August 08 - We three kings of orient are, one in a taxi one in a car..

[steaknife]

...one on a scooter beeping his hooter, smoking a fat cigar

Apologies to the goodly and the good amongst us.

come on then, where's the party? you're all on facebook but noone's here

Wotcha. I'm here. I should be working on my presentation for job interview on Friday but doing a good job of self-sabotaging.

I just spoke to my mum and was all excited about our tree - my first ever that I've bought btw.
Mum asked me how much it cost - £40 - and she said - oh what a waste of money!

FFS - really, why?
Sure it is £40 I could have spent on something else (well lots more if you add in the stand and the pretty decos I got)
But anyway, I just got 18 weeks of child benefit back-paid and my big bro gave me money to get nice things for Izzy - I didn't tell mum I got DD this today too.

So why shouldn't I spend it how I want to?
Oh and I got my mum an really lovely jumper and beret yesterday as she has been so wonderful - so not all going on me.

I was quite upset by it. Bah, humbug.

Is £40 a lot for a tree? It is as tall as me and doesn't drop needles and smells piney and is very pretty.

It isn't like I've been swigging down bottles of gin and clothing DD in paper bags FGS. Humph.

Oh my goodness, any of you broody ladies who don't want to feel your ovaries explode, look away now if you're watching The Family! There is the tiniest, lovelist, snuggly new baby on there, all big stretches and little grasping hands.

ooohh poor seb just had a screeching wakeup! the good news is that this bloody molar has finally broken through. It's been plaguing him for weeks. Poor baby.
Boiler is sorted, heating is on I'm still wearing jumpers though - I'd forgotten that due to gaps/drafts/lack of dg this house never gets warmer than just about bearable in the winter. The moment the heating goes off, the house is cold again.
night all

ps miamla I am very of your tumble dryer. Wish I was getting one.

Evening

I have had another wrapathon tonight, so just leaves the DD's pressies and Secret Santas for our New Years eve party

I have discovered i need 2 more small pressies but have a window of opportunity until next Weds to source them

steaky We paid £35 for an 8-9ft tree (Norweigan Blue Spruce) so not too bad. Ours was from a farm and they tend to be cheaper than garden centres i think (one like ours i saw in a 'chain' GC the other day was £65 . I think you deserve to have a nice first Xmas in your home with DD so certainly don't think it is an extravagence. You have the money now, from scrimping and saving for the last few months so why not?
Parents are there to differ from our opinions though aren't they? . Don't sweat, what's done is done, so enjoy

oops always 21 here . Actually my favourite age i think was 32 so maybe i should go with that

QoD that sounds just like the house we were in last winter...ugh. I'm sure you remember me moaning about it endlessly On the upside, it does seem to breed hardiness in our LOs [hopeful]

Sazz well done on your present wrapping, have this celebratory glass of diet champagne I was supposed to finish mine today and write my cards, have done neither.

Still not gone to bed. Decided to put some photos into frames . Going now....

I'm still up too, watching last week's episode of Misfits that I missed because I was out boozing.

I'm half watching a programme on global warming. Quite surprised i am not asleep!

DH home and bearing gifts - quite a few that were secreted away (so will be having a sneak around this afternoon when I get home from work)

V of the snow...

oi snot don't you dare go snooping! its only your own day you'll be spoiling

morning all, DS slept through again last night so that's every night bar one since DP has been away!

i need to pop up to airport today to pick him up but due to bad roads and DS feeling poorly, i'm going to drop him off at mum's for an hour or so. DP disappointed but understands

my my i'm whittling on, i'm sure none of you are even remotely interested in whether or not DS is coming to the airport with me

has anyone played 'ring a roses' with their LO? I did yesterday for the first time and he loved it!

i have lots of sympathy for all you in drafty cold houses, i hate being cold.

ann don't be too looks like they can't collect the front vent one ie the wrong one til after christmas so we'll have to store it for a couple of weeks here. DP not going to be amused oops but i'm blaming my mum although to be fair neither of us even realised that there was such a thing as a front vented machine! seriously, why would you want a hose to come out of the front of the door???

sorry, i'm whittling again

bye....for now

Sorry for moaning about my mum, she has been brilliant for me this year and I know there are those that would do anything to have their mum speaking her mind to them at Christmas.

DD had a bad night, very wakeful and in a bit of a grump this morning. Right now she is contemplating which decoration to strip from the tree.

Morning

DD and I are off to see Father Christmas today so I am expecting great snotty tears from her at the sight of him. We have made mini mince pies and cheese straws for the party. Now all I need to do is have a shower and get dressed, dress DD and keep her clean until we leave, wrap 3 presents to take with and we have to leave here by 10 - any bets on how late we will be?

Miamla - I am sure DS would rather not be doing an airport trip if DD is anything to go by, a play at grandmas will be warmer and more than likely more fun. DD not sure about ring a ring a roses but does love row row row the boat and her fav at the moment is baa baa black sheep which she sings constantly.

Sazzles - enjoy your hair appointment and quiet time this morning.

Have a good day everyone

Morning oops
ooh mince pies, loverly.

DD loves ring a roses, mum taught her, she likes the "up we jump with a 1 2 3"
I'm not very good at remembering to do nursery rhymes I just prance around to whatever is on radio 2 or my dodgy eclectic cd collection. At the moment she stands a good chance of being able to sing Fairytale of New York or Merry Xmas Everybody

oh can you imagine if DDs first words were,

"you're an old slut on junk"

Hey everyone..

hope to have laptop today.. i have absolutely no idea what has been happening!! I would be every so grateful if someone would let me know what i have missed for the last 3 weeks!!!

I have by the way very kindly received my secret santa present, tho have no idea who it is from!! I am saving it like a good girl ..

miss you miss you miss you all xxx

Steaky Have you seen the FB campaign to get Rage against the Machine to Xmas No1? Must remember to download it and help keep Geordie Joe and the Cowell empire off the topspot.

Yeuch, rough night here with Squirt still yodelling, temp up and down and starting to wake at 6am anyway for no reason. Plus DS1 threw up twice but quite neatly thank goodness. Luckily I had gone to bed at 8.30 to read my book so I had got a head start on the sleep thieves.

Steaky that's exactly the kind of thing my mum would say and does say to my DBro&SIL who have been on benefits this year. Tis a mum thing I think but hey, you are a grown up and it's not like she gave you the money and you spent it on junk like the proverbial old slut. Tis also her fault for giving you Xmassy standards you feel you have to live up to .

Oh yeah I had a minor car prang this morning, my fault and nobody hurt. Am v pissed off with myself though as my insurance premium will no doubt double. My car has scratched paintwork and bloke's has small dent. Luckily DD's friend was walking past so DD hopped out and walked to school with them.

miamla I didn't peek!

DS also loves ring a ring a roses and grabs both my hands so I will do it. He gets a bit over enthusiastic though saying down then up long before we get there

buckets sorry to hear about the car.

PB lol at neat puke, was it arranged in a snowflake shape? Glad you're on board with RATM. An old friend of my brother's sent me a message on Facebook the other day, saying the campaign had reminded him of Simon changing it to Rage Against The Milkman

Sympathies on the night time yodels, DS has been up and crying at 4.30-5am every night this week for no discernible reason. Have ended up bringing him in with us as it is so freezing in his bedroom Perhaps that's why he's waking...he's definitely having a growth spurt, if the amount he's eating is anything to go by.

steaky DS gets to listen to all sorts of bizarre stuff. I can report that Low's classic dark drone album 'Trust' was received with suspicion, but he loves The Advent's stupidly banging techno anthem 'Bad Boy' There's still nothing cuter than his dancing to the ITNG theme tune though.

Slept in till 10.20am this morning I could get used to having days off!

DD's woke at 8.10 , but although nice just put me back timewise, so a 5 min breakfast, into car, literally threw DD2 out at the CM's , to the tyre place for 9.30 (bit late), then final few pressies purchased, DD1's shoes measured and then popped to Tesco for some cash. Big queue at cashpoint so nipped in to get some salmon for MIL tomorrow and they had whole ones on offer for £3.75 a kg, got that, plus some extra wrapping paper and tags for DH, got to car, realised i had forgotten the cashback [airhead]. Back over to the cashpoint, queued, back home, quick lunch for DD1 and into bed and here i am.
We have to be out again for 1.45 for my hair appointment, i have to try on my dress for tonight, clear up the mess so the cleaner can actually clean and about 1001 other things.
It would make my life very much easier if i could remove my hair and let the hairdressers get on with it freeing up 2.5hrs of my time i desperately need

Now miamla, you said people would be bored with your airport musings, i think i 'out bored' you

Gotta fly........

Did you say something sazz?

£3,75/kg? That's impressive, have always fancied doing a whole baked salmon. How much did yours cost in total in the end?

Had the ungrateful NCTers round for lunch and they were actually lovely but I now have 3 pots of hoummous in my fridge, as well as my home-made pesto hoummous. Fine but I'm the only one who actually likes it. Kurt had a whale of a time hoovering under the table with another toddler boy, I still can't get over having a sociable son. Made a very thin Victoria sponge in the end, not the apricot marzipan danish.

DD and I are back from Christmas party and she was exhausted, she screamed at FC and I had to peel her off the doorframe to even get her in! She had a fantastic party though and she sat with a plate pile high with sausage rolls, grapes, tomatoes, berries, sarnies and assorted savory pastries which was intended for both of us and she ate the lot all the other kiddies got up and ran about but she stoically sat there and finished all her food and mine and had a few more grapes just because she could!

I seem to have causght the cold from hell and have sinuses that feel ready to burst and blowing my nose makes my teeth ache. so early to bed with lemon and honey and paracetamol.