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!

Thanks Cats. Enjoy your day with your dh.

Scout have a look at Murals by Layona on facebook. She has a family tree very like the idea you were talking about a few weeks ago.

We're in ScoutInLawShire for the weekend.

Picked up my package from the post office before coming down. So very excited. LOTS of train supplies to make things for Toddler's birthday 3D cake pan in the shape of a steam train, steam train & carriages cookie cutters, steam train & carriages chocolate molds as well as some bits for his birthday or Christmas stocking -- Engineer's cap, steam train (children's) wallet, steam train bank, train story book, train socks. YAY!

Anyone would think I have a train mad toddler!

Scout what is it Toddler likes? I can't remember.

Hope you have a good day Cats

Carrots enjoy the park if you manage to get there

Well, I took my med, think I was scared of it because it's different. It helped a lot but now I'm a little woozy. Having a rest and I need to try an pop out later if I feel up to driving. If I don't then peeps are just going to have make do.

Oh - I think TS likes windmills doesn't he? Strange as lots of toddlers are into trains ina big way ;)

We got to the park. It has be beautiful here today. Ds bumped into a friend as well so was happy for a while and I met a former colleague so we had a news while his grandchildren played with my dogs.

Dd is home from her sleepover and a very gruelling riding lesson. Her instructor was testing her for moving her up a level. She really struggled though so I don't think she will move for a while.

We are having pizza for tea. I just can't summon it at this time of day to start cooking something and it was too warm earlier.

Well, we're going to see Toddler's other obsession windmills tomorrow on our way to a big family 50th anniversary do.

Hello everyone!

How are things?

I have had a friend round for coffee this morning and should see some more friends this afternoon when I drop dd for her party. I don't quite feel ready to rejoin the ranks of the sociable but we only have one more week of holidays so I need to start gearing up and come out of hiding.

Go Mo!

I know bessie He is incredible. He didn't even look tired!

Bolt done really well! too!! He was amazing!!!!! --joins conversation late--
I liked some of the Olympics but I think I will be glad when things get back to normal on the telly. --doesn't like change--
Team GB have done well this year!

Can anyone help with this:

I said to DD:"I will count to 5" (warning as she did something wrong)

DD: "NO! I will count to 5! 1,2,3,4,5 "

I didn't know what to say next.

The HV said she is "Very clever for her age" (3) and that is part of the problem!
Don't want to sound too negative about it cause it is wonderful having (2 clever DC) a "clever" child but she will out wit us. Things can be quite tricky with her. Girls are apparently harder work!

Hi Cats

We have a clever pair too, or are they just a couple smart arses, not sure right now I'd say you need to pull rank. "No, Mummy is going to count and you are going to do/stop whatever"

I missed the closing ceremony. I am not happy. We are having carpet fitted tomorrow so needed to clean and shuffle furniture. This meant DDs clearing their detritus. My vote was for sweeping everything into a big black bag I've had enough but OH wanted them to sort it. They literally spent the entire day sorting one room. By the time the ceremony was on here the TV was unplugged for the wall to be painted but OH had just started instead of finishing. I did see the women's gymnastics earlier.

I am really going to miss the Olympics. I LOVED IT! I am looking forward to the Paralympics though, especially Lee Pearson in the dressage. He is amazing!

Be careful Cats. The psychologist reckoned a lot of the problems with ds were because he is apparently very bright. Dh is extremely clever so it is possible. The difficulty here is tapping into his ability. Being capable doesn't always mean you have their attention and have them engaged in what YOU want them to do.

I agree with Adora, as we have found out the hard way, you really do need to take charge in this circumstance. We are getting there but I really wish I had understood the importance of it earlier.

Dd is much more obviously bright but also much more cooperative so I don't know about the boy/girl thing. I think it is just some kids, regardless of gender.

Good luck Cats!

I was going to suggest getting her to count to a higher number! As a kind of distraction from whatever was causing the agro in the first place?

I have a nice young man doing a couple of hours in the garden (courtesy of Groupon)

We have recorded the closing ceremony - it went on too late for us to stay up & watch!

I like your thinking bessie!! She can count up to 20 but has also counted house numbers up to 37 before now.

I have hopefully worn her out today --after a difficult morning-- , we went to the park and she had a good play while we were there.
DS isn't too much of a problem as he spends quite a lot of time playing out with other kids.

I am majoring in distractions atm cats & they seem to be working - no shouting today, apart from at the tiger who mysteriously appears in the house when things are looking a bit iffy!

Just popping in to say hello. I'm trying to stay on target with work today so I mustn't stay long.
Cats- I think I would have just said "OK, you count to five and then stop/do "whatever it was". If she complied fine, If not then time out or whatever.

Scout, I hope you have had a good weekend.

Bessie - I like the idea of the tiger!

Will catch up tonight but [ugh] what a drama filled weekend.

Oh Scout, hope all is well now.

my house stinks, having new carpet fitted and they glue it here. DDs had to sleep with windows open, its still winter here, spring doesn't arrive for another couple of weeks. Dogs, all four, have been cooped up in the kitchen and now kicked out in the rain, poor beasts . on the plus side the house looks much better with the new carpet and hopefully will be more saleable.

Tomorrow is a holiday here and we are all in day off mode. DDS are helping OH put things back upstairs and I am MNing instead of cooking in my stinky kitchen {bluegh}, those brackets are not right, I can't find the proper ones, sorry.

I'm a lot calmer/happier now that I'm several days and miles away from certain situations/family members. I'm dreading whole family holiday that starts next weekend. This week I am focusing on MY family unit (that would be Toddler and MrScout), my birthday (YAY!), my friends, my house and preparing Toddler's "preschool curriculum." I use the term loosely since I'm not planning on doing anything formal with him until he's five/we're legally obligated to but I'm planning projects around themes -- just like we did caterpillar/butterflies while we had them and we did Olympics things while they were on, I'm sorting out activities around letters, numbers, shapes, colors and things that happen each month. So, for example, in October we'll do autumn things, scarecrows, pumpkins, etc., November will be airplanes/airports and Thanksgiving (airplanes because we'll be going to my parents' for holiday and I want to "prepare" him for the experience since every time before I think he was too little to know what was going on). It's fun and I love this sort of thing.

It sounds great fun Scout. Our butterflies "hatched" over the last few days. All five have made it to butterfly status, although one nearly drowned in the sugar water that we put in for them. We have put kitchen roll in it now so they don't get soaked.

The kids have LOVED the project so I thank you for the inspiration. I suspect we will do it again next summer. Now we need a warm dry day to release them. We are hoping to do it in a friend's back garden as she is more rural than us (if that is possible) and has a meadow garden as well as a very flowery traditional garden.

We are gearing up slowly for school next week. We have been very busy with friends round and beginning to see people again. I find it exhausting but it is good to see everyone.

carrots, did you manage a pictorial diary? I'm glad you and little carrots enjoyed themselves. Toddler and I are definitely going to do it again when he's SmallBoyScout.

Though.... one of our "pet names" for Toddler is "Small Boy." He doesn't look like a toddler much any more but I'm trying to hold out until his 3rd birthday before changing from ToddlerScout to SmallBoyScout. Anyway....

We put a new train DVD on today a two hour () video about The Flying Scotsman that came free with a train magazine MrScout & Toddler bought. It's definitely aimed at older boys/adults but Toddler is transfixed. He fell asleep watching it (lately he will only nap/rest on my lap or in the car but usually we just cuddle & watch a little tv to rest) and I've just put it back on for him while we have a snack and I MN--. I have a feeling this will be our next addition to the engine collection.

Hi all, not having a great day here! DS seems to have been on the wind up all day and has now been sent up to his bedroom. I am just feeling pretty fed up! DH is working long hours this week and the only adult I have seen today was a door to door charity person wanting money. It's raining too so we are stuck indoors. I don't feel up to taking the DC anywhere anyway.

Scout we did photograph their progress but not every day. The children have dragged every visitor into the house to see them, including the chimney sweep

Cats I hope things have settled down now. I expect he was just in a funk and will be himself again tomorrow. It sucks having to deal with a child when they are behaving like that though.

I just went to Sainsbury's and went wild on their BOGO school/craft supplies.

Cats hope everything has calmed down now. Is DH due to be home in time for some small talk, grown-up chit-chat? I used to crave adult company when my DDs were small, went out to the local shop daily even when there was nothing I needed or wanted.

Scout i hope you enjoy your few days at home with your family before the family holiday. I have to confess to having put my foot down (clearly don't care what ILs people think) with regards to my ILs.

Carrots glad the butterfly thing went well, good luck with the realise and that meadow garden sounds lovely.

We had our day off, lie-ins all round, out for a leisurely lunch and then back home to shuffle furniture around for carpet fitters due back tomorrow. While OH and I were doing that DDs played out and DD1 presented me her be-pooed trainers. She needs them for school in the morning and I've spent the evening so far avoiding dealing with them. We've watched a movie, eaten, I've done the packed lunches, laid the table for breakfast and had a cup of tea. Now I really must get on