January 2008: I'm four and 'they're all mine!'

[latrucha]

Sorry Simposn. Just couldn't resist.

Sounds good JKS. ARe you looking forward to it?

M has been absolutely Hell this past week, probably due to tiredness and the heat.

My mum had the kids overnight last night and she was an angel

At least you know you are the one that matters Simps! Commiserations. S can be great but when she wants to be bad, she's appalling.

At least you know you are the one that matters Simps! Commiserations. S can be great but when she wants to be bad, she's appalling.

Hit the big 40 now. Feels ok.

Oh happy belated birthday! I am 41 and feel ok about it actually.

J has his last ever session at beavers tomorrow (he starts cubs in sept) so I think he will feel sad.

We have had lots of tears as his best friend has left school to go to China for 2 months (3 nights of sobbing from J) thank god he is coming back!!

On the other hand Molly has to say goodbye to her best friend next week (they have known each other since babies and are in the same class at school) as the family are moving away

I'm only 38, nah nah Happy belated birthday LaT :)

T had a friend leave his school last week, there were tears. Tbh the friend is a right pita always telling T what to do & think and drives me bonkers, so I'm quite pleased!

T is off at PIL for the week. H has end of year assembly tomorrow which will be lovely (tissues always needed though), then parents eve on Thurs when we meet his new teacher for next year.

Went to the beach for a bit with H & M yesterday, they were both brilliant and splashed about in the water for ages, going to go down again after tea tonight I think, it's so much cooler down there.

40 is different but good. There's no hiding place but you feel a bit like tank girl.

How are all your summer hols coming along?

I don't know tank girl but I hope it's good!

Hols going fine so far, they feel long at the beginning then start to fly by and i panic we won't get to do all we hoped/see the people we hoped to catch up with.

We are one week in and I am knackered!!

Molly is keeping me on my toes as usual, whereas J is happy to entertain himself.

How is it possible to have 2 kids so different??!

Hi - How are you all holding up? I'm finding mine are becoming a lot nicer as the holiday goes on. Half of the hassle is tiredness. I am now really wishing I had passed my driving test. We're having hte world's most boring holiday, and Sabela has cottoned on that other people go away.

That was supposed to be a sad face! Maybe someone is trying to tell me I should be happy about it.

I am also knackered - was actually wondering about getting my iron levels checked or something but maybe it's a standard mum-in-the-holidays feeling.

Big News: H is weeing in the toilet!!!! literally just 'got it' yesterday and has been brilliant today. Got to work on poo but we'll get there. I'm so excited to send him back to school in pants :)

Off camping tomorrow for 2 nights, mad but could be fun too. Not going far from home if it all goes pear-shaped.

We are currently half way through our 2 week holiday in the IOW which is lovely and very hot

M's behaviour has been bloody awful some days and I think I have made a decision to make a GP appt about her (without her there) and maybe push for a referral to a child psychologist.

Hi all,

How's H doing on the toilet now JKS? Are you any less knackered? I hope back to school is giving you a bit of a break.

Hope your holiday was good, Simpson. What did you decide in the end about M?

I'm trying to get fit a bit but seem to be even more knackered now the children are back to school. I'm also finally trying to get to the bottom of my eczema problem. Life is moving on! Suddenly struck by a bout of broodiness, which I know won't go anywhere as DH definitely doesn't want any more. I am really enjoying their ages now, and don't relish the idea of pregnancy and babyhood I do like the idea of another little person around. I just have to be grateful we can provide a good life for these two. We would struggle financially withthree.

Just a different kind of knackered, lol.

H is doing brilliantly on the toilet pretty much all wees in the loo, and some poos. And he's gone at school too, yey, & phew!
Not 100% still but getting there.
Still in a pullup at bedtime and it's pretty full in the morning so a way to go there but no rush.
His Head is really chuffed with him and said she'll give him a gold certificate next week :)

Back to school has gone fine, so far, just 3 days. M started at pre-sch too, v cute in her uniform, and a welcome break from her for me Just 3 mornings a week so she's only done 1 so far.

I've gone back to work for DH, 2 days a week spread over a few days to fit the hours in. We're hoping to move office soon so it's a lots of shifting of stuff out and lots of shredding & tidying up so far. I ache all over and don't feel like i've had a minutes rest but Mon is my morning 'off' so am looking forward to that.

Off to London later with my parents for a bowling & dinner out for my baby brother's 30th birthday , leaving the DC with DH.
Then he's away with work tomorrow - Thurs so next week will be full on again.

Sounds god all round JKS. How did M get on at preschool? Danny just adores his. Aww at the gold certificate. Nighttimes are a whole different story, aren't they. Great he's doing so well though. Lovely. Did you enjoy your morning to yourself? I must say it suits me being back at work. I'd like to do more but I would need to earn enough to make childcare in the holidays worthwhile and that's not easy in a rural community. Loving my new job. God bless the WI!

[Calls across internet chasm]... Siiiiimpsooon? Maaaaaadmose?

Hi LaT,

M is doing fine once she's at pre-sch but her drop off have got gradually more tearful until I was peeling her off me on Thurs :(

I spent my morning to myself trying to sort paperwork for an appeal to change H's bus pickup time. Stressful. But I enjoyed the peace and quiet at home. Next Mon will be even nicer :)
(though i must get the cats to the vets at some point...)

DH was away all week, back today, so he's i/c nappies, meals, etc. Except he's out before bedtime this evening, grr. But come tomorrow morning I'm staying in bed!

Hi all

How is everyone?

J went to a football coaching session today and I was very proud of him as he did not know anyone there (big deal for him) but he bounced in quite happily.

Having a few issues with M in yr1 not listening, wanting to hug her best friend at carpet time, refusing to do guided reading. So far I have had the dreaded words from her teacher "Can I have a quick word" 3 times! Dreading parents eve next week!!

At home she has been ok and dare I say it might be coming out of the other side re temper tantrums

Wel done J! I was wondering what the teacher wants to tell you or for you to do exactly? You are not in the classroom, are you? And we all know how relevant it is to a five year old to rehash past bad behaviour. Of course, you should knwo what goes on at school, but as long as you and the teacher are on the same page about how to deal with things that come up, why does she or he have to rell you everything?

S is a combination of angel and devil, obviously trying out which one gets her more. For example, she was really good while Danny was being difficult about breakfast his morning, then drew on the walls with a biro when i was in the shower and blamed Danny. Or asking me to come and have a cuddle with her on the sofa and then dismissing me and geetting cross when I didn't move. She is perfecting her teenage flounces very well. She has just got off giving me a contemptuous sidelong glnce and then rolling her eyes to a tee.

Tbh the refusing to do guided reading I am not going to do anything about as that is up to the teacher to sort out and quite frankly I think she is bored so playing up.

I have had a few words with her about having to behave etc and so far so good.

I was in the school today reading with yr2 today (first time this school year) and it was quite funny to have kids coming up to me saying "hello Molly's mum!" as I am used to being known as Joshua's mum ( reception is totally seperate and does not mix with the rest of the school.

I saw her going to PE as I was leaving. Apparently I missed a fire drill and M was most put out to have to stand in line for a fire drill half dressed (was in the process of getting changed afterwards).

LaT - M wrote her name on the wall (luckily in pencil so it rubbed off) and tried to blame J!!

The highlight of Molly's parents eve

J's teacher is lovely (I read with her yr1 class last year) but quite young, although she has been at the school for a few years. She started the meeting by saying she prides herself on always having a comeback when a child says something/refuses to do a task and never being lost for words.M was asked to write the numbers 1-10 on a small white board which she did, then the teacher asked her to do 11-20 which she did. Then the teacher asked her to write the next 5 numbers, M covered up the board so the teacher could not see what she was writing. She then plonked the board in front of the teacher with "no more numbers!" (Complete with !) and walked off, the teacher said she was lost for words!

She's clever! TBH, ask a child to complete a task, then give it another, and then another all very similar, you probably will get some trouble!

Well, the saga goes on...

On Thursday last week she was asked to come up and underline a particular word on the big interactive white board. She went to the front of the class and wrote "I am not doing it!"

Then on Friday I am called in again because she has been repeatedly slamming the classroom door despite being asked 4 times to stop

I do honestly think that as long as they know you are doing a good job parenting her they are the ones who have to sort out her behaviour in the class.

It must feel like a bit of a grind. You are sorting her out at home, and there is no point trying to get her to listen to you about something she did with someone else hours ago.

Could you talk to the head?