The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

Possession

How wonderful Miss Stilty, you clever sausage!

savingqueen

Hello everyone

Woohoo Little Miss Stilty! How utterly fantastic! Bet she's as pleased as you all are Stilts.

Get well wishes to nan2many and ginny's DGS. Poor DS7 has a rotten cold too and went to bed early without a fuss. Boys missed their Sunday night baths as just too tired and coldy. They will have to have one tomorrow.

Mixed weekend really. Like you Cheaps this time of year can be difficult. Sending you hugs and glad you got the house looking festive in spite of how you feel. This particular weekend is the most difficult for me and I often avoid putting the tree up til the following weekend but decided to be positive this year as an antidote to all our family troubles.

We went to the big swedish store yesterday to get the Christmas tree deal (£20 voucher) and I was pleasantly surprised to find tiny queues for everything, even the loos and checkouts were ok!! DH however has no patience with the tiniest queue or any systems that doesn't produce instant results and was Mr Grumpy. I am also pretty certain he forgot the date this weekend but I didn't want to ask him - if he had I would have felt worse as would he.

Anyway we got some more tealights, had a pastry and drink in the cafe and the boys saw Santa in the free grotto. DS9.5 (the 0.5 is oh so important these days )was blase about the whole thing and I think only went in for the pressie. DS7 was so excited he held my hands and we danced to the Christmas music waiting a few mins for our turn... much to DS9.5's disgust, he disowned us ha ha.

Made first batch of mince pies also which are obligatory, along with a particular Christmassy CD to accompany the tree dressing. Boys were shattered yesterday so left it til today to decorate the tree.

sq

stiltwalker

Oh, he certainly will, Pooky!! Not to be outdone he interacted with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer this afternoon on the Santa train which is pretty big for him. We rather feel like our hearts could burst today. Thank you for all your lovely comments, I just knew you would all 'get' how immense a few tottery steps are for us. We've never had the experience of watching our children take their first steps at the more usual age but have had to wait almost 4 years longer than some folk with early walkers so it means so much to us to see DD do it today that we just want to shout it from the rooftops - X

kidcat

Been mad busy all weekend so had no time to catch up, finally catch up to read such wonderful news stiltwalker - ooh I bet you are walking on air! such an incredible achievement!

I spent yesterday at DD7 dance performances - it was very long and exhausting but she did really well and loved it, and even better DS9 came along to watch one of the shows - and sat good throughout the whole thing - two hours long. Ok he was armed with his tablet and ear defenders but he managed!!

And yes as someone has pointed out I have started to put our decorations up - we did some of the outside today and its taken ages. Kids are made up but DD19 is highly embarrassed!! I did honestly consider restrained and tasteful but its Christmas and I reverted to tacky and brash instead

monnagran

Oh my goodness! Miss Stilty certainly picks her timing. What a wonderful thing to kick off the Christmas season. Huge hugs to you all.

Fuddle: lucky you being able to gather up your free greenery. I bet your house looks festive already. I'm considering spraying my cobwebs with glitter in the very near future.

Cheapskate: I knew I was not the only mother to have reservations about her children. I am looking at my 40+ year-olds and still searching for signs of improvement! I love the bones of them but boy! do they annoy me at times.

Went to the Nativity at the Home for adults with learning disabilities this evening. I wept and laughed and wept again. It was amazing. We had Joseph and The Angel Gabriel in a wheel chair, Mary brought her dog with her, the Angel, (who is fixated on pink) wore pink sparkly wings, a pink sparkly wand and a pink sparkly headdress. Slightly more Fairy Queen than the Angel of the Lord but Wey Hey! The lone shepherd had the obligatory teatowel on his head and wielded a distinctly dangerous looking shepherd's crook. None of the chaps fancied being a King so we had 4 Queens instead. Should have only been 3 but one of the original 3 had a strop and stormed off leaving a replacement to be hastily wrapped in a curtain and grab a crown (paper hat from a cracker). The angry one then returned - hence 4 of them.
The Rev, sporting the most peculiar Santa's hat I have ever clapped eyes on, told the story while the cast smiled, stared or glowered. We sang carols - at least the visitors and carers (who, incidentally, should be paid a million pounds a year minimum) sang and everyone else banged or shook percussion instruments. One chap banged his tambourine so enthusiastically that his hand went right through it.
A good time was had by all.

Are you still awake out there?

I'll stop.

x

SDG31000

Yeah!!!! Well done Miss Stilty


What a wonderful early Christmas present


It's 28 years today since my wonderful Dad died and as usual it has hit me pretty hard. I went into numb mode quite a bit yesterday which made grocery shopping interesting if nothing else. DH has been great today and got the tree up and sorted out a lot of the chaos.
I've wandered round in a daze for the most part, but did get two crayon rolls made. So that is two more presents done. Here's a tutorial on making crayon rolls if anyone is interested. They are very easy and I think they turn a cheap pack of crayons into a nice present. http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/crayon-roll-tutorial.html
I put washable felt tips into mine and made the pockets 1 inch wide. I also put a tab fastener with velcro on as a way of closing them as I think they are much easier for youngsters than using ribbon.
http://naptimecrafting.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/large-crayon-roll.html This shows what I mean.


Right I feel drained and in need of a warm bed to snuggle into.


Take care everyone xxxxxx

kidcat

((hugs)) sdg

stiltwalker

Certainly am still awake Monnagran, just had to pause the televisual entertainment device and read that out to DH - some familiar moments, both from groups we attend with the kids and from my growing up years as the daughter of a special needs school Headteacher!! Made me laugh out loud in the nicest possible way - X


ETA - big hugs SDG

kidcat

Monnagran - that sounds so familiar, I have directed many a similar nativity - there was the famous year where no one would volunteer to be mary or joseph and they all wanted to be angels - so we had dolls and puppets as mary and joseph, the kings and a shepherd and 23 angels!!
I remember each and every one far more then the word perfect school performances each year! Its Christmas with personality

savingqueen

I don't know what your decs look like kidcat but they sound fun! We have lots of old tinsel which DH adores but I have had enough of it tbh. I know I sound like Mrs Scrooge sorry. The kids are having it to decorate thir bedroom as bright and sparkly as they like.

We have no other decs - other than the tree decs - to put up and no money to spare to buy any or time to make any. I really fancy going to the woods next weekend to collect some holly etc. I was talking to DH about bringing in the green (if that's the right expression ) I knew it would appeal to him so if he has time next weekend (last one before an exam) we are going to get some natural decs. Thanks Mrs LW, fuddle and other fellow toughies for the idea... I wonder why I didn't think of it myself!

Well I have a decorated tree and even made first batch of mince pies but still have a fair amount of gifts to buy particularly for our two, still have a bit of Xmas food to buy (and that's not including the fresh bits) and not even started writing cards. I don't like it but I haven't had the energy to push myself early this year.

I did get together several bags of various things, including lots of the boys' soft toys which they seem to have addiction to collecting ,for the school fayre (a rare event) and tomorrow DS9.5 has volunteered me to produce cupcakes for their class stall on Tuesday. He has bigged them up to his teacher, they are special to him as his mum makes them of course but they are not exactly Bake Off standard (and that's putting it mildly .) Another mum, a professional cake maker is also making some...... no pressure then :rotfl:

I think I might have to brave the shops a few times this week as its getting late for online gift shopping. Worried they won't arrive in time. Shame to miss the cashback though.

sq