April 2011 - Hello Grindstone. Nose here, reporting for duty.

[DairyBeetle]

Plumps comfy pillows, shakes warm fluffy blankets, passes them round, sleeps

Aaaaargh, DP is still in bed!! Get up you lazy fucker so and so...

:( cycle go poke him.

Bugger on no resolution ILTMI, hope she budges in mediation.

Sassy/kitty you really need to talk to them but it is hard, especially if they have a valid excuse for not being around and you don't want to feel like a stickinthemud.

Now. Christmas. What are you getting our little 8/9/10 month olds?!

Cooooeeee

I've told s he needs to calm it when I go back to work. He's really supportive when he us here and pulls his weight.

I got S a harrods Christmas bear. I've been collecting them since 98 so now he inherits them. I also got stuff at the nct sales and have put it aside. He's so young he won't know. I might also get him a story book with his name in. How about you?

We aren't going to get T much, we have all the stuff already! I've seen a cute shape sorter thing in ELC which we will get him I think, and then we've got the full boxed set of Thomas the Tank engine books for the boys. We're putting money aside to get them a big wooden climbing frame/slide combo for the garden.
Relatives will buy masses as normal though I'm sure!!

Luckily it is a previous tenant, not the current one. It's just frustrating that it gets dragged out. Luckily I'm not worried about it, otherwise I think I would be a wreck and it is all so protracted.

I hope you woke dp up Cycle, I would have!

We had fireworks in our garden last night. Ds2 liked looking at them, but didn't like the bangs, and baby I had a snooze in the sling! The boys were then bathed and packed off to bed, and then wine was consumed while watching Strictly.

Christmas - I have got baby I bits and pieces. A book, pj's, a puffer fish bath squirter, bath toys ( model whales, sharks, fish etc), duplo police motorbike. Most of what he has got is mirroring ds2 really as ds2 is getting protective over his toys now that I is able to navigate the whole room by rolling and then stuff his brothers toys in his mouth. I being able to move is not popular and I remind ds2 umpteen times a day about keeping his small toys off of the floor. I'm like a broken bloody record ......

Well done for surviving the public tantrum Arch! Why do they always save their best tantrums for when you're out and about?!

Have you got a The Book People catalogue by any chance Ali?! Tee hee.

We inherited my niece and nephews climbing frame and ds spent hours on it during the summer. He also got an add on bit for it for his birthday and my parents are buying him the scramble net for Christmas. It's the best thing in our garden, although the Little Tikes Cozy Coupee comes a close second.

DH got them when the Book People were at his office, it was a bargain!

We have the same problem with DS1 hating that T is mobile. We have got the stacking blocks and the rings on a pole plus a few other bits out for T this weekend to try and distract him from DS1's toys, but now DS1 is saying 'but those are mine!' and technically he is correct, but argh!

T has managed to pull himself up on one of the toy boxes today! Hmmmm.

I brought H in to rouse him

I doubt we'll get H much fir Christmas, he'll be spoilt by relatives.

Oh, The Book People, I miss having them come to the office. I used to have a good emergency present stash thanks to them!

Christmas: S is getting lots of bits, and most of them are from the charity shops and NCT sale I know whatever I say he'll get spoilt by family so don't want to end up with a house filled with tat just yet! I would like to get him something 'big' (as in I know he'll love it rather than size!), he really loves the musical instruments at nursery and I have some jingle bells ready and waiting but thought I might get a xylophone and things to add to them. Anyone suggest nice baby friendly musical instruments? All the ones I've seen are wood and I cringe everytime he chews something wooden (wet wood makes me cringe!).

Arch well done on the tantrum handling! I'm dreading that bit, I still have flashbacks to my youngest sister having a full on lay down screaming paddy in Sainsbury's car park...there was an impressive bruise where head met concrete!

Ali at T pulling up!

We had another horrid nights sleep, not helped by a leaky nappy (I remember someone mentioning that Huggies weren't lasting the night, Buck maybe? Well we're having the same problem, very annoying and we've just opened a box of seventy-bloody-two of the things ) This was then followed by horrid poo, and while DH was changing S's nappy S decided to follow up with a bit more poo directly at DH. S seemed to find it hilarious! At 1.30am DH and I didnt...

Dairy, maybe it was the poo that was giving S the sleep problem?

I think Early Learning do some musical instruments. Little Tikes used to make a good chunky xylophone and a piano called tap a tune - annoying but baby friendly!

Ali - I tittered at T pulling himself up. However, if it was me I would not be tittering!

I expect it will be needed now T is pulling himself up

P's main christmas present is this Scramble Bug.

Also a few bath toys and some books which are really more for DS
A personalised rag doll and both are getting named door signs.

We'll also be dusting off several of DS old toys including this baby walker (which is great BTW) but no chance of pretending they're presents as DS will echo the calls of "THAT'S MINE".

Oh and not forgetting his other favourite the Smart Trike which will also be passed on now he's got the hang of his "big boy bike".

Don't think we'll be buying much for Joanna either . We're still in a one bed flat until we can get it sold so space is at an absolute premium and I'm sure the family will fill my house with tat spoil her rotten. Very impressed with those of you who have decided / shopped already though. I haven't given Christmas a second thought yet.

I have done over half of my Christmas shopping . The Christmas cake was made a month or so ago, the raspberry gin is steeping and the mediterranean salt in a poncey jar (for presents) has been made. Get me!

I agree Gache, the VTech walker is the best. I was sucked in by a wooden one with blocks because it looked pretty, however I sold it pdq as it was shite and got the Vtech one instead. The bloody music on the Vtech stuff does my mash in though.

I just listed some stuff on Ebay (to help pay towards Christmas), God it's tedious isn't it?

Ooh GGF that's the trike we are thinking about getting B. Do you think it is worth getting?

Well my lovely full nights sleep was rudely interrupted every couple of hours by one of my lungs trying to escape my chest cavity :(. I can't actually remember the last time I had such a bad nights sleep. Apart from that though had a great time just me and dh.

B is almost crawling! Mum was very smug in showing me the video she had taken of him bum in the air and commando crawling on his elbows!!!!!!!!

We've bought the vtech walker for L as well for Christmas! Glad it's got feedback.

Thanks for all the concern about dh and I. Following the talk/lecture he seems to have improved and be making more effort. Hopefully it'll continue.

Yes, Fizz We've had 2.5years use out of our Smarttrike and it's still in good enough nick to pass on to DD. The best thing about the plus model is that it has got a decent handle which you can actually steer with (unlike some).
You can also adapt it as they get older so they can steer it themselves too. but you are still able to keep hold. We often used ours instead of the buggy especially for doing the 10min walk along to my mum's house. The only downside is that when they get older it doesn't seem to pedal very well when they do it themselves but TBH by then DS had a proper bike anyway.

I hope B likes it, just one word of advice, don't leave it until 11.30pm on Christmas Eve to start assembling it like I did.

Another thing DS loved was this activity table

Ilike Yes on the music and don't forget that bloody "Puppy Says"

Thank you for the ladies, I am going to need it!

My parents have been here this weekend and are heading home after lunch. I want to hang onto them by their ankles because it has been so lovely and relaxing to have some extra hands about!!

We took the boys to the local fireworks last night, it is a really big display and DS1 loved it as he did last year. I had T in his carrier with a pair of ear defenders and he liked watching but clearly couldn't hear the bangs at all, he just snuggled into my front. :)

I am tentatively going to say that we've had 2 better nights. Last night he went down at just after 8, and then woke at 12.30am and 6am and woke for the day at 8am.

DS1 does like his Smarttrike, but he needs a proper bike now and I need to sort that out. I think we will be him one as an early birthday present once the weather improves in the spring. No point buying it now as he will grow between now and then.
One thing that we got for him and we're going to get out for T soon in a ride on/rocker thing. We got the M&P Charlie Caterpillar, it is so lovely and cute and DS1 used it for ages. I really recommend it.

Sassy - really pleased to hear that your DH is stepping up, I hope he keeps doing it! :)

ILike you are too organised, be gone with you We go to my parents for Christmas so I actually have to do minimal organising, but I've started to get presents sorted, and I will be planning our Christmas outings and activities over the next week or so.

Oooh my mum has bought R that baby walker too :)
Her main present from us is going to be her jumperoo since we were tightarses and didn't get it before now and I've also got her a playskool elephant ball popper thing. I've seen some pretty Lamaze stackable rings too but not sure whether I should get them or get plastic ones as they will no doubt get destroyed with drool!! Other than that just some books and clothes which I think is really more than enough!
DSS's main present, on the other hand, is causing many a sleepless night trying to get our hands on one!! We want to get him a LeapPad Explorer Tablet but it seems to be the "IT" toy for this year as it's sold out almost everywhere!! Keeping my fingers crossed that it's only the begining of November and that it will come back in stock somewhere soon!!

Oh my mil has got that for my nephew. She got it in Argos but had to check daily.

Well I'm really hacked off now as checked online this morning and apparently Smyths Toystore had 2 in stock so my brother kindly offerred to go and pick one up for me (shop is in Falkirk and he is in Glasgow so a half hour drive) when he got there they'd sold both of them Hmmmmph :(

Ah that explains ur fb status. If u like check Essex and London and I will get it and post it to u. I'm back at work next week so post won't cost anything.

MrsW check stock near Livingston or Edinburgh too I'll happily collect for you!! this reminds me of the year furbies were the toy! My friends mum worked in an independent toy shop and they had a delivery of furbies at 4.30 on christmas eve!! People were fighting each other to get them. they had to call the police!!

B is in "jail". Mum brought down the travel cot! Oh the joy in having a cup of tea without having to rescue him from a near death situation! Bliss! he managed to flip himself out of his donut so the jail has arrived just in time!

Rooth number 2 has made an appearance too! Am i jinxing it if i say i don't think teething has been as traumatic as i thought it might be?

GGF you'v emade my mind up about getting the trike. Thank you!

God. I just had a melt down. S has been Velcro baby all day. He's got a cough so may be that. But I lost it putting him in his highchair. He was moaning Abd crying again a d I had to leave him there after screaming at him. It's not his fault but I can't help it. I had to shut myself in the hall to cry and calm down. Gave him dinner on my lap, put him back in his chair and he started again. I got into such a rage I picked up the v tech walker and threw it down. This isn't good. Maybe it's just aswell I'm back at work Monday. We are both ok now ...... Until I try to put him down again I expect. He's slept to much today too so prob in for a good night.

Oh dear Kitty, that does NOT sounds fun. Hope you feel better.

We had an epic journey today. Sodding National Rail, I HATE them! It took us three hours to get to my grandparents, 45 minutes of which was spent on a freezing platform. Having been assured there was a train in 5 minutes by the guy in the ticket office there were no signs working, no announcements, and no train. I had to ring their central line, be put through to a foreign call centre to a guy who spoke no English. Rang back after giving up on him only to be told by call centre person number two that there wouldn't be a train for an hour and a half!

Finally got there after two more bus rides and me flagging down an off-duty cabbie and begging for his help. Bless him, he took pity and went way out of his way to help. I love you black cab man.

Rant over, night people!

Kitty we've all been there! Hope you're having a relaxing evening now.

Cycle sounds like a nightmare - poor you.