Jan 09: New thread, new babies, new year...our tiny newborns turn two and are full of birthday cheer....

[hackneyzoo]

Hope no one minds....I took an executive decision

evening
had a lovely time @ friends today

gotart - wow 2 snow !!

GA.. love the snow pics. Gosh it's quiet in here. Could it be that everyone's knackered after looking after their kids .

We had such a fantastic day with the sunshine making park life possible again, despite the muddy puddles. H definitely made the most of them, the cheeky monkey.

Right now it is -7 out.. the coldest I have ever seen it here in Victoria in the daytime. [chilly emoticon] Saw a magnificent bald eagle today while DH was out with DD at the store for a bit. Oh god, this mommy needs some me time. I'm sick too now. No surprise there when your toddler insists on coughing in your face and has learned to pucker up for kisses. The kisses are sweet, but they seem to come with a smearing of snot. [gross out emoticon]

Must have a

Oh and last night, while DD was doing her marathon climbing on over chair and leaping on couch bit that DH hates, she came headfirst off it! It shocked the hell out me. I was under the table cleaning up spaghetti. Poor thing.. she cried the house down. She was fine, but still, ed and sort of bad mummy. I didn't let on the DH that I let her do it though when he's not home.

Heading to bed but had to come back to share...

I just managed to simultaneously blow my nose, pull a round ligament, pee myself and expel nothing short of a bio-hazard out my butt which made me gag and cough, gag and cough. These are the joyous moments no one tells you about, about being pregnant.

Don't worry, I took shower. [squeaky clean emoticon]

Hello ladies. I've begun a thread in sleep about DS, I suppose I should have just asked all of you. Considering how hard Tree has it with H bomb I shouldn't really complain but I'm desperate for things to return to normality again.

oh godness got art
good luck tea

Tea Just made your flapjack recipe with a touch of my own inspiration... mostly coming from how incredibly expensive granola bars are at the store. I added 40g more butter and instead of 350g of oats, I used 250 and 100g of rice crispies and added sunflower seeds, walnut bits and dried cranberries and maple syrup instead of golden syrup. Yummy! Thanks for that recipe. Its a good one to make variations from too.

Oh wow that sounds yummy GotArt. Into London today with ex FIL and kids, catching a train in to London Aquarium with DCs. All expenses paid by him. Should be a good day, so I need to start thinking about packing bits and bobs. Would you guys take the buggy for DS or the Ergo only and reins for when he wants to walk? Just thinking about if he wants a kip but also fighting the underground.

I would take the ergo if he still sleeps in it and put all your stuff in a rucksack! Hope you have a lovely time I think the aquarium is amazing, especially the rays, sharks and the pool bit where you can stroke starfish! I haven't been since the massive refurb though. Hope you have a fab time!

Hello wknd :}
Having a gd day went 2 tesco 4 choccy
Dark here now
Hope u had a great day in london

We have a big buggy for trails and shopping but we have a little cheapy stroller for if we go to the mall or cruise around downtown. I just know I wouldn't want to carry DD around when she done walking. That's usually when I'm done walking too. I'm hoping we can go to the Vancouver Aquarium soon.

No potty training here, it would be nice but I'm in no rush and DS doesn't seem remotely ready.

Just about surviving half term. DD is missing school and getting v fed up with her brother. Bring on Monday.

MissJ hope the next couple of weeks pass quickly. Sorry to have missed seeing you super pregnant, was a nightmare trip in end, NOT doing it in daylight ever again!

Stripey - keep us updated, everything crossed for you and your government!

no good news here, but a november baby would've been kind of awkward for various reasons anyway. glued to radio here, election results unfolding.

hope all well wih everyone

Stripey Been keeping watch on your FB posts. We have leadership voting happening in BC soon and it will be very interesting to see those results. Its the first time, I must admit, that I'm truly interested in voting outcomes.

Still house of plague over here and DH even took day off. I pulled my back out again and could barely move last night. Much better today. We went to the mall to cruise around a bit to get out of the house but DD was too excited having been coup up for three days and ran us down. Good for her, not so good for us. Came home and she went down for nap with a 'no nap mummy' but was out like a light in no time. DH took to the couch and I'm having a tea before heading right back to bed myself.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. We are getting more snow. Might have to buy chains for the buggy at this rate.

Yesterday was good. DS was tired by 11am and getting troublesome at the Aquarium. I used the Ergo on the undergound but once in the actual aquarium let him wander about on reins and look at the fish etc. Once he started to become a handful I put him back in the sling. He slept for about 20 minutes until DD fell over and cried and hugged me loudly and woke him. So he was one grumpy tricky man from that point on really. Once we hopped on the train again at about 2pm he seemed happier. He hated the tubes, the noise on the actual tubes as they moved made him cry and cry. On the overground London Midland train from Euston to Watford though he was very happy. It was a lovely day, I tried to be put DS's behaviour in perspective, as a good day with a toddler does inevitably involve some drama DD was a gem though.

My plan of action on the boys jack in the box at night will be consistent bedtime and a nap and a silent return him to bed. I've been thinking about it and I'm sure as he was a good sleeper before, if I try to be mega consistent, this stage will pass. It was bound to happen with moving him to a bed, that he'd want to get up for hugs and to see what was going on. The trouble is I think when he rouses a bit now, he's forcing himself awake to come and see me and I need to get him back on track as the lack of sleep is making me shattered and it's not good for him and his behaviour in the day is deteriorating because of it too. In fact he's waking earlier and earlier now too because of being tired and all of the jack in the box shenanigans.

On the upside when the clocks change in a few weeks he'll adjust very easily

I've been thinking about my trip to Scotland to see FIL at Easter. I've finally agreed to go up with them now they're older. I've said I won't go up more than twice a year because of the distance. They've said I can take the train and they'll pay or drive. So I've been thinking about the pros and cons. They'd need to get some car seats if I caught the train, which does seem a waste of money to me. Although they do not mind. I'd also need a baby monitor. I've never needed one here but their house is huge, I'd never hear them downstairs in the evening. I may even need to buy a stairgate to contain DS a little. Or shut the doors perhaps? He cannot open doors yet. If I drive I can pack more things. They do not have any toys up there at all really. Also I doubt DS would remain sitting nicely on a 7.5 hr train ride and I'll end up chasing himn up and down the carriage - much to the annoyance of the other passengers I suspect. In the car if I borrow a DVD player for a car from a friend maybe he'd be more settled and sleep better as I drive?

My mind is going round and round right now. I'm sure there's plenty I haven't thought of. What do you ladies think? Ex H is coming along too to help this time.

By the way my kids love this recipe for dinner: www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cheeseandlentilcanne_85050 Have any of you cooked it?

Just a fly by to bookmark.
Stripey sorry you didn't get the news you wanted, hope youare ok, sending you some chocolate and a big glass of

Hope you are feeling better GA.

Glad London was good Tea. DS sounds like a pretty standard toddler to me. Good luck with your sleeping plan too.

Scotland sounds like it could be a nice break. Have you got your ex H travelling with you? If so I would say take the train. We train it up north (only as far as newcastle) but I much prefer train to car and the dcs can run about and they are of an age where it can be quite interesting and exciting for them. Last time I did take the lap top so they could watch DVDs and it was a life saver as they were knackered as we were travelling at night. Having said that, nexttime we will have to brave the car as they kids won't all fit in the GP's car now DD2 is here.

I bought two car seats off ebay from sellers local to thier Grandparents and they picked them up. If I recall they were about ten quid each and both in new conditon, so that solved the problem of car seats. Or could GPs hire you a car with seats for when you are up so you have some freedom?
Can the GPs not fork out for the essential kids stuff if they want you to visit? I would mention it to them. Having said that, there are a few toys at L and J's grandparents, but not much, and no other kid stuff and they manage fine. You could see what its like when you get there and pick up what you need there and then. Managed to pick up a load of toys in the charity shop last time we visited and that kept dcs happy.

Right, people coming for lunch so better get on with stuff.

Not much of a fly by

That's a good idea HKZ except FIL is away now until Easter when we go. So no ones there right now to collect stuff, if I bought it off ebay for them. I want to take the bed barrier with me to stop DS falling out of bed and a buggy. The thing about the train is I'd not want to lug much stuff into London to then go out again up to Montrose iyswim? I'll have a think. Also I think I'd spend my whole time chasing DS up and down the carriage for 7.5 hrs He's a bit of a fidget and mischief maker.

How about flying up? Sometimes its cheaper than the train and cost of petrol for driving?

Ah.. the carriages aren't that big and a toddler running up and down for wee bit is better than one you are trying to constrain to a seat because then they're just all stroppy for the rest of the trip. If you let him, the novelty wears off fast. That's what I've discovered. Just don't give any sugary snacks. Sounds like a nice holiday. I wish we got to Scotland when we were there... only made it as far north as Scarborough; that's where my dad and family is from. Loved it there. DH was walking along the beach, it was February and no one around, and I pulled up my camera to take a picture of him with the lighthouse in the background and to my amazement, it was the scene from a painting on the wall I grew up with but never knew it was Scarborough. I have the painting now. It was just a really lovely moment. (sappy ass emoticon) lol

I hope we get better here today. DD is fine, just a wee bit of a running nose left, but DH and I are still in the full of it. DH didn't sleep well last night, which means I didn't. We are suppose to going for dinner tomorrow night and then to La Boheme. It will be the first time we've been out without DD, not including that sham night at his brothers wedding. Anyhow, hope we are better.

Hello
Gd day here

Tea your wknd in london sounded gd and plan 4 bedtime sounds gd

Hello, sending you some too Stripey. Hope you are ok.

Tea, when we drive down to Devon, which is 4 hours from here, we go at night. We feed the kids, put them in their pj's then get in the car. They love sitting in the car when sleepy and just looking out of the windows. Then they fall asleep until we get there. We transfer them into prewarmed beds, and if they wake up we go through the bedtime routine with them. I find it pretty easy that way. Then again, the only train I did was Eurostar and we took the P&T and they slept in it most of the way.

Glad the Aquarium was good, but sorry you got a bit of a grumpy monster. Hope you get the sleeping sorted out. DD is a nightmare and we are still trying to get her to sleep past 5.20am. She has even gone to bed as early as 5.45 and still slept til 5.20. [Hmm]

By the way those pancakes sound amazing!