Pickle

Michael Buble. He'd sort of disappeared off the radar a bit, or so I thought. Now every time I turn on the TV he's being all smug and smarmy on every chat show possible.

Yep, we have a big coloured (scrub resistant) rug in the middle of our sitting room floor, it's where baby P tends to sit and play with her toys. Colouring pens etc are a kitchen only toy, but the kids tend to gravitate to the kitchen table to do stuff like that anyway. We have the same carpet on our stairs, and it doesn't look as fresh as the rest of it, mainly due to pesky cat who chooses the same route every time he goes up them, and hasn't learnt how to wipe his feet properly! You can get really nice patterned stairway runners (they always have nice ones in the window of the carpet shop on Lordship Lane), but not sure how expensive they are. I made the mistake of using Vanish on a patch of carpet upstairs (another cat related incident!) and it's left a really noticeable patch of different coloured carpet, so be careful if you use products like that.

Go for a professional clean once a year - that's what we do. Although I don't find that the kids make a mess of the carpets at all - they take shoes off, and generally food is eaten in the kitchen where we have tiles/wood. The last two times I've had carpet emergencies it has been my fault - I kicked a cup of coffee over last year, then last weekend managed to spill a full glass of red wine. Tony from A&M Carpet Care is brilliant, and it's not too expensive.

It's been a while since I went, but it used to be just a soft play session (great fun for little ones, it's a big area at the back of the sports centre that they set up with floor level soft play equipment).

I guess on work days they're excited to see you when you get in? Can you re-jig the routine on those days? Even though you're tired, resign yourself to the fact they want some time with Mummy, sit and read some books or something before you start bath/bedtime? xx

Sad, but nice, it made a pleasant contrast to our soft play visit the day before!

... and we were the only people in both the interactive room and the exhibition!

Just back from a thoroughly enjoyable few hours at Hall Place. Too damp to do much outdoors, but the ticket we got last year gave us free entry into the house. There's a fab interactive room on the ground floor which the kids loved and the beastly exhibition was really good. Nice lunch in the cafe, ?3.95 for kids pasta, lunch bags etc, and decent adult meals for ?9.95 including a glass of wine. We had a potter about in the greenhouse on the way out, looking forward to some warmer weather so we can explore the gardens.

Thanks all. It's the nets that make them look massive - we had a trampoline when we were kids (got it when I was 13, so my younger siblings were 3 and 9) which had no net and completely exposed springs. My parents finally got rid of it when my sister left home about 5 years ago, and there were never any accidents! I do wonder whether the nets give the kids a false sense of security.

A 16 footer? That is massive! I don't think our garden would cope with one that big unfortunately. Would 6ft be too small? Anyone out there with one that size? We have a patio area which currently has an unloved Wendy house on it which would be a good space, but I think 6ft would be about the limit.

Just after some advice - my kids would love a trampoline, they are 6, nearly 5 and 1. Our garden is a decent length but quite narrow, so I don't want to end up with it taking up too much space. I was wondering what size others have. I guess it needs to be big enough for two, maybe three, kids to bounce on happily without too many collisions?! Recommendations for brands etc. also welcomed. Thanks.

I'm surrounded by houses with alarms, both monitored and non monitored. I'd say at least once a day one of the alarms goes off, it's such a common occurrence that I've stopped even looking outside to see whether there's something untoward going on. The monitored ones take twice as long to stop making a noise.

My hubby is taking my 3 (assuming I can get youngest Pickle to take a bottle) to see his family in Scotland in May. I can't wait. When I was pregnant with #3 he took the older two away for a week, my Mum was adamant I would rattle round the house missing them terribly. I ate Pringles for dinner, watched TV at the time I'd usually be doing bath/bed, went to Bluewater for a day with just a handbag. Bliss. It was lovely to have them home, but both they and I had a great time! Enjoy!

EOS dance school is lovely, there are a variety of classes run by Ari over the week - have a look at the What's On section or Google her website. My daughter (nearly 5) goes to her classes at Goodrich School, and sometimes on a Saturday morning, and loves it.

We also take the kids to the pub (albeit very occasionally since the arrival of #3). However we opt for places like the Herne, where the kids can play outside and have fun while we have a quick drink or lunch. Daytime and nighttime in pubs are very different IMO. Come 7:30pm my 3 are tucked up in bed, and if I'm in a pub it's definitely without them.

I took my iPad to Kings when I was in for an extended stay. They have wifi that you pay a daily rate for (around ?7ish from memory) which I found fine for streaming tv etc. I imagine other hospitals will offer similar. It was a godsend to have with me, made it a lot more bearable.

Both Si Mangia (Forest Hill Rd) and Locale (Goose Green) do nice Italian food and are great for kids.

Yep, last thing I want if I go out in the evening without my kids is to have other people's children there. Pubs after 7:30pm aren't the place to go if you want to eat with kids in my opinion.

I heard the sirens too, hope he is ok.

I used to take my daughter to gymnastics at Beckenham Spa (Mondays, about 2pm from memory). It was quite old school, run by a strict but lovely lady and my daughter really enjoyed it.

My two (nearly 5 and 6) are desperate for bunks, they share a room and each have a single bed at the moment. I'm reluctant as have friends whose daughter broke her arm when she was 6. My worry is that the kids get up in the night for the toilet, and no matter how competent at climbing in the day I'm not sure how they'd go in that woozy half asleep state.

We had one and ended up selling it, as found it a complete pain! Bulky, difficult to get things out of in flight (and that was on long haul flights to NZ where you get a bit more room than usual), and if your child doesn't want to ride on it they are a nuisance to carry (we found it was too bulky to hang on the buggy). I wouldn't rush to get one!

I've had three births there after complicated pregnancies. Excellent care, I felt like I was in good hands every time. Post natal is hit and miss, but more a reflection on the people you share a ward with than the staff/hospital. I stayed a few days first time round but managed to get discharged within a few hours after #2 and 3. Good luck x

I've used the newsagent on Forest Hill Road for all of mine, ?6ish, quick and easy.

Chiropractor. I suffered from back/neck pain from the age of 13 until my early 20s, having been sent to physios, given stretches to do, painkillers etc. I finally found my way to a chiropractor and after 6 weeks of treatment have never had the same problem again. Any time I feel a small niggle in my back, pelvis or neck I to straight to Daniel Harvey and one treatment sorts it out.