Hollybush

Only done it at home once but we had 17 for lunch! If doing from scratch do lots the day before - e.g. carrots peeled and chopped and into a ziplock bag in the fridge. Also potatoes, sprouts. Also divide up tasks - get your friends to bring something specific like the whole pudding course or cheeses. Not really a meat person but either Flock and Herd (bellenden Road) or Matthew Rose (lordship lane) seems to be the place to get a turkey around here.

Thanks, they are not picking up (as usual!), may have to go there...

Hi, Wondered if anyone knows whether there are Adult and Child level 3 lessons at Peckham (or Camberwell) on a Sat / Sun am? We're doing the level before at Dulwich with Karen and Deanne at the moment but won't be able to make the 11am / 11.30am times in the next term as we'll have new baby in tow... Many thanks for any tips.

Camberwell Grove EYC do hot lunches and probably the other Southwark Early Years Centres.

Asda seem the best I've found for tiny waists. My children are always in baby trousers! Hennes might be OK too.

Yep GMs are ?15 now! Get a mobile hairdresser to come to your house - find a recommendation on the boards here. I used Lena Sousa and she did a 4 yo for ?7 and a 2yo for ?5.

Thanks, am sure it was a grey one now having seen those pictures and also googled the red one with ear tufts!

Maybe it was that then. Can't remember about ears. It didn't look as bushy tailed as a normal grey one, but maybe just old or something! I will have to keep an eye out to check again, though I'm sure you're right, it can't be a red one!

Is it possible that I saw a red squirrel at East Dulwich station? It really did look red not grey, but I didn't think there were any around here!

Babyhawk - can use front (when they little) or back. We went to Europe on the train to various cities and only took one suitcase, one 2yr3m old and one sling. He still fits in it at 4. Now mostly use for a nearly 2 yr old.

I think it would be possible to carry on, but the baby may decide otherwise and forget about it. With a few regular feeds I'd expect to get a bit engorged and can either express a small amount by hand to stay comfy or express with a pump. Still feeding my 20 month old despite a 5 day break at 18mo - I would like to finish really and think I missed a window at about the 13-15mo age!

xposts with Mummynegin - and she explained it much better than me!

If you are asking - does putting the school 2nd/3rd mean you are less likely to get it, the answer is no. If you don't get your first choice, you are effectively applying to your next choice with everyone else regardless of where they placed the school. And the other way around - another parent might desperately want your 'local back up', that you put, say, 3rd. THey might have put it first but if they live further away than you, you would still get in before they would. At the end of the process, no children who wanted the school will be living closer to the school than the child who travels furthest to attend the school (and got in on distance, ie not siblings, special needs etc). It is a bit hard to get your head around the iterations that some computer must have to generate! So you can apply to some school 1 mile away first - a long shot - and you still have 5 choices left to be more realistic with. But yes, you should put some close by schools - if you put 6 that are 1 mile away, there's a fair chance you'll get none of them and be allocated somewhere further away. I think this is where people get confused - they mistakenly think that the system will have to give them one of their choices even if they put lots of distant schools or only put 2 down. Sorry to go on or if I misunderstood the question! I really hope you find a couple of local schools you like - much less stressful in admissions process, and think of the time saved with 7 years of the walk to school (more if you have more than 1 child!).

Maeve, You should definitely fill in 6 places in the genuine order that you prefer them. You also should definitely look at and consider all the schools near you - round here that can be quite a few! I filled at least 4 choices within a 10 min walk and probably the other two within 20 mins. I guess the reason that the outcomes are a bit unpredictable around here (unless you live next to your no.1 school!) is the population density and no. of schools). Its true some catchments are 300m, but these vary lots from year to year due to siblings etc. So there's nothing wrong with putting your favourite school top even though it is quite far away, as long as you have good back ups and realistic expectations. THe not knowing is stressful, especially if you end up on waiting list, but it seems to me that none of the schools locally (my knowledge is around ED station area) are bad at all. The attitudes that seem quite common around here about avoiding terrible schools and getting into the 'best' one are not really that helpful to families or the schools. (sorry that may be a bit uncalled for and not related to your OP but a few conversations recently have narked me!)

Hi, good advice above especially on the feeling of control and the distraction. What worked for my lo at 3.4yrs: - Just he and daddy went to appointment so he can have all attention (have 1 year old as well who would just complicate things) - Told him the day before that he would be getting an injection to keep him safe, told him where and about nurse and showed him on arm. Said it would be a quick pinch or something like thta and most importantly that he would then get his present / reward. He said he wanted cbeebies magazine so we had one ready. - Told him all of the above again on the day, tried to be matter of fact and concentrating on the present! Amazingly (imo as I personally hate all things medical!) he went for it all and didn't seem to be bothered by the actual prick - was very excited that he'd had it and got magazine & sticker. Having said that he'd not had an injection that he could remember so I can see it might be harder if she has already got a fear around it. Now dreading the 12m and 15m jabs for the baby though - I can just see the wounded looks I'm going to get. Good luck x

Sorry this happened to you. How bizarre though, why would they want to find you again at all, surely makes more sense to nick teh purse and get out of there. Half a conscience?!

I see people with the pannier & child seat combo and am always jealous as can't make it work on mine. On the other hand I hate the seat flapping about once you've dropped the child off, so in fact I just walk the bike and carry the little one in a sling, then once I've dropped off I'm unencumbered.. Like the idea of a front seat though even though people say its less safe. seems more safe to me. My children have fallen asleep in the rear seat and end up lolling out the side - also any backpack tends to get right in their faces.

put some cheerios or something in the potty and get him to aim? Anyway sounds as though he's doing really well in terms of understanding and control so I'm sure it will come with time. Also novelty weeing - on a tree in the garden / park etc! Stand up wees like daddy?! Helps them realise /practice the new control. Also I would watch for that bursting moment that you describe and if you can whisk the potty under him and catch some, make a big fuss / give sticker & praise etc. I also used training pants from mothercare - like cloth nappies they feel wet if they wee but it holds at least some of it so a bit less messy / good for going out in the first few weeks. I found that weeing on the floor a good few times is a necessary part of the process of learning, so I just let him run around in pants for a few days. Worth perservering now while the weather's good for it!? Also I read that you should be careful not to be too negative about accidents - more just 'oh, look - your wee has gone on the floor! Lets wipe it up. Next time we'll run to the toilet .... lets get some dry pants shall we.' etc etc Seemed to work well with ours....

http://www.destinykidsnursery.com/news/destiny-kids-nursery-opens-in-september-2011.aspx Destiny Nursery opening soon on Copleston Road - not too far from you. Brand new though so no experience - there hasn't been a nursery there for 3/4 years since the old one closed. Worth checking out?

Train to London Bridge, then Jubilee to Bond st and walk from there - it's very quick although still escalatoras at Bond St I think.

Totally normal I think, they just do go off eating for a while. I've had the opposite - wouldn't ever open mouth for spoon until about 10m, but would just eat finger foods. If it is tooth pain, try calpol 30 mins before giving the meal. And definitely if they're tired, they just can't cope with mealtime at all. Trying to think of other finger foods for you. Cereal e.g. shreddies soaked in a bit of milk. Raisins if he can pick them up. Banana, Pear in large chunks he can grab. A roast dinner is a good finger food meal and not too messy (unlike spag bol!). Scrambled egg went down well with mine. Sometimes at that age, 8m, I would just make my own dinner on a plate and give him bits off it, rather than trying to make him something separate. It's true about the loaded spoon and how anxious we seem to feel about it but I really believe that we don't actually need to worry about it - if you try a few things and they're not eating, they'll be fine with just their milk for a few days.

Used to be Hayes Farm but I rang them on Thursday and they don't have any fruit to pick this year. THere is still a farm shop there. Hewitts Farm is still there in Chelsfield: http://www.hewittsfarm.co.uk/

Glad people are having happy endings. We are in same situation as you Vik, live a bit further from DKH so a couple of places below you - it's depressing to go down isn't it? Catchment started at 285m when they sent out offers. Southwark say late applications are causing the list to expand but it is suprising that many late applicants could live in between you and the school when you are so close - I guess there are blocks of flats very close though and maybe some late sibling applications which would also go in above us. Not to mention the 'lost in post' ones that Renata Hamvas mentioned on another thread. I guess it's unlikely we'll get a place now - just glad we have other good schools in the vicinity - both GG and Bessemer seem popular with parents. Our preference was based on convenience / shortest walk rather than thinking one school was particularly better in some way than other. There are some positive stories of people getting places from being very low on waiting lists though - so it's possible although might be after term starts - not sure we'd be up for the disruption at that point.

Yep, as Mrs Lotte says I think you can still be added to other waiting lists if you ask Southwark - and you would even leap frog others on the waiting list if you live closer than them. Everyone now wants to know why you're having doubts though!

LFC I've just seen you said you just received the offer, so I'm guessing maybe you applied late? If so you should be in a good waiting list position for Goose Green at least.