Frump to Fab 2016 - Lets make it AWESOME!!!

maman

Sorry LL, hope I didn't offend. I'm the eldest in my immediate family but I did have an older girl cousin so inherited the most beautiful smocked dresses. IN DH'S family of 11, hand me downs were a way of life!:rotfl:

My mum had several sisters and the saying was 'first out, best dressed.'.:D

Snap! We're having Bolognese tonight too. Easy meal from the freezer before we go off to the match.

Floss

I'm the only girl with 2 older & 1 younger brother, but have girl "cousins" 2 years older & younger than me, so got all of their stuff. Things like Aran jumpers went through all 6 of us (with 12 years from oldest to youngest) - and still didn't wear out! I remember my mum unravelling one that she had knitted that we'd all worn to make hats one Christmas

lessonlearned

Of course I'm not offended....I just thought it was funny.

Hospital went pretty much as I expected.

Saw a junior registrar who was wet behind the ears and who doesn't believe in reading notes.

He wanted to pump dad full of chemo. I asked him if he was absolutely certain that was a good idea, given dad's frailty and had he checked with Rachael (dad's consultant). He bought up Rachael's notes and his face was a picture.

He then left the room "to consult with a colleague" :rotfl: poor dad was utterly bewildered and shaking with fear. I managed to calm him down and reassure him it was just a mix up.

Registrar comes back, waffles on and then said he wanted to discuss dad's prognosis (in front of Dad:eek:). I hAd to signal him to shut up.

Sister then took dad out the room whilst I explained that dad had no idea that he was so ill and that he is living on borrowed time.

We aren't going to tell him until he mentions it first or starts asking questions. We want him to at least enjoy one last Christmas as best he can.

Honestly...........I despair at times.

Thank goodness my sister and I were there to be dad's advocate.

Anyway the prognosis remains 2 to 6 months. I picked up one of their "end of life" booklets for my sister to read and she can use this to facilitate a discussion with dad when the time comes.

I don't see the need to jump the gun on this. Deep down dad probably does know or at least he might be suspecting that all is not well. But I don't think we need ram it home quite so bluntly......

Shattered now.

maman

I think you're right to leave well alone until your dad brings it up himself. Even if he is aware, I think it's his choice when and if he wants to discuss it.:)

indiepanda

maman wrote: »

Well done on the batch cooking indie.:T I'm trying hard to eat really healthily on the days between Christmas festivities. It's not so much the meals but the nibbles that get to me. My meal out last Friday was good (smoked salmon and baked cod with veg) until I started on the cheeseboard!:rotfl:

Thanks. I was quite impressed I managed not to do my usual thing of stuffing myself with chocolate just before my period this week and am sure it was because I had all the food I needed with me at work so no excuse to go looking for a snack. Am not expecting to shift any weight at the moment as have too many boozy nights (and I find it very hard to say no to free drinks at work dos!) but containing the damage is good.

Am working from home today, as I suspect most of my team will as we had a big Christmas party last night. Going to use the save commuting time to do a home facial, got to keep the skin exfoliated and hydrated this time of year or I end up looking dry and greyish.

I have a quiet night at home tonight to rest before a busy night out with friends locally on Saturday so will get an early night tonight before I go to the outlet centre tomorrow.

In theory I could go on Sunday but the last time I thought I was going to do that post a big night out I ended up feeling a bit the worse for wear and then got talked into a boozy lunch with the people I went to the pub with the previous night so I think I should get it over and done with!

Spotted that Ashford have a branch of Geox so at least I can have a look at something for me as well as looking for a handbag for my aunt's Christmas present.

Maybe Sunday I will have a wrapping and card writing session. Am away part of the weekend after - going for a 2 day / 1 night trip to Champney's with a friend of mine - so I won't get round to the cards then and I am out three week nights out of five so it won't happen then either. Actually I think that means Sunday should involve some batch cooking too. Am out for the day on Monday with a friend so it won't happen then.

indiepanda

indiepanda wrote: »

In theory I could go on Sunday but the last time I thought I was going to do that post a big night out I ended up feeling a bit the worse for wear and then got talked into a boozy lunch with the people I went to the pub with the previous night so I think I should get it over and done with!

Well, I just had a message from a friend who has a spare ticket for a dance show with Gleb and Kristina from Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday, so definitely not shopping then. Or probably batch cooking either. Maybe will compromise and get some decent soups and salads etc. from M&S - I don't have that many meals at home next week anyway so it's mainly making sure I have some good things to take as packed lunches so I don't go out and buy unhealthy stuff at lunch. I always make better choices when I plan my food in advance when I am not hungry or stressed.

maddiemay

Indie - Tickets for the dance show sound great and lots of fun things next week too:D I think some soup and tasty M&S goodies is a good call for the lunches and snacks next week, have a great time.

LL - I agree, let your father set the pace as to what and when he wants to talk about. Hugs to you and your sister.

I was the eldest in my family, but the niece of someone that I used to call Aunty (all family friends were called Aunt and Uncle in those days where I came from) was a couple of years older than me and the family were quite well off, so I looked forward to a bag of "new clothes", even people who were not short of money lived very OS lives and clothes, books and toys all did the rounds.

lessonlearned

I had a friend who had a son 18 months older than my eldest. . His name was a Big Christopher, my eldest was Little Christopher. He loved it when he got a bag of Big Christopher's cast offs, clothes, toys, books. He thought it was heaven.

I was the eldest so never had things passed to me. But my Aunty S was a fabulous dressmaker. She used to make all my dresses.

Just been and done a stock up. Lots of healthy goodies.

I agree Indie I'm much better if I plan ahead and have lots of healthy food in.

Actually now that DS2 is on a health kick it's much easier. I simply don't buy biscuits and sweet stuff anymore.

Ellsbel

Hi ladies:)
I seem to have been in headless chicken mode this week! I really need to get stuck into the mountain of card writing and pressie wrapping but I decided after doing a few earlier to take some me time and go have a long soak instead! Tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett O'Hara would say!
Feeling a bit miffed as a neighbour has just knocked to ask if we could park in a way that leaves a space for any visitors she might have. I'm not annoyed with her for asking; just at the fact that it's the one time we had no alternative but to park one of the cars a bit further back than usual; one car is always on our drive and when both sons got cars, I even got rid of mine so as not to take up too much room in the road! There's always a car I can use so it's no hardship but it would have felt selfish to have three in the road. Normally we bend over backwards to leave room, even parking one car across the drive but for various reasons on this occasion we couldn't - leading to the gentle telling off from the neighbour - blooming typical!:rotfl:
So - I'm now off to the shops and will then be playing car Tetris:D

ScarlettMcCain

Oh dear LL, consultants can be very short-handed and tactless... when OH and I were going through all the fertility tests it was so frustrating to meet yet another doctor who hadn't read the notes. It felt like starting from scratch every time in terms of discussing treatment, options etc... of course we were grateful to be receiving everything for free BUT the hospital admin was very inefficient and the doctors were obviously overrun with patients. Anyhow, I'm glad you and your sister were able to manage things between you - maybe you could speak to your hospital PALS service for assistance if you need it? - and that your dad will be able to have the best Christmas that he can.

I'm the oldest in my family too and didn't have anyone to receive cast offs from, but I've certainly received and passed on many more for the boys! At this age the clothes hardly get worn much, let alone worn out.

The present and card preparation is about 50% there, am hating giving up what little time I get in the evenings to do it though by the time the boys have gone to bed and I've finished tidying I have maybe an hour to myself before I'm that tired that I have to go to bed too. And that's if they don't wake up in the meantime for more milk.....

OH wants me to go into his work next week and help him full time - MIL and FIL would have the boys - but I am dreading it; I've got the boys in a routine now where they have a short nap morning and afternoon and go to bed at a decent time, but whenever they go to MIL & FIL they don't nap at the right time/ at all, so I get back babies that are either screamingly over tired or not tired at all at bedtime! I'm like a zombie today after two bad nights' sleep (the boys were with MIL & FIL on Wednesday morning). I think OH is being a bit unreasonable in expecting them to do so much childcare anyway, as they're both nearly 70 and not in the best of health, but the best compromise I can come up with is that they need to take the boys out when they have them - part of the problem is that they keep them in one room at home and don't take them to any groups/ play sessions, not even for a walk, therefore the boys have no idea what time of day it is and don't get tired enough to nap. Unless anyone has any other ideas?!

How I wish I had you as a neighbour Ellsbel - ours are just horrid and take any parking spaces they can, including ones on our driveway before I went on maternity leave and caught them at it!!