Karl, Marc and Oscar might be three WISE men, but if it's AVID women you're after, this is the place

[PlumSykes]

new thread

Morning all!
Very cold here today. I'm slightly excited that I got a spring preview of White Company through the post and they have a new branch in Chester. So I'll be able to get a feel for their sizes and fit before making complicated mistakes like last year. There was a dress I liked and a slash neck sweater.

Ds was like a boy possessed again last night. I also had an emergency governor's meeting and the man from education who came to talk to us was an ex colleague of mine from our teaching days. I had to explain about dc2 which left me drained. Maybe ds cann sense these things. I really don't know what the answer is with him unless it's anger management. But at 6? looby?

Morning!!

RG - Sorry to hear you are feeling so ill. Hope you managing to get some vitamins and fluids in, even if you don't feel like it.

Marsha - Hope the jetlag passes soon. I never gone further than the states/Indian ocean, so have never experienced the full effects. We hope to go to Australia/Thailand next year though, so I guess we will all experiennce it then!

Bunny - Hope you don't feel too tired after the feeding marathon. I second the vote for pilates - there are a fair few DVDs available online, although I know many people would say a class is the best way of getting started. I have never been able to fit classes in though. My SIL sellotaped a marble into her tummy button to try and reshape it after pregnancy I never did find out whether that one worked or not!

First day back at work today since 22nd Dec. Gloom.... Although only 1 day at work this work - and off to the hotel for the weekend, so I really can't feel too sorry for myself. Finishing off a job application at the moment.

Once we have decided the hotel, perhaps we can illicit ideas for eateries? Would be good to meet for drinks first (in same place?) to allow people to mingle. Like the idea of moving after each course....bit contrived, but as there will be quite a few of us, means we get to chat to a few people, no? Depending on where we wish to go, we may asked for deposit/order in advance as at the moment it looks like 23/24 of us going - even if a few drop out for various unforeseen reasons, it will still be a big group!

Will PM re accommodation later. Am also finalising arrangements for my girls weekend away to Manchester (with my friends from school) later this month. We are staying here, eating here and I am having massage etc here. Two weekends away this month....I feel very decadent!

NY, can you recommend any pilates DVDs?
The hotel and restaurant look good, have fun.

Morning all

bonsoir how horrific

verity glad your aunt is improving

esher I hope all goes well today. I can't help smiling at the thought of the Brunswick Centre with a carluccios and decent shops; when I lived and worked round there it had a nasty Safeways and lots of drug addicts

bloss I think being 6 is tough and it's not that unusual for children to need help managing their feelings. DS1 got some extra help at school when he was acting inappropriately when cross - I don't know whether the specifics of it helped, whether giving him an opportunity to think about his behaviour helped or whether he just grew out of it but that particular behaviour has now passed. and he is by no means the only boy I know who's needed similar help. I hope school has something constructive to suggest.

Am very excited for you abut the house tracey. Well done!

I use Kristin McGee's pilates DVDs:

here

I use the green one down at no 3. I like her stuff, although pilates 'purists' would probably find it too fast. Probably not for the unfit/beginners. I believe Lynne Robinson is the 'classic' pilates practioner and has DVDs that would be a good intro/grounding.

Hi Marsha

Sorry you are unwell RG

Bloss - my DS (4.5) has been stroppy beyond belief; very temperamental, and saying things like, 'you just don't like me...' !!!! This is in response to any chastisement, however small, from myself or dh. Which of course I reassure him that I/we do like and actually love him.... He's very bright and 'emotional' so I guess that's it. Very difficult though. I sympathise !

Oh, I can see the dilemma Tracey! It will all work out how you want it in the end. Best of luck....

Dolcee - Your DS sounds like my DD who is a very similar age. 'Why do you do these nasty things to me mummy, I thought you loved me?' was the classic she came out with yesterday. (This was in response to my insistence that it was bedtime, as she has school today.)

Morning, just popping in.

Friend who has been here since Tues is heading back to London in about one hour. I do like having visitors, but I like it even more when they go home. Can turn Cbeebies back on without fear of being judged!

Glad cardigan is a goer, carciofi

Thanks abo. He is the perfect child in school. I really think he was born angry and frustrated though. Yesterday's problem started when I came home early from my meeting so my mum didn't have to give them their tea or take him to piano as planned. Any change drives him to despair.
Thanks for doing all this planning notyummy. I like the sound of the marble in the belly button! I'll wait till the end of the 6 weeks before giving it a go though!

Morning all

Horrible rain!!

Haven't caught up but see congrats are in order for Tracey!! so excited for you, well done

Re meet up, thanks for all your hard work NY. With so many of us attending, might it be an idea to have a vote on who'd prefer swannage and nibbles or sit down meal? I know that with only 7 or so of us last time, I feel like I didn't talk to, say, Tracey at all as she was on other side of table. With 20-odd, mingling is going to be tricky and seat changing awkward... My vote would be for swannage and drinks. More chance to admire you all in all of your W&A loveliness, too

Thanks NY.

It has not stopped raining so we are cooped up here. I need a car!

Yes LTEC - you could be on to something there. What would be great would be somewhere really cool that would do us lots of big platters of nibbles/canapes perhaps?? We could also find out in advance preferred drinks and get a few bottles arranged maybe - we can see. The idea of no food and lots of booze probably wouldn't work for people like me who are a.greedy and b.have a tendency to like a few drinks....leading to disaster without something to absorb!!

Hi Dolce

Vin what did you do about the cashmere Lutz & Patmos dress? I have been thinking about it a lot! I love it. It's now sold out. Did you get it? Perfect cashmere... belt... length oh dammit! Tell me, if you didn't get it how you are feeling about that

NY I like to feel light, so always err on the side of champagne diet!. Up for general consensus vote. Food could be available of course. Plus tables to sit or stand.

bonsoir That is awful about your DH's friend . I couldn't imagine ever living in that building again.

Hi reine!

bunny Yay for chubby babies! You are doing so brilliantly. Looking forward to pictures of your DH's birthday cake creations. He could have a bake off with MrNotyummy .

marsha Hope you'll get through the day with the help of caffeine!

blossoming Worries about DS sound really stressful.

Hi Fritzi! . Am weary, but dreamy in a good way. No ds1 is at school and ds2 is sleeping the jetlagged sleep of a bambino tis an easy day!

Another vote for mingling here. Although I am from the notyummy school of liking a few drinks!
There must be some seating though (panicking at thought of hours and hours in my massive heels!) I suppose I could prop myself up against a wall..
I'm thinking of booking my MAC makeup session soon too. Anyone with me?

Tables bloss tables. With seats. And the opportunity to walk to the bar (and show off our outfits ).

We can reserve an area.

I will vote for mingling too - I'm happy to go with what everyone else likes but platters + bar + seating sounds good to me.

Yes to MAC session bloss . I am panicking hugely already about feeling entirely inadequate.

I checked train fares yesterday - fast train: £47, slow train: £8, slow train first class: £18. Going to get slow first class train to give me time to chill and eat.

When is Zembo back?

Bloss - yes to MAC session please! Where - Selfridges? (should I also book a personal shopper in John Lewis to help me find something suitable to wear that night too? Seriously?)

Poor DS2 - following yesterdays injury, he walked into a table at pre-school this morning so now has a small lump of forehead and when the teacher was checking it, she grazed his nose with her ring - quite a big graze too!!! He really looks like he has been in the wars and is feeling v sorry for himself!

Re meet up - mingling is good but agree with Bloss re needing to sit down too - esp as my flight is at 7.30am which means a 5am start that morning! (I may have to power nap under a table!) Oh- I need food/nibbles too - am a lightweight at the best of times - me + drink - food = carnage!! What about early drinks followed by a late meal?
Everything - any house news? Have been thinking about you.
Tracey great news re house. Weird how sometimes things happen like that! I'm a big believer in fate! Can't wait to start discussing W&A refurb!

Can't remember if I have linked before but am liking these dresses from ASOS (ignoring 100% poly content!)
here and slashed back puts me off this tho

Laptop is overheating so going to post now and catch on on rest later!

Yes yes deffo the option to sit/ stand/ walk, drink/ eat... Partyish.

Verity how worrying about your aunt, glad there's been an improvement
Sorry for worries about ds bliss, must be so draining having to explain about dd1
Glad you enjoyed your holiday marsha

Plum - forgot to say thanks for cashmere recommendation! You are all right - £75 for 2nd hand cashmere (other than Brora in exceptional circs) is madness - not at all Wise! Much appreciated advice from this hunny Bunny

cakey - swannage does sound like a good idea if 24 of us, actually. And, like Marsha, I don't like feeling heavy and sluggish after a big meal. But no doubt unlike Marsha am like a Labrador dog who eats far too much if food is in front of me and labelled "mine".

thanks for Pilates suggestions, ladies - everyone says it's the way back to pre-DC body so I will be giving it a try once had 6 week check up next week. Which is w childless GP who is rake thin and unsympathetic about difficulties w young DCs and trying to exercise etc. Told me last time to lose weight and tone tum before TTC for DC2 (who is actually DD1 and DD2). DD1 was 6 weeks old so hadn't exactly let myself go for years! Will imagine repetitively kicking her shins in during appointment - that will make me smile.

Bloss - sorry to hear of oh so trying behaviour from DS. You must be grinding your teeth into stumps about it sometimes. Notyummy - your DD sounds to have a dramatic streak, too. Guess they all do at that age.

Somebody think of a new witty title - that perhaps refers to the W&A First Birthday?!

Plans for meet-up sound good to me

Busy today taling to mortgage broker etc and off now to pay in a tax rebate chq for DH that I discovered in a draw Honestly! But has come at a good time.

Oh I copied everyone else and ordered the top that OWW recommended - this one and it arrived and is very nice. Very drapey and looks good with skinnies. So thanks OWW!

Right best get on.

Bloss - your DS sounds perfectly normal to me . Just before DS1 turned 6 he had some truly awful rages - I was honestly really shocked but they were over and done with pretty quickly. I do think they've got so much going on and also are working hard at school and sometimes it all just gets a bit much for them hence the explosions.

Oh and DS2 has regressed slightly and is now pooing his pants rather than using the loo - brilliant just when he starts nursery tomorrow. Got him some new school shoes this morning - sweet but so grown up.

DS1 is also worrying about Arthur starting at his school as doesn't want him to ever get told off .

I am not even thinking about clothes yet for meet-up but am on a diet for a change

The challenge will be wearing something that no-one else is wearing I think.

Well I would ollie, but now you've gone and mentioned 'witty'.. I'm stumped.

Bunny - at your GP. What a cow. Realistically, unless someone is obese, and you are handing out 'proper' medical advice about being a healthy weight to conceive, I can't imagine why a GP would be going there. Some hacked off new mum will punch her if she carries on.....