June 08- the shoes, the food, the glamour!

[pureeandpearls]

Struggling to load pages these days and saw we were over the 900 so took the liberty of starting a new thread.

Thank you KT!

That's great news PP!

I just logged on to see if there is any reaction on MN to Gordon Brown's speech - apparently he is going to announce they will scrap the work childcare voucher scheme ("because it benefits too many rich people" ) and use the money to provide 10 hours free childcare a week to 2yos from low to middle income families. I consider myself a socialist and I think free childcare is a great idea but if it means 2hr sessions five days a week (ie the kind of sessions that do not allow the parent to go out and work during that time) then I am a bit annoyed because the childcare voucher scheme is the ONLY benefit I get (plus child benefit of course). I wouldn't mind if they were going to pay for a proper chunk of childcare for each poor 2yo to really help the mum/dad get back to work but these short sessions (the type 3yos get now) are pretty useless unless you don't work! And if you do work and want your child to go you have to pay a CM to pick the child up and sometimes to pay the CM anyway for the hours your child is at the playgroup . AIB totally U?

Oh dear, I've gone and done it now - I have posted the above in AIBU [eek]

Blimey - those vouchers make a big difference to me as a part timer. I am not a socialist though and I will get into a row if I dare to voice my thoughts on the subject!

The consultant's booked Fraser in for surgery tomorrow at 1pm. In a way it's the best response, they agree that the sooner the better is the way forward and they had two cancellations for tomorrow so asked if we'd be willing to take one of them. But I'm still going to be a bit emotional for the next 30 hours until he's home safe! (And what was up with the GPs saying it wasn't time dependent? The consultant was totally in line with recent medical research that I found so I've confidence in him but much less confidence in our GPs now).

Neenz YANBU - childcare vouchers allow women to work and are only a tax break, they cost nothing because more women will work than if they didn't exist and those women pay a lot more in tax than £243 a month. It's entirely different to benefits and in my opinion Labour have totally lost the plot and are very sexist in their policies towards mothers.

Abdn - good news about the surgery being so soon, good to get it over with. Your consultant sounds good.

Don't know much about the vouchers but that does sound ridiculous.

Penguin - sweeping the back yard sounds great!

Oh Aberdeen - you must be worried sick. It's brilliant that he's got his surgery so quickly and will be great when everything is sorted out but I feel for you and i know I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Big hugs x

Been summoned in to the doctors for my test results on Monday so something must be up as if they are normal they just tell you over the phone.

Amber cross posted - I used to think I was a socialist under Labour forced me to reconsider! Middle classes screwed again... if I hadn't already quit, I would be forced to because I needed the vouchers to net my £80 profit a month.

x-posted again - I will keep my fingers crossed for you until Monday - it's too bad they are keeping you waiting over the weekend and I hope it's not bad news.

Abdn, will be thinking of you and Fraser tomorrow

Amber, hope everything is OK. It can't be too serious or they would have summoned you earlier, no?

Penguin, Wow! Big step! at sweeping the leaves. Clever you to move for the NZ summer by the way. Thanks for asking about Dorothy. She's just tipped herself over the second centile and she's troughing for England now that she's at nursery and she sees everyone else eating.

Essie, Hello, re stopping BFing, has it changed your feelings about having another DC? I am just not yet ready to stop feeding Dorothy. I can identify with Debs as I know she'll be last baby so want to keep it going as long as possible. Did I miss that Iestyn is walking?

Re feet, Dorothy is still too small for her little Startrite tots size 2s, but she has to wear something decent outside, so that's what she's got. Christian, aged 3.9, on the other hand (or foot) has enormous great hooves (size 10.5). He's nearly into big sizes!

Sponge, how is the rash?

Talking: Dorothy has the same number of words as Christian at this age, but they are completely different, both in referents and in phonological terms. Christian was all about objects, particularly vehicles, whereas she uses a lot of social words and animals. Also different sounds - C's were front vowels and /d/ and /t/ consonants, whereas she is /b/ /m/ and /p/ with back vowels. (Spot the linguist! )

Neenz, grrr re childcare vouchers. Will put in my twopence worth. YANBU!

Quick post:

PP, absolutely fab news about redundancy/NZ - but we'll miss you .

Amber, keeping everything crossed for Monday - can't you see them before that? Seems a long time to make you wait.

AH, will be thinking of you tomorrow. Keep us posted when you can x

Oh, and don't anyone worry about the childcare voucher thing - Labour won't be in next year so the whole thing is academic .

Oh and PP, thank you for your lovely comment about A - yes, he is an independent wee thing, it was very sweet, although slightly "lump in throat" inducing .

Sponge, you are right but unfortunately it means more chance of the Tories getting in

I was actually quite impressed with what the Lib Dems had to say last week - investment not cuts in services to grow our way out of recesssion, scrapping trident, closing tax loopholes, mansion tax...

Abdn, great news about the surgery tomorrow! Just goes to show that you should never trust your GP or the hospital administrators, you need to see the top man.

Amber, that's quite worrying, could you get the GP to call you in the meantime to say what the results are? I don't think they are actually allowed to keep the results from you if you ask them so could you ring again then you can google it at least .

Sponge, what I meant was announcing ridiculous policies like this just make it more likely Labour won't get back in - they need a miracle

No neenz you are spot on as I posted similar. Will bite my tongue now as my politics are confused. However I do get fucking annoyed with the ignorant shit that gets spouted about tax by the various parties - this being one example of it for reasons neenz states .

On which note have decided I need a name change as various rl folk post here so will return with a new alias.

Ah worrying though next day will be am glad f is going in so soon. Amber it may be nothing- dh had similar request when had tests as had high blood pressure. Was called in to be told it was normal

Neenz, they need far more than a miracle .

The Tories will get in by a landslide unfortunately, and we will then be faced with 10 + years of Tory govt where the rich will flourish even further than they have and the poor will be screwed even more, then the govt will disintegrate and Labour will get in and so on . . .

The only thing that could have stopped this is if Labour had had the balls to introduce proportional representation - but they seem happier to have absolute power (even for a finite time) than they do to have more limited powers but wield influence for a longer period.

Anyway, I'm resigned to a Tory Govt now - at least it won't be Thatcher, or I would have been hiding in PP's suitcase without hesitation!

x-posted poppy, what name are you thinking of?

Oh and Neenz, I agree with you about the Lib Dems policies - they normally speak alot of sense, but unfortunately they can't get in cos of first past the post.

Tis a crap old excuse for a democracy we have in this country .

Abdn - That is great news about the op, understand that it is nerve wracking though. We'll all be thinking of you tomorrow. x

Amber - Of course I'll MN from NZ. Meet ups are less likely though. Were the test results in relation to TTC? It's one of those situations where no result is satisfactory isn't it? If everything is ok, why haven't you conceived? If it isn't, what does that mean?I hope that they've found something really simple that can be easily fixed. Again, will be thinking of you on MOnday.

Neenz - I've stopped watching or reading most news stories (weekend papers only for me) and it's made me feel so much better. However I agree with your point that two hours a day is just ridiculous and of no benefit to anyone who wants to work. I was a teenage capitalist, but the older I get the more socialist I become (it's normally the other way round I think). I hate the way we treat the most vulnerable members of our society in this country (old age pensioners in particular).

and pp that is so exciting for you -although obvioulsy sad to miss you in person. you will be our furthest flung member.

sponge will think of some names and run them past you...

is anyone else really bored of in the night garden?

and pp that is so exciting for you -although obvioulsy sad to miss you in person. you will be our furthest flung member.

sponge will think of some names and run them past you...

is anyone else really bored of in the night garden?

Ooh very political today - right up my street! However, have been very busy at work so need to catch up on the day's activities at Conference but two relevant points - my understanding is they're scrapping vouchers for high income families who don't need the tax breaks so much to introduce some free childcare for people who do need it. Will be interested to read more on the detail on that, of course interestingly the UK Govt can't intro that free childcare in Scotland. I also thought they were planning a referendum on PR for Westminster. Anyway, not offering an opinion on any of this just yet until I catch up on the news, although I think that childcare vouchers will be the least of our worries if the Tories get in .

Oh, in cheerier news, I became an auntie again today!

Wow - I've had to take notes from the last page so I didn't miss anyone out

Essie - don't know when the bobs will start to shrink - maybe they'll always stay that size now! Your offer to Abn to look at her application made me realise just how lovely this group is - always someone there to help out.

Poppy - about your Birthday meal, surely you'll be feeling better by then, and I think I must have missed the holiday chat - where are you off to?

Neenz - don't think Nigel was too serious about a 4th baby!!Ethan is rubbish at walking and talking but great at understanding - the other day he was pretending that a wooden cylinder was an ice cream and pretending to eat it, I said take it to Daddy and let him taste it, he crawled over to the door, knocked on it for Nigel then gave him the wooden block(ice cream)

Ktpie - must have been easier for your dh to take the decision out of your hands, I think that was the worst thing. I feel much better today though - thanks.

Amber - glad my balloons made you laugh, good luck with the dentist and your test results.

Neenz, Amber, Poppy and others who are ttc - good luck!

PP - CONGRATULATIONS, when will you be moving?I'll have a look at the bras. No we don't want any more babies( I feel very lucky to have had 3 fairly trouble free pregnancies and 3 healthy boys) but haven't ruled out maybe adopting(if we're not too old)when we're back in the UK and Ethan is a couple of years older.

Childcare vouchers being scrapped - that's rubbish!

Abdn - best of luck for tomorrow - for you and Fraser. When Tristan had his adenoids out I cried when they wheeled him off and I'd actually taken a book to read whilst he was in the operating theatre - no chance, I just kept looking at the clock and wondering what was happening and it was just a routine op. I was so relieved to see him again, but they are so groggy when they come round from the anaesthetic so be prepared. At least you'll be able to feed him and comfort him.

UDC - wow at your linguistic observations

Sponge - well done to Alex for being so brave at nursery, how's your itching?

BDQ - congratulations on becoming an Auntie again - I'd love to be an Aunty but I'm an only child and sil isn't having children.

Phew - I think that's it!!!....off for a cup of tea

Deb, you've made me go all goose pimply at the thought of adopting - I would love to adopt but dh doesn't want to now . I would love to adopt two more children, but I think he's worried that there would be a divide in the family .

We're not going to be auntie/uncle here either - which does make me sad.

BDQ, congrats!

Abdn, sorry I skimmed very quickly earlier so missed the op news. Must try and go back and read everything properly. Will be thinking of you!