Today I've mostly bin...

[clvrlad]

hugs biscuit.... :-p

mind i bet you love him really

[Biscuit]

he's okay if he didn't always have my dad making excuses for him and I didn't have to see him everyday.

Biscuit

[kathlyn]

I can't find the welcome thread so will use this one and say Welcome to chantilly. I hope you join in the madness that sometimes ensues while we're solving the puzzles.

[Biscuit]

yes a welcome to chantily from me too - just in time for the start of the new magazine. - all the fun of the fair which fingers crossed should arrive tomorrow.

Biscuit

[Looby]

spelling is extremely overrated.

I disagree!

The odd typo and a few wrong words in a general chat page such as this where speed takes over and we're all friends is uninportant.
If you've gone to the effort of setting up a web page or writing your CV the couple of minutes it would take to check a word can make a huge difference
If someone has, for example, set up a web page with loads of spelling mistakes I can't be bothered to read it. If it isn't important enough to them to make the effort to get it right, then it isn't important enough for me to read.

My spelling and typing are both dreadful. Therefore I read what I've written to make sure that, to the best of my ability, is says what I intended.

So many people just can't be bothered to learn the difference between simple words that are often confused, such as their, there and they're - and I'm not talking here about those who have difficulties with the written word as they have a good reason for a few mistakes.

[Bunnylump]

Biscuit - I spent most of my life in my brother's shadow ( he's the one who went to university etc.). But now I don't care any more. It suddenly occurred to me that it didn't matter. OK he might be cleverer than me, better at art, better at making things work, got a better paid job, bigger house, etc. etc., but so what? Is he any happier than me? No. Does he have as many really good friends as me? No. Are his children any nicer than mine? No. Does he have a happier marriage than me? No. Does he get as much job satisfaction as me? No. Is he loved any more than I am? No.

I have a great life really. And, that's what matters.

Shall I stop gushing now?

[Biscuit]

Thanks for that bunnylump it is nice to hear others opinion.

My biggest problem is my father who for some misguided reason thinks my brother being the boy should be best. Whether that is good for him or not. Personally it really is too much pressure.

Once my husband and I overheard him saying how he thought I was really good and couldn't manage without me, but he was really drunk and to be honest I am too old to worry about that now. As you say I have a brilliant marriage, 3 lovely children, nice lot of friends but it does rile me that I have to be the one that does all the right things. Had a really bad christmas last year and for the first year ever I am going to not do the family event this year. I tried to book a holiday but bit expensive and OH says I should just be honest and say we do not want to come because I do not want things rubbed in my children's faces again.

Funny enough my father has spent his whole life covering up and protecting my brother and worse still now wants me to pick up that mantle and do the same.

It was lovely to hear your comments. I feel I am not so alone.

Biscuit

[Looby]

My father (when he was alive) never really forgave me for not being a boy. My older sister was fine as she was the firstchild, but I was the last chance!
I now suffer somewhat from the 'older brother syndrome' from the prodigal son.

[Bunnylump]

WHY do people do that??

Mind you, I do have to keep telling myself to be nice to my son (who drives me up the wall most of the time, even though I do love him dearly). His sister has always been the easiest going person in the world. She is also far more organised, considerate, hardworking, and tidy. So I suppose from his point of view he is living in HER shadow. I try SO hard to treat them the same, but it is VERY difficult, especially when he is losing his temper at me for no apparent reason.

[SparkOut]

I've got a ...

Oh... hang on...

No. No I haven't. No, nope. No. She's definitely never had one of those, so I couldn't have, could I? *shuts up*

[Bunnylump]

Am I the only person who was confused by that??

SparkOut, are you starting to get cabin (crate) fever? Should I be kind and let you out for a while to run amongst the daisies?

[eirian]

mostly bin.... getting our central heating fixed! We've not had central heating for about 5 years... we just stuck the fire on instead and got used to getting up when it was cold, but for some reason we'll need it working this winter, so, since autumn has arrived already, we thought we'd better get it done! Apparently it's not surprising it's not been working, the pump was about 20 years old and well past it's sell-by date.

Oh, and isn't it nice to really treat yourselves occasionally? We were given M&S vouchers last christmas to spend on outfitting our kitchen, but since that's on indefinite hold, we spent some of it on some really wonderful aberdeen angus fillet steak (much too expensive to buy with real money), followed by some eton mess. Oh, and we opened a beautiful bottle of rjoja to go with it. Fantastic! And Thomas just gurgled through it as well, so we didn't have to get indigestion by eating too fast! (in fact the main problem was one of our cats who insisted on watching every single mouthful.... )

[Bunnylump]

Ooh yum. Glad you got a bit of time to spoil yourselves, Eirian! You deserve it now and again!!

[Wulfruna]

The next issue has excellent timing - we're taking Thomas to visit his grandparents next week, so I suspect that his grandad will do plenty of babysitting

.... Don't bank on it daughter dear - you know that he is absolutely terrified of babies and won't have a clue what to do if he cries.
Still....we'll see how soon that changes when he is confronted with smiles and goos.....

[Biscuit]

Dealing with my son.........

His homework is
English - an essay on macbeth which he says he can't remember what to do and he already did it and the teacher lost it (this is a recurring theme)
CDT - General folder work - can't find folder and says we must have hid it. this is a recurring theme and if it isn't us then the teachers have done something with it.
History - practice questions - why should I have to do history - we didn't even have any questions after the exam....
Media studies - put folder together. - He had completely lost the plot at this stage. Hormones raging.

In fairness he has spent the whole day writing two lines about macbeth and says that it is very hard. I said I would get his sister to help or I would and he says that will take too long.

He is now saying he can't possibly be my son and I must say I agree with him.

don't you just love teenagers.

Biscuit

ps I am writing this so that I do not explode.

[Biscuit]

please ignore previous rant.
Biscuit

[giraffe]

..Taking the three (youngest ) children to the cinema as an end of summer treat. (Sorry MBH but I assume you were at work)

[Biscuit]

thats nice what are you going to see.

Biscuit

[giraffe]

We saw "Aliens in the attic" Sort of ET meets home alone (Only not as destructive as home alone) Very funny in a silly way.

[Biscuit]

That sounds good fun. Always liked ET. I am off to Devon firday week week to get my oldest settled in her uni house so perhaps we can fit in a trip to the pictures.

Biscuit