June 08 - 118 (and counting) sleeps till Chistmas, but don't tell Deb!

[EddieIzzardismyhero]

Welcome to our new, cosy thread. Log fires, big jumpers and Christmas shopping .

What do you mean it's still August?!

Abdn- just looked at photos of the boys 4th birthdays to remind myself what they had, Stefan's was all building stuff, jcb's, playmobil building stuff, and the present which he still plays with from then is a plain grey lego base plate, something like this but that's only any good if you know that he plays with lego.Tristan was very different at 4 and he got a hairdressers kit, a watch and not much else judging by the photos! What about something for dressing up/role play?

Just marking my spot quickly. Delighted that you had a good time at ITNG Biscuits and gutted me and S didn't make it through. For everyone else... we got back to Edinburgh later than planned last night after a weekend away and S had been out of sorts all day (I think potentially he's teething) and a bit lifeless (well, not lifeless - I want to say a bit hangy/hingy but most of you might not know what I mean ) so I sent Biscuits a message to say we might not make it. We went to bed intending to make a decision in the morning (DH having already promised to drive us to Glasgow and back to make it a bit easier) and then we went and overslept . Anyone who's ever driven between Glasgow and Edinburgh at rush hour will know it's not to be recommended, so we decided to give it a miss (knowing that we could probably still be stuck on the motorway as the show started). So a bit gutted, but relieved we had £5 tickets and not £17.50!

dewin I looked up balanitis and it seems like what DS1 has on and off - he's a mild steroid cream (timotin) that's been proscribed for it and clears it up. I know it's a combination of sensitive allergic skin (I have this) and too much fiddling with dirty hands (that sounds inappropriate, really it's just a bad habit).

deb thanks! those base plates are so handy aren't they? I saw a brilliant floating shelf in a norwegian home magazine that had these mounted on it so the kids could attach their creations. I'm seriously thinking of putting one up in the boy's bedroom. Dressing up is a good thing to keep in mind too - I'm hopeless at it and I know my boys are neglected in that area...

DGT hope you managed to have a nice day anyways...

Posted a long reply to AH and Rolf yesterday and then the bloody computer crashed!

Before you all get toooo excited, the chance of Baby No 3 is tiny, tiny, tiny. AH, can totally relate to what you were saying about your dh - my dh is an amazing dad and so hands on, he helps with everything when he's here, including his fair share of nights and early mornings. If he wasn't entirely signed up to No 3 it would be hard to call on him so much, esp if something went wrong .

We will get my tubes checked anyway - I just want to know!

Thanks for all your lovely comments on the GMTV clip . Penguin, if you send me your email address I'll email you a pdf of the Red article!

knitting can you email me the .pdf too? You've got my email I think... (hangs her head in shame but I honestly don't like red magazine...)

ooh I'd love the pdf too, can't get Red here

Aberdeen, how about books? All the kiddies in preschool at Luke's nursery are mad on Ben 10!

Neenz - you may have sold me on the double carrycot by the way. So cute!!

Back home and back to the refusal to go to bed routine... Am exhausted and just want to go to bed but the sound of S screaming and shouting is reverberating round the house

Sorry btw for being rubbish and not reply to much else atm - my brain's not functioning so well just now!

AH and Deb, I've only got your FB emails not your actual email address - email me at cj dando @ hotmail dot com.

I won't take it personally AH !

DGT free pass - any chance you can put earplugs in and have a glass of wine? It's horrible - hugs!

amber do the kids actually watch Ben10? Isn't it for older ones? It's not as popular with the 4 year nursery crowd here - they're obsessive about lightning mcqueen. I take two other boys up to school twice a week and it's all they talk about.

I worry if I gave books I'd seem like a wet blanket - DS1 is old enough that even though he'd love them, he'd not be excited initially.

x-posted DG, so sorry you're having such trouble with bedtime .

abdn - what about a game?

Thanks Knitting

Hope the crying's stopped now dg

Finally, he's asleep!!!

Aaarrrgghh, he's just shouted out as I typed that. Aarrrrrggghhhhhhh.

Sleep vibes coming your way. (Calpol here and extreme tiredness!)
Calpol needed? For teething?

Ok. Officially at. end. of. tether. It's now 11pm and despite 3 hours of CC S is still at the top of the stairs screaming and crying. Nothing wrong, doesn't need calpol, is completely exhausted. Just doesn't want to go to bed. DH has been up and down god knows how many times. I can't frikking bear it. It's like having a newborn with colic. I have to go to bed or I wont be able to function tomorrow, but if I go to bed with S like this there's no way to avoid him coming into our bed. Well, there is, but that would involve us sitting outside his bedroom door holding it shut! But if he comes in with us, this entire evening has been a fecking waste of time because he knows that if he cries long enough he'll come into bed with us. Aaarrrgggghhhhh.

Oh, and in the midst of all this, I'm supposed to write an assignment, start a dissertation and revise for two exams. Sigh.

Sorry, not really looking for any advice - just needing to rant so I don't lose my temper here!

Spider, I think I will borrow that book if you don't mind. Just trying to work out who you are on fb - are you on a train in your profile pic?

Sorry - x-posted Dewin, my ranty 'nothing wrong, no calpol' etc wasn't in response to your post!

I did think he was teething over the weekend, but this sleep stuff has been going on for weeks now and I really think it's a case of not wanting to go to bed. If I went and sat with him all night he'd sleep (but wake up as soon as I left the room), or if I took him into bed with me he'd sleep.

deb a game would be perfect!

DGT sorry you're having such a terrible time. I don't have any useful advice - I hope you got some sleep. :(

Crap day

1. Our kitten, who at 7 months old was bigger than any cat I have ever seen - was hit by a car and died today. I found him and got to say goodbye, at least. Poor, poor thing. And bl00dy ironic after living on busy London roads with a cat for more than 9 years. Whoever it was didn't stop either.

1. Much less sad, but annoying none the less, another NZ haircut, another disaster. and I only went in for a trim! I was sitting in the chair working out where I had put my hairdressing scissors to try and fix it before she'd even finished.

1. My sister very kindly sent over some maternity clothes I'd bought from ebay. She also sent me a gift, three of these which would normally be fine, although not my taste, but with my waist almost non existant and my c-section overhang seeming to grow by the day, a teensy piece of lace isn't particularly flattering and has made me feel even more rubbish.

Unreasonable? Hormonal? Fat? Moi?

Oh Dear!

DGT - you poor poor thing - I would be going crazy and getting to the smacked bottom stage. Does he just want to sleep with you? Is that what it's all about? Wow he has some stamina that child! Is he in a big bed? If not I would suggest putting the sides back on the cotbed but assume you would have thought of that. There is a programme on TV called house of tiny tearaways. Most of the tearaways seem to have the exact problem you have. What they suggest is whenever they get out of bed, you take them back and tuck them in and walk away. No talking, no eye contact. This can go on for 3 hours over and over but eventually they go to sleep. Then the next night the same thing. Usually by night 3 they are cracked. It takes perseverence and stamina but it works in the end.

Penguin - how awful about your kitten. I know if anything happened to my two I would be devastated. Big hugs honey. And I'm sure the hair is nowhere near as bad as you think. Give it a week to sort itself out. Whenever I've had a bad hairdo, in a week it doesn't seem so bad and when I've washed it and played with it it actually looks alright! Those knickers are the kind of thing I would not even wear when not pregnant so trying to get a cheesewire to stay put with a preggo tummy would be very disheartening! Stick with the M&S big knickers like me - so much more comfy!

AH -= ye the kiddies watch Ben 10. I put it on this morning to see what the fuss was about and it's awful! Luke however was tranfixed and when it finished said watch the aliens again. When I was little I used to love books especially the Christmas annuals I got. I don't know if they make them any more.

LOL Amber - I have about 10 pairs of M&S black boy short style knickers and that is all I am intending to wear for about the next 6 months. Lucky DH! I haven't bothered with the non wired bras this time though, so at least my boobs aren't resting on the bump. Yet.

I actually shut the internet down, but have popped back on, cos I'm sick of sounding like a moany old cow on here. Actually, other than Zeb (the kitten), life is going pretty damn well despite all the mini disasters such as floods, powercuts, intolerable colleagues.....

Ry has been the happiest little boy for the last couple of weeks, DH and I are getting on well and NZ is finally getting warmer! Actually, on my google homepage I still have the weather for London, Bristol as well as where we are. The forecasts for all three are pretty much identical this week.

Anyway, sorry to sound so miserable, I'm not, honest!

DGT - I hope things got better. We have taken the side of the cot off for the first time tonight....but it's still early here.

DGT - how are you this morning? I think I would be reconsidering the gate on his door if I were you, I know you weren't keen due to the trip hazard but you would all soon get used to it.

Penguin - about the kitten. I really should go to the hairdresser sometime, I tend to tie my hair up and forget about it, but experiences like yours put me off. Plus I never get chance. Also with Amber about the big knickers, flimsy undies are a distant memory here

Amber - I bought a Peppa Pig annual for my friends little girl last year, so they do still make them. I used to like the blue peter ones.

My days have become more tricky since we went away, H is adept at crawling now and J is tall enough to open the sitting room door, even with the door handle turned upside down (it thwarted him for a good 6 months ). So there is no containing them now, J has a little partner in crime and a lot of giggling goes on.

Penguin we took the side off Luke's cot last night too. We have a bed guard on though. All was fine and I don't think Luke really noticed to be honest.

DGT yes, the photo is of P and I on a steam train (not just any old train you need to understand). Sorry your evening was so bad. It sounds bloody awful. Will stick the book in the post asap.

Penguin sorry to hear about your kitten. Growing up we had three cats in succession and they all got killed on the road, and this was in a v rural village. After that we said no more cats. Regarding knickers, I "treated" myself to a packet of M&S high legs in a size 18 last week. I think I may get to size 20 by November. So you aren't alone. If you want some M&S knickers posting to you, just say. I'd be happy to do the honours. Sorry I can't post you a hairdresser, I would if I could. Amber is right the difference betwen a good and a bad haircut is 2 weeks.