Feb 2011: the one where the babies are destruction machines

[ChestnutsREASTIEingOnTheFire]

...or is that just mine?

Hello all,

I forgot when I last posted so please excuse if I repeat myself

wiggles love the piccies as usual especially that tantalising glimpse of mrw . Anna looks so cute and grown up now

ponyo how are you feeling now

american yup, you found me

blizy no worries, it was the least I could do. How are you managing?

ems of your sale bargains. I braved John Lewis sales yesterday but I went at 7pm and it was super quiet as everyone was leaving . I only went to get curtains though, so not excatly exciting (although I am rather over excited at the prospect of getting them up and seeing how they look once DH finishes decorating)

Keep meaning to check up on how tarlia is doing

We are still in the midst of decorating here. DH doing the play/family room and I'm painting the furniture in Alices room. We got a paint colour called 'fairy pink' or some such for Alice's furniture and I'm wondering if this was a bad idea - it could look hideous but I won't know until it's all finished and in situ , the 'pale linen' we got for the family room is a far more classy affair

I am into my last week off before mat leave ends and feeling very

Morning all!!

American you are my friend now! I recognized some of your photos... So cute.

wiggles loving your gorgeous girls in the photos, my sister surprised us and flew over from Belfast on Christmas eve it was lovely to see her.

deb hope Imy gets better very soon, poor thing.

Hope Jane is ok. Big hug if you are lurking.

All ok here. Dh working and I've taken the tribe to get their feet measured, but yeah all three still had room in their current footwear so for once I left the shop without needed to take out a mortgage!!!
The children have loved all of their presents but as we speak Imogen is walking around the playroom with a plastic storage box on her head crashing into things.....very bright that one! Joey is going to the cinema with his pal and his parents this afternoon. They only have one child and 'steal' Joey when they go out to entertain their ds!!!! Thomas is permanently dressed as a Knight at the mo (Santa), Joey thinks he looks ridiculous,,!! (he is 7 on 9th Jan and is to cool for dressing up now).
Archie has enjoyed the Christmas excitement. He is cruising along the sofa but isn't yet able to stand without support so I think walking a way off, plus he crawls with lightening speed so why bother.

Happy new year to you all.

Hi ladies and babies, I survived Xmas. Like most things the build up was far worse. Dh bought me some pandora charms from Zoe, I got a little Zoe bear, butterfly and forget me not flower charms. I am still in shock that he got me something so nice and with Zoe in mind. I cried when I seen them.

Wiggles I will nosey at your pics later, I'm off out to meet a friend.

Hope you are all ok.

Sorry bilzy have just seen you have posted......I can't cope with name changes!!!!!

Hi all, seems like most of us had good Christmases?
blizy how gorgeous of your DH x and I'm glad it wasnt as awful as you feared. Almost time for a fresh new year, the year that you hopefully welcome Zoes little brother or sister!
wiggles love the pics. Your girls look so cheeky and rascally, my favourite type of little girl, and well done Anna for her first steps!
deb get well soon to Imy x
I have just packed off the older two, they are going away for a few days with their dad and his family so were v excited. I'll miss them lots but as the level of bickering has been through the roof, the peace is not unwelcome....I nearly posted on AIBU btw, Their grandparents on their dads side bought DD a Blackberry - well, I kind of understand as she is 12 and at the age to want one. However they bought DS an ipod touch - worth almost £200. Its ridiculous. They have already given him dire warnings about scratching it, and he wont be able to take it out of the house for fear of losing it. Plus he sits glued to the games and apps, and having Aspergers he gets so involved that he gets angry when its time to switch it off. Hes only 9 ffs, I just think theyve been needlessly extravagant. AIBU? Sorry to ramble! Right off to get ready for girls cocktail night :)

mizk IMHO YANBU at all - I assume they didn't check with you first it was ok? If they had checked and you were happy with the items for your DC then that's one thing but to just buy them like that and then warn a 9yo about scratching the ipod touch is just crazy. I feel bad for you as now you have to live with the mess it will create getting them off the pesky machines.

four4 your household always sounds so busy and manic in a good way

blizy big thumbs up for DH being so thoughtful - being married must agree with him

Finally we have heating - hurrah. I'm actually sitting in a warm room. Ahh, the simple things

Oh mizk yanbu, I know what you mean about ds and aspergers with video games. My best friends eldest is the same, he is like a heroin addict when playing games.

I'm off out to the pub now with Dh and his best man. I just realised today that I forgot Zoe on the 28th, I feel so guilty that I didn't light a candle for her on her 10th month
Ad just showed too, I M so hoping that 2012. Will be the year for us.

Hope you all have a good night, I'm away to get drink now

MizK You are soooo not being Unreasonable . I veto any "dear" presents coming into the house - its a real pressure when you have to worry about keeping anything "good".

blizy have a fab night, have a gallon drink for me.

reastie yay for the heating. This time last year we had no water for a week, I will never take a flushing toilet for granted again.

We took the girls to soft hell play today. Anna had a whale of a time, she found a boy slightly older than herself and chased him around for about 30 mins whilst trying to pull his hair Think we may have a biter as well!! At last a valid reason to avoid mother and toddler groups

Four4Me at Imogen, the girls went to Poundland today and played all afternoon with a £1 doctor set they got! Until we had to watch Tangled for the millionth time.

My inlaws buy the girls a pile of presents - one proper one and a whole pile of brightly coloured, slightly dangerous tat, Sofia got a magic set again from the wonderful pound shop, she has played with it every night since Christmas and enlisted Olivia as her assistant, Olivia has showed a slightly worrying obsession with how people are sawed in half Just as well we finally got around to sticking up a few stair gates and cupboard locks yesterday. Annas face was a picture yesterday when she realised she couldn't open the cupboard underneath the sink - she wasn't best pleased

blizy have a great time at the pub. Don't worry about forgetting as zoe knows she is never far from your mind and forever in your heart.

American i've added you i've got the really scary photo of my halloween outfit.

Freya has finally started to walk holding our hands. Still no crawling but oh well. She's just super clever.
Tom has been a little monster i cannot wait till he's back at nursery. He has another ent appt next week. He's still having nosebleeds so hopefully we'll get a date for cauterisation (sp?) .
Had a lovely cheque on the doormat too emski mine was from the tax man though turns out i overpaid tax for 4 years. I've used it to treat dh and his best friend on dh's birthday for a days paintballing experience and i've bought myself an ereader as i've wanted one for ages. Will also be going to my local tomorrow with one of my besties for a knees up and boogie while dh looks after the kids.

mizk YADNBU, how odd to give a present with stipulations! Not fair.

blizy enjoy your drinks, damn damn damn to AF. BTW of course you didn't 'forget' Zoe on the 28th, you carry her with you all the time. And we remembered. :)

wiggles thanks for the GP arse-kick, went down today and he gave me antibiotics too .

Quick Q- S woke last night at 4 and didn't go back down till 5.30am . She was obv tired but really struggled to get back off, most unlike her. Anyway, this morning I went to get her and she seemed noticeably heavier and taller than she was when I put her to bed. Do you think growing could have disturbed her sleep?????

OK- GUESS WHAT I JUST DID TONIGHT????

OK I'll tell you. I did the first day of the first week of Couch to 5k- I ran, ladies, I ran. Not much, mind you, but there was running involved. Feel bloody brilliant now!!

reastie how could I forget??? Warm house! Bliss :)

debka well done, that's fantastic. I meant to say earlier but was afraid of sounding wankerish over earnest that I can tell from your posts that you sound happy and content and that you are doing something for yourself, its bloody brilliant girlfriend

And yes growing does affect Annas sleep, it still affects Sofias

hub8 Freyas on her feet now, no stopping her [yikes]

blizy catch yourself on woman, you didn't forget Zoe, she's part of you.

Oh I kept meaning to say, I know 1st bithdays are looming, Anna really loves the rocking moose we got her from Ikea - its not too dear and is really lovely and bright. She can't actually use it yet but she loves going up to it and petting it, giving it kisses. Olivia can still fit on it so it will do for a few years providing Olivia doesn't discover how to saw it in half

go deb go deb . I did couch to 5k pre gym days only got half way through though it was great while I managed it though (although that pumping music drove me nuts)

hub you just have a genius dd who will bypass the crawling and go straight to walking is my guess

wiggles you make me laugh with the poundland tat toy stories

Just watching an officer and a gentleman in a warm house after having had a hot hot bath

wiggles that reminds me has anyone got good ideas for what to get/request people buy their LOs for their first bday? We have so much plastic tat useful toys that I really don't think Alice will need much more. I also have her wardrobe sorted for 12 - 18 months. I honestly have no idea what to ask people to get her that would be genuinely useful or played with all the time with all the other stuff she has. She has alot of books as we have been given lots and have all my old ones too . Ideas please ladies

Thanks guys

Funny you should say that wiggs, a friend who visited today said the exact same thing. I am feeling happy ATM, long may it last! Thanks for the rocking moose tip too! Lol at O sawing it in half

hubs well done to Freya, what a relief she's up and off! Aren't you kind treating your man and his mate with your tax return. :)

Hi all, well am still a bit ill, don't feel right, and I still can't bloody taste or smell I'm still also deaf which is really annoying, feel all confused most of the time haha

deb aha, couch to 5k you say, I lurked on that thread and saw you might be doing it - well done you! How was it then? I am veeeery interested but don't actually know where I will go and run, plus I'm incredibily unfit.

hubbard yay to tax man cheque - I got a whole £21 a while back A is a super crawler but showing no signs of walking holding our hands or not - I think F will just be a non crawling baby!

wiggles I might look into that rocking moose as I don't have a clue what to get A for her birthday - she got a nice soft eeyore for xmas and its the only soft toy she has that she "hugs" and pats, very cute.

reastie soooo pleased for you that the heating is fixed, enjoy the warmth! Like I said no idea what to get A for b'day, she'll probably be happy with a cake tbh

blizy agree with the others that you didn't forget Z, don't feel guilty, hope you've forgiven yourself now :) Enjoy your evening.

Mizk agree YANBU, how annoying for you enjoy the cocktails tonight, hope you get a nice lie in in the morning too!

We have had the pil visit tonight, they managed to talk about the other kids/grandkids loads which gets kind of tedious tbh. I think I have got good at channeling it out, seeing them tomo too, they want to "see in the new year" with us - I couldn't give a stuff about new year and am planning to be in bed by 10.30 (as usual ) AIBU to expect them not to stay til 12? We've told them we probably won't stay up til then, they said ok but then said that they wanted to see in the new year as its an important one re: mayans etc Who knows...

ponyo poor you, you've already been to the GP haven't you? I'd head back again, say you're feeling no better. When you say Mayans, do the inlaws think 2012 is the year we are all going to disappear? There was a thread along those lines a while back, it was all a bit . I don't think I've been up past 11pm for the past 4 NYEs. Mr W is working so think I'll be in bed with my new Kindle

reastie We are terrible parents and don't buy anything for 1st birthdays ourselves, the babies don't realise, Anna only got Christmas presents so the other two wouldn't suss Santa .

My parents bought Sofia a swing for her 1st birthday - one of the ones for babies that convert into a proper swing. What about something for the garden/summer, a ball pool? S & O also got ride alongs but my aunt bought one for Anna for Christmas. When S was born my sister bought her one of the cuddly seven dwarves from the Disney Store, then she got a new one for each birthday/Christmas. I'm thinking of asking my parents to get A the baby piano from ELC - the one that sort of fits around the babys knees. S&O have the bigger version and they love it but its on its last legs.

Anna favourite thing to do is to try and wreck Olivias toy kitchens, she loves them, she also loves eating/playing with toy food and plastic teasets.

wiggles think I will head back to gp on tues if I still feel like this whinge Apparently mil will tell me all about mayans tomo - not the world ending type stuff but something very important. I am jel of the kindle - is it lovely?! I want one. Whatcha reading?

Something dp said earlier annoyed me, thought I'd share - pil were asking how A sleeps, I said ok but she has been waking a bit in the night, usually awake about 6-7am. DP chimes in "oh yes but sometimes she sleeps til 8am" What the frig? I said "erm when does she sleep til 8?" and he said well she has done hasn't she - yes when she's been awake in the night and I have given her a bottle at prob 4am I love how he casually mentions she has these great big sleeps til 8 in the morning - hardly ever and there is a reason for it!

Hope ledkr, tarlia delia etc are all well and probably enjoying family life instead of interneting

Hello Helloo

Sorry for my prolonged absence I am Santa my laptop was buggered and I can't MN at work, and don't have a fancy phone to use t'internet on, it's one of those bricks probably circa 1982.

Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone!! Was it Wiggles who was taking her decorations down already? What about twelfth night?? I am not doing anything for NY either, DH is working all weekend till late anyway. My parents will be up though. ponyo I feel the same re my mum, I have been trying to convince DH that we should all sell our houses and buy one massive one between us. Seemed a good idea at the time, childcare all the time!

jane now blizy was thinking of you an awful lot over Christmas, how lovely that Zoe came to visit and look after you. Also wondered how needtosleep is getting on, anyone know?

Re first birthdays, I think I'll be getting N a trike (scuttlebug gets good reviews), maybe a first train set? Have also heard that little kitchens are brilliant i want one they look fun, and N already really likes little pink buggies with dolls in so might think about that.

reastie how odd, we had no hot water or heating until today either. I didn't want to light our proper fires re Nate. I think he is secretly obsessed with the environment - if i put on a fan heater he races along to switch it off, he also pulls the cord to turn the bathroom light off when I'm sat on the loo. And opens the door to said loo when we have guests

Who had the tax rebate? I did too, turns out I didn't get my personal allowance in 2007 or something so I had a lovely cheque just before Christmas!

N has managed a few steps too. He stands for a bit ( I stand him up) then does about 4 steps at super speed, I don't think it's intentional though. He won't let go of the furniture and try steps when he's cruising.

Can't think of any other boring news to tell you. Forgot if I told you already that DH starts his new Consultant job in Feb, he's passed his exams and his training thingy.

ponyo kindle is lovely but am still working out how to use it , have just figured out how to turn pages Mr W got it for me. The girls got me a lot of kindle vouchers and my Mum got me the little reading light and kindle cover - sort of a kindle Christmas all round. I'm reading India Knights new book atm, have to have a good nosy at some books.

Any recommendations anyone? - I don't read misery lit memoirs or fantasy stories.

ponyo Mr W can make sweeping statements sometimes, along the lines of "A sleeps through now mostly", "she's not much of a crier" etc. He gets a raised eyebrow and a how the feck would you know look. He's not here at nights for the guts of 3 weeks out of 4

Oh yes, forgot to say hope ponyo, deb and Imy feel better. Well done everyone re Christmas (only slight) weight gain, mine is definitely all pie and wine muscle.

WeAreBorg or should I say Santa hello, scuttlebugs got a really good review on a thread here a while ago. I took my tree etc down today. I love Christmas but when its done its done I keep the crib up until after the Epiphany but at the minute its full of toy figures again

Well done your dh.

Right off to bedingtons

Ha ha robinsparkles that's very funny wandering.
wiggles DH bought me the Caitlin Moran book, I don't usually read biographies but she is very funny. I've got the little stranger by sarah waters by my bed but not read, I like her others though, also like Margaret Atwood. By fantasy do you mean like LOTR type things (I like those I am a total geek)

So excited by my functioning laptop, and N is actually asleep in his cot!! Only since 10pm but still!

Right deffo up to bed now - borg I like Margaret Atwood too by fantasy I mean LOTR/other world/dimensions type things, I realised fantasy may have sounded a bit porny. On that note I am away to bed

Oooo, wiggles, I love my Kindle! I don't like scifi/fantasy at all but I really enjoyed the Hunger Games books. I wish they did loaning here, I'd send them your way. at O the magician's assistant, she sounds like a handful (in a good way).

Borg - well done to your smarty-pants DH too bad he's not a sex god like Mr wiggles I've been wondering where you've been, I miss your stories about N. [sad stalker emoticon]

debka - well done on the C25k. I did it once upon a time, felt really pleased with myself.

Ponyo - my DH does that too, takes something L did once months ago and insists he does it all the time.

I think we're going to get L a ride-on for his birthday and probably something else. It's probably time to pack up the jumperoo too, he tries climb out by pulling on the post.

Who else is back to work in January? I'm back on the 4th, less than a week. DH is staying home with L the first 3 days then he starts nursery on the 9th.