October 08 - the 3 year old thread.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

New thread just for you star!

Well, hopefully not just for you, or it could get a bit boring talking to yourself .

Oh I came back on to find out what you're getting preschool teachers for Xmas? Cm sorted I think but there are 3 teachers!! Plus manager who is amazing to us...(small place). I need ideas

As a stingy parent I don't normally get preschool pressies. So no help to offer. I do do cards though.

Hello strangers! Sorry I've not been around, I seem only to get time to catch up in the middle of night feeds, but then I'm on my ipod and find it a bit of hassle to type...

Sorry to hear about all the sick children and mummies. We've had a tummy bug (except dd and ds2 who both escaped) and dh and ds1 both have a nasty cold, but nothing too severe so far.

Pepper - how is the house now? I can't believe how you've coped with all the chaos it must have caused. We are swapping the kids bedrooms round and decorating the small bedroom which means everything upstairs is chaos and its driving me mad, so I can't imagine how stressful it must have been coping with the whole of your house being turned upside down, though hugely worth it in the end!

I'm loving all the Christmas build up - the kids are massively excited by all the lights and we have to do a weekly trip to the garden centre near dd's school to see the decorations and run down the batteries on their dancing santas and reindeer!!!!!

I have to say that three is non-stop chaos, but I am bizarrely loving it! Though I could do with more sleep. But I am disconcerted by the fact that all this talk of feeling 'finished' with dc after ds2 was born seems to have passed me by - I got all broody when I saw a little baby last week . We can't afford more kids unless they come with sponsorship deals and I can't cope with any less sleep [grumpy mummy]. Wtf is wrong with me????

I think we've almost finished the Xmas shopping. Dd was easy - she's been asking all year for a pink guitar and we found one in Costco that wasn't too expensive, and for ds we have some hexbugs (dh's idea, I'm not so sure, but he's bought it already ) and I'm making an activity book for ds2 as well as a knitted bear. Other than that I have some books and little stocking fillers and I may manage to run up some dressing up clothes if I find some time (it depends how long the activity book takes to make). We're trying to keep things fairly cheap this year as there is lots of uncertainty over dh's work at the moment and also we have so much stuff I dont' think there is room in our house for much more!!! The grandparents are getting these for them which look fun. Now only dh to buy for . I am NOT good at buying presents for men!!!

Oh, HP, we do homemade things, so this weekend we made cards (stencilled a Xmas tree with paint and then decorated with glitter and shiny things, and did a cotton wool snowman) and we'll make some sweets or something next week. Or possibly do cookies in a jar (there is a homemade Xmas thread which suggested that so I may steal that idea and the recipe!).

Alternatively what about book tokens? or iTunes/Amazon vouchers?

Bother, ds2 is awake again...

I'm not finished with cm - I just remembered that I gave her hte present I had for her november birthday! ugh. She always gets Q a lovely gift, so I have to. But can't afford it. And 3 preschool teachers, two who are male. Totally lost as to what to give them. I'm making cookies tonight so I'll see how far that goes.

You don't need to give the teachers presents star, so relax about it. We only gave an 'end of my time here' gift to pre-school when dd left, never a Christmas present.

Ok, thanks. Maybe I'll send in some cookies for their staffroom :)

As for cm, I'll have to sort something.

I never expect christmas presents from my students, but most of the class usually give them and I'd never even remember who did/didn't, but I know there are people out there who care deeply about who gives them a gift/value of it/'thought' ...etc. (from some very MN threads and other overheard conversations). I would hope they aren't like that, but you just never know.

What can your 3 yo's write? I feel suddenly like perhaps we should do something teacher like at home with him. He can write the Q and a few other letters in his name and I've seen him trace words at preschool but he doesn't write a list or anything (post on my fb status made me think about this!)

Thanks. Exactly the advice I'd give to another parent, and I know what is normal, but sometimes forget in the context of my own child...
We will continue to role play doctor, vet, shopkeeper and vet and imagine up magical worlds each afternoon instead :)

Sorry meant chef, not twice vet!

Ekka you sound like you're having a blast :) good to hear from you!

Pistachio, sorry if that was a bit insensitive, I've paid for it today by having awful children and doing my very best fishwife impression all day . Are you finding it easier with dd at school or do you find the logistics a nightmare? I hope that things improve for you soon.

HP, according to ds he can write almost anything (and read it as well, apparently!) but actually he writes Mott (he can't do the tails on the letter 'a') and that covers everything from his name to the names of different types of dinosaurs . To be fair, even dd who was reading at 3 didn't have much interest in writing stuff till this last summer. Ds is not that interested in letters etc yet. And he still isn't potty trained despite all our efforts - I'm at my wits end...

It's the nativity tomorrow and both dd and ds are in it so I am prepared to have my heart well and truly melted (assuming ds2 is well behaved for the duration) though I hope ds has got over his sulks that he isn't the donkey but just a villager or else there might be a scene!

Ds doesn't write anything at all. But he scribbles well .

I'm here Myjob Glad to hear that the Nativity and Christmas production went well. I'm so looking forward to when ds is in one. We did our school one on Thursday and I am feeling so relaxed now it's over. The children did really well and the parents loved it which makes it worth the sleepless nights!

We've decorated our tree today so I'm feeling really festive. We took ds to choose it from the local garden centre and then let him decorate it too so we have a big bunch of decorations in one place

I can't remember all the other posts I've read apart from HP asking about writing I think or reading. Ds can do neither- he draws faces but doesn't even recognise a J yet!

Q thinks anything with a Q on it is for him
No central heating. Our house is cold. I'm sitting by the gas fireplace. And I'm really fed up of people at work asking for "just" £10 here or there! Those two things not connected just eating away at me ATM.

I got incredibly cheap nutcracker tickets for Q and I at 02 from an online deal + ticket aster vouchers I had saved from something we got in the post with them back in February. I paid a total of £7 for seats which were regularly £55 each!
People think I'm nuts bringing a 3 yo to the ballet but we've watched it a bit online and he loves it. He sits through a movie in cinema now and really enjoys shows of any sort. I think the whole experience of a big theatre ... He will love it!
We also got a similar deal on a panto in week before Christmas for all 3 of us.

Happy Anniversary, Csws. :)

Myjob, N looked like a real angel :) gorgeous! I can't wait until Q is in a show.

Also, I'm having sharp pains in my lower abdomen when I cough a big cough. This has happened before. Could I have a cyst?

HP taking Q to the ballet sounds lovely and the Nutcracker is so magical I'm sure he'll love it. I'm very of such great price tickets, especially as the O2 is down the road from us. I'm glad to hear that Q sits through films at the cinema as Dh and I are pondering taking J to see Puss In Boots over the hols but we weren't sure if a 3yr old at the cinema was a mad idea.
I have no medical knowledge but I'd think that if it was a cyst you'd have abdomen pain at other times. Maybe you have pulled a muscle coughing, a friend of mine once bruised her ribs badly with a bad cough. But as I say no medical knowledge here so if you are worried get yourself checked out for reassurance at least.

Pp thanks! I always think the worst first! pulled muscle sounds possible as it also hurt when I lifted Q.
We take Q to the kids club film for £2.50 on Sunday. They also do kids club films ver term holidays. It's £2.50 for a child or adult but each child brings one adult free. So 2.50 for Q and one of us or £5 for all three of us. When he couldn't sit through it wasn't the end of the world. I still do have to chat to him quietly a bit and keep him interested in boring bits and take a wee break... And bring yummy snacks!
We are seeing the smurfs tomorrow

How on earth did coughing bruise her ribs??? Poor girl!