June 2009 - terrible twos here we come

[bigcar]

Here we are ladies

happy birthday C hope you managed to avoid the rain we had and have had a fab day!!

Thank you :D

We had a fab party this morning, C had a brilliant day from start to finish!
We got her this mini kitchen from amazon which proved really popular with all the kids from 2 to 5yo today!

We started off with sunshine and made the most of it before it started pouring down. I think the kids had lots of fun regardless (the infamous rocking horse came in quite handy ;))

SIL got C. a scooter which is by far C's fav present :D she says "not bike, scoooooota"

right so C was born 2 years ago exactly this minute, I have to go and see her in her cot :D

catch up later

Morning all!
June, glad C had a nice day yesterday I love the "not bike, scooooota" thing What happened with MIL's bike in the end???? Replying to a previous question you had asked re. beds, we took one of the sides off back in December I think, mainly because it was killing my back (at that time M still slept in my arms). We had had to put the cot at the lowest level so my back was suffering quite a bit. We bought a rail on eBay and gave it a go, we didn't know whether it was going to work or not tbh... It actually helped a lot in our case, as M started lying on the bed to go to sleep, instead of wanting me to hold her, and she progressively got better. Now I just sit next to her bed while she has her milk and then she rolls to one side and falls asleep. This took 6 months, though, in our case, because of the way M slept before I think C has fewer issues with bed time? I forgot to say, great improvement on the bath front!! So happy for you!

Snow, thanks again for lending me the DVD I started the exercises yesterday and was knackered enjoyed them very much They're very good, subtle but effective, you can feel the work Sorry to hear A's biting hasn't passed yet. No useful advice here but I think you're doing as much as you can, really, being consistent, etc. I don't know how much A "speaks" to you, but if you ask him what happened, does he say anything or do anything? I've sometimes found that when M throws something that accidentally (or not) hit one of us and I ask her what happened she sort of looks at me as if "thinking" about it, then if I give it back to her she doesn't throw it again. I highlight the "sometimes", though but maybe it would be worth a try? Sorry if you already do this, please ignore me then So glad you got to have your conference call in peace.

Ninja, I'm dying here, what happened to the lime green!?

Happy fathers' day to all your DHs and DPs M made a card for DH at nursery, which we'll give him today

Hope you have a nice Sunday ladies.

Waves!

june a big happy birthday to C yesterday. I am so pleased the party went well. I love that you had to go and look at her in the cot at the time she was born. I did the same thing with A.

That pack up kitchen is fabulous. A desperately loves them but I have never seen a fold up one. Bloody brilliant. There is limited space in our flat and it is covered in kidlets toys already

gauchita so pleased the DVD going well. A has had a massive improvement in language but I think he still lags far behind his peers at the moment, so v hard for him to express frustration etc. I will try your idea and try it consistently so see if he will at least think for a second about what he did.

ninja we NEED an update on the decorating. Living vicariously through your conversion

Right, both kidlets seem to be asleep, time for me to try and have a rest. Z was delightful when she woke this morning. Shame it was 330am till 6 .

Hey ladies, It´s been a while I know sorry! Happy, happy birthday to all the little ones, can´t believe that they are two! Where has the time gone?

A has changed so much recently, she is dry during the day, speaks in sentences, sleeps in a bed and loves to dance. She is getting better at sleeping and has maybe gone through the night for about a week now. Where has my baby gone? I´m acutely aware that she´ll be at nursery from September and we have a few precious months left of our girl time in the morning (which we love).

We had fun celebrating A turning 2. We had a party for 27 toddlers and their parents last weekend. It really exhausted me actually and it didn´t help that I started miscarrying a very early 3rd baby during it, such a disappointment, DH and I were so excited.

Just jumping in where I can:

Gauchita ? you are looking incredible!! How are you feeling? M´s party sounded great. I have one of those ball pits in the storeroom and know A would love it but don´t know if I can bear it again....! Like the sound of that trunki! We´ve had molars here too recently, not fun.

TheNinja ? X has the Gruffalo trunki, he and A love it, take it round the house (as well as on flights) I have some birthday money for A and was actually going to get her one as it has been such a hit. Not sure which one though. Happy painting!

June ? sorry to hear baths are still an issue. DH still gets in with them and A is a nightmare about hair washing but then again hers is very curly and tuggy so I get that. Party sounded great.

Snowwombat ? Paris sounded fun (some quiet me time on the train..) Z sounds glorious! We have some bites here too but not many thankfully. DS was never a biter so was horrified when A started biting him.

Hello Zhen, not sure we have met before or do you have a new name?

mrsmc so lovely to see you here but I am very sorry about the loss of your baby . How are you doing? Really?

I do think you may be slightly insane hosting 27 toddlers . What were you thinking?
A sounds like she is going so well. Dry and in a big bed too. She might need to call round here and teach A a thing or two . He is still so wriggly in the night, and does so many laps around the cot, that I cannot see when we are ever going to get him into a bed. Sure by the time he is 30 we will have it sorted .

Such a glorious day here and I shoud be working. Will get off MN and get something done in the few hours peace (well apart from Z of course) until A home from nursery

Waves to everyone

morning all

MrsMcJnr lovely to see you So sorry to hear of your loss, hope you're being well looked after ((((hugs)))) Happy birthday to A, she sounds so grown up now, I have to agree with snow, 27 toddlers???!!!????!?!?! give that woman a medal Will keep fingers crossed for A sleeping through, must be so nice to get a proper nights sleep after all this time! It doesn't seem like 2 years to me at all, the time has just flown by, E is so cheeky these days, he has a real 'what me?!' look that he has perfected whilst trashing the place!

snow, E is also miles behind with his language but as yet hasn't got to the frustrated part. Is he getting frustrated because he wants something and you don't understand? If it is you can try taking some photos of things he may want, print and laminate if poss and then get him to choose what he wants from that. E also bites, only dd3 though but she does do her best to wind him up, think they're on a similar level, neither has mastered sharing and not thumping each other Can't believe Z is 6 months already, any update from the paed?

gauchita, how's M now, those teeth are a real bugger? E's still got quite a few teeth to come through yet, think that may be why we've had a few disturbed nights recently. Dh managed to wake him at 5 this morning when he got up for work [argh] can't wait for him to have his own room! Hope the exercises are working, spd isn't pleasant. Have you started getting sorted for your ds yet? Seen a couple of bugaboo donkeys around recently, you thinking of getting one I'm still gobsmacked that it is possible to spend that much on a buggy!

zhen, happy birthday to N hope she had a fab birthday. Potty training sounds fab, isn't she doing well! Sounds like time to go cold turkey without nappies during the day, plastic bag under folded hand towel for buggy when out if you don't want to buy one of those protector thingies. As for toileting when out, depends on what she will do, some dcs want their potty, some will use a porta potty others are quite happy to sit on the normal toilet seat whilst being held, you'll have to work out what she will like, useful eh If the mens toilets are a no no I'm sure no one would object to your dh taking her in the disabled toilet, I don't see you have another option unless you are near somewhere like a mothercare that just has one toilet for everyone.

june, did you manage to sort out the bike with mil? Good to hear the horse came in handy at last, just hope mil didn't see, you might get something equally as huge for next year E is still in his cot but will be moving to a bed when all the decorating is done and he has his own room. We're a bit undecided as to what sort of bed to put him into, dd3 has this bed which we could use and put her in a proper bed or we may leave dd3 with her small bed and put in a proper bed, haven't decided yet. We were in ikea yesterday to get some bits for the dcs new bedrooms and saw this bed which I liked as you can use it either way up, I'd be getting 2 if I could!

LIME GREEN UPDATE, sorry to disappoint ladies, my new stairs will not be lime green, possibly a light duck egg as a compromise or I go paint shopping on my own and get what I like seems fair. We should have been finished by now, they got so far ahead of themselves but electrician came off his bike and it's delayed everything, he's ok thankfully so will be in soon. We've painted the bare plaster already, or all the upstairs rooms and stairs anyway so feels like it won't be long. Just need the electrician and the snagging to be done and then hopefully we'll get the scaffolding down and it's done! And then hopefully we'll get the house back to some semblence of normality until the summer holidays when the dcs will trash it again can't wait

waves to all

Hi ladies

About to leave home for work, but just wanted to say MrsMc, so glad to hear from you here, a massive (((hug))), really sorry to hear about the baby. Hope you're being kind to yourself. Take it easy. And yes, WOW to 27 children I'd have needed hospital admission after that! Hats off to you, lady.

Back later for a proper catch-up!

Hi all!

Posting from my phone so apologies in advance if I forget something. The app doesnt let you go back to the messages while writing one

Ninja, phew!! No lime green then! How did you reach a compromise? He seemed quite into the green from what you mentioned M's all better now, fortunately. I think teething is almost over now. How funny you mentioned the bugaboo donkey! I had a look at it yesterday on their site and almost famed when I looked at the price! I guess if you have a lot of money it doesn't make much difference to spend £1000+ on a pushchair but that's not the case here
I've gone backwards and forwards with the whole pushchair decision, I think I'm going to keep M's maclaren and buy a pushchair for the baby and use a buggy board when out alone with both DC and then when out with DH M will use her buggy if she wants to... It's just that none of the double or tandem ones convince me, none! So I think that's what we'll do Hope the works finish soon as planned and the house is all normal again, normal but prettier and bigger

June, hi! Already recovered from the party?

Snow, oh M's not great with language yet, especially as it's 60% Eng, 30% Sp and 10% of who knows what at the moment but I can see her 'thinking' about what she has done if I ask questions/try and 'discuss' about what has just happened. She might not understand me 100% but the fact that if I give her back the item she's just thrown for example, she doesn't throw it again is a positive sign, I guess? Ninja's idea of the pictures is a good one! I'll be trying that as well. Any follow-up for Z with her paediatrician? Gah, I can't remember what else you posted!

Mrsmc, so glad to hear A is sleeping better it used to be such a struggle for you. Well done A with potty training! How's X doing at school?

Really really busy with a project I must deliver tomorrow noon. I think I might need to work most of the night!

Busy week ahead, I have 2 interp assignments as well and work at DH's on top of that. I can't wait for it to be Friday evening

Right off to work!

Waves to all

Thank you Snow. I am ok, disappointed of course but physically ok and just hoping it will happen for us again soon. I was so excited to be pregnant again! I think DH will want to stop at 3 so I was already savouring every moment of what I thought would be my last pregnancy. The problem I have with birthday parties is that as my DCs are so close in age they have all the same friends so I just have to invite them all to every party. That said, DS starts school in September and he has twin friends who are only 2 weeks younger who are going to the same school so I think going forward it would make sense to merge parties if we can. Wierdly, most of the kids we know have birthdays between October and February and then there is no one until A in June so it had been a while since they had all been to a birthday party! Maybe it is a boy thing being very wriggly, every single night X wiggles out of his bed and on to the floor and he will be 3 ½ at the end of next month! The cushions I put around his bed when we first moved him at 16m (he kept flinging himself over the bars of the cot) are still there and will forever more I think!

Theninja ? thanks for the welcome back! I am sick to the stomach that bugaboo brought out the donkey too late for me (I have a perfectly good Emmaljunga and could not make a decent argument for another double) that said, when we thought we were on our way to a 3rd DH did start looking at the Donkey. Our bugaboo is still going strong after two babies and 3 ½ years of daily use so we think it was worth every penny. If the Donkey costs 1200GBP (sorry Spanish keyboard) in the UK they´ll be at least 2000euros here so there might be some scope for making some cash on one if we are in that situation again. Love duck egg, stick to your guns! DD has this bed she loves it. It´s actually bigger than DS´s bed which is a cot bed that someone gave us but it is a dear little pine thing so I think we´ll stick with it for now!

Zhen ? happy birthday to N! With DS I carried a potty about (I had space in the bottom of my double buggy) but with DD I haven´t needed to, we´ve either always managed to find a loo or it´s been a ?hide in the bushes? job, which she actually loves as DS has a penchant for peeing on trees so she thinks it´s the thing to do (she even tries to pee standing up sometimes!)

Gauchita ? thanks hon! Not so much now as X walks a lot but we really did use all three of our buggies in the early days. X was in the McLaren and A in the bugaboo if we were out together and then I had the double when I was out alone. About this time last year (so X was just under 2 ½) we got the buggy board for the bugaboo and that has been great for short trips and that is probably what we use the most now although we do still use the double too. I walk a lot though and it´s hot!! With the age Mila is I think your plan is a good one. I do love my double but it is cumbersome. A says ?Mio? ?malo? and ?bien? a lot as well as greetings as she has picked those up from DS, his Spanish is great now, it is so funny to hear him saying ?..que NO Mami!? X is loving nursery but it will be a big step up for him when he goes to school in September and a big change for me too as A will be at nursery and I might have to go to work....!

dammit, I just wrote a novella of a post and lost it.

Gorgeous evening, DH at work and I have control of the remote. Shame nothing on. Was procrastinating about getting some work done and now more frustrated. Bugger, will do a brief recap as must get some work finished tonight

mrsmc hugs to you. You are being very pragmatic but please be kind to yourself. Hope that you have happy news again soon.
How funny is X and sleeping on the floor

ninja I love picture boards, great idea. Problem I have with A is the attacks are so random, he can be happy, sharing toys, all good and then bang. Or he can be fighting over a toy with a bigger child. AARRRRRGGG.

Love your DH's present ideas for E .
Yeah for a win on the green paint.

gauchita how you doing? how is the SPD? Onto the conversation of double buggys, I love my P+T, but it is heavy and a bit cumbersome. Saying that, I get it on and off the bus ok. What I truly love is that A is contained (bit of a bolter ATM) and that both can sleep in it and let me get on with other things like drinking coffee, or if we are out ofr the whole day/evening, they can be put down in it. I do use a sling for Z alot too.

zhen did you have N's party on the weekend? Any plans for your summer holidays?

vene where are you mate?

Right, will post before I lose this

hey, just wanted to pop in to give mrsmc some big hugs.

Also got a question for you@

This saturday we have our first proper date since C was born, we're going out to the restaurant. My friends are staying over to look after C while she is (hopefully) asleep.

Do I tell C that mummy and daddy are going to the restaurant and that she can call out for A&S if needed - just in case she wakes up (been waking up lately) or do I not tell her and hope she sleeps through and not notice???

I think I would be more comfortable telling her but then she might worry and not sleep/cry until we come back and then loose confidence in us or something.

Any advice?

She knows and loves my friends very much which is why we're comfortable leaving her with them. (plan is to put her in bed around 7 or 7:30 and then leave once we're happy she's settled, having said that we booked the restaurant for 9pm so we can't hang around too long.)

hi june, so pleased you and DH are having a night out. I tell A, and he goes to bed with us still there but not until the baby sitter has arrived. If things hv been a little chaotic, we do his dinner/bath and the babysitter puts him to bed. Saying that, he is very easy to put to bed now.
HTH and have a wonderful time

Morning all!

Up to my ears with work, so I'll catch up later. Just wanted to say, June, we've never gone out without M before BUT the other day I went to a hypnobirthing session on my own and it was the first time ever DH had to put M to bed on his own. Up to then I'd always had to be there, otherwise massive tears ensued. I left when she was having a bath, and I went into the bath and said goodbye, told her that daddy was going to put her in bed and that I'd be back later. DH said there were no tears but it took him 1.30hs to get her to go to sleep and she was in our bed, but well, it was a bit of progress Hope you enjoy your date tomorrow!!!

Waves to all, off to work, back later, hopefully

Sorry...life has got on top of me!

DP at home a lot more, some photo projects, son sick for 2 weeks, etc etc.

Will catch up and write soon.

We had a great time, japanese restaurant in central london, ended up eating next to two lovely japanese geezers who told us what sake to get for home and one of them turned out to have been a chef at our favorite sushi restaurant! Fabulous night out.
I was very careful with not giving sweets/sugar to C. in the afternoon and started her bedtime routine fairly early on, with my mate who read her a story.
She was in bed by 7:30 and settled & sleeping by the time we left at 8pm. We got back shortly after 12 and she'd only been up a couple of times, asked for water and then went back to sleep. Lovely!

mil is crossing boundaries again and starting to do my head in again, calling in without calling first, staying on even when we have guests, giving C sweets when she knows we don't give her any past a certain time.

C. calling, better check it out! catch up later!

Snow ? thanks for the kind words.
Thanks June hon. Glad you had a lovely Sat night out. We were out too which is very rare, we just don´t tell the kids in the hope they´ll sleep through but in the knowledge that if they don´t they´ll be very happy with who they find to comfort them! Stop MIL in her tracks!

Hello Gauchita & Venetian!

Hey everyone, wrote a massive post last night to catch up with you all and it has disppeared into the ether!

Sorry to have been out of touch, it is exam and reports time and I have been in charge of activities week for Year 6, busy, busy, busy.

We have had an eventful week. On Thursday DH, who had been ill with a virus, blacked out at the top of the stairs with N in his arms. They both bounced down the stairs and luckily DH bounced over N otherwise she would have been going to the hospital with broken bones or worse. She escaped with a massive swollen purple bruise to her cheek and a carpet burn to her eyebrow. Dh felt so guilty, he refuses to carry her down the stairs now just in case he blacks out again.

She is on the mend though, we went swimming with her cousin today and she was full of beans.

MrsMc - so sorry to hear of your loss. I think you must be superwoman to manage 27 toddlers, I have 30 older children to look after each day at work and even I wouldn't attempt a feat so difficult!

Ninja - thanks for the advice re: potty training, N will wee being held over a loo so we are starting no nappy policy during the day (except for nap time). Love duck egg blue idea, much better than lime green, we have duck egg blue in a darker shade in our new living room.

Gauchita - glad snow's video helping with SPD. I am curious, did you do hypno-birthing with M? Having had such a medicalised labour with N, I am keen to go without pain relief when we have number two. DH put N to bed tonight in preparation for me starting to go to the gym three nights a week, she has gone out like a light (must have been the swimming today).

June - Glad you had a good night out. We haven't had a night out alone since N was born. Was hoping that we could go out soon and leave N with my brother and his girlfriend, but they have just split up after 10 years together so will have to rethink :( N has been in cot with sides off for over six months. She has a large bed guard from mothercare that stops her falling out. She even slept in our spare single bed with the bedguard on recently when she wet her mattress pad and it had to be washed.

Snow - wow can't believe Z is 6 months old, how time flies! I used some of the tips from this site recently when N was waking early, seemed to help. Wonder if some of the tips might help with Z's early rising.

Hi Vene - glad you are ok, hope DS is on the mend.

Love to you all xx

Zhen ? how awful about DH blacking out like that and N getting hurt too, how scary! Is DH ok? I would swear by Hypnobirthing. Have had two enviable births and I am sure a lot of it was down to that, I am not a chilled out person normally but somehow I was for those events!

Morning all!

Zhen, so sorry to hear about your DH blacking out. Is he OK now? I can imagine he's feeling a bit apprehensive about using the stairs with N again in case it happens again but it could have happened to anyone. Hope N's better as well. Yes, I used HB with Mila. I mainly went into it because I'm a pain wuzz and I was really afraid of the "unknown", i.e. the birth. It was great, I can really recommend it. If you go to hypnobirthing.co.uk there's a list of certified HB practitioners divided by areas. Glad to hear bedtime with dad was bliss for N!

Mrsmc, hi! Glad to hear X's Spanish is going well, they really pick up things so easily, don't they? M goes on and on in English even though we speak Spanish to her We've decided to have both buggies, yes. I'm ordering it next week Hope you're enjoying the Spanish summer Is it really hot already?

June, oh, glad to hear the date went so well Hopefully that'll encourage DH to do it more often It sounds like you had a great time And sushi, yum! I guess yet another talk with MIL is in order?

Snow, SPD is still here, I've been SO busy this week my exercises have been left in the corner all alone I'm finishing tomorrow so I'll make up for it. I had forgotten the sling, of course!! It was SO useful with M, I loved it.

Right, so much stuff going on around here! I got another looooooong translation, which I really couldn't say no to as the money was good But it meant working like a horse all weekend and I'm still on it. Delivery tomorrow but I'll send it tonight so that'll be over soon.

DH left yesterday, he travelled back to Arg. to process our new visas. We're changing category so it meant he couldn't process it from here as we've done in the past. Negative points: we don't know when he'll be back as embassies don't give you an exact date for everything. Soooo... I'm in charge of more things at work, things he can't do from there.

I can't take on any more interp. assignments until he's back as I have no one to leave M with unfortunately. My two close friends moved away so I'll have to wait for him to interpret again.

I've been given an iron prescription as my iron levels were quite low at the last blood extraction. It's 3 times a day, though!!! How low did they get?! And the pills are quite strong as I get quite sick unless I have a full stomach, something that didn't happen to me last time I took them, oh well!

Yesterday we met up with Vene, as she's close to the airport. We had a very nice time in the park with M and F until M decided to go suicidal audacious and climbed one of the older children frames/structures and decided to get off it by "jumping" She didn't actually jump, thank God! but she turned backwards, lowered her legs and bum and then let herself go The thing was a bit taller than me, so not low. We ran but of course didn't get there on time, mainly because we'd never though she'd get off like that! Oh the guilt! Another mum ran and got there sooner and cuddled her, then gave her to me. M was quite shocked but OK, we thought. Suddenly we jump on the car and she starts breathing noisily... man! Off to A&E for them to listen to their chest, etc. Doctor said she probably hurt one of her ribs but there's no puncture or anything of the sort so she'll be fine, it'll heal by itself. She has a bumpy bruise but she's OK.

Right, off to work some more on this file! This was long, sorry...

Hope you're all having some sunshine today.

Waves!!!

afternoon all

gauchita, yay for dh getting M to bed and how lovely to meet up with vene, hope M's ok now, what a shock that must have been. Defo the right thing to keep the maclaren, umbrella fold buggies are so much easier and of course handy for chucking in the boot of the car, any ideas what new buggy you'll get for ds? Hope dh makes it back soon, that sounds a bit of a nightmare to sort, how often will he have to renew the visas that way?

zhen, hope N and dh are ok, these things happen, I hope dh isn't being too hard on himself. A friend of mine tripped and fell on the stairs with her 8 month old ds, he ended up with a broken leg but no harm done long term.

june, so pleased your evening out went well, must have been lovely I agree with the other juners, time to have a word with mil again, thought she'd got past that one!

MrsMcJnr, you'll have to persuade dh you NEEEEED a donkey then, don't suppose it's narrower? Wasn't yours the one that didn't quite fit the doorway? Wow at Xs spanish, what does he think to big school?

snow, hope you enjoyed your evening with the remote, I must admit I like the days dh works latish so I get to choose what I watch

venetian, hope F is ok now, has dh managed to sort some more work? My dh tends to just get under my feet when he's home

well, the loft is near enough finished just waiting on the building inspector to come to sign it all off. The rooms are painted in the colours the dcs picked and the stairs have just had a coat of white to cover the plaster until we can do it properly at the weekend. Pics on profile, they will be the last ones I'll be boring you with, honest

got the dcs off school tomorrow because of the teachers strike and then dd3 and ds1 are off friday and monday for inset days as well, it's going to be a loooonnnnnnngngggggg weekend

waves to all

hey gauchita It must have bene quite scary M falling over like that. Hopefully they'll be able to process the visas quickly, what are they like over there with things like that? Shame you couldn't just go with him for a bit. The iron tablets sound like a bit of a drag, hope they make you feel better.
ninja that's pretty cool that it's all finished now and you can sit back and enjoy the summer. Are you putting carpets down? hope it's not too chaotic for you this weekend. C's been on a bit of a rampage this morning throwing food/liquid on the floor stikcing her fingers in butter crayonning walls and windows there was no stopping her. She had had a babyccino with chocolate powder and I think the sugar made her realyl hyper.

Mil...well, not spoken to her but something must have got back to her (from sil maybe?) as she was apparently crying the other day saying dh doesn't love her (emotional blackmail, her mum used to do it ALL the time too) and has not called or called in since. We've been so busy with work and packing and just normal daily stuff that it has been really nice to do what we needed when we could withn no one to please. We're actually leaving a day early and not told anyone. Which means I have been frantically packing for our holiday :D
Called boots at the airport to get some baby milk for the flight and they have run out!!

Now be good while I'm away ;) Take care!

enjoy your holiday june Yep, carpet should be down end of next week, just need to get the woodwork painted first and then they'll be in their rooms. Of course though that means we'll be decorating the other bedrooms and hall/landing not lime green think we'll be in need of a holiday by then!!! Soak up a bit of sun for us while you're in Dubai please Hopefully mil will have calmed down by the time you get back.

hi girls, thank god it is Friday
Manic week here, lots of work stuff on and Z being awake for a few hours each evening, 10-2 . Kept her so busy today, she has crashed out and I hope will stay that way.

june happy hols. hope the flight goes well. Hope there is lots of lovely sunshine. (cbeebies magazine good for keeping kidlets amused on the flight)

zhen great website thank you, taken some of the ideas on board. Poor DH and N (and you) it must have been so frightening when he fainted. Are you all ok now?
gauchita uurrggh to the iron tablets. I found the spatone brand much easier to stomach than the tablets. It is in liquid form and you mix with orange juice. Has same amount of iron as the tablets (unless you on ultra high dose).
Poor you without dh . How you managing? Any mates around this weekend to break the monotony?

How is m now?Such a shock isn't it. They are so confident on the climbing equipment and forget that they still are quite little. ?climbing harness for christmas for m?

The visa thing is so frustrating, never given time lines etc and it costs a bomb. What visa are you changing to? I need to do mine but I find the whole process so frustrating that I haven't bothered to start it yet.

I might get to go to BA for work . Only problem, Z needs to come with me. I wish the work was so well paid that I could just fly a nanny with me, but unfortunately it isn't. MIL is away so she can't come and I am not sure how the logistics will work. I really, really want to go. DH has no leave left, and he may be in a new job by then anyway. Times like these I wish my family were much closer. My dad or step mum would be so happy to look after the kids. Same for you, would be lovely to just be able to have your family pop in and see M and give you a break.

I was up your way last weekend, went to the Dales, saw my sister and nephew. Great fun! Went to the sculpture park on the drive up, WOW! what a fabulous place to visit (and eat).

ninja so pleased the house progressing well. Are you and DH doing the painting?? good luck!

vene is F on the mend now?what a terrible time of it with his health. How things work wise for you and DH?

mrsmc I hope you have a quieter weekend planned!

Right, DH back with dinner. Have a lovely weekend girls. We are off to the in the night garden show tomorrow.

yes, we're doing the painting, have done most of the bedrooms in the loft apart from the woodwork so just the 2 flights of stairs and the other 3 bedrooms to go and I should imagine the sitting room will look awful by the time that's done so will probably have to add that to the list too, any more gin going Hope Z sleeps better tonight, that's no fun at all. BA sounds good for a business trip, will you get long there? My pil live locally but they won't even come round for a cuppa, it drives dh nuts that they won't help out more than once in a blue moon, we have no other close family, I miss my mum. Enjoy itng, I've heard it's good, do tell us what A thinks of it

waves to all