The Crepe Escape

[Cremolafoam]

We were getting to the end.

BTM, DP resists packed lunches mainly because he thinks they would create Unnecessary Work, but also because he is bonkersly convinced that his children are eating a nutritious, balanced filling hot meal (rather than picking out the bits they like and leaving the rest, if DD2's behaviour at home is anything to go on). In the end DD2 and I won the battle and I ran her up a quick tuna-mayo pitta bread, much to her delight.

I swapped them at primary school when I realised that they were eating next to nothing at school - DD because she didn't like them (apart from the cake and custard) and DS because it involved too much queueing when he could be out playing footy!
Making a packed lunch only takes 5mins. They could even do it themselves if he so wishes

CV - girl power!

I managed to get the bottle trap off under the basin (bleurgh - it's a wonder there is any hair left on my head), but further progress has been hampered by lack of a big enough wrench. Rats.

Packed lunches - mine have had these since infant school (which provided amazing food, unlike the junior school). But they make their own, and always have done. I set Rules regarding contents, and make sure we have enough supplies, then it's down to them. The latest faves are Warburtons Sandwich Thins, like a square sqashed bread roll.

DD1 makes her own on days when she wants one. DD2 quite happy to assemble her own too.

Just checking in to say - very much enjoying basin saga. Well done CV - I would have lingered helplessly waiting for DH to do something about it.

Herbs - thanks for the term "mum crush". I'll remember this when eyeing up nice young boys outside DD1's school. Some of them seem so sweet.

I am loving basin saga too. I had to remove the drain from the shower the other day and there was enough hair in it for two toddler wigs.

My assistant definitely falls into the "Mum Crush" category. When he came to work for me, several people in his old office (whom I knew) told me what a lovely boy he was - "just the sort of son you'd like to have/just the sort of boy you would want your daughter to go out with."

I was brought up on klops, smoked sausage, sauerkraut and honey cake. Not to mention lots of large dumplings in stews.

AB has still not signed off my budget. We had the same questions all over again today.

Oh dear, I have not been keeping up at all. Lovely to hear Alto's dh is getting better (has he done the mowing yet? :) )

I do not much care for German food, but I do like German beer. Glad you had a good time Herbs.

Half-term seemed to involve too much rushing around and drinking. I also held a party. I never hold parties as they are too scary. However, I got brave enough on Friday to invite 15 people for a bbq on Sunday. This gave me only a short time to froth with anxiety. Long story short - it all went fine. Ds ecstatic because he is very sociable and never usually gets 9 extra children in his house at once. Dog only tried to kill a few things during the party and none of them were the guests. Dh got an impressive black eye from getting tangled in a swing while racing a 7 yr old. Otherwise, everything good.

Erm, I have done a big boo-boo. I did not write the 8th in big letters in my diary. I have now realised that I have managed to triple-book myself for early on the Sunday morning and there is at least one of these bookings that I cannot get out of (dh can poss do the other one) and I can't get back from London in time, so I am not going to be able to make MI's party and the Crepey sleepover. :( I am very sorry MI and BTM.

(I may have mentioned about the state of my short-term memory)

Boo to Strops and the diary boo-boo. But well done on the party-throwing - I find it similarly scary, unlike DH.

Basin is fixed - hoorah! A killer combination of my technical nous and DH's brute force and ignorance won the day, and I no longer have to choose between cleaning my teeth in the titchy downstairs loo basin, or the toothpaste-and-hairgel-encrusted receptacle in the DCs' bathroom. Talking of which....it's well past my bedtime.

Well done for the BBQ Stropps - I have a friend who does these things effortlessly and I always panic - apart from the fact the house is too small.

DD1 doing work experience at the law courts in Paris and has got herself in an a terrorist trial . DH had to collect her at 9.30 last night. Still it should be brilliant for her university statement - as long as she still wants to do law at the end of the week.

Still thinking about Mum Crush and wondering if I could ever be as glam as Mrs Robinson in the Graduate.

Well done on the BBQ Stropps, but that you can't make it on Sat.

Well done CV on the plumbing - you and your DH sound remarkably similar to me and mine!

Work experience in Paris law courts sounds terribly glam, hatty. I am wondering what DD will do - next year? Year 10?

And Hatty, isn't Herbs thinking of a good wholesome "son-envy" thing rather than cradle snatching?

I have party nerves

Well I'm son envying but cant help but admire also . DD1's school seems to have a particularly good crop as opposed to your normal street corner youth.

MI - your party can only be great fun with a good portion of crépies thrown in.

I'm hoping to make it on Saturday, no doubt wearing something from Sainsbury's, but have minor logistical issues to overcome. We have a fourth birthday party in Tunbridge Wells in the afternoon, so I have to get rid of DP and DS on the way back to fully enjoy a crepey bash. Alternatively I'll drop them back home, then get public transport down to the wilds of SE London...

If DP drove, none of this would be a problem. Grrrr.

MI it (and you) will be fab - sorry I can't be there

Also very much looking forward to MI's party - will probably be part of the early evening crew as I have early start to get to godson's confirmation on Sunday morning. Although I often say that and am then found still chatting in the front garden at midnight. Sorry you are not able to make it, stropps - maybe a late summer meet up is also in order.

Herbs - our holiday to Germany a few years ago was a blast, loved the food and the beer and dh thought the beer gardens were the best inventation ever. We did find one right next to a lake beach, where you could take a picnic as long as you bought a few beers and ice creams, which we were than happy to do. We spent quite a lot of time there.

And yes to Mum Crushes here too. Ds1 has a couple of friends who at 12/13 are already just delightful and heading towards being terrific, articulate, respectful young men. I always feel like putting a hand on their shoulders when they come over, in a form of Crepey benediction, and say "You may marry my daughter".

O, I am cross

I have a really, really lovely friend. My age. Had been single for ages, since before DD1 was born, and found a nice bloke at Christmas and he's now ditched her. I've never met him, so for all I know he had perfectly good reason (and it was long-distance, so at least their lives haven't become horribly entwined over the past few months although they have lots of friends in common). But I just feel awful for her, as she is my friend since university days and she would have liked a bloke and kids and that hasn't happened and now she is single again. She has a v full life and nice job and loads of friends, but she gets lonely.

MI, I have some lovely friends my age who are now divorced and can't find a decent man. Are there any decent single men around?

Wilbur, great! I hadn't realised you would be going to MI's too

Herbs, now is the time for your OH to get on with the fact that he doesn't drive. He can get the tube!

Having one of those days - belt buckle broke on jacket. Decided it looked better without belt anyway (too apple shaped). Tried to unpick belt loops and made hole in coat so will have to sew belt loops back on to cover hole. .

Then used wrong ticket on metro so had to use another to cross exit barrier, so two tickets for one journey and my phone decided to block in the meantime.

I have come home before I do something dangerous.

Oh Hattie, I feel your pain. I really do.

Hatty - retire to the sofa before anything else goes wrong. Sorry for the frustrating day.

I took a breadknife to my thumb yesterday, and I've spent the day realising why opposable thumbs were such an evolutionary thing. I can't text properly and had to get other people to open my sandwich at lunch. I then flicked a big piece of mango at my boss while trying to release it from a fruit salad bowl. I am Darwin in action - if my thumb doesn't heal soon, I may die of starvation.

But, excitingly, I am going to the Albert Hall tonight to see Elvis Costello. And am going to walk through Hyde Park to get there, so it will be like a mini-holiday. Right, coffee break over, need to do some work.

Wilbur I saw Elvis Costello at Glastonbury 25 years ago having been a fan for at least 10 years. He was fantastic as was the whole weekend - a rare very hot one.
Am also agog that you manage to text with thumbs - my DC think I am pathetic as a one finger texter, despite being able to sort of touch type!
And I have PM'd you (just incase you don't realise with the new-fangled inbox)

I went to E Leclerc tonight in search of meat for Entertaining on Thursday (beef rendang, hot and sour chickpeas, butter chicken for the pussies and saag paneer, if you're interested - do you think that will be enough?), and bought a new shopping trolley while I was there. The woman on the till looked at me as if I was mad when I asked her if she had any scissors to cut open the tape that was holding it together - gallic shrug. What should I do? Go to the Accueil (right at the other end of the 97 or however many tills). But I need the trolley now. A second gallic shrug. Security man took pity on me, got a knife from the other till and cut the tape. But I didn't have time to put it up properly as Gallic Shrugger was finishing for the night and I wasn't being vite enough for her, so I just opened the thing out and shoved all my shopping in it as quickly as possible, while she tapped her nails on the till. Finally got out and tried to exit the shopping centre, but there was a group of French women enjoying a nice chat in the doorway, who clearly didn't want to move to let me out, and looked most affronted when I suggested they might move to one side. It's on days like this that I think I am really looking forward to leaving here. I loathe my job, and Paris really doesn't compensate for that any more, with the utterly awful service and the dog shit covering all the streets.

Rant over. Sorry.

If it is any consolation, MrsS, the last few hours of my 40s are being passed to the sound track of squabbling children...