Dec 2007 - Little People, Large Strops

[strandedatseasonsgreetings]

Will this do everyone?

Hello all!
Summer has arrived here! Well ok, maybe just spring, but it was actually warm here today, amazing! And lovely!

Buzzy what an amazing (and huge!) job for your BIL, I am quite in awe of people like that, I feel all of my potential and brain power has been gradually reducing since I graduated (and at an accelerated rate since having DD!)

I'd say we've maybe gone from a 75% success rate with potty training to 85%?!! Definitely not there yet and poos the main issue here too BT! But reading through threads here that seems to be quite common, trying not to get stressed but it is hard. She also denies she needs a wee constantly, I am trying not to get annoyed but she is dancing around clutching herself and saying she doesn't need, grrr!

Clara your course sounds great, v jealous!

Hello everyone.
Caz - ds has been doing much better, even with poos over the last couple of days, so don't give up hope!
We kept getting the "Coz I want to" response whenever he pooed in his pants and so we have upped the ante and done a new rewards chart. Every 10 stickers he gets a small treat and when he has got 50 stickers we are going to buy him a slide. This really seems to focus him and his confirmed my suspicion he does know when he wants to use the potty he was just too lazy or scared to.

Thanks for asking BT. Things in Chch are still pretty grim. The "red zone" at the centre is still very dangerous and cordoned off. Most businesses have relocated to new premises. So now the discussion is "do they rebuild as it was or design something entirely new?" The country is coping better with it now though that the initial shock has worn off. We had the royal visit from Prince W too - we must be important

Keen to hear how you find the course Clara. I think that's such a great thing to do.

Clairey how are you going deciding on your new career direction?

Skidd, what about that post you mentioned? Are things progressing?

Hi Caz. After complaining about cr*p weekend weather today was an absolutely perfect autumn day so there's a bit of warmth left for us too I hope!

DD1 received a birthday present from her father today. She was very excited. Although the Nintendo DS game he sent her turned out to be second hand - already had a player called "Josh" loaded! Hopefully he'll ring over the weekend - she turns 9 on Monday :)

She'll probably not notice it is second hand. But at her dad anyway!
Weird to think that it'll soon be winter where you are!
Thanks for the update about Chch - I'm sure there must be so much work to do to help everyone get back on their feet.

BT - she was the one who pointed out to me that there was already a player loaded! I don't think she really minded. He did send her a nice hoodie too which was definitely new.

Smart girl! Has he rung her at all?
Happy birthday to her anyway, I hope she is having a lovely day :)

Happy birthday to your DD1 buzzy - I'm sure she won't mind it being 2nd hand (we give our DC 2nd hand presents all the time )

"Skidd, what about that post you mentioned? Are things progressing?"
Not sure what you mean - post?

Good going on potty training BT - nothing like a treat to motivate them. We used chocolate buttons with DS1 and he used to do a tiny wee, stop, get his chocolate button, then go back on the potty and do the other half of the wee and demand another [Machiavellian]

DS1 has got his paed referral through - week after next, eek feel quite nervous

And DS2 woke up at 4.15 for the day this morning - what is that about?? shouldn't they be waking LATER with the clocks changing. I nearly threw him out of the window [joke][kind of]

LOL at your Machiavellian DS. Mine does similar things. He demanded a sticker this morning as he stayed in his bed all night (for the first time for about 3 weeks). I gave it to him - been getting increasely uncomfortable and on top ove everything else have the dreaded piles which are really really painful!

BT - ouch!
Skid - I think Buzzy means the job you were hoping you might have got (I assume that sort of post not a post on MN sort of post...)
Buzzy - Happy Birthday to your dd, I hope she has a nice day. What do 9-yr-olds do on their birthdays? I am dithering about dd1's 6th birthday - it's not until Sept but I will need to sort it out next term as it is so close after the start of the next term. Thinking of possibly a joint birthday party with a friend, but where???? Hoping this will be the last "big" one and we can start doing something more special with a select few from the 7th onwards but she might have other thoughts..

ah thanks clara, of course post as in job (won't find out until May but looking pretty positive, thanks for asking )

6th birthday - I think two friends and a cinema visit would be lovely at this age? My DD would def be into that. And then picnic/cafe/home for something to eat?

BT ouch poor you

Clara - 6th birthday, hmm I think we just had it at home as per birthdays 2 through 5. A few kids a few games lots of party food. 7th birthday was a big mistake, had 4 kids including DD stay overnight after cinema and McDs, very stressful, not to be recommended. 8th birthday, wound back to 1 friend to sleepover, took them both to a rugby match (indoor members lounge tix I got through work!) then met 6 other friends for 10 pin bowling next morning. Much more of a winning formula! This year again 1 to sleepover after cinema, then meeting 10(!) to go rock climbing at an indoor facility where part of the deal is a table to lay out BYO party food on. Main problem I foresee is that we really need 1:1 ratios adults to kids to hold harness/rope thing-y while kids climb walls

Skidd, glad to hear you've had the referral come through. Hopefully will set your mind at rest but either way knowledge is good. Also glad to hear job is looking promising :)

BT, that sounds incredibly uncomfortable. DD2 is also making some progress on the T training front...a very slow process tho. She wants to be in undies day and night and have left her in them at night last night and tonight as she has in fact been dry in the mornings for a few weeks now. At least she's not refusing to go when she obviously needs to like Caz' DD!

BT he has emailed her to suggest a skype call this Sunday so hopefully that will work. Sometimes I think she's milking my sympathy a bit but who can blame her really. Tonight she was comparing herself rather melodramatically to Harry Potter.

Buzzy - lol @ your DD comparing herself to HP, have you been locking her in a broom cupboard

Well we put DS in training pants last night as I have a feeling he may be dry at night as well. He did well, he woke up wanting to get into our bed, I fetched the potty from his room and he did a wee, then got into our bed. He remained dry all night! Hope it is not a one off. But he has had some really long naps (when we have been driving a long way) and has been dry for all of them so I guess this does indicate that the hormone that inhibits them weeing at night is fully active.

BT - yay go your ds! My two were both dry at night pretty much the same time as in the day so it can happen that way.

The problem I am having with the party thing is twofold. One: dd1's birthday being in Sept, we were in St Lucia - so not able to invite all the friends whose parties she is now being invited to. Thus, I feel I sort of owe them all. Secondly, I know she'll WANT a big party as that is what everyone else seems to be doing. I am wondering whether to start planting the idea of just doing something with a select few friends in her mind now...(Pizza Express apparently do a pizza making party!) (err, that's what I would like anyway!).

Actually now that I think about it Clara we had loads of children here for DD1's 6th party and it was chaos. It was an odd mixture too of new friends she'd made at school, old friends from childcare plus children of my friends. I guess I didn't mind too much tho - like you say it felt like the last "big" party and a number of parents stayed too so it was quite a social event all around. Maybe if you do end up with a big party this year make it clear that its the last one?

Eek am putting in an offer on a house to expand our childcare centre tomorrow. Scary stuff. First have to front up to the bank to convince them its a good proposition. One way or another am going to need some by the end of the day!

Oh best of luck, Buzzy will keep my fingers crossed the bank approves! Business must be going well, well done to you and your mum!

Oh good luck buzzy!!

Dd is also bizarrely dry at night, just not the day! But leaps up every morning saying she needs a wee and I waste another nappy every night! Not brave enough to go without yet thOugh...!

Good luck Buzzy, sounds very exciting.
Caz - go for it, ditch the night nappy! Buy one of those mats you put under their sheet. Dd2 still has one even though I don't think she's had more than one night time accident since she came out of nappies at night about 6 months ago. Peace of mind.
First tutorial yesterday, really interesting. Other people on the course at a different stage from me, they are starting to do their first teaching courses which makes it all more real! I feel a little overwhelmed at the moment but being with the group started to make some sense of it. I think it will be so useful to have the support of the others.
Then came home, was already shattered from being woken at 5.30am by dd2, decided to go out for a drink with some of the mums from Reception. Promised I would only have one glass and only stay out for an hour - but ended up being at the pub until closing! I did only have two glasses of wine but that's too much for me these days and I feel CRAP today....

Think I spoke too soon, DS wet the best last night and night before sigh

Back in nappies. He did use the potty in the middle of the night!!

Hi everyone, I've been struggling to keep up with you all although I have been reading, just no time for posting it seems I'm currently 'buried' in planning application stuff (mouldy leaky conservatory off, new dining room/slight extension to kitchen on), I'm trying to apply online finding it hard to get my head around which plans have to have what information on (and explaining it to DH so he can try to draw them - he doesn't take in information easily) There will be no peace when that is done either because then I will have the joy of sourcing a new mortgage and yet more forms!

Birthdays - we usually let the child choose a friend and a treat (eg bowling, cinema) but there is not much of interest in our town birthday treat-wise (especially with 2 January birthdays ruling out BBQs in the garden) so since we've had DD we can't do that due to having no car room to take them! TBH we're trying to angle the children more towards having a family day out somewhere nice - we took DS2 to Seaworld in Great Yarmouth for his birthday treat and it was a lovely day out.

Buzzy - Happy Birthday to your DD1! I'm glad her father remembered to send her something, second hand or not! at her comparing herself to Harry Potter, that's the kind of thing I'd have done at her age!

Well done to all the potty-trainers, they do sound like they're getting the hang of it. DD is getting better with poos although last week, for the first time, she didn't get enough stickers for a treat (I felt so mean ).

Clara, glad the tutorial was good! You'll soon get into it, must be lovely to be doing something just for you

Skid, great news about DS's appointment! At least it is soon so (in theory)you don't have much time to worry about it!

Hi Beckle,

They do get better with poos - DS has it cracked now, after a week with poos in the pants every time That was not a fun week!

Good luck with the planning app, sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare! But it will be worth it in the end

Hey BT, that does not sound like a fun week! Luckily DD is not one for doing it her pants, she just holds it for days and days and then ends up with a sore tummy. I'm trying to encourage her to 'go' more regularly, daily fruit juice and a sticker chart (and treats) has been working well most of the time.

I spoke to the local authority planning office today about all the stuff I was unsure of and they were so so helpful, I have a much clearer idea of what we need to do plan-wise now! It will definitely be worth it when done though, my kitchen will then be big enough for a lovely range style cooker

Don't know if anyone has come across this kind of thing before but DD has a slight raised rash all over her torso and face, it looks a bit like goosebumps and was reddish to begin with but is now just bumpy. I thought it might be a viral thing but a friend of mine suggested excema because it was raised? I'm sure she's had it before, a long time ago, but there was no obvious cause and it faded eventually. The skin doesn't feel dry and isn't itchy (its a little greasy on her face TBH), she's not bothered at all by it though.

Beckle - that does sound like what DS had a few weeks, it is probably eczema, it is normally itchy as well, is she scratching it? Only reason I recognised it was because I suffer from eczema myself. It should clear up on its own, just use plenty of E45 or similar. I would seriously consider getting rid of any SLS/parabens containing toiletries as that helps keep my and DS's eczema under control, I blame DS's flare up from when we were last at my mums and I forgot his bubble bath so used some of my mum's!

Think DS must have a tummy bug. He said his tummy hurt this morning, and he has done no less than 5 poos (bit on the squitty side) today! Luckily all but one he did on the potty or toilet, he just did one while he and my mum were waiting for the bus home, luckily it wasn't far to get home and it wasn't a big one. And she didn't know until she got him in the house - he didn't tell he he had done a poo!
Apart from tummy ache he has been fine in himself, had porridge, toast and a banana for breakfast, sausage, chips and beans for lunch and a couple of chocolate edge and he has been playing quite happily all day!

Hi BT, thanks for the advice! She hasn't been itchy although did say she was this morning, she's not been scratching though! I have been using Aquaeous (sp?) cream as its all I have in the house but will get some E45 tomorrow and try it. Funny that you mention bubble bath, I'll have to check the ingredients of hers, DH gave her a bubble bath on Tuesday night and the rash was there Wednesday morning - she has used that one before with no trouble, I wonder why it irritated her this time? How is DS's tummy this evening? He might just have an irritated stomach rather than a tummy bug, something he ate disagreed with him a little? Hope he's better tomorrow. He did very well to get to the toilet everytime (not including the one waiting for the bus - doesn't count...), it sounds like its 'clicked' for him now

Are you doing anything nice tomorrow for Mother's Day? Is anyone else? We are hoping to go to a bluebell wood for a ramble (although the bluebells might not be out yet) and maybe the beach afterwards for fish and chips! Despite the fact I have been ratty with the children today (they have been screaming, fighting, arguing little so-and-sos monkeys today) they all sat down to make me cards this afternoon, felt really bad for shouting at them after that

Beckle - lay off the aqueous cream! You can use it as a soap substitute but it has been known to worsen eczema! GPs have now been advised to stop prescribing it for eczema and other skin sensitivity issues.
I think DS is better, he did one enormous poo this morning after we got up but nothing but wee since. I agree it could have just been something that disagreed with him, especially as he hasn't been feeling ill.

Today we are going off to tea out with DH, DS, my mum and my DTBs and DTB1's DP. I got a box of chocs from DS which DH he picked, and we got my mum a rose which I DS picked for my mum
DS did a great job of putting kisses and cuddles on the cards to me and my mum. I'm a bit about cards to grandparents but DS is mum's only grandchild (until dd arrives!) and it means a lot to her as she utterly dotes on him DH has rung his mum, she and his dad went to DH's DB and DSIL's yesterday. We will see them next weekend.