Pickle

In terms of Xmas presents, at nearly 8 it's still all about Lego, but we are moving to the more technical sets that involve engines and more difficult construction. He spends hours creating things with Lego, it's brilliant and in my mind a better creative outlet than constructing things in Minecraft. Science related things - you can get kits where they make an electrical circuit etc - might be more suitable for year 3ish upwards though. Books - Horrible Histories, Roald Dahl etc.

My son (nearly 8) had been bugging me to get Minecraft - I gave in and got the trial version and he played for 10 minutes, at which point some kind of zombie appeared and freaked him out so much he hasn't asked again :)

I (under my "Handcrafted by Pippa" guise) have donated a raffle prize for this event. Ari works hard to arrange these events on a regular basis, and it's for a great cause - come along! You can win a hand knitted hat of your choice, here's an example of my work being modelled by my little assistant :)

My kids have been to a few Friday after school parties, I think they're a good idea, as the weekends do tend to get busy (especially at this time of year).

Little Oaks playgroup on a Wed morning is great for that age, I take my 2.75 year old every week. It's at the Honor Oak Baptist Church on Forest Hill Road, 9:45 - 11:45. ?2, includes juice and biscuits for the kids and a cup of tea for adults (and a biscuit too!). A really nice group of people, a really well run group. I'm glad she's enjoying Magic Moments - my daughter is there Tuesday and Friday mornings :)

Second the recommendation for Anna, I have played in an orchestra with her, she is lovely and a brilliant trumpeter.

I always add my recommendation when I see this nursery pop up :) My youngest is there two mornings a week, my older two attended for a couple of years each before starting school nursery, I haven't got a bad word to say about it. Loving, attentive staff, gently structured sessions, they manage to fit a lot into the time they have. Well worth the money (the fees haven't risen at all in the 6 years our family has had an association with them). They have recently set up a basic website... http://magicmomentscreche.co.uk

... at 16 degrees I'd be freezing, definitely a 20 degree girl. Moving to NZ (the land that Central heating forgot) in a couple of years is going to be a shock to the system!

We have similar, under limestone tiles (and a small wooden area in the dining area of the kitchen). Three "sectors", all controlled by separate sensors. We have it on thermostat, to heat up the space to 20 degrees morning (comes on at about 5:30am, off at 9:30) and evening (4:30 till 9:30ish). In between those times it's set at 17, and it's only on the very coldest days in winter that it comes on outside of the standard times. Same goes for our central heating. I never switch either off during the year. Best decision we made when we refurbished our house. Our underfloor is electric and initially I was worried that our energy bills would increase - actually we have found completely the opposite, after a year of paying the same monthly direct debit as before the heating was installed we were significantly in credit.

I wouldn't expect to get a party bag from a 1st birthday, even if you are inviting older children. I think they're something you don't need to worry about until the birthday child is old enough to want them. If you do go ahead, I fully agree that a book, be it reading/colouring/nice little notepad is a nicer option than bags full of annoying bits of plastic (in particular, those yellow stretchy people!). But I really don't think your guests will be expecting it.

I have a hotmail.co.uk account, and often the forum emails go to my Junk folder (but not always). I check it every couple of days as matter of course anyway, so no drama.

For me it's Ben, Jay (loved his version of Mad World) and Fleur. Strong "overs" category this year.

I meet up with a group of local childminders at a number of playgroups during the week, and none of them would use the harsh approach you mention. In fact, I always feel that they are more attentive to the children than I am to mine as a parent! I'm sure there probably are some like that out there, but similarly there are parents for whom they would be a good fit. As others have said, it's a case of meeting with different people and getting a feel for how they operate. A number of the ladies I know have grandchildren, and treat their minded children as if they are part of their family, it's really lovely to see. I would choose a childminder over a nursery, if I had to make that decision. Good luck x

Completely agree steveo, . I watched the half hour show about Ebola last night (BBC1 from memory) and it was very good, it put my mind at rest a little in terms of the "what ifs" of it arriving in Britain. Very encouraging to hear that Nigeria are now Ebola free, having put rigorous procedures in place to beat it.

Forest Hill road post office is great, the man there will do his utmost to get you the cheapest rate, he is lovely. Also now it's possible to do it all on line and print your postage, so you can make sure you're getting the right rate. I have done this a couple of times this week, and it's useful, but I do prefer face to face!

In the birthing unit at Kings all the rooms are "private" (in that you have the room to yourself while giving birth). There are a few side rooms in the wards, but as far as I'm aware they are not for people who pay (I had one while being induced with my 3rd child).

I go through periods of ruthlessness, generally on days where I've tripped over plastic tat one too many times and lose my patience. Do it when the kids are out, put stuff somewhere they never go (loft room for us). If they haven't asked for it in a week, get rid! I donated some toys to the cr?che my youngest goes to, so she still gets to play with them, but the mess is someone else's problem :)

I find preparing a roast dinner a lot less arduous than other meals. Peel and parboil the spuds, add parsnips and usually some carrots to throw in the roasting tin too. All in the oven together, one roasting tin, lined with foil. Just one item to wash up. Kids love it, and leftover meat sorts my lunches for a couple of days afterwards. No matter what the meal, I'm a stickler for sitting down to have a family meal on a Sunday,. The rest of the week I sit and eat with the kids, but it's only on a Sunday that Mr Pickle is home to be able to eat with us too. Important family time.

Sunday dinner for us tonight was pasta, with chorizo and prawns. 15 minutes from fridge to table, what's not to love! Last week I splashed out on a beef roasting joint, which happily came in at ?7 and fed 5 of us (3 kids) with leftovers. Always looking for new food ideas! Macaroni cheese and garlic bread (my all time favourite meal) was our dinner on Friday.

Do you have one you recommend Louisa? I'll put it on my bucket (things to do before I escape from the UK) list :)

We never do either, the thought of cramming into a restaurant for a slightly dodgy roast does nothing for me. Light lunch and a traditional family Sunday evening meal in our house, much nicer :)

I think (speaking as someone who worked as a music teacher for many years, but only in the weekend as I had a separate career in another field) the price will depend a bit on whether the teacher is doing it as a profession (as their main source of income), or to supplement other work. Full time teachers will operate more like a business, people like me will charge a bit less. When I first started teaching I was only 16, and not yet qualified. I did it because I loved it, and my rates reflected that. It's worth looking for enthusiastic students, grade 8ish standard, they can be excellent teachers for young children.

I'm concerned, definitely. It hasn't escaped my attention that many of the recent news items interviewing people with family in affected areas have been conducted on Peckham High Street. Air travel, aid workers, family members attending funerals, schools - it's not going to be long before we see cases here. Short of putting an absolute quarantine on the area in West Africa where it's stemming from (nobody in, nobody out, which will never happen as basic human rights would be breached), I don't see what can be done. Very scary indeed.

At least ?40 an hour, but more like ?50 for a qualified music teacher.

I had one, and gave it a good try, but was never particularly impressed with the results, despite using every tip I could find online to improve them. Personally, I find stews etc much tastier if cooked slowly in the oven (easy to do as you would with a slow cooker if your oven has a timer function), and things like Bolognaise can be made in advance when you get time and left to be reheated later. Just my experience, I know many of my friends love theirs!