Sept 08 - Insert witty title 'here'

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Sorry about the crap title ladies, I was lacking inspiration and we were up to our limit on posts!

iltmimi I have the Close and the Moby wrap waiting for this baby and I can't wait to use them. I love them, just wish I'd had em when C was born. Her colic was awful so we're very prepared this time round. Can't believe yours is 14weeks already! I have my doula sorted and have been written off by consultants as a PITA so hopefully it's all go for a homebirth :)

mrsA what's your due date?

My bloomin' children were terrors today. At tea-time DD flung tagliatelle at the wall (hey, it sticks!) , the clean clothes drying on the radiator, the floor and her hair . Words were had and showers were needed.

ILTMIMI Tomorrow morning will be taken up with calling decent pumbers / maintenance people. There's a lot of pipes in one area so I assume they'll have to get in there and see where it's coming from. Floor is ok so far and the walls are all plain white painted plasterboard so I think they are easily patched up again . I've never had to use my home insurance before, better dig out the paperwork in case it's needed.

ILTMIMI interesting you should ask about slings as I spent all saturday evening researching them! I never used one with DD, but with DS it was useful particularly when we went to the park/railway museum etc as it was useful to be buggy free to chase after DD! A friend has a stretchy wrap sling which I'll borrow again for the first few months, but its too stretchy with a heavier baby, so I've been researching what to get next. I like the look of the beco, connecta and ergo (although £££ will prob restrict us, depends how generous people are when the baby's born ). I'd quite like to get DS walking more, but if I have a sling in the bottom of the buggy then if he's tired he can go in the buggy and the baby can go in the sling, or I could even do the school run buggy free if DS rides his bike and the baby is in the sling
fanny I find baking easier than playing trains as there's less bending involved! And I can eat the results
Already this morning we've had to wrap pass the parcel for teddy's birthday,and play musical statues with the toys. I've now insisted the children watch some tv, its not even 10am and I need a coffee and a sit down! I fear its going to be a long week

Meglet I've a way to go yet - due around mid-November - but I have read Silent Knife (THE guide to VBAC and avoiding a c-section) and am halfway through Ina May Gaskin and have so far managed to avoid the consultant apart from the first initial meeting by refusing various tick-box tests.
I am back to the hospital today as they haven't been able to see baby's spine on 2 scans (no cause for alarm, just baby wouldn't move) and the consultant has to say whether a further scan is needed or if they are OK with it.

Me - I'm a bit meh. I'm not concerned either way, so am using the appt to test my strength. I intend to refuse a blood pressure reading.
I'm not being reckless, I am currently taking my blood pressure every other day at home and it is perfectly normal (midwife inspected machine we bought) - it seems I have severe white coat syndrome which results in my bp going sky high at hospital.
When pg with C, not knowing this I ended up on bp tablets (suspect they were responsible for the strange 90 over 50 reading I got once in hospital) and it was partly responsible for my early induction car crash into a c-section which still makes me feel guilty today.
I read a sentence in my book today from Buddism (not a book about Buddism but about childbirth) - the antedote to fear is courage and i need to make sure I have the resolve to stand up to the HCPs.

My plan is this - if anything goes wrong that is specific to me, i shall listen to medical advice. If things are not progressing in accordance with hospital policy or they need to tick a box, then it's thanks but no thanks.
I seem to have a supportive community mw, so in my head anyway, I am still on for a HB.
Sorry, didn;t mean to go on so much!

Carrie what about a buggy board for DS? We're thinking of one for C as even if the baby goes in the sling, our pram is a fully flat carrycot for the first 6m so C can't go in there. I do need to get her walking more but still have issues with running off and she hates reins.

On a final note, at what age would you expect your pre-school child to dress/undress herself independently (socks/shoes allowing)? I worry I'm doing too much for C in the morning as I basically get her dressed. She can just about get her knickers on but still can't do tops of leggings. She just has no interest in doing it herself.

bookmarking.

Watching the news / twitter and it's awful .

mrsA DD isn't quite at the dressing herself stage yet. She can sometimes do her trousers (and can, rather impressively, do shoes most of the time) but tops, dresses, skirts, socks don't happen at all, and I think she would bugger about if I tried to make her do it.

IIRC DS was doing a very good job getting himself dressed by 3.6. I think DD will catch up with that and figure out how to do it in a few months time. What would really help would be if I actually practised with her .

Apparently there's been a very half-arsed 'riot' up the road - Argos, a phone shop and JDSports got smashed windows, as well as an off-licence. Shop owner interviewed said it wasn't disaffected youths, it was middle-aged men who ought to know better just wanting to steal stuff.

Rather sad about the buildings and businesses in Croydon (down the road), though.

Much more important to me though is that Mini Micro Scooters have stopped selling red scooters! And A is insistent on a red one (Po and Spot have a lot to answer for!) Aaaggghhhh....

am knackered today as me and dp were up watching sky news and the riots. I cannot believe how insanely stupid some people are being.
I hope Cameron sorts it out, although what use a chocolate teapot will be I don't know.
And I really hope all you in London are safe, NC it must be scary knowing that it is happening near you.

On a good note we have found a balance bike for Robyn. It is from Toys R Us and only £25, half price. She had a go but was more concerned that she needed a helmet so we had to find her a peppa helmet. That was £17 so it makes the bike a bit more expensive.
She is getting a bit excited about the 2 birthdays, it is Lucy's next Sunday, and wants lots of balloons and baubles. Oh and a cake or two would be nice

Oh my goodness debs lucy is having a birthday?!! Where has that year gone?!

mrsA I've tried a buggy board but it absolutely killed my back, how anyone walks any distance with one is beyond me. I have the phil and teds for the school run, so baby will lie flat in the cocoon with DS on the top. And we have a lie-flat maclaren so if I've got that then I'll take the sling with me.

As someone originally from croydon, my mum texted last night to say "bbc news24, croydon on fire" and the very first thought through my head was "it can only improve the place" . I still have lots of friends down there and they all seem to be ok thankfully.

DS can pull his trousers up and down and take his socks off, that's about it!

The last of my RL friends who was due before me had a baby boy this morning...its my turn next

Bookmarking from the beach in Cornwall while the boys play at being divers in the sand boat I made them (while wearing wetsuits we bought that seem to be fashion accessories rather than being used for swimming in the sea)

Bookmarking - back from a break in London with DD1. Had a great time but a rubbish reception home

Can't wait to see M tomorrow

H is talking about taking the 2 of them to Ireland for 5 days. I don't know whether to be glad that I'll have some time to catch up with work and the house or sad that I won't see them (Particularly M who I've not seen now for 4.5 days....)

I think I'm being particularly sensitive as soon I'll only be a half-time mum .

M can do a lot of her clothes - sometimes, but definitely too early to expect her to dress herself.

I have just found a(nother) reason to be jealous of ILTMIMI. Here I am waiting patiently to hear that I've been chosen for the Pearson book reviews, only to find the review thread is already up and running - and I see ILTMIMI happily reviewing the books that I should have got!

If I leave DD to dress herself she can.... but I usually end up with some creative reinterpretation of the outfit I've laid out for her. Backwards, addition of DS's socks, alternative clashing items which she insists are essential, etc.

Is anyone else thinking - how is my gifted and talented little darling PFB with a September birthday going to last another two* years until she starts school? Or is it just me?

• Oh, and can I admit that I am still confused about actual school starting dates. Do we have a choice or don't we? See this BBC article. And our local school website states 'Children are admitted in the academic year in which they become 5 years old.'

So for a 9 September birthday, when does she start reception?

Fanny - our Sept offspring will start in Sept 2013 (in England at least), though some schools seem to faff about with taking kids part time for a while and may start younger kids only in January.
DN being a few months older will be starting in Sept 2012!

Hopefully A will have mastered getting dressed by then - he's got pulling pants and trousers up and down, but can't put them on. Not that he's tried much... And shoes he will take off but not put on, again mainly because he doesn't want to.
Had crisis a couple days ago when trying to order ds's red scooter as reward for potty training (and so I don't have to push pushchair!). No red ones left in the UK! Finally managed to order one from Germany (A-level came in handy after all), because he's been insisting all month he has to have a red scooter just like Po and Spot.
Last night he decided he wanted a pink one.
I might have to get MrNC to unwrap it for him and make damn clear that if a red scooter is good enough for the Tellytubbies, it's good enough for him!

Thanks nc. I thought so. It is still such a long time to wait - she is talking excitedly about going to school already!

FP I just asked about early yrs entitlement on another thread here

We always knew that C would go to school in Sept 2013. To be honest, that's fine by us if you ignore finances, as she is the sort of person who I think will thrive when she's a bit older. Atm, she is a bit wary of older children and the nursery she goes to is just fab, so I don;t think she'll miss out.
her best friend Amy is off to school Sept 2012, yet she's only 2 weeks older than C (Amy was born born 29 Aug). Her mum was saying, she's just worked out that Amy will take her GCSEs when she's 15!

but we've now found out that whilst she'll get funding to reduce her nursery fees from Jan 2012, this will stop in July 2012 as come Sept 2012 she will get an actual place at school nursery. This was a blow as naively we had assumed that if she stayed at nursery rather than going to nursery school, she would just get the funding till she is 5. As I work FT, we just can't see how we will be able to have her go to pre-school for 2 hrs and then onto nursery afterwards, and a CM is out cos of the new baby going to nursery (which i prefer as it is so good tbh). Once she's in Reception, we can drop her off at breakfast club from 8.15 but in nursery school they can only attend from 9am, which would make work impossible.

DP and I did our sums last night and we worked out that for Sept 2012 to Sept 2013, we will have to find a shortfall of about £12,000!! Eek!! (so high cos we'll have 2 kids 4 days a week in nursery, plus we are losing my salary one day a week for one year as I'll work 4 days).

i shall sell a kidney.

ninja - nothing to say to make you fe'l better but I'm thinking of you. hang on in there. [hugs]

mrsa Reading your post has made me run around the room singing 'La la la!' with my fingers in my ears.

I just know that we are going to face the same sort of financial / logistical complication in 2012. You are very brave to have done the sums already. I think I'll keep my head in the sand for a little longer, thanks.

Heh. A is adamant he's still a baby and doesn't want to do anything himself unless he has to. Though I suspect he'll enjoy getting to be a Big Toddler at nursery (still in Toddler Room but getting to go to Pre-School a couple afternoons a week for fun stuff!)

Though once DN is at school he might be envious.

fanny my PFB was talking about starting school from much the same age your DD is now, its been the longest couple of years of my life! But fiiiiiiinally she gets to start in a few weeks time. They've only just changed the rules here, last year she'd have had to wait til January to start as she's an April birthday, but our LEA have now given every child a ft place from the September, although you can choose part time/defer if you want. We had a playdate this morning with someone who will be in her class but is still only 3 years old until next week! That's what this baby will be like - I just hope they're mature enough to be ready for school at 4 years and a week old . Whereas like your DD, my DS won't start school til a few days before he turns 5, but for him that'll be great as he's so happy pootling about at home.
Legally though, children don't have to be in school until the term after they turn 5, so you can bury your head in the sand til January 2014 if you like
mrsa is that funding situation local to you? I'm sure DS gets his 15hrs nursery funding from next January right through til Sept 2013. In fact he's not even going to start pre-school til Sept 2012 so he'll just do one academic year of pre-school before going into reception.
Can you tell I spend too much time thinking about this?! DD tried on her whole school uniform last week, she looked tooooo grown up. Everything except shoes are bought and labelled but then I have to be organised coz I won't really be in a position to be sorting it once I've got a newborn which is scarily soon

Ninja - there is no such thing as a part time mum, you will always be a mum.

Ds can pull off socks, and pull down and pull up pants and shorts. He shows no interest whatsoever in dressing himself and tbh I haven't encouraged it either.

Sorry about that Fanny The books are lovely, but the first ones we got are a bit too young for M. He loves proper story books, Captain Finn and the Pirate Dinosaurs is a favourite at the moment.

I also wonder if ds will be gagging to go to school. He does two three hour sessions at pre school, and those sessions will stay the same until January. One reason for that is I don't want him to get bored of pre school because he's got two years left there before he goes to school.

The majority of his friends and peers will be in the school year above him, and the friends we do know who will be in the same year seem so much younger than him. Of course by the time they start it will have levelled out, but at the moment it seems really strange.

now he wants to take them for 6 days - the thing is shouldn't he be sorting his house so he can move out of mine??

ILTMIMI I sort of know that, and I nearly wrote it. It's just that I feel I'm missing out

Saying that when I have nights and days to myself and you're all tearing your hair out I guess I can gloat smile then

mrsA are you sure that's right about the funding stopping in July 2012. DS is finishing nursery 5 days before he starts school and was still part funded until the start of the summer holidays this year (obviously only during term time).

I did look at the school pre-school but logistically it was impossible, and it wasn't as good as nursery so he's stayed there.

Is it just Wales that stops funding them, would be insane if thats true.

mrsa i asked dd's nursery if she could stay right up till she started school and they said she would get funding(12.5h per week) up until they break off for summer 2013. If she was at a school nursery she would be funded so why not a primary one?

Thanks for the comments all. meglet is your nursery a private one ie not attached to a school? It was C's nursery leader who told me her funding will stop by sept 2012 as that is when she will be entitled to a place at nursery in school but as it is our choice not to send her there and keep her at private nursery then we don't get cash funding - her place is still 'funded' but it has to be at a school I think. That was my understanding, and the thread I linked to earlier had responses from mnetters agreeing with me. Not sure it's a welsh policy though I'm going to call the council to double check. All very confusing.

mrsA yes the DC's are at a private nursery, 3 months to school age.

Pre-school style nurseries aren't really possible for working parents, you can't be dropping them off there for 3 hours then picking them up and taking them to another nursery , you'd be stressed out and the poor child would be coming and going non-stop. I really hope your nursery leader got it wrong.