April chat for locals

[mellow2]

New thread for new month!

I didn't plan to watch it, I just came across it and thought it was hilarious, v. cringe-worthy! I never used to watch so much tv, this is what happens when DH works away. Now I remember why I have such a backlog of books to read

Paddle - love your pic on FB of you & DD, just seen it

No sfx. You're not the only one.

I absolutely detest reality shows and the Apprentice is really cringing (sorry Ros and SJ).

News from Bunyan, her bump arrived last night at 11:30pm and 2.5 weeks early. Both are doing well.

Baby bonanza eh!

ps: foxie's gonna be pissed off to have missed all this

Wow, fantastic news, both Bunyan and Ros!

CoV - I looove green tea ice cream!! I also love green tea cake.(hint, hint) Lovely piccies! Love your wedding outfit!

sfx - good luck with your essay. I've not done essays for more than 20 years! Repect to you.

SJ/Slng - I find it really hard work being with DS 24/7. I guess I lack ideas how to keep him amused/entertained. The holiday was great but v exhausting. [Inadequate mummy emoticon]

One of my cats has been poorly and the vet rang last night to tell us his blood test result was much worse than they thought and he needs to be hospitalised today.

Sushi - I haven't tried green tea ice cream but I tried the black sesame ice cream at Okawari in Ealing and that was sensational and I don't even like ice cream. As for entertaining kids - I got a book on how to entertain your preschooler and it's got some good ideas, but I find mainly that you just have to give up on trying to do anything else! Which I don't mind - I get my job done in the morning and sit and play all afternoon which is why the house is in a tip... (But holidays can be a bit wearying which is ironic!) Sorry to hear about sick cat...

good morning all

wow on bunyan glad to hear they are doing well

sushi sorry about the cat.
the think about entertaining kids it works well with a sort of benign neglect, dd is quite good at entertaining herself, I am around and available but am not always 'on' in entertainer mode iyswim. and she likes 'helping' me around the house. it of course takes double the time but that is ok.

dd woke up an hr earlier today, mostly i think, because she wanted to see dh in the morning, she keeps missing him this week and got upset about it

Sushi,
I feel exactly the same way about dd. I don't think you're inadequate at all. I agree with sfx and slng. It basically means giving them your undivided attention and doing nothing else. I'm not capable of that very often . . .

Great news on bunyan's baby!!

Great news for Bunyan! Do you know if it's a boy or girl?

Can't decide whether to go swimming or Kew this morning, it's sunny out but lots of dark clouds looming...

Sushi - sorry to hear about sick cat

As for entertaining, DS is getting loads better at pottering about. I don't 'entertain' per se either. We go out each day which makes life easier then in afternoons I try and play a bit with him and then sometimes just leave him to it while I cook/do laundry etc. He recently got dead excited about dusting & kept saying 'I do it, I do it' I happily let him take over and he kept saying he was dusting like Cinderella

Sorry about sick cat too, sushi.

SJ,
at ds dusting like cinderella. Dd likes doing laundry. She loves hanging up laundry. Where do you go swimming,btw?

dark clouds but no rain forecast am still hopeful I can drag dd to Kew today, but we are still about to have breakfast so it may be quite grey by the time we leave

btw I think it is a girl, I know she said but might be confusing with lemonaid

There are a few things that will probably remain a mystery to my DSs: dusting and combing hair.

I've decided not to chance it and go swimming. Might do Kew tom am instead. I go to Teddington pools as it's free for us as I'm already a member (plus free parking!) Also means I can nip into Small Step shoe shop as it's across the road, need to get DS feet measured, his socks look tight on him, maybe his feet have grown.
Just going to make apple & pear crumble then we'll head out, catch up with all later

Guess DS is used to doing all the 'exciting' stuff at nursery, like body painting and playing with water and I don't have enough energy and patience to do these things at home or on holiday.

Also DS turned into a mummy's boy on holiday and wouldn't leave me alone - he'd follow me to the toilet. He's also v physical so lots of running and climbing for which I feel too old. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw him on top of the 10 foot ladder the other day.

Think both DS and I were happy to be back to nursery/work respectively.

great news for Bunyan! I guess she just relaxed a bit too much after finishing the house

Sushi, sorry to hear about your cat . I also go with the relaxed parenting approach! We'll play together or go out but he can also entertain himself while I potter around. He likes helping me sweep the kitchen!

We're going to try a playgroup this morning, usually avoid them but a friend reckons its a really good one. I'll let you know how it goes...

sushi I have noticed that dd is often far more demanding of DH when he is around at weekends, it does not last long but certainly she is very possessive of their time together. dh is much more 'lets do stuff' while I am happy to take it easy and just do normal everyday things.
all the exciting business is more for daddy, he does more baking, makes play dough etc.

I do painting drawing etc but not everyday, on playgrounds dh is far more careful than I am it is scary that your baby can do all those stunts

Anyone up for meeting up this afternoon?

Dd is having an early nap as she got up at the crack of dawn this morning.

hi all!
just a dippng in to say
congrats - bunyan
congrats ros
exciting! so happy for you both..

sushi, sorry about your cat

oh, i love reality TV and i love the apprentice
but i am of amoeba-esque intelligence

right, back to interviewing people i was meant to do yesterday but put me off for today - when i've got no chidcare. forced myself (really crap at asking for favours) to ask my next door neighbour to have dd for an hour - so as you can see am utilising every minute...

• steppie-style, indeed sfx, you cheeky minx you

..already looing foreard to glug-glug hour. oh dear..
toodlepip

kew,

cooooiiieeee

how are you?
where are you?

well I had a text from Bunyan at 6:30am giving details but I'm always wary of posting too much thus spoiling new mum's chance to reveal all!
but I' m crap at secrets ansi think she told most people. Anyway, it's the opposite of what SFX said LOL
I am crap at entertaining toddler too. Reading unconditional parenting and adventures in gentle discipline isn't helping my parenting confidence either.
I think I need to give up work and home school! Fat chance I could afford to live and wouldn't go utterly bonkers!

PC,
I second that. I'm going absolutely bonkers staying at home with dd.
It's not that I don't love her to bits but I'm just no good at being a stay at home mom. I'm a bit of a manic depressive.

But I can't bring myself to go back into full time employment as there wouldn't be much point financially after I pay childcare.

Sorry for the moan.

mellow, have you checked your wtc situ? I get heaps of childcare help but that might be my single parent status.
I adore de but I am just rubbish at being a play mummy and I know most of our 'issues' are her wanting my attention and me wanting not to play tea parties or doing painting. Really should plan more carefully so our time is structured otherwise it ends up very frustrating for us both.
reading the books is helpings focus more tho.
we're off on a single parents picnic on Saturday so tomorrow after school we're baking banana bread. Am quite looking forward to it.

PC,
What's wtc?

Working tax credit?

Mellow - are you "free" at the moment?

mellow I think my ongoing battle with depression makes it quite hard to do this sahm business, at the moment I see it as a battle with myself to gain some control and keep building internal tools to deal with it. at times it all goes quite low but thankfully not to the dark days of actual clinical depression.

anyway what I meant is that finance should not be the biggest concern, it is not giving up and it is not loving the child less, sometimes you just have to do what keeps you afloat.

part of me is glad nursery is coming closer for dd and frankly I wish there was another baby here, this might actually be the clincher as I am not sure I can stay home another couple of years