Chatting and Stepping! Stepping and Chatting! (and the odd rant!)

[carrotsandcelery]

Come inside for a and a and maybe even a if the mood takes you.

A thread for chatter and nonsense

morning carrots

carrots do you still want the yummiest carrot cake ever recipe

Got any chocolate chip?

Like the title!

Hurrah! You found me zoo.

Yes please to the carrot cake recipe.

I hate to start the thread this way but I need a bit of sense talked into me.

Dh has committed and massive parenting FAIL and I fear we may be in deep do do.

I put dd to bed last night and dh seemed to think it was a good idea to read ds a scary story. What the actual...?

He then proceeded to let ds sleep in beside him when ds was hysterical and couldn't get to sleep due to aforementioned scary story. No sh*t Sherlock!

We have spent 6 months sleep training with the help of a psychologist and now dh may have blown it all in one evening.

I might be inhaling a whole carrot cake myself at this rate zoo.

Scout whatever you do, however awful it becomes, stick to your guns and keep putting TS back to bed no matter what!!

the yummiest carrot cake recipe ever

400mls sunflower or rapeseed oil
300g light muscavado sugar
6large eggs,beaten
1tsp vanilla
1tsp allspice
6 medium carrots,fine grate
400g wholemeal self raising flour

filling
30g softened butter
40g cream cheese
1tbsp lemon juice
150g icing sugar

heat oven 180oc/350of/gas 4
grease and base line 2x20cm/8" round sandwich tins
pour oil into a bowl.beat in sugar and eggs,vanilla and allspice
stir in carrots
fold in flour
spoon into tins and bake40-45mins til springs back when lightly pressed
cool 5mins then onto rack

filling
beat together cream cheese,butter and juice.
beat in icing sugar slowly
sandwich cakes together
dust top icing sugar if desired

i have got kits running riot like a pair yobbos in front room
scout kit is trring to eat strawberry tops off kids table
atticus is trying to consume pplaymobile pieces

what a pair of scavaging reprobates!!!

He's SOOOO tired and he's playing games again like last night. He's DESPERATE for sleep. Desperate. He spent most of the morning cuddled with me, eating breakfast or doing quiet things like coloring and glueing/sticking. WHY WON'T HE JUST SLEEP?!?!

Scout - because he has just discovered that he has the freedom not to! Could you be a bit brisk and say something like: "I'm not giving any more cuddles, playing games just now because I've got lots of jobs to do and it's your time for a nap because you are very tired. Come and tell me when you are ready for a nap in your big boy bed." Then just walk away and get on withmumsnetting doing some flylady! Se if lack of interesting attention helps him to see that a nap might be the best idea?

I know he's at an age where's working out he's a separate person from us and that he wants reassurance, etc. But this is just insane. He's so tired!

I fear I got shouting and told him to "Get in that bed and stay in it for a rest!" Not loud shouty, but mum-voice shouty (the one that makes most Guides tremble as it doesn't come out much).

morning every one by the ay! I think I could do with joining TS in a nap but unfortunately, that's not going to happen today!

I think I may have pushed myself a bit hard one way or another last week, so aiming to take it a bit slower this week.

on the plus side, I discovered last night that I can do a basic vacuum of living room, hall, bedroom and sweep kitchen and bathroom floors in under ten minutes and that I can do a quick mop of the kitchen floor in under 5 minutes!

Scout I feel your pain and I am right behind you. Do it Super Nanny style. That was pretty much what we were told to do at the hospital too.

The first time they appear you say, "it is naptime, let's get you back to bed".

After that you just silently take them back to bed, no interaction, no cuddles, no fun, no chat etc.

It sounds horrid but you are doing them a massive favour really. Not all parenting is pleasant.

I know the method is not new or a revelation Scout. I don't mean to sound patronising. Just remind yourself how cut and dry it has to be.

NOW, can someone please explain this to my dh?

Arti I was amazed what could be done in little bursts once I stopped trying to make everything perfect and like a show home.

BTW zoo on your sink shining issues. Can you have the sink empty (except for the cat) and just give it a quick blast before you use it each time?

Yes, I keep putting him back. Or looking at him and he scurries. I couldn't co-sleep even if I wanted to because he thinks it's playtime in our bed and won't settle (even in the middle of the night in the pitch black).

I'm sitting on the edge of my bed. He keeps coming out to look at me and scurry back. Sometimes I have to go and put him back. But he's up and playing with the door or running between bed and his door. To be honest, I'm letting him in his room/out of bed as long as he doesn't come out. Because going in and putting him back into his bed was a game where he'd be out of bed even before I got to his door just so I'd put him back.

He's desperate for sleep. He has bags & circles. His eyes are glazed. Me, I could use a sleep and a proper trip to the loo (the minute I do, though, he's in with me), a wash and something to eat. But I can't do anything until he's out or he'll come to find me. That includes Flying because it's movement & exciting.

carrots - yes I think that has been my problem too!

Yes, I've just been putting him back.

I had a few moments of inconsistency last night but by hour 3 3/4 I was desperate myself. I fear in the end I sat in the dark and sang to him the three songs (in a loop) that used to work when he was new/BabyScout. But after five hours, closing in on midnight, I just needed him to sleep as much as he needed it.

Today I've been much better after the first 15 minutes of just putting him back with little/minimal eye contact (which is the hardest part for me).

All this stress, two day before my ECHO & Cardiology appointment -- my test and BP are going to be off the scales, I think.

SLEEPING TODDLER!!!! He's been in his bed since 11/11:05. Was awake still around 11:10/11:15 but he's out now. WAHOOO!!!!

Wahooooo indeed!
and YAY!!!
And Hoorah!

And well done to Scout for her persistence!

Argh, MN ate another post!

Thanks, arti.

I'm sorry I came on and just ranted away. Though I did warn you last night I might be grumpy.

carrots, WHY did MrCarrots read MiniCarrots a scary book? I'm very on your behalf!

zoo, did I read that right? Do your cats like to sleep in your sink?

I should be flying, or at least tackling my To Do list, but I'm enjoying sitting in bed, eating nuts and reading the news online via the laptop.

Ranting is fine! I didn't mind!

Scout I think, given the circumstances, ranting is totally understandable and, indeed, required.

I am glad TS is asleep now. I think you should just rest between sleeps as much as you can to keep yourself strong for putting him to bed.

MrCarrots read ds a scary story because it is part of book he loves. It has one bit in it which is horrible and unfortunately sort of describes something that has happened to a friend of ours. which makes it even more scary for him.

MrCarrots should have had the sense to skip it or change book but he read on. Ds is now so scared he won't ask for the book again so that issue is resolved.

Ds was still scared this morning though so I think we will go back to him in his own bed but with his cd player for a few nights and then try again.

MrCarrots knows all the "rules" but seems to bend them when it suits him a bit more than necessary.