Trapped toddler parents: Inspiration and support needed through the summer hols!!

[PinkDaydreams]

Following on from the previous trapped toddler thread!
Sorry for rubbish title!

[Motherofmonsters]

DD has woken up 4 times already....

[Lostthetastefordahlias]

You are doing so well @squishymamma!! I had to have DS 6 weeks early by planned c section due to medical issues so I can’t say I know how exactly you feel but I can imagine between waiting for baby and looking after toddler it is very difficult to relax at all!

DD seemed to enjoy our woodland santa visit - she chose the seat the furthest away to sit on but was happy to go and get her present from an elf! I had one of those warm and fuzzy moments of just being so grateful we can do some festive stuff this year unlike last year. Then the mood was somewhat ruined when we went in the shop & she accidentally broke this huge hanging wooden Christmas tree thing that I of course then had to buy. The till lady kindly gave me her staff discount but it was not what I wanted to spend on!!
Hope everyone has a good Monday - less than two weeks til Christmas!!

[Lostthetastefordahlias]

Also I wondered how you were getting on @prettygirlincrimsonrose? I am finding December a LOT without a broken arm, I hope you are managing ok!

[Chocolatetrifle]

Evening everyone, how are you all?

@squishymamma. How are you feeling today? Did you get some rest?

Not much to report from here. DS1 had his preschool Christmas concert which has been recorded so looking forward to seeing it!

Have made these Christmas baubles with card and labels and wrote numbers on and used them with DS1 to put them on order, 1 to 10 etc.

Standard day here, DH off work today, we had a falling out, all ok now. DS1 and dS2 keep trying to spit at each other! I'm trying to be peacemaker and referee all in one. Oh, isn't it lovely and peaceful at home? NOT!

How was everyones' day?

[squishymamma]

Good evening!

We've had a rubbish day today, DS has been in nursery but complaining all the time when at home. Refused to eat any tea so we gave him half a tortilla before bed

DH and I have been off today, we get this every so often since we had COVID in April. Don't know if it's long COVID or something but it usually lasts for 1 day and we get all headachy, queasy, exhausted etc. Makes DS' whining so much worse and I'm worried it'll last longer than a day and I'll end up in labour while sick!

That's a really good idea @Chocolatetrifle. Enjoy the Christmas concert, do you get a link or something?

@Lostthetastefordahlias oh no, it's always a pain when you have to pay for something you/DC broke. Hope it didn't cost too much.

Hope you got some sleep last night @Motherofmonsters.

Shower and an early bedtime for me, hope everyone has a good night.

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma the refusing tea I think is common. My dS2 won't sit in his highchair now and won't sit still and barely eats his tea at the moment. DS1 will actually now most of the time sit and eat a meal properly so I know it will pass... It will definitely pass.........

[Camomila]

Hi all, just catching up on the thread.

@squishymamma my toddler doesn't tend to eat much tea either, I think they tend to be too tired to want to eat by the evening. Then just before bed he'll realise he's hungry and eat a whole apple, some crackers and a cup of milk. I try and save the interesting/healthy meals for lunch times.

@Motherofmonsters I have not been organised enough to do class Christmas cards this year So well done!

All ok here, I am feeling very lucky I got to go see DS1s nativity in person (it was at the beginning of last week, all the other Christmas events after got cancelled). A bit sad for my friend though - their first Christmas in their new house, planning on hosting everyone, and they all have Covid (they are just a bit sniffly/tired but stuck in the house and one DC is still testing negative so if she tests positive now she'll be in isolation over Christmas.)

[squishymamma]

Evening! How is everyone?

Good to hear it's not just my DS being difficult. Tonight we had rice which is his favourite so he ate a huge plateful of course

Glad to hear you got to see DS' nativity @Camomila! Sad to hear about your friend. My BIL has tested positive so is in isolation but none of the others have yet, so if they do we won't be seeing them as planned at Christmas...which is a bit rubbish but almost bound to happen with this new variant.

Still no baby, but planning a sweep tomorrow so fingers crossed that helps. DS was in fine form this morning until I refused to take him to nursery on the sled, then we had a tantrum. He's been having a great time playing tonight though, he has a racing car that shoots off when you press a button and it's his all time favourite toy. I can't wait to see him open his train set at Christmas though

Hope everyone has a good night!

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma hope the sweep goes well for you tomorrow, fingers crossed! Very exciting!

[Chocolatetrifle]

All ok here, not much news to report. Have managed to write some cards but not done any wrapping yet.
A bit worn out today with all this mum lark and looking forward to bedtime.

[Chocolatetrifle]

I completely crashed from half 8 until half 11 last night and feel a lot better for some more sleep!

Any plans for today? I'll take dS2 to the garden centre this morning and dS1 has his Christmas lunch today at preschool. I'll have to try to do a bit of work when DS2's on his nap and then this afternoon I think will get DS1 to help me sort his preschool teacher's card and gift. MIL is coming for tea as FIL is back in hospital after breaking two vertabrae in a fall.

Good luck for today@squishymamma.

[Motherofmonsters]

Good luck for today @squishymama hopefully it'll help hurry little one on.


Sounds like a good plan for the day @chocolatetrifle. We're off Christmas shopping in a minute for the standard food hamper items for all the grannies. No idea what else to get them. I've still got lots to do and need to get it done before Friday really as that's DS's last day

[Chocolatetrifle]

I have come back from the garden centre with a real tree as they were all half price, so now we have a real tree with tinsel and lights in our living room. I'm wondering how long this will last without the lights being pulled off. We will see.

Hope you get your hampers sorted @Motherofmonsters, they do make lovely gifts.

[Motherofmonsters]

I have not had a successful day, the shops I wanted to get my hamper bits from no longer exist. The drive meant that DD had a car nap at the wrong time and then we went to our toddler group that wasn't on. The kids have just fought continuously since getting home as well to top it off. New day tomorrow and all that.

[squishymamma]

Evening,

Have caught up on all posts but have no energy to respond sorry to hear you had a hard day though @Motherofmonsters. Hope you get to relax a bit before bed.

Had my sweep etc, only 1.5cm dilated and she wasn't very optimistic that anything would happen overnight so I'm a bit deflated if I'm honest. No energy any more for DS which I feel bad about, and just generally fed up of being pregnant! The wait continues...

DS has been pretty good today all things considered, though he had a little night party at 3am so was a bit tired this morning. It's crazy how you can love them so much in one second and then want to strangle them in the next, the paradox of parenting...

[Chocolatetrifle]

Try not to be deflated @squishymamma, a lot can happen quickly if you know what I mean. Baby will soon be here now. This is the hardest part. I only got to 1 cm dilated after my failed induction so I sort of understand the despair. You will get there. Keep as relaxed as you can. Don't worry about DS he is too young to remember really what is going on at the moment. I think I've mentioned that my DS1 was completely uninterested in dS2 when he arrived.

That's frustrating@Motherofmonsters. What will you do about the hampers? Some days it feels as though everything just goes wrong.

I basically had to say to DS1 to stop talking as it was one question after another at bedtime and my head was exploding. I just wanted silence!!

Sleep well hopefully everyone.

[PinkDaydreams]

Hope you're ok @squishymamma sending you positivity!!

[squishymamma]

We're actually doing well and in total reverse to yesterday, hoping baby stays in one day more, because DH got an interview for a job he really wants tomorrow morning at 10am thanks for the wishes/encouragement though @PinkDaydreams and @Chocolatetrifle.

Not much else to report as of now, DS at nursery all day where they've had a Christmas party so it'll be fun to hear if he enjoyed it. I think he's really working on learning to speak now, he points at things then looks really closely at my mouth as I tell him what it is. It'll be interesting to see how his language abilities develop since he's learning 2 at once, and I'm pretty much the only one who ever speaks English to him...

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[Motherofmonsters]

Well if there's something important happening tomorrow your asking for the baby to make it's move @squishymama.


Today was my last school run having to take DD with me and I'm so glad. I had to do the carrying screaming toddler performance this morning, She kept taking her Welly off in the queue at pick up and then her and DS had a screaming fall out complete with hitting in front of all the parents. DDs baby ballet was cancelled but we went to the park and had coffee and cake with a friend so that made up for it.


Hope everyone is having a good day

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma how are you today? Thinking of you. Good luck to your DH for his interview!

DS1's last day in preschool today. DS2 and I have just been to the farm shop.

Any plans for today?

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters, snap, my dS2 had a tantrum in a shop yesterday, full on crying because he wanted to take off his reins and coat. I felt like mean mum.

[PinkDaydreams]

Morning all!
Last day of nursery for Xmas today. Putting the tree up this weekend then next week I've got plenty of baking box set things to do, some new biscuit cutters to use with playdoh and kinetic sand. Also debating making some clay Xmas decorations, DS doesn't like painting though so this may not happen.
I think I'm going to make paper chains too. I've also been putting away the supermarket food catalogues to attempt some cutting and sticking.
The chistmas books will be coming out too so lots of reading planned.

I remember reading a thread last year and someone said they take their children swimming on Xmas Eve to tire them out....I'm so tempted by this!! Does anyone else have a busy Xmas Eve to ensure children go to sleep ok?

[Chocolatetrifle]

They all sound like brilliant activities@PinkDaydreams.

Ah, it's exciting the run up to Christmas now. Have to admit to feeling slightly panicked that DS1 will be home all morning and afternoon now there's no preschool for two weeks and I'm worried I'll just end up stopping fights and squabbles from the two boys. Sure it will be fine, I mean I've done it before right?.

My plan is to get them outside as much as possible weather permitting!

[squishymamma]

Hi!

Thanks for asking @Chocolatetrifle. Still no baby but DH's interview went well, fingers crossed he gets the job - we'll find out next week.

Fortunately most of DS' tantrums take place at home right now but I am certain he will also have many out in public. He does cry a little when he doesn't get his way but we acknowledge his upset then move on to do something else and usually it stops quite quickly - very very aware that this has just been luck though

Impressed at your creativity and activities @PinkDaydreams! I don't even know what we'll do this weekend let alone the 2 weeks DS is off...is it bad that I'm secretly hoping to go into labour this weekend so I get a rest? Here you get 48 hours in hospital after giving birth, in your own private room, and it's bliss

We have a friend coming for dinner so busy all night!

[Chocolatetrifle]

dS2 has had me up about 5 times in the night and then both decide that 5.40 is a good time for getting up....

@squishymamma. How are you feeling today?