When shall we three meet again? The not quite NT, not quite weightloss thread ......

[moosemama]

We were full up ladies, so we finally have our very own weightloss-ish thread!

I'm going to buy a damn tape measure today. We have about five of the things, but can't find any of them. dh looked suitably impressed with the ezydog website and the two dog system. am aware of the irony of buying a tape measure on the dogs' behalf and not my own, but hey ho...

Small dog has gone home. Yay! The sun is shining, and all I have to do today is sell girl guide cookies for two hours at the supermarket tonight, and then it's the long weekend. Woo!

We are going to declutter like crazies, and get the house on the market next week. I'm entirely baffled as we are soooooo skint, but dh has spent literally all week looking at houses online. I've told him if he can get the mortgage sorted, then I'll start looking, but I want it preapproved. It does seem to be the right time to buy, not convinced about selling. but if we end up with a garden that would make my year.

Forgot to weigh this morning, so will do it tomorrow!

Oo, just struck me you might have left for your festival weekend already! Have a great time!

Lol at buying a tape measure for the dogs rather than yourself. That's the sort of thing I do! Glad you are going for the leads.

Good luck with your house move. Hope you find a buyer quickly and can move to your dream house.

Festival was brilliant - muddy, very muddy - but brilliant!

I have eaten nothing but rubbish, but danced my backside off and in the process put my knee out.

The lead singer of the Levellers turned up to do a stonking surprise set, so we still got to dance to at least some of the Levellers, if not all. Adam Ant was a tad rotund in his pirate costume, but did a great set, which we danced to despite torrential rain and we also got to dance to lots of the old school festy bands such as Back to the Planet, Credit to the Nation and the Selecter, as well as some storming grass roots and psychobilly bands. All good fun.

Dd was a little star, totally won over all our ageing male mates and ended up with her own dancing posse. She was bopping away at the front in her tutu, rainbow wellies and crazy hat, winding in and out of the crowds with a big line of smitten middle aged men dancing along behind her! What a sight! She very considerately slept beautifully through the evening bands in her pushchair with her ear defenders on and her pushchair covered in flashing lights so that no-one tripped over it in the dark. Puts a whole new meaning on dancing round your handbag when you have a group of middle aged oldies bopping around a flashing pushchair.

Got of to a bit of a wobbly start when we arrived, as they had miscalculated the space for live-in vehicles, opened the only other available field and it turned out to be a swamp. When we arrived at lunchtime there were other vans stuck up to their axles in deep muddy ruts. Fortunately we are fairly lightweight and manouevrable so managed to avoid getting stuck ourselves.

Had no sleep at all while we were there, thanks to yet again drawing the short straw and ending up parked next to the van that had a soundsystem instead of a bed in the back. Lovely combination of techno boom-boom-boom, interspersed by drunken bongo playing all through the night, but oddly it didn't bother me a bit. Unlike the only other female (other than myself and dd) who was with us, who was er .. shall we say less than impressed.

Unfortunately while we were trapped in a marshy field on Saturday morning I received a text from my mum to tell me that ds1 had had a head injury and they were in A&E. Apparently he fell and hit his head so hard in the bedroom that it actually dented the chest of drawers! He had an enormous double egg on his forehead and they had to wait hours in A&E, but eventually he got the all clear and still went out to a stately home with Mum and Dad that afternoon. We were all poised to have the organisers haul us out of the field with one of their massive trucks, but fortunately we didn't need to.

Spoke to him on the phone and he was a bit forlorn, but wanted to stay at Grandmas.

Dh is off today to unpack the van, fetch the dogs from the kennels and allow me to rest a bit. Got up to see the boys first thing (and ds1 gave me a huge spontaneous hug! ) then went back to bed and have just got up again.

Not going to weigh in, am seriously dehydrated and feel all bloated up and tight skinned. Think I may leave it till tomorrow to get back on the diet-wagon.

Spoke too soon. Called into school half an hour before home-time because ds1 had completely lost it over an incident and playtime. He's never got into that state at school before.

Still trying to pick over exactly what happened. We think it involved the same blooming dinner lady escalating things by handling him badly. Basically it all stemmed from his total lack of understanding of playground/social rules and misunderstandings arising from that. All a bit of a mess really. Not sure what to make of us being called into school, need to ascertain whether or not they are going through the escalations towards exclusion. If so, it's totally unjustified as far as I can tell.

glad you had a fun but loud and muddy time at the fest. sorry you got dragged into school today. Could it simply be that your DS1 has had a stressful weekend, so has less tolerance than normal to break/lunchtime stresses?

troughed my way through yesterday, lunch out and chocolate, need to exercise more to compensate...

Hi TLP

To be honest we were expecting him to be unsettled and stressy this week, but given how happy and smiley he was before school this morning we were hoping for the best.

Have spoken to both boys about what happened in the playground and then called the school to speak to his teacher again. It seems it's all tied up with him witnessing some boys from his year intimidating ds2 a week or so ago. Ds2 was upset at the time, but accepted that it's all a bit dog eat dog in school playgrounds and moved on - of course ds1 can't do that. Also, some of the boys he thinks of as his friends were involved and it's shaken his faith in/belief in his friendships, so when something else happened today, it all came spilling out.

Teacher has reassured us that calling us wasn't anything official, she just had some time and wanted to speak to us about what had happened without ds around. He didn't do anything bad or disrupt the class, he was just massively overwrought about the whole thing. In class he was just quiet and tearful, but when she took him out to talk to him he became very distressed and angry (shouty not violent). She was worried because she's never seen him in such a bad state before, mainly because she handles him so well, but of course his nemesis dinner lady had got to him first this time. She called us in because she wanted to make sure we understood the whole picture, rather than just getting the story from only ds1's perspective.

After speaking on the phone, she has decided that what happened to ds2 was not acceptable and she wants to investigate it and make sure the boys involved know that that sort of behaviour won't be tolerated.

Oh - and having caught sight of myself dancing on one of dh's videos of the festival I am now mortified and determined to get back into eating properly and working out.

Madwoman will be putting us to shame with all her dog walking and bootcamping.

Aw, that all sounds fabulous! (barring the a&e trip and school fallout, but the festival )

I am broken today. Dd2 was up all night really anxious - she had a weird Internet altercation with someone she was playing 'skramble' against, and it freaked her out. I didn't even know they could message people they were playing, so a lesson for me too. She won't be playing strangers again . So I got no sleep, she's not at school, and because I spent the night precariously balanced next to her in bed, I woke up, stretched, and heard/ felt something in my upper back go 'pop'. So I'm creeping around carefully swearing under my breath.

Have had productive weekend sprucing house up. Not quite finished, but nearly there. And tax rebate arrived, so we are not skint any more! Yay! Grocery shopping for me later! I have also ordered the ezydog stuff, so am v excited that the days of pulling dogs might be coming to an end.

Will walk today but nothing else. With dd2 at home I might not even get that far. Depends on how tired she is later...

Oo, lunch out, TLP.

glad school are taking things more seriously now with ds1 and ds2, but crap that people are more interested in cure than prevention as it were!

hope you and DD2 are OK madwoman, and that your back soon recovers.

Oh poor dd2 madwoman. It's so hard to police all this online stuff isn't it. My boys think I'm mean because I won't let them on Club Penguin or Moshi Monsters, but both of those sites have just been investigated for grooming, so it seems nowhere is safe really.

Ouch at your back as well. Is this a recurrence of an old injury or something new? Hope it's better soon. Plenty of ibuprofen and warm baths?

Am so glad your tax rebate has turned up. Nothing worse than trying to make money stretch, all the while knowing it will never stretch far enough.

Ds1 had a good day at school today, made friends with the boy yesterday's kerfuffle was centred on and then came home and has been dreadful. So - back to normal then! Ds1's teacher (who is Head of Juniors) spoke to ds2 this morning, then hauled in the year 5 boys that intimidated and threatened him a week or so ago and read them the riot act. Hopefully things will start to settle down now.

Oh - and ds1 finally finished his blooming Canals project this evening as well, just in time for hand in day tomorrow - and - it's really good. It's an 18 minute slide show and narration on the history of the British Canal System. Boring subject matter, but I am really impressed at how well he's done it.

Hi TLP, how are things with you this week?

Yay for the British Canal System!

Neck/ back feels v similar to something I've had before, but usually only if I've slept funny. This was a definite crunch/ pop, which I've not had before... and not had this particular variant of stiffness/ pain for about three years!

Dd2 much happier. Her day off did her the power of good, and she slept in her own bed all night, for which I am exceedingly grateful! A valuable lesson for her, I think, with no real harm done.

Good news for ds1. Fingers crossed that you get a clear run through to the end of term with no more drama...

Right, am going to take the dogs to the off leash area (don't want to walk them on the lead because of my neck) for an hour, and then I have to return a call about a job..... Tis only part time and entry level, but it's the only way to get into this particular place, it seems. First time I've had any response to an application for months! They haven't asked me for interview, but they have asked me to call them, that must be better than nothing, right? Second time I've applied there, too... Maybe they are just going to tell me jot to bother any more, ha!

Two of those pounds were back off the other day btw. Am now premenstrual, so probably won't weigh for a few days...

been busy at work so not posting much, sorry. Am 12 stone 7, just about (put on a pound or too after Sunday lunch). still ploughing away re:exercise, am resorting too much to exercise bike as can sit on my arse reading books while I exercise. things on the child and movicol front having their ups and downs shall we say (am going for wry laughter rather than tears).

am glad things are reasonably calm with the DS's after the grim dinner lady incident. And that the canal project is over. DH keeps hinting at fancying a narrow boat holiday, I suspect that the novelty of a boat holiday would
wear off v quickly with me, like after about an hour....

Fingers crossed re:job madwoman, I saw about your job woes on a recentish thread, and I do sympathise, I am hideously overqualified for my job and I have to be thankful my boss obviously quite liked the idea of an overqualified minion to boss around , and was fortunate to be applying 3 years ago rather than now..

Hope the neck etc feels better soon. I did something similarish last summer, the most hideous neck crick, requiring ibuprofen, tens and warm pads to get comfortable. It's not usually something that gives me problems, my neck, its usually lower back. Have to say that the combo of exercise and weight loss means my knees are giving me much less trouble

Glad dd is happier today madwoman.

Hope your back eases up soon. If not it might be worth getting it checked out, bearing in mind the cruncy-pop.

Good luck with your job related call. Hope it goes well and you get an interview etc.

I am also horribly premenstrual at the moment. Spent half the day sitting in the cold and dark in our living room feeling ridiculously sorry for myself while everyone else enjoyed the sunshine. Mix of post festy come-down, realisation that life hasn't turned out anything like we hoped it would way back when we first used to do the festy scene and dance to all those bands, plus a generous dollop of hormonal mayhem thrown into the mix.

TLP, I don't fancy a canal boat holiday myself. It all looks like far too much hard work with all the locks etc, not to mention at least one, if not all of my dcs and probably both dogs would be bound to end up in the water at some point.

Sorry things still haven't settled down on the movicol front.

I am currently doing zero exercise, when I could/should be at least getting on the exercise bike, so you are doing a lot better than I am. I also resorted to a stray Cadbury's Caramel this lunch time when I was feeling low - which was daft, as I had been really good up to that point with porridge for breakfast and salad for lunch. I have more salad for tea, so am planning on pretending I didn't eat the caramel and carrying on as if it never happened.

Ds1 has been a total nightmare with dd this evening. She is apparently not allowed to move, breathe or make even the tiniest noise without him losing it with her for disturbing his game, despite the fact the he chose to have his DS time in the living room rather than his bedroom as normal. I have now banished him to his room and he has fallen out with me because ds2 wouldn't go with him and he seriously hates being up there on his own. I'm afraid I'm at the point of telling him that if he cannot be tolerant and polite downstairs with the rest of the family, then he can blooming well stay on his own instead whether he likes it or not. I am so sick of him controlling the whole family with his outbursts. It's fine for him to make constant noise, tease his siblings and jump around like a possessed bunny, but if anyone else does it he just will not tolerate it. Well, enough's enough. I've had it with all the tension and constant bickering between the dcs.

Sorry, went off on a bit of a rant there - I blame me 'ormones!

Oh - just thought of something more cheerful to say. Dd was in the toilet room earlier belting out 'Too Much Pressure' at the top of her lungs. I think we've finally turned her into a proper festy child. Then ds2 came home and asked to listen to the Levellers, so we put that on and had a good old dance around the room together (ds2, dd and me on my one good leg, dancing like a pirate). Cheered me up no end - until ds1 started playing on his DSi.

Ah, piratemama . Sounds like fun though, and a great way to exercise and burn off stress (as long as you don't get another school trip peering in your windows!!)

I got an interview! Eeeeeeeeeek! First one since freaking September, so I am now moving into panic stricken mode. v excited though. It's on friday morning, which only gives me a day to a)panic, and b) find something suitable to wear (the thought is inducing more panic). Oh, and feck, probably get my hair cut. Bugger. Tis a bit of a state and requires shearing!

Tis 3 days a week, one of which is a Sunday. And only a four month contract, but internal candidates get first dibs on permanent positions, which are mucho sought after. It's probably the one place locally that everyone wants to work at.

I'm assuming that I'll be able to move my head by Friday, too.

Apols for no other comment, but head now stuffed with interview blah! (she did make me laugh - she asked if I was interested in staff accommodation as she could attach a link to the interview confirmation email... I thought I'd better not ask if they had any 4 bedroomed houses available... I stuck with declining politely. )

maybe have some rum to improve the island, folowing the pirate theme? I have a sneaking feeling DH would insist on me doing my share of canal boat and lock navigation...

great stuff re:interview, sounds v positive, fingers crossed.

but at the thought of another school trip turning up and watching me strutting my funky stuff in the living room!

Congratulations on the interview - will keep everything crossed for you. Less time to panic is probably a good thing, rather than having time to obsess over every tiny detail.

You never know about the accommodation, both Aston and Keele Universities had family homes iirc.

TLP, I would only need to sniff the rum to end up legless rather than a one-legged pirate. [hopeless lightweight emoticon]

Just realised it's Friday, hope I'm not too late what with the time difference etc.

Good luck with your interview Madwoman!

Not too late - just after 7 here! Thank you!

good luck with the job interview.

I also have zero alcohol tolerance these days, glass of wine with lunch, and I am floating wobbling all afternoon.

I had two bottles of beer last Sunday night at a friends house (the thanks for the dog BBQ). I honestly felt massively hungover all day Monday - was busy with the house organising (probably why I forgot to confess, lol!) but I couldn't believe that two measly bottles of pils type stuff could have such an effect.

Yy to drinking in the day - I've always been a bit rubbish on that count!

Could we have a pan style lagoon with a galleon and a plank, please? . Mermaids optional. Not too fussed about those, although the blonde beringleted one could be pressed into service as long as no actual swimming required. The retained reflexes mean she swims like a brick.

She would be in good company with my boys, both of whom also swim like bricks.

Liking the sound of our very own galleon - all ties in quite nicely with the Adam Ant style costumery I've been nostalgically looking at online this week. I'd forgotten how good looking he was way back when!

Lol at clothes shop assistants with no idea about clothes. Trust your instincts and go as yourself. You will be fine.

Am sending positive ans supportive vibes.

Go get 'em!

Ooh, Adam Ant...

Well, I went as myself. It was very fast. In at 11, and by twenty past I was trotting back to the car having been offered the job! subject to police check and refs, obv, but he gave me the choice of which days I wanted as I was the first one he's offered (two vacancies pt 3 days each) (in that space of time he also managed to tell me he'd seen a picture of his 17yo in a local nightclub, and they were pending conversation about it... V open and friendly) it was v different to the last interview. He seemed almost grateful that I wasn't a 21yo that was trying to fund staying in the area with a series of any pt jobs they could muster. Which was refreshing! The usual thing round here is to go for those staff deliberately - easy come, easy go, and cheap as chips.

So wooooo! I have a job! (nearly) Just until September, as it's additional cover during the busy period, but he said there was the possibility of it extending and asked me if I would be available longer term. Yes. Great employer, so v excited, have been trying to find an 'in'.

Yay me!

Woohoo! Well done Madwoman, I knew you'd get it!

Sounds like a nice relaxed employer as well, which makes all the difference.

I am really pleased for you, well done!

Thank you! It feels right, so v chuffed. I did lol at the , and do confess to having called in at the liquor store on the way home to buy a bottle. we haven't had any in the house for months, but it being Friday and having been offered a job and all, I thought a glass would be in order. Tis chilling as we speak.

Now I need to organise some childcare. ha!

Congratulations re:job