Dec 08 Mums - Breech babies, bedtimes, boozing and Bikram

[KiwiPanda]

Um sorry about rubbish title

Oh and LadyT do you have an iphone? If you do, selling on the ebay app is really easy, less faffy than doing in on the computer I think.

Having my own school nightmare now. DD1 moved down to the bottom group for Maths. She is very miserable. I am being very positive, although I could cry as it's taken ages to build her confidence in Maths and it's now plummeted again.

Why is life so very difficult right now?! Hope you are all having a better day.

Kiwi - childcare costs a shocker. Huge sympathies and buckets of gin.

Oh Lord, they really do push us all to the limit, eh? I'm sorry for those of you with littles having a tough time at school. And for those who are being difficult! DD1 up at 5.30am today and wondering why she's so whingey and miserable now. DD2 no sleep today and screeching at everything. Me too. I have had enough. Feel like throwing in the towel. YAWN.

I know it's early but can I offer you all some ?

I'll take a few bottles thanks Sybs! Today DS only poked a few kids but was really defiant. Since picking him up he has bit me, scratched me & spat at me.

DD weeping on and off all day acc. to her teacher but she wouldn't say why and he couldn't put his finger on any troubles with friends. Bless him he's only 24, super enthusiastic and he seems genuinely worried about her.

At swimming lessons, DH 'dealing' with DS at home. Hopefully back later x

When the children play me up like that, I try to ignore or be really calm, even though throttling seems like the best option. Could DD have had a falling out iwth a pal? DD1 sometimes has these run ins which cause all manner of problems but which she is usually reluctant to discuss.

Hope thngs are calm going to bed for you. Am about to start shortly. Knackered! Them and me!

Same here. All of us on shit form and me v shouty. Unfairly usually. Shit parenting skills. At least there was enough of a gap in weather to get outside. Phew. Short walk. Not in Hindu Kush. Or however you spell it.

I have joined a running group in an attempt to make friends. Some mums from Izzy's Playgroup run 4 miles on Tuesday mornings together. I have brazenly asked if I can join them and they were too polite to say no. Apparently the only condition is that you're not allowed to run too fast so that you can't chat. Brilliant!!! My kind of running! Bugger work for an hour. I have so much on and so much else to do. But making local friends is vital to my sanity!!

I have decorated the playroom with stick on butterflies. Very badly. Oh dear.

Beans, I can't think of a lovelier friend right now, so those mums are very lucky to have you. Bugger work. You can make it up at some other point if need be.

I am sure the weather and the general cooped up feelings it engenders is not helping. Roll on a dry spell for us all.

Right, get my boy out of his dress and into the bath. He said he'd have liked to be a girl called Lily. There is clearly too much oestrogen in the Towers this evening.

Ha! I like the thought of the dress. V sweet. Matching his pink crocs??

Is it bad that I've put exhausted 22 month old in her cot screaming? She is so very very tired, but is yelling the house down. Feeling terrible as I hear the screams over Beauty and The Beast with DD1.

And kind words, thanks. DD2 out cold. Breath still hitching with weeping sleep. Feel so bad, poor thing. But knackered bear = miserable her and everyone else!!!

[runs in, snatches wine, runs back to baby and downs it while feeding her]

DS1 proudly told me today that he went in the naughty book for fighting and he won

Ruddy child, he isn't so impressed now that I have told him he can't play on the wii.

[looks sadly at ]

Kiwi I'm quite excited about my marmalade. I made it because we got kumquats in our organic fruit bag so after Ds2 & I peeling one and trying it, we decided best plan was to dump a load of sugar with them and boil em up into marmalade. We've had a little taste and it is quite yummy, was a little sweet but hoping it will get a little tarter in jar. DS2 & I are mad marmalade fans so i think our 8 jars will be gone pretty soon. I wish I was friends with WG's earth mother friend who uses jars for glasses as I didn't have many for the marmalade, we had just taken a load to the recycling bin thing. I had to use one of those nutella glasses with the little white push on lid. I know it's not really a proper lid but it has suctioned in and as I said we'll eat it pretty quickly.

Sybs ds2 always wants to be the female characters whenever he and ds1 act out the movies they watch or cbeebies shows. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything, but I think I'd quite like one of them to be gay, I have this stereotypical idea of being adored by a gay son and his husband. I think I can handle that better than a DIL.

Beans I can't imagine anything nicer than a run with you on a Monday morning.

Oh I only had one more PT session left tomorrow and he's had to postpone it. Oh well at least I won't wee on the treadmill. I have another bootcamp session on Saturday morning it's on the beach, hopefully not too much hopping.

Did you ladies actually read the article I linked on FB. My friend who wrote is getting a little disheartened with all the free articles she is writing to get a name for herself as a journalist/writer so I thought I'd give her a little boost.

Mmm am drooling at thought of marmalade-laden toast, Vag. I made kumquat vodka with a batch once,
That was nice . Also you can use it in savoury recipes too..

So far today I have got soaked through twice, gone out in shoes that turn out to have holes in the bottom (I learned this when going through puddles ) and gone to meet a friend for coffee but forgotten my purse. Better not do anything risky eh?

I don't really like marmalade. Terrible. I'm a marmite girl and have had 2 slices of marmite on toast for breakfast every day for years and years. Unless I'm hungover then it's a fry-up. But that's about the size of it, apart from holidays.

Just been to the MOST fantastic birthday party. A new friend from DD1's playgroup. She used to be a model and is the kindest person, ever. Happy to say that although her face is just beautiful, she has spread out round her bottom and hips, just like ME! Happy days! And wow, she is a lovely person. She invited us having only met us twice and actually no one else from playgroup. The party was brilliant and their house is just gorgeous. I am incredibly envious. Beautifully old and higgledy piggledy with an Aga and a HUGE living room and party room. Perfect. Loved it. The girls had a total ball and her Mum did the singing for entertainment with a guitar and then pass the parcel. Such lovely generous presents and it was clear so much work had gone in, but they made it seem effortless. They're coming for dinner on Tuesday - hope they become friends!!! Was horrified to find that she's 7 years younger than me! not really horrified, but assumed we were the same age!

Girls are now both fast asleep in the car, which is great. I am letting them snooze on as DH home early tonight and he'll want to play with them for ages, so I'd like them to be on good form and me not fretting that they need to go to bed.

Off to see Mum and Dad tomorrow for lunch - yay! Dad said he's finally turned a corner and is starting to feel a bit better and has a bit of an appetite. We're buying their passat off them too. Then friends coming to stay Saturday night, which will be lovely.

Think I'll get the little birds up now and go for a muddy welly walk. Kiwi - have your feet dried up yet?? Poor you!

That sounds lovely, Beans! We too have an old and higgledy piggledy house, it was built in the 1790s (some of it!). But it's not large, has a small living room and is a funny shape! I am off for a "wine and puddings" evening with some of the local power mums. Ha! I don't like puddings. But I expect I can manage a glass of wine...And tomorrow I am helping to run our pre-school stall (of kids clothes) at the monthly church sale. Get me. But the pre-school politics are still absolutely EYE WATERING and I seem to be straggling two groups of mums, who don't like each other. I wonder how long I can go on doing so. The trouble is, I like both factions. Ho hum. It's lovely to have a few local pals, though, isn't it? However vague (in my case). And we are setting up a monthly drink in the pub as well.

Kayz, I did smile at your sadly eyeing up the Many sympathies.

I did read that article, Vag. It seemed to be implying I was a borderline alkie Good luck to your pal, and how nice to give her a boost. I find marmalade too sweet but I love the peely bits!

I hope today has improved, DB. Weekend tomorrow...am hoping your DD cheers up and your DS can let off some steam at home. and more

Rubes, are you home now?

Has anyone else been watching Homeland? I just started watching last night and it's smashing

Have hit a snag with the Ebaying. My account says I can only sell 10 items a month. I have applied to extend my selling limits (I have only sold one thing and got good feedback) but until they say yes (and what are they likely to extend it to?) I can't put anything else on. Annoying! KP, I don't have an iPhone but thanks for the tip. (And I might have a go at the cucumber pickle. Thank you).

Oh, check out Yellow Moon for lovely crafty stuff for kids. I bought DD1 some white mugs and porcelain pens to decorate them with (you bake on the designs). They have all manner of stuff and it's not £££.

Lady the article was meant to be more 'why the hell can't we have a bloody drink when we fancy it, just because we are mums' but I think the site made her add a bit on responsible drinking etc and she had to put the thing at the end on alcoholic issues. She is finding she gets edited to buggery and often the articles barely resemble what she originally wrote. The ameretto reference was me and its our bookclub. Not sure what the other bookclub ladies will think. Also I'm not sure what the girl who she made the cocktails reference about will think. She is the one that prompted the idea for the article. We were at the authors house at about 4pm on a Monday the kids were all playing and the author offered us a glass of white. This lady was genuinely shocked that we were thinking of having a glass of wine. Yet on a Friday night she can drink us under the table, and she is Irish!

Wow am shattered, we had a friend of DS1's and DS2's over from their respective schools. Plus the friend of DS2's mum came over later for a cuppa. Then they all left at 3pm and we had to race off for violin group lesson. It was 5.15 by the time we came out of violin so they had a treat of burger and chips at a little department store restaurant nearby. I'm a bit against McDonald's, but sometimes I wish I wasn't as it would be so easy to pop in and get them a happy meal. But the burger looked nice & had loads of tomato and salad greens and was fresh cooked so I guess that is good. But no free toy, although the lady gave them a mountain of mini marshmellows in their babyccinos.

It's a long weekend hear because its Queen's day on Monday. The Dutch go mental on Queen's day, truely burko, but this year may be a little subdued as one of the prince's was in a skiing accident in February and is in coma which they don't think he'll ever recover from. Oh well at least DH has the day off and the boys are on school holidays for the next week, yay.

Beans that lady sounds lovely, I bet she is thinking the same thing about you. Have you ever driven your parents Passat? Give it a little test drive if you haven't. We had a passat as a interim hire car when we first came here and it felt really heavy to drive, like a tank. Very big inside though, good for kids, but just may take a bit of getting used to. Are your parents going to buy a new car? I'm so glad your dad is feeling better, how is your mum?

Kiwi, I blew the diet this morning and had buttery marmaladey toast, yum yum, wish I could send you a little jar. I actually have one tiny jar as I was scraping up jars to put it in and found a tiny old capers jar.

Lady, funny you say that about the marmalade sweetness, I was wondering if there is a way of making it even more tart, does anyone know, can I add less sugar or will that make it less jellyish.

Well heres hoping the weekend brings nice weather.

Oh and Lady, i love the mugs idea, I'm going to have a look to see if they send them over here.

Re yellow moon - I bought white tiles and the pens for DD1 to decorate for family for Christmas. Really good.

Beans I always assume I'm younger than people I meet as in my mind I'm still 26 :) I've aged so much having children. I've got scowl lines. Sob.

Arrgghh, grow spurts. Someone please tell me that it will pass. DD2 has been feeding madly since Tuesday, I've never known one go on for so long. I feel like a superhero who has been drained of all her superpowers. Superboob is here to feed the world. So, so tired

Morning all! LadyT re ebaying, is it 10 items total or 10 of the same? I hit the latter limit - I think it's to stop fraud/fakes (eg people selling 35, ahem, "genuine" Mulberry bags at a time). If its the former though that does seem a bit odd.

Oops didn't mean to post yet. ZJ repeat "and this too will pass" ad infinintum! Sympathise though, growth spurts are grim... It'll suddenly be over very soon though.

I have running club this morning. Looking at the weather I think I might ditch the running shoes and bring a swimming costume and goggles instead. Only 4 weeks to my first 10k race - and have had a rubbish week for training.

LadyT You now have me obsessed with Yellow Moon. I LOVE craft sites and doing craft though I have to confess I am rubbish at letting DD1 do things in a 3 year old way and suppressing my desire to take over and do them "properly".. but this is a great site! I am bulk ordering googly eyes..

Oh and we are watching Homeland and enjoying it too - despite some fairly silly plot holes (not giving anything away there, just from teh start: he spends 9 (is it 9?) years in a hole and his debrief consists of one session in Germany and that's it??? Damien Lewis is rather hot though...

LOve that site. Kiwi I too suffer from the let me do it. But DS1 is now wise to it and spends all the time saying no Mummy I can do it.

ZJ ouch my boobs always felt like they were about to fall off during growth spurts. Sympathies.

Hello Lovely Ladies

ZJ - I do hope the Incredible Feeding Baby has calmed down and that Super Boob is getting some rest. i did not mind growth spurts with DD1 as I could just sit on the sofa watching box sets and never being required to move. DD1 once fed continuously through three episodes of 24. Sadly there is not so much scope for sitting around when you have two DCs.

Lady - I am so glad that you have a little group of local chums. Sorry about the politics of it all though. Thanks for the craft site tip. I will check it out. I did a sugarcraft class on Monday night (get me, the perfect housewife) and it was really fun (the wine helped) so I am going to get the girls decorating loads of cupcakes with sugarcraft butterflies this weekend. They are WILDLY excited.

Veg - I am with you on not taking the kids to MacDonalds or BurgerKing. So far they have no idea wheat those places are so there is no pressure. That might change though. They do love burgers though and are obsessed with a chain over here called Gourmet Burger Kitchen (burgers! crayons! milkshakes! what's not for a child to love?). DD1 did really well on a maths test this week and when I asked her what she wanted as reward for preparing so well she chose Gourmet Burger Kitchen so we are off for lunch there today.

Kiwi - Good luck with the training. I have had to really reduce my running due to the shoulder pain I described. I think I have really injured my shoulder which is a pain. I know what you mean about interfering with toddler craft and making it look neat. I am terrible at that. Although DD2 and I do a lovely art class with a very relaxing artist lady who is great at just letting the littles get on with it and enjoying the mess.

DB - How is your running going now with you sore leg? I am sorry that your DS has been so challenging this week. How is he when he is at home at the weekends? Is it pre-school that winds him up?

Cambridge girls (are you about JJ and SL????) - DH and I are having a "romantic' 24 hours in Cambridge on Tuesday/Wednesday (our nanny offered us a free overnight and we so wanted to take her up on it but could not afford a hotel - luckily DH's old college lets him have a free room). Can you recommend a really nice place for a long lazy breakfast/brunch? The kind of place with Eggs Florentine and really good coffee? I am not quite sure where DH's college is but I think its quite central (Corpus Christi). Also let me know if you have any tips for how we should amuse ourselves during the day if it is wet (Dh had promised to take me punting but I am guessing that won't happen).