blainiac

Why not call it c**k sucker? Truly dreadful, pathetic, unimaginative and misogynistic

Penny Hill Park, Surrey is really great. And it has a really good restaurant.

Typed

Goals Beckenham (next to Gambados, Copers Cope Road). They do the whole thing for you, including party bags, food etc.

I am a SAHM who ogles my male cleaner while he does the ironing, as I watch daytime telly and smoke fags. My toddler meanwhile messes up the house for my cleaner to sort out while spilling Fruit Shoots all over the carpet and crushing jammy dodgers into the walls and furniture. My husband thinks the cleaner is excellent value at ?10 per hour.

I started out in a flat in Camberwell 20 years ago, then a house Dog Kennel hill way, then rented Woodwarde Road. I looked and looked in East Dulwich for a suitable property to buy. Kept finding the gardens and room sizes too small for the price of property and thinking I could live with that - but in the end I thought it daft to spend so much on a house with such a titchy garden just so I could wander down a street of nice shops and get a coffee. At the time I was looking to buy a 4 bed was ?650K-?750K. Circumstances changed and I found my budget reduced considerably. I am in sydenham now with a four bed victorian property, 100ft garden, culdesac, opposite a park (there are loads and loads of parks sydenham way). Two minutes walk station, 15mins into Victoria. It is the best move I could have made. I have discovered a whole new world of M&S food, Waitrose, bike shops, Kelsey Park, Wells Park, Mayow Park, Crystal Palace Park, Bromley shops & glades swimming pool, 2 minutes drive gambardos, Beckenham Spa, Beckenham Odeon, the joys of LIDL - i could go on. We also have a Blue Mountain, and great Bookshop here too. I am a convert and thought at one point I could never leave Dulwich. I can still visit all my old haunts by car within 10 minutes. To be honest as the boys have grown and having a garden they can tumble into and one that will fit their trampoline there has been no looking back. There is community here. There is community everywhere in London if you look and definitely life outside LL. I thought that Crystal Palace, Sydenham and Beckenham were the a**e-end of nowhere when I first got to south london from north, but in fact they have proved to me that they are not. I could never leave london - country is a place you visit, and remember your kids will not thank you when they are teenagers and you become a 24hour taxi service because their best mate lives in the next village.

How about this one at Thr Albany http://www.thealbany.org.uk/event_detail/527/Family/3-Little-Pigs

When our eldest was tiny we went to Madeira - short flight (3.5hr as I recall), warm and sunny, no time difference. We booked it very last minute and were a bit worried (it's a big destination for the retired set), but we had a great time, and saw in the new year with the most amazing fireworks I've ever seen in Funchal. Try Reids Palace if money no object.

Have you thought about reading with children who need extra help to get experience? I have volunteered with http://www.vrh.org.uk. If accepted you will receive relevant training. Once you are placed in a school, then perhaps this might provide opportunities to obtain further experience. Hope you find a placement soon.

I had this with both my pregnancies. Do not worry or stress about having to take the insulin if you have to - it's whatever's best for the baby. Fingers crossed you can control it with diet! I found the following of use diet wise in the mornings - in the am next to no carbs or a slice of Rye Bread with protein of some kind (ham, cheese, egg, bacon), spinach, mushrooms. Milk has sugar so if porridge make with water (not to my taste but it fills you up). No fruit or juice as sends your levels through the roof. Tea or coffee with no milk. The rest of the time you are kind of following a Hay diet of sorts - the food combining works. When you have carbs you have to cut the portions; everything should be as unrefined as possible. Eat loads of leafy greens, sweet potatoes I found were a good sub for ordinary spuds which are best avoided as they have the highest sugar content of any vegetable. Cut out all biscuits, sweets, chocolate (although a couple of squares of 90% dark was OK). Puddings were extremely limited, things like panacottas I could handle as the fat of the milk counteracted the sugar of the fruit. Low sugar yogs. You need to eat fruit but space it through the day and eat with a handful of nuts. Don't have your fruit as a pud. All in all it is difficult I won't lie to you, but you will not put on tons of baby weight and you will be really healthy following the diabetic diet. Most importantly exercise - even flinging your arms about and running on the spot will get your levels down. If you have a supportive partner who can join you in your new healthy diet all the better! You will have the best care though at Kings and a fab team of midwives. I had to have CSections with both mine, so do familiarise yourself with all that this entails early on to avoid any heartache. They are not keen in letting you go over term for all the reasons that you outline above - stillbirth etc. If you want a natural labour really go all guns to make this happen, visualisation, hypno whatever it takes, when it comes up to your due date. Try and enjoy your pregnancy - it is hard with the diabetes, but think of the good you'll be doing you and the baby by being a little bit strict with your diet. On a positive note, both my sons had no problem with their blood sugar after birth, and I returned to normal with no sign of the diabetes (so far!). Good luck with it all and enjoy your baby!

Gilbert Giggles - have booked him twice - highly recommend (he's very loud!)

We love all those you mention sillywoman plus Snore & Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen Alexis Deacon - Beegu The Night Pirates - not sure who by Anything by Richard Scarry - What Do People Do All Day / Busiest People Ever Lost & Found - Oliver Jeffers The Runaway Dinner & The Pencil - Allan Ahlberg & Bruce Ingman

Have you looked at the BRIT school, Selhurst. They take pupils from all over London and I know of someone here in East Dulwich who studies there. They have a very strong Art & Design department, although most people associate the school with music as they have a lot of Record Co. sponsors.

Read this - made me feel better. Just lost out on a house which a week ago i "had to have". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/houseprices/7323706/House-prices-to-suffer-significant-correction-in-2010.html

Kip McGrath have centres all over the place that tutor younger kids.

If diggers are your thing try Diggerland in Kent - we have had a couple of great days out there. Wall to wall JCB's......diggertastic.

Perhaps you might consider getting a cat - my brother had a house that was overun. He was at his wits end and his girlfriend was threatening to move out (I wish she had as it goes). They got a kitty and the problem was solved, the mice moved out - unfortunately the girlfriend stayed. I appreciate getting a pet might be seen as a little drastic by some and sometimes they aren't a good mix with small chidren (although our cat loves ours - she is the boss of them though). Good luck with finding a solution.

ITATM - there are lots of things that are dangerous and annoying in life - my husband in charge of small chidren for one. Shoshntosh - the voice of reason I feel. Changing your route is a good plan and I do it every day when I hit a dodgy bit of traffic. Common sense non?

Story Telling for under fives - Grove Vale Library 10.30-12pm Might be worth checking before you set out as I haven't been for a while.

Another excellent post Fuschia - thanks!

thanks for this - really interesting article - we now have the 6 yr old reverting to toddler tantrums in this house so it is useful to be reminded how to deal calmly and lovingly (really really hard) and not to give in just for a quiet life!!

I picked up a leaflet from King's Oral Health Team and they recommend a toothpaste which has at least 1,350 - 1,500 ppm fluoride in it. Then the whole family can use it. It's a problem if you start off with kiddy paste because if you have a fussy 6 year old like I do, they then refuse to move up to the stronger versions - they still want to use the milk teeth toothpast when all their milk teeth start dropping out. There is currently only 1 brand of toothpaste that is acceptable to our child - i have to buy in bulk so we don't run out!

Wood Green is the pits (esp. Wood Green Shopping City which is just vile), followed swiftly by Palmers Green, Bounds Green -basically anywhere with a Green in it - quite fond of Golders though for nostalgia reasons

There are loads of activities for toddlers in East Dulwich and nearby. With my toddler we've recently enjoyed Ruby Rhymes (?5 / ?3 concessions) at the Herne Hill United Church (10.30 mondays). As it's a drop in music class, if you can't go one week you don't waste a session. There are also other classes at other venues including Vauxhall City Farm which I haven't tried yet but hope to - www.rubyrhymes.co.uk. Also Busy Bees at the Horniman Museum (Weds & Fridays) - the Horniman is one of our favourite places to go as there is a music gallery where they can play instruments & an aquariu. Rhymetime at Dulwich library (Weds am), Baby & Toddler group at Dulwich Library on Thursdays am & pm sessions - all of which are free. There is Tiny Gym at the Camberwell Leisure Centre (mondays)& Peckham pulse soft play (don't bother with Tumbletots you're better off with these two), various 1 o'clock clubs (Peckham Rye / Brockwell Park / Ruskin Park). Plus loads of fantastic parks, Dulwich, Peckham Rye, Ruskin, Sunray Gardens. Try this link to what's on for children in Camberwell & Dulwich http://www.southwark.gov.uk/Uploads/FILE_43664.pdf Also check dates & times as I may be incorrect on some of the above.

it's really worth getting a family season ticket for exhibits like this. I think we paid ?26 and then you have unlimited admission for the whole time the exhibit's on for 2 adults and 2 children. So you can keep going again and again, or go with a mate and their child if you haven't got the whole family with you. Think under 3's go free any way - you'd have to check on that point - maybe it's under 5's. Think Robot Zoo's coming to an end 8th November though.