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

[latrucha]

Sorry Simposn. Just couldn't resist.

HI all

I hope you're feeling better now Simpson?

How's it going Madmouse?

Washing machine up and running Filly?

JKS - we're still on very early mornings here. It's not always the same child but if it's not one, it's the other.

Sabela is now extremely tired. We have a long walk home after school during which she vents at me and is often very grumpy at home (and also very nice and funny). Today she had the most incredible meltdown because she was very rude in a 'do it!' / refusing to ask nicely or listen sort of way and I put her in her room after two warnings (she gets a one, two and usually backs down: if she gets to three she goes to her room).

What do you do when they storm and you know it's because they're really tired? I sort of think a cuddle is the best thing. Time outs certainly aren't helping. But then again I can't allow her to order me about and shout if we're trying to get something done that needs to be done. hmmmm remind me again... what do I do?

If it were up to her I would juts cuddle her all afternoon. Clearly not practical or fair on Danny.

Ach ignore me. Just a bad afternoon yesterday.

Washing machine arrived on time last Friday and has been on overtime ever since dh got it plumbed in on Friday evening!! We are slowly getting on top of the backlog, but omg, the ironing.....!! Was quite amused by dh, who is a very hands-on sort of guy when he's at home (proactively sorts laundry etc) being utterly gobsmacked at the laundry mountain that had built up despite my using my mum's machine for emergency underwear control!!

The builders have been in sorting out our boiler since early last week....our boiler was about 30 yrs old and the first gas bill was £400 for 3 weeks, so clearly not sustainable . All was going well until Weds evening, when they were ghhalf way through the swap-over to the new one. I didn't want them to leave me with all 3 dcs to put to bed at 7pm and only one working tap (in the kitchen) in the whole house - no toilets or anything. So they stayed unitl 9, got the cold water running everywhere and left. 30 mins later I walked into the family room as I heard a funny noise, realised there was a bloody great big leak from the ceiling, grabbed a bucket, called dh at work and then watched as a large chunk of ceiling fell down. Sigh. So no water all night after all.

Luckily they turned the water back on again yesterday (mostly), except the room with the leaking pipes which they are doing today...and our ceiling should be easy to sort as its those 'charming' cardboard-based ceiling tiles that were so popular in the 70s Apparently the builders found a huge pile of them in our attic...

No heating, so I'm very grateful its a bit wamer at the moment!

Nothing else to report....my job still sucks but we've decided to send T to the same school as A, which basically means we'll end up with 3 dcs in private education, so I'm going to have to keep working for a long time....

Filly - what drama! We face 2 in private so far, making the most of H's free education for now :)

LaT - sorry missed your bad day :( I do think a cuddle is a good cure for the tired grumps. Or food. T used to get grumpy when he first started at school, think I was advised to feed him as soon as I picked him up, low blood sugar can cause the grumps (in me for definite!).

Got parents here this weekend, just been shopping with Mum & M for M's first shoes, awww. They only a choice of 2 yukky pink styles so I chose the less yuk ones, sure DH will not be impressed when he sees them later, but M is chuffed

An afternoon with Molly:

((in tescos))

Me: Molly which flavour fruit pots would you like? They have plum, strawberry or apple?

Molly: strawberry

Me: are you sure?

Molly: I want strawberry

((buys strawberry fruit pots))

((on way home))

Me: Molly you can have a snack when we get home, what would you like either an orange or a fruit pot?

Molly: I know what I want, let me give you a clue....it's round and juicy

Me: ok you want an orange

Molly: well, I will have an orange if it's big and round and juicy with no pips in

Me: I might not be able to tell if it has no pips in

Molly: I don't like pips and it must be very big and round and juicy
((goes on in this vein all the way home))

((get home and none of the oranges pass the Molly test))

Molly: I think I will have a fruit pot. I want a plum one.

Me: Molly we bought strawberry ones today, remember you chose them.

Molly: mummy I want plum ((wailing louder))

Me: we only have strawberry ones

Molly: mummy you are so mean, you should have got plum ones!!!
((sinks to the floor screaming))

I leave the room....

Forgot to add a 10min bit in the middle where after offered a choice of snack M wants both

We have a 10 min explanation that she cannot have both, she must choose one or the other.....

Is anyone elses DC this exhausting???

Oh. Sounds very familiar.

S went for it in the awkward stakes in every way possible after school. I remained admirably calm but felt that Time Out was not the way to go after the other day. I decided just to roll with it. She worked herself gradually up to screaming again and I just carried on pottering round, taking D upstairs if I felt I was getting angry. Eventually she screamed a bit less and I went and gave her a cuddle and she sobbed out, 'It's just I'm trying to make you cross and I can't do it.' Which I followed with, 'Ok. So what shall we do now. Do you want to eat your dinner?' (which she had point blank refused to touch) She said yes and went to sit at the table and said, 'I think I definitely need help though.' Which I gave her. Then we cuddled. I quite liked it as a strategy. NO less screaming but less engagement with it made it much easier.

IT does seem she simply needs a cry after school. If I just let her do it, it's all a lot easier.

Anyone else encountered this?

I remember Joshua just coming home and screaming and screaming, it went on for ages in fact all of the first term and a half iirc.

In the end I had to tell him to go to his room and he could come downstairs when he was ready to stop (otherwise he would be lying on the floor in the middle of the kitchen or something).

I guess it is tiredness as they have to concentrate all day at school and need some outlet in a way if that makes sense.

It is a big adjustment starting school all day and whilst Molly is more than ready academically I do think she will struggle with tiredness in a major way as she is totally knackered just doing 8.50 till 11.20 every day at nursery school.

I remember that.

She started needling straight away today. I just told her that I understood she needed to cry after school and it was fine with me, I wasn't going to stop her. It was a lot better Still pretty tired and niggly.

How are you Simpson?

How's everyone else?

Ugh Simpson. You have my symapthies for the next time you are ill. DH is away and I've come down with the kids' tummy bug. Today is a grind though the kids are being great. How on earth will I do the school run tomorrow?

Don't worry about tomorrow until tomorrow iyswim you might feel better after a good nights sleep, fingers x.

Hope you feel better soon though as its horrid being sick when you have the kids by yourself.

Nothing major to report here, Joshua did his yr2 sats last week and said they were ok.

Molly got the WOW award at nursery (work of the week) so she gets a certificate and her name printed in the school newsletter, she was most proud!!!

Forgot to say exH is on the scene again ((sigh)) he rang me out of the blue last week and wants to ring me every wk to hear how the kids are. I have said yes as long as he is sober and does not ask to speak to the kids.

Also he confirmed his sisters mobile number to me and it was her that texted me on his birthday....

Well done sticking to your guns Simps. See how long he lasts with the simple plan of ringing you every week. TBH I think he gets pushed by the females in his family to show an interest and that he is not really that bothered himself.

LaTrucha how are you?

Well done Simpson. What a chore for you though. I suppose you'll see how interested he is, week on week.

I'm ok. Feeling a bit better today. Taking it easy while D at nursery. Getting him at one. A friend is picking up S.

Hi all :)

How's the house MM? Is N enjoying the new place?

Sounds like you're doing all the right things, Simpson - although I don't know how you manage it :) :)

LaT - hope you feel better soon. I was just about to ask if someone could help with the school run today. Tamara went through a phase of being utterly impossible after all day at nursery. I wrote you a long replay last week but my laptio keeps crashing, and I lost it....but basically, I totally agree with you that they need a lot of love to get them through it, along with some space to have a bit of a strop and get it out of their systems if needed. Its not fun, but it does pass.....(....ever heard that before??!!!! )

Ari and Tamara had a whole Olympic themed sports day at the local stadium today....I was so [grr] that the school did it a week before a religious festival (next Monday, here comes the cheesecake...!) so I couldn't go as I really can't be off work 2 Mondays in a row.....:( They really seem to think that all the mums just hang around all day having their nails done, and can be there at the drop of a hat for anything.....(actually, most of them can....) Bless my dad for going along this morning for 2 hours on his way into the office and cheering them on - then phoning me with a full report :) :) Tamara came second in the running race !!

And (to finish the proud mum part of this report) A just got a Merit in his LAMDA exam :)

Our plumber and builders haven't been in since the beginning of last week - so we now have hot water and heating, but loads left to do....and I can't get the house straight cos they're still working in 4 rooms....the mess is driving me mad!

Nathan's done a wee on the potty this morning - clever boy. I could see he did it consciously, on request, so he may be able to slowly lose the nappies (not all kids with cp can become dry, it depends on which muscles are affected).

That's great Madmouse . I bet he'd love that too.

Any ideas, I have just started a thread under primary education entitled "DS is worried his heart is going to stop"

Can't link sorry

MM - yey for N!! That's such an achievement. Sometimes I feel we might be close to toilet success with H, as far as weeing goes anyway. But I cannot see how we will ever get him to sit on a toilet (or mini toilet thing we've already got just in case). I guess it will come, one day.
His big news at the moment is that he's able to drink out of an open cup, at last I couldn't imagine that happening anytime soon either.

Simps - will have a look in a mo.

Filly - yey for A in his exam & for T in her running race :)
Glad the builders are out for a while at least.

LaT - hope you feel better by now?

Got a visit to H's school later for a messy play session, have been to one before but M wasn't crawling then....yes she is finally crawling, the slowcoach. Life is a little bit hectic at the mo as she cruises but can't sit down (on purpose anyway!), crawls but can't get into a crawling position from her tummy & still can't do anything if she's lying on her back. So lots of shouting. From her I hasten to add!
Plus lots of use of the No word too.

Off to a picnic tea in the park after school which should be lovely as it means we won't have to hurry home for teatime, and if it's like yesterday evening it will be so nice to just stay outside :)

No more potty success since the first...

Anyone got Tesco clubcard points lying around? They're offering £25 for every £5 deals on a lot of major attractions. Just ordered Legoland tickets for £7.50 in points each.

How is everyone???

All good here except J's anxieties are still bad and he asked to go and talk to the doctor tonight so guess I have to make an appt over half term....

M being the usual handful and got into trouble last week at nursery for shouting in her teachers face. They seemed quite shocked by her behaviour when they told me about it but I had to explain that this is what she is like at home unfortunately!!! She had to spend some time in the thinking chair, she was NOT impressed!!!

She did got the WOW award on Friday (work of the week) at nursery so that perked her up (for her reading).

The kids have a 4 day week this week as its teacher training on Friday although M has an OT appt on the Friday. Then it's half term but Molly is off for 2 weeks as they are doing building work in her nursery classroom, am panicking slightly about what to do with her for that extra week.

Also 2 of her best friends will not be starting reception in sept with her (I have not told her yet as its too far off and not sure if the kids themselves know they are moving and M would be likely to tell them!!) but she is going to be gutted....

Sorry I'm flaking out on here. Was going to go on Fb and tell you all why but it feels a bit overly dramatic.I'm around.

Simpson - I had a similar thing with S and her two best friends not moving up when she did. It's been fine. I think it's so exciting and different that she might miss them but won't think bout it most of the time.

JKS - can't believe how big your little one is!

Filly - v glamorous FB pic. Wooo hooo

Madmouse - I know hte issue is completely different, but S was physically able to do it a year before she actually could do it, IYSWIM. May be a slow burner?