Dec 08 Mums - Introducing our new joiners, TrudyV and Al Fresco...

[Beans33]

Hope this is ok? Thought it was subtle enough for the wider MN and not offensive!!

Hee hee SL! Love those moments. I don't know about the less spodgy poos. We have problems at opposite end of the spectrum with DD1's poos being rock hard. Makes cleaning out the potty easier though! DD2 has same constipation issues and bleedy poo. Hoping to get to doctor with it tomorrow and with my lump!

Have done 5km run this morning with a friend from NCT and our buggies. It was great actually. Hated most of it going round, but feel so much better afterwards. Wow it was hot, though. God knows how I'm going to manage my 10k one in July. Bugger! Struggled to do 5k. Mind you, it can only get easier the more I do, I guess. Am I being a bit too ambitious??!!!

hilarious!

I found that DS' poos were less splodgy than I thought once they were dropping into a potty rather than getting squished around in a nappy. He has a mania for dried apricots but I have to ration them - four or five a day is enough I think.

We've had a bit of a breakthrough with the tantrums. As all M's teeth are through and have been for a few months, I thought teething was all done. But today he had his entire hand in his mouth so genius over here asks if his teeth hurt and he replies "yes" - oh There's obviously some movement or final growing through going on. He had an almighty, epic tantrum when he woke from his nap and threw in a few yelps too, so we gave him Calpol and he's been cheerier since. It's not helping that I have to put antibiotic cream on the back of his knees, which stings, as well as hydrocortisone and slathering on emollient, it's all conspiring to make him rather bad-tempered. He scratched it so badly earlier that he had blood everywhere

I feed the six of us on £250 a month, but not out of choice. It can be done but it's quite hard and is short on exciting stuff. I don't buy meat as DH and DD are veggie and I can't be doing with making dual meals, so that saves a lot. The only money I have is food budget, which is a bit depressing, but if DD gives up violin, as she's asked to, there will be a wee bit for the odd treat.

Crikey that is funny beans - that's one for the watch list! Good job re running. What buggy do you use?
Summer, I meant to say brilliant on the 1kg loss and sleeping through.
I might make another batch of Cabbage soup as I know I've put on some lard since our last holiday
All this talk of grocery cost per month. I've never really kept track, but I used to do on online shop every 10 days or so for about £150 however we now go to Costco if possible and stock up on stuff since getting a massive chest freezer, then pick up the stuff we can't get there from one of the online one's. But with two in nappies, wine, formula and our love for fillet steak it's impossible to spend less. Costco a massive help though. Nappies dirt cheap and still haven't bought meat or wine since there ages ago.
On poo - dd has only done little mini adult consistancy onces for months now - it's weird, ds wasn't like that, and still isn't.

Loving all this poo chatter! DS varies from slop to rock hard.

Food shopping we spend about £300 a month, I think although that probably doesn't include wine, which comes in at about another £300. Can't wait to get DS out of nappies but he seems to be getting further away from TT after our last attempt eek.

sybs Hope you feeling brighter soon, sounds tough for you at the mo. I have no advice I'm afraid but am sure its a phase with DD that will pass.

Where is trace???

Hello all. I am stuck in a cab because there's been a huge fire in aldwych and nothing is moving west to east. Was supposed to be at swanky reception 30 mid ago. Should be fun night - is big fundraising do full of film and tv people and fairly riotous last time I went a few years ago. Although I had to get changed after an off site meeting and am wearing short dress which looked ok in the bad flattering light of our bedroom but in cruel light of day I have to accept that legs probably really aren't up to it any more and also as will have to run quickly to table. Which I also can't do as am wearing going out shoes that I can barely walk in. Sigh. Shallow or what

Can't face joining in poo chat as makes me feel slightly sick. Blurgh.

Aaargh my legs are so pale.

Sybs am sorry you having hard time with L. There is no easy stage is there, am sure summer is right that she's kicking off at you because she's secure.

I'm a bit about how much we spend on food. But it's one of those things that makes a massive difference to how both dh and I feel so we tend to prioritise it over other things. And we buy all our wine in france so that saves us a load. We don't waste any though, and do eat v well. But I think next year is going to be financially abut tougher (there must be a ratio of number of children to amount of lentils consumed).

I do believe we might have made it. Back later if I get any good gossip or make a prat of myself. Last time I was loudly exclaiming that Hugh grant wasn't as good looking in real life and he was right behind me. obviously he was devastated

Very Urbs. Will look forward to hearing about it.
I remember when we last went to Spain Via car and brought back a shed load of wine. Very economical. So can you tell us how much you spend on groceries? it will make me not feel as bad. I also forgot we pay the milkman bill every month which adds up a lot as I over use the "more" of the "milk & More" But it's been a life saver with the milk obsessed little person here.

My first post using the app, let's see how it goes ...

Have lots of fun Urbs, I hope you haven't missed out on any canapes by being held up

Arti make sure all your friends know to bring a bottle, and then do a stock take of your freezer. I am always astonished what mine holds when the joint account is empty again and I properly go through it. You can probably rustle some creative sides from that. On food, we are supposed to spend £150 a month, but it's probably closer to double that . I am quite fanatical about buying local so probably only venture into a supermarket about once a month, for the bits I can't get in our greengrocer/butcher/baker/village shop. I actually enjoy my shopping trips and the chat and rosy glow of supporting local businesses, but I daren't even attempt a price comparison

Yay for good sleepers Summer and Beans. And little Beans is 1 next week , happy birthday Pru!

Right, what I don't like about the app, is that I can't flick between my post and the thread to remind myself what everyone said. Back in a jiffy ...

I only learnt there is a mobile site today, so now I'm using that to compare the app and the site . I already prefer the mobile site for the ability to scroll up and down, and find pages easier. But the smileys are dead easy on the app

Hurrah for Calpol Trudy, teeth are always the last thing I think of when DD is awful, but always soooo obvious when the light bulb flicks on

Another 2 wees on the toilet today, I have amazed myself with how excited I am by this

Argh I sent a long message last night just as my phone batt died and it didn't go. I can't remember what I wrote. Something to Sybs & Beans and maybe Rubes.

Loving the poo talk, SL I second what Trudy said, both boys poos seemed less squishy in the potty. Though DS2's poo looked a lot less attractive on the couch this afternoon.

Beans your DD1's chat cracked me up.

Lady only ladies have a map of tassie this. Maybe you'd better not offer to show them yours ;)

Urbs believe you look amazing and you will, work those white legs baby. So who will you be offending tonight.

Spot, I was going to say something to you but I can't remember.

I will pipe up with a call for Trace too, TRACE, where are you?

Rubes, I love you, something you said prompted me to try again on a travel bookings website, the last few weeks I've been going directly to airlines sites. Anyway, I looked at kayak.com which led me to expedia which got me an awesome deal. Now instead of it costing 300 above what I'd been looking at a couple of weeks ago, its cost 150 below what I'd been quoted!!! So 450 less than what the airline was quoting. So happy, I feel like I've won lotto. So we fly out to sunny Brisbane on the 6th Dec spend 3.5 weeks catching up with family & friends, then on new years eve we fly to Malaysia, spend 2 weeks chilling out including 5 days in Penang for our friends wedding. I think we'll spend the rest of the time on Langkawi. Has anyone been to Malaysia. DH wants to go to Thailand, because we love it there but I think I'd rather maximize chill time and minimise travel time.

Beans I remember I said in my post that, the lump is quite likely a lymph node and it means you need a break and several good nights sleep. Hopefully that will be enough of a push for DH.

Rubes when we lived in UK we spent ?400 on shopping, but that was everything, no popping to the shops for bits, got it all from online shop and didn't get as much takeaways as now.

Vag so glad I could help and you got a great deal. My bro's psychoticex wife is from Penang, and he is actually in Thailand right now! He's been to Malaysia LOADS so let me know if you want me to ask him anything.

So tired of effing cryptic FB status updates. Why do people write stuff, then piss off? For attention?

Hi ZJ crossed with you. Glad your weekend was good, laughed about the weekends worth of dishwashing.

Vag, we get too many takeaways also, but that has slowed since my gut rot (dh terminology) occurances began, as we assumed it was that. unfortunately curry and Thai have been given the all clear though Criket I reckon if we added it all up, with Milkman, and online stuff and Costco it would be about 400. DH prefers if I go online that we use Ocado as not quite as bad as the likes of Tesco and Sainsbo's and we like to go to the farm shop as much as possible. The milkman is planning on doing nappies and formula soon but they've been saying that for ages. DD will be off both by the time thta happens!
I know what you mean Zoe, sometimes hard to avoid the giants though but I prefer to avoid them too.

Rubes that would be really helpful. At the moment I'm wandering if Langkawi is good enough to spend all our non wedding days at. We have 5 days before the wedding, then 6 days after. The 5 days for the wedding will be on Penang, does he have any recommendations for must do's on Penang island?

Whose being cryptic Rubes?

Ours was all Ocado Rubes, we got those vouchers through DHs work, for every ?90 vouchers we bought we got ?10free. So basically the ?400 we spent cost ?360, so that saving made up for the extra cost of ocado.

Bugger I mean £'s

ok Vag I will ask him on BB messenger when it's the right time over there!
Oh about 3 of my friends today have written status updates, so then everyone asks them to elaborate but then they bugger off. I hate that with a passion!

Giants Rubes

this is how daft I am

God I find ocado so £££ I did a shop with them a couple of weeks ago 90 quid and it was no way a weeks worth.

rubes you have to give us the details of crypto women or you're being cryptic yourself . I know what you mean, is the type when someone writes. "Barbara is SO SICK of being screwed around YET AGAIN" and everyone goes "Oh you ok, darling?", "wot's up LOL?". And then "Oh hun, can't talk on here, will pm you" is the response. Usually twats from school, I delete them!

We do spend a lot on shopping but we don't waste much, we do buy expensive stuff, and don't go to aldi or costco or anything as there's none that near, but I do try and get deals and things. I know we could spend less but I think it would mean either putting in more effort with cooking (eg making own bread), or growing veg, or eating less meat (dh would complain).
Or drinking less booze!

I have a list of what's in my freezer on the freezer! I know that's geeky but it's awesome! Means I use up stuff instead of it languishing forever.

Right gotta go, dying my hair and it's time for it to come off!

zj why have you posted a link to threads I'm on? Am I missing summat?

SL, They were "always have, always will" ( but I guess it's about his ex g'friend) "Moving to Paris" and "I cannot believe what my husband has been asked to do" [grrrrr] All were written several hours ago and then buggered off!
Yeah, ZJ has lost me too....

I don't get it ZJ?

Oh I hate those status updates. I know two people that do them all the time.

What colour SL?

I dream of ocado over here, there is one big crappy supermarket chain here which is the equivalent of Morrisons (sorry Morrisons shoppers) charges like waitrose but doesn't have the nice shopping experience. They have pretty much beaten everyone else out of the market, so we basically get a crap supermarket with a limited selection of products at extra cost.