Sept 08 - No no no, ME do it!

[CappuccinoCarrie]

Shiny new thread for Christmas!

Merry Christmas ladies!

Just settled down for QI. Potatoes and parsnips have been parboiled, sprouts peeled and trimmed, turkey defrosting, bread baked, chocolate roulade baked, tomorrow morning's muffin ingredients measured, house tidied, presents wrapped, DS IN BED!!!!

Mum, sis & sis bf arriving at 11pm for cheese and biscuits then we're all off to bed.

DS had a nappy free day today. Dh took him on a couple of errands out of the house and there were no accidents. And none at home either. So pleased with him, he's even happily poo-ing now sometimes twice a day. Such a massive difference after being scared of poo-ing for the past 6 months. Am proud and also relieved.

pacita hope D gets better soon. Good news about baby being engaged.

bec take it easy, hope boys are on the mend too.

mrsa hope antibiotics kick in for dh. Am sure I read that it's only one type of antibiotics that can't be taken with alcohol...and if it doesn't say on the box, then it's prob fine to have a glass of bubbly.

splish do they like party food? Sausage rolls etc? Perhaps a smidgen more festive than pasta...! Enjoy the extra company on boxing day.

meglet we haven't dared put chocs on the tree either. Ds is a hound for chocolate, he can sniff it a mile off. Hope dd feels more settled. I did go to acupuncture the other day. I always end up having a snooze, tis very nice. The needles don't hurt at all, apart from the ones in my feet always twinge.

ninja ds also scrounges round the kitchen looking for 'special treats' - his best is nicking the peanut butter jar and taking it in the sitting room to eat by the fistful.

iltmimi let's hope the 'comes in threes' saying is true for you and this is the last of your winter colds.

Waves to nc, debi, debs and any others still lurking. Hope you all have a lovely day tomorrow!

we had grumpy children today too! DS1 seemed tired all day and winged all day and was being a pain at bedtime.
DS2 was grumpy and there's something not right with him. Hopefully just teeth or another cold and not anything nasty. And he wasn't happy for the 2nd half of church today either. He'll be delighted when he realises he's got to go tomorrow and Sunday too!
Sure they'll be ok tomorrow though.
Don't know when ds1 is going to get a chance to chill and become less tired as the inlaws arrive on boxing day for a week.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Merry Christmas everyone!
Off to bed - stockings found and filled, turkey prepped, house as tidy as we can be arsed to get it, and want to fend off lurking colds.

I think A thinks Christmas comes round every few weeks like someone-or-other's birthday, so isn't hugely excited. But excited about gps visiting tomorrow (enough snow melted that they could get the car out today!)

Merry Christmas - H in bath with the kids (well with DD1, Maebh is hiding behind the curtain having found DD1's chocolate coins from her stocking

Kids very happy with pressies so far so all is merry

Happy Christmas everyone! I'm spawled on the sofa watching a DVD - bliss :)

Happy Christmas everyone!

Haven't been on here for aaaages, sorry.

I got nominated for the MN secret santa after DP lost his job, so I just want to say a huge thank you if it was someone on here who nominated me (I have no idea who might have if it wasn't one you lovely lot!). The presents we got were ridiculously lovely and generous and made such a difference.

Looking forward to a busy 2011, what with the baby and the wedding (all of 16 weeks apart). I've been promised my CS after the drama of T's birth, which is great.

Off for boxing day leftovers at DP's mother's soon, hope you're all suitably stuffed!

Merry Christmas!
MrNC and I started it with no sleep thanks to headaches and aching all night, but luckily it's faded into a minor cold. I think A has the same.

Unexpected feature was finding that A is scared of presents! He was happy that FC came and put stuff in his stocking but won't look inside, and refused to be given anything to unwrap. Eventually we unwrapped a few for him and he's dead chuffed with his PG Tips monkey in particular, and his felt tips. We'll see if he will look at some more when ILs come in a couple days, but at this rate he can have a new pressie every day for a couple weeks. So, the 12 days of Christmas for him.

Merry Christmas everyBody. I too haven't been on here for ages. My laptop broke and have been using my I phone for the Internet. However small screen made me dizzy reading threads. I now have a new iPad!!! I've been seeing a few of you on Facebook which is lovely. I am about to read through and attempt a catch up. Boxing day and being lazy!!!

Ok so far babies, babies, babies. Congratulations Carrie, pact ia and hopefully. Anyone else???

Merry Christmas everyone

We had a fab day yesterday, take 2 today at the inlaws.

Nice to see you hopefully and mama

[waves] to hopefully and mama
[downs more turkey soup]

Hello again. Twice in one day!!!! I see il2mimi is expecting too. This is a very fertile thread, do I need to be careful??? Nice to catch up with everyone it's like meeting old friends! I forgot how completely, honest, random and lovely you all are.

Hello ladies

hopefully so good to hear from you! Glad you are ok x

Had a very chilled out day yesterday - still feel pretty rough so it was nice to be lazy. Toby still unwell too Didnt stop him polishing off 2 - yes, 2! - selection boxes though!!! PIL and my mum and dad came for xmas breakfast - pancakes! -and then we played with gifts, watched dvds and had a snooze and then had xmas lunch at tea time

I got a kindle!!!! I love it. LOVE it.

Dh also got me a "snuggie"...you know those blankets with arms???? Love that too!!

Am hoping to go to the sales tomorrow if I feel ok and if Toby is alright.

Remember my uncle who passed away in September? He left dh and I £1000. He also left the dc some too. He was a lovely man. I miss him

Have got family coming for lunch on tuesday but then nothing else planned really which is a real change for us!

Wishing all of you a fabulous new year xxxx

Lovely to see some familiar faces, Splish, Mama and Hopefully

Glad to see you got your Kindle Bec, I also giggled at your snuggie! I very nearly bought my mum a slanket/snuggie type thing for Christmas. What a lovely gift from your Uncle, it's just a shame you have to be without him to have received it

How did your Christmas go Meglet? All of the firsts are the worst. I hope you could remember your dad with a smile.

We've all had a horrible cold which seems to get better, then worse, then better, then worse etc etc. Luckily we haven't had to host, so we've mostly been veging. DS therefore has been let loose and has had a diet of chocolate and beeties - aka sweeties.

iltmimi Actually I was just coming on MN to hide from my not-so-good Xmas . No great disaster, ill Great Auntie and hospital visits (should be ok though!), pesky children bored to tears when my family tried to get them to watch films then my family getting more and more ratty when the dc's wouldn't sit down nicely . I hope we can have a nice week this week to make up for it.

hopefully Good to hear from you, good news about the planned cs!

meglet was thinking of you and your dad on xmas day....for so many people its a first xmas without loved ones....I keep thinking of that poor girl who went missing and was found on xmas day and her family

Sales = rubbish

TV = rubbish

Cuts on fingers from trying to get toys out of packaging = rubbish

Luckily I have my kindle and snuggie to cheer me up!!! ILTMIMI Its hideous, but its soooo comfy and warm!

Bookmarking.

bookmarking.

I'm mentally preparing myself up to take the DC's to the park in the drizzle. We will take chocolate . Have to get out of the house somehow, and in a way that doesn't involve spending money or anywhere crowded. I did fancy taking them out for a meal but we have loads of food to use up first.

I don't want to get out of my pj's

Can't believe we've been staying with my parents for a week now, think the DCs are ready to go home, which will happen on Thursday. Its the 1st birthday party of one of my school friend's children tomorrow which will be really special :)
We went to visit family in London today so the kids got to go on trains and the underground, lots of fun apart from getting home after bedtime in the rain and DD having the mother of all meltdowns, she just totally lost the plot. But she was a delight and an angel when it mattered, which was all day!
My mum has suddenly realised she can hold conversations with DS, it just depends on DD not being around to butt in! Those poor second children do get a bum deal don't they? Well in this house they do anyway!
At lunch today i asked DS if he'd like more chicken or potatos and he said "no thank you, just cake now please"!!!! Cake wasn't even on offer! Cheeky monkey :)

Did you get out meglet? The weather here was damp and grotty all day here too, it's not very inspiring is it?

We got out of the house for most of the day because the water main in the village burst and we didn't have water from 8-5.

M has come out with some real gems over the past week as well, he's really getting into this whole conversation malarky.

M - 'one more mint please mummy'
me - 'no, you only have one per car journey'
M - 'half a mint mummy?'
He's starting to bloody negotiate with me!

I bought ds his first school bag today , it's a gorgeous Gruffalo backpack. His first pre-school session is in 8 days

Oh hello all and hopefully so good to hear from you. Am very nosey so would love you to come back and post more info. How is pg going? When are you due and how is DF? And, of course, how is T?

We had lovely xmas, even if C was a little monkey most days.
She has 2 traits that i am not happy with atm - being really nasty to the cat and throwing stuff away if you try to take it off her or tell her not to. Best eg is food - tell her not to throw her food on the floor and she'll chuck the whole bowl .
No idea what to do but hoping she'll grow out.

The rest is pretty peachy tbh. Toilet training is a dream - she rarely has any accidents, asks to go when she needs to and will now happily sit on her trainer seat when out and about. reckon she'll be out of nightime nappies fairly soon too.

We had a great xmas - she loves her cosy coupe car and gets into it with her little gruffalo bag and tells us she's off to work!
We saw loads of family and had a ball with my 90yr old Grandma who C adored. She got lots of new books (need a bookcase!) and a peppa pig phonics toy which she loves.

We went to the big liverpool museum today and it was great. lots of hands on stuff. There is a planetarium at the top and we went to see 'wonders of the solar system'. the officials were quite grumpy and kept stressing there must be no noise. We left 10mins in, when a big shot of the galaxy came up and C started singing at the top of her voice 'north star, north star are you near or are you far' from Peppa!! We were laughing under our breath though as it was so cute!

We also watched a bit of Stuart Little 2 today (never seen it before). The cat starts telling Stuart how all the family are glad he's gone and they don't like him and out of nowhere C said 'cat is lying'!
Sorry for the 'mememe' post but she seems to have had a massive development spurt literally in the past few days. DP and I were gobsmacked that she understood the context.

Sorry for huge post - you know what I'm like. Waves to all and Happy 2011!

MrsA - this is probably something you already know - but have you tried avoiding saying what you DON'T want her to do where possible, replacing it with what you DO want her to do. It helps avoid the times when they love to do what you've just said not to do.

My treat of the day was leaving the dds happily playing with the aquadraw in their room while i had a shower etc. When dd1 called me to come in and check out a spillage I was expecting just a dribble of water from the practically non spill container - only to find that at some point they had scorned this as insufficient for their needs (perhaps because they had shed their clothes and were painting themselves by this point) and had filled a bucket they have for playing with in the bath .

There is now a very big wet patch in the carpet and i sadly sat in it this evening when i sat there to change dd2's nappy!

Don't think I've posted since before Christmas. Hope you all had a good one and got some nice things. I got an electric blanket, camping stove and a pair of boots. And some other bits and pieces.
The boys got lots of Toy Story stuff, lego, playmobil, duplo, jigsaws, castle and knights, dinosaur car track thing etc etc.
We had 2 Christmas days, one on our own then another one on the 27th with the inlaws. Both were good, the presents went down well and the food seemed to too.
Still slightly annoying though (and yes I know I'm being selfish here) that I put all the effort into getting all the presents, spend about £200 in food, cook several big meals and yet dh still gets more than me from all his family.

Went to the panto today which was very good and the boys loved it even though I wondered if they were too young for it really.

DS2 has been full of a horrid cold all Christmas, he's been very phlemy and coughing lots and sleeping loads. Hasn't been eating much either and is being very infuriating. Asking for 1 thing then changing his mind several times and ending up eating 1 bite max of 4 different things. I feel sorry for him as his tummy is obviously full of gunk (wish he's just throw it up and then he'd be fine) but he is being naughty too.
Thankfully he has been on good form most of the rest of the time though even though he doesn't feel well.

MrsA I laughed lots at what C sang in the planetarium

iltmimi yes, we went to the park. It was drizzly (foggy?) but almost tropical compared to the last few weeks. DD had a spectacular refusing to walk or sit in the buggy induced meltdown, I was hauling her back in the buggy while she was thrashing her legs around and she kicked DS in the face . He was fine, if a bit shocked.

Your DS's Gruffalo rucksack sounds lovely! Is he doing mornings / afternoons?

mrsA PMSL at C singing Peppa Pig in the museum .

I braved the sales today and took DD to get new shoes. Little Imelda ended up with 2 new pairs, a pair of winter boots and some normal pink shoes. I'm hoping they fit her until April so I get my moneys worth. I usually only let her have one pair at a time, so it feels very indulgent letting her have a choice of shoes. I swear my DC's never grow in the winter months anyway

Nearly 2011, the year our little ones turn 3!!!

Our Xmas was lovely and so stress-free. DS loves his scooter and is practising scooting round the house everyday. We're really enjoying our time off even we're not really doing much other than pootling around and visiting friends and family. We have all of next week off too - plus our first night away together for DH's birthday. DS is staying home with nanna. We have the best room at Hotel Du Vin in Brighton.

DS is pretty much toilet trained for daytimes now. He can hold on during naps (even really long ones). We took the nappies off just before Xmas and have only had one little accident since (think it was a fart that went wrong - DH discovered that one!). Am so pleased that we've avoided all the trauma of it, feel that karma remembered at the last minute that we were owed a bit of luck.

Am looking forward to 2011. Already thinking about having another 2 weeks off around May (which is very organised for us, normally book at the last minute). DS can only get more fun - this is such a great age! He is now able to fetch things like tv remotes and his own baby wipes, haha. He gets free pre-school in September, so childcare costs should ease up. We've paid off the loan from doing our kitchen five years ago (and about to pay off the car) so can now start thinking about more home improvements.

And after 60 days, AF has finally arrived. So body is officially reset for the new year. Let's hope we get a little bit more luck on the ttc side of things. DS was surprisingly v good when visiting friends with a newborn today - am hoping that's a sign that he's not far off being ready for a sibling.

Happy New Year!!!