D'ya ever wonder how life still carried on like this?

[Kelly1978]

A new thread!
Especially for throckenholt

I was hoping the original one would go to 1000, but it was gettign a but annoying scrolling all the way done, so come over here instead.

How is everyone coping with the school holidays?

I'm fed up with the rubbish weather, as we're stuck in the house too much. I daren't take them to soft play as it packed during the hols and then I can't watch all four of them. Plus it costs a fortune.
Mine are changing so much. Rav is becoming a right wuss, scared of new places. I suppose it shows awareness, but it is annoying when I've driven miles for a nice day out and he just wants to sit and whine because he is too scared to go on anything! Shay is developing his houdini skills, and now has a tendancy to bolt out of parks so I have to watch him like a hawk. I must dig out the reins before we go on holiday.

FG - you know our DH's might sit next to each other on the train to London every week.....I will get mine to wear a big badge with Harrogate Dad on it and see if anyone says anything to him.......

Sorry to hijack! Harrogatemum () - did you see Yellow's message on your antenatal board? We've arranged to meet up next week and hoped you could come too, but presumably it'll be getting a bit close to your due date?? Let us know anyway and let us know how you get on as well. If you can't do this time, hope we can arrange something in a few weeks.

twinklemegan - just tried to CAT you but it says you dont accept email from mumsnet.....I would be up for it as long as birth not pending or just passed!! I will try and CAT Yellowfeathers.

Doris - great to hear from you! I'm also really looking forward to hearing your birth story! And any secrets you have to getting the babies into a routine so quickly (routine is a new word in my world so i may need some ideas with this!).

FG - what a nightmare with the chickenpox. In the US you can buy a oatmeal designed to put into the bath, not sure if you can get it in the UK, but its very soothing, leaves loads of sludge to clean out of hte bath though.
how is your friend with the ill dh doing ? I think the best thing you could do for her (if you can cope with it) is to look after her children so she can have precious time wiht her dh.

Kelly - great news about your dd. I think schools and education so often fail children that could be doing so much better, this is a really happy and encouraging story!

Hello Cricket - I am 23 weeks pregnant with id twins, so i guess we are about the same stage. I've just checked out the Elizabeth Noble book and it is possible that id twins can have 2 chorions and 2 placentas. I'm sure someone has given you that info already, but I'm a couple of weeks behind here! ....oh, what happened to Cricket?

Anyone know how Piximon is doing?

HM, very sensible, my christmas shopping usually gets done on christmas eve or after christmas. We don't think we are going to get anythign for ds, he doesn't really need anything, well maybe some more books (but that's for me as i get so bored of reading the same ones), and some more duplo.
My bf is due 3 days after you, so excited waiting for both of you to have the babies!

As for me, my cr*ppy doctor hasn't sent my records to my new doctor at the hospital yet despite being asked almost 3 weeks ago, I am wondering why....!
I am off to enjoy an hour of peace and quiet with a book before dh and ds get home (in the company of certan intellectuals I am embarassed to admit that I am re-reading a tony parsons, my mushy pregnant brain can't quite cope with the James Joyce I have sitting unread on the shelf downstairs)!

HM I have done a very little christmas shopping, most of it in my head I hasten to add!! My DP comes down on the big bird in the sky and if I had confessed my MN addition I could ask him to keep an eye out for the badge (lol at the thought of you making a
Blue Peter style badge from your empty chocolate box . How funny would that be...."oh hello, big strong man in pink jumper, you must be about to have a baby", "why yes you frumpy man shall we go and sink a few beverages" .

Hi Leo! Glad you are having some book time, that is my ultimate luxury but I always fall asleep after five sentences1

Thanks for asking about my friend's husband. He is very unwell and worsens daily and I can't bring myself to ask her if he has days or weeks. He can only get out in a wheelchair, lost some vision and is struggling with memory. It has all happened so fast I think that is what is most shocking. I find myself thinking about her constantly as I go through my day (her children are ages with mine). I have just finished making more soup......I have all sorts of things/ideas for her (macmillan or marie curie nurses, books for her children to help introduce them to the idea of death, cleaners, ironing services) but I don't want to be the annoying person who isn't actually helping by talking about some of this stuff. So I wait until she does and then make suggestions. I see her each day at school and some days she wants to talk and some days she wants to talk about anything but.

Anyway, the mob have finished insulting my macaroni cheese and I will clear up, let them have a chocolate biscuit and thank my lucky stars for chicken pox .

addiction even.

and how did I end up with some of those spacing issues? Either not pc literate yet or not enough wine

ahh FG - I was looking forward to them bonding over photos of their beautiful kids and wives whilst sharing a British Rail bacon butty. Never mind!

Just got sausage and mash cooking away. FIL has arrived from Cyprus bearing 3 different tubs of olives (garlic stuffed, almond stuffed and plain) and six packets of halloumi cheese - yum. I am munching my way through the garlic stuffed olives and hoping that I wont go into labour tonight as no midwives will come near me! DH is on his way home from the big smoke and is allowed to work from home for a few weeks, hooooooorrrrraaaayyyy!!!!

Am feeling v heavy in the nether regions - dont want to get any of you excited or anything - ha ha!

FG - so sorry to hear about your DD's chicken pox. Not suffered with it here YET although am checking daily for signs, but have heard that bicarbonate of soda (just a teaspoon I think) in the bath can help soothe itches, particularly the ones in nasty places. The poor lamb, I do hope she is feeling better v. soon.

DD - I am SOOOOO impressed that you already have your DTs in a routine...took me about 10 weeks and even then it was tentative. Hope your lovely boys are still treating you well and your DD is coping ok with your new arrivals.

Mars - you are so busy, I'm always astounded that you have time to post on here. It always takes me so long to read through the days events, I don't have time to post by the end...but OH is out tonight watching the footie, so I can read and post at leisure.

My lot have emerged this week from a month of being generally under the weather and are being lovely...I am enjoying it while it lasts! Driving home from pre-school this am, DD was sitting in the middle holding hands either side with the DTs, whilst all 3 danced away to loud music - v. lovely.

Can't believe you've all started Xmas shopping...does anyone want to do mine too? I hate it (bah humbug ).

Hi tracykb - i love Xmas shopping - I'll do yours! Who are you buying for, whats your budget and what do they like - I am full of ideas, not necessarily good ones I might add..........

Hi Tracykb, how about nipping to IKEA and buying a whole dinner service in white. Get children to merrily paint everything with arty paints, bake in over, wrap and bobsyouruncle, priceless art! Oh, yeah, Christmas, thoughtful presents, I forgot.

HM is heavy in the nether regions. I have been silenced with hysterical laughter at that comment .

I'm sending myself to bed, night all xx.

Oh HM much as I would love to take you up on your offer, I'd feel far too guilty, given your condition. Hope the 'heaviness' is a good sign .

FG - love the idea...will get myself off to Ikea v. soon. Can you use any old paints or do I have to get special plate-painting ones?

Never knew that about IKEA plates. Good idea. Perfect for the godparents.

Shall I sicken you all and tell you that bar one online order my Christmas pressie shopping is done? No.... don't want to rub it in. Had a lovely day in Watford with my sister today. Did a huge shop and am done!

Piximon is fine but tired. The wee ones have coughs and colds. Her other half is on call so not about much (he works hard poor man). She has hardly any time to use her PC. She text me yesterday.

Earlybird.... salut!

HM... glad HD is home. Looking forward to feeding him in the New Year. I've got a fuschia pink negligee to try out this time!

Overrun......... all I can say is get an APPLE MAC cos they don't get viruses! I'm still far more annoyed about the viruses than the pigging sites. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

I'm currently learning different feminine and masculine words (as in whether or not I use le, la or l'. Un or une etc).

Am more tired than I can say, but just waiting for DS1's rugby kit to finish washing so that I can put it in the dryer and go to bed.

Have you all read the really important thread? It's such a great idea. Will find it and link it.

Love to you all.

(Still very jealous of DD's early routine. Think I might get her to come here and put some more routine into my DTs. DT2 has a heavy cold and keeps waking at night cos he can't breathe.. bless him).

Really important Christmas thread!

DD You're an inspiration to us all.
FG Can't give any advice with the pox but you have my sympathy.
Leo Reading time....I used to know what that was, now I just fall asleep as soon as the kids are in bed.
HM Ah the joys of shopping, now the joys of wrapping, still at least you can sit down while doing that.

I'm alive! Both my little ones are on the mend, doc has diagnosed ds with mild asthma and given him an inhaler to help clear his chest. DD has gone to my dad's for a few hours (1st time he's babysat outside my house) so I thought I'd check in.
Saw midwife this morning who says twins seem fine, she was having a bad day as the blood on my arm, sleeve, jacket etc will testify! Still DS is being extra kind so "mummy's arm doesn't fall off".
Had a visit earlier this week with HomeStart so they will send me a volunteer when they have one suitable, sometime in the new year.

Made it to the (not very) local twins club last week which was interesting. Good to see people managing to get out and about with twins. Most of them looked at me like I'm mad for having such a large young family and for not stressing out about it.

Went out shopping and for lunch with my mum on sat, prob last time we'll get to go out alone for a while. Found it exhausting but I needed to get somethings for the hospital.

Been busy planning winter celebrations. Most presents bought last year in the sales (luckily really otherwise don't know where I'd have found money/time/energy) so just wrapping everything up.

DS's nursery is closed tomorrow so will be another hectic day. And that's about it.

Except I still haven't sorted out a twin buggy so even when they do get here I'll struggle to bring them home.

And I still haven't packed hospital bag for them or myself as I can't seem to remember what on earth to pack. In fact the only thing that keeps coming to mind is to pack baby bottles and formula if I plan to bottle feed (I don't). So any tips?

And that really is it except for next scan on Tues so fingers crossed the fluid levels will still be up and T2 will have done some extra growing.

oops just realised how big my post was, almost as big as my now daily expanding belly. LOL

HI Piximon - my hospital bag is by the front door and contains - pyjamas, undies (naff old black m and s ones), breast pads, big thick brick style maternity towels (nice), lip balm, hairbands to tie it back whilst screaming, couple of magazines, all the usual toiletries, a dark coloured towel and some Lansinoh nipple cream (was in agony even though only breast fed for two weeks with the twins).

Baby bag contains - newborn nappies, three vests, three sleepsuits, a hat, some cotton wool balls (plus a sneaky pack of sensitive wipes), think thats about it!

Dont think you could need much more than that. Oh - camera and mobile phone are ready to go too!

Hi Piximon, HM has covered most of what I had in my bag. I also took little cartons of fruit juice and a little pad and pen to give to DP (I am a control freak who gave him instructions on what to bring and what to do when he left ).

For the babies I had extra everything since one of my DTs was very sicky. A cool spray for face/body but mainly feet was in mine (I had no swelling while pregnant but lots in my feet for 2 days after the birth and the spray made them feel lovely even though they looked elephantmanish).

DD1 is heaps better ut DT2 is miserable. He too has spots everywhere, bit clumps of them behind and in his ears, all over his willy and testicles, torso hardly has clear skin and, strangely, hardly any on his legs and arms save some in the knee/elbow creases. He has them all along his eyelids and even one or two just inside his nose.

I must admit I've been struggling today and started of feeling tired and fed up, then got really angry with DP for never being around when I really need him, then worried about christmas shopping and cards and everything else that is undone (as I said control freak), and now sad, tired and fed up again. DT1 decided to keep me up until 1.11am, DT2 woke at 5.27am and DD got up in between for a wee and a medicine top up.

I know its probably tiredness and emotional stuff but mt confidence has taken a bashing. I blame myself for all their behaviour. They are bickering and fighting, when I sit down to play or read with them they fight over who can sit closest to me or on me. DT2 needs me the most today, DT1 doesn't want to be left out and is whacking and nipping anyone who comes in her way and DD is wailing "why is it never MY turn, thats not fair".

And breathe. Feel a cry coming on.

I know my problem, if I wasn't such a bloody 'everything has to be perfect' asshole I'd be fine.

Rant done.

No replies required, really, i just needed to say it to someone.

FG......MWAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a slice of ldc babe!

Thanks Mars, I'll save the ldc for a cuppa when in bed at 8.02pm. For now, I have poured a long, tall gin and tonic with ice and lemon down my slender, crease free, attractive neck and its helped a little. Better not have another or I'll get maudlin.

Then again, I'm at my best then.......ah, in for a penny, in for a pound.

Mars, can i ask a quick question? What was the age difference between your 3 before the DTs? Did they bicker and argue and complain about one getting and the others not? And, most importantly, did they come through that to a plateau where they still fell out but in a more reasonable way?

Tell me the truth through, not just what you know I want to hear.

I feel I really do my best to keep things extremely fair. They all get one to one with me (as best I can), they all get cuddles and I keep everything fair down to the DTs got 3 maltesers on their ice cream and DD got 4 since she's a git bigger. If one is allowed in the garden, they are all allowed. If one gets to draw and paint, they all draw and paint. I try so very hard and feel they are still unhappy and bickering and I somehow feel responsible.

My sympathies FG - have spent most of the last two hours trying to get DT1 to stop pinching/hitting/lying on top of DT2. He thinks its a game......I know its nothing compared to what you have got going on and you are on your own (DH is home and FIL is here too for a while) so I have help.......console yourself with the fact that you can have a gin! I am literally chomping at the bit to have a proper drink! Every time I mention this I sound like an alco....well perhaps I am!

I know what you mean about wanting everything to be perfect too, I am quite similar (not that you would know it ifyou saw my house - its a state), I read so many magazines that I think I expect to live my life as though I'm in one sometimes. Today I went shopping AGAIN to buy nice house things to make the house look lovely at Xmas - you know bloody garlands and gold candles and shit. And to be fair it probably is all shit.

Oh FG your day sounds like mine, cept we don't have the pox. I'm never posting a happy post like yesterday's again - talk about tempting fate. Was up about every 20 mins from 3am to 5.40 when I gave in and brought both DTs in with me and OH. DD1 has been a pain today - think she is coming down with something, and wanting more than her fair share of cuddles (although to be fair to her, she has been very good recently whilst the DTs have been clingy and whiny). And on top of all that, I've been knackered and things always seem worse when you're knackered. Then OH rang to say his father has been taken into hospital again and I'm scared it's not looking good - he's nearly 80 and has lost 2 stone he didn't have to lose in the past couple of months and has been vomiting brown liquid for 12 hours or more (sorry if TMI). Really worried about him and also for OH if the worst happens.

Anyway, I did have a quick thought about helping your DCs sleep through the pox - have you tried Medised? If not, it's paracetamol based, but also contains an anti-histamine (sp?) so helps them sleep as well - and also might help with the itchiness. Meant to post earlier so you could have got some if you don't have it already for tonight, but there wasn't time.

Piximon - good to hear from you. If you're looking for a twin buggy, there's a great review of doubles on the TAMBA website (not sure if you have to be a member to download it, but if you can't get it, let me know and I'll download it and e-mail it to you). The only other thing I'd add to your hospital bag is snacks to keep you going without the crap hospital food!

Looks as if yesterday was just not a good day for lots of us. I don't really have anything to complain about like you FG and Tracy, but lots of small things built up and by the end of the day I was really wound up - not good, when that happens my belly seems to go into one hard contraction and stays like it for a long time.
I have an issue with our cleaner, I am so fed up of coming home after she has been and finding that she half cleans things but doesn't do anything properly (eg, grease smeared over cooker top, kitchen table, work tops, kitchen floor only cleaned under ds's chair, living room floor not mopped (could see where ds had spilt milk that i hadn't seen before). I need to know that she will clean properly when we really need her after the twins are born, got to work out how to tell her I'm not happy (I'm really not good at these things, just feel like a spoiled, priviledged brat having a luxury of a cleaner in the first place, but we aren't exactly loaded and cleaners don't come cheap in Switzerland)!
Ok, winge over!

We are lucky here, we only have to pack personal stuff for a hospital bag and baby going home clothes, they provide everything else. I'm even ashamed to admit that when ds was born I wore hospital pyjamas, well i don't actually own any myself, but its on my shopping list for this time!

Piximon - I saw someone pushing around what looks like a good buggy (in size anyway) - its a Phil and Teds. Its really compact, one baby lays underneath the other.

Has anyone used one of these big long cloth things (Tragetuch in German, don't know what its called in English) for carrying twins? Someone told me about one that is made of jersey that you tie onto yourslef first adn then put the babies into it. Apparently you can carry twins together with it.

leo, thanks for the tip but P&T is not suitable for twins for first 4-6 mths as only one can lie flat(bought one when I had dd). Was expecting to have a 3rd child but not 4th at same time!
Am trying to convince myself that I'll manage sling/buggy combo for that time but realistically wouldn't be able to as SPD makes lifting/carrying difficult.

tracykb I have the printed out version of Tamba buggy guide, do you know if the online one is any different? I had a quick look last night but couldn't find it on there. Think in summary of the guide they sent me Jane Powertwin/Twin Two/Everest were the best of the lot. Better send my list to santa!

Mars is your broadband working yet?

FG & HM hope today goes better and thanks for packing tips. Am now halfway there, just a few bits to dig out from the garage.