Crepes of Froth

[MaybeBentley]

Bum! Just join a thread and lock it down! So I'll start the next one.

I reckon family group holidays can work well, but only if it's understood beforehand that you won't spend every waking minute en masse. We go away with dh's family (although not a full week, it is fair to say) quite often and have developed a way of dealing with the dynamics of 17 family members all of whom have slightly different ideas of what a holiday means. I'm blessed with a MIL who understands the need for this so she tends to book places that have separate areas and doesn't mind if we do something separate for lunch etc as long as she gets her grandchildren quota at some point each day. Herbs, sorry your SIL not being helpful on the give and take thing.

CV - we hung onto the birth pool because we thought it would come in handy on days like today, which is has - see pic. Child born in pool is the one in orange/black/white shorts .

I've suggested to DP that we have in our heads, and possibly 'on the table', that we'll be mainly doing our own thing, and if that coincides with what some/all the others want to do, then that's super, otherwise we'll see them in the evenings, morning round the pool, etc. Assuming it's still 'pool' weather by then.

Equally, I might rather like to go the beach without DP, and with a SiL, as he hates beaches!

Herbs, I think you should make your plan clear to everyone at the outset(in the nicest possible way of course!) - less chance of people feeling affronted and you having to bend to them

Now, you see, a trip to the beach with a nice SIL and sans DP sounds rather terrific.

(Averts brain from thought of one SIL. The other - my sister's partner - is a delight...)

You're right BTM - cards on the table at all times, it's the only way. Maybe with an embryonic schedule of what we'd like to do each day, so people can join if they want.

Oh and Wilbur - I'm assuming that your 'birthing' pool wasn't actually marketed for that specific purpose, considering it says 'high velocity' on the inside!

We did family holidays for six years on the trot; luckily DH gets on well with my folks and isn't the sort to get stressed about "arrangements". I think holidaying with anyone beyond immediate family is fraught with risk; with the right group it can be fantastic, but many a close friendship has hit the rocks after a week in close proximity.

Fortunately, the family we are going to Cornwall with in August are very compatible with us, and I can honestly say there was no friction whatsoever on the two previous occasions we've been away with them.

I just received the last-minute details from the lady who owns the house we will be renting. Worryingly, she has included a document entitled "101 Things To Do In Cornwall In The Rain".

Think of me tomorrow afternoon, crepeys; I shall be doing this with a team of ten colleagues. What was I thinking when I volunteered? I may have to ask DS to step in as proxy competitor (especially for the "wet" events).

CV, were you drunk when you volunteered??

No, not drunk, although I'm not sure it's my handwriting now I look closely at the team sheet....

I'm actually quite jealous CV! I used to get utterly hysterical with laughter during such games in Its a Knockout, aided by known sex-pest Stuart Hall, and wish I could do them. I'd probably need to be fitter than I am, however.

I am also a closet It's a Knockout type game fan, although I was chastened by a recent Go Ape experience where I got temporarily stuck in a barrel hung between two trees. CV - looking forward to seeing a photo of you in your "giant chicken suite" (sic).

Herbs - ds2 did arrive quite high velocity (twinge to placenta in less than 3 hrs), but yes, the pool is thankfully not branded for birth. I do remember having a hilarious conversation with dh about what pictures they would put on the side instead of the pretty fish if it were. Images of gore and distress stamped on inflatable plastic. Lovely.

I just walked past our front door ? bear in mind DD1 and I have been in ALL MORNING and picked up the post when we came in from school ? and there is a card saying the postie couldn?t deliver something and I have to leave 24 hours before picking it up. Bastards. Am seething.

Wilbur - a couple of poos and a little fishing net?

MI - that is ENRAGING. I'm excitedly awaiting my delivery of fitflop pumps and multiple M&S bikini stuff. And DS's new, grown-up, car seat arrived this morning.

I've got a weird postal enquiry. I bought three bras from Secret Sales in June. Two didn't fit, so I sent them back. Two weeks later they arrived back at ours. I've emailed SS and asked WTF. No reply. So now I have two quite expensive bras on my hands that don't fit. Not sure what they'd fetch on eBay...

School Production here tonight, then off for a BBQ and to deconstruct the musical festival that I have got signed up for next year.....

Tomorrow dp bogs off to Barcelona...

I couldn't wander around my (miniscule) garden in my undies, I'd be all over the local paper - scaring the walkers!

Evening Lovely Laydeeez,
I was so hot today, going from one meeting to the next and suffering on public transport that I really thought I might spontaneously combust at lunchtime... bloody hell and all this having to wear proper clothes.

I (sort of) s and b news, more big pants... bought these after someone on here (I think) was thinking about them, Herbs? and wore them today. Fanbloodytastic. Not exactly alluring but better than sweaty thigh syndrome... HUGE pants for hot weather

Oh joy and hurrah, there is a free course my kids want to do for four days of the holidays. It is those weird school hours (10-3) that only work for freelancers but it will be most lovely. And free. Is a music and drama one they've done before. All creative and all. And free. Did I mention it was free?

(Have reported the demented spam above)

Oh MI, don't get it deleted before i've ordered my Mexican passport and Russian driving licence!

MI, is the course a free one?

there I was thinking we were special.... then I se that that spam post seems to be on every single thread! Poor MNHQ trying to stamp that out..

Those are truly hideous QQ.

I know Mrs S but they were soooo comfy. Won't be modelling them for dh any time soon or he might never want to have
sex again

I didn't get the job I had an interview for. Apparently I "failed to demonstrate how I would adequately follow up a course I had initiated for poor managers." This will be because a) I initiated the course, I didn't organise and run it and b) the course has only just happened, and I am leaving in a few weeks, so I think that would be someone else's responsibility. I did tell them there were plans for a follow up workshop after six months, but apparently that was not good enough.

I am giving up.