alexist

I think my favourite so far is the natural parenting board whose interpretation of the WHO marketing code basically means that you can't discuss formula feeding AT ALL because they think it constitutes "marketing". (Most recent example: woman asking about what formula to use because she had a double mastectomy and can't breastfeed: thread shut down.)

I hate most parenting boards, actually--I'm in the "little bit crunchy" category (big breastfeeding advocate, APer, babywearer, will be one of those mothers making homemade baby food) and on some boards I'm too extreme, but I don't really fit the natural category either. (I'm not weeping about my C-section and making plans for an unassisted home birth next time and I don't think vaccinations are actually a Big Pharma conspiracy causing autism/SIDS/disease of the month. There's crunchy, and then there's Frootloop. Anyway, I'm too much of a contrary-minded cynic to turn into one of the granola brigade. Witness my plastic-bag post. And when the school/home-school debate comes up, I tend to answer things like "My kids are going to school, because the earlier they learn the world doesn't revolve around them/life is a series of crushing disappointments/they are not unique snowflakes the better". It's my experience that the true extremist [of any stripe] has little appreciation for snarkiness, whereas I hold it dear.)

We went to Reading to meet with Neil's sisters and cousin (plus partners). Half of the Home Counties appeared to have had the same idea. It took us an hour to get from our house to the correct junction on the M4, and 45 minutes to get from the M4 into Reading and find a parking space. One of the carparks at the Oracle was full, the other listed as "nearly full". We kept following the "spaces" sign. Then we got to Level 5, and there were no spaces on that level and the sign wasn't indicating any spaces above either! Eventually we found a space.

We had lunch (I still can't chew properly), played pass the baby, had a bit of a walk as it had cleared up, and sat outside for a bit. Aliza was fussy, so we left a bit earlier than we'd like, and then ended up having to exit the M4 and find a place to park because she decided to scream for her bottle an hour early. Gooood baby. She's also discovered that pulling my hair is fantastic fun, so now leaving it down isn't much of an option.

Pictures were taken, I've just downloaded them and will have a review and see if any good ones came up. The thing is, once you put the camera in front of her, she stops smiling! We haven't worked out a way for one of us to make her smile while the other one takes the photo. Neil did quite a funny short video of her but the flat was a tip at the time and you can see the mess, so I can't post it ;-)