Moos

OK, thanks DaveR. Very laconic. But seriously, Trollope (like Dickens) created novels with huge, community-wide scope and he wrote beautifully, but unlke Dickens he also created subtle, complicated, believable people to inhabit his plots. Not so much on the social issues of the day, I'll grant.

Shush.

*joyfully kisses the Carnell* Anyway, I don't care. Just got to keep on trucking, and indeed find other ways to express my fabulousness. I'm presently one of a pair of Viking beards the Moosling & I made today, and slaying dragons.

Anyone want to have a stab at why Dickens is world-famous, and Trollope distinctly 2nd XI?

You mean there may still be hope? Don't lead me on, Carnelli. I read a terrifying article t'other day in which it was stressed that you must never force children to eat anything, but that simultaneously it is vital that they be introduced to a wide range of healthy foods, and just poking at them on a plate doesn't count (I checked).

I think we'll call that a partial success. The baby ate his, mashed. The big'un said he doesn't like carrots or parsnips or potato or sweet potato or onion, only the chicken and the couscous. I didn't mention the garlic. Hey ho.

Dear friends, please don't fight. You are all so kind. Btw, made a yum supper for the sprogs.

Oh, missed several posts - I mean thank you ALL! Clearly I am a klutz, but what can you do. I don't think the odd sliced thumb is all that painful, at least not for long. But the crying! Terrible. Damn those onions, why must they taste so good?

Thank you both! I shall certainly try that. I have an excellent knife, very sharp. I like to think the couple of drops of blood that escape into most of my stews adds flavour and reduces the need for seasoning.

Yes, I do realise that even asking the question at my age makes me as dumb as a stump. But it has to be done. I hate, hate, hate cooking and am not very good at it but have to do quite a lot of it for the smalls. Anyway we have a food processor but it either slices veg or reduces it to mush, it doesn't do nice dicing. So any tips on how to do it by hand without taking off the edge of your thumb, or else taking hours over each onion? Your scorn accepted, your useful tips gratefully received!

Sure that one doesn't belong to the Missus, *Bob*?

Why 3 Sept, Mac?

Thanks, sg. It's payment in advance for the term, and I do wonder whether places in the summer term would come up.

We used a drop-side crib, but once the small realised he could sleep right next to me he preferred to do so and didn't like to fall asleep on 'his own'. But it did give me total peace of mind wrt safety as he couldn't possibly fall out of bed. I really liked co-sleeping but found it tricky with regard to comfort, as it was difficult to move around from the feeding position of lying on my side, with the baby next to me under my stretched-out arm. It's best if you don't share bedclothes with your partner (e.g. a duvet) as you if you do it's hard to ensure that the baby doesn't share the duvet too. I think the best thing is for you to have your own blanket and wrap it around yourself, while the baby is in his own cover or sleeping bag.

Moosling off to school (sniff) in September, and I've heard a lot about the tiredness and stress of the first term for little ones as they adjust to school life. Also heard that the second term is very hard, as this is when the actual schoolwork, homework etc. really begins. I'll be going back to work at the same time but very much hope to be able to work short hours so that I will be able to pick him up from school. However, this will probably mean taking advantage of the pre-school "club" from 8/8.30. So, in the context of all this for the little chap, I've discovered his school will offer a swimming club once a week after school. Keen as I am for him to have the fun of being able to swim - he loves going to the swimming pool but can't actually swim at all - I wonder whether it would be better to put it off for a year. I can't imagine a space will be available in the summer term only. I would be really grateful for any advice from parents of schoolkids as to what their experiences were, and how it affected the little ones. (School at four!! It's just not right)

It would certainly be the ironic Oliver Bonas kind: a tea-towel with 'Thanks for the day off'. Mrs. Snorks has a T-shirt with 'It Could Have Been Me' in diamant?, but she knows Snorky doesn't like her wearing it, it makes him a bit jealous.

Perhaps you were served soft white underbelly by mistake, goodness knows why.

That must be where East Dulwich is going wrong.

Is Glastonbury a bit corporate, then? Goodness me.

Baaaaaaaaaaaap! I invoke Huncamunca's 3rd Law of Predictable Shite on this thread and declare it closed.

I'm getting tired now. Can you offer a prize, or something? I can't just keep on dancing for your amusement.

Is that.... no, no ... no, hang on, it is... is snorky smiling at the keyboard?

My apologies. You can see why the confusion, although I should have spotted the missing 'shite'

Oooh, ooh, ooh - I love Paul Simon, laaaaaaaaaaaahve heeeem. thanks for the tip, snorks! Big kiss!

'Tain't, though Strafer. OP wasn't wanting to discuss generic cons. S/he wanted to know whether s/he'd been conned here. Not that anyone seems to know. Anyway, I think we're illustrating how difficult it is for admin to get it right!