WEST LONDONTHREAD - JULY/AUG 2007 (when we finally get a summer?)

[ComeOVeneer]

Just thought I would get this up and running before the old one is full.

HI all. Have limited internet acess atm as laptop is playing up and won't connect to wireless, so have to use dh's computer in hios study so can't keep an eye on children. Ds is napping and dd is drawing, so it gives me half an hour or so. Been out enjoying the weather and trying to sort out the house after the aftermath of builders. It was only the kitchen but the whole house got horrendeously dusty and as they kept turning the electricity and water off I am very behind on the laundry. As I am stupidly house proud and a tidy freak I am rather twitchy atm as a result .

Hi Yingers - was I saying something I shouldn't, I can't remember

Cov, could you come and be a tidy freak in my house too?

hello

yingers yes i watched on sci fi after resisting dowloading earlier in the season. i think come september i will will just give in, esp after the spoilers for the new season.

2cute thanks for invite would be lovely to see you but we have friends visiting from california, have not seen them in 5 yrs!
but another time soon.

foxie and mellow - lovely to see you, dd keeps going on about your dd's and surprisingly about the baby
many thanks for the clothes as well

we went to north sheen rec but it was too busy full of big children splashing about

Ros, thanks for the info. She sounds good. We might try her.

I gave up on North Sheen rec for exactly that reason sfx.

Doesn;t DD talk about my DS - I'm coming to the impression that all little girls find him alarming - even when he is being well behaved until they are about 3 and sufficient big to hold their ground!

she does talk about him Kew but usually with some anxiety
well not really i think she quite likes him in small doses and controlled situations, she does talk about him to dh, i guess because he knows him

btw at NS rec. there were families with boom boxes

hi all
hope you're all diddling well
that'll be my big children splashing about at the rec
hmmmm, hadn't thought of a boom box, though...

i'm with the unscheduled camp.remember once a very earnest HV asked me about dd's "nap routine" and didn't look too impressed when i said "during a school run usually"

would love to meet up thurs but going on hols. in fact, have just been out and bought a pair of shorts
strictly to be worn abroad only.

kew, think we both know my dd isn't scared of your ds.. hopefully he isn't of her either!? i think it's a healthy mutual respect...

foxie - dd has been insisting on waering that pretty ballerina wrap jumper you gave us, despite it being far too hot. she looks very cute, if somewhat sweaty
toodlepip

hello yingers

"Boom boxes"?? Are they though anti-social music portable battery operated thingies??

Oh, how awful !

I have to confess I hate NSR atm, because there is no shade so its not suitable for DS2, but DD and DS1 love it and nag me all day every day..."Pleeeeze can we go to the paddling pool in the park, pleeeze mummy, pleeeeze..."

...which of course makes me hate it all the more

I find it very boring there unless a chum of mine is present and I resent having to constantly help my child on the climbing frame when I'd much rather just sit on my arse staring into space quite franky.

oooh x posts with you steppy (how spooky)!

I have quite a bit of DD's clothes left in the bag, at least some of which I would dearly love to give you if you have a spare moment between now and take off on Thursday.

What are your shorts like. R they pink?

sfx it was lovely to see you again - I've been meaning to get to round here for about 4 months, so mustn't leave it quite so long next time. If you ever fancy and evening run/power walk, I could be your get fit Pal I have even ordered some trainers!

Mellow - really enjoyed our chat - I hope your DD is fast asleep by now and you are sitting enjoying a cup of tea or something

mellow, was that website called "babyledweaning?"

I'm going to come across all geeky now. Does anyone have Heroes recorded on DVDs? If so, can I borrow them?

I'm completely hooked.

Ros,
Are you home this evening? I'd like to return the HP book. I was disappointed with the ending. I think it was a bit of a cop out for JKR especially since she took such a long break to write the book.

It was nice to see you too, sfx. I think dd adores mini-sfx and foxie's dd. She's always really happy when she comes back from visiting with them.

Foxie,
Thanks for everything again especially for the nappies and wipes.

Dd is fast asleep on the sofa now or else she wont' go to sleep till late.

Here's the link to Aitch's site.

Yup, I'm also about to make myself a cup o tea.

watch out Foxie, all you gotta do now is trade in your P&T for a Didymos and start practising EC and you're gonna be AP all the way!

btw, Topsy Turvy World is fabulous but don't believe the BS about how healthy the cafe food is.

Will go again but intend to go earlier and then retreat to Wagamama for lunch.

Ikea was fab at 10am - EMPTY!

spoooooooooky indeed!
foxie, they're navy blue/black/not sure..

and, like buses, two pairs have turned up at once. dh has just come back with a very nice green pair from fat (and everything else) face...

the poor man can't win. usually he gets someting far too small and i tell him to "get real". well, he has got real, got the real size and i feel vaguely insulted he's come back with something in aforementioned real size. hey, who says wimmin are illogical?!

will give you a shout if i've got time for another rummage tomorrow but looking doubtful as have got some work stuff to sort/think i may gave said i'll meet my CM/oh packing...

a bit worried about the implied snotyness to AP and geekyness

foxie dd has been wearing the pink fairy dress since she got in with her fairy skirt on top and is now demanding wings

wasn't being snotty about AP at all......

well, maybe the EC bit altho I wouldn't say snotty as such. just don't get EC at all.

pretty much all other AP stuff I subscribe to but would prefer to call it gentle parenting - not sure dd would agree when I'm stressed out and shouting at her tho.

there are many good reasons to look at other cultures and indeed our own history wrt to changing the way we parent but as for EC i just don't think it's a workable concept in a western/modern world.

discuss!

Seems I am missing otu on loads of mini meet ups the last week or so. I just can't seem to ge myself together atm, and also have to deal with packing for our holiday next week. Just wish dd was back at school for a few days just so I can catch up wit things. Looks likes it will be a busy and boring wkend for me. I plan to get dh to take full responsibility of the children and I will go into organising/cleaning/laundry/packing/kitchen sorting overload. At least it is lovely weather so the children ae moslty outdoors not adding to the chaos.

i am so AP i don't what EC is!
is that the poo thing?

having said that (and at the risk of offending someone) i once read on MN thread about extended BF
'so what other way do you have for consoling a toddler when for instance they hurt themselves in the playground'

well i do extended BF but really am not going to pop the boob out when what the child needs to develop everyday emotional coping skills

no hope for DS if breast feeding is the only way to comfort Forever bashing his head, poor love, seems to be fairly easily comforted without me waving an (empty) nipple at him

yes - tis the poo thing

it's a load of shite

I think it's full title is Evacuation Control and yep it's the poo thing!

I know disposable nappies are of the devil born (still use 'em even tho I have a huge amount of cloth in the airing cupboard!) but anticipating or (dare I say it in an AP discussion) training your child's evacuation just doesn't seem like a workable alternative in London tbh!

I'm not hugely well informed on the subject but the premise seems to be that nappies are not used in places like Africa.

Personally I believe this is due to poverty in the 3rd world rather than a general "closer to natural parenting" statement.

Climate and general living conditions are also given as supporting evidence.

...or elimination communication (thinks yours is better tho, paddle)

yep, think your take on it is pretty accurate.

quite an interesting theory with a series of cues/signals prompting your child to have a poo, thus getting rid of nappies.

of course, the headline everyone went for was "how to potty train a newborn" whch opened EC up to a lot of criticism and ridicule.

don't really get it, either, but am intrigued by using the signal/cue thing generally - used to baby sign with ds1 and it worked really well to combat that frustration in communicating before they can talk properly.
by the time i got to ds2 and dd, couldn't be arsed. they can't get a word in edgeways anyway...