KathyM

Oh God no, I won't miss him LMAO! Yes I will. I wish I was going - he gets to do the zip wire, and climbing, and canoeing, and all sorts Just feels like he's growing up too fast - you know he's even asked if he's old enough for a mobile phone?

There's a lot of horror stories about Rimadyl, but you'll find that most are down to guidelines not being followed. Rimdayl is a fantastic drug when used properly, even long term (with regular checks). I've had two very oldies have an extra 18 months of pain free and happy life due to long term Rimadyl use. I'm surprised that people have this misguided idea that Metacam is safer as one of the possible side effects listed by the people that make it on the actual packaging is "death" (not sure if the UK bottles have that listed on them but they do in the US). Both are very safe drugs when administered properly to the right candidates. Both should always be taken with or after food to avoid side effects. I actually read somewhere that Rimadyl wasn't taken off the human market for safety reasons - it was moved over to the veterinary market because that's where the real money is for the manufacturer.

Had a good weepy morning as Chris (10) has gone off for a weekend away with the school to this place. Argh my baby's growing up! And we discovered yesterday he needs deoderant, it's all go now, he'll get his hairy bits, then leave home soon.

On another board (snail one) someone is advising a child on how to breed and euthanise their own mice to feed to their reptiles. Apparently according to them, CO2 is the "kindest" way (bullsh*t), as is "knocking their heads off hard surfaces". Apparently that's foolproof, I must have imagined the "mistakes" I've seen in the past by others

Just Newcastle for the weekend to see my Mum, who is over from France staying with my big sis. Thanks everyone for the lovely messages - and Moonboo, I'm so sorry about Taz. If it makes any difference, Otis was running around like a youngster the morning of his stroke, and we were saying how he was the fittest ou of all of them. I think they go that way to spare us watching them go slowly (although Otis stuck around for a bit longer, which was hard).

Otis died yesterday Chris got into the school we wanted. I'm going away tomorrow.

So sorry Jules Got to get home and check on Ote. Very depressing fortnight after losing Luther (old age) and Orson (genetic illness like Rosie, his sister) too But I'm going up to Newcastle on Friday (coming back Saturday evening) to get an extra day with my mum who came at the weekend but I didn't get to see for long enough. Ended up blubbing on phone to big sister, and she suggested I went up and got more time with Mum while she's up there. If anyone's up there I might hit Trillians for a pint before I head up to her house LOL. Could murder one.

As a parent I do accept that there are other people about - that's why my kids don't often go for pub lunches (smokers and drunks), don't play out alone etc etc. I'm frankly sick of this quiet kid = good parent cr*p. What can parents do when their kids play up that'll make you happy? Beat them? Scream at them? Or give the child what they obviously want by taking them home and therefore compounding that as a valuable method of getting what they want? Wow that really will teach them a lesson. The truth is, the minute people who ar so vocal about children in restaurants etc so much as set eyes on one, that's it. Done. Let the tutting commence. Child just has to breathe to be putting child "haters" out. I'm quite happy to keep my children out of the way of the odd people who seem to be so threatened by being around them (shopping after midnight just to avoid them?! PMSL), and am quite happy to have family only areas, but not the other way around. It's not like those who are phobic of children don't get any time away from them, most pubs and restaurants have time limits on allowing families with children in. All they have to do is avoid eating where they know children are allowed if it's so sickening to them. Are us parents limited to dragging out kids to MacDonalds because kids don't deserve to be allowed where they might shock horror make a noise. What Lisa meant I assume by her comments was that you can avoid child friendly zones if you're so petrified of the normal little people in our society. We can't avoid complete arseholes making tutting noises and judging our children's every move when we take our kids out in *da da daaaa* public.

I think my neighbours have done a runner - YIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

Connie is making a batch of "Sicky bogey biccies" from green playdo - yummy....

Sorry but I was a bit worried by that story you told too, and I'm really sorry but I want to clarify before judging. You were happy having one of your dinner guests sent home so as not to embarrass you/your friends and then went on and finished your meal without them, then felt put out about having to pay? Sorry if I've misread, I just want to get that right.

til I Snow - I have no intolerance of those who don't desire children. It's pretty simple though - kids are part of society, if you don't want to be around kids then that's fine, don't go near them. It's a bit self absorbed to expect everyone with kids to keep out of your way though Edited to reword without retyping: What I mean is it's your personal choice to not want to be around kids. It's not realistic to expect others to work around one person's choice. Just like I choose to keep my kids away from places where they're obviously not welcome. Does that make more sense?

Maybe we should swing it the other way round and see how it makes the "antis" feel? How would you like it if you were told that a restaurant was family only, no singles, no childless couples unless through set times? I bet you a fiver you wouldn't bloody stand for it, and I right honestly feel sorry for the "children should be seen and not heard" brigade, because there's no worse upbringing for a child than stifling and scaring them into silent obedience. Children should be heard lots Obviously I understand that tantrums can be hard to deal with if you're a child hater, but think how hard it is for the parent - we're not all God and I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect child or a perfect parent. Really, some people need to lighten up and live life instead of limiting it for other people. There are bigger things in this world to get your knickers in a twist about - the future adults of our country shouldn't be "it".

I think they should definitely have separate areas for families so we don't have to put up with the child haters who tut and pull faces when they so much as see them in a public place No in all seriousness, I don't see people's problems with children, we all were them once. Mine are well behaved, noisy at noisy times, quiet when needed to be. Just normal kids. It's a shame some people have such a phobia of them - almost like they're waiting for them to play up (mine never oblige when out and about) so they can have a moan about something (they tend to be the same type of people that look for faults in anyone to make themselves feel better about their lives). I hardly bother taking them to these kinds of places because families are just not made welcome, which is quite sad really.