Fab Feb 2009: things that go bump and "mummy, mummy, MUMMY!!!" in the middle of the night

[dinkystinky]

New halloween inspired thread (in honour of this time of year) to talk about our little jekyll & hydes [hgrin]

Is anyone going to be taking their little ones trick or treating this year? We'll be at MIL's for Halloween and she's already told me she has both Danny and DS1 costumes -so it appears that decision has been made for us

Yeah #mrsy# I started up again ages ago. Whoops!
Not writing too much coz on the phone but wiLl catch up later.
#calico# don't feel low about sending them back there, what other choice do you have right now? I'm sure it was a one off and they will be more careful from now on.

Yeah #mrsy# I started up again ages ago. Whoops!
Not writing too much coz on the phone but wiLl catch up later.
#calico# don't feel low about sending them back there, what other choice do you have right now? I'm sure it was a one off and they will be more careful from now on.

Morning all. MrsY - hope you and M had lots of fun in the snow yesterday. Looks like Kent has had abit of a deluge. Thanks for asking about my back - tonnes better (those anti-inflammatories obviously did the trick) - how is yours doing? DS1 is so much happier at school - the extra supervision at break times seems to have put a stop to the pushing for now and he's even making more friends in his class and other reception classes so things much happier in the dinky household.

DS1 and Danny were up at 6.30 today all excited about opening their advent calendars - was so sweet. Danny is obsessed with Peppa Pig at the moment (or as he calls it "Ig... Ig" on the "Tee... Tee.." - not great at starting and finishing words at the moment for some reason) so was delighted with his peppa pig calendar - and MIL has given us an advent train so the boys had great fun playing with that too today. Love this time of year

forgot to say my foot survived and came home with 12 trophies 2x 1st place, 5 x 2nd place, 3 x 3rd place, a 4th and a 6th.

wooooooooooooooo! so proud of my girls.

Calico I really think they should be a formal investigation of soem sort to stop it happening again, i still cannot get my head around why someone would put food hot enough to scold on a table fuill of babies/toddlers. big hugs

I know it was an accident but surely its the same principle as hot drinks?

MOS sorry i knew my post was a bit OTT i just really care about you xxx

Congratulations Littlesez on all those trophies - great weekend! Did Izzy have a good time?

Blimey Littlesez - impressive work!

Thanks for your thoughts about Lilian. We finally got a written apology / statement and the incident has been reported to Ofsted and the HSE so I feel better that they are doing the right thing about it all. Back to the hosp with Lilian tomorrow - I'm hoping the bandages can come off....its been ages since I saw her poor little fingers!

Hi all.
How is everyone?
Dp wants to put the christmas tree up tomorrow.
I started the xmas shopping today, so far havge got Luke a scooter, Jacob a garage for all his cars, Luke's friend a big helicopter and Jaco's friend a bathroom set for her dolls house.
Have 4 other kids to buy for plus a few more bits for the boys (am thinking a dancing Iggle Piggle for Luke and a remote controlled crane for Jacob) and some stocking fillers, then my parents and bro.

What are you guys getting your dc's?

Luke has just started calling me Nic At this age, Jacob wasn't even calling me "mamma" and Luke has already decided he can call me Nic.

Ah, its sweet that Luke has started calling you Nic SM - I loved it when DS1 learned how to say my name. Danny is in a FOUL mood today. Woke up at 3.45 crying for mummy, wouldnt be fobbed off with daddy so came into bed with us and finally dozed for another hour after being cuddled into submission, up at 6.30, off his food, went to see Santa this morning (were he v politely said "Danks" to santa for his toy snowman but not so politely decided to check out Santa's sack to see if there was anything better in there - fortunately there wasnt ), went to the school fair where he insisted on going on every kiddie ride his big brother did (sigh), refused to go to sleep promptly for his lunchtime sleep so only had a half hour nap, wailed his way around swimming class, screamed his way home, ate only half his tea and is currently wailing in the bath. Sigh. Fortunately DS1 has been a sweetie today and I have a child free day tomorrow as am doing a training session in the morning then using my spa day voucher from DH and the boys after that. Cant wait

Danny is getting a playmobil farm from us, DS1 is getting a kiddiezoom camera. Danny is also a massive Iggle Piggle fan - he sleeps in his cot with a tiny soft triceratops and an old iggle piggle (complete with his blanket) that DS1 used to have. He'd go crazy for a dancing Iggle Piggle.

Sounds like a horror of a day dinky.
Luke has been a screamer today too because I wouldn't let him out of pushchair (market day in staines and far too busy) plus he has the right ump that I have fitted the buggy with a foot muff. He thought he'd won the blanket battle, but oh no!

Luke also sleeps with a little iggle piggle that used to be jacob's.

Sounds like a horror of a day dinky.
Luke has been a screamer today too because I wouldn't let him out of pushchair (market day in staines and far too busy) plus he has the right ump that I have fitted the buggy with a foot muff. He thought he'd won the blanket battle, but oh no!

Luke also sleeps with a little iggle piggle that used to be jacob's.

hi all, just briefly popping in.
H also loves iggle piggle

Littlesez well done on all those trophies. I'm in awe of you, I can barely touch my toes

dinky sounds like you had a nightmare time. Hope you have a fab time at the spa, very jealous.

SM smoking again
well done on all your christmas shopping. I really need to get organised. Did loads of shopping ages ago but now need to just get sorted and see what else I need. A bit of a pain getting to the shops here so hope not too much more to get.

I was a bit pissed off with H's nursery today and would value your opinions.

Took him as normal (2 days a week) and dropped him off and we was drinking his bottle of milk on the way. It is a real comfort thing for him and he is still very tearful when he is left so I always leave it with a member of staff so he has it the first half hour or so if he needs some comfort. Have always done this and the nursery gave all parents a 'journey' book to complete when they start (returned 2 months ago) and one part asks about what helps your child settle if upset and I put that he likes his bottle of milk.
Anyway, I'm aware one child does have a milk allergy (not in H's class) so I'm mindful of this. I always give the bottle to a member of staff and this morning I waited until one was free and watched her put it somewhere high out of reach of other kids as I always do.

About half an hour later received a call from nursery and panicked when saw it was them as first thought was that something had happened to H. It was the deputy manager going on about H's milk and saying a child had a FATAL allergy and I was putting them at risk! I was quite shocked by this accusation as I am aware of the allergy and this is precisely why I always ensure a staff member puts the milk somewhere out of reach (even though child not in his class

I was in a coffee shop at the time with some friends (also parents of kids at nursery) and some of them expressed their concerns. The said child is apparently allergic to all dairy, some bread, biscuits, fruit etc. We all therefore are wondering what the situation is supposed to be with regards to packed lunches.
H's lunch today was turkey sandwiches (with butter which is potentially fatal), yogurt covered raisins (potentially fatal) homemade banana muffin (egg is so fatal) and most kids have yogurt, cheese etc and the fruit which is allegedly also fatal.
We were concerned as to whether we should not be allowing our children this so I tried to have a quiet word with manageress when I picked H up. She however went 'off on one' and started waving a doctors report around saying basically this child would die if near milk. I got annoyed (I know, I shouldn't have) as I know the mother in question and have regularly seen her (in my house in fact) sitting with a cup of tea with milk in it with her child on her lap so clearly, her child is not going to drop dead if within a foot or two of milk!
I tried to talk rationally with her about it and what safety measures can be put in place but she just lost it, started shouting about a child being at risk, refused to answer my questions about lunches (and also whether the staff just drink black tea and coffee in her presence which I know they don't!) and started shouting at me to make a complaint!She then stormed off and shut the door!

Professional or what?
Of course I have every sympathy for the child and parent involved but come on. Can H seriously not be allowed his milk and if so, where do you draw the line? Do we send our DC in with salads in their packed lunch?

Not brave enough to post in AIBU after my last experience there but am I?

oh christ, that was longer than I thought. Sorry

Jesus mos. What a palavar. Yanbu surely it's their jonb to keep on top of allergies and put certain guidlines into place to protect children at risk.
It all sounds really silly actually coz like you say! Where do you draw the line?
We have a girl in my class who is allergic to egg, so when the others are having cakes or something like that, she has to sit at a different table with a 1:1 staff member.

Jesus mos. What a palavar. Yanbu surely it's their jonb to keep on top of allergies and put certain guidlines into place to protect children at risk.
It all sounds really silly actually coz like you say! Where do you draw the line?
We have a girl in my class who is allergic to egg, so when the others are having cakes or something like that, she has to sit at a different table with a 1:1 staff member.

Afternoon all - Spa was lovely, did my xmas shopping afterwards and came home to a quiet flat as DH is still out with the boys - bliss (but am a bit bored and freaked out by the silence...)

MoS - I think that the manageress at the nursery overreacted and she's probably embarrassed thinking about it now. I'd write a short but polite letter to her explaining that H always has a bottle left (as its his comforter if needed) but you give it to a member of staff to ensure that the child with the allergy doesnt get near it. Also explain that you appreciate they need to protect the child in question - it would be helpful if the parents could have some guidance on what things should or should not be sent in with packed lunches as a result of the procedures they need to adopt. If there is a separate room where milk bottles should be dropped off (labelled of course), you would be happy to do so. And that this was what you were trying to ask her about when you saw her but it clearly wasnt the time. Keep it short, concerned and dignified.

Hello Ladies! Long time no see! Just lots of stuff getting in the way (like playing Angry Birds on my Iphone ), lots of focus on DD and lots of socialising. I haven?t caught up on this recent thread yet so apologies for a general ?hello? to everyone. Had a little FB chat with Dinky last night which made me want to return to the fold!

In general everything is going well chez moi. I?ve got the work/home balance sorted out by working 3 days but money is very very tight. Luckily the kids still aren?t into the ?I want? present element of Christmas, so a few bargains from the fab charity shop near us will suffice . I snapped up a box of about 50 cars for £2 on Saturday for Sam!

Sam is a little monkey, but a huge amount of fun! He?s chattering away and it?s getting clearer, although he misses the ends of most words still. As I said to Dinky, he?s still a rubbish sleeper, although at least the 5am mornings don?t happen very often. He is gradually dropping his daytime nap ? in fact only has a couple a week. This also seems to be helping his night sleeping. He?s got the most gorgeous smile which helps smooth things over after the hitting, pushing etc.

Orlena is getting huge and seems to be a bit happier most of the time. I think we are getting better at dealing with the autism, which in turn is reducing her anxiety etc. She?s even started saying more words, although not communicating her needs. I heard her recite the Postman Pat song from beginning to end yesterday ! She starts at the specialist pre-school in January and I?m so hoping this will bring further improvements. We had the National Autistic Society Christmas Party yesterday which was good fun although I felt a bit deflated afterwards ? there were several teenage kids with autism there, and all of a sudden the future started looking a bit scary! As you say Dinky, that?s no reflection on what DD might be like, but it just gets you thinking.

How have you all managed in the snow? I had two housebound days last week and major cabin fever! I exhausted all my creative skills on the first day, so it was lots of TV the second day. Sam adores Pingu and often brings us the DVD remote saying ?I want?!

A quiet day at work today so I?m going to try to read the whole thread so far, but hope everyone is generally ok?

STW Good to see you.
In terms of Orlena not communicating her needs, what sort of things are you talking? Have the pre-school spoken to you about PECS books? We use them at my school and is great for the kids and their communication.

Luke also leaves out the ends of most words. Hat is ha etc etc.

Lovely to see you on here STW and glad our little chatlet encouraged you back to the fold Stiff after your gyming over the weekend? Have also seen Herbgarden on other boards - sounds like her dd is doing well and just as strong minded as all our nearly 2 year olds are. I'm still in shock that Danny is nearly 2!

We have issues with Danny finishing words too - tv is Tee, Tee! Both he and DS1 are HUGE fans of Pingu (we have it on play in the car and keeps them both so happy) - Danny is v jealous of DS1's soft toy pingu he sleeps with (DS1 got it at 15 months old) and occasionally half inches it for his day time nap while DS1 is at school They're getting pingu dvds in their stockings this year as they're on sale on Amazon for £4 each - bargain! I'm glad O is happier now -all the hard work you're doing is paying off - and I'm firmly of the belief that there is no point worrying about what tomorrow might bring, as it'll stop you enjoying the here and now. Bet hearing O reciting that postman pot song made your heart swell with pride.

Where's everyone else at?

Morning! I've had a bit of a catch up and -wow! You lot have been busy!

MOS - sorry to hear about difficult times with you and DH. How are things at the momennt? Hope you had a good coffee morning this morning? How was Florida (a long time ago now!!!)?

Mslucy sounds like everything is going really well with the pg - roll on May!

Calico - how awful about poor L's hand. Have the bandages been removed now?

MrsY - great news about M's test results - you must be pretty relieved. How do you cope seeing DH so little? Is it all working out ok?

Littlesez - a very impressive trophy haul! What happened to your foot? Was intrigued about the chinese oil!!!

Dinky - how are things at school now for DS1? Was so sad to read about the bullying. Is it all now under control? How's the work on your house progressing? Do you have an estimated completion date?

SM - sounds like your job can get pretty stressful - especially if you are working with ASD kids! We have been trying with PECS but O doesn't seem to have grasped it yet. The pre-school she's starting uses them for everything, so I'm hoping that seeing other kids using them will make her want to. It's a bit different at home - I try to use them with Sam too, but he just posts the cards behind the radiator cover. I've got my own laminator and photo printer so all prepared for action!

It sounds like Sam's speech is pretty normal then. When the professionals have been reviewing DD, they've also been very interested in Sam and his speech/behaviour etc because autism can run in families. So far, it appears he's a typical little boy, which is a huge relief.

A lovely sunny day here which will hopefully melt the remaining snow/ice that is still plaguing us. It's an oven in our office today - really uncomfortable. I'm going to have to pop out for some air in a minute.

Will catch you later. Lovely to be back xxx

STW Some of our kids are great at using PECS in the classroom but struggle to use them in the playground, so different surroundings will affect their ability to use the system successfully.
We have some kids in my class where we can use symbols and computer generated pictures for things and then others who need actual photos (for example of the toilet, or assembly hall etc), think it's just a case of finding what best suits O.
Great idea to use it with Sam too especially while his communicatin is limited (due to age), I use a bit of makaton with Luke. But then Sam will need tolearn how the PECS works so he can successfully communicate with O as they grow up.
In my classroom, we also have a song for everything because the teacher has found that songs and music engage the children better. So even for tidying up, we sing "tidy up the room, tidy up the room, that's a job for everyone, tidy up the room" and it gets them doing the job alot quicker and easier than speaking instruction to them.
We have 3 ASD children in my class, and the other 5 are global learning delay (we did have another ASD but he got switched out) and it can get a bit stressful but we are lucky in my room thast we have plenty of staff to deal with it and in most cases we switch kids between us to get a break.
I'm normally 1:1 with one ASD gtirl, who is very sweet and does make me laugh. She's about 6 I think and we have a nice little bond. She is my little buddy, but some days, I'll be matched up with another child for a while and will only switch back to this girl if she gets really stressed because I can calm her better than some of the other staff.

I haven't gone into work today. Have a bit of a head cold and achey joints. I didn't sleep at all last night and feel awful so phoned in sick.
Really hope it doesn't affect my chances of permanent position. I believe the interviews are this week.

STW... welcome back to the fold That's great news about Orlena, hopefully as you all get more experienced at dealing with her peculiarities she'll continue to improve gradually. PECS is great, although we're using it very sporadically and for completely different reasons, but it's a very easy system and I've heard a lot of success stories of it being used with autistic kids. Don't worry too much about the future... it's impossible to predict what they'll be like in 10/15/20 years and you need your emotional energy for the present, not fretting about the future (and I say that as a mother of a child who's being assessed for dyspraxia and of another who will have to undergo years of SALT and may still never speak clearly )

dinky... A is a telly addict too (so much so that he actually tries to say TV, best he can manage is DjeDje but it's better than the shrieking noise he produces when he wants anything else!) He's addicted to Peppa, Ben and Holly , Humf and Mickey Mouse though... won't tolerate anything else being put on so the older two have been reduced to watching the baby shows too for the last few weeks

Bloody school was closed today and yesterday due to sheet ice having developed over the snow and tomorrow is the 8th so they're off for that too..... they're bored out of their minds stuck in the house and the ice is so bad they can barely go out... dd and A went out this morning and A fell badly on the ice.

On the plus side my Christmas shopping is done (well, for the kids anyway )... I decided on Saturday that I couldn't wait til the roads were clear to drive to the closest toy shop as all the stuff i needed would have been gone so I ordered online from Smyths and it arrived this morning Couldn't praise them enough and it's a huge relief, can start wrapping now!

Hurrah for internet shopping Summerrain! Danny is a HUGE fan of Peppa Pig too - or as he likes to call it "PIG, PIG, oink oink" {grin] Hope A is ok after his fall and ice shifts quickly.

Good lord, thank god i started the wrapping last night as the airing cupboard where almost all the presents were being stored was leaking Have locked everything in the study now which is a nuisance but at least nothing was damaged! Have texted the plumber, hopefully he can get out here because the roads are still mental... although a delivery truck just got into me with the last thing i ordered (this for dd)

dinky... peppa pig seems to be the crack cocaine of the toddler world doesn't it? My older two went through a couple of years of Peppa addiction too

OMG, am feeling so so ill!
Stayed off work yesterday, went in today, got sent home after an hour (apparently crying in class is not the done thing).
Told them I'd stay off for the rest of the week and return on monday when (hopefully) better and just got a phone call to say my interview is tomorrow morning!!!!! arrrrgggggggghhhhhh

STW hi

glad to see you! the foot is healing nicely, i went against docs advice and danced in my competition but it was fine and having good rest now. Have you been busy then except your housebound days? had a few Tv days this end too.

Talking of Tv here is something i would never thought would come out of littlesez's mouth I think Its time to admit Izzy watches too much TV she keeps sayign "mimi" (mummy) "Look!, cloud" ( or tree or anythign) "You sign Cloud" uh oh!

And another one "i Can cook!" oops