Wednesday and yes it is Wednesday

[FussyElmo]

I hope you all have had a lovely Christmas. I know we haven't all over ate and still have a mound of goodies to get through - or is that just us.

Its a very frosty morning I just need to motivate myself to get changed and go for a nice brisk walk - my children were given the junior version of cranium and love it that much they want the older version to make it harder for the adults

i hope you are all suitable relaxing and if you are working today I hope it goes quickly and is a lovely day.

Have a lovely day everyone

[Maza]

Morning! We had a lovely relaxing Christmas and only had to visit people who live close by. Normally we have to do a big journey to see friends or family either just before Christmas or in between Christmas and New Year, but my family had their annual get together on the 17th December this year, and we seem to have visited everyone else earlier too. It has been a lovely change.

Our new family game was Rapidough and we have had a lot of fun with that.

We have had some lovely woodland walks too. On boxing day we went to Wimbledon Common trying to find a Christmas tree which gets 'mysteriously' decorated each year - legend has it that the wombles do it! It was like a Christmas geocache and it was definitely worth it when we found it - it was beautiful and magical.

We have a few free days now until NYE and so I feel like a trip out to a palace but DD wants to go to the Natural History Museum - again.

It's sunny but frosty here. Might go for a walk to find some treasures to put in our ice sculpture that we are determined to do. We froze lots of water in various cracker/mince pie trays yesterday with festive ribbon stuck in them and so we are going to decorate one of our trees outside with ice baubles - if we can drag ourselves away from Kung Foo Panda 3!

Happy holidays everyone. x

[Mouse]

Afternoon everyone!

We've had all of our children and their partners here at various times over Christmas, so it's been manic and very loud! I love it when we're all together, but I'm equally loving the peace and quiet today now that they've all gone home/to work/out with friends. It's not often I'm home alone so I'm making the most it - no TV, no music, no noise at all. My ears are glad of the rest

[bunyip]

Hope you all had a good Christmas. I've not been on Forum much due to a lousy internet connection (it's what my ISP laughingly refer to as a "service optimisation upgrade".

I've had a bad Wednesday morning then a lovely Wednesday afternoon.

Had two mums phone this morning to book their children in for additional hours next week, following by each of them phoning back within an hour to cancel. Honestly, I've been asking for clients' Christmas/New Year holiday requirements since October, and they don't even bother to check when they are working. One only booked because she thought the mindee would be on funded hours, and then suddenly didn't need me when I sent her a text message to say how much shed need to add to her due invoice (since the first week of term is not funded by our LA.)

Much better this afternoon. Mrs B and I went to a mindee's birthday party and had a lovely time. Well,we did when we found the venue. We got a lift and were dropped in the car park, but the fog was so thick we couldn't see a darned thing. Just had to stand still and wait for another car to show up and ask directions to find the building. Once we got in, it was all worth it.

[FloraDora]

Where has the week gone? My visitors arrived this time last week and it's flown by.
We took youngest back to Manchester today...it noticibly got colder the more 'up North' we went but as we reached Cheshire there were miles of frosted trees glinting in the sunshine when we came out of a foggy patch. I had to stop and take photos, a lovely view.
Back home now enjoying being in my comfies and browsing through my pile of Christmas reading....trying to decide which one to read next.
I have been sent lovely photos of mindees enjoying their Christmas gifts this week too, it's quite nice to see them playing .....somewhere else!
Hoping for a quieter day tomorrow. I madly volunteered to help the nature group do some work at the local nature reserve in the morning...then coal fire on, feet up and lots of reading is planned.

Love the idea of decorating with home made ice things...if this cold patch lasts that's going on my to do planning for next week, thank you for the idea. I think we will add garden berries and leaves etc too.

[Maza]

Where has the week gone? My visitors arrived this time last week and it's flown by.
We took youngest back to Manchester today...it noticibly got colder the more 'up North' we went but as we reached Cheshire there were miles of frosted trees glinting in the sunshine when we came out of a foggy patch. I had to stop and take photos, a lovely view.
Back home now enjoying being in my comfies and browsing through my pile of Christmas reading....trying to decide which one to read next.
I have been sent lovely photos of mindees enjoying their Christmas gifts this week too, it's quite nice to see them playing .....somewhere else!
Hoping for a quieter day tomorrow. I madly volunteered to help the nature group do some work at the local nature reserve in the morning...then coal fire on, feet up and lots of reading is planned.

Love the idea of decorating with home made ice things...if this cold patch lasts that's going on my to do planning for next week, thank you for the idea. I think we will add garden berries and leaves etc too.

At the risk of sounding ungrateful I didn't get any books for Christmas this year (did get some lovely gifts) and I have been missing a good book over the holidays. We don't bother buying recipe books anymore because we get everything online now. Pinterest/blogs have stopped me from buying/requesting activity books which were always great to dip in and out of. Did you get any books that you would recommend?

DD got the Michael Morpurgo box set off an uncle for Christmas and I am tempted to tuck into them. I have heard that most of his are very sad though...

[loocyloo]

At the risk of sounding ungrateful I didn't get any books for Christmas this year (did get some lovely gifts) and I have been missing a good book over the holidays. We don't bother buying recipe books anymore because we get everything online now. Pinterest/blogs have stopped me from buying/requesting activity books which were always great to dip in and out of. Did you get any books that you would recommend?

DD got the Michael Morpurgo box set off an uncle for Christmas and I am tempted to tuck into them. I have heard that most of his are very sad though...

I didn't get any books either! I'm trying to sift through and reduce my books to those I can't live without! Although doing OK with adult books, I'm finding it very hard with children's books. Some are not read very often, but have their own time and place.
I decided that those that I want to read would be better coming from the library. I got money towards books ... so I shall spend it on request fees!

I've never really got on with Micheal Morpurgo.

Do you like Harry Potter? ... I've just started reading 'the rivers of London' series by Ben Aarronvitch. A similar but totally different series, and not for children! I was given the first in the series about 6 mths ago, and I put it off as at a glance, I thought it was a non fiction book! But couldn't put it down! Now read book 2 and ordered 3, 4 & 5 !

We've had a busy few days making the most of it being just us and no visitors ( and to keep our minds off the fact that those we'd like to visit we can't as they are immunosuppressed and DD has had a really bad cold ) ... we've been to a local outdoor ( yes, I did say outdoor! (Heated!) ) swimming pool, to the cinema and DD and I went to the ballet.

I've had lovely messages and photos from mindees too... I'm missing them all, but also enjoying the peace and tidiness!

[Maza]

No loocyloo, not heard of those books - I'll look out for them.

Hope your DD gets better soon. x

[loocyloo]

No loocyloo, not heard of those books - I'll look out for them.

Hope your DD gets better soon. x

Thanks ... she's on the mend now.

[FloraDora]

My Christmas gift books that look interesting: ( I sadly have had a few that were not as interesting...but may become when I start reading)

Fiction - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche " A love story but also a brilliant dissection of modern attitude to race, spanning three continents....Gripping" Guardian quote

The Christmasaurus - by Tom Fletcher ( a musician and blogger I often follow - will be on stage in London next Christmas it seems and a film is being made).

The finding of Martha lost by Caroline Wallace - looks interesting

The trouble with goats and sheep By Joanna Cannon - set in 1976, a hot summer I remember well,' part coming of age , part meditation on the nature of community and very much a belonging and Unbelonging '.

Non fiction: The little book of Hygge Meik Wiking - Hygge is something I relate to, so looking forward to finding out more.
A woman looking at men looking at woman -Siri Hustvedt - I like her work so these essays should be good...but not bath time reading!

Fantastically Great Women who changed the world - Kate Pankhurst - picture book but really interesting looking - end page says ' how will you change the world?? The giver of this book knows how much I believe in anyone can change something....and my utter obsession with woman's achievements throughout history.

Nadiya's Bake me a story - looks good - fairy stories with a twist and then a recipe linked - Nadiya from bake off - present giver sat through my enthralled retelling of her programme when she returned to her roots. So well thought out gift.

I also had a draft of 'Science in a Flash ' by Georgia Amson Bradshaw - my oldest's partner - she has written a series of books for the Science museum - very proud of her - books come out in July.

Autobiography /biography :
Laura Trot and Jason Kenny, The inside track

Bruce Springsteen, born to run

So lots of reading to do!! Decided to go for Christmasaurus first whilst we are still in season, short children's book so shouldn't take me long, read most of the science book already- then a cosy afternoon sitting for Bruce......

I love most of MM's books - so Definately read them Maza.

[Maza]

That's a fabulous collection Floradora!

I like Nadia's unique take on a recipe book. I once saw a project online called 'Book Cook' where you read a book to the children and cook something mentioned in the book/linked to the book. It's one of my favourite things to do with children. I got DD a couple of sweet little Christmas chapter books by Anne Booth. They have recipes in the back of them too. The stories were a bit babyish for DD though and so she wasn't as taken with them as I was. I need some EYFS children!

I'll definitely check out the Hygge book and I'll order the Tom Fletcher one from the library next Christmas. I did look at that this year but we're reading the Harry Potter books at night time and they will take us well into the new year.

My sister is saving 'A Cat Called Bob' for me to collect next time I visit. She enjoyed it but it's not one I would necessarily pick for myself.

[FloraDora]

My sister is saving 'A Cat Called Bob' for me to collect next time I visit. She enjoyed it but it's not one I would necessarily pick for myself.

I put together a bit of a cat theme for my son's partner this year and chose this book for her in it. She has really enjoyed it - read it already ( whilst I looked after them all). So I think this will be a good one to receive.

Succumbed to Trotty and Jason last night instead of Bruce - good reading, but then I am a cycling fan.

I'll check out the Anne Booth books as, like you, we like to bake a lot and I do try to link it in with other areas.

This week will be a really old Postman Pat small book around New Year (tried to get a new version a few years ago and it doesn't exist now) - New year flapjack type things are baked in the book - left over Christmas fruit and nuts - so we'll do the same. Also they make the birds some with the same leftovers so that's another activity and sending thank you letters - very old fashioned I know but I will be writing some on Thursday when I have my nearly 4 year old and I expect then she will sit with me and write letters too....which we will then take to the box at the sorting office so we can see modern day postmen, who still are as friendly as PP.
Interesting for me was that by 11am Christmas Day morning I had received a number of thank you texts...accompanied by a child playing with my gift or a grown up wearing it!! I was trying to get on with preparations after opening our gifts ( the earliest on was 7.45am) and became a little concerned at the etiquette around receiving them as I really didn't have time/ didn't want to sit down and reply as it takes me ages to type texts!
Writing letters and cards was so much easier, you take your time and write well, you receive letters throughout January that you can then take time out to read and smile. DH did point out cost of such letters over free texts and whatsapps!

[Maza]

I don't mind receiving thank you texts at any time, letters, phone calls or verbal thank you in person, but what I do object to is a generic thank you on facebook. I have had three of these in recent years and I can't stand it - I think it is so lazy. One time it was for a wedding that I hadn't been able to attend and had put money in a card for my brother to pass on. I had to then backtrack and check with everyone that the money had been passed on and it felt a bit awkward doing it - but when you are faraway you need confirmation that the gift reached them. Another time I went to a 40th birthday party, and as is the norm these days we just had to leave the gifts on a table rather than hand them personally to the guest of honour. I had bought a book token and it could easily have fallen down the back or been put out with the rubbish etc so again, no confirmation of whether the birthday girl received it or not.

Stamps do seem very expensive these days though!

[loocyloo]

I don't mind receiving thank you texts at any time, letters, phone calls or verbal thank you in person, but what I do object to is a generic thank you on facebook. I have had three of these in recent years and I can't stand it - I think it is so lazy. One time it was for a wedding that I hadn't been able to attend and had put money in a card for my brother to pass on. I had to then backtrack and check with everyone that the money had been passed on and it felt a bit awkward doing it - but when you are faraway you need confirmation that the gift reached them. Another time I went to a 40th birthday party, and as is the norm these days we just had to leave the gifts on a table rather than hand them personally to the guest of honour. I had bought a book token and it could easily have fallen down the back or been put out with the rubbish etc so again, no confirmation of whether the birthday girl received it or not.

Stamps do seem very expensive these days though!

I prefer a hand written thank you or email (or text if it has to be!) But I too like to know gifts have arrived.

[FussyElmo]

Well I brought a book yesterday first time in about 2 years (apart from cookbooks)

I brought the The Unmumsy Mum by Sarah Turner.

Though I did quickly remember one of the reasons I stopped reading never getting a minutes peace to read a chapter

[Maza]

Well I brought a book yesterday first time in about 2 years (apart from cookbooks)

I brought the The Unmumsy Mum by Sarah Turner.

Though I did quickly remember one of the reasons I stopped reading never getting a minutes peace to read a chapter

Oh I've heard of that one - think she is a blogger too...? Lots of people think she is funny but I'm not sure if I would find her predictable and irritating. Let me know what you think.

[FussyElmo]

Oh I've heard of that one - think she is a blogger too...? Lots of people think she is funny but I'm not sure if I would find her predictable and irritating. Let me know what you think.

It's very predictable in places and parts where I really want to slap her. However it's very honest and truthful and brings a smile not full on laughing yet though

[loocyloo]

It's very predictable in places and parts where I really want to slap her. However it's very honest and truthful and brings a smile not full on laughing yet though

I've read bits of her blog ... seems very real and I like it, but don't know if I'd read a whole book!
My friend introduced me to the Peter and Jane Blog ... similar and very funny!