srisky

This has probably be done to death (so apologies) bit I would be grateful for any advice or a point in the right direction. Our situation is as follows: Before I went on mat leave second time round we had a friend who was a nursery carer who collected our daughter from nursery, brought her home, fed, bathed her etc. Our friend now has a baby herself and is considering nannying so she can look after her son simultaneously. We will need a nanny 3 days/wk from 7.30am to 7/7.30pm to: - drop our daughter at Herne Hill kindergarten at 8.45 am & collect at 3pm - provide full day care for our daughter during holidays (3 days/wk) - look after our son who will be 18 months This will be nanny share of sorts as she will be looking after her son (who will 11 months) but the care will be based at our home on those days. How is the cost divided? Trying to work it out is making my head hurt and my kids give me no thinking time, aaargh! Is there someone out there who calculates these things? Thanks!

Does anyone know how much approximately self storage, such as Big Yellow Self Storage, costs for box room size space for 6 months? I tried getting an online quote but you need to submit your details and I'd rather not do that just yet as we are very much still in the pondering phase of decluttering/moving and don't want to be pestered. Thanks.

Go for it! It sounds like he is making light work of it :) and there's no shame in stopping for a while if it is not going well.

sarahshah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I need some advice please regarding my 4 year old > daughter who is currently at Rosemead nursery. She > has also been offered reception places this year > for st dunstans, sydenham high and herne hill. We > live in dulwich and we really like japs and > alleyns but it appears very difficult to gain > entry to both these schools and we are not sure > which of the above schools may prepare her later > on for their assessments. Has anyone had > experience with these schools and entry then later > on to either jags or alleyns? Have you got any > recommendations please? > > She is well settled at rosemead however if > necessary we would rather get her in the right > school now than later on. > Many thanks for any advice or recommendations. By Sydenham High do you mean the independent girls' school? If so, this goes up to 18 so you wouldn't have to worry about entrance exams for other independents at 7, 11 or 13. Or do you prefer JAGS/Alleyn's to Sydenham?

Oh congratulations! To me that sounds like an exceptional circumstance and one to be celebrated with the people who were by your side. I have no experience of asking for term time holidays and I don't work in a school so have no useful advice to offer, I'm afraid. Here's a link to a recent BBC new story http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-25733272 which I hope doesn't happen to you, as I think that would be pretty unreasonable. Enjoy your time together!

Ricin

Sauce

If you are using public transport at the weekend remember to factor in the inevitable rail replacement services. I used Airport Direct Services a week ago and it cost ?45 to Gatwick, which I thought was reasonable. I heard about ADS through recommendations on this forum.

midivydale Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have (hungs head in shame) lost my patience with > him and snapped, nagged and have done most thingsI > wrong. > I feel so guilty and rather useless as ultimately > he is just being a child. I am just so damn tired > that I dont always have it in me to be the > patient, calm, reasoned adult and instead raise my > voice or say no when really I could have let it > go. > I feel terrible as I is a sensitive little soul > and he gets really upset. Ditto ditto several times over, to my shame

Got home to find that someone has dumped their tree by our bins....thanks a lot (!).

Thanks all, we have settled for the Samsung Galaxy tablet for the reasons stated in the posts above, including my own.

Any advice as to which is better? I've read the reviews on techy websites but would appreciate some reviews from those that aren't so tech-minded. Our uses would be mainly for web browsing, emailing, watching tv/films, day-to-day organisation (which is why I'm drawn to the stylus and ability to cut & paste from websites & also the split screen function). I thought the previous Galaxy model looked & felt cheap plus the colour on the screen was dull when compared with the vivid iPad. Thanks!

If you are considering moving in the near future then you need to factor in stamp duty, which is 3% for properties between ?250k & ?500k & 5% for those ?500k-?1m i.e. ?7.5-15k & ?25-?50k, respectively. Wrt to paying extra on the mortgage: - how much does the interest you are paying on your mortgage compare with what you'd earn by saving? - if you reduce your mortgage capital then you will reduce your monthly payments towards the remaining capital as well as interest payments. If the amount you are paying currently is manageable you may be able to pay a lump sum, keep the monthly repayments the same with the result that you continue to reduce your capital and also the term. - are there any restrictions on how much you can overpay your mortgage? - how is the interest on the mortgage calculated and applied - daily, monthly or annually? E.g. if the interest on the remaining capital is calculated annually on Dec 31 then there is no advantage in reducing the capital now. Rather, it would be better to save the money and pay the lump sum in Dec. Here's a link that may better explain: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/mortgages/mortgages-vs-savings

I'm not sure if this is the sort of thing you are after but the community centre on Darrell Road has a small playground area (can be viewed from Crystal Palace Rd, near Gumboots nursery and DMC), where I often see children playing football. http://eastdulwichcommunitycentre.org.uk/

You could buy a scooter new or 2nd-hand and replace the deck: http://www.micro-scooters.co.uk/spares?product_type=99; or buy new/2nd-hand and let your son pimp it up with stickers, paint etc so it's not so gender specific. Good luck!

Spin painting at Captured on the Rye, Pellat Rd

The Odon device sounds brilliant - it would be truly amazing if it helped reduce morbidity & mortality in the developing world. Made the hairs on the back oft neck stand, can't imagine how Odon himself feels.

Any good?...http://direct.asda.com/george/boys/fancy-dress/mike-wazowski-fancy-dress-costume/G004414998,default,pd.html

Duck Egg, North Cross Rd.

womanofdulwich Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I buy man of dulwich a bicycle for a midwife in > Vietnam/India/Africa every year- he is happy with > that. > Then I might buy him a small item like cycling > socks which cost as much as half a charity > bicycle........ How do you go about buying one of those, the bikes not the socks??

This is going to sound super cheesy (cue: eye rolling, mock vomiting) but I'm having real trouble getting the harrowing stories of the Philippines out of my head, some have brought me to tears. Soooo, I am thinking of forgoing gifts (only get them from parents, brother, hubby & immediate in-laws) and asking then to donate instead either for there or something in the UK. Being no angel, I may ask my parents for a day/weekend of babysitting so my husband and I can leave the house together without packing a potty, bottles, meals, change of clothes, nappies etc & inevitably forgetting something. Also, to eat a meal out without taking turns to walk round the block with the buggy so our baby falls asleep. Not sure what to ask from hubby....

Signed. It's a no brainer...

London Schools Atlas http://data.london.gov.uk/datastore/package/london-schools-atlas Just launched, haven't checked it out myself but may have info about catchment areas etc.

Don't be in a rush to give up the coffee in the morning... http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/coffee/ I start my day with a coffee, glass of red wine & chocolate, dark of course.

Dog