radical cross stitch, theological debate, Easter bunnies, changing bags,and a baby brother...it must be June 08!

[spongebrainbigpants]

Welcome to our new thread .

Oh and the footie would win hands down Neenz !

Well done Sponge

I've finally bitten the bullet and made an appointment to see my GP about my hair falling out . That's a nice start to the thread isn't it? Does anyone know about such delights? It's been falling out sporadically since I was pregnant with Thea, calmed down for a while but got much worse in the last couple of months. I avoid washing it as it's so horrid.

Must get these girls to bed. They are both charging round the kitchen giggling, even though it's past their bedtime. I've been reluctant to break up the party.

sybil, sorry to hear about J - lips bleed so badly don't they?

viva, very about you having the swine flu vaccine - we've just had a case confirmed at our nursery and I'm dreading A coming home with it.

Neenz, no Easter is a pagan festival adopted by Christians hundreds of years ago. The church didn't like pagans having these celebrations so adopted their festivals in an effort to encourage them to become Christians and worship in the way they wanted them to. The date of Christmas is when it is for similar reasons apparently.

Right tea time - bangers and mash!

Marking my spot. Must revise!

Lol at the new emoticon!

Missed your earlier post Rolf, sorry. Don't know anything about the hair falling out thing, Rolf, sorry. I know it can be hormonal but nothing more than that. Hope your GP can help.

Is this any use: alopecia

Do thread titles come up on google? If they do, I'll be tracked down here - only 10 people or so can call themselves medieval Welsh historians...

MN doing my head in- I have to post three times just to get it working. Grrrr.

assume this realtes to biscuitgate?

Sponge- good news about the bag. Hope it works as yet to try mine!!

Amber- thinking of you tomorrow.

BDQ- definite giant-sized Virtual Creme Egg (henceforth the VCE) needed xxx

Rolf- do hope GP helps ((hugs))

Essie- said in the text that I'm thinking of you (and sending VCE though have a feeling you are VCE-hater...)

Debs- snow?!!!!!!!!!

Anyone that I missed- donb't take it personally. Brain like a sieve, shitty week (literal and emotional) and have just fallen down the stairs chasing after the dog who has gone bonkers as fireworks are going off somewhere in Southern Englad.

Dramatic re-entry? Moi?

puree, sorry to hear about the fall

Essie, have just googled and it didn't come up but if you're worried we can start a new thread and remove that bit?

Getting new thread on my list. I'm a single parent this week - til Saturday. DP away in Inverness, then Aberdeen next week.

B hasn't been very well again - hangover of his cold added to mega teething and rotten nappies. Sigh.

Work is mad - my boss on holiday, and two people sick, in a department that only has six people in it - I asked HR for help last week, it's not that I'm not willing to do anything, but I can't - I am up to my eyes with my own work, still trying to find my way around, and just don't have the knowledge to pick up the other stuff. They've ignored me all week, only to say that it is my responsibility today! How the f* can that be? One of the people off sick is in our department as a total random thing, it's not even what we do, and I have no knowledge of her job! Apart from that though, I am enjoying it, and I am the Principal's new best mate, he seems to like what I'm doing. It'll be better when my boss is back next week, and we get some cover sorted.

And rant over.

Have packing looming over me - get the keys a week on Friday to the new house! Woo hoo.

Aww, BDQ what a pisser about the revision/exam screw up. Still, no point dwelling on it, onwards and upwards.

Yet again, I apologise for being so useless - I come on here with my rants and me me me posts after lurking for days, and then completely forget what everyone else has said. I do read it all though.

I seem to recall that the date of Easter is determined by the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar which is determined by the lunar calendar. Is anyone Jewish on the thread who can expand on this?

Neenz and Essie you are both right about Halloween. So, it is originally a Christian event - All Hallow's Eve as Essie eloquently explained, but Neenz, yes trick or treating certainly has nothing to do with Christianity and is a vile American import IMHO. I hate Halloween because as a child the local louts used to use it as an excuse to throw eggs at our front door (and worse). They didn't ring on the doorbell for treats first, just threw the eggs. This was because my parents had taken me out of the village school and sent me to a private school when I was 8. They took me out because of a terrible teacher who was eventually sacked for child abuse (not me I hasten to add). Anyway, enough rambling from me. Sorry...

Excellent a new thread!

Rolf - hopefully the gp will be able to help with the hair loss, but it must be awful. Do you have lots of hair though? I mean can anyone else tell? I know a friend who lost loads after having her dd but she'd got a bit shaggy during the pg so it was normal loss, just a bit dramatic iyswim.

puree are you ok after your fall? take it easy and put your feet on the sofa for a while.

Thanks for the sympathy re Jamie's lip. It seems ok today thankfully. There did seem to be lots of blood but I agree that lips/gums just do seem to bleed lots when damaged.

Another mn has just given me a 20% discount for the elc so I have just ordered all of J's christmas presents. I feel very virtuous and uber-mummy ish.

Rolf - hope you can get it sorted, mine fell out in handfulls a few months after having J but stopped after a month or so.

Puree - are you OK after your fall?

Whinegums - sounds tough at work, hard when you haven't been there long.

Spider - how horrible about halloween. Up in Yorkshire we used to have mischief night, in fact I think it would be tonight, the night before bonfire night, where essentially louts used to get up to no good, lots of egg throwing and toilet paper in trees, that kind of thing.

I don't really have lots of hair to spare. It really needs cutting and colouring and I've been avoiding going to the hairdressers as it's so horrid when it's washed - enough comes out to fill a brush, then again when I brush it. So it looks terrible partly because of needing cutting, partly because of needing colouring and having grey roots and temples, and partly because of being all thin and scraggy .

Spiderwilliam that's absolutely horrible about Hallowe'en. I'm not surprised you have it.

BDQ what a shame about your exam. I'm really sorry.

Sybil hope J's mouth is better.

Puree are you ok after your fall?

Hi to everyone - I know I've forgotten people but I need to finish the chaos in the kitchen.

Hm, not sure what to do, really, Sponge - I'm jumpy since someone tracked me down from comments on my other thread. I googled it too and nothing; I also googled medieval Welsh law and you get me.

Sybil glad J's better (although you did make me smile with the chocolate buttons...third child...!)

BDQ maybe now is a good time to remind you that I followed the wrong OU course? I'd done 8 months by the time I noticed. I was in despair (as you all know), but, well, it's put down to experience now (besides, bigger problems came along!). I think Rolf made a good suggestion - it will be useful in the long term. (Bummer about the fee though.)

Whinegums work sounds bad - must be something in the water around here! Did you know it's Stress Awareness Day today? We've been joking about it at work - 'oh, I didn't realise I was stressed, but now I am!' etc.

Puree hope you're ok after the fall. But good God, what made you think I didn't like VCE? I used to buy the real ones in half dozen boxes!

Rolf I have experience of this. My hair fell out after a bad perm (this was the nineties) but it never grew back properly, really; I have very thin hair and have to style it to hide the bare bits. I've now gone really short, and it works better for me - with wax, it makes me look funky and elfin whereas in fact I'm kind of lacking in the hair department and it's a cover up. So I know a bit... On general feeling better and advice, Sarah Vine is the beauty writer for the Times on Saturday and suffers from thinning hair herself: try here and this one. It's not uncommon, and hormones can affect it. I always feel panicky when it's raining, because I hate getting my hair wet in front of other people...

Things Are Happening at work now. I'm not sure I should get into it, but there are developments and possible options. Job application goes in tomorrow - might not be a good thing, especially if I get shortlisted and withdraw/get offered it and turn it down... I'm mega stressed, and today I've been feeling sick all day as well. (It might be a bug but it's a bad time at the moment!) Although it was quite funny - I went to see my boss yesterday to tell him I was applying and to ask for a reference, and I think he thought I was going to say I was pg. He kind of relaxed his shoulders a tiny bit when I said I was applying for another job. Then I was feeling sick this morning and was really worried I'd get to the 9am meeting and have to dash out (I am feeling quite bad!) because he might get suspicious again! I'm not, and not trying, btw.

Rolf thin and scraggy is a good description of my hair too. If you're brave enough to go short, I'd recommend it. I also think if you're going grey (I am!) then short hair looks a bit better than long wispy grey hair (it would only ever be wispy on me - like those men with nasty thin ponytails). I'm not saying women can't have long hair if they're going grey - it can look great, but it's not an option for thin hair IMO.
Also, colouring - I'd avoid it, but when I'm going through a thin hair phase (I kind of moult some times of the year) then I don't want to mess too much with products in case it makes things worse.
Get to a good (think expensive) - and sympathetic - hairdresser. I use a special Kerastase shampoo and they have supplements too.

Evening all. Completely skived off revision to watch spooks . Must to better tomorrow. And yes, my exam is def on Friday this week, I've checked!

essie thanks for reminding me about your OU course . I managed to miss all your other thread stuff but have the gist of the issue from comments here so hope everything ok. We can always ask MN towers to pull this thread or change the name, I'm sure it won't be a problem?

Also wanted to say I'm sorry I've been a bit self absorbed lately - mostly because I've been popping on to MN in frequent but short bursts in my revision tea breaks so only really been skimming.

Rolf sorry about your hair issues, have nothing constructive to add I'm afraid but hope some of hthe other advice helps.

purée ouch on the fall - hope you're ok.

Waves to everyone else.

Essie that's really helpful. Thank you . I think hormones must have something to do with it. I lose hair when I'm pregnant, which I know isn't typical. I'm still breastfeeding (is anyone else?). I guess my GP will check my thyroid? There are a couple of trichologists in my area so I'll give them a try if my GP can't help.

Oh, and why don't we see if MN towers can change the thread title? You've got enough to worry about right now without that. Maybe just ask them to remove the word "Welsh"?

Rolf I was going to suggest a trichologist too. I had a colleague whose hair thinned as a result of pregnancy too - you aren't alone. Philip Kingsley used to have a column in the Sunday Times a few years ago. Hope that the GP helps. In answer to your question though I stopped BF at the end of September. I wore a pre-pregnancy bra yesterday for the first time. It is very small!

Got breakfast news on and they showed people at Google playing table tennis for anti work stress day. If only a quick round of ping pong could sort out everyone's work worries.

Thanks for the nice comments about Halloween.

5.15 this morning

Morning everyone

Sponge - thanks for the new thread, what sort of night did you have? A sleeping any better? Ethan keeps having odd nights where he's waking up but there doesn't seem to be much wrong.

Spider - sorry to hear of you're early start today

Puree - yes we had snow yesterday, still patches in the shade but nothing proper yet. Sorry about your shitty week!

Rolf - nothing to add about the hair loss but I hope that the Dr can help or send you to someone who can, looks like it might be more common than you think.

Essie - Hope you're feeling better soon and good luck with all your work issues

Sybil - well done on the Christmas shopping, so far Ethan has some saucepans!(toy ones)

BDQ - how are things today?

Whinegums - Is B better? Glad you're enjoying your new job despite the problems.

Ktpie - how did the move to the new bedroom go, I must have missed it.

Well I've just had a moment with the physio(very nice young male physio!!) He noticed my knee getting a bit red and spotty as I had my leg on his shoulder , he was very concerned that I might have an allergy to the massage gel, I didn't like to tell him that I'd shaved my legs quickly before leaving the house and it was just shaver rash!!!

Morning all, had night from hell so can't really read much - M up at 12, 2, 4, 6 and 7am. Would have been just about manageable if he hadn't taken over an hour to feed and settle each time (so up at 12 but not back to sleep til 1.30am then up 30 mins later, etc, you get the picture ).

A, on the other hand, slept all the way through! What a star. Unforuntately though I have the &"%& MMR this afternoon - so do I have another fortnight of sleepless nights from A to look forward to after that?

Thank god my mum is here at the mo - she's had both boys this morning to let me go back to bed for a couple of hours. I was a bit worried about leaving her with both of them, but she kind of looked at me and said "I need to feed them and change their nappies sponge, it's not hard"!!! Why do I make it look so bloody difficult then?!

Deb, lol at the shaving rash .

Essie - glad things are starting to happen at work. Hope the sickness is clearing up.

Debs - the move to the new room went OK, bit unsettled for a few days but he seems to be getting used to it now.
How are you after the sickness?

Sponge - what a rubbish night, glad your mum is there to help.

I'm really starting to dislike the coat thief woman at tiny talk, she brought her four year old along this morning and he was a real pain. At one point he had two little girls cornered while he shook maracas threateningly in their faces, one of their mums had to go and save them, and he came over a few times and took the toy J was playing with off him and ran off with it. I'm a bit rubbish at the protocol in these situations, do you say something to the kid yourself or just hope the other mother might eventually realise what her kid is up to?
Ironically she keeps being really friendly towards me, I need to work on my steely "I don't like you" vibes.
By the way I'm normally really easy going and it's rare I take a dislike to anyone, honest!