Episode 34 - The Tearoom moves to New England

[beanandspud]

At this time of year New England is famous for its glorious foliage as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colours. The air is crisp and cool ? perfect for hiking, biking or a drive along back roads, where farm stands are piled high with crunchy apples and orange pumpkins.

Everyone is welcome. There are tea, cakes and wine aplenty so pull up a comfortable chair and join us.

The usual rule applies - no fisticuffs please!

Yes, that's what I told him. I'm hoping to meet up with the Seniors for a pizza hut lunch one day soon so I'll take Toddler and he can see his girlies, eat pizza and hopefully get a new red balloon.

I don't know about the Big Smoke but do hope to get to YOUT once or twice before we go to finish off the Christmas and birthday presents shopping.

Wow, you lot have been very chatty over the weekend. Just read through all the posts I'd missed and now it's nearly time to watch the Bake Off semi-final so I have no time to post!

Skimmed over the bulb conversation - I am about to plant a few last spring bulbs (prob crocuses) under our maple tree. Hoping I've not left it too late in the year - I was scraping ice off the car windscreen this morning and the weather is definitely turning!

I am in the process of giving/selling Banderchanglet's baby stuff now that we have decided once and for all not to have any more. Whilst I have some nostalgia for some items, I'm generally pleased to see the end of that phase. We were waiting to really "want" another one, and that feeling never came and so we figured that meant we were happy with one. So that's that and the stuff is being sold! Like some of you, I think the age gap would be too big now even if I did get broody later on. I do wonder sometimes "what if", but not very seriously.

I ate dinner at Toddler's dinner time. I am hungry. I've just finished the tub of ice cream (there wasn't much left). What else can I have?

Toddler is definitely nearing three. We had another major, un-Toddler-like, meltdown at group this afternoon. There are two things I can think of that were the same as yesterday a trolley/stroller that a number of children wanted and a boy named P. Toddler and P were actually sort of "sizing each other up" (that's what P's mum said, anyway) and they had a few minor clashes yesterday over toys, too. The first time I took him away from the situation, the second time we went outside of the room for a calm down and a conversation (and I did tell him that if he screeched and I really mean scream the place down in a temper again we would go home) and after the third time I scooped him up, quietly said "We're going outside and going home because we agreed if you screeched again we were going to leave." Surprisingly he stopped almost immediately upon leaving (which is what he did when we left the room the first time) so I think he realizes I mean business and will follow through with my threat-- promise to take him out of the group. He had a ride most of the way home, which makes me think he was tired after his tantrum/s but when I put him to bed tonight I noticed his cheeks were going bright pink so maybe he's coming down with something which caused the outburst/s?

This is the first week he's really done that in a big way. I'm wondering if I should not going to these activities for a while or keep going and keep doing what I'm doing (remove once, remove from the room to talk/calm down, remove from the room & go home). Anyone have any thoughts?

But don't be shy about keeping a few treasures, Banderchang. I have a little box of babygros and tiny cardigans, that I will weep and coo over when I;m an old lady.

Bulbs. I should have mentioned crocuses and also hyacinths. I always do hyacinths for indoors but they can look lovely in borders. Jan Bos and Woodstock are both good strong colours.

I have more than just babygros. At each season, when I bag up the clothes that he's outgrown or will outgrow over the next season, I sort through and keep one or two of my favorite things. I have a box of tee-shirts, pajamas, overalls, etc. along with newborn babygros, blankets, etc.

Oh yes, I'm keeping some bits - I'm not totally heartless! I have a few of his littlest vests, plus the outfit he came home from hospital in. Also his first shoes and , like Scout says, a few random bits of other sizes that I am particularly attached to.

Hope Toddler doesn't end up being poorly, Scout. It sounds like you're being really consistent when dealing with his behaviour which must send nice clear messages to him. If you had a break from the group where he's acting up, is there something else nice you could do instead? When we've had this kind of thing, I've usually done an alternative activity for a week or two to break the cycle, then gone back. Hard to know what to do though.

It's his first pair of proper Oshkosh overalls that get me every time. Especially when I look at him in his current ones. Once upon a time my baby was really a baby!

Banderchang, yes, at least on Tuesdays there's an alternative activity. Unfortunately not for Mondays and it's the Monday group/activity he absolutely LOVES. He was devastated when they didn't run it last term and he nearly burst when he found out they were running it again. Every week he asks if it's that's day yet and when it's Monday I spend all morning repeating "No, Toddler, it's not time to go to BB yet. Why don't you do/play with xyz and I'll tell you when it's time to go?" I use the "three strikes" method at home ("No, don't do xyz" then "Toddler, I said we are not to do xyz. If you do it again there will be a time out." then "Toddler, I have said you're not to do xyz and you did it so now there is a time out.") and I rarely have to get to the consequence stage but when I do I do it and the time out works well for both Toddler and myself. I have seen what not following through with statements & consequences does to the parent/s and the child/ren and I cannot live like that. It's hard work, this parenting and consistency lark, but I think the end results will be worth it.

Consistency is a good thing... well done scout.
arrrr over tiny baby oshkosh. I have only kept 1 t-shirt and 1 bib from boys small baby days. heartless mother that I am ( and we have moved house twice). He's still wearing a pair of shorts that he had age 1, but now they are PJs and a bit indecent. They used to fit over a bulky terry nappy.

hello my lovelies ::hugs Maud back:: and anyone else who feels like a ((())))

Banderchang, sorry, are you relatively new? I am old but erstwhile so we may not have chatted much yet!
I have kept a few baby things, as each pile grows I find some of the earlier stuff less sentimental so it sort of wittles down quite well - I do get a pang seeing friends in hand me down clothes that were Oxboys - watching the trousers still being toddled in more awww than lying in a drawer iyswim - certainly I feel particularly tender to the recipient of most of the clothes, he must be a dear boy because he looks like my dear boy!

Scout you sound awesomely sorted and consistent. Me, I am a pushover pathetcially whimpy at confrontation I suspect I am always slightly trying to make up to my poor boy for the inadequacies of having me as a mum! There you go.... will now rush out and buy bulbs and think of you all!

Sometimes I hate children. Grrrr. Not my own and not the lovely Tea Room offspring just children where I live. Grrr.

Why, Scout?

Toddler's lovely new steam train hat got blown off the stroller (he had taken it off so I tucked it into his chariot) on the path on the way to the playground today. I was thinking about this hat, wondering where it was, on the way back from our play and I saw two school kids, one wearing a hat that was clearly too small for him and in the same color as Toddler's. I wasn't sure and I watched this kid climb a tree and stuff it between two branches. Toddler's hat is clearly a toddler's cap, not one for an older child or adult. WHY would he do that?! Unfortunately I wasn't sure it was Toddler's hat until I got close to the tree and the kids were gone. So, after walking two miles to the playground, running around for two hours and walking back one mile at that point I, Scout, climbed a tree to rescue my son's lovely new steam train hat. "Mommy, hat in tree! Get it Mommy!" And when I got down it was "Mommy get hat from tree!"

I am tired and sore and in need of an adult beverage.

And yes, I know the kid probably thought it was fun or funny or whatever. But really?! Did he HAVE to put a toddler sized cap high enough into a tree that even my 6'5" husband would have had to climb for it?!

That is just mean. but at least Toddler was impressed with your arboreal feats!

Yes, I did get a lot of "Mommy getted hat tree!" on the way home as he held on to this cap. But climbing trees is not what this mommy does best.

No, I'm afraid I would have had to leave it where it was, because I am too old, fat and unfit ladylike to climb trees!

Well done with the tree climbing Scout! Hello oxeye, yes I am a newbie. I've lurked for a while but only recently gathered up the courage to join in. I don't always keep up too well with the speedy conversation and am still trying to understand Mellors, but I think I'm doing ok!

We're viewing primary schools tomorrow as we need to apply for Banderchanglet ready for Sept 2013. There are 3 closish to home, but only one is walkable so I hope we like that one. We're taking Banderchanglet with us to see how the schools relate to him as well as what we think in general terms. We did view one about 6 months ago which is near work (but not near home) but the headteacher was very odd. Hoping that these ones are more normal! I can't believe my baby will be at school this time next year! He's excited about it though, which is great. Hope nothing scares him at the visits tomorrow - fingers crossed it was the right idea to take him! (Too many apostrophes in this post, sorry).

Gah - not apostrophes - exclamation marks!!!!

Trust me, if I hadn't wanted that hat back I wouldn't have gone tree climbing. It was neither pretty nor graceful.

My train mad boy needs one of these when we go shopping at the outlets next month.

Indeed he does!

MrScout is going to California. He's leaving on Toddler's birthday. Unfortunately they need him home/back the following week so he goes for a week, comes home for a week, goes back to Pennsylvania for two weeks. Gah! And because he's gone for half term I'm stuck on my own with Toddler because all of our groups & activities run to term so won't be running that week. Gah!

Oh dear.

::Proffers ::

I'm more worried about MrScout and all that flying/time changing.

Yes, it doesn't sound fun from anybody's point of view.

::drinks ::