Chatting, ranting and some stepping! Come in and have a brew with us.

[carrotsandcelery]

A place to have a blether, and a . All chatters are welcome, stepping or otherwise.

Come inside and settle down on the sofa.

Where did you get that motivation bessie?

it was BOGOF at tescos

I will have to nip in tomorrow. Alternatively we could go "halfers" if you like bessie.

I finally got the dcs to bed. We had a very calm evening despite some exceptional circumstances but it was beginning to crumble on my part when it took them so long to get sorted out tonight.

I have also just been noseying through beaders and jewellery makers on fb and discovered a beader who has made a bumble bee hairclip which is remarkably similar to my bumble bee brooch (the one I made yesterday). I was and a bit unjustifiably and a bit spooked out as well. How weird is that?

Toddler decided to melt down at bedtime (the thought of going to bed) and for the first time ever kept saying "Five more minutes" (I give him warnings which is where he got it from). He then melted down when I wouldn't give him "five more minutes -- trains!" after I had already given him ten extra minutes (after I gave a "two minutes until we go upstairs, Toddler" notice). But when I laid him down for a nappy change (I had to carry him upstairs, which is unusual) his eyes started to roll. I gave him extra stories and extra cuddles. I hope he's not getting this cold.

Perhaps you have both unconsiously seen a similar design elsewhere carrots? Either that or they are stalking you & peeping over your shoulder right now.....

I have noticed my patience wearing very thin, very quickly when putting the DDs to bed recently. Not sure why, but I need to (as DD1 keeps telling me) "stay happy" - easier said than done when you are waiting yet again for a dolly to be tucked in "just right" before anyone else can even consider going to bed!

DH is out tonight and is away next week tues->fri. Obviously I am very upset that he won't be here to put the bin out, but I'm sure I will manage somehow!

bessie I think it is once they learn that procrastination technique that patience starts to wear thin. If we are just doing what needs to be done then I am fine, it is when the faff starts that my patiences starts to crumble.

eg "Dd can you feed the dogs please."

Dd "whine, moan, excuse, whine."

Twilight starts to bark and scratch my legs.

Me "Dd can you please feed the dogs."

Dd "There is no dog food"

Me "Its on the shelf near the bottom on the right."

Dd "There isn't any. They have none. I can't feed them."

Me "It is on the shelf."

Dd "I can't find it, whine, moan, whine"

And repeat for every single little thing.

When they are little we just do everything for them so, although it is a shock to the system, it is relatively easy.

Once we have to get them to do things, it is a whole new exercise in calm and patience.

As for the bumble bee, I got the idea from a bead and metal work book we have, and adapted it. Looking at the other person's she has taken the main idea from the book and adapted it her way I think. Either that or she wrote the book

It has taken the vague wisp of a splutter I had out of my sails a bit though

Scout sounds like you are beginning on the road to the exact same problem too.

NIP IT IN THE BUD IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN

pin, blog, pin, blog, pin

I was supposed to be starting my meal plan tonight, but it's nearly time for bed!

carrots we are making your banana & oatmeal muffins tomorrow morning - do you think they would go well with custard for our pudding?

I don't see why not bessie. I should make some myself as I have 3 bananas that have been in the school bags and rejected a few times now and are looking pretty battered.

I am experimenting with using nail varnish to stiffen beading designs now.

This is code for: I am trying to stay busy as dh was supposed to be flying home from Heathrow tonight, he has not texted since breakfast and he is not home yet.

Ds's friend gave me a fright tonight by asking what was for pudding. We only have pudding very occasionally. I offered him 3 types of yogurt and he wasn't impressed. Then I offered apple pie and custard as we happened to have half of one in the fridge. He didn't like that idea either. Eventually he settled on a penguin biscuit. I imagine he won't tell his mum the other stuff I offered and will just tell her that at minicarrots house you get penguins for pudding

I wonder what he was ecpecting to get?!

Yogurt &/or fruit are the usual "puddings" here. Sometimes DD1 will have fruit in jelly and at the weekends we might have (cold) rice pudding/tapioca/macaroni. Oh and we do all LOVE banana custard, and DD1 loves to make angel delight since I got her a little whisk.

If we have anything it is generally fruit and yogurt too. I am intrigued. I think the Mum is the cook in the household and she seems quite amazing (I am in awe) so I would love to know what bar I didn't meet.

Maybe they regularly have Tiramisu or profiteroles or something

Tiramisu is the work of the devil.

Sorry, I went to bed.

Toddler was still awake when MrScout got home around 9:30 (I was in bed reading at that point) and was still awake around 10-ish. Knowing MrScout was home, though, I fell asleep and left him & Toddler to it. But TS crawled into my bed just before 4 a.m. I put him back around 4:20 (after a cuddle and nappy change) and spent the next hour returning him to bed. I got MrScout to do the 5:15-6:00 block of returning to bed (I have such a sinus headache & my face is so full it feels like someone's squeezing it that the constant up/down/bend over nearly put me in tears). Toddler stayed in bed until 7, though we don't know if he slept or not I did and had very weird dreams. He's up and full of it.

We're going to soft play at 10 and I'm hoping my friend's children (aged 8 & 10) will mind keeping Toddler occupied for an hour while I slump into a state of oblivion have a drink and some cold tablets in peace. They normally do play with TS but as I always say Toddler is my responsibility not theirs and I don't want them to feel like they have to play with Toddler if they don't want to.

scout do you have to change toddlers nappy during the night? I will only change a nappy if they have done a poo, as the procedure is likely to wake them up too much!

muffins are in the oven....

Oh Scout. That sounds like torture. I hope the kids are keen to play with TS and you do get a little breather.

Dh did eventually come home which was a huge relief. He is supposed to have today off but is off to work again. Poor guy.

I am trying to summon the enthusiasm to head out to do a few jobs.

DD got up at 3.00am and hasn't been back to sleep yet ----unless she is asleep at nursery. DH and I were up for 2 hours each with her (me from 3 till 5 and DH from 5 till 7 then we all got up.) so a bit tired! but not as much as I guess she might be. DH is off work today.

The car is hopefully getting fixed at the garage.

I also don't change nappies in the middle of the night now unless she has wet them a lot or done a poo.
We still have no success with potty training. She will sit on the potty but will not do what she is meant to do on it. May need to have another chat with HV. I wonder if she is "too clever", she holds on till she has a nappy on then does everything or she wets her pants if she can't hold on.

It sounds to me like you need to completely ignore the potty training with dd Cats. I know you have stopped training before but it does sound like she is not ready or is finding it a bit stressful and is feeling pressured.

I am clearly not an expert though.

Your night sounds horrific too. You and Scout should cuddle up for a snooze together - I will hold the fort

Good news about your car though Cats. In this weather it would make life easier and the train prices you quoted are ridiculous. If they want cars off the road then public transport needs to be a bit more sensibly priced. It would cost at least £36 for us to take the bus into the city whereas it is about £3 of diesel and the same for parking.

Your right about public transport. If it works out cheaper by car then that is what we have to do unless anything unexpected crops up! I used to love going on the train as when we were kids we didn't have a car anyway. It's just the cost that puts us off these days.

I'm not sure about the potty training but at least she doesn't start school till next year! So we have just over a year to get it sorted! I'm hoping there's not some physical or mental problem that's stopping her from "getting it".
She seems extremely bright for her age in other ways.

I have been told that if you pre-book tickets waaaay in advance then they are ALOT cheaper. I don't like the idea of having to get a specific train though, especially with dawdling kids in tow!!

DD1 is driving me crazy this morning. She has even refused lunch. If this continues I will be walking out of the house the second DH comes home!

I don't tend to TS's nappy at night unless he's come in and his bouncing (like he more-or-less was) or it's really bulging (like it was). I know disposable nappies are really good now but I do think at night if it's full of wee and he wakes up a dry/fresh nappy makes it easier to go back to sleep. Not last night.

When we are down in Glasgow and the surrounding area we use public transport all the time and it is fantastic. Regular, cheap and reasonably pleasant (as long as you avoid football crowds), friendly and people always, always help you (that is Glaswegians for you - the friendliest people on the planet). Up here it is very different.

Cats it is possibly a control issue, which can be common in bright children. They want to take control and not be coerced into things. It may be that as soon as you show no interest that she is desperate to do it. FX.

bessie I spent five minutes sitting on the stairs doing yoga breathing (in through the nose, hold it, out through the mouth slowly) in an attempt to control my frustration. Ds found me and came and gave me a huge hug and then cooperated (he was freaking out about the collar of his shirt - one of the ASD quirks he has) which made me feel a lot better.

What is up with her? Is she coming down with something or just being a PITA?