gratefulforhelp's austerity measures

twinklie

She's loopy...but that's why we love her!!!

As for Sarah Jane, I missed that she'd died in real life. No idea what I was doing to miss that. How sad, she was so young. 63 is no age these days!

I do agree though. River would totally be wasted on the kids. I'm feeling a bit wasted myself....that could be the vino though. This post has taken me ages and I've had to spell check it! :rotfl:

CathT

Yes I've looked at the site, there's lots of usefull information on there. It would be so nice to make proper plans but the health professionals are doubting my capabilities - I'll show them just what I can do and all from the comfort of my own home!

gratefulforhelp_2

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

as the scullery is plumbed, could you have your laundry bits here thus freeing up the option of knocking through laundry room and back passage? without feeling the loss of storage in the scullery?

This leaves a vast laundry area but much less food prep space

I'd image this would involve a lot less work than removing the chimney breast, even if RSJs (steel lintels to hold up the house when you remove part of a load-bearing wall) were still required at the back of the house.

DH has just pointed out that a lot of these walls afford us a great deal of privacy...scullery and pantry overlook next door's garden, and while next door are lovely, they may not be there forever.

I'm not sure I'd bother knocking through the pantry into scullery - from what I can see you'd lose more in storage by removing the wall than you'd gain in space. That said, if you do your food prep in the scullery then I would be more inclined to say 'goodbye wall' It seems like a long way to walk away from the stove every time you realise you've forgotten an ingredient.

Now that IS a plan, and prob wouldn't cost that much.

The more I watch, the more i LOVE river. I wonder if she'll get a spin off show, there is a LOT of public affection for her and she's such a strong character.

Alex Kingston is ace, she stole the show on ER, too, if anyone remembers.

GFH - can't decide with you are incredibly brave or positively loopy for taking on not one but two sets of marking on top of juggling the baby :T

Yep

twinklie wrote: »

As for Sarah Jane, I missed that she'd died in real life. No idea what I was doing to miss that. How sad, she was so young. 63 is no age these days!

Very sad, she was looking sooo fab for her age. DD1 was really upset as she loves the "Sarah Jane adventures" so do I

CathT wrote: »

Yes I've looked at the site, there's lots of usefull information on there. It would be so nice to make proper plans but the health professionals are doubting my capabilities - I'll show them just what I can do and all from the comfort of my own home!

Well you don't need their permission, you could just tell them. You can always transfer in to hosp if you need to.

Well...been to visit a proper carpenter who I think we will get to copy the kitchen we want but can't afford. Also been thinking about the layout. Sadly we will have to say goodbye to the chocolate coloured 1970's vintage flotex carpet, since it attacks the vacuum cleaner every time we hoover and tries to strangle it.

Ballet (£3.50, new shoes £7.50, but gave the old shoes to a neighbour for her DD so that's good), dog to vet for wormer and weighing (£5, she is 18kg now, a beast!!). DH has taken the DDs riding and I'm home alone with Baby Grateful.

I have gone for white wristband USBs for my leavers, with "WORK HARD & BE NICE TO PEOPLE" on them - in purple, natch. I've never got the kids a collective present before, if you don't count chocolate, but this class have really touched my soul somehow. I'm probably bonkers.

Oh and DH popped into Mr S for "a" bottle of wine and came out minus £25:mad: off piste again. But good news is DD1 has outgrown carseats in time for DD2 to have her old one. She is only 8, but 4' 61/2''.

Marking will ensue later, I'm at 20% for GCSE and 16 % for AS.

eta Pavlov's I am very very "grateful" for your input on the kitchen front. x OMG everything I type sounds sarcastic, I don't mean it that way

pavlovs_dog

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

I have gone for white wristband USBs for my leavers, with "WORK HARD & BE NICE TO PEOPLE" on them - in purple, natch. I've never got the kids a collective present before, if you don't count chocolate, but this class have really touched my soul somehow. I'm probably bonkers.

I've still got the grammar pens that my A Level Welsh teacher gave me as a goodbye and good luck gift. Every time I use them I remember how much fun we had in lessons. sometimes you get classes that just 'work' don't you?

My favourite class this year has been a bottom set year 9. I love the rapport I've built with them. Really hope I get to keep them for GCSE next year, think I could do a lot with them.

gratefulforhelp wrote: »

eta Pavlov's I am very very "grateful" for your input on the kitchen front. x OMG everything I type sounds sarcastic, I don't mean it that way

doesn't sound sarcastic at all. I'm glad I've been of some help. I just enjoy being nosey and going 'through the keyhole'

Will have to put some pics up of the parts of the house I don't know what to do with, see if you lot can give me some ideas.

Enjoy the vino... but not until you've done today's marking

CathT

What age did your DD start dancing? My DD is 3 in September and although I'm not around at weekends to take her now I would like her to start once I'm on maternity leave. HV told me once she'd never be a ballet dancer (due to birth weight of 9lb 10.5oz) but she's grown into a lovely and tall slender toddler. I have looked into 'diddi dance' but don't think it would be enough for her iykwim. She picks things up quickly and I wouldn't want her to get bored.

gratefulforhelp_2

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

I've still got the grammar pens that my A Level Welsh teacher gave me as a goodbye and good luck gift. Every time I use them I remember how much fun we had in lessons. sometimes you get classes that just 'work' don't you?

Glad you said that, wasn't sure if I was being mad.

CathT wrote: »

What age did your DD start dancing? My DD is 3 in September and although I'm not around at weekends to take her now I would like her to start once I'm on maternity leave. HV told me once she'd never be a ballet dancer (due to birth weight of 9lb 10.5oz) but she's grown into a lovely and tall slender toddler. I have looked into 'diddi dance' but don't think it would be enough for her iykwim. She picks things up quickly and I wouldn't want her to get bored.

Grrrr to HVs who say daft things, birthweight is sugar all to do with later weight, I was 5lb...and if you take a straw poll of your skinny acquaintances I bet 90% of them had above average birthweights;)

They start at 3 here, the pre-school group has just been split into juniors and seniors as it was so full. Our ballet teacher is an inspired example of excellent teaching, just a genius, she never gives an instruction or corrects behaviour, just manages them so well they think they're playing. Could DH not take her at weekends?

Off out for lunch in Exmouth today.

CathT

Thanks for that, I think I might look into ballet for her. Can it be expensive re: pumps and tutus?

DH also works weekends, he's having his first Sunday off for ages. One bonus of his last job was being off every Sunday but we struggled for childcare in the week. Why is no job perfect?

Enjoy lunch, I'm off to work later.

gratefulforhelp_2

Pair of new good ballet shoes £7.50, but TBH they can just do it in bare feet when they are little, and they don't have to wear uniform when in the pre-school group. I bet you can get uniform 2nd hand, and a good school will let them try it out first before getting kit - ours does a free taster session.

Ours wear fairy outfits from dressing up boxes and allsorts.

Lois_E

CathT wrote: »

DH also works weekends, he's having his first Sunday off for ages. One bonus of his last job was being off every Sunday but we struggled for childcare in the week. Why is no job perfect?

OK so I'm confused now. I thought you were a teacher. Why do you have to work weekends? (Don't answer if you'd rather not say.) And if you both work weekends, what do you do for childcare?

You are doing so well with the marking - I'm impressed. How are you getting on with your kitchen plans? I'm longing to hear what you decide.

ETA Duh! Have just had it pointed out that the post in question was made by Cath, not grateful - I wasn't taking enough notice of who the posts were by rather than whose thread they were on. Thanks for setting me straight, gratefulforhelp.

gratefulforhelp_2

Cath is a nurse.

Thanks, I have met my first marking target. Been out for lunch and DDs have been diabolical. They got a massive lecture when we got home and early bed.

Kitchen plans coming along but still fairly amorphous. x