"D'y ever wonder what Paolo would look like in my shower?" <<because I do>> For FG xxx

[largeginandtonic]

How are the pox today HM???

what do you think?

evening all

overrun do the nanny thing, you know it makes sense, what price sanity? we are considering an au pair, have done the nanny thing and don't need it now they are 3 and I'm back working p/t, but an au pair would be nice...

Well I've had a mixed bag of a weekend, went to see Babel on Friday with DH, pretty good film, shame about the number of kids I teach/have taught at the cinema, not what you want on a Friday night out... nice lie in on Saturday, met up with PILs, DTs, the beastly cousin and SIL at a local restaurant for lunch on Sat, PILs brought DTs along tired AND hungry great combination, DT2 fell asleep on my lap for the duration of the meal, then woke up very grumpy as we were about to go and had an almighty strop. PILs irritated me beyond belief, but paid for the meal so now I feel churlish

Went in search of snow today as I saw the hills were looking rather white as I came back from the gym [smug emoticon] this morning, found some, got DTs and dog out of the car in glorious cold sunshine, blizzard swept in 5 mins later, cue DTs screaming 'I hate snow' and running back to the car

relaxing with a glass of wine now before bracing myself for work tomorrow, am hating being back

Mars, I can share him with you, a little. Poor boy could use some home cooking when down in the big smoke . Talking of my darling young man.......... I've been discussing laser treatment on my leg hair

The frumpy is going through a revolution! Life is too short for leg hair

Had DDs birthday party today for all her school friends (23). I AM CREAM CRACKERED!!

My not so young man (DP) has gone for indian takeaway......

Hi dingdong

hi frumpy what's in your glass tonight then?

Frumpy, I am having about that many for ds1 party, was it really manic? Happy birthday to your dd anyway.
Dingdong, thanks for the encouragment, I am going to give it a try, and we will see how it goes

hello,

We've jsut been to the preschool again to visit with the boys, they will be starting there in April. I can't wait!!!
I jsut not sure what they are going to think, they loved it, but rav had a screaming fit when I nipped out to the loo and also was adament that he did NOT LIKE APRONS! They seem so much smaller than the others there, and they aren't really talking much, but I think with the two of them, it is for the best. It will give them some time with other children and my some valuable rest time so that I can get jobs done and spend more time with them when they are home. Hopefully they will be going three mornings a week.

Mars, last year really buggered my course up. I'm appying for a deferred exam to take in April, so I can't really do a course as well this year. I might take an a level or something instead though, after my exam is over. Plus I'm thinking about doing some work experience on one of my free mornings if everything works out, so I'm not quitting altogether.

Overrun, just looked at your other post - you have exactly the same family layout as me! I also have ds1 and dts 20 months apart, all boys. Knackering, isn't it? One dt needs constant attention, so follows me to the bathroom, bedroom, outside to the dryer, etc, and dt2 has the intricate planning of a mafia overlord and will take any opportunity when he is out of sight to draw on walls / throw things in fishtank / flood bathroom / empty packets of tissues or wipes / reprogram answering machine, etc, etc. At least, that was the case 6 months ago - they are now 3.4 and getting much better, and ds1 has started school.

The way I got through it was by enrolling them in nursery 3.5 days a week, which we could afford because me and dh are students and so got grants and things (and when I say afford, I mean shopping at ALDI and never going out for meals ). But even when they were all at home for a couple of months each summer, I felt like I was slowly being suffocated.

So glad you've found a way of getting a break - when I am with the boys 24/7 I can end up being HORRIBLE because I just lose perspective, but when they've been at nursery for the morning, I'm like 'hello, my little cherubs, mummy has missed you, let's have lots of fun now!' because I've been able to pee on my own whenever I wanted all morning.

Overrun, I don't know how to say this so I don't come over all overpowering and demanding

Will it be in your house? If so,

D O N 'T D O I T!!!!!!

Either limit the numbers or pay to hold it in a church hall or soft play place. OR make sure every child has one adult with him/her. We didn't have ours at home, we went to a local centre and it was tiring but very manageable and fun. At home you will be a headless chicken and your house will look like Iraq with balloons .

If you have no choice but to be at home, then think about things like allocating an adult at the toilet to supervise and make sure the kids know who that person is (i.e. if they need a wee they go to the person in the bright yellow t-shirt). Not a nice job for the adult but it saves kids needing a wee and interrupting you all the time. We did things like:

(1) have a massive tub or cardboard box for coats (and one for shoes), stash them away during the party and bring them out at the door at home time. Have another one for the presents so they are not tempted to open them during the party.

(2) give out party bags at the door once the coats and shoes are on

(3) don't serve ice cream, it takes ages to trowel out (while they get bored, make a mess and walk about with food) and lots of kids don't eat it, makes everything small and buffet style in front of them so they can pack their faces and move on quickly.

(4) assign an area for left over food and dishes and have black bags at the ready to chuck all the slop into

(5) have a basin of soapy water and a cloth ready before they start eating - something will get spilled or spat out within about 20 seconds

(6) make sure each adult knows his/her job. Don't be scared of sounding bossy, kids respond well to being told what to do next as long as you are fun with it ("go and ask the lady in the red top to wipe your hands or I'll have to lick them" usually works )

Kelly, thats brilliant about nursery for your DTs. It will be really good for them. I have one that goes in happily and one that cries and clings on to me. I figure the happy one wouldn't be happy if it was a hellish place to be. I agree with rav about aprons clothes are much softer to wipe your hands on.

LOL at party nightmare's, i have always done parties at home till the twins were 6, then i said they were too old for parties and could pick a friend or 2 for a sleepover or cinema trip. It is soooo expensive. One year i did a Harry Potter party, all the adults dressed up too and we held different classes like potions, herbology, charms and magical creatures! I was in charge of potions, big couldron with vinegar, bicarb and food colouring, such fun!

DS#4 is 2 on sat but he will be getting a little family party (there are enough now to make up a party!) with a cake and some party food. Thats about my limit at the moment.

Kelly freedom sounds bliss, roll on April for peace 3 mornings!

I had a very nice weekend, managed to shrug my weird cold off from last week. DH came home and so did my parents. It was lovely to see them all. DH has gone again now for 4 weeks, booo, hoooo.

I had a nast bout of food poisoning last night too, i thought i may actually be in labour. It suddenly dawned on me as i sat there doubled in agony that if i was what the hell would i do? I could call my one and only good friend i have made since moving here in August last year to watch the kids. But she has 2 of her own and she works, she would have had to get them up and come over, then i would have had to get an ambulance by myself and been on my own for hours as even if dh could leave straight away he is 4 hours away and my parents and his! I may have to think about back up plans for when the baby is due. It was very scary.

Hope you all had a good weekend and you managed to get a break HM?

Hi all - yes, DH gave me a break on Friday night I got to sleep on my own in our spare room, hooray!!

However he was SOOOO exhausted that on Sunday morning he had to go back to bed at 10am (after getting up at 8) and didnt get back up until 1pm, ha ha, men are hilarious arent they.

Overrun,how is your sleep training going? Mine are now good most of the time although DT2 does tend to get out of bed one night in every three. We give him one chance to get back into bed and if he gets out again we put him in his cot in the spare room and leave him to scream, might sound nasty but seems to have worked so far.

LG&T, I was worried about my DH being away when I went into labour, I had a couple of false starts that they couldnt work out why I was having contractions and he had to get on trains from London late at night, god knows what we would have done if it had been the middle of the night. In the end they let him work from home from when I was about 38 weeks.

FG - incredible that you did the party, does that mean you are hosting the Multiples meet up? Fab, am looking forward to the buffet already!!??

Estar - what are you studying or have you already mentioned that.......

Everyone else - helloooooo and hope you are all well, Kelly, sounds like you will be getting some peace soon. Mars, when is your Blackpool trip? Dingdong, when are we meeting up? Have I forgotten anyone? Sorry if I have, I love you all (sorry am a bit giddy, have got a pass out to go on a hen night on Saturday, wooo hoo, thought I was too old for hen nights.........)

Hi all,
Frumpy thank you for some really good party tips, I am having it in a Church Hall, having learnt from experience Just trying to book a bouncy castle atm, god our dc's are spoilt sometimes I am going to do traditional party games though.
Kelly, good luck with the preschool nursery, funnily enough my two are due to start in April, roll on Spring
Estar - wow, a doppleganger family. Are yours close, mine are, although they fight a lot, its one of my few consolations.
Largeginantonic, sounds scarey, it is a worry about going into labour at the wrong time I know.
HM, and others who asked, the sleep thing is getting better tf, we are managing to settle them at around 8 now, so it is slowly coming down.
They woke at 5 this morning and went back to sleep, so that is better than 2 or 3am. We are being quite firm about putting them back. All these storms don't help though, they wake me up, which really annoys me, when I am operating on such meagre sleep provisions

hello girls

god I'm a complete party chicken, got nanny to do it last time and didn't have one this time as all their friends have birthdays Nov/Dec too, so we decided to have one in the summer, outside

I'm struggling to keep my head above water since being back at work, even tho its only 3 days, I leave at 7.30am and am back around 5.30pm, with exhausted DTs. Why then am I applying for f/t jobs?

Hi all, having a struggling day today feeling big, breathless and uncomfortable! I've been suffering from terrible heartburn, have to find out what gaviscon alternative they have here if I can drag myself out of the house today.... anyway, I keep comforting myself that I am actually doing really well the bad things are not really that bad. Heartburn, tiredness, sometimes insomnia and general discomfort are all that I am suffering from. And I had a busy day yesterday so I guess I am paying for it today.

Kelly, will you get a chance to take the boys to the pre-school again for them to settle in? If you can take them as much as possible then Rav will get used to it and will be fine without you by April.

Overrun, I also read your post about getting some help to give you a break, wow, I can't believe you have got this far and are still sane without some help!

Back off to bed now to watch a bit more crap swiss TV. They did have a baby program on this morning where they follow pregnancies one of the pregnancies is a triplet pregnancy, but they only had a snippet on it and nothing interesting.

Hello everyone

It is soooo cod here, heating on already. Well it would have been on this morning had one my very helpful children not turned the entire heating and hot water system off, grrrrr.

LOL, chill out and rest while you can. How many weeks are you now?

DH just phoned with doom and gloom, he finishes his training in 4 weeks so should be back home, having been away since Sept. He's just heard his ship is off to the Falklands for 4 months just as he should be home. He will be away till June, the baby is due 13th May... I need him home to help, the bloody Navy. We moved here in August away from all mine and his family, and they sent him away in Sept. I have been here alone with all 5 little horrors and pregnant. I think i have just about had it, i have only made one good friend and she is on her own too, with 2 children and she works. I may have a major sense of humour failure if he cant sort this out.

How is everyone else and what plans are being made for the meet up? I may need to escape.....

LG&T, I am 33 weeks.

that the navy don't seem to think its important to send someone home of keep them UK based when a baby is due! I am not surprised you have had enough. I couldn't do this without my dh, but then he spoils me so its easy for me to be a bit of a lightweight !

LG&T - what a major bummer! How can they do that, is there no way he can appeal against it? Where are your family based? Can any of them come down and help you out?

No time to catch up on the posts just yet. I really don't know how you all cope though.
I'm finding it all such a struggle and have no idea what I'm going to do next week when my help runs out and I'm all alone.
Daytime isn't too bad (although DS1 and DD1 have decided they now hate each other and spend all day fighting) as long as I don't have to go anywhere, but the lack of sleep is dreadful and have been reduced to tears most nights.

Have more or less converted to formula feeding which I didn't really want to do. T1 pukes when she has breast milk and I feel bad to breast feed one and not the other.

Am shocked by just how UNidentical my non identical twins are. LOL. The girl looks just like the older two did at birth but my little fella looks entirely like himself. DH saw him immediately at birth and can confirm he hasn't been swapped!

Still haven't named them yet and only have a few weeks left. I need more hands and longer days. But they are so incredibly beautiful and I am absolutely besotted with them.

Oops gotta go. Hope everything is going well for you all.

All family in Plymouth, 4 hours away. They all work so no chance of anyone coming to help.

Very bad moment, all 5 are in the front room screaming at each other. Im listening to Alanis Morisette, Jagged little pill. So very apt......

I may retire to the kitchen and crank the music up loud so i cant hear them. The trouble is i have to come back upstairs to the mess and havoc eventually, no one else to do it....(sob)

It can always be worse, stop whinging lg&t./ Moan over, tea time now anyhooo, they will want feeding soon.

Do you have any ideas for the dts names? Are you traditional or modern? I will fling some ideas your way, just give me a theme or your other dc names.

Hi Pixi - things will settle down, I am feeling similar with my 8 week old DD, she still wakes every 3-4 hours at night for a feed and is very whingy from 7pm to midnight every night......although I know how much harder it is when there are 2 of them!!

LG&T - I thought you were in Plymouth yourself? If its 4 hrs away, whereabouts are you...?

Im in Portsmouth HM, sounds similar, looks similar and is full of bloody Navy. Grrrrrr

Kids all fed and bathed, dts just sorting their tip of a room (typical boys) dd sulking in her room. She got all her spellings right today and would normally get a treat but after bath time she went in to ds#3 room and taunted him (he fell and hurt his knee at school today, has been moaning ever since) and then kicked him for good measure. She then lied about going to his room and damaging him. Aaaaaagghhhhh DS #4 is sat on the couch being very good having been told off for repeatedly whacking dd with the dt #1's sonic screwdriver and then laughing, they learn young in this house. He is 2 on saturday, if he makes it

I may order pizza tonight to go with the wine i am drinking, poor baby in utero, i wonder if it will ever be brave enough to come out. Im not sure i would. Perhaps 6 is enough.....

Pizza anyone?

OMW - can we please build a shrine or something to LargeG&T?

How on EARTH are you managing? I can't believe you have five children on your own and are pregnant! With no family nearby! There are some days when my dh is away 9-5 and he comes home to a dithering wreck!

I feel awed by your cyberpresence.

Piximon - when you have time to read this - I almost feel sick when I remember the horrible nights and constant feeding and wailing. That was 3 years ago and there are still some nights I fall into my bed and thank the Lord that I know I won't have to do it again! Just grit your teeth babe, you'll get through it and all will be wonderful. And if they settle better with formula, it's well worth it.

Im having twin flashbacks....ds#4 put his hand in his nappy (when i was on the phone of course) and pulled it out saying poo!!! Hand covered, child in hysterics, mummy in hysteria.....at least it was only 1 doing it i suppose >

Am off to bed, shall i take a bundle from you pixie? I will pass him back in the morning, will have to be the boy, i only have blue clothes.

Hope you are managing to get some rest HM, i will have dd tomorrow.

Did you see the Krispy Kreme thread....ooohh i doooo lurve them sooo much. Crave, crave

Estar im slightly unhinged thats how i cope.... A shrine would be nice though, does it come with a nanny????!!!!

Cant believe i forgot to mention....Paolo was on radio one all aftrenoon FG! You were not around....does that mean you put your school uniform on and snuck in to the school to pass yourself off as a schoolgirl (all innocent) He did sound rather yum, such a lovely voice mmmmm

I feel frazzled with four so I don't know how you do it.