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.

Deids how are your hips, did you say they were a bit saw. Went for a lovely albeit wet & windy run along the beach. Was quite nice except when I was running down the steps from the bike park down to the beach I was greeted by a very sad sight. Our favourite beach restaurant has burnt down. It must have only happened in the last day or two. It serves amazing wine, and its so sad to think all that lovely wine is gone. The owner is a lovely guy and it just seems so sad. Anyway I also remembered I need new trainers so went online and got a pair of last seasons asics gel foundations, onsale for ?60! Wiggle has them and delivers here for free.

Went shopping for DS1's new bike today, and didn't find anything suitable for under ?300! Highway robbery.

I'm so hungry I can't think of anything else that's been said. Hope your all having lovely weekends, is the weather a bit drab there too.

Oh yeah and Rubes we have your ishoos but with an older child. DS2 keeps waking hungry at 5am, crying for porridge. We usually give him a yogurt from a squeezey pack then he falls back to sleep, this morning until 9.30. Have fed him a big dinner tonight so hope that helps.

Our friends in Canada had a Roomba and DS was TERRIFIED. He has a few things he is scared of but nothing like this, he was literally clinging to me going "I'm not going upstairs, there's ROBOTS up there"

trudy tell us more about your ss moving out? How old is he and where is he going? I like the way you highlighted erotic dreams.

vag that is expensive for a kids bike. I can't wait to get DS a bike with pedals! Bummer about the restaurant

Have taken side of DS's cotbed. He is delighted but we haven't put a stairgate on his door and although he's getting out of his bed he hasn't figured out he can just open the door yet! So trouble may be ahead. He's so cute though I had to take some piccies of him asleep in a big bed for the first time.

rubes hurrah for the sleeping, hope it continues. After I said DD is sleeping through she woke up the next night for 2 hours for no reason! not hungry just being a PITA. Happy until we tried to put her in her cot, argh. Hopefully a one off remnant of jetlag, hmmm.

Been to a barbie today which despite rain was very good. We got the bus and train so we could both drink as an adventure for DS. Took bloody ages though, 2 hrs door to door as opposed to 50 mins driving. There is a reason no one uses public transport in this country, especially people with kids with all the bloody stairs at the station and a buggy. Moan moan moan I sound like my mother. We got a taxi on the way back from the station as we were too lazy it was kid's bedtime.

Blimey its been a wet and weary Sunday up Norf today!

Vag, yes my hip was sore. Although i've just done 4 miles this aft and it seems that my thigh is sore, and I wonder if I mad my hip sore by running a bit lop sided trying to ease the pain in my thigh iyswim. Not reallyenjoyed my last few runs so much. I think I've done quite a lot recently and my legs jjust feel tiread, achey and a bit heavy

Who's watching the Apprentice final tonight? My money is on Helen, or maybe Tom. I reckon Sir Al would go bonkers if he went into buisness with Susan, I know I would.

Summer your BBQ sounded like fun, even if the journey to get there was a bit epic.

I hear you all on the tantruming children. DS went mental in Tesco yesterday because I put him in the trolley, and then went postal when I tried to get him out when I had finished. I had to prise his fingers off the trolley it was a sight. I could feel the disapproving looks boring into my skin as I was doing my level best to wrestle him out of the seat without whalloping him up the side of the head with my french stick!

Right both DC's totally exhausted so both having an early night.

Update - S's godmother's new baby hopefully out tomorrow :) they really have had a rough old time, but clearly their girls are made of strong stuff. I got an accidental preview of the name, had phoned their home to ask if there was anything I could send to make mum's stay in hospital easier/more comfortable, and her mum was there, she said "Oh little Rumpelstilskina is doing much better today" and I thought, wooops I'm not meant to know this yet! But they have chosen a gorgeous name and one that goes really well with M. Hurrah, can't wait for them to go public :)

PD, hope things went ok on Friday, wake/s not too stressful and you're doing ok yourself lovely. We're always here to listen, as you know.

Beans - what is your secret dinner party success menu then?

Rubes hurrah for sleep success! Long may it last.

Lady - just to reiterate, your MIL is insane and anyone who thinks it's good if a baby is losing weight should take a hard look at themself.

Summer, sounds like lovely hols! Welcome back to the badflatlands.

WG coooooome to Cambridge! Or we could meet you halfway along the train line, somewhere like oh I dunno Stansted airport?!

trudy hope you had fun at the bowls club! any party is better than no party, and I bet they're probably a raucous old lot when they're not on the green.

Right, managed to get both girls to bed and asleep on my own before 7.15 (partly because S didn't have a nap and E had only a teeny one) so have cracked open the wine early and will get in the bath before DH gets back from choir :) time to enjoy a half hour's peace to myself!

JJ That is really good news about your friends baby.

Diedre it has been the same here the past 2 days weather wise. It's quite annoying actually as come 6pm the sun comes out and its nice and warm.

I am being really quite naughty at the minute and already looking at prams, moses baskets etc and we aren't evening actually trying yet.

Hope you've all had good weekends.

Bogging Nora lost my post. Prob a good thing was about to start ranting about (D)H.

But JJ super news

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just spent 40 Mins on a post and when I pressed 'post', MN sid I need to be logged in...I WAS logged in!!!!!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Bedtime now.
I'll try again tomorrow.
nighty night xx

Sometimes I find if it buggers up and you hit back your post is still there? Just a suggestion. Also if you write a long post on a proper computer maybe we need to paste into notebook first in case it buggers up the way it's been behaving recently? Did anyone see the other day people were logging in and finding they were in others accounts ( and able to post as someone else!). Ridiculous!

Morning all! How are you doing? Had a lovely weekend here. Had DD1's godmother, husband and 2 daughters to stay, so it was a girl heavy house! But it was brilliant. So nice to see them. Dinner party went really well on Saturday night. Just had another couple, who are from our NCT. He's the amazing chef. He's also a wine trader, so brought 2 amazing bottles for us. I got absolutely hammered. Oooops! Was v good fun, though. DH did starter of goat's cheese and fig salad with honey and balsamic glaze. Yummy. Then we had lamb shoulder marinated in garlic, paprika, lemon juice and olive oil with potatoes and broccoli. And finally, I did an Annabel Karmel recipe for pudding - lemon cheesecakes. I wasn't going to admit that it was from a baby's book of recipes, but in my cups, I did. But actually, it was delicious and no one minded! Smashing fun. Then yummy cheese. Then played the After Eight game trying to get it from forehead into mouth without using hands. Laughed? I nearly wet myself. V silly.

Then passed out. Apparently DD2 was having a scream in the middle of the night, but I didn't hear a thing. Aaagh. She was fine, though. She shared a room with DD1 while our friend went into DD2's room. Their two girls went on our top floor attic room. No windows, but has a bed and a cot in. They foolishly moved their youngest one into DD2's cot in their bedroom and she woke us all up at 6.15. Yucky. DH was a hero and dealt with her while I went back to sleep and tried not to puke! Then busy day of swimming and walks. Lovely, but exhausted. Both DDs slept for 2.5 hours at lunchtime. I had to wake them at 3. DH and I both slept for an hour. Helped a lot. Then put them to bed at 7 last night and there wasn't a peep from them. Both knackered!

Wow, that was a marathon bore-on about my weekend, sorry!

JJ - so glad to hear your friend's little girl is doing well - hurray!

Rubes - those robot things look amazing - are they as good at cleaning as a person? I mean, do they get every bit??! I find it a bit weird and space age, though. Might get nervous of them!!!

Summer - wow, that is rubbish public transport. Not good. But BBQ sounds like it was good. I hope you drank enough to justify getting the bus??!

What a grim day. I've got a 5k race this evening in Battersea Park. DH and DDs are meant to be coming to watch, but not going to happen in this weather. Rank. MUST get sub-30 mins if I possibly can. I've only done 2 runs since the last one 2 weeks ago and neither were under 32 mins. Bugger.

DDs need a bit of entertainment - must dash! DD1 showed me her poo in the potty this morning and declared "It's a nana poo poo, Mummy". And she was right. It looked like a banana. Only brown. And really smelly. I struggled not to be sick. Oh and DD2 was playing with a hair bobble this morning and pinged it onto her lips. Clearly sobbing ensued. I had to stifle terrible giggles. Bad mummy!

Good morning Ladies,

Phew, I've just caught up, it took quite a while as I have been offline and unable to lurk.

Kayz - how lively to have you back and to hear your happy news. I think pregnant brides can look lovely but if you don't like the idea why not move the wedding forward? How are your boys?

Lady - I am so pleased you have broadband and can post properly again. We missed you. I would love to visit you this summer and maybe have a jaunt round Blenheim (I quite like the sound of that game show but am still working next week). What are you doing in the 2nd week of Aug? I am free all week so could drive up one (hopefully) sunny day.

JJ - I'm so pleased that your friend's baby is OK. And Yay to sleeping girls.

Spot - what a let down about the house. You are not lucky in the housing market are you? Does this risk relieving the London/Brighton debate?

PD - I hope your father's funeral went ok and you are feeling strong.

Rubes - how did DD sleep last night? Let this be the beginning of many an uninterrupted night.

Veg - I cannot believe that kids bikes are so expensive over there. I thought bikes were so obligatory in Holland that they would practically be subsidised by the State!

Trudi - I am shocked that your health trust doesn't have something better to offer you. I suffer from a phobia of vomit and last year I complained to my GP that it impacted on my daily life and I got 6 months of one-on-one CBT. It totally turned me around. Could you be pushy and demand more?

Got to post back later...

Okily-dokily, back very quickly. A summary of my news: this weekend was Latitude weekend. Truth be told I would not have gone had I known how much rain and mud there would be. However, it I am so glad that we did go. We had a fab time. We were there with three other families, each with two kids, so eight kids and eights adults in total. The children just loved the freedom of being at a festival ? the late nights, the dancing, sharing tents, running as a pack, eating over a camp fire, lots of children?s workshops, face painting, sheep dyed all the colours of the rainbow... they were in heaven. They even loved the mud (see FB for evidence of the rivers of brown gunge around our tent). We saw some great music and as long as I block out the thoughts of the toilets I have very happy memories.

Sadly DD1 came out with pox on our journey home (to be fair that was pretty good timing). She is covered, she may be worse than DD2 but a lot more stoical so far. The stoicism is remarkable given she woke up with pox on her eyelids and can barely open her eyes. She is going to miss her last week in Reception, her last chance to see her beloved teacher (who is moving back to Australia at the end of term) and her birthday party which is planned for Friday and which will be v hard to re-arrange as everyone will disappear for their hols. I feel so sorry for her.

Just marking my place. Back later on!

Asparagus - your poor DD. What a nightmare time for her to have the pox. Poor little bird. Still waiting for my two to get it. In some ways, I just want to get it over with.

Both mine are having a snooze. Happy days. I should be ironing, but am reading my book instead. Lazy.

Aparagus - latitude sounds ace! Sorry about the pox though, poor DD1, at least she will have it over with.. Hope you can rearrange the party so at least some of her friends can come.

I'm lazy too. The big one is asleep, the little one is pootling around pestering me. So I'm on the computer, ignoring her. Gosh she is cute, but drives me crazy by CONSTANTLY trying to climb on top of me. Even when I'm doing something such as changing the big ones nappy.

Out tomorrow night, yippee! Went to book at one of our favourite pub/restaurants in the next village, only to find out it's been taken over by one of last years masterchef finallists (Alex), most exciting. So we are going to check it out. Also we have booked a babysitter via sitters (normal nursery one couldn't do it) and are getting them to put the kids to bed as booked for 6:30pm, YIKES! We did this in Canada (only with 3 kids for poor babysitter to put to bed) - as due to 4-5am waking screamy kid our friends were always in bed at 10 so post bed left not much time for going out - and it was fine so getting brave with our babysitting. Has anyone else done this?

Your dinner party sounds scrummy beans.

jj great news about your friends baby.

WG where are youuuuu, when are you coming to Cambridge?

Ok maybe I should go do something useful

SL - I've got sitters putting the girls to bed lots and they're really good and capable. Had a wobble in Cumbria as we were going to a wedding in Dumfries and had a sitter unknown and unmet come from 12pm-1am. She was a childminder, as most of their sitters are and a total gem! Don't fret!

right. I have a casserole in th'oven, L playing with her friend, and dh not yet arrived home with P, so I shall try a speedy post....
Ok, first things first...Ladies will you please STOP RUNNING!!!! You're making me feel very very bad. Can any one tell me tales of recent sitting on bums and eating chocolate instead? (Seriously I'm very impressed with you runners)
ladyt not sure I've even said congraulations on moving into your new home yet! I'm so glad you're finally there!
trudes sorry your 'session' was naff. How's the mindfulness going?
ZJ did you have a weekend at home or are you still galavanting? Have you told any RL friends yet? Do you and any others fancy a northern meetup in August?
Rubs your new reduced MN time is very noticable. Hmm. Not sure I like it
jj so glad your friend's LO is on the mend
The post I wrote last night, which got eaten, had a big blah in it, about dh being ill and me being fed up and struggling with the girls, but today it doesn't even seem worth writing about! Funny how a day can make a difference
Thanks for the input on the sleep thing - her doorway is narrow - only 68cm - so there are very few gates that will fit. We can only find wall fix ones, rather than pressure ones, and DH is convinced she'd climb over it anyway, so we haven't done it. Arti I think you asked about a month ago if I would just leave her to cry - yes I would, but the problem is she comes out of the room and follows me like a shadow, so it's keeping her in there which is the problem. I have been acting as a hbuman stairgate, sitting reading my book on the top stair and not letting her pass as she tries to climb over me and stands and screams in my ear. Very pleasant. Not - but seems to be havin some effect. One night she gave up and went back to bed after 40 mins, which I took as a victory. Anyway, last night I put her to bed and she stayed in it!!! She just lay down and went to sleep! Hurrah! She has now clearly cracked it and will do the same every night .
DH has arrived with P - must dash now.
back soon xxxx

Trace: I can assure you that I am not running and munching chocolate is a frequent occurrence. Have had a grim day, culminating in DS1 biting me. About to post both into bed, whereupon I am pouring myself a very large glass of wine. Prob made worse by the fact that DH had the boys all day Saturday and they behaved impeccably. Grrr.

Asp: sorry to hear DD1 is under the weather. Might she be feeling a bit better by her birthday?

We've heard about DS1's class, he'll be going in mornings only to start with, then afternoons and then full days by the end of Sep. He is so ready to start school it would be funny if he weren't winding me up! Part of the problem is that he's getting bored with our usual routine.

The MN app is handy but if you lose your connection then your post goes forever. Very annoying.

Cambs girls- can be with you any weekday from 4-12th aug inclusive. Am decamping to Dad's so dh can finish writing his tv show with some sleep and cam is but a 40 min drive away. Tell me when and where to come and I shall be there.

Trace, thanks, I've noticed things have quietened down with everyone. Thought I'd have heaps to catch up on but not so much lately! As for your human stairgate situation, for the love of all things Holy, get yourself one of these narrow ones & re-claim your evenings!
SL, Sleeping went from great by day 3&4 of operation cold turkey, to horrific last night, but I think it was teeth. She hasn't had any milk at night for a week now, I just point blank refuse but she went back to sleep fine with gel on her teeth or water.
The Roomba Vac is GENIUS! DS was a little nervous day one, but now dances around with it. It cleans pretty well given it's size & is great for dog hair and dropped kids food - used it daily and some of the crap it's found - wow. Programs to start then back to it's base to recharge and the whole of downstairs is pristine in about an hour

oh and Trace, that gate, since it's pressure mounted, you can mount it slightly higher just enough so she cant climb under, if you are worried about her going over it. You can also get non-self closing narrow ones or adjust this one so it stays open (I have two)

Asparagus The boys are fine. DS1 starts school full time in september. He is certainly ready for it and has loved his year of nursery. I'm not sure I am though. I am looking forward to being able to come home and wash up, MN hoover etc without having to go back and get him after just an hour or so of being home. Just not sure if I am ready for him to be away from me all day. DS2 is going to start playschool too only 2 mornings a week. So I have no idea what I will do then.

Trace We have this stairgate. It is fixed to the wall but it was the only one that would fit the boys narrow door. DS2 would be out a million times a night if he didn't have it on. He does sleep well but is up at 5am every morning no matter what. I'd be up for a meet up if I am free

I've booked to do one of those week long driving intensive courses which starts Saturday. I'm don't know if I am scared or excited or both. My test is on the 29th so 6 days of lessons then my test. I just need to be able to drive, DP's car just sits in the garage for the 5 weeks he is away. It's pointless not being able to drive.

Hope everyone is well.

V quick me post. Trace, look away now...

5k race done. Previous PB 30mins 13secs. Tonight (drum roll..) 28 MINS 42SECS!!

Am irritatingly proud of myself considering it's hardly record breaking, but best I've ever done and best I can do at mo. Have now stuffed my face with pasta and then chocolate. Oops. Ankle throbbing. Time for bath and bed. DH and DDs came to support and DH welled up after I crossed the line, he was so proud of me. Was lovely and touching!!!

Right, need to put my feet up for a bit.

Yay! Catch up tmw proper.

X

Brilliant result Beans well done. Really well done. Am in awe.

Thanks Rubes. Am Chuffed to bits. X