legalbeagle

I'm afraid Keef you have identified a very common phenomenon. No idea at all why some women feel the need to do this, it is really annoying when you are on the receiving end and can really worry some people! I'm sure also that people exaggerate stories to make them even worse. I remember one woman telling me that she'd needed two hundred stiches after giving birth!! I pointed out that the only way this would be physically possible is if the surgeon was embroidering his name on her thigh.......

I went out for the evening in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We were going to a blues club and having a few drinks, so we walked. On the way back, after quite a few drinks, we went to a fast food drive through for a burger, cos I'd got the munchies. They wouldn't serve me, because I wasn't driving. The police stopped on their way past - presumably a pedestrian is a very unusual sight in Fort Wayne. They also told me I couldn't have a burger from the drive through if I wasn't driving and helpfully suggested I go and get my car and then come back again and then I could have a burger. I pointed out I'd been drinking so that wasn't a good plan. They said it would in fact be fine. "So. I can drink drive, but I can't be walk around with a burger?" "Yes Ma'am."

That sounds like a really stressful experience and totally unneccessary. Lots of children, including both of mine, don't like the hairdresser but that can be managed without making you feel that bad. What a horrible thing to do. I took my 2.5 yr old son to Headnizm who actually let him walk about a bit towards the end of the haircut, and the lovely woman just pottered along behind him tidying up bits of his hair as he went. She chatted to him and gave him sweets and though it wasn't a perfect cut because he is very wiggly, it was more than good enough. She charged me ?5. I'd highly recommend going to them to sort out your sons hair if you aren't happy with it still, and don't worry. You were not to blame here!

Update on my missing post in the hope that Tessa Jowell has some luck getting someone to take this seriously! Missing DVD has now arrived, took a month in first class post from UK Missing parcel has now arrived, took a month in first class post Missing birthday present from Hong Kong still not arrived, posted in late October Missing birthday present still not arrived, posted from Barnes 17 November Missing Christmas present for my 2 yr old boy still not arrived, waiting for a month, sent first class from the UK Also: Have now received three xmas cards that have obviously been opened and one bit of correspondence from my bank which has been opened, which I have had to contact them and tell them about just in case some fraud is going on. It is a mystery to me how the Royal Mail is still in business. I run a local business and if I treated my customers like this we, quite rightly, wouldn't last ten minutes!

Rook - if you are going with jewellry how about one of these necklaces? A really lovely keepsake, I have one with my two children's names on it and it's beautiful. Bet she'll love it. And cheaper than diamonds!! http://chambersandbeau.com/products/cat/the-classic-necklace-1-2

Fair do's quids. Consider me stopped. Most definitely completely and utterly halted. Without any momentum at all. Not so much as a wiggle left in any way shape or form. Finito. Done. Over. Nothing to see here. Move along now. Don't you lot have homes to go to?

Quids - I am not a catholic, but I do have an alternative thought on this. It is surely possible that there are people out there who genuinely believe in the catholic faith. They want to do good, and they try to do so, every day, in fact they devote their life to it. It is possible that the institution to which they belong lets them down, or does things it shouldn't, sometimes in a terrible way. But nonetheless that individual has a genuine faith, and has devoted his life to helping others. I don't know this gentleman, but perhaps your condemnation of the catholic church and "all those who work for it" is a little hard on him? Don't get me wrong, I agree with you on the big picture issues, and in fact am not a fan of any organised religion, but I still think there are individuals within those institutions who genuinely try to do good. Perhaps this gentleman is one of those people. Those forumites who seem to know him certainly think so.

My handbag is no longer my own. In fact I seem to travel with an amount of luggage rivalled only by the circus leaving town. Even when I am on my own and have an actual proper grown ups hand bag with me I still seem to find a nappy bag, a broken toy and five very old raisins in the bottom. Why is that?!

I usually get ready rolled white royal icing from Sainsburys. Cover the cake with that according to the instructions (it's really easy, you just lay it over the top and smooth it round and trim off any excess). Then you have a blank canvass to write/draw/stick on whatever you like. You can get all sorts of flowers, coloured icing to cut out shapes of babys fav characters, chocolate writing, etc etc from the baking section in Sainsburys. I am a total beginner and have managed this twice now without too much drama!

Well if pressure from this thread is working then please keep it up! I am still missing: Birthday present posted from Hong Kong at the end of October (usually takes 5 days) Birthday present posted from Barnes on 20th November A dvd ordered on the internet which is a christmas present - posted about 3 weeks ago My sons brio train set tunnel which is a christmas present - posted about 3 weeks ago After Christmas I really won't use the Royal Mail again unless there is absolutely no other way. Fed up now!

I have just given up any hope of getting two birthday presents, one posted in London mid November, one posted from Hong Kong eary October.......Will not bother using Royal Mail now unless I absolutely have no other choice! I also think someone is stealing my magazines, which just aren't turning up any more so I'm going to cancel my subscriptions......... Bah humbug!

Poor thing I feel really sorry for her. I know in hindsight it wasn't the best plan but we've all done things like that I'm sure. I once took both kids out in the car and was really very very hassled that morning because I'd had no sleep and they were being very naughty. Returned to find my front door wide open, as I'd left it and a fox asleep on my sofa! Luckily no opportunistic thieves had passed by! At least she got the car back, sounds like it was very important to her job/childcare arrangements.

Puffin I've PM'd you.

Well now you've gone and made an innocent remark sound like gay slang. I tut in your general direction.

Will

You're my World - Cilla Black (Sorry, it's a compulsion, I know it's really rude, I just can't help it)

I must say *Bob*, you paint a rather tempting picture - a small sweat-cooled baby elephant with a slight wiff of car fumes. You must be beating them off with a sh*tty stick!

Love makes the world go round - Madge

sack

How deep was his love?

I had both my babies at Tommy's and they were just completely and absolutey fantastic. I know every experience is different, and two of my friends had babies in Kings with no worries, but i loved Tommy's and would always recommend them. I think their facilities are newer than Kings too.

I use that route every day to take the children to school and have lost count of the number of near misses i have seen, as well as one accident I was witness to, for exactly that reason. OP was in the right this time, Calton Avenue does have to give way, but the queues are so huge that I think people lose patience and drive ahead anyway. Not excusing them but I think that is what happens. Maybe worth raising with local councillors who seem quite responsive on this forum? It doess need to be changed, but I'm not sure what the best layout would be.

ClareC Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Definitely more accepted in house! I know lots of > part time in house lawyers too, I think the issues > are often that the days decrease but the work > doesn't! That sounds horribly familiar....but the price I paid for seeing more of the children!

newcomer Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thank you snowboarder for starting this post - it > would be fab for more views from full time workers > if there are any. > > There seem to be a lot of lawyers/ex-lawyers on > this thread. I too am an lawyer (ex-A&O, now > in-house). As my husband is still in private > practice and constantly works v long hours, it > will probably fall to me to be the main carer in > the relationship but I don't feel ready to 'give > up' my job altogether after so much training and > hard work to get here. On the other hand, I'm now > pregnant with a much-wanted baby and can't bear > the thought of only seeing him/her at weekends > either. I have also considered part time working > but am not sure if my employer would accept that. > > > Any/all advice from other women who have been > there would be much appreciated! I know lots of in house lawyers on part time working, if I was you I'd get some clients on side and then go ahead and ask!

KBN Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Really interesting thread! My daughter is 6 > months, and I'll have to go back at the end of a > year - financially we can't do without my salary. > I would love love love to be a stay at home Mum, > and that's after working really hard to become a > city lawyer. I've always known it doesn't mean to > me what it does for so many others, and now I've > had my mini un I feel that she keeps me fulfilled > in a way nothing else ever has. > > The best deal I could possibly get from work would > I think, be 4 days and 8 to 4 on the understanding > that I won't leave before 5 and would log in from > home in the evenings. Personally I think this is > too much, but don't know how hard to fight as I > need my job. Ugh. Anyone else tried to get > flexible working from city environments? > > Snowboarder, I really sympathise - it is such a > tough decision, and amazing how a little face > smiling in the morning can lift the whole day. KBN - I used to work in the city as a lawyer too. I gave up after beagle no2 was born and really wished i'd done it sooner. I love being a full time mum, even though it is MUCH harder than being a full time lawyer! But then again, I landed on my feet working for Green & Blue, who let me work when I can, when baby beagles are in nursery for a couple of hours. I have a lot of friends who have got flexible working from their employers, but they are without exception either in house (as I was, on a 4 day week) or professional support lawyers. You might want to think about one of those two options if you still want to work? I have also come across a few lawyers who freelance for banks/insurance cos etc, taking on discreet bits of work as counsel rather than a private practice lawyer with a practising certificate and insurance. Do you have enough contacts to do that and put your wee one in nursery a few mornings a week? Some food for thought I hope......