May 2008 bubbas: Walking, Talking (& climbing!) Little Monkeys

[monkeysmama]

Thought we deserved a new thread

Oh dear LM Your poor sister. I lost my best friend at 16 to suicide. It's a hellish thing to deal with so big hugs to her.

That pool looks amazing! I miss swimming so much. Going with DS not the same. haven't found a decent pool here yet, only one that's local authority and is miles away but will go try it.

Good luck BWG with new job and fuzzy hope yours is going well.

Yep another one who can get through chocs and biscuits at breakneck speed, especially at the moment cos I'm so bored! We'd have to order them in by the truckload for a meet-up!

Well I'm a bit of a sad act today. Waiting in for a delivery of monin coffee syrups as I'm really missing having anyone to go for coffee with so making my own ones a bit more special! (please don't despair fuzzy!)

have a great day everyone x

ooH monkeysmama well done getting thread of the day! I'm having the what to wear at Christmas dillemma too. Apart from 2 in China, Xmas has always been at my mums. This year we're at DP's grandparents country estate (yes, really) with them, PILs and all his aunts, uncles and cousins. Also, they all do presents, gah! What the hell do I buy all these rich people when we're broke?!

Hey girls

Cheers Baiyu - I am a regular on the S&B threads . Sounds pretty cool (or scary!) Present wise I'll have a think but I think kids make it far easier to give nice gifts which don't cost much. Wilkos are selling 3 art canvases for a fiver I think. Dd has already painted 6 of them we're giving as presents. Making biscuits is another option. My mate did it last year with her ds and they decorated them together and put them in plain bags with festive ribbon.

Had a busy week here. Having our house done up and it is already driving me mad. Went out for lunch on Friday with dp and a few of his colleagues and partners while pil babysat. We had a lot to drink and I felt so bad on Saturday but I've not done that since before I was pg with dd and I think, after recent months, I needed it. She seemed to know not to bf at all on Saturday which was nice of her .

Has anyone on FB heard from HM? All okay I hope.

Good luck to BWG for the new job, hope everyone else having job issues / dilemmas is getting sorted.

I am feeling really tired. Off to dad's in half hour to cook, clean and then, hopefully, sleep.

MM

Baiyu I would make things for the rich people, they are the same as us really, and everyone appreciates the thought of a homemade pressie. My MIL's siblings are loaded, but they just get what they're given if I remember them all...

MM what S&B? sorry no time to search. Off for photos at nursery then DS1's new swimming lesson, he's had to change from a Friday when I'll be working. Bummer really since I also then meet my friends for coffee .

Oh and I think maybe re HM no news is good news, hopefully

Hey, guys...

Baiyu - Re. presents: I def. wouldn't try to compete... I'm afraid, dealing with some very rich bankers... they aren't always like the rest of us and can make it bloody obvious when they don't like something (One of Richard's friends once told me to take a christmas present straight to the charity shop and cut out the middle man!!! He meant it as a joke, and he's actually a pretty nice guy, but it did make me feel a bit bad!!!)

But, if I recall correctly, you are a pretty good cook - you were thinking of setting up a business, yes? - well, if that's the case, I'd DEF go for bags of cookies or cupcakes. Cupcakes are VERY fashionable this year.. (Heals do some which have just the most MASSIVE toppings which are SOOO cool!)

Very cool cupcakes, in little gorgeously decorated boxes - perhaps even somehow 'themed' to the recipient's personality or a hobby? I think that would be a wonderful gift and wouldn't cost much at all.

MM - Thread of the day???? Go you, Girl!!! Can you link to the thread please?

Fuzzy - Hope you are enjoying the new job.

BWC - Hope your job goes OK too!

LM - Sorry about your sister's friends. Have you made a decision about your work situation?

Poor old Haribo got sent home from nursery for being sick. I raced back when I got the call, but when I got there, I kid you not, it looked like he'd burped a bit. If it had happened before he got there, I'd have cleaned it up and sent him in - and not worried about it.... And I'm a total worry wart!!! Anyway, they are both asleep at the mo... oh, no... mimi awake...

Better go!!

Hm x

or, Baiyu, your DH's photos...

He is SUCH a fantastic photographer... Little framed prints, signed by the artist with a little quote and 1/20 (or however many!)!!!!

How damn cool is that????

Mimi has reached a milestone... She has realised that wailing will mean she gets my attention. Lucky me!!!!!

HM x

I want them shoes! £25? That is amazing!

DS got baptised on Sunday and we had the most casual Rev. doing the service. Not only did he burp at the beginning he had his trainers on and at the end said 'right you can all go now'. Err, ok. DS behaved really, really well but at home and since Thursday he has gotten into screaming blue murder again. We went for a walk earlier and he threw a tantrum so I stepped away from him and left him to it for a few mins. He has just turned into a right bad tempered so and so. I put him to bed an hour early tonight and so far I've not heard a peep. LM, I didn't notice the Strawberry til DH pointed it out to me. How cute is she?

Good luck with the jobs chicks! I've just applied for one.

Do you think it's worth me putting in a complaint to the place where I had the interview last week? They said the reason I didn't get the job was due to my lack of experience dealing with the General Public. I have worked in pubs, high street stores, over the phone and face to face in my old job and did 3 years in parcel collections dealing with some very angry people with volumes about 30-150 people in the space of 3-5 hours. I feel the real reason was because they knew I had a child as the woman's face changed when I told her I had DS. Any other jobs I apply for I am not going to mention him.

Bellared - Def. NEVER mention your DS until the final moment.

You can probably never prove it, but this 'motherism' exists.

I have 12 GSCEs (above C), 5 A leves (Above C), 2 degrees in polymer chemistry and a degree in management. And, err.... I can't get a decent job. It's totally pathetic.

I went for a job recently, and I was a shoe in until I mentioned DS and then a 'more suitable candidate' came along - couldn't mention getting upset at that one and said ' What? A candidate who doesn't have a 6MO son, You arse? ' It Didn't further my career but made me feel SOOOOOO much better.

I think I once didn't get a job after he asked me if I had a boyfriend, only about 7 years ago! But dentists do what they want and it'll always go to the man who definitely won't need maternity leave.

Saying that I have the fact I have 2 children on my CV....

HM at the banker, but they are different type of rich to country types I find. My brother is one, but not a typical one and he quite happily swaps the b for a w..

marking for later....

Children should never come up in an interview! It is breaking the law to ask if you have children, if you're planning to have children etc etc. Did the interviewer tell you about his/her children & marital status? I bloody doubt it (though some sneaky interviewer use this to indirectly ask you). Would you mention your pets in an interview? If you go for a job you're agreeing that you fulfil the criteria, can work the hours etc. It is totally against the law & all best practice to even refer to it. I worked in an industry with less than 1% women & know how things work on the ground. But never offer information they're not allowed to ask you!

Oh dear, I'll never get a job! How do you explain gaps in work history without mentioning children? It's so hard.

Making things a brill idea, it's actually what I usually do. Just need to bring DH round to that. he's always a bit 'hmm, ok lovely and we'll get them a wee present too' and doesn't really think that homemade things are enough. (Or perhaps he's just remembering the dodgy handmade tie-dye throw I made him for his birthday when we were teenagers!)

Oh, found a great playgroup today, things are looking up! DS loved it and has just woken up after a TWO HOUR nap! Brilliant, love exhausting him like that!

I'm still alive! Knackered after my 1st day at work, have stinking cold and a headache all afternoon. But it was ok.

BAIYU pleased you've found a playgroup. What about looking up the what's on on Netmums? Our local site is really good for info.

MM, It's my fault he got mentioned. My dad was looking after him on that day and he turned up to my house late so I was a few mins late for the interview and I explained why, it's a Housing Association too so I thought they weren't meant to discriminate?

I did have a job interview way before DS came along and they did ask me if I was thinking of having any children or had any, I said no as I thought that was a bit of a strange question. Didn't get the job anyway way as the salary was £5k less than what I was on at the time.

I've learned my lesson now. I'm NEVER going to mention DS now til I'm at work. It's absolutely pathetic that this discrimination is alive.

Anyway, we're trying a Playgroup tomorrow.

BWC, I've been feeling the same all coughing and headachy. Whooooooooo!!!! First day at work all done!!!

HM, what is your current job? I'd love to call someone who interviewed me an arse if they didn't give me the job. That's cool.

Hey girls

HM here's link. Dress I linked to is going back though-made me look flammable & obese .

LM I hope your sister is ok. That's pretty hard.

BWC glad you got through today. Onwards and upwards!

Bellared being brutally honest I know a lot of people who interviewing someone who turned up late & blamed child care issues would question how they planned to get to work on time everyday if they couldn't manage the interview. It's shit but in this market I reckon it'll only get worse for a while. It's illegal
to ask those questions but it happens loads still. And the public sector can be as bad as the private-well, almost.

I feel so tired at the moment. My periods have been really (as in really, really TMI ) heavy since dd & though they only last 2-3 days I feel like I've been pummelled.

Went to the forest today with my wonderful mum & dd thought the old fallen trees were crocodiles . It was one of my favourite days ever.

I've almost done my Christmas shopping! I usually shop on Christmas Eve but this year I am so excited I could pop. I counted 24 people on my gift list! Got dd a beautiful felt tree advent calendar to put a little pressie in ever day. Pockets are 50p sized - any good pressie ideas? So far got hair clips and stickers (which she adores!)

Right. Sleep for me.

MM

link here -pretty shallow & boring!

HM does Haribo have any of Flick's boots? Going to order some for su
Ister's tiny son (I've seen once) & want some bigger ones for dd but don't know which to go for.

MM - Yes, both of my kids wear flick's booties.

Mimi has the regular booties. Haribo has the booties, the hi rise booties and the outdoor boots too.

Personally, I prefer the regular booties - they stay on really well and are very soft on little feet (and are pretty non-slip too which is great as we have wooden floors)

Bellared - I'm (or I was) an industrial chemist. I used to design anti counterfeit features for currency, I looked after the security threads and the holograms, but it's not a job which lends itself to motherhood - I used to commute weekly between Basingstoke and Bolton!!! I'm training to be a teacher now!!!

Well, as I'm sure is obvious, given I'm posting this at 4:15, there isn't much sleep going on in our house. Haribo has taken to getting up from about 2am till about 5am... then he goes back to bed and doesn't surface till well after 8am!!! He's quite happy, playing in his cot now, singing along to his nursery rhymes (that's my concession - I refuse to put DVDs on in the middle of the night) Still.... I suppose it buys me a lie in!!!!

Baiyu - Glad you are settling in well!! That is so sweet that you have been with your DH since you were teenagers!!!

HM x

Not much to report here. Things moving on in a positive way for the private job, I'm hopefully going to set up the hydro service for them, in which case, I will be happy to go there.

Had a lovely swim with DH and the girls this morning, they are both getting very brave now...

Off to my parents for the weekend....DH & I have a day to ourselves shopping on Saturday while M&D have the girls....which they will all love!

LM x

Hello just been reading along whilst listing things on ebay to try to fund xmas!

BWC glad the first day went well!

My first day at new shop tomorrow, slightly nervous as Im not great at making friends with new people but at least I know what I'm doing job wise!

I love the name Mimi, it's lovely

We went to toddler group today and were the only non Polish there. I didn't realize how multi-cultural Leigh is getting! I had a chat to the Link Worker though who is leaving and said to apply for her job. So I am. I've done my application for the Childrens Centre Info Asst/Receptionist so that is going in tomorrow.

DH is working over Christmas and on nights too so at least we can have lunch together. Then me and DS can play and bounce all over the place like what we seem to have started doing lately.

LM, how is your sis getting on?
MM, are you taking any contraceptives to help with the bleeding? It sounds really bad and you sound right fed up with it now.
HM, check you out with the rather fabulous glamorous sounding job! But not the commute! That's a bloody long way! I salute you doing the teacher training though that's one job I could not do. Money's not bad either.
Baiyu, I've looked at your pics and you're both so cute together. My friend and her DH went to Uni together and are stil acting as if they just met.
LM/BWC, sounds like everything is going rather good for you both .

Time for bed as I've now not only got a cough to make Steptoe proud I have a nose as runny as raw egg. How v.sexy.

X

What'cha selling Fuzzy? I have more things to sell than I can shake a stick at - got a feeling it'll go on Freecycle as I never find the time!!!

Bella - thanks, - teacher training is a SOOOO easy, I'm not finding it tough at all, but most of my experience is in my DSDs school (a very well thought of private school - so not sure I've seen the rough end of the stick yet, IYSWIM!)

Well,,, decision time here... I am NOT moving to Germany. It's been on the cards for some time, as DH is out there pretty much full time, but he's decided he's happier with us here, so we are staying here. Well, it's a decision, so that has to be good, yes?

LM - good news on the job, yes? Hope it works out well.

BWC and fuzzy - Good luck with jobs.

MM - How are you? How is your dad?

Mitchell - Hope DD is OK? I take it, it's not HER that's ill?

Well, night all.

Hm x

Oh, Bella - Haribo and Mimi are just their MN names. That's not what they are really called in RL....

I saw your other thread recently - your DS's behaviour sounds perfectly normal (exactly like haribos!!)

HM x

Harimo No DD is very well at the moment, its the kids in school who are off with normal flu and swine flu so been advised to keep her off for afew days till it calms down. She is getting vaccine on monday so fingers crossed she gets immunised before she catches it. x