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!

good luck "carrie* with your imminent birth

ninja so sorry you're having a tough time. Is interesting how your ex is arranging all these holidays but won't contribute to his living costs whilst in your house. I'm sorry, but from comments you have made even quite a long time in the past on our threads, I've thought he sounded emotionally abusive (and I have tons of experience of that!) - I think it would be a really good idea to get all contact agreed with a third party, and get some advice beforehand - don;t let him have whatever he decides would suit him. Sadly some people will use contact to upset the other parent, and continue the abuse even after the split.

As for exes - mine was found guilty of harassment, but decided not to turn up for his sentencing, and continued to email me mad emails where he goes on about me and some relationship he has which exists only in his head, so is currently a wanted man.

Gardening - the woodlice seem to be enjoying any strawberries that grow. The peppers have rather perforated leaves but are flowering. The tomatoes - a few have appeared but the plants themselves look pretty ratty now. And haven't checked the potatoes - only stuck a couple of sprouting old potatoes in for fun, but they grew enormously.

Have been relying all too heavily on cbeebies this holidays as have been ill with some horrible chest infection thing for 3 weeks, needing antibiotics, inhaler, steroids, chest xray... now dd2 is coughing away and has had high temperature and disturbed nights

And big congratulations notcitrus - hope all goes well, and that you feel better soon

mrs a - am sure you get funding up to school start, well in england you do. the pre school of dd1's school won't let you use your entitlement to do for example 2.5 days, they will only allow you to have 5 mornings or 5 afternoons, so you have to pay extra if you want your child to go all day.

So I know 1 mum of an august child who will be starting reception sep 2012 and she has chosen to carry on at a private nursery as she can send her for 3 whole days (well, 9-3) and only have to pay £10 a week as opposed to the £45 a week she'd have to pay at school pre school.

am not sure that makes sense, it's late...

splish + mrsA yes, we have to stagger the free and paid for hours at nursery. I think it goes something like, free from 9-11:30, then I have to pay for the rest of the morning session, then free from 1-3:30 and I pay for the rest of the afternoon. It's a huge PITA trying to understand it, but for some reason they don't do the free funding as whole days. Probably a private nursery thing.

DD was sick yesterday so she'll be pottering about with me today. She's managed to keep a bit of toast down but certainly can't go to nursery.

splish last years and this summers potato crops were all from left over sprouting spuds in the cupboard. As I can't get all the last little ones out the ground they cam back this year, plus the new patch that was planted thus spring. Next year I think I'll just let the spuds take over, as least the birds and slugs don't eat them.

Robyn gets 15 hours over the week which we take atm as 3 mornings. She can only do 6 hours a day anyway on the free funding.
I think you have just struck out by being in Wales as they told me today that it is definitely till the start school.
I know some school nurseries around here are letting you pick sesions rather then just mornings or afternoons, I think it is just so they can charge for dinner. One school is about £5 for dinner but you send in a packed lunch

Great to see you Splish hope everyone is OK

Thanks Splish that means a lot from you considerring what you've had to put up with.

DD's been painting pots today, lovely but pricey!

Off to my friend's wedding tomorrow and she's organised a creche for little ones

Sigh. Thanks for all the advice. I am thinking it is a welsh thing, after taking to other mums but I'll still call the council to double check. It looks like you get 10 hours a wk of funding payable until C actually gets a pre-school place. Gee thanks Wales, as childminders charge for the full day if they go to pre-school (ie no discount for the 2hrs they are in school), she's better off staying in nursery.
Ah well, suppose we have to pay for the free prescriptions, free hospital parking & capped tuition fees somehow. Can't see how any working parent manages it though. Very few schools offer wraparound care too. There is one that has an onsite nursery but tbh, it's a rough school - not sure C would thrive and she wouldn't go to Reception there.

DP for all his flaws, has been brilliant about this and has promised we'll find the money somehow. Poor man, when he met me, he was expecting to pay his mortgage off within 10 yrs, not have anymore kids etc. Now we have a 20yr mortgage for 180k and about to have 2 kids together! Life can be v strange.

Hi MrsA that sounds harsh - definitely worth checking out.

The nursery doesn't do a minibus to collect the kids from preshool does it? Some do around here.

I can't believe the preschool is only 2 hours per day as well, no use at all ....

bookmarking

bookmarking...

Still pregnant, which is good as its DH's and my 8th wedding anniversary today and I'd have had a major sense of humour failure if we'd had to share our anniversary with one of our children's birthdays for the rest of time! But this means I'm now more pg than I ever got with DS as he was 3 days early...
Bought DD's school shoes this morning but thankfully the plimsolls were only £2.50 from Sainsburys. I think that's all her uniform bought and labelled now!

We still need to buy plimsoles. Clarks tried to get me interested in their ££££ trainers. DS would hardly get any use out of them before his feet grew, his teacher said they don't usually do much PE in the first few weeks anyway. We'll be getting £2.50 plimsoles too .

Happy anniversary Carrie you must be getting excited now

Thankfully all school uniform and shoes bought, I buy cheap pe shoes, they dont get worn that much.

5weeks to go for me, I'm full of cold at the mo and can't breath.

Happy Anniversary to Mr and Mrs Cappucino.

We are also terrified about schools etc as the village we are moving to does not have a school. Yeh, so much for that non-negotiable requirement during the house hunt!

The nearest school is a very small village school which has had a lot of problems (4 heads in 2 years) and is now just scraping a 'satisfactory'. It has no pre-school and no wrap around care.

I am beginning to think that all this fussing we have been doing over finding an outstanding private nursery may be counterproductive when the poor kids enter the rough and ready school system. The contrast could be quite a shock.

Happy Anniversary Carrie. Are you trying to keep that baby in until the next school year?

Robyn enjoyed Lucy's 1st birthday and was very excirted. She has been dropping hints on what she wants for her birthday

Happy anniversary Carrie Hope you have a lovely day and that bump holds on for a few more days so you get to celebrate in peace for the years ahead

It's getting very exciting now - 2 new babies within a few weeks of each other hopefully. Then I think I'm next? I'm only 26 weeks though, so a bit to go as yet.

I still intend to call the council but it is looking extremely likely that it is a welsh things re pre-school funding :(
From other mums I've talked to (including 2 whose children are staying at private nursery but who are entitled to a pre-school place this Sept), the Welsh assembly will offer funding for 10 hrs per week (ie 2 hrs per day) for those children who are over 3 but who do not get a preschool place. Come next Sept this will stop for us as C will be entitled to a preschool place and it's our tough luck that we both work so cannot make it fit into our lives.
Bloody ridiculous.
There is a local school that offers wrap around care from 7.30am to 6pm via an on-site nursery but it won't be one that C will go to from Reception, it is term-time only and it's ofsted report is nowhere near as good as the private nursery we use now.

I think we have no choice but to pay through the nose. I know it's our choice to have kids/state doesn;t owe us a living etc etc but as C won't be taking up resources at a local school, surely paying what she would have cost a school towards her nursery fees is not unreasonable?
I do intend to only work 4 days a week for a year until she goes to Reception, so may take her to pre-school for one day a week. The school we hopes she goes to is keen on kids doing 4 or 5 days a week though. They say any less and it's confusing for the children.

Sorry - it's mememe today. Chin up MrsA!

Happy Anniversary carrie

I spent £120 at clarks last week for ds1 and Toby's new shoes and trainers and plimsoles

Toby starts 2 mornings at nursery in 2 weeks time Potty training is a bit hit and miss although he will go on it and poo and wee if he is "in the mood"

We are now in our new (temp) house. Its in a small quiet village...there is a play park just over the road and its a cul de sac....its eerily quiet acutally...our first morning here I couldnt hear anything...then the first thing I heard (abuot 15 mins later) was horses trotting by under my bedroom window

ohhh....2 new babies soon...i am so living vicariously through you both

Happy Anniversary Carrie

I sympathise about the shoes - I'm trying to make DD1's schools shoes last a bit longer, but M will need new shoes when she starts wearing socks again . As this means negotiating with H for half the money or paying myself (as I have for 6 childrens presents this week) I'm not looking forward to it.

H taking both kids to Ireland on Thursday until Tuesday - am thinking I'm going to claim back the master bedroom and he can sleep on a mattress on the floor in the box room with all the junk!

Went to a lovely wedding on Saturday, M went to sleep in the buggy and DD1 survived until 12.20am so good day and night out

Oh its mad ...with the shoes and ds1's new school uniform and coat and lunch box its probably cost me over £300 just to kit him out.

Got loads of b days coming up and then its xmas ....

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes, you're all very kind. Hopeless romantics that we are we're on different computers doing different things, waiting for the tesco man to arrive! We had a wonderful date night out last night though and even came up with a sensible short list of boys names!
I've had a few tightenings today as with the previous couple of days, but no regularity to them. Don't want baby to come tomorrow (excellent point about planning toddler party on anniversary!) as we only have 'make do' childcare plans, and I really want the arrival of the baby to be a more positive experience for DD and DS than 'play at the house of someone you barely know for 5 hours while the grandparents drive up'. Top childcare person will be back in town by 9pm tomorrow then we're good to go!!!

ninja has your DH still had the marital bed in your home?!!! That actually leaves me speechless...how are you going with getting professional help in sorting the access/finance details?

Aha mr tesco is at the door...I'll love you and leave you

Carrie not done yet, but top of the list for when he's away with the kids. I want some time to think about what I need to say, what I want and wrirte down all the things that he's said and done ....

Not sure whether to try relate or a mediator -

Keeping my fingers crossed for no baby - no curry, pineapple or sex tonight!!

Back from holiday and trying to sort things out. I put the tent in the garden to dry, went out and didn't get back before it started raining so will have take 2 of tent drying tomorrow.

ninja sounds like a few days without kids will give you a good chance to get some important stuff done. And yes, get your bed back!

I haven't got the school shoes yet, suppose I should do that soon.

I can't believe you've only got days or maybe even just hours to go Carrie. And happy anniversary

School shoes sound expensive Robyn still fits in the pair I bought her last December, although she has a doodles as well half a size bigger. Am not going to buy expensive pair when she does grow as last time she grew out of them in 4 weeks. She doesn't need a change of shoes for nursery so that saves me a couple of pounds but she does need new wellies as they are very snug and new slippers. Thank god Lucy doesn't walk yet. I remember taking DD1 and DS and spending £50 on new school shoes 2 or 3 times a year.

Ninja reclaim your bed. Strip off all his manky sheets and put some nice clean ones on and enjoy a good nights sleep

where have you all gone?
i hope you have good weather keeping you all busy and maybe Carrie is busy huffing and puffing

am a bit exasparated today. have just looked at a house to rent but it's not suitable. It had enough bedrooms but the small one was too tiny for either the little girls to share or for ds's safe space. Apart from taht it was pretty much perfect and in the area we want to be. have more to look at but we aren't particularily hopeful

Sorry to disappoint but no huffing and puffing here other than the fed up sort :( Was woken at 4am by painful BH which came every 10mins for a while but had completely gone by 6am. Had a few tightenings today but none with any pain or that last for any significant length of time. I know my body is getting ready, I had 3 days of this before each of my other DCs, just wish it would turn into something! Lovely friends had us round and gave us lunch earlier, and going to another friend's for play and DCs tea in a bit. Due date is tomorrow, I'm still naively hopeful for an on-time baby . Lovely fanny is going to update you when there's some news...hopefully not long now!
Such a shame about the house debs, are there any other possibilities in in the pipeline at the mo?

Happy anniversary Carrie, and hoping your baby gets a move on as soon as your childcare is sorted.

Congratulations on moving into the new house becaroo!

My parents, for some unknown reason, think it's fun taking A to the shoe shop - so they can do it when he's there for the weekend at the start of Sept and I'm not there! I'd better get his hair cut beforehand though as not only does he look like Boris Johnson at the mo (very fine hair, goes everywhere within 30 secs of brushing) but my mum decided to have a go last week. So A currently has one of those little tails of hair down his neck that were briefly trendy in the 80s. My dad took the scissors away on the grounds that A won't want to visit if she keeps attacking him (previous efforts have been slicking hair down with water, and hair gel...)

I've been assured that A's scooter is on its way - his friend will be visiting on the weekend to witness a potty-using role model! No joy getting him to use big toilets though - I need to find a two-step step so he can actually get on one or be put there and rest his feet on it.

Finally feeling mostly better - suppose I'd better go back to work next week...