Crepeys of a consistently high standard

[Stropperella]

So there. :)

Bloody hell re fox Crem. We have urban ones here which like to sunbathe on the roofs of our neighbours 'garden rooms'. It makes ddog absolutely hysterical. She barks furiously at them and they... carry on sunbathing!

We have foxes living in the gardens opposite, who make the most frightful racket in the middle of the night. Shagging, I presume.

I'm very jealous of fun times in a camper van. Though that much close proximity to even one's nearest and dearest might too become grating after a short while.

I'm supposed to be doing a job application, but it's too hard. I seem to have forgotten everything I learned, and it's only been a week since I stopped my course.

Parent council meeting tonight. Among many sensible parents are a few who bring their children to school on the front of Dutch bikes, and Every Single Meeting raise the issue of sweets being given out by birthday children. 'Why can't it be some lovely fruit?' they say. 'Because it's BORING,' we chorus.

Yes, those big pants aren't my thing - it's normal-sized bikini bottoms or a full swimming cozzie for me!

I agree, QQ and Lalsy - hols with friends is great as it's not too much time with just each other 24 hours a day - the DC go off with their friends and we have ours, and we all get together as well. It's win-win.

I'd quite like to holiday with other people. So would DD1. DP can't even entertain the thought .

I think there just may be some connection between my panicky self-pity and the fact I've just put three (3, iii) different sorts of ice-cream on the supermarket order...

at Crem's fox experience. We have urban foxes that wander around bold as brass in daylight. They used to shit on the lawn horribly in late summer, until we got rid of the three fig trees in the garden
I don't miss the wasps either

We never go on hols with friends…although we do meet up with people who happen to be in the same region, which has happened quite often, funnily enough. I don't want to inflict us on normal people and I never share accommodation…in fact I don't even like sharing with my nearest and dearest…My parents took the family en masse to a Red Sea resort for their 50th wedding anniversary a number of years ago. They loved the idea of all of us being together and saw the whole thing through rose tinted specs…it was absolute hell…mainly because there are one or two dominant members who expect to decide what we're all doing, where we eat, etc etc…and the rest of us had to kow tow…
and I had the mother of all periods

Full revision of script finished today…ConS is doing the typing this time….I have been set the task of researching the submission requirements of the various theatres that accept unsolicited scripts!

Well done, Rose and good luck with the next bit!

We have done holidays with other families both sharing houses and staying nearby but meeting each day (that one more of a can-we-manage-to-overlap arrangement). I think the former is great for a long weekend, late nights, always having someone to chat to, but for a week I like the latter as you get a chance to resolve the backlog of family arguments that have been brewing all year (we don't get away much all together) . For beaches, I definitely prefer being in a big group but have really enjoyed my couple of city/sight seeing type short breaks with just dd.

Blimey Crem - what did you do?

Ran at the back door roaring it seemed to work.
LL

We've had a few hols with the same friends as our dds were similar ages and got on well ( still do I hope).the first time the df mum kept disappearing with both dds in tow to some beach or other ostensibly to give me some free time. The dhs vanished to go fishing drinking and I was abandoned in the cottage, feeling unloved and listless and wondering should I cook the dinner.
The second time the girls were a bit older and we met up in France for a week. Had a brilliant time, in and out of the pool, and drinking pink wine in the afternoon. Circumstances were completely different with differing expectations .

What you foxy ladies need is a Dylan

I would just like to say that if the holiday is as bad as packing the van for the holiday, I will be flying home! There has been a LOT of shouting here today....

And dd2 has developed a very unpleasant habit of pinching the underside of your arms when she gets angry. Firstly she gets angry a lot and secondly, there is a substantial load of flesh to pinch. I'm afraid I pinched her back this morning. I know, bad parenting, but it bloody hurt

I think if someone did that to me I'd probably react the same way, Beachy.

I once came across friends loading the car just about to go on holiday. "Have you had your packing row yet?" I enquired. Fortunately they laughed (and said yes).

We always have a packing row. Because DH always says to me "Have we packed...?" and I want to stab him. Then we have a row en route (this has improved marginally since we got a satnav), and quite often another one at the destination.

I am going away with my favourite cousin for a long weekend in September/October. I am looking forward to this more than a potential holiday in Yorkshire that may or may not happen.

Beachy, my DS (and now some of my little lovelies) love to poke my sizeable bingo-wings

And plenty of packing rows here too!

Do your packing rows start with DP, or H, starting to pack the car - in a self-sacrificing 'I suppose I'll have to do it' kind of way - before everything is ready to go in? Which is why you haven't put it in the car? And in his anger at being so put upon, packs it in an entirely illogical and space-inefficient manner?

Yes?

We don't have rows, as you know, I'll just seethe and repack it.

Yes. And we are not allowed to overpack. We drove from Romania to UK, when DD2 was a baby, with the following in the boot:

Two small suitcases (think hand luggage size)
One baby buggy
One coolbox
One packet of nappies, a tin of baby milk powder and a couple of jars of baby food.
One small bag of books and toys for DD1.

And now when we go away, we are "allowed" one small suitcase each. It does make you quite disciplined...

I have been browsing French property porn and want to buy this. I particularly love the hall and would leave it exactly as it is.

ooh er Mrs S - travaux a prevoir!

The best row we had was when DH - who makes it has personal responsibility to pack the car, forgot the suitcase with the children's clothes. It was apparently my fault for not lugging it into the hall! Tesco at Ashford profited enormously. Impressed at your packing economy Mrs S.

MrsS. the price!

The packing economy backfired on DH once as he forgot to pack any pants. Oh how I laughed.

Have found local catsitter. Will sit back now and watch DH rant and rage because he did not agree to it.

DP packs the car as it is The Car and therefore His Precious. Getting very, very huffy in the process.

Thing is, the Inferiorettes and I will have already packed. Quite well, if not as ruthlessly as MrSchadenfreude would like. (And there was the time DD2 forgot to take any socks - to Newcastle - but hell, socks can be purchased.) We quite like advance planning and refining our packing (though now I have an e-reader I don't have to hide books in my clothes). We don't 'plan outfits' in manner of wimmin's mags but we do have an idea of what we might want to take, and we take it. We purchase enticing little Travel Minis in Boots.

DP on the other hand packs just before he goes. Like, just before. As in "I suppose I should pack" before. And throws everything he might want into a suitcase.

Did he have to buy - horror - cheap pants? As opposed to smalls from some exclusive outlet?

DD1's report is rather good.

We have a 'bag for life' each

Dd1 has definitely had enough of her friends now. She's messaging me pictures of Rembrandt's!

We've made it to the port and are contemplating trying to mount the ferry ramp....

Beachy, sounds like good planning that you are meeting up with her on Saturday!

I tend to follow the tiny bag route as well, and I am also enticed by any type of miniature cosmetic / snake oil. they are strangely more mesmerising than their standard size counterparts for some reason. I love the luxury of using a full mini bottle of bath fluff.

However, with an empty car this year I might go mad with the possibilities.dh is one of those who magically expects to have clothes available to him on arrival. But, fills the car with every kind of technology he can lay his hands on. every pocket will be stuffed with a tool for an Unlikely Scenario. I usually stand over him until he unpacks the laptop, which he attempts every single time. Then he huffs for an hour and produces it on day 4 , having secretly stashed it behind my back.
Rolls eyes.

Our old next door neighbour used to go on holiday with her DH and two children and just take two carrier bags of clothes with them. I always admired that.

We are very light packers ... When you have spent most of your time back packing it does concentrate the mind! So this hol it's two backpacks in the hold and one cabin bag
My mil does not know how I do it....

We'll still come back with stuff we haven't worn....