December 2008: because i unwittingly finished the old thread

[waitinggirl]

oops. sorry. didn't realise i was post 1000. hope people find this...

love it Effie

Hello kids

Veggie, (good luck with the houseviewings) I do have to say in my defence (M'lud) that since last Mon when I went to see Lorin, my obs, I have done nothing at all (except be in the house, but chasing a toddler is knackering enough, admittedly). On Saturday, I was only sitting in the car/at lunch/at the show/at Mum's and then Sunday when I was at the house I was purposely doing vv light work (more restful than just being at home as I didn't have O!) So I am honestly being a saint as far as the rest is concerned as I do want to hurry up the healing.

Sybs, if I knew any teenagers I'd be putting a net over their heads and dragging them back here. When we move I intend to hunt some down. I saw Rubes the day after her Brazilian Blow Dry and it looked gorgeous - I have been tempted ever since.

In answer to your question about what to do indoors when you can't get out, SL...if you find the answer please tell me O has gone from watching hardly any telly, to watching loads. The inanity of CBeebies is turning me into a mentalton, let alone her. Actually, I can always think of a bezillion ways to amuse myself at home but I don't have the chance at the moment. DD1 is very into songs/drawing/PlayDoh but above all she likes creating general havoc (emptying cupboards, shredding tissues ("look, feathers!") strewing washing everywhere, hiding keys and remote controls...I am with you on the perils of keeping elder child from harming younger child, inadvertently or otherwise.

Spot, have you got the remedies for T yet? Any good? I mentioned Play Doh above - I put it on a large tray to keep it contained. O also quite likes Fuzzy Felts (remember those?), large jigsaws and stickers. However, she is currently cleaning with cotton wool balls She likes to take a tissue or a cotton wool ball (she calls them "eggs") and rub it over any surfaces or even us, to do her "cleaning"). She certainly hasn't picked that up from me. She loves telling me the place is a mess "Less! Oh dear, lessy!" or "dirty, look!"

Well, this isn't going to get me or DD1 dressed or my thank you letters written. And she has abandoned the cleaning and is in the cupboards again.

Spot: DS loves drawing, jigsaws and best of all glueing scraps of paper to create a wonderful abstract collage.

Lady - I'm right there with you with the TV thing. Except ds prefers Sky's baby channel. I must admit I have convinced myself that "Louie's world" is very educational. Well it just go through all the things in the house and outside (of Louie's world) and names them - and DS Loves it and runs to the couch when it's on. That and "Oliver" but other than that it's always on but he doesn't watch it much. he's right into his mega blocks at the moment but has started throwing them around the house If anyone comes up with stuff to do also, I'd be interested!

DD has her 2nd jabs today [scared] (for me that is)

Right time for DS to nap I'd say, so we can get to the appointment in the best frame of mind to avoid total meltdowns

I have got the remedies for T but can't get him to take them so can't tell you if they're any good... I'm supposed to put the tincture in yoghurt or juice but he immediately tastes it and spits it out. Not sure what else I could disguise it in. I've left a message for her to call me to see if she has any bright ideas.

I think your DD would self-combust at the mess in this house, lady, luckily T has no standards or we would be in trouble.

Thanks for all the ideas, I realise I am rubbish at playing, I just find it so boring. I'd rather be at the park and that's saying something! Slightly dreading the enforced indoor-ness that comes with a newborn.

I am tempted to get in the bath and have a farting competition with T.

do it Spot

Goede middag. Loving the fart noises talk, DS's can entertain themselves for ages in the car by blowing the loudest wetest raspberries. Also adding the word poo poo to anything has them both in hysterics. DS1 will say look its a poo poo car & DS2 will just dissolve into giggles.

Pubes DS1 goes to school so I've only got DS2 in the day.

I can't help sniggering when I hear Brazilian blow dry, and Lady saw Rubes one and liked it hehehehe

It's ok spot I cant get into jeggings either. I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney and those westies chicks would love them with a pair of uggies. For the same reason I can't wear ugg boots.

Well the house we liked turned out to be not so great, and one that I didn't think would be that good was fantastic. Even our real estate agent who tends to be quite critical really liked it. We've not seen him get so excited. He said for him it was the first possibility.

Oh & spot strawberry flavour covers loads of bitter tastes so either give it to him with a spoonful of strawberry jam or strawberry milk.

Vag my nephew and nieces are like that - went thru that stage whereby every noun they used was proceeded by 'poo poo'
I forgot ds1 is at school - right that's official, I post WAY too much for being the only one to have 2 at home (bar Lady of course but Lady almost matches my volume of posting) Damn those toddler groups for not happening half term. Actually busy week and weekend so I will give you all a rest from my jabbering

Ok One more.... Vag - agreed. I took ages but eventually came around to Uggs (although I have the fake ones and usually only wear them about, and walking the dog etc...They are so uncool in Australia aren't they? It's like drinking Fosters

Well, I am making no promises to scale down the posting Certainly not in the forthcoming winter, with two smalls, in the middle of fricking nowhere...Gosh, are Uggs really that uncool in Australia? Wow.

Hope DD's jabs passed off without incident, Rubes. Do they have their first lot at 6 wks? We are registering DD2 in London that week (2 days before the deadline). I have my 6 wk check also. We will then have a posho lunch at the swank hotel opposite Marylebone Reg Office, as it's where we had cocktails on our first date, and we did that when we had DD1 registered.

I do want to go to Australia, having never been...But it's a biggie and one for when the kids are older and we can make a big trip of it with stop offs. Which will also be when we have some dough. I also want to go to India very much. Anyway, not going to start listing as I will never stop (ArgentinaSouthAfricaThailandCouldListSoManyPlaces).

Are you going to make an offer on that house then, Veg? Is it one we've seen?

Speaking of the forthcoming winter, I had a beautiful bunch of flowers from my agent, saying he was looking forward to my next book. Bit cheeky as he hasn't sold the first one yet But we both know that I will write another one anyway. How about you, Spot?

Right, DP has come home early so going to grab a shower, hooray.

Grrr I am seriously grumpy today.

Today is the day DS is in nursery til 4, so I always think I will get loads done, but typically I have spent the entire day unpacking from being away and doing laundry. At some point I want to unpack the remaining crap from our spare room but everytime I think i might do it I have to spend the time doing other stuff throughout the house.

Also DD does not sleep in her cot in the day. Ever. It's really starting to piss me off. I have had to have her in the sling most of the morning. She's now asleep on top of me. In a freak miracle she slept for 2 hrs in a non-moving pushchair last friday (and I had to spend the entire 2 hrs packing for going away...sigh). She's now asleep on top of me.

Am feeling very hemmed in I just want a bit of time to myself without either of them. DH seems to think that taking out DS is great, and it is, but although DD is easy I still get fucking stuck with her on top of me half the time and I am sick of being on the computer or watching telly or whatever. It doesn't help that I spent most of last week in bed with flu (or recovering from lack of sleep due to it) and a long weekend at MILs, which is really quite boring.

I have decided I am going out tomorrow night. Shall have to express though. That's the other bloody thing. DD has taken to not going to sleep til 11pm. She does sleep til 6 though sometimes!!

Not that DH takes DS out that much by the way, but he totally seems to think that he is the "difficult" part of the combo. Which is kind of true, but then he doesn't get up in the night or have to stay up til 11 waiting for DD to go to sleep. Nor does he ever have to make tea for DS while DD is shouting her bloody head off and DS is throwing a tantrum..

Anyway sorry for boring me post.

Re stuff to do in the day. Yes we do baking sometimes and read books and drawing (but this tends to mean that I have to "draw", and DS commands that I draw a "plane" or a "cat", I am crap at drawing, but DS seems amazed by my skills. Usually my planes look nothing like planes, but he seems to recognize them. My houses are always recognized as "boats" though.)

We cooked tea together the other day and DS really like cutting up the mushrooms with a blunt, ie normal teatime knife. But cooking can be a pain in the arse if they want to get too involved in the dangerous bits! It does help DS to be more likely to eat the end product though.

Oh and I try and get him to help with stuff round the house, he is always a hindrance rather than a help but at least you get something done. I also find extended playing boring.

That's good news about your agent Ladyt.
Must mean he is hopeful of selling the first one! Tell him to get his arse in gear (as we all want to read it)

Hi ladies
I think I am just about keeping up but have been on holiday (Madeira for a week - was lovely and sunny and only a little bit pushchair unfriendly what with all the steep hills.... but would recommend it for littlies.)
Anyway, sorry everyone seems to be sick/teething. Same in our house - DD has not really been herself and has not been eating, not even chocolate or fromage frais. Practically unheard of so I'm putting it down to cold/big back teeth coming through!
Also, she is not really speaking at all either. Should I be worried? She seems to understand everything and says the occasional word but in general she is mute, apart from the yelling....
Indoor entertainment wise, my fool-proof fave is the sing and sign dvd - 24 minutes of uninterrupted time to do anything else while it's on. Only problem being I think I'm starting to use it on a daily basis, which is pretty bad considering she's at nursery 4 days a week!

Sybs I've had a brazilian blow dry and think it's tops although I'm only in about week 3 and have been told it definitely isn't going to last the full 12 weeks on me because I have totally untreated hair and will need 2 or 3 more treatments before it will take properly. Feels like I'm being punished but still.... I have found it great because I've just had to blitz it with the hairdryer and then carry on my merry way rather than wrestle with the hairdryer then the straighteners so I don't resemble a scarecrow.
But I think that's enough about me. Reading the stuff about wills/insurance I did want to say one thing though by way of a cautionary tale, I guess: I noticed that some people (I think Pubes you were one of them) were saying that they don't have life insurance cover because they don't earn much - thing you have to consider is not the money you bring in now but what would happen if the worst did happen. So, although you're not necessarily earning much you are looking after, in Pubes's case 2 children and if you weren't there to do that either your DH would have to give up work to do it or you would have to presumably employ someone to do at least some of it and that is what you need to be covering on life insurance. And there endeth the lesson.
Sorry for blathering on, I can't even remember the other stuff I wanted to say, but I do remember there was some.....

Oh one more - sorry.
I have just dressed dd up way too much just to go to the GP's!(Well one does never know who one might bump in to there ) she looks so cute though in her little denim skirt and tights She thinks I'm a loon I'm sure.

I wanted to add - the most enjoyed thing I do with ds is house work! I'm slightly obsessed with vacuuming and dishes etc to be fair but he really gets a kick out of unloading the dishwasher and putting the clothes in the dryer etc. It takes ages so really fills in time and gets it done. I must vacuum up dog hair every day, and he's dying to try that but is slightly scared still. he very much likes pumping up buggy tyres although that needs my help.
Summer - I know what you mean. Can you just leave dd in her cot and see if she cries it out after a few mins? DD naps best in her carrycot but does nap in her cot at times.

That's a nice tradition Lady (posh lunch after reg) I had a nice lunch with you after dd's reg! Oh and I still owe you lunch!!

Hello Pingu - crossed with you - No I was talking about the fact that we used to have insurance that paid dh's salary out to me if something happened to him, but we don't have that in reverse as my salary is laughable (although dh would appreciate free airline tickets being dished out for life I'm sure )
I can't believe you would have scarecrow hair without the Brazilian! I thought you had lovely straight sleek beautiful hair naturally!??

oh and Pingu - no words here except, "No, Yeah, Daddy, Muuu (mum) wow, ooooh, and knife" which is more like "nigh" I have asked the HV countless times and she continues to say if he's understanding everything Do. Not. Worry.

ha ha ha, if only!
I only mentioned the stuff about life insurance because I know that people often forget that although they aren't getting paid for looking after children if they weren't there to do it someone else would have to be paid to do it!
Maybe we could put in place a Dec 2008 insurance that gets us all free flights for life?
I alternate between taking out DD dressed as a tramp and like she's going to a party - mostly we're just going for a walk to feed the ducks! Of course it doesn't hurt for a young lady to look her best!
Right, I must get on with some work. The piles on my desk are out of control and I just cannot find any motivation!

Ah yes, "mummy". If you ask DD "where's mummy?" she looks pulls up her top and points at her tummy! If she sees DH she goes running at him shouting "dadeeeee". Bitter, moi? She also waves at everyone when we get off the tube but when I drop her at nursery doesn't even give me so much as a backwards glance when I leave. It's lovely that she's fine and I don't have to prise (is that how you spell it, it doesn't look right?) her off me but a smile or a wave or anything would be nice....
Oh, by the way I wanted to say Spot I hope things are looking up for you and that T lets you get a bit of uninterrupted sleep in.

The "if only" was about the hair, by the way.
But that's three from me so I'm out....

Yeah Rubes, have tried that, in fact earlier I thought it had worked as she went quiet but she was just quietly wriggling around. She later went back to yelling! I am going to keep trying it though as she is still little and I'm sure it will change.

In fact she is a seriously weird child in general, often at 7-8 she looks sleepy so I put her down for the night, we go upstairs at 10 after all being quiet and she's still awake! So odd. She never stays asleep if you put her down asleep, always wakes up but then in the evening can settle herself back to sleep again. I have put her in her cot now as she was asleep on top of me and I can hear her making little noises. So I do get some break, but she's awake not asleep!

Hi Pingu! DS also said Daddy for about a year before he said mummy (he's only started saying mummy in the last few weeks). Daddy is big favourite.

I have the same kind of child... Couldn't give a hoot if I left him in Sainsbury's or at the toddler group, but screams blue murder and bashes on the window pressing his face against the glass when dh goes off to work...
Yes you are correct about the value of FT mumming... I'm going to double check I have something through work. Fortunately in our case MIL would quit work (she's dying to but needs a purpose) however what if something happens to her eek.
Yes that's how you spell prise

Right off for Jabs with princess R

I've really gotta get out the door but summer dd is exactly the same!!!