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'...

Child's mother wasn't there tarti - it was just normal nursery set-up, with us looking around while the girls pottered with the others. I know in the grand scheme of things it's nothing, but as you say it's that thought that children will often try to find someone's 'weak spot' and pick on that. More likely at that age of course is that she was just commenting on my daughter's scrumptious cheeks, not knowing that they were scrumptious and that in fact her thinking IS COMPLETELY OFF THE MARK

Can't write much as DH is sitting on the sofa next to me ranting away at the news on TV and it's giving me a bloody headache.

Suffice to say tarti - forget the diet stalling, mine's gone bloody backwards at high speed. I am a great big fatty and very depressed about it. :(

As IF. We do need to kick start it again though don't we. Where is the motivation going to come from??
I've just ordered some clothes with Christmas money that was burning a hole in my pocket, hopefully that will give me a kick up the (fat) arse...

I don't know. :( I have put on at least a stone and a half since losing all the weight. Managed to maintain it for about 9 months without any bother, went on holiday a few pounds heavier than I'd been... put on a few pounds. Lost a bit of that, but then Christmas came... put on a few more. And now a month of being at Mum's, drinking wine every evening and eating far too much... even more has piled on. On the one hand think I can't really get a grip on it until we move in, but that is going to be a month away and I can't bear another month of eating crap. Even insisted we drive to Argos the other day to buy some scales so I could begin to address it all. But as you say, where oh where is the motivation? I could talk about this subject all night, but will go to bed. In a nutshell, i need to key into some sort of um... self-esteem about eating well, being healthy, not wanting to eat rubbish. I don't want to fad diet any more, don't want to go on a big 'kick' to get down to a certain weight. I need to address something as a permanent change in the way I deal with food. And on that light-hearted bit of whimsy, goodnight!

PS: I bought a few items in the sale - including some FAB Nicole Farhi black trousers, in a size bigger than my lowest weight, and even they don't fit. But they are a good incentive for me to get back on the bloody wagon. So where is my bloody mojo?!

I wouldn't worry too much about the `window' Tarti. For ages my parents took us swimming every weekend til my brother arrived when I was 6.... and I still couldn't swim! Sort of taught myself when I was 14 or so though my strongest stroke is doggy paddle much to dp's amusement. That's why I'm so keen for the boys to be confident.

My two can play really well together or apart.... until they spot that I'm doing something that they consider could be vaguely interesting, like look in the general direction of my laptop, or move. I discovered today that pile of assessment most definitely fits that bill too strange children so I agree - impossible while they're around. Though actually, ds1 would have fun scrawling all over the work, and the students would take as much notice of it as they do my feedback.... . I thought I'd try reading a book today while they were engrossed in Thomas Tank. Ds2 needed to hold the book & ds1 just wanted to draw fish in it. That worked well...

Sounds like you're enjoying having dh back to share your weekday evenings Lottie

I'm ignoring weight stuff, other than I need to buy clothing & that's always depressing. I was lucky both pg in that I didn't put additional weight on, but I could still do with losing my pre-pg excess. I think I can still ignore for a while yet after all, I will lose loads through breastfeeding

ALL you definitely do not need to worry about it at the moment!

Right I am going to train my children to play by themselves. Maybe I don't have the right kind of toys...

Lottie I do this every year, put a couple of pounds on over Christmas, then think 'oh I've only put a couple of pounds on, that's great' and continue to trough my way through January and Feb until I've undone any previous good work. MUST STOP!

Right, M is roaring, must get them up

Right kind of toys? Right kind of television you mean

Actually we just threw money at the situation ourselves and bought the girls two of those Little Tikes bubble car things. They absolutely love them and seem to spend the whole time when we're at home getting in, beeping the horn, opening the door, getting out, filling it up with petrol (from a teapot of course), getting back in, etc etc etc. Well worth the £50 each although they were complete buggers to put together - next time I'm going second hand just to get out of doing that bit!

I do get tired sometimes of having to play with them and am hoping the independence will increase.

Btw I hope there's no 'window' either - the girls have probably been swimming about 5 times in total. Juliet terrified of it all still, or rather throws a complete fit if we try to put arm-bands on...

Lottie am only on for 5 minutes so can't do write a long reply.
But my girls play for hours in the little tikes cars too - bring them in in the winter and they speed up and down the hallway - then do the same as yours (get out, petrol, back in, drive) and then all swap cars. When they start getting a bit bored, I suggest they 'Go to the beach!' and they all speed off again!
Mine will play by themselves nicely Tarti but they cannot physically do it without getting every single toy out.. then they will play on top of all the toys but if I have things I desperately need to do - I'm happy for them to get absolutely everything out, will keep them busy for ages!
If you've got paper work to do, could you sit them in their highchairs at the table and give them some paper so they can 'copy' you?

How old are yours Kate?
Mine do play better if they've got thousands of things kicking about the floor to choose from. I left them alone a bit today as an experiment. R no probs really although she comes back to boss me about a bit and tell me where to sit every so often. M fine for a short while but I think she gets bored without input, her solution then seems to be to wonder about opening drawers and flinging stuff about, occasionally resorting to bringing me things or getting up to mischief to get my attention... can they be taught (I know taught is the wrong word, ykwim) to occupy themselves more or am I overdoing it as usual ?

It doesn't matter about the work - expecting to be able to mark GCSE/A Level papers in French with small children knocking about is just pie in the sky; I can't even do it with the radio on! - but it would be nice to be able to flick through a magazine or, ahem, do something more worthy for more than seven minutes at a stretch...

I am painfully aware that 95% of my posts boil down to my desire to escape my children.... I do love them really

Might get some little Tykes for the summer. Our house is too small for two of them to be any good indoors. The wheelibugs are still going strong though.

We've got them at my mum's at the moment tarti where there's no room for them to whizz around in them. In fact they haven't worked out how to manoeuvre them any way but backwards - assuming Kate that in time they'll enjoy scooting around in them?

Meant to say yesterday very funny moment with Juliet in the ball pit at soft play. She got in it for the first time, had been in it for about 30 seconds before a mum plonked her 1 yr old in to play with the balls. 1 yr old happily starts gently picking up a ball - Juliet immediately drops onto her front, splayed like a starfish in an attempt to assert her ownership of every single ball in the pit, grasping at every individual ball she can and with a steely glare stayed absolutely still until the mother removed her child. Even I was scared! This girl has a shock coming to her when she gets to nursery...

I know we've touched on this before but schools!!!!

My local primary school that I'm in the catchment area of is Ofstead satisfactory and has 70% of the children with English as a second language, my only other options are to,

1. Become a practising Catholic (we're both Catholic but don't go to church) our other local school is Ofstead good but had 86 applicants for 26 places last year, and can you imagine if I started going to church each week for 2 years then didn't get in bashes head against wall!
2. Pay and go private
3. Move to a nice Village with an outstanding primary

Help please

Lottie What size were the gold TTJ shoes you have? I bought the girls some this week as they are both now walking, sooo cute!

Bit rushed now to post properly but Lavita I wouldn't personally distinguish between a 'good' and an 'outstanding' school - in practice the only differences are often to do with senior management ticking the right boxes and everyone using the right buzzwords. Satisfactory is different as this can mean there are real areas for concern. I'd be looking at the actual inspection report and picking out the bits that relate to your personal obsessions criteria (so for me might be things like quality of pastoral care and overall happiness of the students (they do comment on this), behaviour when walking around the school as well as in lessons, stretch and challenge for more able students...) rather than relying on the headline verdict.
The school I teach at is 'outstanding' (secondary) and I wouldn't really want mine going there, for all sorts of reasons - for example it's very innovative from a teaching and learning point of view, too much so in my view, but this goes down well with inspectors.
The Ofsted report can also give you interesting info about the profile of their intake of kids.
Our current catchment area sounds very similar to yours, the local primary - which is at the end of the road - is not an option as far as I'm concerned. I have dabbled with the idea of private but I would rather move to a nicer area with better schools since this benefits all of us as a family anyway.
It's pie in the sky at the moment though

Tarti DD's are 2.6
Probably the wrong word, but I do think they can be 'taught' to entertain themselves! When mine start getting a bit bored, I just invent something else for them to do; like with the cars - I ask them if they are going to the beach next. Then if they get bored 'at the beach', I will step in and be the ice cream lady - after a few minutes I suggest 1 DD is the ice cream lady whilst I do some jobs.

Lottie Your DD at softplay sounds absolutely bloody hilarious! I remember DD1 trying to do this at a party once, with balloons - only they would just 'bounce' off..
Yep, DD's all went backward on ride-ons at first.. I guess its just instinct to 'push' - but they do soon learn to go forwards.. and thats when you have to start watching your ankles!

LVB I probably sound like a complete twat, but I hadn't even thought about schools.... / will they definitely get into the same 1?! Imagine having 5 DC's in 5 different schools, all starting at the same time... Arghh!
Our local primary is absolutely lovely - DD1 already goes, and hopefully DD2 will be going in September - she already goes to the adjoining pre-school.
Our local Secondary is just horrendous - would never send DD's there. DH is determined to send them privately for secondary; its just obviously the case of money. So unless we move before they go to secondary (highly unlikely..) we had better start saving!

Now that would be a nightmare Kate!

I've only had a brief look at our local schools & they seem OK despite the area. We are still hoping to move sometime & the area we have our eye on has pretty good schools, certainly at secondary. Agree with Tarti though... ofsted can be meaningless. Which is useful. Especially when it comes to your own child. I'm the complete opposite. My place was inadequate' and within 2 yrs turned it round to v nearly outstanding'. The difference... management . Totally . I'd have been happy for my childen to go there for most subject areas regardless of the inspection report (& actually chose to work there rather than at an `outstanding' competitor because of my experiences at both insitutions). Post-compulsary ed is a bit different to schools though (for now anyway!).

Dp has gone off to bed poorly so I'm on dd alert. & trying to get this bloody assessment done for work. They've asked me to drop it back early this week & I'm struggling to get through it. I'm trying to say sod `em, but it's hard so I'm stressing instead. & knowing there's another lot waiting for me. Gah!! I'm going to have to put my foot down & say no more I think.

Nice weekend otherwise. Decided to go to the zoo yesterday. Stupid idea considering the forecast. Just as well it started peeing down as we got into the car so we ended up going for a house-spotting drive then to Pizza Hut for lunch. Boys were so, so good. & we did the zoo today instead. Sans buggy & it was mostly OK. Took boys on monorail thinking they'd be made up with the choo choo ride. Ds1 spent the whole time like this . He really is v unsure when it comes to new experiences / being out of his comfort zone. No doubt he'll talk about it non-stop now its over though. Like the other week when he would only watch the Skype session with gramps from the other side of the room..... and now constantly mentions grandad, fish' cos Dad was being daft with a Nemo soft toy.

this is the local Catholic Primary

this is the school 3 mins away that we are in the main catchment area

Thanks Tarti +All with your teacher wisdom, I am leaning towards going to church at present . Long term plan is still to move, but where? We need to be within an hours drive of SW London, not really sure what other requirements I have apart from good schools and a house I love

Lottie Love the ball pool story, shame you didn't get that on film , how is the move going? I saw your FB status about loving your London house, I feel like that too, that I'd be sad to lose this property as I know long term it is a great investment.

ALL Why are you working on your maternity leave ?

Kate Where do you live ?

MM, Cerub, Chesty How are you?

Oh girls, have been lurking here but too stressed to post. Came back to London at the weekend and immediately found myself having second thoughts about selling up. Very complicated thought processes and no idea what to do with myself at the moment, dreading the phone ringing with progress from EAs etc because I don't know what I'm going to say.

Lots to say on the school subject. LaVita - interesting situation in Matfield re. the local school, which was a failing school a couple of years ago. According to the locals I've spoken to, it's now had loads of money poured into it, a new head, small class sizes (because no-one wanted to go there!) and is rapidly turning into a school to be reckoned with. So the people I spoke to, who had children who were 7-9, had opted to go private because of the state of the school at the point of entry, but told me to take a look at it and give it good consideration because it might have turned round in 2-3 years. I've read lots on the subject and everyone says your starting point should be to go and look at all those you're considering - lots of people find themselves actually really liking a school despite its Ofsted rating. I am drifting more and more towards wanting to go private, but that's a whole other subject and more than slightly linked into my stress about selling up here.

Oh Lottie big hugs for you, be kind to yourself, have a nice big cup of tea and take a deep breath. It is incredibly stressful moving house, let alone twice and you have also different Countries and twins to add into that equation.
Is it just because you like your old London life, the house, or is it the unknown of moving to another new place?
I love the new house and it looks like a fantastic family home and great new start for you. The school sounds good too, wish I could be more help

Hugs from me too Lottie. What are the factors making you feel like this? If you could be in the new house tomorrow, with some other minions having moved in all your stuff and done all conceivable donkey work, would you be happy? Is it just a wobble because it feels nice to be back in your London place versus upheaval/being at your mum's? Agree with Lavita, the new house is gorgeous and you were so excited about it - perhaps all the inevitable faffing and wrangling over details has taken the gloss off that excitement but the essentials are still the same (I'm presuming...)
Talk us through it, you know we enjoy a spot of counselling

Lavita I'd be putting my SUnday best on too - the Catholic one looks good. Only thing is it's one form entry so F and V would be in the same class. Depends whether that's a problem for you (I'm not sure for me, think I would rather they were separate but I know lots of people feel the opposite )

I will bore you with it on FB... get your counsellor's glasses on! x

Hi all.
Lottie you reminded me I needed to pick up the grobag from the sorting office where it has been languishing for the past week! Got it now, it's perfect thanks for the recommendation, I will get one for R too.

How are we all tonight? I'm supposed to be marking but instead am gearing up for a couple of hours' tv and a selection of curries. NO RICE, am being mildly careful about carbs in a half assed manner. Lost a whopping one and a half of the 6 I gained over Christmas and January. I've got a hen do to go to this weekend, then two nights away with DH next week, both of which I was hoping to be looking thinner for. Hmmm.

Pounds not stone!!!!!!

Sounds like the local one might have been in special measures til before the last inspection Lavita? If so there will be loads of support / pressure to help them improve further so might be worth visiting / keeping an eye on. Tho if there's a chance you need to move or start going to church I guess that's not a great option either.

Lottie ishoos??

I have my marking out Tarti (no idea Lavita. Other than I'm obviously a mug....) but am mainly doing tv too (protecting children?) as chances of meeting the marking deadline are so remote I might as well not worry. Dp has gone to bed again as he's still poorly. He ended up with D&V since last night, as has ds2 . They've both been v poorly today . I'm paranoid that dd might get it & have been really twitchy about dp going near her today not that he knows that of course.... On the plus side... we have chocolate & he's in no state to enjoy. Oh well