Olympic Park

[StitchingMoss]

Getting exciting now !

Quick hello, Took Ethan for physio assessment today to do with his foot turning in, general co-ordination problems, he has now been diagnosed with hypermobility and hypotonia (low muscle tone), we have exercises to do with him and she has also referred him to paed, as there were some things she wanted someone else to look at. She said he was a bit of an enigma!His right foot turns in, he's left handed and we're not and couldn't get a reflex reaction from either knee.

Pirate, any experience in any of these areas?Done the usual googling and also found links with hypotonia and speech problems.

So annoying, re: not knowing when your treatment will start Gig. I hope it's soon.

I don't know anything about hypermobility or hypotonia Deb, but I guess it's good that you've got a diagnosis and that he has been referred to a paed.

Nothing much to report on here, had the afternoon to do some revision but really really struggling because I'm very tired. DS actually gave un an undisturbed night last night, but on the rare occasion that happens I tend to be really tired the next day. It's like my body realises what it has been missing!

Thanks - Scottish.

Deb it's good you have a diagnosis finally . But would be wary of what you find on dr. Google (I scared myself daft last night as broke my google ban. What I found on net had little relationship with what dr had said to me so I would be wary of what you read til you see The Paeditrician ).

I think the first night of unbroken sleep does make you feel worse. It's like the adrenaline or whatever keeps you going is lost. When are the next exams Scottish?

Dh at rugby this afternoon so only had one child to contend with as he took dd2. Luckily I persuaded dd1 to have a rest post swimming or I would have been climbing the walls as she was very tired and very trying this morning (kicked dh when told her to brush her teeth!!!).

Last ever exam (hopefully) early May. This was the exam I sat last year when I injured my back and couldn't revise - I got a marginal fail so I'm hoping to do ok this year which is why I'm on MN instead of revising

There's definitely something about getting unbroken sleep Gig. I was exhausted yesterday but disturbed last night and feel more awake today.

Sympathies on climbing the walls with DD1 Gig - DS has been driving me demented this weekend. He had an almighty tantrum this morning (a blanket wasn't doing whatever he wanted it to do) and was sent upstairs. I was so pissed off I wanted to punish him so took down the den we'd just built so the tantrum just escalated. We left him upstairs and within a few minutes he'd emptied the contents of his drawers down the stairs. I was absolutely furious and screamed at him . I feel awful now because my reaction was more to do with me being a bit grumpy already. That said, I'm sick to the back teeth of tantrums. I'd be interested to hear how you all deal with tantrums - are there consequences/punishments etc for tantrums/naughty behaviour? Or do you just put it behind you once calm is restored. I was FURIOUS at the sight of all his clothes on the stairs. Mind you, he's not daft - he usually does it with toys but is now wise to the fact that I would just put all the toys in a bag and remove them for a while He knows that I'm not going to take all his pants and clothes away.

LaG - on DIY - we are major procrastinators here and not that great at doing DIY ourselves. 6 years we've lived here and still not managed to finish re-decorating. Or change the lightbulb in the porch. We save up teeny jobs until we can justifying getting someone in to do them all in a few hours.

Pirate - I saw on fb that there's a big birthday in your house today, so hope you all enjoy!

Pirate - not as selfish as me considering full-time so I can get some peace in the middle of the day whilst DS2 sleeps. Hope Mr Pirate has had a very happy birthday

Deb - sorry that Ethan's appointment didn't really answer any questions for you. Hope that the paediatric appointment comes through soon.

Scottish - DS1 has some truly terrible tantrums where he is quite beside himself. To date he hasn't done anything to get back at me though (touch wood). He tends to scream and throw himself around. I try to ignore him. Repeat my reasoning calmly (not always that calmly), and go off and do something else. If I leave him, he does follow me though so it's not that effective. Eventually he asks for a cuddle which he gets and calms him, and then we move on. What I am finding really hard at the moment is the constant whining. He will go for whole days with whatever I say we are doing next being met with "I don't want to...". Even when it is something I know that he really loves. Then when the activity that I have coerced him into is over of course "I don't want to stop x..." over 12 hours it absolutely does my head in. I do use threats and consequences a lot. I did use the threat of "no Easter egg at tea time tomorrow" if preschool had to speak to me at the end of the day about him being too physical with the other kids as had happened that day. It might be a coincidence but there were no problems and he got his egg. I also quite like telling him that he has a choice: "to do x and miss out on y, or to do as I ask so that then we can do y." that makes me feel a bit better as it seems to be less about me dictating to him and more him choosing a certain path.

The house efforts at the moment consist mainly of filing, chucking old paperwork, and getting rid of the boxes and boxes of stuff that my parents had kindly "saved" for me from my childhood and gave to me 6 years ago and have remained unopened ever since. It is just rubbish going through all this stuff, and I find it emotionally draining. I feel like I am throwing my life's work away. Then again I don't want to leave it another x years until we leave this house. Are you hoarders or chuckers (so to speak)?

Thanks for your post LaG. Am quite about how shouty I was with DH today and even more about posting it! I guess DS has inherited his wilfulness from me!

Hoarder or not? It depends what mood I'm in. When I have a clear out driven. Y frustration about clutter nothing (and no-one ) is safe. I like coming across sentimental stuff though. What kind of things have your p's kept from your childhood? If it's drawings, cards etc, could you photograph them and make a photobook?

I'm definitely a chucker! My parents had a large family, tiny house and moved frequently - consequently they had to be ruthless about what they kept from our childhood and I have thankfully not been faced with boxes of crap stuff to sort through! Dh on the other hand definitely has parents who hoard - not helped by the fact that they live in the same house they did when he was born. We have had so much stuff sent our way since they started clearing the loft and most of it has gone in the bin . It has made me very ruthless about what I keep for the boys, but I'm a very keen photographer (as some of you may have guessed !) so pretty much anything that has passed through our lives has been photographed!

Ebay, Freecycle and charity shops do very well from the Pirate household !

The pt/ft debate about school is bothering all my NCT mum friends at the moment - a couple of them are considering p/t but not sure about it. Neither of them work which I think makes a difference - although I totally sympathise with wanting some peace too .

Tantrums - I definitely go for the ignore, ignore, ignore school of parenting but with the disclaimer that DS1 has never really been much of a tantrum child, although god can he sulk . The sulks get ignored too! I don't have the patience for sulks or tantrums hence the ignoring . But I'm not sure how much it would work for more wilful children as we're only just hitting that stage with DS2 (for which the term wilful was invented ). Choices (even if they're not real ones!) work well, as LG says. It gives them a feeling of control which is definitely something DS2 wants. He refuses to get dressed for example unless he's chosen his clothes - well, I haven't got time to let him go through his whole wardrobe so I get two t-shirts out and he gets to chose one! Win-win .

Deb, sorry to hear about the vague diagnosis you've been given. I have heard of both conditions but a lot of the children I deal with have more complex SEN so would have a range of other conditions too, hence why they're statemented. However, IIRC they do all access occupational therapy of some form or other - has this been recommended? Schools provide OT support now as a lot of TAs are trained to provide OT exercises to strengthen muscle tone - obviously the exercises are provided by an experienced OT. Hope you have more answers soon x

Gig, slap for Googling and totally know where you're coming from on the mums who've discovered religion as soon as school age approaches - one of our friends had both her kids baptised at Christmas and suddenly started attending mass . Lo and behold, Catholic school place secured .

Thanks for the birthday wishes - dh had a lovely birthday, although the boys are sleeping really badly at the moment and with me working 4 days we're all pretty shattered .

Right, off to watch another episode of Spooks before bed .

Glad Mr Pirate had a good birthday! Sympathies on the sleep.

Thanks for your thoughts on tantrums too. Ignoring and giving choices works well here too, I guess what I struggle with is bursts of naughtiness. I.e today he had a right old fit about his blanket and started chucking it around thus knocking things off the table. And because he was sent for a time out we had all the clothes chucked on the stairs. It's quite funny thinking back. my natural reaction is to punish in some way when he does these kind of things. Sigh. This too will pass...

Already in the bin

All sorts of things - books, toys, school work, certificates, childhood trinkets, my entire degree, my collection of costume dolls etc etc At the end of the day I have concluded that I know who I am and where I have come from so don't need these reminders if they have been in the loft unwanted for six years. Secondly it's not fair to hang onto this stuff thinking that one day my kids will want them, because by and large they won't, and it will just be a burden for them to sort it out. Don't worry though I still have plenty of bits. To bore them with in time. I am looking forward to getting my Rupert bear annuals out once DS2 is less destructive.

BTW I definitely do get very shouty too. Just in case my previous post made me sound saintly. This evening after DS had wittered about his roast chicken and that the chicken hadn't been hurt had it, I just snapped and said "of course it got hurt, it's dead". I feel pretty bad about that but we have had had weeks of really hard questions about the provenance on meat. He needed to wise up, or go veggie .

X posts with pirate and Scottish

Sorry too tired to post last night but am lurking.

Tantrums and strips here (I admire your stance Scottish as I would have been less measured). A mix of ignoring, losing stars and time out used. I am hoping school may calm her a bit as I think she is bored.

Re hoarding, my mother hoarded but most of it in bin apart from a few special bits. I have photos , a memories diary . This is where I record what girls are doing at different ages - this was not me being " I am going to die" but started with dd1 as I noticed how patchy my mums memories of my early years (eg first tooth) so have a record to hand the girlswho can then bin it.

Very nervous about Scan, waiting on radio appt (for a change) and got period from hell. Tell me this is normal post c birth/ c section as it is very heavy and painful .

Strops not strips

The scan is Wednesday? I have 25th in my mind? Poor you. It must be hell waiting. Re: Periods post babies. With each baby my period has come back different. Ds1: lighter and less heavy. DS2 heavier again and starts more suddenly . Not much use am I.

I had to sign a form after preschool today to acknowledge that DS had hit a child with a stickle brick. So, no Easter egg tonight. Which he accepted with good grace . Having probed about what happened DS and a couple of others were making "shooters" with stickle bricks and so DS poked the other child in the face with his shooter. Doesn't sound so bad in this context I think.

Memory book sounds lovely Gig. Can't help re periods I'm afraid.

LaG - sticklebrick incident just sounds like normal over-excited pre-school antics.

DH away so desperately looking forward to DS's bedtime so I can get some rest!

Sorry LG, but I did have a good laugh at "of course it got hurt, it's dead" ! I'm very shouty - mainly with DS2 who would try the patience of a saint . I'm not proud of it, and I do try as hard as possible not to lose my rag but he knows exactly how to push my buttons .

I also keep a memory book Gig, or at least did - the books cover the first two years of the boys lives, with all their milestones, first holiday, walking, talking, etc. I now keep notebooks for both of them of funny things they say - a friend did it and they were so lovely to look back on. Another friend writes a letter to her kids on their birthdays each year which I think is a lovely idea but I haven't got round to it yet .

My periods were crap after DS2 born, which is why I had Mirena fitted, but thinking about having it taken out as I don't think it's doing my moods or libido any good - but hard to tell whether that's the Mirena, the depression or the ADs .

Early night tonight - soooo shattered.

I had loads of problems I attributed to Mirena - after 2 years I had it removed.

I have had other mates who loathed their mirena so could be that dizzy. My sis also can not get on with a lot of hormone stuff .

Sounds like ds1 more clumsy than malicious .

my back knackered from baby / being one sided after the op so wasn't keen on playing hairdressers with dd1. She is pushing buttons with the "I need you mum".

An hoping don't have to wait ages for scan tomorrow as am turning into one of those people who hates hospitals . I used to think people like that were wimps . Am not in best state about it. That coupled with Period from hell (sudden and heavy is exactly it lag) means I am a joy. Dh escaped out for the night so am home alone.

Anyone else watching the voice?

Hmm, I think I should definitely get rid of it - just not sure what to do about my periods instead .

((((((((((Gig))))))))))

I'm not surprised you hate hospitals. I've always hated hospitals, and yes I am a wimp , but you have more reason than most to be sick to the back teeth of them. What time is your scan supposed to be?

We're still watching Spooks - haven't watched any of The Voice although it sounds good.

6pm tomorrow - which is usually when I am most tired/down.

Are you on a spooks marathon (and loved photos of mr dizzy birthday )

Am now worrying that dd2 wont bond as well with me as not been so hands on with her (not pfb and so much hospital time).

Hmm, that is late .

Yes, we are on a Spooks marathon! My DB lent us the entire 1st, 2nd and 3rd series so we're watching loads of them - we're then moving onto the 5th series of House which we're borrowing from LoveFilm!

Try not to worry about DD2 - hard thing for me to admit but I didn't spend much time with DS2 when he was little because I just couldn't cope with him . Any opportunity and I would be out the door with DS1 and leaving DS2 with assorted grandparents/friends/total strangers (I jest about the last one of course ). I promise you he doesn't remember a thing about it and he's a total mummy's boy - more so than DS1. He is always seeking me out for cuddles and kisses and climbing on my lap. He doesn't remember his first year at all and neither will DD2. Don't beat yourself up about it - you've got so much to deal with right now but you're still a great mum and a hands on one, I don't know how you do it tbh x

That makes me feel so much better. Part of it is dd2 easier to "hand over" than dd1.

I can't watch some spooks cos of my old
Neighbour. It's 70s show now though

Tbh I don't - I give one or other to dh / nanny so I am in no ways as hands on as you or lag. But tbh yhere have only been a few weeks I can manage physically.

I will be most pleased when over this treatment (I sincerely hope).

Oh they are doing royal weddings on 70s show- that will please you dizzy

Glad it reassured you . DS2 wasn't easy to hand over at all but I needed some respite !

Wasn't your neighbour KH or am I remembering that wrong? 70s show is being recorded - will watch it tomorrow .

Oh god, not bloody royal weddings - will forward over that bit!

Yep it was her dizzy