D'ya ever wonder if you could still do the twist and not actually wet yourself in the process?

[shabbs]

New thread my friends xxx

Fingers crossed for your DH, trips. I agree, I hope no news is good news.

Whelp, was late by 15 minutes for my eye appointment so they marked me down as DNA and said they would send me another letter through the post. Annoyed! Especially as I had to get there by train because I couldn't drive with drops and also, I wait around 45 minutes just for them to do the eye chart then wait an extra 20 for drops to work, so they could have changed it and slotted me in. Awkward buggers.

Met my gorgeous DB2 today. He is so friggin' adorable. He hid behind my dad for the first half hour and then got stuck in playing with the DC. He was proud to show he learnt how to say "my name is Lev" in Russian. I was the proudest Sister :)

Managed to do the whole decorations including outside solar lights, and the tree. I even managed to figure out a seating plan!

Family got to visit Fee and everyone was besoted with him :) MiL got emotional and freaked out when his machine went off (he just knocked his tube) which pissed DH off and ended with him telling her to "get a grip or leave" which probably wasn't the nicest thing to tell her but DH is still struggling and stressing about people visiting. A good day though and everyone has not been able to stop talking about him :) We're home for the night and back tomorrow morning for rounds :)

Hope everyone had a good day!!

Morning girls xx

I feel sorry for your MIL Mamma. She may be very emotional about it but thats wonderful. My MIL never cared a shit for my lads - not even when my two boys died. She only cared about herself. I know that sounds nasty because she died a few years ago. Why get angry because someone is emotional about your situation? MIL's get a bad press - especially on Mumsnet.

At least she is showing she cares and loves all of you.

Glad you had a good day mama but omg how busy were you! I honestly don't know how you fit everything in.

Tonight is christingle and I'm missing it this year. Emily is going with our neighbours but dh is out and we've decided with the kids having to be at school early tomorrow, it's not suitable for James to be out at bedtime. Especially as wed is dh's early start day. Plus id have the twins to contend with and they're being quite challenging at the moment.

Her reaction is understandable as she did the same with Halo and I'm glad she's involved and loves her grandson. DH isn't coping well, he's still having nightmares and he's irritable and possessive over Fee, he's barely dealing with his own emotions when machines go off so adding his mother (who always shows her emotions) is just added "annoyance" for him. He loves her and glad she's taking an interest but he can't cope well. It's stressful. He even snapped at me yesterday when I suggested we step outside the room and let both GPs have a few moments alone with him - he wouldn't here of it.

Today is a slow day, thank god! I think I just blaze through them half asleep, soks! What's the christingle? Never heard of it before.

We get our first hold of Fee today! And they tried him on breastmilk, he's currently taking 1ml an hour, and we got to keep watch for signs of discomfort (and NEC) but so far so good. I'm so ready to hold him! :)

Soks I'm with you! I don't know how so little gets done. Today is a non work day for me but I am cooking a turkey crown to take to church where I help put on a meal for the older members of the church every month, then shopping then wrapping then dds Xmas play and them they're all home and it's mayh again!

Mm your new db sounds lovely. How old is he? I'm surprised he was allowed out of the country so soon, I have friends who have adopted and they've been told no foreign trips for a year! Did he have to get a new passport and stuff for him with the name change?? Your whole family must get loads done on a daily basis not just you! Hope you enjoy your long awaited hold soon!!

Shabs keep your chin up chuck xx

DB is 2 and a little rockstar. My dad's social worker said no holidays for roughly 6-12 months due to the child's settling in needs but due to our circumstances dad got the approval from court and SW for this Christmas trip (early arrival than planned but SW was made aware and was okay with it) but no abroad trips for a good 6-12 months after Xmas. It's DB's first passport so no hassle of name change. :) We're busy bees who makes enough chaos to keep us on the go! My dad is worse he's like a tornado; the amout of things he does!

10 minutes and I can hold him!!!!!

It's the school christingle service (village so church does services in rotation with others). Essentially a celebration of God and Jesus as being the light of our world with a bit more symbolism thrown in. The children will all be given an orange to hold, with a lit candle (for anyone year 2 and above). There's a red ribbon wrapped round to represent the blood/passion of Christ, the orange represents the world and the candle the light of Christ. Then there's usually 4 cocktail sticks stuck in the Orange with assorted sweets/dried fruits to represent the fruits of the world. It's a lovely service in the winter months.

It's the school christingle service (village so church does services in rotation with others). Essentially a celebration of God and Jesus as being the light of our world with a bit more symbolism thrown in. The children will all be given an orange to hold, with a lit candle (for anyone year 2 and above). There's a red ribbon wrapped round to represent the blood/passion of Christ, the orange represents the world and the candle the light of Christ. Then there's usually 4 cocktail sticks stuck in the Orange with assorted sweets/dried fruits to represent the fruits of the world. It's a lovely service in the winter months.

Oh that sounds really festive. I'm not religious but that sounds like a wonderful thing to attend and take part in.

Holding Fee was perfect and something I can't describe.DH and I had an hour each of doing Kangaroo care with him. Very emotional. Hopefully we'll be allowed another hold of him tomorrow :)

Mama that must have been a very special moment. Are you still b/f the A team too? Must be time consuming itself, I know we all keep saying it but I dont know how you keep finding the energy. Well I am a grumpy mama tonight, had a huge row with dd this afternoon, I mean huge. I work so hard here looking after everyone, endless cooking, cleaning, have done EVERYTHING so far towards Christmas with no help from anyone. I am at school in the morning, have friends from Denmark visiting in the afternoon, on Thurs I have more visitors then Frid me and dh up to London staying o/night at sils and leaving dcs for the first time! I have bought three gifts for dd to give her best friends, she never has any money. All I asked this afternoon was for her to wrap them up, my God did she moan, make a mess of it.............I just lost it with her, you know that feeling when you are pushed to the edge? Havent spoken to each other until 10 mins ago, she just walked into my bedroom and said "can I have a shower"? So I said no, its too late you have had all day. Exit....door slam! TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY TRA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

Yep both still breastfeed not as much as I would like due to the current situation but I do at every oppurtunity and the boys are still breastfed twice a day. All have expressed milk when I'm not there and Artie eats 4 small meals so I don't feel too guilty about the younger ones; Halo also has pediasure (2 8oz bottles 3 times a day) now because he feeds upto 14-16oz every 2-4 hours and still isn't gaining the weight they need him to and all test are fine so it's unknown diease/disorder and it doesn't help that he has oral evasion and refuse to try anything (we've been trying for months). So frustrating! I run on nothing but decaff and chocolate cake!! Sometimes I wish I could relax and look after myself but I just feel guilty.

Trips, here's a glass of ! Kids can be so ungrateful sometimes and to not even offer to help you is just plain rude. She'll soon learn when she has to fend for herself in years to come and she'll regret not helping you more often! Here's hoping it's just those teenage hormones! Would she like to babysit 4 small children for the week? Clean up there mess because I am so tired of picking up toys and chewed on tubing!

I love the christingle service, it always was the start of Christmas for me, it's usually in aid of the Children's Society, isn't it. Last year was the first time I didn't go for nearly 20 yrs and that was because our church decided to experiment with having it after Christmas as they thought they would get more attendees! Needless to say it didn't work. I initially used to go as a 1st Aider, I stood by with a medical kit and several buckets of water, I alway had a pocket full of hairbands as I was so worried about the combination of little girls with long hair plus lit candles, I used to offer the hairbands to all the mums, hoping most of them would be sensible and tie their cherubs long hair up! it was so nice the first year my 2 vould actually take part. I have a favourite picture taken of my two by a friend, where their faces are beside each other lit only by the glow of their christingle candle, they were about 6 at the time. I will have to look it out
Trips - your dd is being a typical horrible teenager, but I know it's a pain in the butt to you atm
Mama -glad everything is going to plan with your decorations and you got to meet your new db, I just wondered, do the SWs approve of your dad is speaking to him in Russian, I thought that you had to be considerate of the child's own cultural heritage, which includes encoragment of the natural language?? Oh, and make the most of your nice Mil, if you had mine, you would understand the bad press they get, mind you, DH loves my mum, he says she has been more of a mum to him in the last 17 yrs than his mum has been his whole life!

My 2 are getting fed up with several of their mates as they spent their own money and bought a few little Christmas presents for them, and they expected the favour returned, and this is just not happening. I have told them it's better to give than receive, etc, but they are feeling a bit unappreciated and used atm.Oh, and the sole came off J's school shoe today, so I have to buy him a new pair. Mind you, I have emailed the school to say he will be wearing his trainers for the rest of the week, as I can't go out and buy any shoes until after I get paid!

Morning, awake early as my visitors have mailed me to say they have arranged a parcel to be delivered to me for them and its coming early..........considerate of them!! Off to school with 30 cup cakes, will be nice when schools finish, might get to relax! Hate these dark mornings, still soon be the shortest day then the nights will start drawing out again!

Morning all back to work I go today ! Don't want to get out of my lovely warm bed!! Hope you enjoy your guests trips!!

From what I'm told she apporoves as she had a meeting with dad about it when he applied to adopt and how he would go about raising a child with 2 languages without favouring/disregarding one. Dad speaks the majority in English hence the lessons and bedtime stories in Russian. English will be DB's 1st language as it is mine :) DB seems to adapting to both languages just fine and the SW checks in regulerly :)

I might have to see if our local chruch does anything for the children at Christmas. I must admit a Christingle sounds like a fun outing! :)

MIL has been amazing. Although her and my neighbour are in a contest of who can get me fat. So much food and I've resorted to putting some in the deep freezer with all the stored breast milk. She's been a godsend with the DC giving us and BIL a break from them although she doesn't like having Halo alone Bought and made her and FIL something extra special for Christmas :)

Mine are a nightmare with shoes. Always scuffed or lost

Morning girls we have a dog friends daughters dog!!! Daughter has full time work involving long hours and she cant look after the pup. So Tom has an early Christmas present.

6 month old little girl dog.....staff/lurcher cross!! All black with a blaze of white down her chest. She doesnt have much of either breed in her LOL - she looks like a black labrador apart from the white bit.

Friend said she wasnt very good with the house training but she has been fine so far. Tom is beyond himself with excitement and they are bonding quickly.

Wonder what the hell Lew will make of her!!! He is off school now so will be here in a little while. My bloody house looks like a bomb has hit it!!!!

Aw Trips, I can soo sympathise!

We got dd some lovely furniture for when we move, then found her a high sleeper on eBay she had been begging for. Her room is going to look gorgeous. And literally, the minute we had bought the bed, the first thing she said was, 'can I have...too?'

Can sympathise with you too, Bubby. Shay has somehow wrecked all three pairs of trainers, straight after I already had to buy new shoes for ds1 and a new jumper for dd. Don't need it on top of Xmas! We've had the gift thing too - I try to dissuade dd from going mad on her friends, as it never is reciprocated.

I expressed milk for the dts as they didn't feed well from the breast. They were exclusively fed on ebm and it took hours each week to keep them supplied.

And, I'm off to Sydney next year!! It's been a very quiet few months comping, and with everything else going on, I'd given up trying to keep on top of all the advent competitions. I've been doing a little here and there where I could and yesterday I got an email asking me to call a travel agency!! It will only be for a week as we won't be taking the kids, but I am unbelievably excited. One of my friends is emigrating in January and I have a very dear online friend who lives there, who i cannot wait to meet up with.

Oh wow, shabs! Congrats on the dog!

I dont know what it should be!!! Apparantly Tom has googled and they call them a Staffer or something daft like that xx

She is called Mitzy....she has more toys than toys r us, more food than the pet shop etc etc.

no, I was joking, you're always saying about orf to walk the whippets! Least I think it was whippets!

I had a dog called Mitzy! Well my parents did. They gave her to my Aunt when they caught me as a toddler trying to shut her in a door with head one side, tail the other!

lol Im a bit slow this morning Oh yes - she should be a whippet!!

Yes it is Bubs. Brought over here in the 60's by the children's society apparently.

My poor brave Jen-Jen had her blood tests taken today. She was so, so good. Jen didn't like being held initially but as I'd got her in a tight hug and she didn't have the numbing spray it was all over quite quickly. Jen was very pleased to get a moshi monster plaster and some frozen stickers for being such a good girl. Dropped her back off at preschool and she raced in to see josh.

A dog Shabs! (Is the tree still standing?)

Jealous of an Aussie Jaunt there chops. But it sounds like you'll have great fun and you do deserve it.