40 + yummy mummies with baby tummies and those who've 'popped' - come hither!

[jeanjeannie]

Come join our merry (talkative) band of ladies who lunch - feel sick - are getting fatter - sleep deprived or run off their feet with babies! Some of us suffer all of the above - while trying to retain an air of calm and mystery

All we ask is you play nicely, eat cake and indulge in the occasional gossip and moan about our ills....or anything else that we can think of.

We're like grumpy old women....only not so grumpy...

Morning all. hedgepig I'll chink coffee mugs with you....I'm also on my second cup Poor you - has O been playing havoc again? I'm feeling quite bonkers by tiredness....Iris slept from 14 weeks but Verity is still up twice a night - at least.

tee oh wow - that sounds yummy - and were you pleased with your new outfit?

mum41 oh that is so annoying. We got a new laptop and that's it - one false move on the mouse pad and Voila! all gone I'm contemplating selling some large stuff on ebay but haven't got the energy to pack it all so am thinking 'collection only' MMmmm, can't decide.

ladymac LOL@ Dr De'Ath! Wish I had your resolve when it comes to chips!

Ah bonzo cheap flights are a thing of the past for us too. We're still planning on the tent idea for our hols - and maybe a quick flit on Eurostar - but that'll be it. Patagonia and Mongolia will have to be on hold for a decade or so

Snow going from here now - so I'm off to the shops sans the kids We also designed our garden last night - looks lovely, patio, wooden sleeper steps, raised beds and a flat lawn for the LOs to run on....just got to build it now!

hi all,
Made it back at 2am. It was a horror journey-but the good old landrover made it back.This weather is what their made for (and harrowing fields-please don't get me started as we landrover owners were fine till non-farmers started using them!!!GRR.)Slept like logs-off to buy a bed now-like u do when it's impassable snow.

Have fun jeannie lovely here too, my little men just nodded off (that includes dh) so doesn't look like we will be going any where for an hour or so but must make the most of it this afternoon before it gets bad again which I believe it's supposed to by monday

morning Neddie glad you back all safe and sound, you still got snow hey, nice and bright and dry here.

Jeannie dh not nodded off is watching tinkerbell the movie with dd

thought he was asleep till I heard him ask dd to move her head as he couldn't see

what a lovley daddy watching tinkerbell, my oldest is 5yrs and the youngest (sleepless one) is 4 months mum41

hehe thing is Hedgepig dd not really watching it anymore, you know the attention span of a 5 year old but dh still was

5 and 4 months bet ds loves his little bro

Goodness, I go away for a few days and we are on page 18 already. Crumbs.
Bonzo what is a safe airline seat? I don't think cheap airlines are cheap at all. I've had lovely trips with Air Malta but one awful one with FlyBe or some such name.
As for commas and apostrophes, how long will it be before they abandon them in schools? It's appalling (note correct use of apostrophe there, Ed Balls, if you are reading this). The apostrophe has served us well for all these years, only to be dumped on the scrapheap of illiteracy.

Tee that meal sounds scrummy, am v .

MUM41 your daughters are gorgeous! And the bboys are pretty cute.

ladymac you can only eat FIVE chips . Do members of your family fight to sit next to you at dinner?

We were going to make an Ikea trip to get a little sofa for the kids' playroom, which DH has been kitting out with shelves etc. in order to stop them bringing all their toys and games into the sitting room. But then we realised that there'd be no room for us and a sofa in the car so DH is going on his own. Boo! . I was looking forward to my meatballs too!

Blimey, have you lot got insomnia? It's not often I'm on here late and have to scroll through 2 pages to catch up

We/she had a good night and she seems to be over the worst of the coughing. Thank goodness. She slept in late until 9am through from 9pm last night so I'm guessing she's catching up on all the sleep she missed out on whilst we were in A&E. I do believe that sleep is a great healer. Anyhoo, hopefully she's over the worst of it and onwards to better health from here on.

mum41 just saw your pics and your family are lovely. Very photogenic and your little ones look a handful!

I'm glad that you ladies feel the same way about the usage of commas and apostrophes. To my mind, it's just laziness and not being bothered to learn the basic rules of punctuation. However, I often feel in the minority on this and similar topics - DH and DSS think I'm from the ark when I make him send out thank you notes for christmas/b'day prezzies. Please don't get me started on please and thank you's either as I'll probably have a heart attack. No one ever says it these days and I have to prompt DSS all the time and again, he thinks it's something that you really needn't do. Sigh.

I've having a hair dilemma. I'm very grey at my temples and fine lines of grey running through my roots. I've been having it coloured at the hairdressers for around 3 years and I've now reached the point where I keep thinking 'why'? I'm so tempted to let it all grow out and just become grey and have a really fab haircut to go with the grey. Has anyone else reached this point or even thought about it? The only downside is I'll probably start to look more like Katherine's grandmother as I fear it will be ageing.

QI was fab last night. Best one so far this series but I think I really love Steven Fry. I once went out with a guy who looked very like him and was also very erudite. I think the resemblance was the attraction though..that and his enormous......ahem

Btw JJ meant to ask you, how have your designed your garden? If you have found an online garden designer/layout application, could I possibly have the URL as I've been half-heartedly looking for one without any success.

Cheers me dear.

JW glad she's feeling better. Certainly needed the sleep!

I just watched QI on demand, laughed so hard tears were streaming down my face. Was very good!

JW I went for the highlighted look to blend in the greys - no roots to worry about. I just need a face lift to complete the look.

tabitha8 I had highlights last time I went but on top of the dyed head...so I suppose I could compromise and just have the highlights next time

lol@facelift! Know what you mean. I keep looking in the mirror in the morning and thinking 'who is that middle aged, jowly, grey haired woman looking back at me'? Actually I'm at that stage where I'm getting hair where I really don't want it. I mean, really don't want to be sharing a razor with my DH.....I'm having to Veet the top lip on a more regular basis though I won't even mention where the other hair has started sprouting

tee twas good wasn't it? I'm thinking of signing up to Twitter just so I can see what he's up to...I'm turning into a SFry stalker!

JW a friend has recently stopped dyeing her hair blonde and gone completely white. She has it cut very short and it actually makes her look younger, because it contrasts with her face, which is pink and smooth-skinned. It suits her better than the blonde, and I guess that it's not that huge a difference because she's gone from one pale colour to another. I think a lot depends on one's complexion and the kind of grey/white/salt-and-pepper colour the hair has gone, and the texture - whether it's silky or wiry. No hard and fast rules about it, just a question of seeing how hair and skin and style combine.

I have inherited my ma's mousey hair (which I highlight) and she's only got a bit of silver around her temples at 68, so I'm hoping to enjoy that one single advantage of being mousey.

You could try highlights first, like Tabitha, and see how you go. Colouring of any kind requires maintenance though - but I rather like having to get my hair done from time to time, otherwise I'd risk turning into a skanky old hermit.

Wow - the shops were bonkers! What is the matter with people especially these blinkin women in HUGE 4x4s...looking like mrs Pontipine at the wheel! neddie you're OK, your landrover is where it's meant to be - dans le countryside! Glad you all got back ok.

ermintrude I'd be gutted at missing meatballs - but then my life isn't that exciting. However at least your DH will pick up the bill I like Notts IKEA - very civilised.

Hi Tabitha good to see you back on here and with us in our firm stand to keep standards in the written word

Mmmm, the grey hair dilema. Well, as a former editor of a hair mag it's one i still don't know the answer too! I agree with ermintrude it's about your general colouring - so, if you already have light hair then it'll generally age you less than if you're naturally dark. I'm just going grey and with red hair it's not something you can do yourself unless you're after the Rita in the Corner Cabin look

Personally I'm going to go for a blonde highlight look - and see how that goes....see how much £££ it drains from me!

JW We've designed our garden on Google Sketch-up.....it's the NUTS! DP uses it all the time with clients - he really is an amazing whizz with it. We went out the other evening and did all the site work with a lazer level and drew it to scale. It's amazing see the whole thing in 3D.

It's a free programme and is so good that it's not worth buying the full-on application. DP has designed orangeries, extensions and conservatories on it - down to the most miniscule detail. Our local college is charging £250 for a training day on it....no need...it's got great tutorials with it! Give it a whirl - it's the bizz. All garden design ones I've seen are very ££.

I'm just researching some nice bushes that will encourage birds and will live in soil that is almost 100% chalk! In fact I'm off now to look up the cost of pressure-treated sleepers, thick rope and a whacker plate for smacking down the hardcore. It's just soooo much fun!

Ha Ha, mad lunch time rush over v naughty today though KFC, not good I know, no lectures please, dh just took dd to friends house and is picking up cakes on the way home just thought I'd share that with you all, after the fish & chip and lemon drizzle cake envy I had to endure last night

JW so glad thing things are better today, may sound mad but you seem a bit chirpier in you postings, must be the pressure easing and a good nights sleep

ermintrude It won't make a bit of difference we have a dedicated toyroom but we still have teletubby teddies in the lounge, rattles and the older ones ds's and keyboards in the conservatory, and so many more all over the house it starts off with good intentions and we tidied them all to the toyroom nightly for about the first week, now its weekly

One good thing I find about keeping hair longer is that it enables you to tie it back giving an instant facelift

Thanks for the hair tips! The problem with my hair is that it's quite dark so every speck of grey shows up As you rightly said ermintrude it's the upkeep. I don't mind going into the salon and having it done, that's a treat. But having the grey root contrasting with the coloured hair is not a good look.

I think the usual red/brown colour I have it ok but she did it a bit darker last time and it looked bloody awful. Thankfully after a couple of washes it faded to a nicer, softer hue, but the dark hair I could once take (I've had it jet black in my youth) makes my face look hard and is not right at all. I'd go straight for the grey but it's the growing out bit that I don't fancy.

I used to have quite long hair but in the past couple of years it's gone to shoulder length which is more manageable.

Toys! Blooming loads of 'em! I make sure that DSS keeps his to his room otherwise they'd be all over the house. He has the biggest bedroom in the house so I feel it's only fair they should stay in there. We have a plastic crate with K's rattles/teddies etc by the side of the sofa that's tucked away.

Just had a quick look at the Google Sketch Up JJ and it looks just the job. It's only to give us an idea of how the garden will look and what we'd like. There's no way we'd do the work ourselves as we don't have the skill, the strenth, time, the tools etc etc so I'll happily employ someone to do. Great that we get an idea first though

I do feel a lot happier today and catching up on sleep always helps. It's the worry with Katherine of what's next. She's had so many things happen already and so many blinkin' procedures done and a few still in the pipeline that I do get worked up. I'm just a mum though and I guess that's what we do best

She's had her first proper food today in just over a week - fruity cereal. She loved it! She's sleeping off her fat tum in bed now. I've had a nice hour on the laptop, read the newspaper - or parts of it - had a coffee, watched DH sweep and mop the floors (he's a dab hand with a duster too) and am contemplating evening meal.

Did someone mention KFC btw? Not had one of them for..........about 6 years..and I was drunk at the time

mum41 WHahahaha at the instant facelift I use the exact same method myself

Oh lordy - toys. We've got a wooden chest - which is overflowing! Plus a bucket, a spot by the french windows for parking various small 'vehicles' not to mention the bookcase - Oh and then there is the IKEA storage in Iris's room

JW thrilled K has had some food and is perkier. Yeah, being a mum is all about stress and of course you're going to get anxious over any procedures - it's not the normal, run-of-the-mill occurance for LOs. Good thing is that K is a fiesty girl, good weight and clearly got a bit about her when it comes to standing up to nasty bugs

Pleased you like the look of Sketch up - it really is good - you can be as basic or detailed as you fancy.

mum41 did I read 'conservatory?' OOoooo My DP designs and builds them....but have we got one? Pah....in my dreams !!

Oooo, MIL and her hubby are here....see you all later

JW ta for the QI tip; now the whole family is trying to lift their ring fingers off the table

Mum31 KFC is the only fast food I guiltily love. I'm not at all interested in any kind of Mcburger - although proper beefburgers are fab - but an evil piece of battery-chicken breast in the colonel's secret coating makes me drool. I must not give in, I must not...

JJ Whoever ends up paying at the till we both do in the end - we only have a joint account . This always surprises people who know me - no name change, no Mrs X, no rings etc. but no financial privacy either. It kind of happened by accident - we had to get a joint a/c when we got our mortgage, a year before getting married as the building soc liked to see both salaries going in to the same place each month. Then the plan was to go back to having our own accounts where salaries were paid in, each keeping the same amount of 'personal' spending money, and the rest being direct debited into the joint a/c to cover mortage, bills, repairs, holidays, savings etc etc. But at first all the joint a/c money just got used up every month - doh! . And then we never got round to changing it. Apart from knowing how much we each spend on presents for one another (some years: a pre-arranged £0) we like the system. I know some SAHMs whose husbands earn loads, pay the household expenses and then spend the rest on their own guitars/boats/gadgets, wifey having to wheedle money for new shoes out of them on a regular basis. And other couples where one earns loads more than the other and they both transfer the same amount into the joint account so one has loads of spending money left over and the other hardly any. Even if the rich one then pays for holidays etc. it always seems like they're doing their poorer spouse a favour. We've never argued about money even though it's supposed to be the main source of angst between couples (we argue plenty about everything else), but I have friends who are horrified at our 'all that's mine is yours' attitude to money. Maybe we're so relaxed about it because there's still nothing left at the end of the month .

Jennie there's something we have in common my husband designs and builds conservatories, well used to build but designs more now behind his desk as he runs his own company, we didn't have one either till I was pregnant with the twins, I used to joke and say 'who on earth would by a conservatory from a man who doesn't have one we practically live in there now, had underfloor heating installed when it was built and believe it or not it's usually the warmest room in the house

ermintrude DH and I have had joint account from the first day we lived together. That was partly because UK banking laws are so strict they wouldn't let me open one and partly because I have never really understood doing it the other way. It isn't my money and his money. Its our money.

Admittedly, it does spoil the cost of gifts surprise. In fact I've been very careful to not check our account this week since he bought my birthday present!

Thanks ermintrude you took 10 years off me there

Thats 1 down dd had her bath, best be off bath the other 2 now......

haha, i should put a decade on next time to even things out but that would just be mean! must be because you look so young on your pic

Hello ladies and welcome Mum41. I am 41 as well, and expecting number 4 in August. My older children are 15, 13 and 11. We were trying for a very long time for number 4, hence the very large gap (will be 12 years between junior and my DD2). Although I quaked a little initially, I actually think it's a good thing now, as they're all big enough to keep a baby entertained for a bit while I get on with other things...

Anyway, I just got back from a lovely couple of days in Paris meeting my "business" partners (my sister and a friend). I'm very keen on the friend not knowing about this pregnancy until it's pretty obvious I can be pregnant and cope with work at the same time (she is of a nervous disposition and we're just starting up).