Jan 2008 - I´m 3 and I own the world

[mixedmamameansbusiness]

It was getting desperate and since MrsMCJnr suggestion came in last and I was being lazy I just went for that - hope that is ok.

Happy Birthday to C, X and R.

It would be lovely to know how you're all getting on.

JKS

Daniel has tonsilitis and diahorrea from penicillin. And molars coming. You can imagine the rest. Yawn.

Hi guys,

Can I ask you what you think of this, and what you would do the next time you see this man, which I will certainly do.

Since DD has been of an age to go the playground, I have noticed a young man walking past playgrounds extremely frequently. We go to two different playgrounds at opposite ends of town at different times of the day. I would say I see him 6 or 7 out of ten times I go. No children, just walking along the perimeter and looking. I decided while it was in all likelihood innocent, I would never give him an opportunity to get to know us or talk to us.

We live in a small town and you generally do get talking to people you see regularly. He has give me the 'I know you, shall we say hello' look a few times. I don't. However, I just have a funny feeling about him. As you can build things up in your head that have no basis in reality, I just ignore him not get silly about it.

Today, we were walking into the small in-town supermarket and he was walking out. No shopping. On our way round the supermarket I twice found him standing behind us, and when I turned round trying to start conversation. I didn't respond, and went on my way as if I hadn't noticed. He still had no basket. Then, when I was at the till he was behind me, still no noticeable shopping. DD was nosing a couple of feet off. He made some sort of converational noise again, I called DD to heel and by the time she'd got back to me (two seconds?) he was gone.

Am I wrong to be suspicious about this? He doubled back into the supermarket and followed me. I know I will see him around and want to knwo what to do. A friend says I should confront him and ask him why I see him so much. What do you think?

Hey LaT, I think you need to be quite careful about this...he might be harmless but he might be a bit and confronting him when you're out on your own with the dcs might not be a great idea.

Perhaps you should contact your local police station/community support team and explain your concerns? It might be nothing, it probably is nothing, but I don't think you're wrong to be a bit edgy about it....

Filly - my idea was to say that if he made a definite approach such as coming into the playground - all ours are fenced off in town. I have my mobile on in my pocket anyway as my friend's daughter was assaulted near there recently (very early morning in the school holidays so no one around - three men saw an opportunity - not the same blokes as this one) but i felt I needed to have something prepared roughly in my mind to say if that happened. I wouldn't do it if we were just passing in the street or something like that.

LaT I am for obvious reasons oversensitive in this area - but I too feel something funny is going on. I do however wonder if it's you he has a crush on rather than your dd? From what you describe he sounds a bit lovesick.

It would be a very long shot for him to groom a child he doesn't know and who is closely parented. It would likely be a wasted effort. He would have to become good friends with you first, win your trust, make excuses to be alone with dd etc. It seems unlikely to me.

LaT - MM may have it, maybe it's you he's interested in?
Not very helpful I know, but I would be freaked out by it! Hopefully you can think of a good thing to say if he gets near you again.

It did cross my mind but it doesn't explain why I see him so frequently by playgrounds. It was the sheer numebr of times that he happened to walk by that first made me notice him.

I agree with madmouse that it does seem unlikely. However, if it is S he is interested in, he must be quite mentally unwell anyway and might not judge things in the same way. I was suspicious at the way he disappeared as soon as I called in Sabela. It is possible he was sussing out how protective I was as he's not really seen us in that situation before.

LaT - he does sound worrying and I've no idea what's best to do. Maybe the very fact that he saw you were protective will be enough to scare him off S at least?
Have you seen him about since?
Will ask DH later what he thinks for a man's perspective.

Dh says you should definitely discuss with the local police and soon.
If they know of him, for whatever reason (known sex offender, MH issues, SN issues, etc) they can maybe reassure you or talk to him.

He also says write down the facts, where & when you've seen him, not the emotional side of how he made you feel although that is equally valid but you want to be taken seriously.

Happy Birthday to all the little ones that I have missed and to the ones I will likely miss. PArty and Gruffallo cake was lovely a mess but lovely.

Simps - shocked at exH but I think you have reacted in the right way. Sorry to hear about all of J's hand issues but glad it is finally sorted, hopefully school will right itself.

LaT - I have no sage advice really. I have been assaulted before by a guy whose parents owned the corner shop near my parents. I didnt know him and had never spoken to him but knew his face. He clearly had mental health issues and was genuinely shocked when I responded decisively and angrily so tread carefully as you dont know what issues he may have. Have you mentioned it to DH? He mayhave some better ideas. It is definitely very disconcerting though. I also wonder whether it might be worth taking the advice given and perhaps at least making the police aware of it.

Wow, a triple day today :)

Happy Birthday Tamara
Happy Birthday Molly
Happy Birthday Alek

LaTrucha - DD1 1st Jan (S) 4 already
Gingeme - DS5 10 Jan (G) 4 already
Mixedmama - DS2 11 Jan (E) 4 already
LuckySalem DD1 16th Jan (A) 4 already
Lilyloo DD2 18th Jan (M) 4 already
JKS DS2 21st Jan (H) 4 already
Nicky DD1 23rd Jan (C) 4 already
MrsMcJnr DS1 24th Jan (X) 4 already
Bluebell82/Rubysmom - DD1 (R) 4 already
Filly DD1 29th Jan (T) 4 today :)
Simpson DD1 29th Jan (M) 4 today :)
Angechica DS1 29th Jan (A) 4 today :)
Madmouse DS1 1st Feb (N)

Wow....a lot has happened in 4 years!!!

Happy Birthday Tamara, Molly and Alek

Having a mental day, had better get back to the packing boxes....

Happy birthday to Molly, Tamara & Alek

had a lovely day except for J's shocking behaviour

Which has put a bit of a downer on the day tbh

He refused to come downstairs and sing happy birthday to M and have tea & cake etc and was generally very rude to everyone

He has been sent to bed with no supper having very been firmly told off by me but M was upset because he would not participate.

Oh Simps :( that sounds very sad and not like him, what was up? All too much jollity?

Filly - can't believe you got on MN today! Hope the move out went well, T's birthday went well & you are settling in with your parents (or was it in-laws?) & these 3 weeks fly by!

Got an interesting stage going on here - if H cries (and he seemed a tad overemotional when getting told off today), M cries. Then H sees her crying so he cries some more, and her the same, and on and on! The only way to stop it is to get them in different rooms.
Fun. She cheers up pretty much straight away but he was in a funny grump all day.
Mind you she did NOT like me taking the iPad off her earlier not like her at all!

Happy Birthday Tamara, Alek and Molly

JKS - we have similar here. They start each other off. One day, I happened to put my head on the table in a kind of mock exasperation and they both started because they thought I was crying!

Simpson - Sorry it was a bit spoilt. It always seems to me like j is a bit of a star. Maybe just a bit of jealousy - a hangover from the hand operation? Either justa bit vulnerable still, or not liking attention going to M?

Filly - good luck with all those boxes.

Dh and I have just had a big 'clear the air' type fight / discussion. At least I hope that was what it was. Essentially the difference came down to him thinking the last three years have been horrible and we've driven very far apart and that's shit and me thinking the last three years have been horrible and we've driven very far apart but we've done bloody well considering. I've left him to ponder that one.

LaT that is an interesting difference of perspective between you. I hope his pondering turns into something positive.

I feel that dh and I have a solid enough foundation from pre-kids to get through the tough early years, hopefully. Cos it is tough, most of us prob don't admit it enough.

Unfortunately, I've woken up furious with him and have given him the cold shoulder all morning. Managed to say goodbye properly and will try and get over it during the day.

Made it to my parents by 1am...unfortunately Mia has been running a fever for a few days and hit 39.5 at 1.30 just as we were about to collapse. So a fun hour stripping her down, then a few hours sleep, up with her again (briefly, thank goodness) at 5am, then up for good at 7.

Back at the house by 8....shattered!

Now there's men with packing boxes and brown tape in every room and dh and are alternating between running around with marker pens like headless chickens and feeling a bit lost and useless.

Off to the nursery in a few minutes for Tamara's 'school birthday'. She had a caterpillar cake (courtesy of Tesco ) yesterday; today she's got a bought one from the kosher shop and the 'proper' cake will (fingers crossed) come for her party next weekend.

I think the move was a bit much for the dcs...they all coped well, and T had a lovely day (thank god for my parents taking her out for lunch and to the park for the afternoon!) but although she was delighted with her presents, she was too worn out to actually play with them.....although she had a brilliant time carefully unpacking the dolls house and putting all the bits into the right rooms....(thanks LaT)

Sorry J played up yesterday, Simpson - I hope M had a lovely day anyway.

LaT - hopefully now you've cleared the air you can both move on, in a more constructive way. Its interesting that you've both internalised the situation so differently....sending you lots of fluffy stuff

JKS - thanks for the support here and on FB!! :) We will survive....

Happy birthday Nathan, 4 today!!!

Hooray! Happy Birthday, Nathan!

Happy birthday Nathan

Busy day looking forward to kids bedtime

So we are all 4

Now we really could do with a new thread. Ideas?

I'm 4 and ... (following this thread's idea)?
4, Feisty & Fantastic? or something with lots of F's?
or
something else truly inspired...I'm rubbish at this stuff, like thinking up quiz team names.

LaTrucha DD1 1st Jan (S)
Gingeme DS5 10 Jan (G)
Mixedmama DS2 11 Jan (E)
LuckySalem DD1 16th Jan (A)
Lilyloo DD2 18th Jan (M)

JKS DS2 21st Jan (H)
Nicky DD1 23rd Jan (C)
MrsMcJnr DS1 24th Jan (X)
Bluebell82/Rubysmom DD1 (R)
Filly DD1 29th Jan (T)
Simpson DD1 29th Jan (M)
Angechica DS1 29th Jan (A)

Madmouse DS1 1st Feb (N)

I'm 4, I know my own mind, and I'll make sure you know it too!

I like it Madmouse

bracing myself for the visit from H tomorrow.

Hope it goes well as the kids have not stopped talking about it and J did a picture for him in art class yesterday, Molly has told her teacher all about how much she loves him etc

J's behaviour seems to be a bit odd lately although he has not been well etc, a bit moody He was asked to do G&T PE (only 4 kids out of 60 chosen and he did not want to do it although admittedly it is done at lunch time break so maybe he just wanted to play But normally he loves sport etc....

Hope its not worry about H etc....

M had a reading assessment at nursery today and they are going to fast track her and give her extra work to do (sentences etc) and she will get 15mins a day one to one with the teacher

She had her dance class today and the teacher said she is getting much better and can now skip but in her opinion she thinks it hurts her to skip but M won't realise that as probably her legs hurt/ache all the time iyswim so she thinks its normal for them to ache. Her teacher at nursery said that M really struggled in PE on monday and actually refused to do something as she said she could not do it which is unheard of so think the OT appt in 4wks is much needed

Also cannot remember if I posted about the rivers of poo

I braved it and gave M a yoghurt last wk as I need to keep trying her with stuff every now and then and 24hrs later no reaction Anyway she went to bed and at about 9.30pm there was a massive scream from her room and I went in and thought I would throw up!!! Poo everywhere on walls, in her hair, all over bed etc, not nice So no more yoghurt for M!!!