks, but am not sure how long I'll actually last ...

UDC five more days!!! Am just putting my cv together now to try for bits of contract work. Of course that'll be without childcare so I'm perhaps being overly optimistic.

Poppy, well done your DSS! Mhy nephew didn't get the grades for either his first or sec choice

Poor Edie Hope she is better soon

I know what you mean about SB - when my sister leant me the book I said 'oh no not that guy who thinks all childcare is evil' so it has taken me a while to get round the reading it and I am keeping an open mind. A lot of it is common sense as all these books are eg don't tell your child 'I never wanted you anyway' ( as if you would ) and also I have found it very helpful wrt getting your kids to do as you say... he says use an assertive voice and just repeat the command over and over eg 'put your shoes on please', don't negotiate or get into a discussion about it and don't give in - your toddler will give in before you do. And also try to get kids involved in housework/chores etc as soon as they are able and get them to cook a meal for the family once a week when they are teens (my mum used to make us do this!). The book is a bit patronising at times, not as direct as Toddler Taming!

Whinegums, how exciting about the house! I am not overlooked and agree it is great. I can understand the estate location, it's great for kids. Buying while the building work is still going on can be great too cos if anything goes wrong with the house (which it is bound to with a new house eg my friend's oven wasn't fitted properly) the builders are right there to fix it for you. Is it really called NewcastleGateshead? i have not heard that one.

Debs, I love where I live (Formby), near the coast and very flat so great for walking, it's suburbun rather than rural though there is lots of green space all round. And close enough to Liverpool (10 miles ish) to make it easy to get in there for shopping etc but it doesn't feel like we live in a city iyswim. Do you fancy Norfolk? I'd choose somewhere mild - along the south coast maybe? I have sky+'d you as well. How exciting!

MMR - we had no ill-effects from it here (that I noticed anyway )

Sponge, I have always found the weather better the further south I go - I think it depends where you are wrt rain... if you are near hills (eg where I grew up) it can rain constantly! Whereas where I live now it is not so bad, def warmed down south though.

Hello UDC! Good luck on your return to work - I have gone back two days a week and am really enjoying it. What will you be doing?

Amber - you're going to have to go and hide with Sponge from the Scots, they have loads of mountains up there!

UDC - horrible wasps, after being stung the other week I hate it when they are about.

Abdn - bet you can't wait to finish.

Sybil - Derbyshire is great, DH was very upset when we moved, it was only a mile but it put us back in Nottinghamshire rather than Derbyshire.

Poppy - hope the poonamis ease up.

Thanks for all the relocation advice - it's great

Poppy - hope E is better soon

Abn - you can watch the show later on ITVplayer on the computer.

I'm getting very nervous now about it and you lot are all excited, I just hope that our computer works OK and we get to watch it live too otherwise we'll be watching it after everyone else which would be awful. I'm sure that most of the bits with me talking will be from the end of the week when I was shattered and Ethan was ill, and I didn't care what I was saying!

Circus camp starts tomorrow - YIPPEE, 8.30-4.30 every day for Stefan and Tristan, we are picking them up on Tuesday to watch the programme though!

Thanks for tips on diet udc- have had my nice Boden top poonami'ed on (some would say divine justice). The trouble is she won't drink anything...

Neenz- dss reapplied after same thing happening to him and retaking one. Assume your nephew had no luck in clearing

Poppy - what about an ice lolly?

That's a great idea - thanks deb. btw straws hurt when they are poked in your ear

As Abdn says, the north east of Scotland is definitely drier - we have had pretty much constant rain here for days, if my brother and family weren't staying with my mum (they are having building work done) I would have gone to stay just to get away from the rain! I've been sick of the weather forecasts and hearing friends in England say how nice it's been. On the other hand, I do think Scotland is very beautiful, and if it had better weather, it would be perfect. (North East England will always be the best ever place in my opinion though).

Sorry to hear about poonamis, wasp stings and sicky babies.

Soooo.... I managed to get another £4k off the house and all the upgrades, so I paid the reservation fee there and then. I won't be convinced it's a goer until we get the mortgage in place though - with me not even in my job, and DP being old(er) , it's not totally straightforward. Even though we do have a big deposit and the income to more than afford it. Oh well. Fingers crossed, tomorrow may be a bit manic while we try and sort it all out.

Neenz, no one from Newcastle or Gateshead actually calls it NewcastleGateshead (awful - I hate it!!!) but it has been 'rebranded' in the past few years. Yuck.

Very sad, the place I was working last looks like it's going to close completely here

It's rubbish, because there's been a new director over the past two years who has allowed this to happen - no way the original director would have. The staff there were all fantastic, talented, very committed, etc, and now they're all out of a job, and no doubt he will get through this disaster and bullshit his way in somewhere else. I am and . Glad I got out when I did, got my redundancy and have a new job!

Poppy --did the ice lolly work?

Whinegums - how awful about your last place of work - great you got out when you did but not good for those left.

oops - I also meant to say well done on your negotiating Whinegums 4K is great