TTT.....

[AtLongLast]

OTT / self-indulgent I know, but Toddler Twin Tantrums..... aaargh! Just as well they're so cute too. Ds2 was v funny today wiggling his bum singing uh, uh Bobby' in response to me dancing round the kitchen to Bobby's girl'...

Oooh, I have Lottie. I have some of his others but resisted 30mins cos he seemed so bossy about having to do the whole meal-with-no-alteration-deletion-amendment and I just don't respond well to such Rules shh, I don't bother with his puddings. Can def recommend the satay, piri-piri, jerk chicken & do mix & match the salad accompiaments. Total convert to his `smashed potato' fake roasties too. I was just really getting into it all when ms kicked in when pg with dd & I'm just getting back to it now after that. One of my other fave Jamie recipe from a different book which used to be a regular on our rotation was Lebanese Lemon Chicken & I often do cous cous using the same recipe (cumin, coriander, chilli & lemon).

I'm looking for a lovely choc cake recipe so will try that (and the lamb!) - thankyou! I got choc today so am almost prepared but keep seeing buttermilk in receipes but have never looked for it, let alone bought it. Recently downloaded a kindle version of GoodFood cakes & there are some fab recipes on the web site. I have also Amazon-basketed some Mary Berry too but am desperately trying not to buy....

Dp has taken poorly ds2 to our bed as he's a shivery, hot little sausage. He's not been in with us since before dd arrived. Could be an interesting squeeze tonight so better go bag a space before dd wakes....

Thanks - they are amazing. Funny thinking other people think their children are as amazing as I find ours . Had a lovely moment in the car yesterday when dd was cackling away to herself & the boys were both laughing at her - even though only one could see her... and I was laughing at them all . I hope the girls are better soon too. & mil of course. Nasty bad luck on her hols & hope it's not as bad as you fear. Well sort of... it would solve a different problem

Loving all the links... Kate I LOVE those vivi sandals (although ouch $$$$$) and recipes look gorgeous Lottie - I'm a recent but zealous convert to the Good Food website and it's temporarily curing me of my compulsion to buy every bloody recipe book under the sun.

Glad harrogate was good Lavita I'm off there for a hen do in June. ANOTHER wedding this weekend when will everyone finally be married off ...

Cuddles to all poorly DC x

Am jealous of all your socialising tarti. My life just feels like a constant whirl of obligation to people, most of which takes place at home. DH stomping around driving me round the bend, we can't find the remote control to the DVD and want to watch Season 4 of Breaking Bad which arrived in the post the other day. So he is over-dramatically flinging open every drawer with the very unsubtle subtext that somehow this turn of events is my fault. FFS.

I'm also a bit 'over' buying cookbooks - so much better to check something out online and see whether a recipe has been well-reviewed. Had Jamie's fish pie for dinner and it was, once again, delicious. Final verdict on MIL is that she has broken a bone in her foot, is now in a cast, and is going to be driven by DH at the weekend up to stay with her sister. So her visit will be cut short but only by a day or so, and in the meantime she is completely housebound.

Still in Chicken Pox hell here. Feel so sorry for the boys, they are soooooooo spotty. I'll put a picture of J on my profile. It'll make you feel itchy! Hope your DS is feeling better ALL

Hope the MIL is doing ok LL. DH broke his toe and says it was excruciating.

We are wedding free this weekend, but childcare for the wedding in Birmingham next weekend is not looking good. My Mum and Dad had reluctantly offered to babysit but dad has done his back in. Fingers crossed it will be ok in 10 days time. We can put H to MIL for the weekend, and I suppose mum can do J and D on her own. But not ideal.

Shit and bollocks and tits. Great big reply, disappeared when I pressed 'post'. Arsebiscuits.

Gist: poor your MIL and you Lottie. Hope remote has turned up! Recipes sound yummmmm.

Hope Ds2 is better since the other night ALL and it was just a short lived spell of feeling poorly. Love the gentle welly reminder at nursery.

How is everyone else?

Need a massage badly as I feel all crooked and wonky and stiff. Luckily I have just such a thing booked for Saturday, plus a night out tomorrow and another on Saturday. Is it bad mum territory to be fixing up to spend quite so little time with nippers at weekend?

Loving being back at work too, incidentally. The absence from nursery thing has really settled down (famous last words) and the balance of work and home seems to be just right. S&R are seemingly much loved at nursery and their development is really taking off now they don't only have me to emulate - S is crawling and R seems on the verge of it too, she also sits and spins round on the floor most amusingly. Love 'em.

That is soooo annoying Cerubina. I have a magic key that I occasionally manage to press when feeding dd that does the same. Great news that nursery is going so well. Though have to say I hate it when people tell me how much the boys have come on cos of nursery. Yeah.. cos I don't do anything with them. & of course they're not in a rapid development phase at the moment. Though I do blame credit nursery for their increasingly strong erm... local accent.

'Unsubtle subtext'. Will remember that Lottie as I recognise that quality in myself.... hope it turned up!

Aww, poor J Chesti! Def makes me hope our `is-it-isn't-it chickenpox' with ds2 was actually it!

Ds2 still isn't well. He's been well-controlled with Calpol this week. Fine when it kicks in but v obvious when due another dose. He's been off his food for the last couple of days. Didn't think too much of it since he's been ill but then this morning I saw some white patches on his tongue so thought maybe he had a sore mouth. Took him to the walk-in today & yup, temperature, ulcers on roof of his mouh, tonsils/neck glands inflamed & bacterial infection on his tongue/throat. bad mummy. He's on anti-bs if we ever get it into him. Gave him Calpol this afternoon & it was obvious that hurt him so he's not keen on taking anything so half the first lot of antibs was gargled back out. He's had ice cream for dinner & yoghurt for pudding. He's probably feeling much like I did when I had my sore mouth / tongue episode when pg with dd & that was awful. Poor thing.

God yes the local accent - I have two little geordies!!

Poor DS2 ALL, I hate having to get antibiotics (or indeed any medicine) down them - so stressful, compounded by the swallowing issue for him. Urgh.
And Chesti so sorry yours is still a plague house. Childcare for Brum jaunt sounds comlicated, let's hope your dad's ok by then. Don't get me wrong I do love weddings when it's a close friend but there are so many 'peripheral' ones too, all around the country... it's a ball ache frankly

Your weekend sounds lovely Cerubina

Our 2 don't say that much yet, but the Promclaimers come from 10 miles along the road so you can just imagine the local accent . H is getting broader and broader with hers since she started nursery.

Tarti I love weddings too, and rarely turn down an invitation, but yes, I do wonder why I put myself through it all. They can be a massive expense and effort.

ALL feel really sorry for your DS. Hope the antibiotics do the trick and he is well soon. J has been really good with the pox unlike-D-who-milked-everything . Mouth ulcers are really horrible, no wonder he is off food.

Cerub glad the twins are settling in nursery. Now winter is over there should be less bugs and stuff.

new stuff at Half pint chic just love that dress also some cute stripy ones 3 different colours Kate

Will post properly later

stripy

Cerub - so good to hear you're enjoying being back at work. That is the common reaction I hear from people and it's only making me more keen to get back into the workplace! I have to confess to feeling a bit like a fish out of water at the moment, skulking around playgroups but looking around the room at the other mums and not really feeling like I've got anything in common with them. I don't think I want to be a SAHM anymore! Speaking of which, was out with a friend last night who was trying to persuade me to go in with her on a new business venture. She's in PR, has had what seems to be an excellent idea - wants to work with me but sadly my head is full of 'what use would I be?' thoughts... damn.

Also good to hear S&R are excelling at nursery, it can only be a good thing, right? I do wonder whether it's even more important for twins to get to socialise with other children - am noticing that J in particular is blossoming in the company of others, having previously always been shy around others.

ALL - sorry to hear about the continuing illness, and you Chesti. Is the pox on its way out???

As for us, MIL leaves tomorrow morning, being driven up to Warwks by DH. Looking forward to a bit of space to catch up. Architect has been round to start drawing up plans and we're now in discussions for 2 storey extension and overall house renovation, which would probably begin next Feb/March. It's very exciting, and daunting....

All this shoe chat reminded me that we needed new shoes for D. Took him along to clarks and he has gone from size 4.5 - 6! Bad mother that I am. I felt his toes in his old shoes and they didn't feel that bad. Am now fretting that like kate we will have a bad fitting experience and his new size 6 are far too big for him.

LL don;t put yourself down. Your friend wouldn't have asked you if she didn't think you were up to it.

Pox fortunately receeding here. Lots of scabs but they are no longer ill as such.

Sounds exciting all round Lottie. Did you discuss what your role might be in the business? I'm sure you must have lots of transferable skills but not surprised if you're feeling a bit daunted

How are your boys now Chesti? You must be nearing the end now...

We're having a busy time with my determination to pretty things up a bit here. Dd almost has a bedroom! Just about to go & finish painting then I need to resurrect my sewing machine & do the curtains (measured & pinned already) & then dp can build her furniture. We rug-doctored the house at the weekend & I've glossed a few more surfaces. Had a joiner in for new front gate & he's coming back tomorrow to replace the back gate. I'm so enthusiastic I'm having to rein myself in & not start new stuff though it would be useful if I concentrated on important jobs like the damp problem! Am now kicking myself for not pulling my finger out pre-children.

Ds2 seems to be on the mend but he's had an awful week, poor thing. He's eaten little except custard & we've really struggled with the medicine as it's so painful for him. Just touching his gums has had them bleeding & his lips have been v swollen too.

cross-post. Soooo slow! Good news the worst is over. How long is it since D was measured as 4.5? I've not had ours measured since their first shoes cos I couldn't get into the shop with the buggy what with all the display shelves . Sure our wellies must be feeling a bit tighter since xmas though....

Poor, poor DS2 ALL . Glad to hear he is on the mend, albeit slowly.

Really wish we could decorate a bit here. Trapped by lack of money, time and the fact that the boys are trashing everything so really need to wait until the drawing on the walls phase is over before I start . But at the moment I just feel everything is so drab and grubby

Just a quick post but Kate Smallable are selling that dress you liked for your elder DD at 40% off ..... here

I think that's how I feel Chesti. However: have white emulsion. Will paint. Watch out house. I gave the bit of wall under our lounge bay window a couple of coats this afternoon & it looks so much better. I had to leave the curtains open so I could admire it . Just got to do the rest now but that bit was particularly driving me nuts. The hallway was going to be my next project but we have the drawing / pulling paper off problem too. Thought it had passed as it hasn't happened in ages - til the other day. But then we'll have the problem for a while with dd so think I'll have to do something. The other problem is that the hallway decoration goes all the way to the attic & being high around stairs is a bit scary. Still, plenty to keep me busy elsewhere for now.

I do hope DS2 is back to full strength again now, ALL. Poor sausage, how agonising must that have been? Well done on all the decorating advances. I still wonder how you manage to get so much done round the house with three little ones, even if you say it has taken you ages to get round to doing Dd's bedroom. We have boxes with stuff in that have not been unpacked since we moved back in after the renovations - that's 18 months ago now. I can't see when I'm going to tackle them! Maybe I should just chuck out the contents if we haven't needed them in that long. Hope you get to enjoy pristine walls for a while before the crayons get them.

What makes you think you couldn't be a useful contributor in your friend's business Lottie? It can be really daunting resuming a working life but you strike me as a very capable and intelligent person, and your friend has presumably asked you because she thinks you're up to it. She's not likely to simply be being charitable if it's a start up and needs good people to make a go of it.

Glad the pox is nearly at an end Chesti. It does seem to have taken a while to go through them all. Has it been nightmarish dealing with them and have they been desperate to scratch? Not looking forward to the experience when it happens here...

It's hosing down here. Every time it stops and you think perhaps you can leave the house, it tips down again, so I don't think we will venture out. Hope the twins don't mind being indoors instead but I suspect they won't really as they spend much less time playing with their toys now they are at nursery. Still it could be a bit challenging! R has a rash (post viral- presumably from a cold) and it's bothering her a bit. S is cranky too. Both have started rejecting food after about half a bowlful as well, after a lovely long spell of troughing their food, which I think must be a bid for independence. . I have not relished the idea of self-feeding at all!!

Crikey, something weird is happening in our household. We are seriously contemplating junior bed purchasing. I cannot believe I am entertaining this thought but yesterday I ordered duvets, pillows and bedlinen and almost pressed the button on buying a couple of these little beds from JL. It was only the realisation that we need to add mattresses that made me question the need to do it, suddenly propelled it into being a decision not to be made lightly. Although my search for 'organic cot bed mattresses' on ebay (I know, ridiculously precious) came up with this listing which I reckon will be an absolute bargain for someone! Am quite tempted although now we're out of the cot phase plus the fact we don't even need a chest of drawers it might not quite be right for us.

Also need to get organised on potty front. We have one potty, and it's not enough. Juliet starting to do wees on potty regularly now, although am taking all my cues from her and not trying to get anywhere with it. Anyone who's been through this have any tips? I guess just keep going with letting her go on the potty when she wants to until we decide to 'go for it'?

It's funny you've posted that Lottie, Our cots are pretty sparse, I put the girls in their sleeping bags and leave them to it. I've been wondering at what point you change from sleeping bags to PJ's and Duvets?
We bought Boori Cot beds from JL so they should last until the girls are 5, I'm planning to never take the sides off!

Also the Lamb dish you linked to is one of my favourites, it works perfectly every time and the gravy is lush! I also do it with cous cous, spicy gratinated peppers and garlic minted yogurt and pitta breads on the side mmmmm....
Shoulder of pork in the slow cooker is good too, really nice with BBQ sauce and homemade coleslaw!

It's crap posting on the IPad, I'll post properly on the pc later

Miserable weather hey, is everyone house bound?

Us too re. sparse cots, it's just that recently J has been showing massive interest in 'Daddymummy bed' (what they both call our bed ) and in tucking herself in, untucking herself, pretending to sleep and wake up (over and over and over again - it's 'hilarious' at 6.30am - not), plus being occasionally VERY annoyed at having to put on her sleeping bag. ("I don't want to put my sleeping bag on, it's too BOOOORIN'!") I don't think it'll work giving them bedding in their cots, because it'll swamp them. But are we ready for the potential nightmare of switching them to beds??? I am so loathe to move them on to the next level sometimes, although in this instance I know they'll be beside themselves with excitement at having their own little beds to play in.

Just had all my hair cut off at hair appointment in town - oh the incredible freedom I felt to get on a bus by myself and go into Holborn to get it done....

Cerub and others - thanks for the boosting re. potential work and my self-doubt. I think with me it's a bit more than just being nervous about going back post-kids. I'm also looking at a total career change - not only is my previous job almost completely incompatible with having children (lots of travel, irregular hours/set-ups due to being freelance), there is also a massive lull in opportunities. Lots of my old freelance colleagues are VERY short of work at the moment and all I can think is how glad I am not to be looking for work alongside them, especially after a 3 year absence. You're right that I should think there must be a good reason why she asked me Cerub - funnily enough, having had a decent hair cut and a little trip into town, I'm feeling a lot more feisty and confident this afternoon! :)

ALL - I am also awed by your ability to get things done around the house with three littlies. We haven't even finished unpacking either, and even though I know we should switch the girls room around with our spare room (their room is small for two children and the other room is much bigger) I am so daunted by the prospect of heaving furniture around that I just know they'll be in the small room if/until we move out to have the extension done

I know those feelings about not being happy with the decor/set up in the house but not having the cash/energy/etc to do something about it. When we first bought this house we had no money left at all and lived in it with almost no furniture for the first two years. Even now we only have a dining table and sofa that I like - everything else could burn down go and I wouldn't be sad. I would have thought by the age of 41 I'd have a painting or two to be proud of on the walls!

LL I'm stalking your FB page now waiting for he new hair photo
I love going to the hairdresser, it's so relaxing, and one of the only times I get child free time

I know that feeling LVB. And believe me, by the time they get to be 2yrs + that starts to get VERY wearing..... today was a nursery day and my god am I loving the free time.

The girls start nursery next January 2 mornings a week initially, I am beyond excited and already on countdown.

I'm just waiting for my provisional license to arrive and I'll soon be having some child free time whilst I take driving lessons about bloody time!