Chatting and (Baby) Stepping, (Baby) Stepping and Chatting.

[Scout19075]

A place to have a chat, drink and relax from Stepping (or not). All chatters are welcome, Stepping or otherwise.

Come on in and enjoy the company!

Hi Scout.

Sorry, I went to Tesco.

Hi Cats. I am glad you are home safely. Did you have a good time? What did you get up to?

Scout I agree that I don't trust itunes on my new laptop. I am convinced it "killed" my last one. Dh also thinks apple related downloads are ropey.

Dd's ipod was a gift and she was given a dock for her birthday this year (neither by us). I feel she is a bit young for it and isn't into it enough to really learn how to use it although recently she has become more interested.

I decreed today a family only day. We went to a local market and then into the big smoke to see The Lorax. It is definitely for the younger viewers but my dcs both enjoyed it and were giggling through it. I was struggling to stay awake We had a fab day though and a great laugh together.

I'm cutting out medals. I'm bored of cutting out little medals.

Morning all,

No worries Scout. I can understand going out shopping late in the evening as I sometimes do it myself . It's nice to go out on your own sometimes!

Hi carrots, It was nice to go on "holiday" but it's also good to be home. At least at home you can do as you please --most of the time--
DD seemed to find it a bit difficult being away from home. The first few days she kept saying "I want to go home" and she had some mega strops too while we were on hols. She also had a huge strop last night cause she didn't want to go to bed in her own room. --the neighbours must wonder what is going on sometimes-- She screams the house down.
I am wondering about talking to the doctor/HV about her cause her tantrums are so extreme! She goes for full on screaming, hitting and kicking yet at other times she can be a little darling. It's hard to know what is "normal" 3 year old behaviour and what isn't.

The hols was ok. It was nice to see everyone. The weather was hot the first few days then it thankfully cooled down.
We went to Weston-Super-Mare for a day trip but even that was cut short cause DD kicked off big style. I can deal with a few tantrums but she was having at least 2 a day!
We still had a nice time but would have done more if DD was calmer.
--Hope this is just a phase--

Anyway, I think today will be about trying to get back into some sort of "normal" routine. I need to do washing and I expect we will need to get a bit of food shopping to keep us going. Will also be seeing DM which should be nice.

strops are a total pita cats. i sympathise. ds fell asleep in the car on the way into town yesterday and was brewing a strop when he woke up. i decided to imitate what he did. it definitely worked at stopping the strop. a) he saw how ridiculous he looked when he did it and b) it difused the strop because the sight of a forty year old mum having a tiz was just too funny not to laugh at. i have no idea what the people in the restaurant booth opposite thought of me but was definitely preferable to a full on ds strop!

morning everyone!

Hope you had a good time cats

chaos i reigning here
the zoolets are on a mission to drive me over the edge before the end of the week

sleep is for the weak

listening to what we are told isnt being observed

fighting is rife,as is winding up

i may just shut myself in the shed

i have tried to formulate a plan-ive been to ativity villages site today for olympic themed colouring pictures,wordsearches and mazes in the vain hope i can engage them for a bit

ds is hoping to watch some equestrian,dd2 gymnastics

scout is hiding behind the fridge,atticus is out and refusing to come in despite rain as they are here.they are being routinely picked up and dragged around desoite my best attempts to stop it all

Opinions, please. Toddler has a couple of "dress up" outfits. Only two -- I didn't want to go wild on dress-up until I knew he liked it/enjoyed doing it. The sizes are 4/5yr old and he's in 3/4 tops (2/3 jeans/shorts/trousers) so could start wearing his dress-up stuff. I put him in his Robin Hood tunic & cap yesterday and he thought it was silly. I want to get the two outfits out so he can have them if he wants (he'll need help, though, because he still doesn't dress/undress himself). How would you store them? We don't have enough for a separate dressing up box (I don't think, anyway). Would putting them on Toddler hangers be too much/too ott? Or should I put them in a small-ish box so he can get them out? WWYD?

When we just had a few dressing up outfits we hung them in the dcs wardrobes. Mine loved dressing up though so we received a lot as gifts so they moved first to a wicker hamper and later to pop up fabric storage tubs (the sort that are made of fabric and wire and can be twisted flat again).

It was easiest and least messy when they were hung up though.

We have a pop up tub like carrots describes for dressing up stuff.

Zoo Hope things improved with your DC.

I am sitting here --stuffing my face enjoying the peace now the DC are asleep in bed. DD threw another mahoosive strop at bedtime but I calmed her down by playing a game of catch with a soft toy book she has. sometimes you just have to find ways out of the strop--

Distraction is the name of the game Cats.

well done for the successful distraction cats - please share any other successful ideas you have as I defo need to improve in that area - my DD1 has been very stroppy the last week or so, but I think she must be going through a HUGE developmental spurt atm as last week she suddenly started having dry nappies at night (we are on day 4 of no nappies), and I think she will be giving up her afternoon nap very soon too (arrghhh! when am I going to nap get anything done?)

just done meal plan - MUST goto bed now as knackered and have finished wine

Sorry, I went to bed early (well, earlier than I had been) thanks to a lovely migraine. Still have a headache but feel a bit more able to cope with the world after a full night's sleep.

Cats, well done on the distraction!

bessie, I do a lot of silly voices, showing of a different toy/book, tickling and, as silly as it might sound, "throwing" Toddler around (for example, if he's stroppy about not wanting to go to bed I might swing him while carrying him upstairs or pretending I'm going to drop him or carrying him "like a teeny, tiny baby" or whatever).

Toddler, while woke up happy enough, is having one of those "the entire world is out to get me!" and is just whinging uncontrollably that things aren't going his way. Things like trains coming apart while pushing -- he'll normally fix them but instead he's whinging/whining/screaming "help!" That is not helping my head. (And unfortunately distraction is not working when he wants to play and it's just not going right.)

We're up and dressed, though, and after breakfast we're going to YOUT to Hobbycraft and possibly Asda (in the same shopping center and since I don't normally go there I like to wander around every now and again). I get frustrated in Asda I know it's part of the WalMart family but, at least the one near me, is nothing like WalMart stores at home. My WalMarts, not even the "superstore" ones (ones with a full grocery store in) have everything imaginable housewares, homegoods, clothes, DVDs, CDs, toys, crafts, plants, pets, baby, EVERYTHING. This one is more like a Tesco (not even an Extra with the expanded bits).

Would I be sad to record the swimming and diving to watch with Toddler later? He seems to love the swimming & diving and when I turn on the television with it on shouts "Swimming! Sit lap Mommy!" and climbs up and settles in and cheers all of the swimmers. We both have watched entirely too much television this week!

Think you should definitely record the swimming Scout. I don't think it is sad at all. Think of it as one of your distractions weapons for when TS is being whiney. (Sounds like you might need it today).

I have got washing out on the line and have been working on a bit of DIY/craft stuff. Later I have to pick my car up from the garage ( Loooong story that I won't bore you with!) I need to tidy up kitchen and take out recycling and get on with some house cleaning but I think I need a cup of tea first!!

Does sitting here doing crafty things cutting out medals for our counter, making "keep quiet restaurant bags" for Toddler, etc count as flying/being productive? I should do more decluttering/flinging/putting away but it's very nice just sitting here being crafty.

Definitely Scout.
I have just finished making a shelf/pocket thing for the inside of my front door that I can put things in that I need to remember to take out with me- thinks like letters to post etc.

I've upcycled it from a wooden "pocket" that was from a chair they were throwing out at church ( it was originally for putting hymn books and bibles in).

I am inordinately proud of it despite the fact that it has taken me days to do a relatively simple spray paint job ( kept putting it on too thickly and then it would run), and the flat is full of mess and tools that I was too lazy to put away as I went along that were essential to its creation!

I will maybe try and post a pic later!

I just made some sticks for Toddler Velcro spots on the ends of craft sticks and ever before I was finished he was playing, making shapes.

We're off on family vacation at the end of the month. By family I mean the entire extended family -- Toddler's grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Meals, mainly breakfast & dinner, take AGES because there's so many people. Last year Toddler ate early and was asleep before dinner but I'm not sure what will happen this year. So I want to have quiet activity bags, preferably a new one for every day of holiday but at least four so we can rotate them, to keep him busy. Normally, if it's Toddler, MrScout and I we have a couple of trains/carriages and small pieces of track to entertain him but there's not enough room at the tables on holiday for trains. That, and it sounds selfish, but his cousins would want to play too, and the boys especially (the two cousins closest in age to TS) aren't not the most sensible/gentle with toys and I'm cautious what of Toddler's I let them play with (wood trains are fairly robust but a couple of them have already been broken/repaired after being repeatedly dropped). Also, with that many small people things get spilled/dropped and I don't want his wood track/trains stained with juice, gravy, veggies, etc.

Scout - great idea for craft sticks with velcro spots. I can see myself using something similar when teaching about angles and geometric shapes.

I've just done about 20 minutes sorting out in the bedroom. My aim is to do about 15 mins in each room as a way of starting to feel things are more under control. Problems is, I feel shattered already. I'm not sure how much is real tiredness due to fibromyalgia etc, and how much is just psychological!

For restaurant "bags" I'm thinking:

sticks (Velcro spot sticks)
memory/match/snap (have several homemade sets to choose from -- shapes, colors, letters, numbers, random objects)
make pizza (felt)
clothespin matching (those cards where you put the clothespin on the correct answer)
sponge Jenga (thanks Pinterest!)
sandpaper art (sandpaper and lengths of yarn)

Any other suggestions?

We have had several generations of "Cafe Bags" as my dcs call them. My mum is brilliant at them.

Ideas:

Small drawing pad (eg A6 size) or small colouring in book
pencil or crayon that can do lots of colours
wind up toy eg caterpillar (we have a variety)
stretchy man - I don't know why this is so entertaining but it is always a hit
scenes you can put reusable stickers onto (you get tiny ones)
pocket money toys such as hinged bendy circles

As they get older:
small maze book or puzzle book
origami

I had been thinking of a coloring book, too, but think given the cousins will see/want I might just do loads and loads of print outs/copies so anyone that ones one can do one. He does have one of those reusable scenes things that he's looked at but hasn't tried yet so might try to remember to pack that.

Yes, I am planning ahead!

Hmm I've now managed to do another 15 minutes clearing out/cleaning my makeup/bedside drawer and another 15 minutes taking out rubbish and recycling and a lot of messing on mumsnet. Rather more crawl, flop, crash than run, jump, fly!