new mother

Antique perfume bottle with silver top? V feminine and she will appreciate it in the years to come even more.

Staggeringly poor customer service from the manager. I sometimes think that a business can have an "off day" but that the test of it is really how they subsequently deal with any complaints. Dulwich Asquith nursery is a case in point. Lied to me several times and when I complained to the manager, she was so rude and had such a dismissive attitude to us, only the poor sap parents, that all bets were off at that point.... So, the question is: will you return, Fuschia?!

Nina christie has some nice things? I got a silver bracelet there recently for a friend - terribly light I am afraid but that is a function of the gold and silver prices currently...

Where are you, pls? Super speedy sounds good (and rare)

Clearly, london teachers in tough schools should be paid more than eg country teachers (ditto doctors). They have higher costs and have to deal with thugs all day long. If we have shortages, eg sciences, they should be paid more too. (I realise there are allowances but these are pathetic currently.) The quid pro quo is that errrr they need to be able to do basic English and arithmetic - it isn't mathematics - per Gove's tests. This might mean grammar and parsing, good grief. Hoot if you learned to parse at school!

Agree with Sol. I loved my job, loved the independence it gave me, loved the office interaction and my colleagues. Unfortunately for me, I loved my babies more and they managed to force ms into staying at home with them. Overall I hate it but I am totally stuck as I could not face even a day of them with another person looking after them. I'm snookered!

Saw a small group of three white boys, two looking similar so maybe brothers, hanging around the mews. One further boy appeared, having run along to investigate bikes but he came back disappointed, saying they "were all locked". Maybe he was looking for his own, previously stolen one? Or maybe looking to steal one? Who knows. All I know is that if you leave your bike there, make it secure. I had three children with me and would have challenged them if I had been on my own. As it was, I was really too vulnerable.

Police advice would certainly not be to go out and talk to them. It is a complete fallacy that they don't understand other's needs and once they are acquainted with them, will jump at the opportunity to put their good little natures into practice. Rubbish. They are selfish little thugs probably brought up by equally selfish or inconsistent parents. Call the police and let them sort it out. They are paid to and have met vests. We don't.

Theydo seem to be bad at food, which is so silly as they could make a fortune at it.margins on coffee are immense. But the worst aspect of your trip, Fuschia, is the carousel. They are in the business of providing children's entertainment so it is not unreasonable to expect some level of understanding of children. You don't disappoint children if you can avoid it. (time enough when they are grown up to be disappointed by mortgages, men, life!)

I (or my husband when we swapped over) always used to sit in the back with our first child on the basis that if anything happened, at least I would be able to help her. (Sorry to be so negative..)

As above it would be very unusual, though possible, in girls.

ComPletely agree and would contribute if nec.

How about swimming? I did a lot of swimming classes right up to my births (one week early) and found the mental focus required good for me. At the time, I didn't find them strenuous at all but I wonder if it did do somegood in the end as I put on 28 lbs exactly both times (2 stones!) but lost it v quickly pp.

Met quite a senior ex army officer who was cb. I was quite surprised as I would have thought it dangerous, not that I can point to anything specifically, but, in a combat situation, where people's lives are at risk, shouldn't the commanding officer have a totally accurate picture of what is going on? Maybe they have tightened up since he left...

For what it's worth, I think you do amazingly. Keep smiling. At least it's a nice day so team Fuschia can get outside.

It is a state school and, as such, follows the National Curriculum. Maybe the best thing would be to investigate that and see whether it meets your preferences. The next port of call would be going round the private schools and seeing which of those had headteachers who followed your approach and instilled it into their teaching staff. Or, indeed, whether they are prepared to be flexible. You will find, however, that Britain has move towards exam taking in recent decades and that most schools, whether state or private, will put emphasis on this aspect. I think that is a fair assessment. Edited to change "traffic" to "teaching"!

Nancyse15, I know that your post was intended kindly but, frankly, "in the best hands" for most women will be next to proven hospital care. Expressing the above will not be popular on this forum but it's true. Home births will leave some women needing to be transferred to theatre in london traffic. Not good. We have better technology available and my medical friends strongly urge their wives to take advantage of it. Sorry OP - I know you are not considering a home birth anyway. I cldnt leave such a dangerous comment unchallenged.

As I understand it, you have planned three beds, one family bathroom and one en suite to the master bedroom? Builder can add two beds by converting upstairs. I'd be tempted to plumb upstairs now as well, I'm afraid so that a nanny or visitors could be totally private there in addition to having the two beds/one mega bedroom space. Oh dear - the bill is mounting. Good luck.

It is awful. Words fail me. I wonder if, given that your friend regrets not having children, there is any way you could show her that her legacy lives on. Eg that your child often refers to her or uses words she uses or loves a toy she gave him/her. Would that be comforting? Tears now thinking about it- sorry.

Thanks ladies. I will report back! And make a special note of the glitter quotient.

Many thanks, ladies. They do a reduced rate for the second ch, certainly. I am just a bit tired of having to have my own painting shirt and fun often ends in tears when someone spills something and feels upset to see the mess. I think they also have easels which we don't have at home...

Hi, has anyone used this co? Are they any good? I am hoping to avoid the mess that "creativity" seems to involve.

Emc, thanks. My children are too old though, despite my name(!). I tried "mother" but it was taken and I didn't fancy being "old mother", hence my name! Others, reflect please. Opinions differ and we are all entitled to our views. I can see positive aspects of your choice to breast feed but for me and many others, bottle feeding is a better option. I could take offence at some weird statements above suggesting that bottlefeeders care less about their babies (by choosing the "convenient option")but I am secure in my utter love and devotion to both of my children so I won't! I and my husband make many sacrifices for them in terms of not going out as much as we would like, saving our moneyfor private education etc. Different people do different things and have different priorities. Surely one aspect of being intelligent or modern educated women is to have tolerance for others' choices? Edited to clarify my point

Well opinions do differ. I personally think there is more to be said for sharing the feeding and for the convenience of bottle feeding by either partner or a grandparent. These benefits to the family unit as a whole are often not mentioned or ignored. Let's face it. Breast feeding is currently in vogue in a certain section of uk society. Do not think for a minute that much better off women bother with it. My "rich" friends, for want of a better description, would not consider it and employ maternity nurses to bottle feed day 1. Fine if that works for their family, good for them. The further sad point is that for some weird evolutionary reason breast feeding actually doesn't even work for many women. Unfort, some of these girls are so got at by propaganda that they feel guilty about it. great shame and waste of vital energy.

Does anyone know about this,starting at around six months pp? I suddenly developed pain in my feet especially in the mornings and noticed my mother hopping around the same way. Her Gp diagnosed tendonitis whereas mine referred me to a cons who found nothing wrong. Any thoughts appreciated...