Who is hiding things in my flat?

Must remember to get a calendar.....

Thankmyou for that very useful tip, nina!

Those of you who have trouble remembering where you stashed the Christmas decs/cards/paper

I used to have this problem, but now when I put things away that I've bought in January sales i.e. cards etc. I write on the bottom of December page of my calendar. 'cards in spare room cupboard' or 'don't buy paper, it's in the loft'. Then when I come to need them, I just check the calendar

When I had my playgroup, we had a workbench (old wooden desk with a clamp on it) and some child-size tools - a saw and a hammer. A joiner dad kindly donated some offcuts and big nails, and it was a very popular activity, though it needed an adult permanently on duty beside it. Access to it was controlled by anyone using it having to wear one of the two "workman's aprons" made of heavy cotton. There was usually someone hovering waiting for an apron to become vacant.

My 2 1/2 yearold GS loves his HandyManny tools and spends ages fixing things. Normally this means battering something with a hammer or poking a screwdriver into any tiny space. He recently tugged too hard at the pull cord in the bathroom and the string came down. He was impressed when I brought out the big steps, allowed him to climb up to inspect the damage then asked him to hold the ladder while I mended it. He then climbed up again to declare it was 'Ok now'. I look forward to extending his technical skills as at home it's Mum (my well trained DD1) who fixes things not Dad who isn't quite sure which end of a hammer is the 'banging end'! He is currently fascinated by the ballcock in the loo cistern. By the way Jingl he loves his big sister's doll's house but is only allowed to play under supervision.

As I am hideousy tidy, I expect a visit from the borrowers any time - perhaps they are already here!
I had a man friend who made huge doll's houses for a hobby and he took me to a special 'miniatures fair'. There were the most wonderful things,such as a tiny doll's house in the doll's house, and the little one had a phone! However, I didn't see any children and I am pretty sure these beautiful houses and their contents were not made as toys.
I have found that young chidren like brightly coloured, plastic toys, and the wooden , expensive toys are bought by grandparents. The other things that doting relatives buy are huge stuffed toys, far too big for little ones to use, and just a damned nuisance in small houses.

I think it is a great idea to let your grandchildren use tools and make things - most children are over-protected to the extent that they never get to handle knives or saws. I saw a TV programme about itinerant herders in Mongolia, and the four year old children were skinning the dead animals with huge and very sharp knives!

DGS aged 10 visited and spent a happy hour using a hacksaw to cut twigs and balsa offcuts into firewood for the dollshouse open fireplace. It now has a good year's supply of fuel which does not seem to be going down. The Borrowers would have used it up by now.

After that he went on (under instruction) to make a table and a storage box for it, very creditably. For his birthday that year we gave him a small set of real tools - a pin hammer, a junior hacksaw, a finger drill, a mitre box and a metal 6 inch rule.

My GD has a lovely doll's house (lots of good stuff on the Sue Ryder Website) but it's a bit too perfect for my liking. I think if I went into Borrower mode and suggested making furniture from 'stuff' I'd be politely refused. However I did supply a beautiful vase of flowers using the pretty top of a perfume bottle and some little 'trimming' flowers.

I made a miniature workshop for DHs birthday a few years ago, with workbench and tiny wood offcuts and little tools and shelves for "things needing mended" ie small parts of various broken things. It had a cup of coffee, a slice of cake and a half-full beer mug.

Oh yes! Dolls' houses!

I tried so hard to get grandson to accept one.

I am into dollshouse stuff (no, sorry, it's called miniatures now that we are grown-up) and would love to have the Borrowers move into my lovely Jacobean manor house. I would even supply them with buckets of hot bathwater and real food.

Oh em. We're funny, aren't we.

Wish that were true Jingl - Maybe I just have a very tolerant race of Borrowers. I also wanted them to live in my house and there were times when I'd deliberately leave things out for them that I thought would be useful. Loved it when we finished a reel of cotton and always thought they'd appreciate Christmas stamps for a change of decor!

Elegran

For some time after we read the books, I did try to keep to an orderly routine!

So that's why the Borrowers have avoided my house.

Arriving at Heathrow on my way back from New Zealand, in a daze of exhaustion and jet lag, I approached immigration control and realised that I didn't have my handbag containing passport and everything else of importance. Panic! Collapse of stout party! A wonderfully kind member of the cabin crew came up behind me and offered to go all the way back to the aircraft and get it for me. I could have kissed her - maybe I did. I was so overcome, I can't remember.

Absent I did in fact have a similar experience recently. Hopped off the bus and crossed over to my flat. Discovered I'd lost my phone. Ten minutes later was back at the bus stop to catch it on its return journey. As soon as the door opened the driver grinned and held up my phone. Someone had handed it to him at the terminus.

I SO want the borrowers to live under my floorboards! I always have done since we read the books.

em, apparently they only like tidy, smoothly run houses so that they know what to expect regarding the household routine. So that'll be right with us, won't it?

I think Jingl has solved it - it's definitely the Borrowers. It's the only logical explanation for things turning up in the very place I'd looked earlier. Was gobsmacked last week when I spotted the pair of specs I'd been looking for, at the very moment I noticed I was carrying a pair around with me. Passed the hall mirror to see 3rd pair perched on my head!

I did a similar thing bagitha, also a long time ago. I got off a coach in Eastbourne to wait for my sister to pick me up to drive to her cottage in the country and then I realised that I had left my bag on the coach. No coins to ring her and no idea what to do. Then, 10 minutes later, the coach reappeared with all the passengers waving cheerily to me out of the windows and the driver hopped off with my bag. I can't imagine that happening nowadays.

Ah no. The Borrowers is a children's book about little people who live under the floorboards of houses and creep out and "borrow" bits and pieces from the big people who live in the house. They have very exciting (and sometimes very scary) adventures. It's a great book for children.

www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Borrowers-Afield-Avenged-Stainless/dp/0141322705/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322387194&sr=1-1

Not have I, Greatnan. And I still can't find the smoked salmon. I may have to wait until I can 'sniff it out'.

At least if you live with someone you can blame them for moving your things - I have nobody to blame!

I think a family of Borrowers have moved into my house. Specs seems to be their thing of the moment.