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.

NIGHT (maybe not for me but for those leaving now)

morning

Morning all

Miamla I got your invite thanks, I am just having trouble choosing a username Is everyone else going with variations on real or mn names? My real name is sadly common

Was supposed to be going to the supermarket this morning but I am really apprehensive about it - it was sleeting last night then froze again so the roads are likely to be treacherous. Or am I being a wuss? I wanna go and drive my car ...

eh? username for google wave?! have i got one? lol!

nope, not being a wuss at all! no way i'm driving in this and i've been driving for shit almost 17 years!! how did that happen! i'm not that old surely!

Oh go on then Miamla, I've no idea what Googlewave is but if it's up for grabs I'll have it please.

No1 Did you decide whether to make a GP appt re your worries about the kids? Don't want to be pushy but these things take ages so it's good to get on whatever lists ASAP, even if things change and you decide to cancel the process later.

I'm more of a fast-necking bush-puking binge-drinker. Am going cold turkey quitting smoking next week though, with or without DH, he is going to get HELL if he smokes at home before I've gone to bed. He can smoke on company time in the day, not on mine. Unfortunately he is also going to try to come off anti-d's so maybe not the best time to nag about smoking actually.

Am determined to leave the house today, fevers gone but DD says she feels sick. Not too sick to play Moshie Monsters online already this morning, oh no.

Have hit a cunning plan re holidays. It occurs to me that there are beaches in East Lothian where I have cousins who would love us to camp in their field-like back garden for nothing. A peaktime bucket & spade experience with luxury camping facilities for the price of a new tent and a couple of Travelodge pitstops en route each way. Feckin Holiday Genius crown please?

bouquet fb me your email and i'll send one over...

Miamla still got one going spare?

Buckets sounds like a great holiday plans - when I read it though I was thinking of more imminent holidays and thinking a tent might be a bit chilly at this time of year

Had our baby group christmas gathering at ours (well in the function room) this afternoon was complete chaos but think everyone enjoyed themselves. DS a big fan of carrot cake

aye snot, same goes, fb me your email

There's no shame in liking carrot cake Snot. DD2 has added cake to her vocab so that she can get it quicker when she sees it.

She is also mad about her 'wibibu' [welly boots] and chews them vigorously before I put them on.

Snow on the peaks today. It looks gorgeous, but driving ds to school was a nightmare. DD1's running commentary did not help.

DH has built me a desk and so I am on a chair instead of the floor when I am typing now.I can look up the hill from here for the first sign of my dad, aunt and grandmother arriving. I know my dad's face will be after an hour in the car with the two of them.

Tana Ramsey's ginger cakes are in the oven, finally, after I defrosted the pipe between the house and the gas canister. [hfmm]

No1 - I hope you are feeling better. When I had that evil chest infection I also got roaring toothache which went as soon as the virus ended. Have you an appointment with the dentist set up?

VG- what are we going to do without The Apprentice . I was totally addicted and delighted that the Middlesborough Skibb fellow won.

They're here!!!!

My aunt and uncle have just dropped off DD1's Xmas present which Mum commissioned her BIL to make. It is a set of plastic letters which we had as children (ok, sounds a bit pants so far ) which he has built a wooden board for so they all slot in. Previously they had a plasic base which was cracking, and now a beautful wooden base to set the letters in . I love the fact that it has two lots of family history in, my letters and my Uncles woodwork talents. Very happy

I will try and take a pic of it later

More snow here too, so i have canx my planned trip to see my friend in Hampshire. DD's and i are going to make and decorate cakes this afternoon and then take them to all the nice neighbours

LOL at biscuit faces .

Finally came up with a Plan B for DH's Xmas gift (Plan A was to rent an upright bass but said bass got sold), struggled into town with Squirt to buy them and no luck so have just ordered from Ebay. Why did I not do that before? OK I would have missed the deeprfried cauliflower and v garlicky sauce from the German market otherwise I guess. Traffic abysmal, took 30mins+ to get the 3miles back to our house.

HP I don't drive much in the snow/sleet. I've had my fair share of experience and TRUST my driving skills...HOWEVER I don't trust the other nutters on the road. I can't count on my hands the number of times I've been in snowy conditions and watched the driver in front of my slide off the road.

As for years driving, I have 24 under my belt and I am leaving off all the years of farm equipment driving. That said, I still can't drive a manual car for shit.

Google Wave Names: Mine is my WHOLE REAL NAME. I have nothing to hide. LOL!!!

Sazzles I think that sounds like a lovely gift.

Is our Wave Party where we are learning our Secret Santa secrets?? Or did I miss that while I was AWOL?

See my pretty smile. Just had my teeth deep cleaned at the dentist. Sparkle Sparkle

Woah, steady on there TS, that smile is blinding me . there, that's better

We had loads of snow yesterday late afternoon, and spent a fab 30 mins in the garden having a snowball fight with me, dh, ds1, ds2 and grandma. O wasn't overly impressed with the snow though , particularly when his big bro threw a snowball at his head .

Driving today is a bit slippy on the side roads, but it's the ruddy pavements that are lethal! (to walk on, not to drive on lol)

lol at buckets style of drinking . I can never have more than 5 drinks on a night out, a sip more and I feel sick etc. Don't drink that much at home but it's the fact we drink every night that worries me. So, I am going to go for it in the New Year, or sooner if the desire takes me

Hellooooooooooooooooo

It's almost CHRISTMAS yipeeeeeee

Nothing much going on here. We all popped into Bath to finish off hte Christmas shopping and took MIL with oh what a joyous thing. It was like babysitting a 5 year old. DH got so frustrated he ran off leaving me to look after her [fblah] I found him and DD (on his back in the backpack)in Starbucks. I took MIl into BHS to buy FIL a dressing gown, this is how it went......

Me: MIL, menswear is downstairs.

MIL: Yes downstairs

Me: Mil Where are you going?

MIL: (on up escalator) to menswear you said upstairs.

Me: No, I said downstairs. I'll wait here

MIL return from going up then down and promptly gets on the up escalator again.

Me: Why are you going back up there?

MIL they had some pretty towels and dressing gowns.

Me: MIL THE MENS DRESSING GOWNS ARE DOWNSTAIRS!!!

MIL: (from halfway up the escalator) No need to be so snappy

MIL return from her second trip up stairs and goes to get on the SAME escalator again. I grab her by the arm and lead her to the down escalator and she ssays: Well I never there is a downstairs here.

I phone DH and threatened him with DEATH if he didn't come and get his mother. She then left one of DH's bags containing a £200 coat on a bench outside Starbucks when she walked off and forgot to pick it up after DH repeating twice to please pick it up his hands were full!

Now we are home in the snuggly sitting room, pretend fire on Sky+ anytime drinking coffee and eating Christmas cake. mmmmm

CC - good on you for thinking ahead on the drinking front - I don't drink because I had a particularly nasty drunk of a grandfather and swore I would never drink if it did that to people. I have the very occasional sip or 2 of someting but that's it.

Cyteen - I hope J has improved in mood - DD has been very pissy in the cold and we have resorted to buying her a snowsuit with removable feet so she can walk but isn't too cold.

Back in a bit

Oops My goodness, she sounds absolutely fruitloops. My ILs seem relatively sensible about knowing their limits - they now stay out of the big shopping centre in town after FIL nearly had a heart attack from stress when they got lost in it. Am going to have to take MIL to Ikea one day before she tries to make him take her. Unless she really wanted to bump him off...

DH and I off for an impromtue dinner out as he just discovered that the place I fancied for my birthday dinner out isn't open on Christmas eve. Nothing like him being organised. I do know he has been shopping for me today and I am deeply suspicious of a Roxy bag in the car - I am too much of a heffalump for that brand without my HUGE bump!

Sounds lovely oops. Enjoy . DH and i are going for lunch 'a deux' tomorrow as both DD's with the CM, so making the most of it before my return to work. MIL sounds a mightmare, but a great story for us

Had a nightmare afternoon trying to make fairy cakes for the DD's to decorate for the neighbours. FBG i am NOT . After the first one turned out as madeira biscuits cakes, DH was despatched to teh shop for more eggs and then DD's got too tired. Suffice to say many frayed tempers

However they finally turned out well with red icing, chocolate orange icing and vanilla icing, decorated with snowmen, baubles and jellies. DD1 and i had a lovely time delivering them, sliding about in the snow. DD1 also scored a box of smarties from the lovely elderly neighbours

cece your fun in the snow sounds lovely. DD's love looking at it but hate gloves and cold hands so we look at the lovely white view from the warmth of indoors . DH and i may go sledding in our neighbours field tomorrow as the other neighbours have a new sledge to try out [big kids]

does anyone else want to be a lychee so they can be peeled by Nigella or is it just me

having a very black couple of days so haven't been on much, sorry - I just can't get my mood sorted at all - it all escalated out of control today when I'm ashamed to admit there were doors being slammed and I was hanging out the front door shouting at poor undeserving long suffering DH like a fishwife throwing cards at him

if my secret santa wants the gift back I'd fully understand however I will try to do better tomorrow

dizzy tis a very stressful time of year , so go easy on yourself {{{hugs}}}

Dizzy I'm too am in a low state. Sazzles is correct "tis a stressful time of year."

This morning I broke into tears after calling my brother, yet again but not since August maybe, and getting put into voicemail. His lovely wife posted a glowing message on my aunt's fb page about receiving her wonderful gift on Saturday. I checked the UPS website and confirmed MY gift was delivered to them on Friday. Nothing. Nada. Zlech. I'm not sure why I'm torching myself. He's a human being with a choice and he's choosing to appease his wife. It's just hard for me NOT to allow this festering hatred of her to grow. She MADE him choose. OH but she'll still communicate with my father who's called her the ugliest of names to her face in a turrets style manner of which I verbally reprimanded him and apologized to her on his behalf. The difference: He gives them money whenever they need it.

Sorry. Sad story. Felt good to unload though. Thanks.

Oops I believe we have similar ILs.

Okay I fear I am not prepared for Christmas. I've no idea what Santa is giving versus what we are giving. I've no idea if everyone has presents for under the tree. Add to that DH is getting huffy again because he wants to go somewhere for his week off after Christmas. Firstly, I'm not in the mood. Second, It's a lot of work getting folks ready to travel. Third, His first travel choices were to places that are COMPLETELY packed this time of year. Fourth, Reese has her MMR shots on Wednesday which means if she reacts like her sister that will be IN THE MIDDLE of the trip. Firth, Did I mention I'm just not in the mood. Sixth, I've not worked it out budget wise and although we HAVE the money that would mean something planned and budgeted for later won't be any longer. And Finally, the girls will have to leave behind whatever new toys they get on Christmas Day to go hang out in a non-toy filled hotel environment. Am I nuts or does traveling right now seem silly?

And if ONE MORE ORNAMENT GETS TAKEN OFF THE TREE I AM TAKING THE WHOLE TREE DOWN AND CANCELING CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL TS you should be on stage

Your DH is being a twat IMVHO. Stay home, enjoy. If he wants to go, tell him he can take the girls but you are staying put. I would forsee a swift U turn. And if not, then he would be home within 24 hours. Guaranteed

Sazzles that's kinda close to what I told him. He perked up with I said, "Go online and figure out where you want to go. The pack your bags and go." When I got to the pack your bags part his smile turned upside down again. He wants us ALL to go.

Evening ladies. Have finished work, am on holiday til 11th Jan, calloo callay! Snow has finally reached us, so very glad not to have to go anywhere tomorrow.

Sorry to hear of stressful times. This time of year does amplify every little (and not so little) issue, doesn't it. I'm still wondering if we're going to see my father - he did mention a possible drop-by but since then, silence. My step-mother has never yet met DD which is just getting weird now. It's not as if they live far away or communicate unless they're planning to visit. I've sent him a little email today but the thought of actually pointing out that the situation is odd for some reason makes me shrivel. Feeble.

Sorry, not sure what brought that on. Love the idea of a party night, could do with a bit of glamour.

Aw can you try and convince him into a staycation at home? Maybe you could plan a schedule of lazy activities for you all. Morning family walks around the neighbourhood, some playdate swaps, taking turns for lie ins and planning a big fry-up in advance? Reading the papers with proper coffee? Sausage McMuffin outings? We get a lot out of our local libraries, the kids can play and choose their own books and DVDs while we take turns to poke around. Try something creative together for a laugh? Would your DD1 sit and watch a movie while you and DH sneak off for a little afternoon delight during Reese's naps? That never happens on vacation, surely? That reminds me, I must challenge my DH to the Week of 7 Deadly Sins again...

Dizzy Chin up pet, less than a week and it's over.

Now why have I come over all Pollyanna-ish? Ovulation maybe.