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

[spongebrainbigpants]

Welcome to our new thread .

Happy New Year everyone!

Amber I think you're completely right to take some time to relax and enjoy some child free time. If you don't feel up to starting the IVF just now I think you're right to postpone it - I don't know anything about IVF but I would have thought you'd really have to be mentally prepared for it before starting.

Essie the more new names the merrier I think! Go for it. Glad you've had a nice time over the festive period - shame about your friends though. It's just typical isn't it?

Rolf how's the eye?

On the weight front, good few stone to lose here too. Although I need to eat my body weight in chocolate before getting into some good habits for the new year! WE ended up with no visitors at all over Christmas so have got loads of uneaten snacks.

Would anyone mind if we revisit sensible shoes ? Was out today (in the never-ending feckin snow) and felt some water seep into my boots which had split . Have realised that I don't have any other every day, suitable for winter, wear with jeans, comfy if you're walking a lot, type shoes to wear. Given that my street remains a blanket of snow this is definitely not a good thing. Can anyone recommend any decent, comfortable, wear with anything kind of shoes with a decent sole that aren't too mumsy?

Oh, ktpie I'm sorry to hear about your mobility! Quite right on ditching some housework for naps!

Just testing out my new name - fancied a change too.

Ooops, meant to say it's me, Whinegums! I fear I have brought the tone of the thread down...

Happy 2010 y'all. We've had a fairly quiet one - sick of the weather, or rather the inability to deal with it.

DomesticGoddessinTraining (shall we call you Goddess for short ? I am happy if you all call me Bugger [childish]) I got Timberland boots last year - not the yellowy ones, but nice plain black ones, which have been fab this winter - waterproof, quite warm, go with jeans, skirts, etc so have been good for work, and they have a nice chunky sole too. here The Atrus ones are nice too, and look, they're on sale!

I am sad about David Tennant too, really enjoyed Dr Who, but yes, the end did go on too long.

Amber, I would say make the most of what will hopefully be just a short time pre-IVF to yourself.

Will try and get back later to post more, but B is wrecking the living room...

Essie, sorry to hear about your NYE . MIL left a msg on our phone yesterday wishing us both a Happy New Year as if nothing had happened - fine as long as she is going to change her behaviour, but bloody annoying if we've achieved nothing .

ktpie, sorry to hear about the mobility - you have my every sympathy.

Thanks for the tips on gloves - will go and have a look at some options. Must sort it soon as it's stopping us from going outside in this bitter weather at the moment .

Amber, definitely postpone the IVF - why don't you let Luke settle into his new nursery for a month, have some rest and then get cracking in February? One month is going to make no difference at all. If Luke's sleep is still crap too it might be worth getting your night nanny back for afew nights (do they look after toddlers?) as you will need to rest after EC and ET.

I was really disappointed with Dr Who I'm afraid - thought it was a bit crap . And as for the 'infertility' story on G&S - don't even get me started . I nearly started an AIBU on it!! What a load of bollocks .

OMG, Doctor Who Confidential shows a full size realistic David Tennent dummy (for the wheelchair scene). IWANTIWANTIWANT!!!!

Essie, I saw this and thought of you!

There is a link on there to a pic of DT naked but I'm not sure he does it for me with no clothes on!

DG - keep an eye on Amazon for good shoe and boot deals, I got a delivery yesterday of some trainers for £17 and some fly sandals (for summer, possibly optimistic) for £18. They apparently were selling these the other day for £24 (I was annoyed I missed that) but their prices can change daily so buy them quick if you see a good deal.

BOS - your new name has made me titter, which reminds me I should drop the mince bit of my name.

Sponge - forgot to say earlier but hope things improve with your MIL.

Happy New Year to Bugger

I enjoyed Doctor Who but I've found the stories with The Master a bit idiotic. The girls were total pains as well - I hadn't managed to get them into bed - so the whole thing was rather hysterical. It's been so lovely watching it with the boys and DH the past few years.

Ktpie sorry you're suffering.

No to the naked pic, but yes yes yes to this one.

loved those boots bugger but my substantial calves make long boots very difficult. Did find some short boots on that site though, will link tomorrow.

Thanks also for amazon suggestion. I've been having a good look but sadly keep being drawn to Fly boots that aren't in stock in my size

Essie phwoar!

Big fall out with my Dad again here. An old friend of mine had some bad news so dad e-mailed her and today he forwarded on the e-mail that he'd received from her. Problem is that he also forwarded the e-mail he'd sent her and it included a horrible sentence about my dh - more or less saying he couldn't stand him and I should get myself a real man.Of course my dh read the e-mail and he is furious, as am I. How dare my Dad say things like that to an old friend of mine? He phoned today and said he didn't know why he'd done it and never meant to forward his e-mail to me - he is computer illiterate but come on. Dh has said Dad is not to come here again and he will not speak to him from now on - oh happy days ahead!I have stopped shaking now after talking it through with my Mum but God I'm still angry. Sponge - think we're in the same boat.

God, Deb, that's awful. I can see where your DH is coming from. But no idea what to do or where it leaves you.
So, so, sorry.

Love the new names.

Amber - Neenz and Sponge are better placed to advise you than me, but just a normal pregnancy is exhausting, so with the added pressure of IVF I think you are totally doing the right thing to postpone until you feel physically and mentally fully prepared.

Essie - Keep posting the DT links!

Deb - That is awful. I'm sorry that you have to deal with it. Actually had a simlar thing with DH's sis and her DH about 7 yrs ago when they lived with us in London, but the email was about me. Not sure how anyone couldfind me anything but wonderful, but hey? Anyway, we're all good now, but it was really rubbish at the time. They were living with us and we basically kicked them out and hardly spoke for a year until our wedding... It will (hopefully) blow over in time, but I was absolutely livid at the time so I understand how your DH feels. Tough for you as it's your Dad though.

Essie, yes agree that photo is lovely and conjures some interesting images to mind!

Deb, that is awful - poor you and dh. Email is a very very dangerous thing - I once forwarded a private conversation I was having with my friend about my witch of an MIL to most of my email box cos she sent me a joke to cheer me up and I sent it on not thinking about the rest of the conversation thread . Thankfully I had just deleted my SIL's address cos she'd just changed jobs!

But that's another story . . .

I'm sure it will blow over eventually but the damage is done - I will never like my MIL after all the shit she has put me through, but I tolerate her for dh and the kids .

Debs - how awful about your Dad, why are families such blooming hard work?

DG - I have the same calf issues with boots. You can search on Amazon by shoe size to avoid out of stock disappointment!

Love the DT pics, watched the Dr Who Buzzcocks last night.

Christmas has got me into a shopping mode and I keep buying things on the internet, really should stop, well after I've bought a new mattress for the baby, and any other bits and bobs I think of, oh dear!

DGT I'm on my third pair (in four years) of these and they are great for anything but heavy snow. I wish they were slightly more attractive, but nothing else I've tried is as comfy. I have these for snow, but they're overkill here, I bought them back in Vancouver when we did a ton of snowshoeing (they're rated to -32C).

amber I think you've been through a lot lately with all the stress of moving so a month off might not be a bad idea.

Deb how crap of your dad... that's really upsetting. I don't know how I'd handle that, in someways it will be up to your DH how much he's prepared to forgive (how good is your Dad with your boys?).

sponge I've really come to be okay with my MIL and FIL after about four years. It's taken a long time but you can end up with a half decent relationship with them if you both are willing to try. I am simply because they do love my boys and the more people that love your kids, the better.

I'm so not attracted to DT!

AH, IKWYM but I've tried so hard for so long and have been met with nothing but unpleasantness time and time again. I don't have the energy to try anymore .

Thing is she's not really any help with the kids either - she stays in bed in the mornings and reads her book and has a cuppa while we all rush around downstairs and then when she does surface she is either reading the paper or in the kitchn doing god knows what. Then she wonders why A will only go to FIL and not her .

Will just have to paint on a smile and pretend to like her so A and M don't pick up on the animosity, but no more. She is too bitter, jealous and negative for me - the kind of toxic person I wouldn't choose to spend any time with if she wasn't related to me .

Deb I'm so sorry about the ongoing situation with your dad. It must be awful for both you and your DH. What does your mum think about it all? Not sure what I'd do in the situation tbh. Do you think this is an opportunity to sort it out with your dad once and for all in a 'apologise to DH, treat him with respect, don't badmouth him or alternatively don't have a relationship with me either' kind of way? Too extreme?

Thanks for the tip on searching by size on Amazon ktpie. I'll try and have a proper look today - was using my iphone yesterday so not the best. These are the other boots I saw on Bugger's website - any opinions? Just worried about buying shoes online. I don't actually have any shoes wearable in the current blanket of snow that's surrounding my home!

Abdn I did like those ones you linked to. I'm looking for shoes that do to much though - can be reasonably smart and casual. I think I really need some smarter boots AND some more casual shoes like you linked to, but January so not the time for a mass shoe shopping expidition. I really need to buy some new work clothes too, so could do without needing to buy shoes. Grrrr. I only like buying shoes for fun - not for practical reasons .

Neenz you can often get the up to 36 months grobags on ebay. I was looking at a couple, but fingers crossed, S seems to be getting on ok with his duvet. If it wasn't for the fact we already had a duvet I'd definitely be keeping him in grobags.

Oh, and Bugger of course you can call me Goddess !

Essie I'd like to be more groomed this year. I'm not starting till I go back to work though! My sis bought me lots of Boots No7 protect and perfect skincare for Christmas and I've been slathering that on. I'm quite partial to an expensive potion or lotion and am quite pleased to discover the the No7 stuff seems quite good so far. I'm more worried about sorting my hair than nails though - does anyone (care to admit to) regularly dying their hair? I really need to start as the grey is getting serious, but I don't really want to get it done and the hairdressers every 6 weeks. Too expensive!

Have now purchased the boots I linked to before, so fingers crossed they're ok! Although have now spotted some other ones I liked...

Goddess I like those boots. I have some Timberlands that I wear a lot and they are great in cold weather. I walk everywhere so can vouch for their resilience!

Deb that is horrible about your father. And Sponge, about your MIL, too. I don't know what to suggest.

T has decided that she loves being naked and begs to be stripped off a couple of times a day . Then DD1 strips off too and they rampage around the place together. DD1 is dressed again as she was cold, but T is playing with Lego naked as can be.

sponge sorry if that sounded trite on my part - obv. my ILs have also been trying too (very noticeable and appreciated) and it sounds like yours haven't.

rolf love the image of your two girls racing around the house naked

AH, sorry, didn't mean to sound so defensive ! I just really don't know what else to do about it tbh, and it keeps me awake at night cos I feel so sorry for my dh . I think it's all come to a head cos I hate how she is with the boys - brings out the lioness in me, defending her cubs!

Rolf, you are v brave letting T play naked - I can imagine the mess that would ensue if I did that with A!

Sorry, have been MIA, but back more regularly now hopefully.

Neenz, my mum had one of those rack things when we were growing up. Trying to dry the clothes for 8 people in a 3 bed terrace would have been impossible otherwise. It was a bit of a pain though as the clothes tended to reflect what you had been cooking. If it was bread/cakes that was ok, as nobody minds their clothes smelling slightly of that, but my mum refused to let my dad cook bacon or anything else strong smelling. He hated it!

Debs - that is awful. I can completely understand where your dh is coming from, no one should have to read that. Other than asking him to apologise, and then giving it time to heal, is there anything you can really do though? Your dad is not going to change the way he thinks, and your dh is not going to forget what he has said. Time and distance is probably the best remedy.

I want some new boots but have very narrow calves. Are the fly ones wide does anyone know?