June 2008-keeping little hands off mummy's creme eggs

[poppy34]

New thread here

Can't believe how much chat there's been since last night!

We have a Honda Accord estate (55 plate so not the newest model) and it is great, a very big boot. Estate cars are always handy for the boot space.

On the PR issue, wouldn't a single transferable vote be better? So there is still first past the post but you can vote for, say, LDs, but put Labour as your second choice so if LDs don't get in top two your vote goes to Labour instead?

Me and Rolf are in same constituency and we haven't had much through post by hand. We have had loads of stuff direct from Tory and Labour head office though.

lol at BLW! I was actually thinking I am going to give BLW more of a go with this baby - it didn't work for the twins cos I just didn't feel I could produce enough milk for two babies if they were not eating many solids. They were hungry and much happier after some sweet potato and baby rice .

Abdn, you're right about the £30k/benefits thing - if I were a single mum my childcare costs would be less cos I'd get some tax credits. Which is why I suppose the govt isn't bothered about the likes of me and you working - we don't cost them anything if we don't work cos we don't claim benefits so why help us with childcare costs? Not saying that is right, it's probably the reason behind it tho. Sorry your job didn't work out .

Now I get it, I've read your blog Abdn and that's where the quilting thought is.

With doing it on the side, but needing fabric, I've also thought of that, and can pass on fabric thoughts for you!
Shirts - we have a steady supply here, but they're mainly in pale blue or white (DH wears 1 shirt per day and has around 20 at any time.) So it makes for a very personal quilt! My Mum also made a quilt out of his old ties (100% silk, that one!!)
Mum doesn't get the shirts like I do, but she bought some in charity shops and could choose the colour; occasionally, Tenovus have special offers (!) and she got 3 shirts for £10 or something similar.
My shirt quilt - will aim to get photos up this evening - is made of squares from strips, with snowball corners (provided by the suit I cut up - a mixup of textures but it works) but my Mum made one with her charity shop shirts which was snowball squares. And...I thought this could work well - I got in touch with a shirt factory and got some offcuts of cotton, for free! I still have them - but this is one option. Another one I considered but which didn't come to fruition is using tartan offcuts (my brother worked in a kilt manufacturer - and don't ask, he's Welsh! ) but you need to use bigger squares for them. Again, offcuts.
Then finally you could set up some sort of business where people provide shirts, or little girls' cotton dresses are lovely, and use them to make v. personal quilts.

I can't see the Tories going for STV neenz since Labour and Lib Dem voters are more likely to be anti-Tory than any other combination. I like PR, but then I like minority governments ("come on now children politicians, you have to learn to work together nicely"), and I see STV leading to majorities... (Am I delusional about this? It's just that a minority government has worked in Scotland)...

There's a lovely upholstery weight wool manufacturer not to far from here, I'm tempted to call them and see if they sell offcuts for cheap. Although it's probably far too heavy for quilting.

Not being crafty, but being interested, do you know about the quilting exhibition that is on at the V&A in London at the moment? A bit far for AH, but your next trip to London Essie:
QUILTS

Better go and wake P up , meant to be going out and he hasn't had lunch yet.

AH thanks for the baby size comfort. Your blog has inspired me to post on my blog for the first time since July , just the scan photo, but it is a start.

I'd love to go to that exhibition. I was very it hadn't started yet when I was in London last time.

what's your blog again spider? I've lost the link...

I really want to go too, but so far haven't managed.
Come and stay in our house, AH, and we'll go! Not sure what we'd do with children, though...

Ah yes I see what you're saying about STV

It's the twins' birthday tomorrow

eeek! They're the first of the bunch right? I've still got a month to go with fraser and I'm actually a bit sad he's turning two - he's supposed to still be my baby.

Essie no creche at the V&A? I am tempted to buy the book since I can't go in person...

AH link to blog here

Back from a lovely walk in a bluebell wood with my NCT friend. What would take adults 40 mins took us with toddler diversions over 2 hours.

Neenz hope you have a lovely day tomorrow. Is the party tomorrow or at the weekend? I hope that when the country inevitably turns blue, you will still be able to enjoy yourself.

How exciting Neenz! What did you buy them in the end?

Am back from exam. It wasn't as awful as it could be. Was supposed to be doing one tomo but going to defer. It does mean 3 exams in November instead of 2 though But I'll be better organised then right?

You lot are so chatty at the moment

I am still smiling to myself at Spider's comment about me being a petite lady, I'd say inaccurate on both counts but it did put a smile on my face!

Ethan's appointment was yesterday but they found me a slot today, just had to wait a bit longer. He spoke great English so when he said there was no major problem but would advise me to get special shoes which would help his feet , I was able to exclaim in horror - I only bought these new shoes for him last week Thankfully he just said to wait until he needs new shoes then get these special medical ones - they don't sound great do they?

Neenz - hope you have a great day tomorrow, can't believe that our babies are turning 2!!

sorry, can't possibly catch up with everyone, so will run now.

Happy Birthday for Neenz' twins for tomorrow !

Happy birthday tomorrow, Theo and Esther

birthdays birthdays birthdays!... we've got 2 months left here (haven't we DGT! - last but not least!)

rolf we have had no literature from the Lib Dems at all - and the came second in our constituency last time. Mind you, Labour got 49% I think. I've never lived in a marginal seat - I grew up in Tatton, which is George Osbourne's seat now (used to be Neil Hamilton).

Sorry for those who are feeling frustrated with jobs and careers etc., Even though I am in a career where I am fortunate enough to have relative job security and progression etc, it's still very frustrating at times and the endless exams and justifications of every move I make are exhausting and relentless. I often think that if I was back in sixth form choosing my uni degree I would have second thoughts about medicine. It's not at all what I thought it would be and can often be thankless - especially on MN - you so rarely read a thread where someone says 'I went to the hospital and I got great treatment and it was free at the point of contact - thanks NHS!'

Oh that was a moan. sorry

Deb glad Ethan's appointment went well and you got a doctor who spoke good English!

spider walk sounds lovely

abdn am off to look at your quilts now

Yep, 2 months but I'm already planning . I need to find someone with a bundt (sp?) tin for a cake I'm thinking of (going for a huffy caterpillar theme here I think).

Am very much enjoying a night off from revision! Am currently watching a speech GB made last night in Manchester (I know I'm biased but it's very good) and will then be catching up on Flash Forward.

Forgotten what else I wanted to post, brain a bit frazzled!

Oh, sending empathy re the NHS biscuits. It's easy for people to forget how amazing it is.

I have a plan to make people appreciate it better DGIT, perhaps you could pass it on to those in power? Everyone gets a bill after a consultation or hospital attendance, with an itemised breakdown of cost. They then have to take it to the expenses office, where 'paid for by the taxpayer' is stamped on it. We could keep running totals on everyone just so they can see that they are getting their money's worth!

What do you think

I lost my question mark

? there that's better.

I think it would have made a brilliant election flyer

Biscuits I do posts like that (about the wonderful NHS) and as someone with an embarassingly thick obs/gyn fil,e I also make sure I tell them at the hospital what wonderful care I've had.

Happy birthday Theo and Esther

My local hospital has a lovely childrens A&E. I am very appreciative to the NHS that when I have to spend time there I can do it in a place where only kids and their parents are allowed. There are toys and books and nurses with that special bubble mixture that doesn't pop on contact. Its ace and I'm very glad we have it. I also really like my gp who is always really nice and laughs a lot.

That was just for Biscuits!

I love the NHS too !

When I used to work as a teacher I always used to get loads and loads of chocolate for Christmas/Easter and I use to give it to the staff at my local A&E and tell them how fab they were .

I often have to sit on my hands when reading those "let's all slag off the NHS" threads . Sometimes they have a point (we're all human!) but it's usually the ones about A&E that make me really cross cos my brother works in A&E and the stories he tells me make my blood boil.

Teaching's no better if that makes you feel better Biscuits! The sense of entitlement and "I know my rights" that pervades the general public now is unbelievable. I say rights come with responsibility but that message normally falls on deaf ears .

I blame the Tories .

I am also a big fan of the NHS, especially my contact with it since we have been living here. Before that I scarcely used it.

Flounces.

Ooh, election day - its very exciting!!! Am off to man staff my local polling station for a couple of hours.

I heart the NHS btw - it saved my life and if we didn't have one I wouldn't be here.