Crepeys of a consistently high standard

[Stropperella]

So there. :)

Herbs - not entirely convinced.

Good on you MI I gather high waisted bikini bottoms are very fashionable!! Love sling backs Tilly .Not at all U Herbs lovely loafers…

Have just dropped a very premenstrual DD at the theatre. MBE lady swept in, dropped her DS off and then ran away again (I did not offer a lift…on this occasion…is that mean spirited of me? ) DS has come home and gone out to meet friends at Victoria…some magical mystery tour where they won't know the destination til they get there I am now going to eat an early supper and go back to the theatre.

Visions of seeing herbs tap dancing along street.
Actually I like em Herbs. Just can't think where I'd wear em.

Stropps well done on the fundraiser.

Lol at fallings out on holidays.Cos that never happened to me, oh no. ( I have been known to check myself into a hotel for a nights peace on a family villa holiday before now) I abandoned my 2 BGF on Interrail for a trip to Berlin while they went on to Hamburg. all met up again in Amsterdam, and 'twas a good thing imho.

I love 'em. But yes - not quite sure when I'd wear them.

Wow big knickers MI! My stripy number are okay (I hope- worries)

Dp survives holidays by going off for a very early coffee alone. This sets him up for the day.,.. I have been known to bugger off on my own or send ds and dp out together to have some me time.

Friends - hmm - done it a couple of times but find it hard - I'm an anti social so and so and find all that close proximity stressful (really selling myself here aren't I ;) )

The work wait continues.... Suspect won't hear anything til next week.

I am really struggling with the piece I'm writing. And a helpful text from a friend to 'sleep on it and it'll be better in the morning DOES NOT HELP. If I don't knock it into shape now it'll still be a mess in the morning....

Beachy - tell your DD to go and find Amsterdam Plage and chill there - Stenen Hoofd, behind the Central Station. It's a little beach with a great atmosphere.

DD2 and Friend took themselves out today and went to the South Bank, St Paul's, Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden. They are now chilling in her room. I am finding the fussy eating a bit of a trial, to be frank.

Non-cat sitting friends have not got back to me, so will tell DH that am booking cat sitters tonight. And if he doesn't agree, will book package to Spain for me and the DDs. DD1 will complain non-stop about the heat and DD2 will moan that her phone won't work there. Perhaps I will go away on my own...

BD - is your DH French?

Mrs s have pmed you

BD erm notice it is me going off in a huff on my own

We really ought to hire that Villa Crepesque, somewhere nice...

Right. Have knocked outline into shape - all I have to do tomorrow is fill in the actual writing bits (ahem, yeah, mustn't forget that one) - rewritten friend's Obit for Guardian Other Lives (a saga I won't bore you with), fielded various emails from helpful rellies about traditional healing for my mum (they're all doctors, this isn't instead of Proper treatment) and am going to DRINK GIN.

I like the big two tone biknis too.

And I like those shoes Herbs.

And I like your dress Rose.

And crepeys, I have discovered Finn Comfort sandals. The last word in style are they not, and they are pricey, but I can wear them all day without creaking. Hurrah!

We have holidayed with friends a lot - usually the same people tho. And usually in the UK. I took the dc away a couple of times with a friend when they were little which was excellent fun - we wanted cups of tea and gin at exactly the same time . Had some nightmares travelling with a friend when I was young - I liked sitting in the shade reading, she liked being in the sun chatting up the locals.....

I have holidayed a lot with friends too. Particularly as two families together (several times with each of 2 other families. Always brilliant. But it didn't involve us all spending 24hours a day together - separate tents/accommodation is key

I bloody hate holidaying with other people. Hell, I'm not even keen on holidaying with my own family. We all want completely different things and only ever reach agreement on food (which is something, I suppose).

And next week I will be having to survive three nights of camping in Devon with 4 other families. Ds will be in 7th heaven, as this will involve a bunch of his friends and their young siblings. Dd will be at home, supposedly looking after all the animals and Not Having Parties or Staying Out All Night and therefore prob having a damn good time. Dh will have a great time loafing around fatly and pretending he is 25 years younger than he is whilst hanging out with the blokes young enough to be his son and I will be jittering about, variously worrying about whether the dog and chickens are being looked after properly, whether dd has locked the front door at night etc, and then sorting out shite camping food, trying to explain to people about how baked beans are not really food in my book and how I cannot eat them and share a tent, or indeed a camping site, with anyone, and fussing about looking like an old lady compared to all the other lithe young things.

And I then I shall look forward to not having to go away for the rest of the summer.

Mmm, gin.

No pm here, Crem.

I have made macaroni cheese tonight.

I don't think I have ever been on holiday with friends. There is one family that we used to share an apartment with when DD1 was tiny. I might be able to cope with them for a short time, and some other friends who have stayed with us regularly. When I was a child we used to holiday with my cousins every year, which was fantastic for me, as an only child.

We've vaguely considered holidaying with another family - we've got various chums with similarly aged children - but they would have to be exactly the right ones, and we'd have to have plenty of time on our own. Thus finding exactly the right sort of accommodation, location, etc etc... Tricky.

As a youngun I used to go on holiday with my gang of friends all the time. It was totally brilliant. We were a very tight-knit gang, and there were never any fallings out. Happy days.

at holiday stories. DD now in Bled and have FB photos to prove it - they seem to have hooked up with two girls from Sheffield uni - seems nice and calm unlike Australian soldiers of two nights ago!

I notice the house down the road has opened it's shutters and cat has coincidentally disappeared, having spent two days and nights with us - the old tart!

Herbs - the problem of holidaying with friends with other young children is that they often have completely different parenting notions. I find it requires a lot of tolerance.

BTM, I agree you need a bit of space. And Stropps, I think holidaying with other families takes some of the sting out of one's own.......But essential to feel able to do things separately as well as together. There is one family we have holidayed with a lot, since before we had dc, and even if there has been a bit of a gap, we just slither back in to the old routines (touch wood).

I HAVE to have my own tent [shouts loudly] It can be tiny. It is non-negotiable. And takes much of the sting out of camping, IMO and IME.

Mrs S, if you could PM me with the relevant week I might be able to do some though not all the days on my way to/from work if that would be helpful?

Cremo you and I could strop off together and then go to separate cafes
I suspect I could do you lot as I think we know each other's foibles and would steer well clear, and not get the hump or whatever.... So who is booking the mega villa with pool and staff in the cheap :)

And camping NO - I need WALLS!

Oooh Hatty, are they going to Bohinj? It is massive and very peaceful (apart from the resort beginning with R I think), lovely swimming and you can get a cable car high enough up a damn big mountain to be able to walk to the top and down in a day. We stayed in a little village where all you could eat was Schniztel and blueberry brandy. Tough times.

Not sure Lalsy - I think they're off to Pula tomorrow.

Pula is Romanian for "willy" and is one of the worst things you can say in the language, apart from "pizda". We always had lots of postcards from Pula in our office in Romania, as it caused so much hilarity. And a few African banknotes where they use the pula as the currency.

Thank you Addle. I have messaged the cat sitting agency that seems to have a lot of sitters near us, much to DH's rage, and will let you know if that comes off. I will PM you the dates anyway (which have now changed slightly, due to DH "having" to be in the office on the Monday...).

MrsS, that's hilarious .

Hatty, it sounds like they are having a lovely time.