Goodliz

Hello Just wandering if anyone has visited the Olympic Park. Did you get off at Stratford? Could you just by tickets on the gate? I think it si about ?10 a ticket. We have visitors who would like to go and see it today. Many thanks Liz

The Herne Hill Velodrome on Burbage Road do something. I think it is drop in. Never been so don't know the details but you could pop in to find out. Also just remembered that Crystal Palace Triathlon Club do something too with children I am sure.

Hi Polly, it may be staggered. I think it was when my son started there. Don't worry about calling them again or going in to check. It may even be that the finer detail has not been totally decided yet. Pain in the neck if you are working but just one of those things about school - ho hum!

It is very big but the reception area is in its own little corner with 1 other year. They come together with some of the other years at playtime and lunchtime. Assembly is just with reception classes. Sorry I cannot advise on how your daughter will get on but perhaps speak to the school about it. I am sure they have tried and tested ways of helping children who are shy. My son cried every morning for about 6 weeks when he first started - and he was used to going there to drop his older brother off! So you never know, your daughter may be fine!

Don't beat yourself up. I would imagine most people go through this type of thing. I know for sure that I have times when I feel down and think i should have travelled and made more of my life - whilst at the same time feeling very guilty because I know many, many people would give anything to have what I have i.e. kids, husband, lovely friends. My gut feelings when I read your post were: mid life crisis - I have no idea how old you are but perhaps you are at that point that I feel I am at - not young anymore but then not old either. grass is greener - perhaps if you had pursued the things you mentioned above you would now be pining to have what you actually do have now. Sorry if I am not making sense but I imagine you are not alone with these thoughts. It is hard beause it is not the type of thing you can readily talk about I guess for fear of sounding ungrateful. I also agree with what BeccaL says about the work. I don't know you but perhaps you are partly missing the life you used to have and now everything revolves around your little one you feel you have lost the 'you part of you'. Crikey I really am sounding crazy now! Sorry also if I am trivialising. If you feel serious about this and it really is getting you very down go and get some professional help - someone who is trained to talk properly about these things. Good luck and don't feel bad about these thoughts.

Nurse Jenny is fabulous and I am sure she will (modestly) love reading this. I am also very lucky have Jenny as a great friend. We love Jenny! :))

That is lovely. Thanks for sharing it. Brought a tear to my eye.

byngo Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Does anyone have a link to the report?- can't find > it on ofsted site. I assume Mr Voller is the new > permanent head? Was he one of the 2 super-heads? > All info gratefully received - my daughter just > got offered a place there for next year in > reception.... thanks Byngo, I have a spare one - I presume we live very near each other so I can drop it though your door if you PM me your address. I am on Goodrich Rd.

Verona, I've been having one of those days today and managed to do the kids' room and the living room. Did the living room after bedtime so my name will be mud tomorrow as I've put all the lego away - oh dear, they are going to go mental. It will all be back out by midday. Yes, paperwork is a pain plus all the course manuals that I hoard. It is going to be our bedroom tomorrow plus a trip to the tip. Gonna feel so good afterwards though. Thanks for all the tips everyone. I've enjoyed reading this and realising that I am not alone. 15 mins per day per room sounds good. I feel good now that I have recliamed some surfaces today. If someone was to send me flowers I'd have somewhere to put them now!

Lol - love it! I feel much better now. I forgot about the cupboard tops too - totally full of crap and on display. Would love to have one of those homes with a big vase of flowers in the window, matching furniture in our bedroom and a bed that is nicely made and doesn't have clothes, belts, story books and everything else strewn all over it. The teachers must be laughting behind our backs Pickle when they send the boys home with their Junk Modelling and paintings. Thanks everyone, I must confess though that I don't even have a toddler to mess things up any more. My kids are at school so I have no excuse - but thanks again! Cheered me up! Liz x

I was just wandering if anyone here in the family room is lucky enough to live in a home that is always tidy and has lots of clear surfaces. To me this is the holy grail. In order to put anything down something else has to be moved and piled on top of something(s) else. Toys in every room, pictures everywhere and generally junk. To add to it I also work from home so contribute my fair bit too - cannot just blame the kids. Sorry, I know this sounds crazy but I really am sick of the mess and always imagine other people living in homes that are lovely and tidy and well ordered. Please tell me your home is messy too :)) Liz

Just to throw another one in. I used weebly.com after seeing my friend doing her site for her business. It looked really easy and it was. I used it for my business. I also then recommended it to another friend who has used it for her business too!

I'd also recommend Bromley.

I've sent you a PM Bee74 as I have a bag I was going to ebay this week. Thanks, Liz

Thanks dulwichgirl2!

Today was the day (a lovely sunny one too) for my birthday walk. We went to Eynsford by train from Peckham Rye and walked to Shoreham and got the train back to Peckham Rye from there. Only about a 35 minute journey. Thanks everyone who recommended where to go. Chose this walk because it was easy to get to by train as I was worried about getting stuck in traffic and then late for school pick up. Got 9.55 from Peckham Rye and then train about 1.40 from Shoreham after a massive pub lunch. Would recommend the walk to anyone wanting to get away for a few hours into the beautiful countryside. It was also very flat so very easy and only about 3 miles. Thanks again, Liz

Some pasta already cooked that you could reheat in a sauce like pesto. Having frozen stuff that you can take out in the morning and reheat e.g. bolognese, lasagne. I used to cook big batches. Vegetable soup. Hope this helps x

Thanks Muffins78 this is so helpful. Your advice is appreciated and it makes sense that it is practice that counts. Thanks again, Liz

This is great. Thank you. I have a few weeks to look into the routes and decide where to go. Will also get the Time Out book. It is nice to have a thread too about fairly local (to London) walks to do in a day.

Muffins78 and Pickle, thank you both very much. I've signed up for a distance learning course and now have all the books. I am slowly having a read of them and looking forward to getting started. I shall take on your advice Muffins78 once I get started and can feel more confident about it all. Pickle, that would be great please. Thank you I will catch you at school when we are both not rushing about! Thanks, Liz

Oh thank you all so much. I am spoiled for choice now but as Spring is coming it is great to know of a number of places to explore that are easy to get to. I really appreciate your help. Just hope I have nice weather on the day! Thanks!

Jacks50 - last year my son went as Mr Gum. Here's what we did: Black fleece that looked a bit ropey. Old t-shirt Trousers that were too short. Made a black sort of top hat (too small) from black paper. Got an orange piece of paper and cut it into fringes and stuck it onto his face for the beard. Put some dark eye shadow on his face to make him look grubby. Believe it or not he won for his year group and I am HONESTLY not an arty and crafty mum. My costumes are cobbled together on the morning and usually make me cringe with embarrassment. I was talking about the dressing up with friends earlier and another good suggestion was Harry with the bucketful of dinosaurs. Usual clothes, bucket full of toy dinosaurs.

Thanks womanofdulwich a pub lunch would be nice too.

Hello Would anyone be able to recommend a nice countryside walk that could be done in a day please? I was thinking of somewhere like Kent or Sussex as I would need to be back in time to pick the kids up from school at 3.30. So drive/ get train after school drop off, do a walk of about 3 hours and then back home again. I am sure some of the Forum users are very familiar with the surrounding countryside and may possibly be able to recommend a website or a route. This is how I want to spend the day on my 40th -I am sad I know. Thank you for any help you can give. Liz

Hello, Does anyone have any experience of doing these qualifications please? I am planning to start at Level 2 and take the distance learning route rather than classroom based. If it goes well I'll do the next levels. Just wandered whether anyone had done this and if the level of work was manageable or overwhelming. I understand these are sort of 'How long is a piece of string?' questions but any feedback would be appreciated. I am pretty self disciplined at self study and both kids are at school now. My other work is part time so I should be able to fit it in. Also, did you find the qualifications put you in a good place for finding work in a finace role? Thanks very much, Liz