We have finished the babysteps - cautiously moving into toddler sized steps now.

[Carrotsandcelery]

You are all going to be so disappointed. My hobby is horse riding. Ta da!! I really wasn't trying to be coy. I didn't realise you were all so nosey took such an interest in fellow thread members I am totally mortified that it is not hang gliding or rally racing or anything a bit more adventurous

Hi all, home a bit earlier today which was nice, have Osteopath tonight and have booked myself onto Pilates for next week which should help, feeling a bit happier although work today was exhausting, in pain most of the day.

After getting a snack for DD have spent most of the last hour sitting drinking tea on MN...need to get moving..

The new flylady site is much easier to manage, can find everything easily. Think dd is helping to, ahem, declutter the cupboards for me at the moment...

I found that babysleepanswers website very good too, the one to one emails were great, have used it lots.

Also, blackcat if you have a look online for a sleep calculator, there are lots, that help you work out when you should go to sleep in order to wake up feeling rested - for example, they say that you should sleep in bouts of 1.5hrs - so say sleeping for 6 hours is better than sleeping for 6.5hrs, because you would wake at the natural break in your sleep, rather than the bit where you are deeply asleep in the middle of a sleep cycle - I found it helpful, I only get 6 hours if that a night.

Right, will stop moaning about MIL and think of some jobs she can do instead. the gutters need cleaning, he he...

Better get on, not sure am up to missions yet but at least I can get the house a bit straighter whilst DD eats the packet of weetabix she found in the cupboard (dry, yuck..!)

Morning all, anyone around yet?
I'm afraid I have failed yesterday on the washing up. It is all sitting there in the kitchen waiting for me to do. I need --a boot-- some encouragement to get started this morning.

How are you all?

Morning BlackCat - get that timer out, do 15 mins of dishes and I will give you one of dh's my choc digestives. Go, go, go....!

I have done the usual wash, lunch, school routine, the dishwasher is on, the washing machine is on and... the goulash is in the slow cooker Wish me luck with it everyone! I have also massively decluttered the coat rack as we are definitely past the kagoul stage and onto the ski jacket one (stylish is our middle name!!)

I am quite pleased with myself as I have been up with ds since 2am, on and off and ended up having horrid dreams when I did doze off. Yikes! That will teach me to watch that American Horror Story again.

I am now having a cuppa and a bit of a browse on mn before I do some ebay prep. Then I am undecided between baking or flyladying. What do you think?

You could do some baking (cakes) first then do a bit of Flying then eat the cakes as a reward for Flying

I like your thinking BlackCat. I can't eat the cakes though. I am under pressure to get ds to eat more and gain some more weight (wish I had the same problem) so I am hunting down a baking recipe that also includes some healthier ingredients as I don't want to just fill him with rubbish.

My dcs seem to be polar opposites yet they are like a mini me and a mini dh so I do wonder how dh and I generally get on so well (this weekend being the exception rather than the rule).

mmmm I agree with black

I've just put my third load of washing on(!) the other two are either hanging up or in the tumble dryer.

I've taken DD2 for a swimming lesson this morning - i was supposed to put stuff in the slow cooker before I left (930) but only just remembered when I read about carrots goulash. Am not sure whether to try starting it off on the hob or just having something else for dinner tonight. I've got a man coming round sometime after 1pm to fix the oven, so the elec will be off for a while this arvo...

I also need to get back to the carpenter about his quote for the understairs cupboard...

carrots how about these - they have cheese & broccoli in?

You have just reminded me, I need to do "Whats for dinner". I still haven't got in the habit of meal planning but am trying to do it one day at a time.
Right I should turn the computer off and get on with it!

I have a batch of cheese muffins in the oven as I type. I have never made them before so fingers crossed. I went for the plain cheese version this time to see if he will take to the idea, then I can add more herbs and veggies if he likes them.

It is not really a problem to get him to eat veg, it just doesn't have enough calories in it for him. I just hate stuffing him with sugar laden rubbish, even though the advice I am being given is nutella, chips, mars bars etc. It just seems wrong, wrong, wrong. These are high calorie but not rubbish IMHO.

bessie the welsh cakes look like a good option as well. I will give them a go when I have some more broccolli.

Muffins are out of the oven. I am not sure about the smell. I will report back once they have cooled and I have prised them out of the tin.

I am trying to make myself do some of the ironing. So far I have failed. Anyone got a booted foot handy?

Muffins all came out of the tin no problem which suprised me. They are a bit bland but mainly nice. I think the dcs will like them anyway. The recipe does give the option to add some fried onion or some fresh basil etc which, for adults, would make a difference I think. I will try to log on to my blog and add the recipe.

chips & mars bars? surely he should be eating more carbs not sugars?

I know bessie but he can't eat the quantity of carbs needed to add the extra calories. We are supposed to go high fat and high sugar to try to make it up. It scares me though. Surely it can't be good for his arteries etc. I know I joke about choc digestives etc but I don't want to pour that sort of junk into his lovely little body. He just ends up with a tummy ache anyway which just puts him off eating. Hopefully he will like the happy medium of the savoury muffins.

Ironically, dd has the opposite problem and puts on weight just looking at a grape

carrots - this sounds more like it

black how on earth can you meal plan without the internet for insipration?

I got this recipe book for my birthday, I can't decide where to start!

bessie that is comforting as that is roughly the route I have chosen to go with him. I am as that is an NHS website and the advise I have been given is obviously from the NHS too.

I give him a box of raisins and a banana and a yogurt and sometimes to an apple alongside his sandwich or cheese and crackers in his packed lunch. I give him a supper of 2 weetabix with warm milk at night time to try to add some more calories. We try to have weetabix or porrige with banana and honey for breakfast but sometimes it is a more commercial cereal. You know the sort of thing we have for tea - some healthier than others but lots of variety. He does get treats with his dgps on a Friday and here and there, especially during the holidays. It seems ok to me but he hasn't put on any weight for about 8 months, possibly longer. He has a cereal bar, raisins, fruit or crackers and cheese for his snack at school and has a lot of fruit, a sandwich, brioche sometimes etc after school. How much more food can you put in a child?

It is strange that we are talking about this as I have just received his appointment to see the Clinical Psychologist at the hospital. I am relieved this has finally come through as it has taken since April (that is the fast track!!) but I am terrified as well. It says the appointment will be an hour to an hour and a half. I have no idea what they will do. Hopefully it is the start of things improving some more though. [fear emoticon]

Where is Gossip btw? Her new dp appears again and she vanishes. I hope he is keeping the sink shiney!!

the oven man had the wrong part so they have to re-order - could be another 7-10 days before it arrives!

carrots why does he need to put on weight? I hope it's not just so he "fits" one of their stupid graphs?

this is another site I have found useful (it's what your GP should be telling you!) I had a very quick look, but couldn't see anything immediately about how to gain weight.

I'm afraid I have no idea about the Clinical Psychologist, but am at how long it's taken. I guess they book you a nice long appointment coz they don't want to have to cut you short. Hopefully they'll chat about what's happening atm, and how they can help (you to) make things better?

Carrots Hope everything goes well with your DS.

Bessie How do you mean? Do you mean I should get ideas from the internet?

I am afraid I am Lazy in the kitchen. Or maybe I have just never learned to cook well!
Perhaps you all could give me some hints and tips/ideas. Please.
I tend to go for the "take it out of the freezer, put it in the oven" approach.
I'll give you an example of some of what we eat:
Fish fingers,chips and beans
Sausage and mash & peas
Pasta bake (this one takes a bit more effort!)
Chicken burgers and chips.
jacket potatoes with fillings
Ham, egg and chips.

I need to sort my whole life out! I lack in motivation most days, (maybe I do need to go back to the GP)
Today I feel very lazy unmotivated.
OH dear.

I don't know what's happened to GOSSIP either - I do hope there's not been some kind of unfortunate incident while decluttering the bedroom

black we eat meals cooked from scratch most of the time - we tend to make double the amount needed & put half in the freezer so we can get a meal quickly on another night

here are my meal plans for the last few weeks/months - why not start by cooking something at the weekend when you have a bit more time? I used to try to cook one new thing a week, but that's gone a bit to pot since the DC arrived. I find BBC Good Food a good source of inspiration, and of course November's Fly lady habit is meal planning

I've managed to get my dinner into the slow cooker - it says 6hrs on low, so I think I'll leave it on high for a couple before turning it down? How does your goulash smell carrots?

Thanks Bessie I will have a look at those links.
I have got lots of recipe books. I might have to dust them off to get a few more ideas. I have only had a go a cakes.
Got to go on school run in a min and it's raining .
Will try to come back later on.

Thanks for the new link bessie I will read it once the dcs are in bed. The reason they are concerned about his weight is his lack of growth. If he was skinny but thriving and growing then they wouldn't make a fuss at this stage.

BlackCat if you have Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food book it is a good place to start. I have made veggie versions of nearly all the recipes and every one has been good. I also second the BBC Good Food website. It ranks recipes in order of difficulty as well so you can start with simple ones while you gain confidence.

You may find that if you cook from scratch more you will feel a lot better as you may well be eating a lot of salt and additives etc that are making you feel sluggish. I am no expert but I know that we are all healthier and happier when I am making an effort in the kitchen.

Once you have a few successes you will be more inclined to have a go. I really enjoy cooking and love trying new stuff.

We came home tonight to the goulash bubbling away in the slow cooker. It got the thumbs up from everyone so, so far so good.

I made sausage, mash and peas tonight. The DC wouldn't eat the mash or the peas but DH and I enjoyed it.

I think I have almost the opposite with my DS. I am trying to stop him snacking too much so he doesn't get fat. He is quite tall for his age(8). and he is well built. Tallness is in my family though so that is to be expected. I'm just trying to stop him eating too much junk.

Yummy - I love (veggie) sausage and mash.

I have the same problem with my dd blackcat. She used to be tall for her age and skinny but now she is medium sized and filling out a bit. I have to be careful as it is always when I get worried like this that she shoots off on a massive growth spurt, so I don't want to restrict her too much.

I am trying to work on the philosophy of encouraging good habits for life.

Unfortunately the stress of what is happening for ds has impacted on her and she seems to deal with emotional issues with food (much like me) so I have had to remove the majority of sugar from the house due to that. It has been good for us all tbh. I did let the Halloween stash be under her control though and she didn't go mad. Infact she still has some there which I think she has forgotten about.