dec 2008- Who will stonk it in & be crown queen of the thread?

[HRHvagolaJahooli]

He we are ladies though I may need to change my name as royal title may be stripped.

AAAGH! I lost you all! I haven't read a thing, just re-marking my place and will have a read when I get back properly on Tuesday. sorry sorry.

x
Hope all ok.

xxxx

Hello all, just quickly to ask who it was whose baby girl had the dreadful pox? E has it about 100x worse than S, spots all over her scalp, inside her eyelids, all over her bum and inside her vulva (sob), just wondering if you suggest keeping her nappy off so spots can dry up, less.risk of infection? Or is that too dangerous...? She's sleeping like even bigger pants than before, last night would only sleep whule either latched on or resting on my chest, then napped 3 hours before lunch, yawn :(

Right, I?m back again. JJ, that sounds AWFUL. I can't think whose girl had the terrible pox, neither of my two have had it yet. Poor both of you. On the good side, I am glad France turned out broadly well. I thought of you yesterday morning when I was listening to Radio 3 for a change. Some motets came on, I thought they might be your sort of thing.

Yesterday turned into a bit of a drama. I went off to the flat with the girls as I said, to do some stuff on it, but the 1850 bus home I was planning to get arrived early (it zoomed past the bottom of the hill when I was halfway down, before 1845 ) and the next bus wasn?t until 22 bloody 45. Even worse, if I missed that one, there would be no buses servicing that village AT ALL until Tuesday morning and DP?s car is off the road yet again (that?s another tale of woe with which I won?t bore you). No chance of a cab as the girls were without car seats (in fact, the rats have eaten DD2?s, and that?s ANOTHER T of W, with which I may bore you at some point ). Fortunately I got the 2245 but I had two exhausted little infants when we got home at 2325.

Yes, Vag, we are going to rent it out but it?s not on the market yet. We want to clean/clear/titivate it slightly bef we get the agents round. When do you start your Dutch lessons, is it Sept? Remind me how long you think you?ll be in the Netherlands? It sounds like you are really making some pals out there now.
Ugh, Trudy, dog poo left lying about is so gross, and dangerous. A boy in the village DP grew up in was blinded in one eye by toxocara. I think that doesn?t happen so often today, though. I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was a kid, by the way. As to the novel, well, it?s annoying but after 13 years as an agent myself, I am all too aware of the vagaries of the market. Basically, if you are writing genre fiction or commercial fiction, it?s a bit easier, I guess. However, I do blame myself for not being more aware of what I was writing. I should have known. I was confident that it had ?a voice? and I thought that would be enough. Also, I had it pegged as a ?literary novel with commercial appeal?. When it is evidently...?a novel that?s neither commercial enough, or literary enough, to fit easily into either category? . However, having written what I wanted to write, I now feel I have carte blanche to be a bit more cynical in my next attempt. I won?t be going the literary route. I am not Margaret Atwood. As to your own writing, to be honest there?s never ?a good time? when you?ve got kids so just write when you can.

DB, I didn?t get the chance to say happy hols. Sorry the weather?s being a bit crummy. I do feel a bit cheated that the summer has been crap. But I feel that most years

Invis, going back a bit ? vv jealous of your party in the garden square. I love those limited access squares in London. There was such a square in the place I lived in with DH, but it was appropriated by the luxury boutique hotel next door (the name of which I had better not mention but it?s in W2) via some very suspect legal jiggery pokery. Not enough people in the square wanted to fight it, which was annoying but I imagine people feared being involved in some neverending costly legal saga which related to something they didn?t actually own. So what else have you been reading lately? I?ve got stacks of good things forming a queue on my bedside table.

Spot, I am really looking forward to reading your blogs. I have read a couple of the word ones already, which I like. Oh brother, the sleep thing sounds terrible. With sleep deprivation of that sort of severity I think you are to be congratulated for simply getting through the days. I was very sorry for myself last week because I had four nights on the trot when I couldn?t sleep ? I really cannot conceive of how you have managed for months. But as you say ? the only way is up.

Arti ? re: selling stuff, I have sold some of DH?s things when the only thing I had prior permission to sell, in extremis, were the stamp albums. Then again, I have got so many of his things which I could never ever part with (I am sure it?s the same with you). Also, the most precious things to me are letters, notes and cards and things, not possessions. They matter the most, don?t they? Your DH has been so amazing about your DDs? various episodes of partisanship. DP wouldn?t cope with that at all. He doesn?t even if DD1 indicates quite a mild preference. I was in Westfield the other evening, I did think of you. When are you back at work?

WG - sorry you and DH are having a good time. The only such ?guru? I rate is the child psychologist Tanya Byron. Apart from being highly qualified, she also seems somehow ?real?.

Right, need to get some other stuff done so will be back for a Pt 3 in the next day or two!

Crikey Lady that's a bit rough, I think a stern letter to the bus company might be needed.

I've really no idea how long we will be here, right now it makes economic sense as our mortgage here is so cheap and DHs work is so good. Also a free, good, montessori education for the boys is a big bonus. I think at least another 2 years. We are going to see how we feel after our visit home in December. We have found our visits home make us happy we are away, but maybe this time with both boys it might be different. With the language classes I felt I should be making an effort.

JJ I'm not sure about which girl but DS2 had CP at 5 weeks. I was told it would be mild because I was BFing. Well if that was mild I'd hate to see normal. It was much worse than DS1, both the amount of spots and his general condition. He had temps, was really irritable and generally just fed a lot, as that gave him some comfort. I'm glad they are both past it now though as DH never had it, nor his siblings and his brother got it as an adult and had to be hospitalized. As far as nappy, I did take it off occasionally as I did normally anyway, and I just made sure his bottom was well cleaned after poos. He still has a little pock mark on hit bott bott.

JJ that sounds awful. I think it was arti whose DD2 had CP. No experience here sorry. Hope you both sleep better tonight.

Pleased to say E doesn't seem to havr any new spots today and the ones she does have are starting to scab over (lovely!). Left her nappy free for a while this afternoon to help those more 'hidden' ones dry up. She's not sleeping very well still, but hopefully when she stops feeling generally grotty that will start to sort out. Vag, I'm amazed to hear DH didn't catch it when your boys did, did he quarantine himself away?!

Small complaint about dh, we put S to bed without a nappy as she's been dry at night for several weeks, saves her big morning wee for when we get up. This morning he brought E downstairs when she woke at 6.30 and said he'd keep an ear out for S waking up, so I could get a rest. S had potty in her room so if she woke in the night she could have a wee. Next thing I hear is her saying I need a wee - assumed dh was in there with her getting her up to come downstairs. She says it a few more times, I go to check everything's ok. She's stood there at the top of the stairs in a puddle (no loo upstairs :( ) as dh had shut the living room door and not heard her. I know it was a mistake but poor girl must have wondered why nobody came to help her :(

Anyway, will see how she goes tonight...

No JJ I made him have the immunization when DS1 was about 7 months old, no way I was looking after a big boy as well as little people when the pox hit.

I can see why you are miffed, I think they can't think past the one they are dealing with. It's a multi tasking thing. Poor little S.

Hello,
Thanks for comments of absence here - tis appreciated more than u all know. Can't be lengthy now as wine consumption / visitors / lack of sleep & looking for a lost spoiler off scalextrics car, prevents that, but normal (albeit less rambly) service shall resume shortly x

Hello everyone! I'm back from our 2 week whirlwind tour of the UK. Actually 12 days in North Wales, then one night in Harrogate and two in Essex! What a fantastic two weeks - it was heaven. I'm going to put my hands up and admit that I'm not going to do a massive catch up, as I don't actually think I can! I'm so sorry, am crap. BUT, Lady - how annoying about your book - I'd read it! And JJ - glad the spots are clearing up. Well done S on being dry at night too - that's great! Sorry DH missed her and let her wee on the floor - I forsee many more accidents like that in this house if we try to let DD1 go nappy free at night. I've shelved that idea for a while!

DD2 now walking like a professional. Ok, a bit like a zombie, but still, she's walking. V sweet and stampy - I love it. She is falling over quite a lot and has SO many bruises now. It's a bit of a nightmare trying to anticipate the accidents. Because DD1 walked later, she waited until she was less staggery, so fell less. It was a lot less scary than this one!!! Oh bugger, DD2 has woken up. Will ignore her for a bit. She's due another 30 mins sleep!!! Dropped DD1 at nursery this morning. She was devastated. Poor little thing. So was I, if I'm honest. After 2 weeks in her company, I'm really going to miss her. She is cute as a button at the moment. Unfortunately, she doesn't really eat, which makes life rather stressful. Literally, about 2 bites of any meal and that's it. Although she will eat fruit, which is a relief. Banana central here!

Hope all really well - sounds like all holidayers had a lovely time - Sybs - are you back from Nofuck?

Much love to you all.

xx

Right am going to leap straight on with random messages as per usual . Had a lovely afternoon today with a group of mums & dads & kids in a big playground, but DS1 now a bit coldy. Quiet day for us tomorrow.

Lady: if I heard a book described as 'too funny to be literary' I would be onto it like a shot. Fingers crossed you find a publisher who thinks the same.

JJ: DS2 has the pox pretty badly too, but no scars that I can see. His got infected, poor bean.

Lovely to see everyone back from hols. Apart from the trauma of sending DS1 off to school, I'm really looking forward to the autumn. Log fires, nice food and woolly jumpers .

Nofuck hehehe too funny.

Rubes I have a freezer full of cabbage soup, I'm on a cabbage soup bender.

I should be, Vag. Total porker from my hols. Just ate buckets of Jamie Oliver salmon recipe. Think it was quite healthy though.

DH and I are looking at a house 5 doors down from ours that's on the Market for a total steal. Needs ripping out and redoing, so would add money to price, but would still be relatively cheap for London... Hmmm. Interesting!!

Watching Boy in Striped PJs on BBC2.

Evening girls. Another crazy day. I dashed to London last night as DP was at home today, so I could go to my storage and unpack some boxes, meet someone who was buying a cabinet off me for £300, get my eyes tested and then attend a house meeting this evening for our building in London. As the car is still off the road I will have to get off the train at Oxford, wait 45 mins for the bus then get home at half past midnight. Furthermore I have to set the alarm for 630 as DP needs me to look at some work he's fretting over, then pack the girls up to take them to Mum's until Saturday. Still, I will have a rest there I guess...

Good to see you back, Rubes! More please! Is your Mum enjoying herself?

And welcome back Beans. That house sounds brill! When are you going to see it? Would love a link (love property links). And how cute about DD2 walking. Two little hands to hold.

Thank you for kind remarks about my book. All is not lost, though I'm not terribly hopeful and I may have to take it on the chin. We'll see.

JJ, has Dd2 turned a corner now do you think?

Effie, I do know what you mean about autumn. It used to be my favourite season. But more of a summer would just have been nice...I will say it again, I am dismayed we didn't muster a London meet up this summer. Boo hiss.

Cabbage soup, eh, Vag? I'm still avoiding carbs as much as poss (excluding wine). I haven't had toast for breakfast for weeks now. Don't eat many carbs anyway apart from that, apart from the occasional baked potato. Am just wondering if I continue it whilst at Mum's. I miss toast for breakfast. Cottage cheese or boiled egg is no fun. And it's not shifting the weight as such although my body fat percentage is decreasing.

I found The Boy in the Striped PJs rather harrowing (obviously). I get uncomfortable with obscene stuff like the Holocaust used as entertainment - well, what I mean is, there's a fine line between educating people and exploring cataclysmic and shameful events in our recent history, and sort of USING them to wring an emotional response or as entertainment. But I am probably being a prig. First I'm tutting at casual drug references, now this Actually, though, I think people should be free to write what they want. I am not explaining myself well, partly as I am tapping this into my phone and it's a little laborious.

Ignore the above half-formed and inconsistent point.

My MIL came to visit today, whilst I wasn't there. She is staying the night. She likes hanging with the girls when I'm not there, which I think is probably natural. But I do wish DP could have had a full day with them, alone, the better to appreciate what I do. I mean, he does. But just not quite enough.

Am going a bit boss-eyed with this so ciao for now...

Morning all . More fun and capers here. Have been at mum's since Sunday, and on Monday T managed to break his other collar bone by falling off a swing. We were in A&E just the other day as well for his knee. Am hoping all these hospital visits early on mean he's getting his lifetime quota in early. He's being pretty stoical about it, actually and is pleased with his sling, which has stickers on. Waking every hour in the night as in constant pain, at least I know it goes away again but poor sausage thinks hossie is his home from home. As does B, naturally, who is on the verge of crawling, teething like mad and has a v bad cold, so is grumpy as hell.

Lady you sound incredibly busy, I really hope you get a decent rest at your ma's. And totally understand your wanting DP to experience it properly, on his own. I find a lot of the frustration of childcare the 'thinking' about it, IYSWIM, and there's less of an issue of what to do with others around to help entertain. And they don't experience the impossibility of being in 2 places at once.

BEans so glad you had a good trip. Another vote for a linky to the house, please.

JJ how is poor E? .

Effie, tis Autumn, which means your visit to Brighton is due, methinks.

Hiya Rubes,

more tired than i can possibly describe. and about to drive to pil in north wales with the girls on my own. ugh ugh ugh. yawwwwwn.

any advice on child friendly service stations on the M40/M6/M54? have scoured info on line - terrible

Lady! You must be knackered. Poor you. And agreed on wanting DH to understand daily alone grind!! My mil always wants to come when I'm not there. Have told DH NO! If I go away!!

WG. I've just done that route up to N Wales. Where are you off to? I did it at night so literally just stopped for petrol. What way do you mean child friendly?

Spit - you poor sausage with another hospital visit!!! You must be sick of the sight of it.

I've had a bit of a run of luck recently on DD2 front.. 4 nights of sleeping through in a row for the first time since she was 4 months old. Dd1 woke up to do a wee last night, but that's ok somehow!!! Hurray!! Starting to feel more human at last!!

Off to see One Day tonight. I hope it's not too mawkish!! Liked book but didn't love it, but going with lovely NCT friend. Lady, I agree re holocaust films but I think they can also be fairly positive if they show how dreadful it was. BUT found BITSP a bit irritating. Clearly I sobbed at the end nonetheless. But then I cried when Helen died in neighbours.

Hope it goes well WG.

Lady: what about an autumn meet up (indoors)? Or an evening? I can do Thurs or Fri evenings in London given a bit of notice. Days are going to depend on school schedule I suppose.

Spot: I will get onto DH re Brighton trip. The boys are getting better at long car journeys so I'm sure we could manage it. Hope T's collarbone heals up soon.

Hey Ladies,

Today is my first proper day back at work, from now on it's back to the daily grind, I am sad to leave the girls and apprehensive about the looming apex of a major project, but the timing might be right as the honeymoon phase of stay-at-home-mum-dom was beginning to draw to a close. I think DD1 needs to return to school and get a bit more varied stimulation as she is currently amusing herself by vigorously testing boundaries. We had a lovely last mini-break in Sometset at my favourite hotel in the world. The girls even agreed to spend a morning in the hotel crèche leaving DH and I with out first truly free morning in 5 years. Bliss.

JJ - I'm so sorry to heat about E's pox. DD2 (& DD1) had terrible pox in July and sadly both have multiple scars. Please start rubbing on bio oil ASAP. In the mean time you could try Pherargen for the sleep, it stops the itching and makes them drowsy. Miracle! E might be a little young though but obv your DH will know.

Right, had so much more to catch-up on but Tube is drawing into work station. Boo! Must find coffee and apply lipstick.

Hi all, thanks for the good wishes for E. Pleasedto say she def seemspast the worst, as dh put it she's now a baby with spots rather than a ton of spots with a baby underneath. Arti, thankd for the bio oil tip. She dos have a lot on her face so will try to stop scars as much as poss. She's got into a waking every two hours habit again, but we've decamped to sofa bed in the spare room so back to co sleeping rather than trying to put her in cot,at least this way i get back to sleep quickly.
Will catch upwhen both hands free :)

Arti - I hope your first day back at work is going ok?

JJ - relieved that the spots are loosening their horrid grip. I hope the co-sleeping helps with the sleeping for E.

Just had my Tesco delivery. Trying to keep my budget per week to under £100, but when we're out of loo roll and washing powder and everything else, then it is bloody hard to.

Not sure what to do this pm. Would take DD2 swimming but my period has just arrived and I'm really not in the mood for it! Think we'll go for a play in the sandpit. She has just screeched for the first hour of her afternoon sleep. She was overtired. DH doesn't believe that there is such a thing as overtiredness. Hmmm. If he did this all day every day, I think he'd see that he's wrong...!

I must just say what a hero DH was on holiday. Compared to a lot of other Dads I've seen on holiday, he really gets stuck in and does mealtimes and bathtimes and bedtimes etc. It's fantastic. Makes life so much easier for me. Am missing him now I'm back to reality. So, I promise I don't just slag him off. He is lovely and I love him!!!!!

Have been a bad girl and got pished on nice wine and champers. Anotgwr girls night this night at move cos DH is away. Next week another DH is away so another girls night at another lovely friends house. Oh dear we are going to start wanting the hubbys to go away. Right must get drunk head to bed. s hool run bright & early.

VAG - you drunken old slut! I love it! How are you feeling this morning???

Went to see One Day last night. Wept copiously. Could have totally embarrassed myself and gone for full on sobbing, but chose to keep a little dignity. It wasn't a terribly good film, but it was heartbreaking nonetheless.

DD2 slept through again. 5 nights.... When I lose count, I'll know that it's more permanent! I think the walking is exhausting her! And injuring her. She fell over again this morning and smacked her head on the corner of our bed and now has a great red welt (which will soon go purple) across her forehead, with a thin line of blood! As long as she cries after it happens and keeps on going, then I figure she doesn't need to go to hospital! She is so fine now, bringing me things from the table and grinning from ear to ear. SO pleased with herself!!!

And DD1 is enjoying nursery again. Hurray! Yesterday she told me that her friend Joel has a teeny tiny willy, her cousin William has a big one and her Daddy has a normous one. Then proceeded to finish the sentence with "Pop goes the Weasel". Laughed? I nearly pissed myself!