Crepes and Mulled Whine in your pants

[Auriga]

Somebody had to do it

Herbs, I love a nativity

Oh and DD2's lot came into the school hall on Sat and played Nkosi Sikelele and I snivelled with hormonal pride and sentiment.

Sorry about the unwontedly grammatical card, Lalsy. These small joys are so important in life. Rather like my father's ornate pronunciation of Prosecccccco or his remark that Norwich is sometimes the warmest place in the country.

It was so cute. There was a little play about two children waking up on Christmas morning, then an angel coming and telling the nativity story. DS got the last line - 'now we know the reason why we all keep Christmas day. The little angel smiled, and softly flew away'.... < wells up >

Here's an odd thing. Normally regular as clockwork period has not appeared. Should have been a couple of weeks ago. Have cramping. Hmmm...

Yes! That is exactly it MI. These relatives work in an obscure industry with good comedy potential, so the disappointment was great. Did the post induce the nerves or is it cumulative?

I love a good nativity too. When my dd was in yr 11, she announced that her year was going to put one on. I imagined them all in sheets going round primary schools or something, but it turned into a feminist/marxist retelling with good lines about "and so started 2000 years of misogyny" but no sheets or carols, and no parents allowed to watch.

Predates - was a total wreck yesterday, slightly better today. I am awaiting, like a fist in the stomach, email from the Difficult Client. Am hoping they love the stuff I sent over (it is about 101 times better than everything else they've run)...but they may not. And of course I've convinced myself that they are brooding over how crap it is.

Herbs!!!!!

Er, go on, you know you want to...

Uurgh, I hate that. I am cheering myself up on work front by making long list of Things I Must Do, leads to follow up etc etc. I only usually do the two easiest of the list but the process is therapeutic..... I think.

Hmm, well, at least paying back the CB is one thing I will definitely not have to worry about.

Ds is playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. And he has no red jacket. I thought the school would come up with one, but it appears that ds is too large for all the clothes they have available. Bummer. Still, with or without the jacket, there will be much hamming it up and moustache-twirling and I am possibly the only mother on the planet who would rather eat her own socks than watch her offspring perform anything. Ever. Yes, I go, of course I do, but sit and sweat uncomfortably throughout and pray for the potential for embarrassment to be over ASAP. As ds is a song-and-dance man, wannabe acTOR and budding pianist, I have a multitude of performances to sit and sweat through. The only time I have cried at a Nativity play was the year that I was pregnant with ds and that clearly doesn't count.
Is very weird that I have just invigilated a GCSE mock for the kiddiwinks that were in that play . I wasn't supposed to be doing any school stuff this week but went in as an emergency favour. Am now several hours behind again on my real work.

Further S&B news, I was wondering what to wear over the dress if/when it's chilly. Lo and behold I found a mildly edgy quilted biker jacket in dotty Ps reduced to £20. Marv.

Herbs, we will need another pic of the full outfit.

MI, courage!

DS didn't get locked up at the zoo and is currently completing his geography project.

Our talent show was nowhere near as cute as your nativity, Herbs, but one of mine won it with a tear-jerker song, no thanks to me!

Gah, I've made myself feel guilty now about the costume thing and have hurriedly ordered something off ebay, hoping that a) it will fit my somewhat larger than average 8 year old and b) it will come in time. I am very baaaaaad.

Don't feel guilty - the school should be providing the costumes. IMHO.

Yep, definitely, school should be doing it. IMO too.

I have to go to Milton Keynes tomorrow and am very much hoping this produces some W.O.R.K. Please hold your thumbs for me...

Thanks BTM, but I've never known them to even try. Sadly for ds, I have little enthusiasm or time these days for running up costumes. When dd was small, I did stay up until the wee hours hand-sewing a Minnie Mouse skirt and making mouse ears out of a hair band, cardboard and felt (was single mum with absolutely no dosh at the time) and I remember making a Celtic warrior costume and assorted other things. These days if I can't sort something out at the last minute with one of dh's old shirts and some marker pens, I am well cheesed-off. Although that said I did make a good Asterix moustache once out of some tassels I decided the cushions on the sofa didn't need any more. And I made a red velvet cloak that has been utilised for several costumes. If I was truly handy, I could have made a jacket out of that, I suppose. But my sewing skills are too basic for that.

Ds's teacher is providing a giant wig, however.

Keeping everything crossed for you, MI!

Stropps, you sound highly resourceful and creative

And fingers crossed for you, MI - not only that you survive the journey to MK (hope you're not driving - it's roundabout hell, with everything seemingly laid out on identical grid patterns)!

Wow at the moustache

I am not driving!

Wow at the moustache

I am not driving!

I did get some work...plus a report (picked up email on way there - thank heaven for smart phones!) to edit over the next couple of days. Hurrah!

MI
I have to say, I'm glad I'm not freelance - don't think I could take the stress.

However, I spent this morning in a meeting from hell - never mind that it started 45mins late... social workers have to have the patience of a saint, the hide of a rhino and the negotiating skills of Kofi Annan. Couldn't do that job either!

Yay, MI, that's good news!

BTM, sorry to hear about hellish meeting. I don't know how you do your job either - surely that takes a huge amount of patience too?

Dd was highly amused when she spent the afternoon in our office on Monday (doing revision as she is on study leave in between mocks) as dh and I speak to each other in an entirely different way when we are working. We are fairly rude to each other and really argumentative, which we aren't at any other time. We neither of us take any kind of offence because during work hours we are not a married couple, we are work partners. It's not something we do consciously, it's just always been like that. Which is probably a blessing.

Have just spent an hour with ds crafting a Christmas hat out of old Christmas cards for a school competition. At least ds will be at a party most of Sunday, which means I can make up some lost work time then.

In S&B news: I have had my hair cut even shorter and am starting to seriously consider an unhinged mid-life crisis dye job.

Ruby - just dust a little bit of loose powder on your face to take the shine off your cheeks.

Jobs wise, I find the whole "chasing work" thing quite stressful, and am much happier having an office to turn up to at 9am every morning and a steady pay cheque at the end of the month. The downside of course is flexibility. BTM, you definitely deserve a medal for what you do; it must be very rewarding, though, when it goes right.

Anyway, Christmas socialising is gathering pace here too. I'm out tomorrow night, meeting my old antenatal buddies for a meal out. Back in the day, we would meet up on a weekly basis; 14+ years on I see two out of the three of them only once a year.

Ruby, we got a G shock watch for our teen. Solid and seemed to have enough school cred....

I think I've almost finished shopping - obviously it's all in the post winging its way to me, but my job is done. Now just got to start on the food! I'm trying to clear the freezer, so we are having a lot of leftover dinners. One person has chicken curry, another beef stew etc etc....

I was casually showing dh handbags tonight.....I started on the Mulberry (which I don't want!) to de-sensitize him, then proceeded down the monetary scale! Not sure it worked.....

I have a nice Coach bag, Beachy, which is wearing well.

I am tired and grumpy. My work situation is not good, and I do not find it helpful to have BB shout aggressively at me that she is a kind and supportive manager. Because she's not. Maybe in a sort of parallel existence, but not in this life.