DEC 08 - Welcome to the house of ill - We're riding a poonami

[MomOrMum]

This was the only thing I could remember some saying should be the next title!

gosh, really jealous of all the holiday/spa break ideas.

ladyt - dh somewhat perplexed by those rumours as he has only had a script commissioned so far. it would be lovely to have it made, though. fingers crossed and all that as it could make a huge difference to us - we really want to do a kitchen extension (and loft conversion) if we possibly can this year. we live in a lovely edwardian house where the two downstairs rooms have been knocked together and the kitchen is the size of my little finger. it means i can't see madam while i'm in the kitchen, and also means we essentially have one room downstairs for everything. so if anyone's got any advice about building an extension/loft conversion, i'm all ears.

just come back from my FIRST SESSION AT THE RUNNING CLUB. i am seriously broken. and very proud of myself. i was in the beginners group, and at the end of that to boot. but i ran... drumroll, pls... 6.7km! well, i can only break it down by times (sorry to bore the pants off you all, but i am pretty chuffed with myself). the whole run took me 53 mins - i ran the first 25 mins without stopping, walked for 4 mins, ran for 8 mins, then walked a bit, then ran to the end. i honestly cannot believe i managed it. one of the advantages of being the slowest of the slowest was that the lovely gerard-the-fitness-coach ran with me, encouraging me and giving me tips. it was like having my own personal trainer. i honestly thought i was going to manage 5 mins without stopping. i am already paying for it, though.

Welldone WG I'm rediculously proud of you, bugger can't say more as grumpy bum is awake...again.

Oh and for your sake I hope BE goes to telly but personally I'm not sure, I like it on the wireless. Do I fear change.

oh, VG, don't say that - if it gets on telly our lives will change and i'll get my extension - bugger the art.

thank you for being proud of me. i can barely get off the sofa now.

ps - can i ask everyone... what do you think of people who call your mobile phone but never leave messages. my boss from work has called my mobile about 4 times and not left a message. does he expect me to call him back? i, personally, think it is rude and weird and stupid of him. but i'm a grumpy sod.

Hi everyone, how are you all? Its our wedding anniversary today but DH is away with work so I?m on my own tonight with a glass of cheerfulness and lambing live on the telly (when I started catching up, has taken me a while!) ? quite a pleasant evening actually

JJ my DD also climbs out of her high chair (despite being firmly strapped in, I often find her practising her standing up and clapping at the same time in it even though she can?t do that on the floor, and once I caught her crawling across the kitchen table having climbed right out ) ? however she doesn?t do the climbing up into it that your DD does. I too give a v firm no and get completely ignored for my efforts. No suggestions, just you?re not alone with a cheeky little monkey!

Blimey on the car crash LadyT ? scary and doubly so with O and your new little baby inside you. Glad to hear none of you are hurt. And yay for the exciting course, it sounds great. at your cheering DD, your MIL would have a fit at my DD. Moves a touch more than O (ie climbing out of high chair, but nothing in a useful standing/walking way) but is so less communicative ? DH thinks she can say Daddy and doggy, but I?ve never heard it. MIL has taught her to wave on demand, and in response my sister is trying to teach her to give the finger on demand

WG my DH (not DD though) loves gigglebiz too much, and seems to be always singing the song everyone weekend ? I worry he may start to worship your DH if I tell him

Trace how worrying for you about Lu. I would keep pushing to find out whats wrong, if it is nothing you?ll be off their backs quicker and if there?s a problem then they?ll solve it quicker. I hope it?s the former, but I would be worried too if it was me

Invis that?s great news about the job. It will be a big wrench seeing less of your DCs, but there?s doesn?t sound like there?s anything not to like about the job. Good luck

JJ that poor family, I wish them lots of strength to deal with life without their husband/Dad. It must have been so upsetting for you to see a reflection of your own childhood too

Congratulations on Daisy?s new little neice, very lovely to have some happiness in your family

Effie grand news that your Mum is unlikely to be going into hospital. Must be a big relief for you

Hi to Verso

Kiwi at your little toe ? hope it doesn?t hurt too much?

Beans DD has had quite bad eczema and recently we?ve been putting a handful of oats wrapped in a muslin in her bath water ? sounds barmy and I didn?t believe it at first, but its made a ton of difference and her skin is almost clear now

Bedtime now folks, night everyone, sweet dreams

ps, spot - i reckon you need to spend a full year in a place to "get" it - it's like having a new garden, the change of seasons will reveal it in different ways - you've been there through a shitty long winter - wait for the spring and early summer (can't remember when you moved, but we last saw each other in summer in clapton, didn't we?) hope that helps

but it would be nice to have you back up here, though!

Preg ladies: was meaning to ask if any of you were up for small knitted garments? I have any number of baby patterns and a wool shop...

And now I have actually read the thread...

Katie and Mom: thanks for the advice, esp prepping answers in advace as I have a tendency to try and wing it! Also re spots as I was thinking of wearing a nubbly spotty jacket. Would pink top, grey jacket and black trousers be too boring? I am crap at accessories too. And I would prefer to avoid a suit as in my profession you tend to be either an ethnic print and many beads or trouser suit person. Any idea where I can get a nice smart top? Is jigsaw still full of muddy clothes?

Spot: am coming late to this but I would say stick it out for the summer. I'm sure you'll get lots of visitors once people get sick of London.

Beans: re the eczema the oat thing sounds good. Also do you use shampoo? I know my sister found switching to a solid shampoo (lush) really helped. I use one of those organic everything-free jobs.

SPot, you can expect a Dec 08 posse coming to visit in the summer. I love Brighton. I would echo the others who say stick with it for a bit. It does take a while to adapt to a new place but once you have done a year, it feels much more comfortable.

Zoe, congratulations on the anniversary, how many years have you been married?

Great to see you MOM. Very impressed by your article too. We must try for a coffee in Lordship Lane or something. Maybe we can persuade Urbane to swing across too.

WG, you are the bionic woman and I am hugely impressed. Exercise really does make you feel good and 6.7K is fantastic.

How's the boob Veg? Any better?

WHere is Kayz? Hope you are OK darling if you are reading.

We have Rentokil chap this morning for round 2 of operation Rat. Fingers crossed that the swine is dead. Not seen any evidence for 3 days now. Am slowing regaining my equilibrium but it's always a close run thing with me. I am sure a dead rat under the kitchen cupboard could make me lose it again but better there than in the sitting room I suppose.

Kayz sorry to see your news on FB right now I would take down your relationship status altogether if I were you. It's hard enough what you are going through, without making it really public so soon. Hope you are ok.

I have woken with this ongoing mucous and kind of weird congenstion which I've had for over a week. it hasn't really bothered me yet, but now I have that aching behind my eye to do with my sinuses.

Syb - good luck with round 2!

WG, I think you did brilliantly with the running. As for the rumours, it could well be a case of chinese whispers: a script commission gets transmogrified into a pilot. I tell you this, though, if they have commissioned a script they will certainly be hoping it will work well enough to transfer (I am not talking about the quality of the writing which is not in question! I merely mean logistics). Just my personal point of view now but I think it would be a very attractive project right at this moment for a variety of reasons and the one and only thing I can see that could mitigate against it would be the potential cost of staging a period comedy. So I'm hopeful for your building work TO which end, I have a copy of a magazine called Move or Improve (it's from about two years ago but is totally brilliant, don't know if it's the same every issue) as at some point I need to convert the loft above my flat in London. This is a long way off as we need to obtain the freehold first and it's complicated, and also I have no money now to do it, but I will at some point. Anyway, I will copy the useful pages about loft conversions at least ('20 things you need to know) and pop it in the post. The kitchen stuff in it would be less helpful to you but maybe it's worth trying to get the latest issue, it really is good.

Effie, if you are really offering to knit, one thing I would find really useful if they aren't too hard (and you could use leftovers) would be mittens!

Nice to see you ZJ. Congrats for yesterday. I thought about watching the lambing but DP vetoed it on the basis it would make him feel faint. Good job I had that cs then.

Oh Syb, I do hope the rats are no more. I think animals in the home that you have not personally invited are too too hair raising.

DD is officially no longer immobile! She has been doing a desultory bumshuffle for a while...but now she can get from one side of the room to the other other (albeit awkwardly). Right, I'd better tidy up all those things I have had the luxury of leaving at floor level for fifteen and a half months

Hello,

very quick message to say that we have decided together to separate. We are both happy with our decision and we are still going to be good friends.

Hope everyone is well, stupidly busy though trying to sort everything out.

Glad it's mutual/friendly kayz, for the dc's sake as well

Go babylady!

I am really sorry, Kayz, and I hope you are ok (or as ok as you can be under the circs)

or leave it up there kayz - if it helps get through Ignore me

Sorry to hear your news kayz. Hoping oyu can both be amicable about the split and come out he other side friends.

LadyT well done MissT. Bet she is of like a rocket now give her a few days and she will be scaling the kitchen cupboards.

Beans have you tried Aveeno. DS1 got dreadful excema right after Shmoks was born and it did help or get some oats wrap in a muslin and put in the bath. Oh and also I have a friend whose son had shocking skin she cut out dairy products and practiclly overnight the excema disappeared.

Aubi I second third Morroco. I have been to Marrakesh a few times and it is suprisingly not too busy. You can get some lovely hotels or stay in a riad (sp) Brilliant for culture and the markets and main squares are fab to walk around. We never once felt uncomfortable and I was vv pregnant at the time didnt have the usual stroking of tummy by strangers. Also I think its fairly warm at that time of yr.

Syb god you are being brave. Did you see that docu on last summer about the rat catchers from London they had a little terrier who would go in and hunt them down. it was very funny. I know how you feel though in my apartment in NY I got cockroaches it was horrible and at a friends apartment she had loads of mice. They would run acros the floor while we were watchign the telly.

WG wowzeers on the running!

We are the house of poo and vomit this morning. I have already been accesorised with vomit all over my face and boobs at 6am. Delightful. So I have one in bed and one on the sofa watching movies. Somehow I dont think we will be leaving the house today. I am cheering myself up with some coconut ice and a can of fat coke for breakfast.

really must preview first and correct my spelling.

Hope you're ok Kayz

Am pretty sure I have a pattern for mittens but are they actually useful? Mine always tore them off at the first opportunity. I def have a pattern for a nice easy cardigan and several funny hats.

WG - I meant to say that annoys me more than anything!! I have several friends who do that and I usually don't call back unless they have left a message!!!!!! (in most circumstances unless it is a case of phone tag etc)

Hello Effie, nice offer - if you are actually loving to knit I could always use neutral coloured hats - but not keen on these ones with ears and things etc. My mil will go overboard again with this one, so do some for the other preggo's first and then if you've got more wool still......

Hats are definitely good but I can honestly say my DD has never removed her mittens, as a tiny baby or now! She's not good with sunglasses any more which is a rotten shame.

Sorry you have been doused in sick, Jam, that ain't good! Hope things improve over the course of the day...

Jam, can I share some virtual coconut ice? We too are in the land of vom, T is now coughing so much that he pukes up everything that passes his lips. And I thought he was getting better. I am SO FED UP of his being ill. Sorry, I know that's a very trivial thing but am am feeling irrationally angry.

Kayz, I am sorry that things have turned out like this, but I am very glad you are both feeling that it's the right thing. Thinking of you.

LadyT, hooray for a successful course, I'm sure that O saved the bum shuffle to mark the event with suitable aplomb. .

Thanks for the advice on Brighton, I think I'm on more of a downer about it at the mo because we're all poorly (and I would probably have been fantasising about leaving London for some health giving sea air had we still been there). Will def give it a good shot. Please please please come and see me this summer. I will provide all with regulation kiss me quick hats and can of lager.

Has anyone successfully given their LO a dairy free diet? Am thinking we should try it (on advice of many) to see if it cuts down his mucous but can't imagine what could be a nutritious enough substitute.

hello spot - can't advise on the dairy free, but I might try and visit you as dh is always on about riding out there so I couold go earlier and meet you for lunch while I wait for him or something! I really like Brighton maybe we could do a mini Brighton meet up

I must say I would be up for a jaunt to Brighton when the weather gets nice. What a nice idea. Chips on the beach! (I am such a daytripper).

Don't know about converting to dairy free but I guess the key would simply be keeping up the protein and calcium intake...There is plenty of calcium in other foods but it's absorption that's the problem, for which you need Vitamin D. So...sunshine, I guess...bet there are loads of books on it though (or info on the web).