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.

DD has been challenging this afternoon - on me, off me, on the sofa, off the sofa, squeal if I leave the room, squeal if I sit too close, squeal at the cat, Papa walks in the ddor - smiles all sweetness and light kisses him. She is terrified of the Christmas decs and howled at lights DH brought out the loft. I think DH's beloved glowing snowman will be relegated to the garden as she fell into a shaking terrified heap at the sight of him!

Santa- good news on the testing front but not good news on green lentils as a veggie (many years ago) they formed a very big part of my diet and DD loves them too.

Oi, you lot, leave the poor Leprechaun alone

Santa - are other lentils/pulses ok? If so, then not too bad i guess as substitution is fairly easy

Oops, with the lights you have reminded me i must hunt out the chav beautifully lit houses of Gloucester to take DD's on a drive around

Gah, internet keeps dropping so i may or may not be back

Sazzles - near us is a street that has the most lights I have ever see in one place here

I am off to bed as one late night and I am exhausted [old lady emoticon]

Oops wow to the four-word sentence! We have lots of words but the idea of combining them has not yet dawned. On the other hand she can count to five with a little encouragement

Sambo - that is excellent news and what a brave boy. The idea alone of having to cope with multiple allergies makes me jittery.

Can I knock back a drink or four?

Feel free to glaze over and make soothing noises instead of reading the rest.

I'm fed up with everyone, with special mentions for the baby-faced assassin Minister of Finance and the Supreme Court today. I think I need to be more .

The pay-cut was slightly bigger than we expected, fuel has gone up and child benefit is down. I don't agree with the strikes that are bound to follow and don't mind us doing our bit to help things straighten out but 'gah' nonetheless. The alcohol price reduction will save me precisely 60 cent a week, so probably best to try to focus on that.

DH is looking for sympathy after helping out with the school show every night this week. As he hasn't seen the children at any point, I was jumping up and down silently shouting 'pick me' for the sympathy ticket. And I can't spend the day with my mum and sisters tomorrow because the one person who I could ask to pick ds up at 2 is off to Cork herself.

DS was fab with his homework yesterday but repeatedly read 'it is' as 'the sun' today. I think I have got through to him that every task needs effort and carefulness, whether it is floor-sweeping or rocket-building.

His mind is on loftier things. He woke me up before 7 to ask me why people exist.
Apparently the answer is that God was lonely.

We made a very funny film about 'radio noise', DS's radio station (with pictures) this evening.

Arf at the Dub baby. Teach him to say 'howaya', VG, and he's a cert for a part in Fair City.

DD2 has had her nose pressed to the front door today saying 'daddy, gone, door-door'. She can say 'girl' and 'boy' now so if I add in 'like' she can finish any sentence in the people's republic.

Cyteen, when you have a chance do read that book. Like most Irish lit academics I am obsessed with American fiction. Reps of the body (esp in relation to the state) was one of my things. I always chose to teach lots of non-realist stuff too so your project is v. exciting to me...

Ellison's novel is beyond influential in terms of the way later writers conceive of the body as a cultural construct. And just bloody brilliant too, especially the Harlem section.

Cure for bad form = port, oatcakes, Cashel Blue cheese, The Panel and more port.

Sorry about my rant.

VG - gutted to miss your article in the paper of record by the way. I only heard the ad once on the Wednesday, got very excited and then thought of it again on Friday.

Buckets, so sorry to hear DD1's anxiety problems are still making things difficult for her. No better woman than you though to think around the whole thing and find the best way of fighting her corner.

All this week I've been pondering the conundrum that loving my own first-born so much makes it hard sometimes to see the best way of helping him.

Lentil that is a lovely thought from DS about God being lonely.

Santa good news about the allergies and well done to DS.

TS you have my sympathies

Oops no help really but did have sitter last night so could go for dinner with my baby group - which was very nice but took me ages to get a taxi home (was by Orchard Towers aka 'Four Floors of Whores' and for some reason there were lots of ladyboys around). Am too v.impressed by the 4 word sentence. DS has quite a lot of single words (DH in a very pfb type way) decided to list them down and as of a couple of weeks ago we were at around 60 - a bit like your DD though doesn't often 'perform' on demand and some lots of the words are only distinguishable to me and DH.

One of my team just offered me a custard cream - that did take me back! I remember they were always DBs favourites he used to take the top layer off then scrape the cream off with his teeth then eat the bottom layer. I was more of a bourbon girl myself .

Frustration RULES in this house this morning - DD is all out of sorts because nothing is working - the fence won't fit in the farm house, the cat will not sit still and be put to bed with the teddies, I can't understand her new word and Papa had the cheek to go to work!

DH and I are off on our night away tonight and I feel strangely okay about it (for now) off to do some packing, dig out a maternity cossie and go out in the -1 temp to buy a new duvet for the spare room.

But first naptime!

Well I have FB this morning but now can;t seem to access my emails. Nay mind, I should really be doing something else anyway! Going to make fresh pasta for the first time in a mo, wish me luck.

Ooh and Kurt seems to have a word for Grandpa - 'Dung'. He only says it when my dad's around and follows him round the kitchen (he's still tiling it!) saying it.

If it's your facebook emails, Buckets, try refreshing the page.

Good luck with the pasta.

Morning

T'internet seems to be back up again today so hoping it is an external issue rather than our router

Had a bit of an accident here this morning as DD2 toppled over on her plastic chair this morning onto the tiled floor . I keep moving the chairs so the back is against the wall but she pulls them out. I think they will have to be removed for the time being, until some kind of sense gene kicks in. She is now asleep and i am checking her every 5 mins as she cut her lip and blood is coming out of her nose (along with copious amounts of snot)[poor lamb]

I was supposed to be writing Xmas cards this morning and evenings it is not happpening and have so far done 5 after all the dramas and subsequent cuddling. Off to preschool nativity this afternoon and then DD1's swimming. Does it ever stop?

Red - Well done on the ranting - 'tis good to get it out sometimes . Sounds a bloody awful situation over there (and more so for you personally), but sounds like similar will be heading our way too......

Aha! 4 chairs with tagliatelle growing on over the back, no idea what it'll taste like though and not sure it will actually feed a family of 5.

Oops It's my actual email that won't come through to Windows Mail but have managed to access them directly online from the provider webmail. Something to do with Pop Servers I believe but no idea why it should occasionally spontaneously work.

That's me for now ladies -We are off for the night leaving My mum in charge I am happy to leave DD so WHY do I feel sick? and like I want to cry? Stupid reaction I know and I have been fine all day until DD did and explosive grape induced poo in Sainsburys all over me and I had to leave all the shopping behind and endure the ' what is that smell?' comments as I tried to cover my poo covered t-shirt and jeans and hi-tail it out of the shop DD is fine, playing with my sis watching waybaloo. Tell me it will be okay and I am just being panicky......

Not that I'll be here to listern though (unless I sneak back at some stupid hour )

Well I've done my best to catch up and forgotten it all now I think. Let's see what I can remember...

Good luck with the job QoD. When are you likely to find out? Hope the house hunt goes ok.

Sorry to miss your birthday cyteen. Hope you had a good one.

How have the last few days been dizzy? Hope the childcare situation is looking clearer and you've survived the ILs.

Lots of sympathy for the parenting conundrums and bumped and grazed LOs we're all facing.

I notice my secret santa recipient has been rather to have received nothing yet. Obviously you won't know yet if that's who you are, but it's ok. You haven't been forgotten. Was posted a while ago, but I have faith in the post . YOu may just not know that it was the Aug '08 one as I forgot to put any reference to anything in it . Had concocted a cryptic/amusing note but then lost by the time I got to the PO. So...if you've been the recipient of a mystery package and no secret santa...

Feeling there's not quite enough enough time to get all the Christmas stuff done and having a minor soiree here a week on Sat, then BiL arrives and then straight off to Paris for the big day. Sis and her family then arrive just as we get back and stay until after New Year. Tired just thinking about it all. All pressies now bought though, so just all the wrapping, card writing etc. now. Plus the cleaning, packing, cooking. 'Tis the season to be jolly...

Managed to get rather a lot a few items in the Boden sale and shoe shopping with the girls this morning. Now just need to get to DD1's dancing on time (not managed it in months ) and then the weekend. Phew! Have a ggood one!

Good grief, I can't believe you are still on the same thread, I thought after a couple of weeks you would be at least three further on.

Only on t'interweb at big brothers, but yesterday I did discover it isn't my laptop that is blocking MN, so it must be either my router or AOL being shitey. Hopefully I'll fix it when I get back after the weekend.

Hope my secret santa has arrived with its person by now, mine hadn't arrived when I left yesterday morning - hopefully there waiting for me now.

Buckets have FBd you pasta instructions for your four pasta machines

oh and and and and

Ah that feels better.

I finally get a day pass to come out to play and there is no-one to play with.

Dear Ms PERTELOTE

I was sorry to hear you're about not receiving a gift yet but you know what, we're a little busy up here on the North Pole at the moment!

You haven't been forgotten and something wonderful will be dropping down your chimney soon....as long as you can confirm you have in fact been a good girl this year. My list, that is usually very reliable, has a smudged mark next to your name.

Yours sincerely

Your Secret Santa
x

phew! name change worked!

LOL at SecretSanta

Hiya Steaky, lovely to have you back . Have you made a decision about the job yet?

DD2 seems ok after her tumble earlier, DD1 was fab in her Nativity play this afternoon (after being coaxed into her lamb costume ) and shouted out 'I can see my Daddy' half way through [bless]

Her swimming lesson went surprisingly well this afternoon given recent form and she is finally in bed after 3 false starts

oops hope you are enjoying your evening out and DD having a lovely time with your Mum

Wotcha Sazz

I've not decided about the job yet. They couldn't take me on the two days a week London, three days a week Devon but they are happy to hold the permanent job for me until March when the rent contract finishes.

I decided to send out my CV to a recruitment agency in Bristol and one in Exeter. Bristol lot seemed a bit rubbish but the Exeter ones have found a p/t marketing position and I have an interview next week.

So I'll see if anything turns up before I have to decide about the London job.

Sounds like good news steaky with lots of options open. Well done on the interview for next week. Good luck

Hullo Steaky, good to have you back - sounds good on the job front.

I would like to assure Santa that I am very patient, really . I have mostly been a good girl this year (with the occasional lapse into foolishness - see this pm and allowing DD to fall asleep on the tube at 4pm for example - but I have paid my dues for that in the form of one very extended bedtime...) and I know that you, Santa, are not one to hold minor offences against a person. So I look forward to your visit

We had a lovely xmas movers&cruisers this morning - we all put in for a silly pudding costume and one of the dads brought his flashy camera so we could record the humiliation for posterity and ensure all our teenagers hate us in due course as is proper

Woo hoo the Christmas present lapotop has arrived and is all tooled up so now DH and I have one each and I can be on MN all the time

I think I had better schedule some time in his diary though or we will be hitting the divorce courts in 6 months as we have not spoken since...

Just got to remember all my passwords again

Steaky lass it's good to see you back

Everyone, hi