July 2010: It's about time, that we all went back to rhyme!

[Spirael]

Though mutiny is always an option.

I've been with dh for 8 years married for 7 he's kind, caring, funny and an amazing father.

He ALWAYS makes sure there is a hot meal on the table when I get in from work and he does his fair share of nappies and night time wakings.

There is so many times that I would of completely fallen apart in the past if it wasn't for him.

We were both very young when we married (18 and 21) so I've been with him really for my whole adult life it kind of feels like we've grown up and found our way in the world together. I don't know where I would be without him.

well I think it's 12 years today since DH and I got together (in a cheesy nightclub in our university city, with him in drag on the rugby club bar crawl). We have been married for four and a half years. He is absolutely wonderful, really thoughtful and attentive. He is my rock. Plus he's dead sexy.

Just back from singing in a concert with choir, it went really well! Plus dh put J to bed with no problems at all, hooray.

Ahh am loving all the nice words about dh/p's. They're so lucky to have us

D woke up at 6 for the day and surprise surprise its dh's lie in day. At least he's off tomo so I'll get one more lie in.

It feels like the middle of the night still.

Oh I have a question. Reigns- do you/have you used them? Are they a good idea or did your dc hate them? We're thinking of getting some for D because he does NOT want to be in the buggy for long periods of time. It's usually ok when we're in the park he can just roam free but when we're going round the shops he's prone to bolting so just need some control whilst still giving him freedom.

aargh. Went to bed at midnight (yes, i know, was still on a concert high and took some time to wind down). J woke at 1.40 and took ages to settle. And at 2.30. And at 3. And at 3.30. A did the first three settles but obviously I couldn't sleep while hearing J crying. I did the last one and got him off to sleep but then couldn't get back to sleep myself. He then woke again at 6.30 and I fed him - I know he would have happily gone back to bed if I'd fed him in the dark in his room, but I thought the point of the sleep training we were doing was that he doesn't get a feed till the start of the day, so I fed him in my bed with the light on and then had to get up with him (it's my turn). but then DH said he had thought I was going to put him back to bed. it had taken every ounce of willpower not to try to get him back to sleep so when dh said that I was gutted. got up with him and have been crying due to lack of sleep and pissed off ness.

i knw i'm not making any sense. need more sleep!

dh I haven't used reins with B yet but I did with D. I think it can be a bit of a contentious issue on here because some people see it as the same as putting them on a lead and treating your child like a dog

I think that when it comes to our children safety should always come first and if you have a toddler that won't sit in a buggy, won't hold your hand and is prone to bolting then imo reins are the safest option.

D did hate them at first and would stubbornly refuse to move but I just had to be equally stubborn and refuse to move also. He soon got used to them. Just don't use them for the first few times if you're in a hurry :o

Oh woodlands poor you. That is a truly awful night. Can you go back to bed for a couple of hours when dh gets up?

Thanks dylthan yes I've read some of the threads on here and most people said they are a good idea more than the people who were against iyswim.
I think we're going to mothercare to get D a booster seat to replace his highchair so will get some then.

woodlands sorry you had a crap night, I can relate :(

Sorry you're feeling so tired and pissed off woodlands :(

I had far too much to drink last night but luckily had far too much to eat too so I think the food soaked up the alcohol as I feel fairly ok today. Am going to take baby to the doctors as he's still poorly and rather than getting better he's getting worse. It's been a week now so about time I got him checked and I'm not happy to wait until tomorrow. I also can't keep on top of the eczema on his face so think he needs medicated cream now.

I used reigns for ds1 and get very annoyed when people refer to them being like a lead for dogs. It is nothing of the sort and I don't understand why safety isn't their priamry concern. I haven't used them with ds2 yet but may do at Centre Parcs.

yeah i don't understand why people are so down on reins. some children are bolters, others aren't. i have a feeling j is going to be a bolter...

yes, will go back to bed asap! i was going to go to church but think not now. j will also want an early nap (which will probably mess up the whole day...).

must go and find the boy some breakfast. and another cup of tea for me.

D isn't v well either, he's got worse if anything. A cough has turned into a full blown snotty cold.

He's also going to want an early nap which is fine as long as he sleeps more than half an hour!

He's had (well me and the two boys have all had actually) a full blown snotty cold since last Monday. Now though he sounds very rattley, he's very angry like the good old days and very upset all the time, like he doesn't know what the hell to do with himself.

poor snotty babies - hope all are well soon. our two are pretty coughy and snooty too.

sounds horrible woodlands hope you get a nap today. your concert sounded like fun anyway

glad to see your programme of social activity mlic

dh totes agree with the others re reigns. also if you're on the tall side, it's not comfortable for the parents or the child to hold hands for prolonged periods.

i think they can actually help teach them to walk sensibly later on too. we used reigns nearly all the time with F (as I'm v v v para about roads and him getting lost) and now he's really good to stay near us if we're in a shop and will happily hold a hand or the buggy if we're next to a road. some of my friends who didn't use reigns now have DCs who go loopy and run away in shops and refuse to walk sensibly next to them in the street. may just be coincidence of course.

i'm not judgey either way. not sure why its joined FF vs BF as one of the big MN debates

action-packed day here - we're all going to do a big shop then home for naps, lunch then a swim at the healthclub then back for a roast. what's everyone else doing?

'action-packed day' was meant sarcastically btw

oh and had a lovely afternoon yday - went to a really pretty, old local small town with beautiful Tudor building and then went for a little stroll up a country lane to see a windmill and feed some horses. Twas the first time (i think) that Lady A has walked the whole time. felt like having two actual 'children' iykwim?

Not got the energy for much today plus D having a cold I don't want to take him out before his nap. He's going to want one soon he's been up for 4 hours. I think we're going round FILs house this aft.

Yeah it got quite heated on the reins thread, saying your treating them like a dog and people actually tutting at mums in the street using them. Well I'd rather get tutted at than see D get hit by a car. If someone ever dared to tut at me I'd tell them where to go and that's putting it kindly.

[pops in] Regarding reins... M has one of these that we use when we're in crowded/dangerous areas. (They do a variety of colours/animals.) It's easy to clip/unclip the lead when necessary, and it means I can shove her change of clothes/drink/toy/etc in her bag for her to carry instead of me.

She loves it! Especially when she got to take Grandad for a walk round Costco the other week...

at Cake's 'snooty' children, lol

Baby has tonsilitis :(

Coincidence I'd say cake or type of mothering, L has a LittleLife backpack but I never used the lead bit on it cos we lived in the middle of nowhere so we didn't need it. She's very good at holding hands, walking next to me and doesn't leg it in shops. I can't use it for S cos it's pink but I might get him one, he's a bolter and doesn't like the buggy now unless he's eating. I don't like the reins just because they look ugly whereas the backpacks are v cute and can hold snacks/nappies so I can carry my handbag again.

mlic that's rubbish for you and W, did you get some antiBs?

Or personality I should add (quickly before S proves to be a bad walker/shopper)

We woke up at 12.15 and all had a nice fry up. Then we went to the winter fayre at the children's centre and then onto the park where there was tree planting, willow weaving, music etc. We wandered round and then went to the temporary play bit where we bumped into various people we knew - it's always odd at the weekend with all the dads around too! So we chatted in the sunshine for a while as the children played.Now we're home and we've got housework to do but we're chilling out with big big mugs of tea.

my two are sitting watching a film, eating popcorn. they look so cute snuggled up under a blanket together

poor babyboy mlic. how's he doing?

yy, i was prepared to hear it was coincidence chul, i'm sure you're right. like i said, i've got no axe to grind either way but at least it shows using them has no negative impact.

tsc have you given up bf this weekend?

who else is still bf? is it just me and woodlands now? i think i've decided 18months is my 'deadline' to have stopped by. no specific reason and i'm not maffisly hung up about stopping a bit sooner or later. just waiting til we're thru this horrific batch of teething first.

I'm not bothered whether people use reins or not either, if you need them use them, I just think they look ugly but if you've got a runner it's definitely worth it. Better a few tuts than a horrible accident.

I'll be bfing in another few months cake, enjoying the freedom for the moment

Big, big cup of tea sounds like a plan!

cake I wish D would snuggle whilst watching tv, he's just on the go all the time even when he's ill and it makes him worse cos he's got a short temper

Attempted a walk in the woods earlier but D quickly got miserable AND stepped in bloody dog poo.

Chul - we have a Siemens dishwasher. FiL knows someone who works somewhere and says its the same machine as Bosch in a different case. Apparently they come from the same factory but are cheaper because of branding
Kind of like Chanel/bourjois and lancôme/l'oreal/maybelline.

As for reins, I've tried, I really have. Both my kids roll around on the floor the minute you put the harness on and can't be dragged anywhere

I find making ds hold on to the buggy (which dd is firmly strapped into) is much easier.

That said my sister still uses reins on her 4yo and 3yo and they walk beautifully with them

I had a dog that never walked on a lead to. Maybe it's something I'm ding wrong...