***The All New 2 or More Under 3 Thread!*** Join the Madness Here!

[TattooedGrrrl]

Here we go again- join here if you have 2 or more kids under the age of 3. Feel free to update / whinge / look for advice / gloat about how sleep you've had

For any newbies, I have 2 boys, aged 2yrs and almost 9mths.

potty training is going so well- it's as if he's suddenly clicked. He weed 3 times on the floor yesterday, but he weed and pooed on his potty quite a few times, some of them when i wasn't even in the room. He ran into the kitchen with his potty shouting 'poo!', and sure enough it was in there!

Well done grrrl re the night feeds. I am at the stage that I need to reduce Izzy's 10pm feed. She is not taking much milk at 6pm now, but takes 180mils at 10. So, aparently it is time for me to start reducing the 10pm and then she will start taking more at 6, and then once she is down to 100 mils I will just stop it. This is what I did with Freya and it was fine. Anyway, good luck tonigh!

Still enduling long days whilst DH is on his course. Today he was not back til 6, and so I had to rush shower and blow dry! I know it will be worth it (this qualification earns hi a higher salery) but I can't help but feel a little hard done by. [wallow emoticon]

I was thinking the other day about going back to work but it would mean the girls being in childcare from pretty much 7am til about 5pm - seems such a long time for them to be away from home. I know some of you use this option though, how does it work for you? I don't see the point in going back part time as nursery costs are going to be the best part of a grand, and apart time wage would just about cover that. But, full time makes it more financially worthwhile, but again it comes back them being away from us for a huge chunk of the day. I did pose this question to my postnatel support thread and opened a can of worms - it was agreed this topic should not be raised in that particular thread but - I ask you - if you cannot articulate your worries/questions/what ifs on your support thread is it much of a support? God I feel like Carrie on SATC with the questioning ending to the sentance! lol

Great news Grrrrl about the potty training and night feeds
Still haven't tried ds1 in blow up bed, might just wait till we are there and let the inlaws deal with it as they are coming too!! [cheeky emoticon]

I agree with you Jewels, that is exactly the kind of question you should be able to pose on your post natal support thread! Sorry I am not much use as I haven't gone back to work and don't really want to until the kids are at school, and even then I want to retrain and work in a school/kindergarten so I have good hours and holidays etc. DH not quite as pleased about my plan as he wants me to start earning money sooner than that!!

I have had removal companies coming round for quotes etc this week about our impending move back to NZ. Feel the need to have a huge spring clean of the house, well actually I'd rather pay someone else to do it, and de-junk before we go. Sigh. I'm not really a good housewife at all

Hello Ladies I'm back from holiday and trying to catch up (on this thread and some sleep) (it was a night flight home...)

Grrrl -- Well done on the test! That's great news.

Jewels -- Don't see why you can't raise the issue of work on a PN thread . My experience is a bit different as I get to make my own timetable and do a full time job in 3 (exhausting) days which worked for me. But since DS came along I went back part time for the sake of it (and my CV) as I didn't want to go full time straight away and miss the DCs. I'll be back in October and both might be in childcare for at least 3 days a week, maybe 4 (but I hope not 5!). It's hard if you don't get to see them all week, although my sister did it (she's a working single parent) and it worked fine. Hard choice though (unless you're the type who'll go spare as a SAHM ).

Cazwa -- rofl about your vibrator story!

Damn just posted and didn't tell you anything about the holiday, which we all loved (even DS who I wasn't sure about thought he might yell and complain but he thought it was great too).

For a start, Turkey is a great place to take young children. If there are any Turks who hate kids, we certainly didn't meet them and the DCs have been cooed at, petted, thrown in the air, chased, taught turkish (handy, given we weren't in a place where many people spoke English), taught to swim (a bit) and generally made a fuss of for 2 weeks.

DS was given a lovely selection of free chocolate bars in shops which would make the MN food brigade shudder - we didn't let him eat them, but he did get into food much more: seemed to like restaurants and tastes of ice creams on the beach . Got right into extra garlic, but also got far more rubbish than his sister at the same age (I decided to abandon all 'no dairy' restrictions put in place by the doctor -- reading Turkish ingredients lists was too much like hard work )

That said, I'm glad DD is just at a tiny-bit-sensible age and DS is barely crawling/shuffling as it would have been a pain from a safety point of view otherwise. But then most holidays would... I shall be staying at home for a while as DS speeds up.

Won't be missing putting factor 50 on them both every day though.

Want to go away again now -- I'm of myself.

morning all

Up at 5 with ds2, ds1 up at 6, both watching beebies now, just giving dh till 7, then i'm back to bed.

Chaotica - the holiday sounds fab, tho we're at the safety issue stage with ds1, easier all round to stay at home for now!

Kaybee - did i know you were moving back to NZ? (dizzy emoticon!)
we are meant to be spring cleaning (cos dh has more time at home over the summer), have pretty much done downstairs, but there are several 'black holes' to be dealt with upstairs and the shed....

Jewels - sounds not so supportive of your PN group tbh. returning to work is a major issue for nearly all mums i would think. i only work one day a week, but still it's an issue and childcare decisions are hard.
hope your dh is home more soon, i know how hard it can be being on your own with the dc's a lot. dreading end sept/oct when dh is back in london lots.

Grrl - well done on potty training! and night times are sounding better for you too. bad luck re the car, i have done much worse

well, of course we hadn't cracked night times at all, it was a one-off as i had expected
ds2 is up (though i'm not feeding him anymore at night) a couple of times, not really crying, just awake, i shush him and he will go back to sleep but can be up again half an hour later or so and this can go on for a couple of hours.
last night though he slept 7-5. which is good and bad.
good at the mo as olympics on for me to watch that early. bad cos do you know it's still dark at 5 now???

right, keep well all, back soon

Turkey sounds fab Chaotica.

DS2 woke twice last night, 12 and 3am. Both times i gave him 4ozs of diluted milk, and he went straight back down. Going to try 3ozs tonight (Gulp!)

I've done something else stupid with the car, but i'm in work so will have to give you a laugh later

Wekcome back chaotica and your holiday sounds brilliant! We are about to book out 2009 holiday, maybe Turkey is the place for us!?

Grrrl can't wait for your new car story - and sounds like things are definately looking up re the night wakings. The baby whisperer recommends doing the following:

Add together the amount of actual milk taken between the hours of dreamfeed I.E 10pm and breakfast I.E 6am. Divide that amount between the next days bottles/give extra solid food each time he is fed. Then the next time he wakes up it should not be hunger, because you have given him all his required food, and from that point on you can confident in not feeding him at all. Once he realises there is a no food now at night, the habitual waking should stop. Anyway, I tried it being a first time mum with Freya and it helped me have the courage of my convictions I.E no feeding in the night!

JKS hope you had a lovely nap and your LOs are being good Freya woke in a grumpy mood this morning and proceeded to tip her bowl of (soggy) rice crispies over her head. Honastly, I had steam coming out of my ears. I placed her on the floor none too gentley, and then send her to the kitchen for 10 mins. More for me than for her because I was ready to throttle her! And then on our walk, she was whingy the whole way and back. Thank god she is in bed and lets hope she wakes in a better mood!!

Yeah it is a total bugger that such topics cannot be on my PN thread and right now I am wondering why I am even on there if there is a list of items to stick to and one of forbidden topics. Anyway, it is good to find out what is working for you, and good point chaotica about working part time just for my CV (and not to have the dreaded work break where all SAHMs become unemployable) maybe I will look at a part time option! But you see, here I can ask this question and not get loads of heated responses! Thank god!

Anyway my favourite MNers, speak soon and

~HIGH FIVE~ to you all

right, on lunch on now, so i'll elaborate.

I decided to drive to the supermarket after the kids were in bed, and we live on a hill. i couldn't get my hill start right because i'm not used to our clutch, and i was making so much noise in the end DH came out and drove it upto the top where it's flat So, off i went, parked beautifully, did the shopping, came out, put it all in the boot, and i couldn't get the key in the ignition. Went back in and rang DH from the payphone, who said to wiggle the wheel and try again. It wouldn't work, then eventually i got the key in but couldn't turn it at all. I was afraid of snapping the key off in the end, so i went to the customer service desk, told them not to give the car a ticket because i couldn't move it, they rang me a taxi and i went home with the shopping. DH went to the supermarket (thankfully i went to the one 10 mins walk away, not the one i was going to originally which is miles away!) and picked the car up and brought it back.

I am now painfully aware that the car has a 'steering lock', and that i am a weakling who can't do anything herself Felt like a burk and quite embarassed. DH gently suggested that he comes with me on trips for a few weeks, so iron out things like this, and he's right.

I want to swop our car for the one i learned in, but he's not having any of it.

Evening all, good to "see" you all again.

Grrrl -- Just LOL at your car story (sorry!). Actually, I did exactly the same with our car's steering lock when I first drove it, but luckily DP was in the car so I didn't suffer quite the humiliation that you did . I'm sure your DH doesn't need to hang out with you every time you drive, but maybe a couple of excursions with him in the car might be a good idea ?

Jewels -- I'd definitely recommend Turkey, but it depends what you're looking for. We went self-catering in a not-very-package-touristy area and hired a car. If I went again, I'd try to go off season though (didn't have much choice this time) - apparently it's tonnes cheaper in May/June.

Yes grrrl lol at the steering lock story but that's not bad at all! I thought you were going to confess something really DOH like left the handbrake off and car ended up in river kind of thing! Maybe you and your DH need to buy a new car that you both like (yes, take advantage of the situation "you are going to have to accompany me on all my journeys now -flutter eyelashes- so maybe we should think about getting a different car -flutter eyelashes-"

Well Izzy has been a grumpy girl today infact they both have! Had to drug Izzy with Ibruprofen before she was calmed! God I am SO ready for the WEEKEND!!!

I'd be alright if i didn't live on a bloody hill He's not having any of it when i ask if we can get a different car that we both like, apparently i'm not giving it enough of a chance. Arse!

I'm going to get my own one in about a year, so i'll have to suffer until then. Have put the car manual and AA card in the car just incase aswell.

Aaaaaargh!

Sorry about that, but DD is just perfecting the 20 minute tantrum (not bad by some MN standards I know, but still not much fun). And all because I wouldn't let her play hide-and-seek and run around in a car park. I am a bad and too-strict mummy obviously. (And we'd been having a nice day, but ain't that always the way.)

DS meanwhile has mozzie bites from Turkey which seem to be getting bigger (or at least I think that's what they are) . Not that they seem to bother him though. (It was a bit difficult to persuade DD to keep the mosquito net doors shut "to stop the bitey things" and my leaping around with a shoe was obviously not sufficient...)

oh Chaotica, you have my sympathies.

Both kids are in bed, and DH off to collect a take away soon.

I shall be going to bed full of noodles and beer- hoorah! No good for my waist line, but i deserve it!

Good long sleeps (and no tantrums) to all!

Another tantrum this evening when she tried to take DS's juice off him and sent him flying in the process -- I hope this isn't the way things are going

Getting a takeaway here too

JKS not sure if I had mentioned I was moving back to NZ - but I am! Hope I can still join in when i get there

We are off to Dorset tomorrow for a bit of a holiday, the inlaws are going too so will hopefully get a chance to relax a little bit and recharge the old batteries........

xx

Oh Chaotica, sorry to hear about the tantrums

Kaybee -- I don't think moving back to NZ would be an excuse for avoiding this thread! In fact, I think we'd all take it very badly . (After all, Hazeyjane moved to Swindon and she didn't disappear...) Besides, it will be good to be filled in on child-related chaos at funny times of day (for the UK that is).

When are you going? It must be a real head-ache getting sorted.

Went to look at planes today (hung around a local airshow without paying)... And ate ice-cream

...No tantrums so far

Well we had a busy weekend and then rolled straight onto the busy week. DH is on his course still til Wed, then the next week is spent doing exams. So, more long days for me!

Also, Izzy is crawling! I think it is all down the new rug we bought at the weekend (really thick pile, 100% wool, massive!) and today, she get herself up on knees and hands and started rocking back and forth, and then - she did a (backwards) crawl! Only like 1 rotation of crawl though, then she would get herself back up in hadns and knees and do the same again. She covered the whole rug in no time!

Other than that, Freya and I bought the fifi magazine [this week glue, glitter, flower confetti and two felt flower shapes] and she sat at the kitchen table and made some (very glittery) flowers. Obviously, we are both covered n glitter but we had such a great time

So, with such a lovely morning, what 'delights' are in for me this afternoon? Locust infestation? Washing machine breakdown? Freya having super-tantrums!??

xx

That's great news about Izzy. DS2 (also known as Dylan) has started taking wobbly steps. It seems like only yesterday he was born!

I'd have liked to do some craft stuff today too, but we're out of paper, and in the middle of ripping horrid panelling off my kitchen walls. I saw some nice small canvas box frame thingies in Tescos- i thought i might get the kids handprints on them in acrylic paint and hang it in the hallway

I'm off work until Thursday now, so i hope the weather improves or i might lose my marbles!

Also drove the car today, and DH deliberately locked the wheel for me to have a go at unlocking it, then drove home like a big girl, with no disasters

Wow -- all this rushing around. Our LOs won't be little for much longer... DS (otherwise known as Connor) has been getting grips with crawling and walking while he's holding onto things. Hasn't really dared to let go yet, and when he does he usually takes a tumble. But he's in such a better mood for it (even with a stinking cold) - he's so pleased with himself.

Hi Ladies

Jewels -- think it was me who reassured you that things would get better with toddlers and roads... Just thought I should mention that they can get worse again ... (DD ran into the road again today and keeps running off in carparks.) But now I know she can do it, so youth is no longer an excuse and I am , although I should just expect it I s'pose.

...Right: must go and get them from the CM

'Look, a plane! ' Is not the right response to being told off about running in the road either [despair!]

...Maybe she's just trying distraction

Was it Cazwa or Chaotica whose youngest wasn't taking to solids?
We had a breakthrough with Dylan yesterday- he started eating like a horse!

Aswell as 6 x 6oz bottles of milk, he had:

Small yogurt
Half a slice of brown toast
4 spoons of homemade parsnip soup
Half a rice cake
Gnawed some cucumber
More toast and 2 spoons of spaghetti hoops with cheese

In crapper news, DS1 has a rotten cold and i've spent most of the night getting in and out of bed either to see Dylan or to get George to lie down again, or putting Vicks on his chest. I feel like poo. Got to go to the doctors today aswell because i've been having dizzy spells for a couple of weeks, so it'll be fun managing the 2 of them in the surgery