Springing into Summer with 2 (or more) pre-schoolers!

[GoodGrrrlGoneBad]

Here we are ladies- our old thread was still the Xmas one!

Join us here if you have 2 or more pre school kids.

Current hop topic is tantrums, but feel free to chip in about anything and everything!

Think it's just the three of us now Jewels!

True this year's XF is not exciting me as much as usual but as DH works weekends I'm uncommonly excited to have something to watch at least..

Blimmin dd2 has reverted back to the ultra early mornings again. Have no idea what's different.

Have had 510,530 and 455 this week so far. Soooo tired.
DH has limited sympathy for me as I refuse to go to bed at 7pm when the girls go.

I stay up til 930/10 so hardly late.

Feel like if I'm up when I don't want to be, look after the kids all day mainly by myself then go to bed at 7pm I have no life.

What do you lot think?

How's Izzy's beard today?

Afternoon All

GYA - you're so right about the sleep thing - you can't just go to bed when the DCs do and have no life of your own. Tis not right. Sorry to hear about the early mornings though.

On the same subject: I'm so tired these days that when DP took the DCs out I just slept... (Creative use of time ) And I don't even have to do the really early mornings.

J&G - Izzy's beard sounds cute. Connor got really involved in some paint and shaving foam at playgroup the other day... It was messy

Meanwhile, my previously lovely DD has started hitting her brother and other kids at the CM's. Don't quite know what's going on there yet - watch this space...

Im back ....Oh I wasnt missed

Been really suffering with my back since last week and have had to have lots of help with kids as I just couldnt lift them at tall. Oh had to stay home from work a few days and come home at lunchtime to put Isaac to bed. Luckily Melissa can climb in and out of her car seat to get to nursery but Isaac just lunges himself at me.As for changing his nappy we have been in tears but im struggling on.

I too have been really tired and mine havnt been waking early I just think its a bit of a virus I havnt been able to shift since having Shingles....Any way enough of feeling sorry for myself.

We have had quite a few Melissa meltdowns usually on an afternoon when she has been at nursery. Its almost as if its too hard to be good all morning and then lets go in the afternoons and takes it out on poor Isaac and me.

Isaac too had a green painting incident this morning while I was dropping her off at nursery and managed to put a lovely amount of paint in his mouth and all over his cream new jumper. Its my own fault - I know toddlers should only wear back or brown but that would spoil their fun.

Melissa on the other hand can go to nursery dressed in white and still come home looking like a persil advert! I presume she does actually play and doesnt just sit observing in a corner. Off to try and find orange things to make pumpkins as its my turn to organise and prepare craft for toddlers next week - Scary thought!

Of course you were missed Tracy

Sorry to hear you've been rough. When I was pg with dd2 I hurt my rotator cuff muscle and couldn't life dd1.

The ILs were round at 6am to be ready to get her out of her cot for me! Troopers.

Had lovely lie in this morning and read my new book (next one from Time TRavelers wife writer) twas lovely.

Anyway DH at work so am wasting time on the net tidying up the house.

Yes Tracy you were missed!! It is really nice to hear from you Sorry to hear you are still getting over the shingles, I have heard it does take a while to be back to full health, and the back sounds dreadful. I know what you mean re the car seat...can you get signed off work and get your DH to take a week off too? (easier said than done...?)

Izzy's beard is off (thank god) but she has a dreadful cold. The more I think about it, I think Freya did have swine flu, what with all the coughing and being sick. DH now has possibly the same thing, and Izzy has a rotten cold and cough. So far, I am ok but I know it;s just a matter of time.

I have booked my driving test girls and I am only telling you when it is - 5th November 0937. I am not telling anyelse (cept DH of course) but to everyone else, I am saying 'december' in a vague way. Then if I fail, it'll just be me, DH and you guys who knew.

Remember remember the 5th of November!

Anyone give me advice on putting some photos on so I can link to a thread on excema?

Dd2 looked horrendous and is now so much better but I can't work out how to put the photos on.

Wanted to give others on there some hope..

Hi All,
haven't posted for ages, but have been lurking a bit keeping up to date with everyone!
Sorry to hear about your bad back tracyface, it's so hard dealing with toddlers when you can barely move. I had back trouble when pg with ds2 and ds1 was just over 1 and it was a nightmare. I had to ring my dh on several occasions in tears as I just couldn't move.

Am in total sympathy with you Chaotica re the tantrums, we are having some full on ones with ds1 at the moment that seem to last for ages. Main causes are switching off the tv (not that I have it on THAT much ), getting him to eat his dinner, and trying to get him to sit on the potty.

Ds1 finally started at creche 1 morning a week and it went really well. He barely looked up when I said goodbye and they said he was really good (well he would be for anyone but me!). I did get a big hug when I went to pick him up which was nice . It's the first time he has ever been left with non family in his almost 3 years, but he was totally ready for something!

Dh is still temping and will hopefully have work until Christmas (thank god). He is still applying for other jobs so am hoping something else comes up soon. We are re-assessing things at the end of summer (March here) and if he still doesnt have permanent work then we might move back to UK!

Hi All

Good to see you Kaybee and good to hear that your DH has some work. I have much reduced hours (which I'm only doing to put on my cv as they don't even pay childcare) and that's hard to take. I do have some time to do things though now I'm not working full time and looking after the DCs, so it's not all bad. (As I suspected, it's much harder looking after the kids most of the time instead of working...)

And Tracyface - you were missed... Sorry to hear your back is bad. (I had trouble for years, eventually had an operation which worked, but I'm so sympathetic. It's one of the reasons I didn't have children until I was old.) The shingles alone were bad enough... You deserve a break.

J&G -- Good luck for 5th November!

Tantrums haven't been too bad today. I thought it might be because the DCs were getting better, but Freya seems to have breathing problems again . The silly thing is I took them to the doctor yesterday and they ran and danced and chased for 20 minutes in the waiting room (all of which the doctor heard), so I really felt a bit daft asking for her to do a check-up... And now today Freya isn't well again.

J&G DH has man flu as well (although he hasn't taken time off) - I think there must be a lot of it around. He has promised to buy an Indian takeaway tonight though, so I won't complain. (I'll even make him a lemsip in return...)

BTW GYA - I have no idea how to upload photos. I hope you found out some other way. [useless emoticon]

Chaotica - im useless too when it comes to anything slightly technical on the computer -I dont know how to upload pictures either.

Its that time of year again - lurgeys are lurking. Poor Freya - hope her breathing improves - you should just take her back to Docs if you are worried.

Isaac has had a slight upset tummy all week and he had a rash on monday all over his tummy and back so took him to Docs and he too was all perky when he got in there. Silly Doc told me it was his excema - but altho it was itchy I dont think it looked like excema . I was expecting him to say it was just a virus and nothing he could do. And he said 'well he seems fine in himself' , Which he did while he was in there Makes you feel silly for wasting their time but at least he said to me 'well its not meningitus and dont worry about bringing him wasting my time'

However he has been grouchy all week and I thought maybe teething ....hang on sick to clear up !

But no he now has been sick three times today .

I was then in the car going to collect melissa from nursery and he did a massive puke all over my shoulder, himself and the carseat. I could have cried. I so hate sick! And its taken me all afternoon trying to get the car seat apart and clean it.

Melissa wouldnt get into the car because it was too smelly so I ended up tying her cardigan around her nose to protect her from the smell. Its surprising what you can encourage them to do sometimes - I thought we were never going to get home! My car now stinks and so do I .Should have got in the bath with isaac but too much debris floating (sorry tmi) Im making my self feel ill talking about it!

Have now given him water since he got up but not sure how long I should starve him for?

GYA - meant to say how did your daughters excema improve ? was it something you have done or has she grown out of it a bit? All of mine have had varying degrees of excema although my 17 year old was and is the worst - he still sees a dermatologist at the hospital but nothing seems to be working , he is miserable - poor thing.

Right enough posting from me, someone elses turn and I suspect after Isaacs four hour sleep he will be trouble this evening poor thing is hunting for old toast under his highchair .

Poor Isaac, Tracyface. (And poor you with all that sick.)

(No time to post now - more later, I hope...)

Her excema has improved cos of the diet she's on.

No dairy,soya,egg,wheat (except breadsticks randomly ok) tomato,banana, plum blah blah blah the list goes on.

We also put Diprobase on her twice a day and Elocon steroid cream as and when.

Anti histamine most nights.

All sounds like a faff but that's nothing compared to what it used to be like.

She looked like she had burnt her face as a small baby it was truly horrendous.

HV said worst case she'd ever seen.

Am hoping that it won't ever go back to how it was.

Just wanted to post my photos to show others the improvement- people used to tell me their child had been bad and then improved.

I never thought she would get better

Anyway. Total sympathy about the sick. I can't stand it either!

Hi All

What a pain of a diet, GYA. (I will resist asking the question of what you do feed your DD2 on, but it sounds rather limiting.) I'm so glad something has worked for her though. DS had bad eczema as a baby, but nowhere near as bad as your DD2 by the sounds of it. We had to keep him off wheat and dairy, then reintroduced them as he got older (actually, when we were in Turkey and I couldn't face translating all the labels and ingredients lists). He didn't get any worse once he was back on them (although his eczema did get better when they were cut out of his diet - so in his case I think it was just an age thing). He has a little bit now and I'm still careful about detergent and so on. It's so horrible to see them suffering, especially when they're so tiny.

[Yawn] Have been dealing with the DCs today as DP is still sick...

Hope Isaac is better, Tracyface.

Yes people do ask us fairly often what she does actually eat..

2 x bottles of hypoallergenic formula a day.

Snacks rice cakes, raisins, grapes, ultra expensive animal shaped biscuits from the free from section, blueberries, strawberries, melon - only honeydew though,breadsticks- not too many, organix cereal bars (2 out of their range)cucumber.

Her meals yesterday were rice krispie shapes, roasted sweet potato, broccoli and ham. Then free from fishfingers (new addition to our lives!), oven chips (Mcain only) and sweetcorn. Jelly for pud.

I spend a lot of time label reading!

Easier now she's older and we don't have to puree everything but harder also as she realises that she's eating differently and can crawl/cruise around to pick up other food.

At least she has not had any anaphylactic reactions that would be nightmare. Hives and face swelling has been as bad as we've had.

anyway thechild in question is trying to delete this so i'm off!

Hi All

GYA - sounds like she eats quite well, but it must be hard (we had the added problem that we're veggie, and I wasn't sure if DS had continued with no dairy or gluten whether we could keep that up - soya and peanuts saved us (I was glad he didn't react to either)). I found some good corn crackers which he used to like in place of breadsticks.

OMG - had one of those toddler-runs-into-road incidents yesterday with DS, in front of loads of cars as well (fortunately on a crossing, so they were kind of ready). I was right by him and he was only trying to run around a rather big person as we came out of the shop and couldn't quite keep to the path. (I, of course, couldn't push rather big person aside, although I should have done.) Was in shock once I got home (and DS keeps saying "never never never run in road" - I just hope he remembers).

On the bright side, DD has developed a sense of humour (her own, as you will see) and started telling jokes... One example:

What do you call a kangaroo which is bouncing around on the television?

-- An Egg.

(DS finds these hilarious... i do not understand the toddler mind)

Hi all. had day from hell yesterday.

Began with dd2 waking at 540 after dd1 had been up most of night.

Had planned to go to friends house (sort of 3rd set of grandparents to the dds) and whilst I was getting ready dd1 was playing with the phone.

Few minutes later phone rings. Met Police calling to check all ok. Dd1 had called 999. Shame.
Got in the car and whilst driving around busy 1 way system dd1 gets out of her car seat and begins cavorting about on back seat.

Most of day spent with kids whinging. Dd1 tired (what a suprise so was I)

DH rings to say would I like a lie in on Monday morning. Or should he work late last nnight. I reply would like a lie in but if he wants to work then work.

Anyway return home at 330 ish with overtired dds and find DH has gone to the pub.

Do dinner/bath on own and think at least I can get them down for early night.

No the IL's come over at ten to bedtime. Hype up the dds and as I recount my awful day I say
'dd1 is always naughty when she's tired.'
MIL replies 'Children of that age are not naughty. You just need to tell her not to get out of the seat.' Cue much telling dd1 what a good girl she is etc etc.

Why didn't I think of that. Just tell her to stay in the seat. Genius.

Get dds to bed leaving lodger in charge while walk dog.

Watch xf then go to bed in nice clean bed reading book thinking thank God that days over.

NOOOO DH returns absolutely out of his head after a whole day drinking. Wakes both dds up, bumps into things, is sick and passes out across the bed where I cannot move him.

Dd2 won't go back to sleep and finally gives in at 1130.

Up again at 550.

Sorry for long boring rant but yesterday was truly an awful day.

Am waiting a while then leaving dds with their Dad and running away from home!

GYA!!! That is th DAY FROM HELL. And your DH!! I would have cut up all my DHs favourite ties after that one. Well GYA well done for surviving - I salut you

tracy sounds like the same thing Freya had, though she had no rash. but there was lots of sick and I washed bedding and removeable sofa covers so many times, I thought the washer was going to break!

GYA That is a day from hell . I hope this one is better.

(Just had a visit from my CM to say that DD didn't seem well at nursery - I hope she's not sick again too. Are we all going to have a whole winter of this?)

GYA - that was awful but it does make you feel slightly better when you can share it with us and we all sympathise

My whole weekend got worse with the sick thing too as isaac got worse and ended up in hospital saturday as he just couldnt stop being sick - bit of a waste of time as once we had sat there all day he had started to get better anyway so they let us home in the afternoon. Then I came down with it Sat night and then Melissa in the middle of the night.

She was also so sick so many times I ran out of pyjamas and bedding . So much washing Im still catching up with it. I felt so awful I was crawling around on my hands and knees.

Stupid NHs Direct told me to keep giving Isaac milk even if he kept being sick as something would stay down each time.

I told them I didnt agree with that but tried it and of course it just came straight back. Of course the hospital agreed with me as dairy is the worst thing when vomiting. Stupid and very smelly . Although I think we are nearly over it Im still very reluctant to give any milk yet but melissa is begging me so I have told her she can only have it in the kitchen.

GYA - my 17 year old son's excema is really bad at the moment but we havent really tried to alter his diet but maybe it would be worth trying to cut out at least wheat to see if that helps, The consultant seems to think with him its more of an allergy to dust or something - but if you saw the state of his and his brother's room you wouldnt be surprised really

Weeelll..

I did run away. At 9am went up to our room put the dds in got my stuff and said 'Have a lovely day with Daddy' and left.

Went for tea and sympathy at my sisters, then to the gym for a run then aqua class, lunch, shops, cinema, take away curry at my Dads house and am staying the night here. Have a lovely hot bath to get into. Have had 1 missed call from DH at 1230 (probably wondering what dd2 is/n't allowed to eat) but nothing since.

NHS Direct really not worth it IME.
God poor you sick bugs are awful aren't they?
Tracy- yes dd2 has v restricted diet have just begun re introducing wheat but only breadsticks seem to be ok.

God tracy that sounds horrendeous! /amd yes NHS direct are a bit rubbish (and my GP who seemed very unconverned that Freya had had 4 days of sickness and the runs) NHS direct lady got shirty with me because she asked me a list of questions and one of them was 'is your child having trouble breathing or is choking' so I said 'yes' because ahs was coughing that much (kind of a whooping cough sound) that to me, she was having trouble breathing. But the women shouted at me literally and asked me to answer the questions accurately and to 'sort myself out'.

Still, glad you all seem to be coming out of it now, god knows what wierd shit is going around right now.

GYA good on you girl!! Yeah see how the DHs feel being alone all day with the DCs - I usually get back to messy house and messy children wearing ridilous outfit combinations [DH says 'Freya dressed herself!' and there she is in her swimming costume, some of Izzy's leggings, a random cardigan and some wellingtons]

Well ladies I am feeling stressed. We have to find a house to rent within 5 weeks and we are relocating 100s of miles and starting a new business with next to no money. Arrrgh!! AND I have PMT!! Bought a silly scarf today (you know when you have PMT when you are making silly fashion decisions!]

Night ladies