Fab Feb 2011: Walking, talking and still not sleeping.

[blizy]

I hope you don't mind me starting a new thread? Lets hope it's a lucky one for me.

blizy - I'm thinking of you today, it's so bloody unfair isn't it?

L seems completely unbothered by having a full nappy, always has. I'll be getting a potty after we move but definitely not attempting toilet training in the near future.

The house is empty, just doing some last minute cleaning while DH is taking the cats to the petshipper. He convinced me he should do it since I feel so guilty about it but I really think he's just wanting to avoid the cleaning. We hand the keys back at 1:30, do some banking, collect L from nursery, quickly stop by work with a thank you note, then away to the swanky Travelodge by the airport. Early flight tomorrow morning but not early enough that L will sleep through it. I need a fecking holiday after all this.

Oh Expat, I had a sudden whoosh of sadness at you leaving the country tomorrow then remembered i don;t actually know you in rl and that you will (yes you will) still come on here to chat...won;t you? Good luck with the move. Photos of your new house please when you can??

Ledkr, I'd def be up for a meet up in the October hols if you all are. I can make the Thursday or Friday only tho

Blizy, sometimes life just sucks and is really cruel. I don;t know what else to say to help you feel better but hope your relaxing today and taking it easy.

Darn it, can't remember what y'all have said on the previous page!!
Love to you all anyway x

Hello, sorry I haven't posted for such a long time. Summer has been crazy here but it is almost over. A is back at school next week! Had a lovely time in the UK though it rained almost the entire 3 weeks. Met up with the lovely Four4 and her gorgeous family, but that feels like a lifetime ago.

Just read the last couple of pages. How have you all been? So sorry it hasn't happened for you yet blizy. It's so unfair.

Best of luck with the move american. An exciting new chapter! Will you be changing your username?
Hope the ears stop bleeding soon, ponyo (hope that is right). I did my teacher training in Nottingham, but in schools outside the city. Which is your closest secondary?
Wish we had uniforms too wiggles, I bet the girls looked gorgeous.
Poor Dilly not being taken to work with you ledkr!

Sammy's latest phrase is ready steady go.
Well done Deb on woman of the year! How did your meet up go reastie?

Sorry if I have missed anyone, have missed you all and thought of you lots over the summer. xxx

american best of luck with the journey, sweetheart. Remember as log as L isn't the loudest on the plane, you'll be fine. If needs be nip another child xxxx

Emski I know what you mean - I said to Mr W "Annas birthday twin is moving back to the US" and he informed me that he believes they might just have the internet there He got a look and then a giggle!

Tadjennyp yay lovely to hear from you, glad you had a good holiday home. Hope your 3 are doing well?

We went to a drum circle thing today - it was for charity - bloody kids loved it. You know how I don't do organised activities - well the girls are "joiners". Its revenge for me avoiding people, I've got 3 friendly children It was really good fun actually - I didn't partake of the drumming, on account of me having no idea of keeping time, seriously I can't clap in time but the girls had a go and Mr W even joined in although he's about to hit the gin

I have put a photo up of the school uniforms and obviously children.

Oh wiggles I think I nearly shed a tear at the sight of your girls in their school uniform! I'll prob be bawling at the gates when A starts primary Well done on the organised fun, I find it much easier to be sociable now I have A for some reason, she is my social crutch

ledkr ooh yes lets organise another meet up :) Do you know when the half tern is yet?! We can see how slim Deb is then

emksi I'm thurs or fri only too

american woah things have all of a sudden gone hectic for you by the sounds of things, safe flight!

Tadj hiya! did you work at any schools in nottingham? our closest secondary is a new academy, its called djanogly near the forest ground, it is rough as anything, yuk. Our friends son went there, he got bullied and they had to move him. There are a lot of gangs there, our neighbour was on security there and he left his job as he said it was only a matter of time before a child got seriously hurt/killed there :( Anyway! I'm sure we'll be moved by then Hm it rained here the whole time, what a surprise for summer in england

I'm watching the great british bake off and really like the posh old man, aww :) Been at work today and again tomo, A is at nursery tomorrow which I think she is looking forward to. Every question you ask her she answers "yep" with a solemn look and a nod, unless of course its tidying up

I've been naughty again and not caught up for ages and feel really bad. I have no time normally in the day to wipe my nose let alone come and be nosy. At night I'm either passed out or with friends so I just don't think about it.

We're all ok though, Freya is finally walking when she wants to though is still really unsteady. She is still tiny and is still in 9-12 month clothes and size 2 shoes. She is a little madam though with a right attitude and forever climbing.
She's had a really bad case of chicken pox and was covered from head to toe.

Tom is not so great still very disturbed and angry. He's a very sad little boy at the moment and its not often I hear him laugh and i miss it. He is really insecure and so scared of people leaving him, that he only trusts 3 people and even then he constantly needs reassurance. We have had a few cases of him taking his frustration out on Freya and I but i just try and stay consistant which is more than I can say for twat face.

How is everyone else?

Hello me dears (sorry, just channelling Auntie Mabel there)
hubbard nice to hear from you, I'm sure you are seriously busy with two little ones.poor Tom. it sounds v trite but time is a great healer and I think you are getting through the worst of it. My dad was a completely inconsistent absentee and I am actually not that messed up considering, I do admire my mum a lot for coping the way she did. Your two will seriously look up to you when they are older, and all the shit you are dealing with will pay off in spades x
wigglesthe girls in their swanky uniforms are adorbs! Secretly like the formal uniform as opposed to sweatshirt and polo top combo our school favours! Love the mental image of you at the drumming session :)
tad hiya! You have survived summer then? Glad you enjoyed the UK despite the rubbish weather....
expat hope flight etc goes smoothly, looking forward to hearing from you when you're all settled in x
blizy your weekend sounded great glad you had fun. Sorry that you felt low, its another milestone isnt it. x lots of love x
ledkr hi missis, lovely to have you back :)
Big hello to everyone else :)
Got the end of hols feeling here, ie sewing on endless nametapes and rushing about for last minute things. DD1 will be going to school barefoot at this rate as she has rejected every black flat shoe in Nottingham. Too pointy, too wide, too gross. And DS has discovered the joys of the mirror - he made me buy a pot of hair wax and a tailcomb and does his hair about fifteen times a day. I blame the foxy blonde hairdresser who cut his hair last week and informed him that he was going to break hearts one day. As for cass, she has discovered a new noise - Oooooh! Which she uses about everything. Adorable :)

Morning, am taking the girls to get their school haircuts , plus Anna and Emma [yikes], too early for gin?

MizK S has given me strict instructions about how much can be taken off her hair , we also had a mild school shoe issue

Talk to you later if I've survived - ps Mr W took S & O to see Brave yesterday - they all loved it

wiggs I also have a mild shoe issue here in that Ella wants brogues but only the 45 pound pair she saw in the posh shop I found some in next nearly the same for half the price but "she doesnt like that bit" grrr its literally a shiney edging.Fussy caaaahhhh.
Is anyone finding it hard now with the mixed ages and the babies "ruining my game" D is a total pita but Ella over reacts to everything making it more fun for D to annoy her.
I meant to say too that D is now the worlds best eater and sleeper!!! Total contrast to a few weeks ago. She sleeps from 7-7.30 and was so hungry this morning she drank her porridge from the bowl
I have to keep remembering to offer food as she was totally unbothered before.
Those with older girls (only misk i think) my Ella has started to develop. Literally overnight she has little breast buds. She was topless in france and had no sign. She is still skinny,about 5 stone,so how long does it all take? Do things move rapidly or quite slowly? I feel quite sad about it all but also quite excited about being responsible for raising a young woman to be independent and strong iyswim?
hubbard Just give him strong consistent boundaries,he needs them more than ever.Allow him to talk and try to be as positive as possible re knobhead your ex. I used to say "gosh Daddy must have forgotten to come,lets ring him because i know he must want to see you so much" It stuck in my throat but its worth it. I had an errant father and am totally left out by my Mum but im ok (twitches and rocks) haha. Seriously let him be sad and angry,just support him through it and he will come out the otherside.

Hi all,

hubbard good to hear from you. Btw you are looking fab at the min from the piccies on fb although I know you're going through tough times. Freya looked really cute walking btw. It must be really tough having 2 littlies on your own especially with Thomas reacting like that.

wiggles simply love the piccies of the school uniform, they are simply too sweet. Hope they survived the haircuts OK.

ledkr obv can't offer any advice re: growing up but I loved your comment on bringing up a confident independent young woman. Complete of D being a good sleeper suddenly, but you deserve it after all the problems with her eating and feeding over the past 18 months. Speaking of sleep, Alice is rubbish at the minute. We moved her into big girls bed in the hope it would help. It hasn't! I was up for an hour and a half during the night with her and then she was up at 6 . Not looking forward to this when I'm back to work. Oh, and pic of slim deb on my profile.

mizk your big ones are getting all grown up now aren't they

ponyo I'm loving the bake off too, Mary Berry is my fave (is that allowed!). She's been my cook book goddess for years - better but more underrated than Delia Smith IMO.

American come back when you can and tell us all the traumas of the trip!

tad great to 'see' you. Do any American children wear school uniform btw? DH and I were having this discussion the other day (although can't remember why). IMO uniforms are a good thing

blizy how are you?

Have made cheese scones with Alice today - she loves cooking . We are just about to make a pizza together for dinner

In other news, I've got about 80% of my Christmas presents already [organised]

Thanks for the welcome back ladies!
The girls look seriously cute wiggles, very sweet. Some of the private schools here wear uniforms reastie. They're mostly Christian and about the only way they would mention the word Christmas at school.
Poor Tom, Hubbard, but you are doing a fantastic job with them.
I used to live on Alfreton Rd Ponyo so the old Forest School was just around the corner. Don't think I'd want my kids going there either. I taught in Hucknall and Chilwell though, so not too bad.
Sympathies for shoe shopping with girls. A's not too fussy at the moment and long may it last.
I wish I was a good baker. My curries are good though!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We're going to Astoria on the coast where they filmed the Goonies. I've told dh I am going on the tour. Does anyone remember that film?
Bye for now!

welcome back tad I missed you! Wow I am so of the Goonies tour, I LOVE that film!

reastie Im ok, thanks for asking. Busy, busy with work and paperwork. I had the 2 babies today ( 19 months and 7 months) and my 4 after schoolers, I'm tired out now!

I will have a look at wiggles/reasties pics later, im just on for a wee catch up.

ledkr well done to Dilly, finally caught on to the sleep thing!
Good luck with the shoe shopping.

Poor Alfie cat is going for the ball chop tomorrow morning, I am stupidly nervous about him not waking from the anaesthetic!

I am trying to get a GP appointment, think I will give the AD's a try.

Right got to go get ready, out to fil's for dinner (such fun).

tad I've never seen the goonies...actually....I think I may have seen it dubbed in some foreign lingo when I was on holiday in Ireland when I was little mat be completely wrong though . When I read Astoria I thought of the gay club in London and thought you were off there

blizy glad you're OK. Defo give the ADs a go.

Thought this would give you a giggle. Saw a little girl and her gm at Alice's gym class today - little girls DM was due another baby any day now so asked the gm if there was any news. She had had a boy and called him Oliver......fine and all but her DD is called Olivia. Can you imagine?! Oliver and Olivia

Tad, I love, love the Goonies. Best film ever! Please post pics of the tour if you can?!

Reastie, am loving the great British bake off, have even bought the book from last year and plan to make the Victoria sponge on the weekend. I love baking but am not too good at it! Urm to Olivia and Oliver,how strange!

Blizy,good luck for Alfie's ball chop tomorrow. Tinkerbell has had all her vaccinations now and can go outside but I'm terrified she'll go out and not come back!

Led, loving hearing the stories of D and so pleased she's finally sleeping better for you!

Hubbard, I keep up with you and the little ones on fb. Poor Tom, it must be hard for him, and you. I second Ledkrs fantastic advice.

Not much to tell at this end. Usual chaos here, dh working loads and contstantly stressed out, boys are fab but so hyper and full of energy!

Thanks for all the advice ledkr, I do ring him but the twat never answers. He's moved the other side of Birmingham now with a woman he met on the net, he moved in with her a week after he met her, not really met her but she seems nice I just think its a bit strange that a woman would allow a man to move in so quick. Even when Freya had chicken pox I had to send him picture proof that she had it. Even then he never asked how she was, he just frustrates me so much.

I'm really trying with tom but sometimes he has me in tears as he sometimes says he only loves daddy not me and why doesn't daddy love him anymore. I just keep telling him I love him and trying to reassure him and hope he comes out the other side.
Thanks for the compliment reastie I've lost nearly 5 stone and I'm so much happier in my self now. I've even started dating again.
I've never watched the goonies either.

Hey hubbard sending lots of love xx Tom will get there - honestly, he has you, he'll always have you.

Tad as well about the Goonies. Mr W would be beside himself

reastie I know of Olivia and Oliver siblings but they're Liv and Ollie.

Well hairs all cut, Liv Lou looks really grown up [sob], Sofia was paranoid I was going to get her hair all cut off , she's quite vain, takes after her Dad. Anna loved getting her hair cut, she sat really still and kept touching her hair after it was done.

emski We are keeping Alfie as a house cat, I live beside a rather buy road and there are loas of foxes about here. I am a bit about it.

wiggles gorgeous photos, Anna looks so grown up and very much like Olivia!

hubbard Tom will grow up to be a well adjusted boy, he has you. You are the constant and he will always remember that. I don't how you must be feeling, Your ex needs a good slap and a reality check, my DH would kill for what he has.

Shall try and take photos and restrain myself from shouting 'One-eyed Willie, he
was here!'
Went to a great gay club in Munich when I was a student, reastie. Boys in tiny leather hotpants podium dancing, is all I will say!

Good luck with Alfie tomorrow blizy. I remember getting our rabbit Bob done. He was not a happy bunny for a few days.

Poor Tom, hubbard. Keep hugging him and he will get there in the end. for you.

I just dropped Alfie off at the Vets, he was looking at me with huge sad eyes Can't wait to have him back home tearing the place up!

tad Dh and I have a friend who kinda looks like Sloth from the Goonies, "Hey you Guys* .

I'm off shopping now, it's my dbro's 18th birthday tomorrow .

Hope you all have a good day. x

blizy good luck with the shopping - I know how much you love it Alfie will be fine - we had a cat for years before the kids and dog - he was a flat then a house then an outside cat and he was grand being a flat cat

tadjennyp enjoy your weekend xx

Hi all, just a quick one whilst A is sleeping...

blizy aww poor Alfie! Snip! sorry Hope the shopping is fun...

tadj ooh I live just off Alfreton rd! Now you understand why we need to move for when A starts school I love the goonies too, we have a photo of A when she was about 6 months old where she looks Sloth, haha. Report back, hope the tour is good!

reastie love that you and A are baking. Does she help then? I feel like A would just chuck it about if I did baking. Maybe I should just try it...

hubbard good advice from ledkr and others, really feel for you :( F is titchy isn't she, I though A was small! Bless her.

Hi everyone else, A is stirring a bit so I'll just say that I met the lovely MizK and Cass yesterday, and her boy Joe too who is the sweetest chap, he was such a proud big brother to Cass and very sweet to A too. What a star!
Also I had my hair cut yesterday but think I'm going to go back and have it chopped off shorter, that the exciting news from my end. Better go and get a's lunch on.. back later xx

Hello everyone

blizy hope Alfie survived The Chop, he'll need lots of cuddles this evening :)

tad hello, we've missed you. Are the kids back at school now?

expat hope you're settling in!

reastie buggeration to Alice's sleep, I had high hopes of the bed working :(

hubbard 5 stone hot damn girl, bet you look amazing, well done. Stay strong for Tom :)

ponyo pics of hair please

DH has gone away for the weekend to his mate's in Dorset, they're going to the steam fair there. He used to go a lot when he was younger and down about a pint an hour- nowadays he manages a half of shandy in one evening, normally he just drinks coke. He's going to be pushed home in a wheelbarrow isn't he...

deb I saw the comment on fb re: getting married 7 years ago and did a huge

ponyo Alice seriously loves cooking. We've made and iced shortbread biscuits today although I've only let her eat one with raisins on top with no icing as I'm a mean mummy and was scared of the sugar rush that may ensue . I don't really get her to make the mix, I do that quickly myself, then she has been rolling the mixtures out and shaping them with cutters and spreading on toppings etc (with help obv). Infact, she spent 10 minutes this morning just squeezing the biscuit mixture in her hands. This morning she got flour on her hands and I said 'spread the flour over the table ready to roll out the biscuits' and she did it - I didn't think she'd understand me! She looks really proud of her food and gets very excited to show DH when he comes home what she's made .We've done it most days this week and I do it on the dining room table with a big oil cloth on the floor (we also have oilcloth on the table anyway) and she stands on a regular chair. She has her own little apron (although she insisted on wearing mine today!) and we sing the 'I can cook' songs while we cook

blizy any update on Alfie? I'm sure he'll be fine

tad now I bet there's a great story there re: the Munich gay club!

Hello. The flight wasn't an absolute nightmare but L had an absolute meltdown two or three times and screamed the place down. Lovely Aer Lingus put us in the bulkhead seats with no one else in the row so there was no hair pulling of the person in front of us. I think we have a flat sorted, it's a bit rubbish but we're aiming to buy a house next summer so trying to save money. We're staying with DH's aunt at the moment and her house is absolutely massive, literally 5 times bigger than our house in the UK. The heat is unbearable, it was 30C yesterday and I have no summer wardrobe.

blizy - Don't worry about Alfie staying in. Our cats have always been housecats (v common here) and are fine.

Must get going, will be back later to update on my exciting life.

American- yikes to the flight, leo is a little monkey!

Alfie is home, Henie fine although very confused and walking funnily!