August 2008 - I wish it could be Christmas every day, with the TV rows and the ILs you'd like to slay-ay-ay.

[steaknife]

Hmm might be a bit early for a festive thread title but thought we could get in the mood.

None of that tasteful two colour decoration scheme in my tent - oh no. The gawdier the better.

hi ladies.
I did indeed have a nice evening last night. DP bought me a lovely bunch of flowers.
We're having a mystery dinner tonight.
Unfortunately I had a wobble about the present situation this morning. It really sucks when you don't have a single fucking present to open on your birthday. Or am I just being shallow? I know DP has gone to a lot of effort for our meal tonight, and I do appreciate it, but it's still nice to have something to unwrap on your birthday isn't it?
Well he's not getting a present from me next year. Honestly, this is two years running. If we don't do presents for each other, fine. But I'm not going out every year and making an effort to get him something, if he's not going to do the same for me.

CONGRATULATIONS HOTTER you big shiny passed-first-time supermomma!

I am a little tiny bit but not because I begrudge you it, you rule and I am v v pleased for you. In fact you inspired me to get behind the wheel again this morning after a longish absence. I drove us to the tip (glamour!) and did okay, despite some dodgy lane-changing antics. Must, must, must pass my test soon.

On the matter of cars, I also know fuck all but I can tell you not to buy a 3 door Fiesta. Brilliant nippy little cars but the seats are so low that you have to really bend down and round to fit the kiddy car seats, it's a real pain. Plus they're a nightmare to get out of when heavily pregnant, for the same reason

Happy birthday Queenie Re. the present thing, yes I would be pissed off to have nothing to unwrap but that's because I believe everyone should be fussed over on their birthday and I take great pains to point this out to people. There's nothing wrong with a mutual decision not to buy for each other, but only if it's discussed and genuinely agreed between people. Hope you're chowing down on some top notch nosh right now

poppy DP and I posl over the DDs' cat-box antics

[bleurgh][meep][should know better emoticon] last night was great fun, a little too much fun had till the last guests left at 2.15am and DH fell in the door at 2:50am so today at panto and Santa fundraiser was great fun after copious amounts of neurofen plus!! forced ourselves to have a pizza express after the panto to that helped!

acutally poppy Mother Goose at the Byre was fab, well I loved it - not sure if the kids did

poppy can we do 16th at mine? would that be ok? let me know either way

Christmas tree is now IN the house in its stand ready to be decorated tomorrow - DH and I still struggling slightly

ladies, am sorry I have no chat and frankly have to go to my bed, am aware how pathetic I am [lesson learnt smiley!!!]

Congratulations HP see we knew you could do it. Cyteen we can get you through yours too I'm sure!

QoD hope you had a nice evening - maybe you should open your Secret Santa as protest!

DH about 3 hours into his marathon so wishing him luck! DS and I going to wander down to the finish in the hope we see him in an hour or so. He got up at 3.45 and left at 4.30 so I've kind of been awake since then despite DS not waking till 6.15 (a veritable lie-in for me) Sigh!

We made a mistake with our tree - we bought an artificial one for the first time - thinking it was 7ft (we have very high ceilings) anyway it is actually 8ft - it still fits but I now need to go and buy more decorations!

congratulations hotpot fab news

happy birthday qod

lol at asparagus syndrome ...but isnt it just what all blokes are like? qod have you tried telling him exactly what you want, he may be too worried to risk getting something you wont really like...?

Lol Santa - my poetry-reading, drama-teaching, dishwasher-filling, fabulous-game-inventing dh is at the other end of the vegetable spectrum. Hasn't stopped me having a petit contretemps with him this morning though.

How is the excema situation btw?

hi santa 303 - great to see you

am pleased to annouce hangover 24hr bug has now passed and we're off to gymnastice, homebase and tesco before decorating the tree today

am sure I had LOADS to tell you but am obviously a touch fuzzy from the booze bug, will get back to you all later as am SURE it was terribly witty and enthralling like all my posts

Well ladies,
I had a fantastic evening. DP really does know how to throw a lovely romantic meal. Anyway, so lots of bubbly, lovely food, wine, port ,lovely food, candlelight and a movie all featured. Oh and PRESENTS! hehe. A new pair of gloves, a jumper and a box of chocolates.
He said he just didn't realise how much it mattered to me.
S is still round at MILs and DP still in bed.

Hi santa

glad he came up trumps QofD

poppy was trying to phone you this morning so my home number will be the missed call on your mobile

was going to nip to tesco/homebase etc this morning but friend has just phoned to say she can't get her car started so DH is away with my lot, her and her lot - all the best laid plans eh?!? DH's car is still in town having been left there since his night out on Fri so nobody to blame but ourselves really

remembered what I was going to blurb on from yesterday. The panto was fab, really good fun and I love watching DD2 at these things are her reactions are just brilliant. however the bloke sitting directly in front of us was bald and for some reason DD2 couldn't get over it (my dad is bald for goodness sake so its nothing new to her) but she was using her foghornleghorn voice to go on about it!! then we took them to Pizza Express for tea when DD1 asked (of course during a quiet moment) when I was going to be slim again as it had been a long time since I was cheeky little mare - she's never seen me slim either

Oh queenie I'm so pleased your DP came through in the end

santa hey how are you?

Dizz I have been feeling a little hungover full of cold too, after a bottle of champagne on Friday then three separate drinking sessions yesterday plus I put my bloody back out plunging the shower plughole so can barely do anything

Hope mr.snot managed his marathon [impressed]

Red I think someone is misrepresenting you as a meanie peanie . We are big fans of adding p to words here too, infact DS' nickname is Plize. MIL thought we were calling him Clive

Cyteen how long is it since you took your test now? It seems like ages ago. Didn't you just fail for something silly like forgetting to go at the traffic light arrow? I'm sure you'll easy pass next time, especially with these lot of fab girls willing you on

And Queenie how are you getting on? We started around the same time, although I was really going for it at one point having 3 hours of lessons every week . My instructor added it up to 50.5 hours before my test so it has cost £1000. Farking hell

Ah hots, my driving lessons are on hold at the moment. No money to continue right now. So we are wondering if it was a bit of an expensive mistake to start when I did.
But oh well, once I've got work I'll call the guy up and start again.
I'm going to register with a couple of temp agencies tomorrow. I think temp work might be the answer.

Dh finished his first marathon in stupid heat in 4 hours 50 and is very tired. DS and I managed to see him finish and DS was shouting and pointing Daddy (I don't think he heard).

DS a bit of a nightmare today as he only had 30 mins sleep on the way back from picking up DH.

QoD glad DP came up trumps in the end.

Santa I'm not sure what info you've been given about F's excema thing BUT I've tested Reese in a warm sea salt bath and gotten beautiful results. Winter has really vamped it up but a good sea salt soak makes it less bothersome.

Good job MrSNOT!

Fighting midget for use of keyboarda sldkjlaksdjfkl;n

tree up, arms ripped to shreds by viscious tree [meep] but its up so thats one less thing to do before inlaws arrive. went hunting for blinds today but none appealed to me and I'm not buying ones I don't like just to please MIL and her 'security' issues

poppy when you get a sec can you give me a call back please

well done MrSnot

Aaaaahhh! After an hour's epic struggle, I am now WIRELESS!!!! Feckin computer genius (not.) Goodbye uncomfortable office chair, hello shockingly poor posture, tense shoulders and RSI.

Good work both Dizzy & Buckets! You've both done amazing jobs today.

Pilates class, complete. Lunch at Taco Mamacita with DH & both DCS, complete. DH now off looking at new and improved sports car FOR HIMSELF. Never mind my Tahoe has 122,000 miles now.

Must balance checking. Then I MUST figure out ILs' presents FOR THE GIRLS. Does anyone else have folks that send money and "say purchase gifts for the kids." How is that a "gift" from them and guess who has to do the work! I'm in the minimalist mindset at the moment so can think of NOTHING that costs anywhere near the $200US they sent.....OH WAIT! I could purchase a year's membership to the Kid's Museum...... Thanks ya'll! You help me sort out my life's problems in ways I can not describe!!!

Evening all

Had a lovely weekend away for DH's brothers' get together. Only happens once a year [crap men emoticon] and it is lovely to see all the cousins together who range from 20 to 1 . DH is the eldest and has the youngest DC's (and the youngest wife )

When we got back we reaped the benefit of DD1 not going to bed until 11pm as they both had a long nap so DH and i went for a little nap too

When we got up we went and got the tree, arriving at the farm at 3.58pm and they closed at 4. Quickest tree decision ever, ordered the turkey and then home to decorate. I must say after his 'nap' DH was most helpful and cooperative with the decorations (normally descends into arguments over whose fault it is the lights aren't working ) and he put the lights up in the kitchen without even being asked

TS I would buy and book each and put the balance in the bank for them. But then i am a boring accountant lazy

QoD GLad to hear DP stepped up to the plate and you got some presents and a lovely meal

santa lovely to see you back - please don't leave us for so long next time . How is everything?

Congrats to mrsnot on his race and i assume mrssnot is ready with the massage oil . That also goes for mrHots, i hope he can help you recover hots dizz hope you enjoy your evening sans inlaws and at DD1's comment!!!

Oh and buckets, well done on the computer wizardry . I must tell you though that i had to type the above post twice as our wireless 'dropped' just as i posted it . Remember 'Control C' if you type a long post

hots meant to say that we got our car at the ex motibility auction and we paid half of what we would have deon from a forecourt - could you look and see if there is an auction near you? we bought ours at the beginning of Dec last year and it was great as nobody else was really buying cars at that time of year

Evening

A pretty much nothingness weekend here. We did a bit of Christmas shopping and have most people sorted and have a list of who else needs what. DH and I put up some of the outdoor lights and DD watched in amazement as they all magically came on at 5pm.

QOD - thrilled DP finally came up with the goods - maybe now he will remember how important pressies are! How was S at the ILs?

Snot - Well done to mrsnot - amazing that he can run in that humidity and heat.

Santa - we took one ofthe kiddies I used to work with to a Chinese herbalist for her excema(sp?) and they gave us something to bath her in and a cream to rub on it seemed to work and she is now still excema free.

Dizzy - your tree is amazing.

I am having tree envy - I want to put ours up but DH is reluctant as we always do it 2 weekends before Christmas. He is another asparagus DH and I do have to remind myself of this sometimes. BUT I did make our first batch of mince pies today, homemade mincemeat and shop bought pastry as I just couldn't be arsed to make any with little helping hands.

back in a bit need to check on the meatloaf.

thank you have gone with the red and white theme again and I'm liking it very much. we had to put on three sets of lights and we've only got two flashy sets so the middle of it is static and the top and bottome flashing at different times a bit disco at times in this room!!!

oops we normally do ours 2 weeks before and i was all set for next weekend, but then couldn't wait as i wanted to feel more christmassy now. Luckily (so far, and touch wood) DD2 has not tried to yank it down, remove all the baubles etc. long may it continue

I WILL write the cards tomorrow as i have been a tight arse and bought 2nd class stamps, so i need to get my arse in gear. DH away all week so i will have plenty of time to get it sorted and hopefully wrap pressies too

WTF is Janet Jackson wearing on X Factor

dizz if you need any spare red and white baubles i have a tree loads worth. I now have a lime green and gold tree to fit in with our new colour scheme. DH decreed it 'less garish'