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...

No child benefit in US, gang! Can write them off your taxes, but not the same thing!!

Whomever the doctor is, he is an unethical one. No laws against it, but certainly not acceptable.

How would you wheel all those babies around???

I craved johnsons baby soap. The smell....nearly ate it once but stopped myself I'm so over it now

I didn't crave anything really - except tomatoes - really good quality ones. How yawnsome is that? I wanted to have a craving for coal or mashed potatoes with jam or summat mad like that. Very miffed I was that nowt like that happened.

I'm loving Ken's new bit on the side's houseboat - how peaceful would that be? But the character is a bit overly contrived - they clearly sat down and said right - what's Ken's absolutely perfect woman? and came up with her. She looks great though, does Ms Beacham.

Oh doesn't Mrs Beacham indeed look fabulous! And good old Ken - actually 76 in real life I think it's the twinkly eyes and silky flick of the hair wot drives the ladies wild

I'm not sure how I feel about the new pikeys on the street. THe lovely thing about Corrie is it's soooo not like Eastenders; miserable and shouty. The Windass family are too east-end meet Shameless for my liking [snob emoticon]

Just went to check on Iris and could barely see her as she was in bed, surrounded by every toy she could possible pop into her bed with her....including her mini car seat complete with dolly strapped in and ready to go!!

You're not telling me that Ken Barlow has a new amour?! And it's Stephanie Beacham, the glamourpuss? Is there no end to the man's sexual magnetism.? And isn't the actor a Druid in real life, or did I imagine that?

Any Tenko fans here? I know, we were mere babes when it was on but allowed to stay up late to watch - anyway, I remember Ms Beacham from then, being naughty with a man she met in the jungle and a jar of marmite . When the title music came on me and my sister used to run to the kitchen to get the egg slicer (everyone had an egg slicer in those days) and play along to the high-pitched plinky-plonky title music. Ah, simple pleasures; who needs a Wii when you have an egg slicer?

ermintrude am PMSL @ egg slicer! Oh the egg slicer is a much maligned kitchen utensil...along with the rumtopft (always a prize on The Price is Right) and corn-on-the-cob mini forks.

I remember it not for the naughty antics with Marmite I think it was more for the costumes...the cardboard backgrounds and fake sweat. I think it probably encouraged my love for fashion - all that khaki.

Love the idea of Ken being a druid - don't think Deirdre or Blanche would hold with that

I just wanted to say that I have no idea what any of you are talking about. Well, I know what an egg slicer is!

Tee, do you mean to say that Coronation Street, the UK's longest-running soap, and Tenko, a dodgy series about women in a Japanese POW camp, weren't imported to the US in the 80s? While we were having Dallas and Dynasty, I thought the whole swap thing was mutual

I was never allowed to stay up late to watch anything even remotely interesting, when Dallas came on my dad would leap up out of his chair and shout "right, time for bed" and my mother would mutter under her breath about sex and violence (which seemed to be interchangeable concepts in her view) and we always thought that Dallas must be the most exciting thing ever.

I also remember being chased to bed when something called the Thornbirds was on. And we used to read those Flower in the Attic books and had to hide them under he mattress because the parents would have a fit if they knew. Irish Catholic upbringings eh?

tee I can't believe Coronation Street has passed you by .

Hahahaha ermintrude soap poker..."I see your Dallas and raise you Tenko!"

Do you ever listen to the sumblime Radio 4 series Ed Reardon's Week? I love how the eponymous character - a miserable git, living with his cat Elgar in a one bed flat in leafy Berkhampsted - bemoans the fact he's never made it 'big time' as a writer and dines off the fact he once wrote an episode of Tenko Oh it's a total joy to listen to.

Oh Oh Oh....mrsB you NEVER saw the Thornbirds.....*gasps!

Oh wow - me and my bessie mate are STILL obsessed some 25+ years on. Richard Chamberlain (gay - who knew eh?!)as a sexy priest (Father Ralph) and Barbara Stanwyck, an old, wealthy bird whose lust was arosed by him....and she grabs him, throws her head back in a seductive manner and utters the immortal (and very camp) words "kiss me, kiss me on the lips like we were lovers" .....Ah, nowt like old ladies hurling themselves at young priests to get teenage girls pee'ing themselves laughing.

Thing is - it's now my mate's ambition to get a priest to fall in love with her - cast aside his calling, and then for her to ...dump him evil huh?!

Oooo off to bed to think about sexy priests

Okay, I have heard of Coronation Street, but I have never watched it.

And the other one? Tenko? No clue!

We did have the Thornbirds on PBS (public television) but I never watched that either.

I think the only UK show I ever watched as a kid, and I didn't watch it all that often, was Doctor Who. My mum didn't think it was appropriate viewing!

My, what a sheltered life you've led tee My fav character in Tenko was played by Stephanie Cole....a right bag she was but got things done. Could remind myself of me a little bit.

Ken looks good for his age and wish I knew his secret. Maybe it's all those virgin sacrifices.

jj you're obviously not a catholic as the words 'sexy' and 'priest' would never enter the same sentence if you were

ermintrude does your sister still get the egg slicer out and play a good tune on it at parties?

K eventually went to sleep around 10pm coughing, spluttering and crying. Woke at 2am which I totally expected as she'd not really had enough milk during the day. Went back to sleep and up again at 7am for repeat of 2am and she's still in her cot so I'm hoping that some more sleep will help her get better. If she's not better by later today I'll attach her to the SATS monitor and take it from there. I can ring SCBU and seek their advice and we also have a letter to show A&E which fast tracks us straight up to the children's ward without waiting around. Don't want to get ahead of myself just yet though and wait and see.

I am in the mind btw that she is def teething this time. Swollen gums, red cheeks, more dribble than you could shake a stick at.

I hope K feels better soon JW. At least you have a plan and an 'in' to the A&E. Although I am sure you'd rather have a baby who was healthy. Hugs for her.

Yes, fingers crossed K won't need the hospital route, bless her.

I LOVED the Thorn Birds, having already read the book. My mother was a convert to Catholicism and maybe that's why she allowed us to read anything we liked from her shelves(her literary tastes were already extremely catholic...), especially with priests in . I remember an Anya Seton historical romance about a girl and a monk called 'Green Darkness'; my it was racy. But JW, I must admit I share JJ's friend's fantasy about defrocking a priest. He'd have to be a Jesuit - the intellectuals, all suave and out of reach. It's true that your average parish priest is unlikely to be a looker, or indeed under 70. But a black soutane can be a great look for a man who takes care of himself. Sigh.

mrsB, Ah, Flowers in the Attic, that's what I was trying to remember when folk were imagining my poor DC locked in our roof. Spooky front cover pics of suspiciously blonde and identical parents and children, oooh I remember it well!

JJ I also love Ed Reardon's Week. I listen to it when I should be writing and it makes me feel at the peak of success by comparison

Oh jw fingers crossed she sleeps it out of her system. It really, really does sound like teeth with a cold. I bet the tooth it really budding under - Verity has slept a lot better since hers popped out plus the dribbling has all but stopped so the permanant 'nappy rash' under her neck is starting to go. Keep us posted.

Na - not a catholic....my bible knowledge is shocking - I think the 'hero' dies a little too early on in the proceedings for my liking

It is SOOOO cold here today. But DP is taking us out for lunch I fancy Thai - MMmm, wonder if Iris will go for that

OMG ermintrude if i didn't know my mate was in Dubai - I'd think she was back home in Notts and mascarading as you!!! That's exactly the kind of priest she's after - you described it just like her.......and she's catholic!

Haha - other thing that makes me laugh about Ed Reardon...is that Stephanie 'Tenko' Cole is actually in it!

JJ, I swear I'm not in Dubai. And I wouldn't be so mean as to plan to seduce and then dump a poor lovely jesuit! Actually, I realise recently that I've never done it with any kind of Catholic, priest or not, which is a bit odd. But then again, no tories either. .

I like the John Bird's assistant in Ed Reardon. Agents really are all that posh though not all that dumb.

Araminta! Yes, my other friend (this one is in France - I have TWO friends - both live far away from me!) has her book published in April and her agent - who I sadly had to experience dinner with - is crashingly posh - beyond posh - it's almost a speech impediment

I'm still planning on my Mills & Boon one day I love their guide to writing one one - it's called 'Behind the Hearts & FLowers" !

Funny the powers that be are still saying that teething shouldn't be accompanided by a cold but I remember all the older 3 having snotty noses as well (now I cast my aging memory back).

Sorry, can't do this priest thing - jesuit or not. Feels a bit too wrong for me although I'm sure if I was on a desert island with only a priest for company that it probably wouldn't stay that way

Cold here too and weatherman says the snow will land anywhere from tomorrow afternoon onwards. Get the thermals out ladies. We've got hospital appointments Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but if K is still ill and/or it's snowing, I'm cancelling all of them. Can't be doing the Doblo dance down the middle of the road.

I've Virgin +ed Not Going Out from last night as was tired and went to bed early. Looking forward to watching it with probably an evil piece of cake/chocolate or whatever other comforting piece of food comes my way. I'm obviously not watching what I eat - unless you count having Cadburys stamped on it - but anything that gets you through. Cream egg sandwich sounds good right now

Enjoy your lunch JJ. Am envious as I've not been out for a couple of days and I'm going stir crazy. Think DH is taking DSS out to one of those soft play places to run off some energy. DSS that is and not DH.

JW Alex has developed nasty colds every time he has been teething...I hope K recovers quickly and the letter to A&E is unnecessary.

I remember Tenko especially Stephanie Coles "Dr Beatrice"...she is a fab actress, remember her as the black widow in Open All Hours? And she is in Doc Martin too (another fave programme for me)

Not into the priest or other clergy thing myself...pal of mine was though ..he,(yes He), had a long fling with a monk! Who told him he needed the normality and stability of a family

Off to Tesco now, what joy, as the cupboards are bare...serves myself right having to brave the place on a Saturday I should have gone yesterday but was feeling sorry for myself and my still aching tooth... new antibiotics seem to have kicked in now so I cant use it as an excuse to send Dh instead... once more unto the breach etc....

I remember Tenko, but never saw it. Was it any good? How about Mash?

I used to watch MASH religiously although I was pretty young and didn't get a any of the politics. Nothing like Tenko though. Tenko was all women in a Japanese POW camp, sewing daggers out of old pinnies to they could escape back to Blighty. Much sweating and dysentry ensued.

Floria thanks for your reassuring words regarding Alex and his teething cold. Not nice for him of course I'm sure it's the same as K has although the medical profession say there is no link between the two.

Totally freaked out by your friend and his escapades. Maybe I'm easily shocked now I'm getting older.... I expect everyone to have the same mundane life as I do.

Tesco sounds like a jolly to me. Not been out since Thursday and DH keeps jumping up and offering to run errands. I'm at home then tending to K....not that I mind of course. Anyhoo, I'm taking DSS into Manchester tomorrow to get him some shoes from Clarks as Bury and the other M/cr Clarks don't stock the H fitting he needs. That's my escape plan anyway!

An escape plan worthy of Mrs (Metro Golden) Meyer from Tenko JW

MASH was so brilliant. I remember the padre driving a seriously ill patient to a different base and the guy starting to choke on the way - cue emergency tracheotomy performed by the poor chaplain while Hawkeye barked out instructions on the radio. I have an unhealthy interest in amateur first-aid . Incidentally, and neatly tying up both the MASH and Tenko themes, one of my parents' tutors at medical school had escaped from a Japanese POW camp and got acute appendicitis in the jungle so removed his own appendix using only a penknife and a shaving mirror. He'd show anyone the scar, justifiably proudly.

Hope all snotty babes are breathing easy.

Yoh! Escape plan jw good work....even if it is Clarks!

Well, I don't often say poo poo to the medical profession but seems weird that Verity also has a 'cold' and now is teething badly - as is Iris with her molars. Plus - and this always happening with Iris - really bad nappy rash before teeth appear....MMMmmm. Are Katherine's cheeks pink? Only that Verity looks like she's burning up a fever - but is actually ok

We had a lovely little Thai lunch plus we walked into town and back - a good 2.5 mile jaunt with added hills

Floria I hope Tescos was everything you hoped for - and more! And that the tooth is giving you a break.

BTW: I'm not surprised by the whole monk thing...they just look odd and it's the most perculiar thing to do. I mean, that outfit....purlease! Nah - shifty bunch the lot of 'em....and you can add nuns to that assumption too I once fell about laughing when I saw 4 nuns driving along in a new mini....dunno why, but nuns driving is hilarious....Not as funny as 6 (yes, I counted them - 6) orange-robed Buddhist monks coming out of one of those on-street cubicle toilets....

Well, if there is no snow tomorrow then we're heading off to Norf London to visit friends who've never seen the girls - shocking but you just never get round to it. However it's in a scary part of town - so tonight I'll polish off my Kalashnikov