Dec 08 Mums - still biffing on

[LadyThompson]

Yes, yes, it's a bit lame. I wanted to say: "Still fucking on!" but wary of causing offence....

I know 'biffing' is a bit PG Wodehouse, as well. You'll just have to humour me

4 times this week Jam, get you. I'm still so stuffed up but am looking forward to a run or two on the weekend in Maastricht. Two of the girls who are going are my running partners so we have planned to go out for a long run before hitting the buffet breakfast.

Great news beans!

Yeah that's one aspect about agencies. Apparently they try to always send your "preferred sitter" or the same one if enough notice. I think my kids need to get used to others tho. Beans did you ever get sent the same sitter like they claim? Think I'll go between using them and ds's lovely key worker from nursery .
Good effort Jammy. I never got into spinning. Bores me to tears. Anyone tried those power plates? New place opened near me with tanning power plate classes and massage - weird. But looks interesting

Wonderful Beans :)

Jolly yes they do garden on a plate, heaviest veg etc for children.

Body Balance was tough last night. Mean, sadistic tiny flexible instructor woman! (she is actually lovely).

Wow, you lot are so good on exercise front. Am jealous! I'm back to running regime next week. Have gone up to 11 stone 2. Not happy with it. That's basically 70kg. Grrrrr.

Rubes, yes, we nearly always had the same one, particularly if we booked early enough. The girls adored her and Izz was asking about her the other day. See used to let her stay up specially to see her. They're often nannies who need a bit more cash. I thought they were ace.

Went to our Playgroup committee meeting last night. Somehow have managed to end up in charge of maintenance. How the hell did that happen?? Luckily a lot of them are my friends, but I find the chairwoman v irritating. Part of me is jealous of her enormous house, but the other part hated the way she kept mentioning her outbuildings all being used and that they'd had a small music festival in their gardens last year and she couldn't help but mention their small orchard. I wanted to scream by the end of it!!! Never mind. Everyone else was lovely.

Off to do more boring shoe purchasing for the girls today. Yawn.

My mum has just sent me a link to something called findababysitter.com

We only use my parents for babysitting which we consider fair enough as a) we ask them I guess on average once a month, maybe twice. B) they live one mile away and do absolutely no other childcare/help whatsoever (have never been alone with DDs. Ever). So frankly I consider that a bloody cheek for her to send me it, but it might prove useful to someone else??

Kiwi, maybe she's a Mumsnetter and reading this.

That's hilarious Kiwi - that IS a bloody cheek! What's with G'parents these days?? Tell you what I won't be like that to my kids when they offer me time to spend with my G'kids.
We have a different problem in that mil always has to cross check her 2 diaries, then make sure she hasn't got a pub quiz etc etc, so we can't be arsed with all that and arrange nursery, then get the bloody 3rd degree about "why we didn't ask her first" and "she doesn't know how she feels about that" (when I've booked them an extra session at nursery and didn't ask her) but seriously, once at short notice, she asked us to cover the cost of her embroidery class she would miss!! We can't be dealing with cherry picking when she can help, so she's emergency only back up now.
My parents are less than ideal too (Mainly according to my brother) But they pretty much need a power point presentation as to why we need them, and then practically a signed copy in triplicate outlining the times etc about 3 bloody months in advance!
Anyway, I'm tired of relying on others.....
Thanks Beans, that makes me feel better about it all.

Hello! Still not caught up properly, my house is a tip and I need to get cleaning but can't be bothered! Oh well coffee it is then...

On the babysitting front we are very lucky my parents usually sleep the DC's at their house once a month, and are very good at last minute school pick ups etc. I'd be lost without them. I do think that we should find a babysitter though as we would like to go out maybe once a month more and I do feel bad asking mum, even though I know she would probably do it.

I put on 5lb on my hols . Have lost 2lb of it this past week, so its coming off. Need to get back into the swing of things or I'll undo all my hard work pre-holiday. Also off for another run tonight when DH home from work. I did just under 5 miles the other night and I probably could have walked it quicker. Nearly killed me!! But whatever I do will be undone by the wine/takeaway I'll no doubt have later on. Kiwi, your times on that running app are fab...your so fast!

X posts with Rubes...yes that's how I feel no matter how good my parents are I don't like being reliant on them, so really need to find someone local & reliable. DH has a couple of teen nephews that are sensible enough, might see how they feel about it....

Oh kiwi that is really funny! Was it just the link and nothing else?

L woke up a bit early again, only half an hour, but apart from that no dummy angst. Phew!

Indith I like the sound of garden on a plate!

Yes just the link!! I emailed back saying "is this a not very subtle hint??" and she wrote back saying "no, why would it be a hint?"

Errrr ...!?!

Hey I can't keep up either but we use sitters loads - really good. Use them to put the kids to bed. We usually have the same babysitter but we even used them in the Peak District last weekend in a yha. Kids were not asleep and wildly excited and climbing all over the bunkbeds but was fine! They went to sleep in the end.

My parents are excellent but miles away. They are having the kids for 4 days so dh and I can go to the pryenees mountain biking next week. I CANNOT WAIT! Oops sorry I mean I will miss my beautiful children.

Also kiwi v strange about your mum sending that link! We do know one teenager who babysits but she's not super local so we have to drive her home or have her stay over which is not ideal.

Ok so all of you who have sitters put your DCs to bed, do they not mind?? No one, literally no one had ever put DD1 to bed until the other month, when DH's parents did it, once, and she cried, a lot. So did DD2 but then she is only a baby so not surprising, she would cry if DH put her to bed, TBH, due to his annoying and entirely selfish lack of milk producing boobs

DD1 however would go mental if I suggested someone else would be putting her to bed. She's been getting a bit upset recently just because it's always me putting her to bed, as DH has been AWOL at the 'limpics for seemingly-forever. Is it because I've just never got her used to it? It is a pain because it means we can never go out to anything that starts before 8pm at the earliest... not together anyway!

ANyone got nice weekend plans? I'm going to an art class tomorrow morning which should be fun - DH has very nicely adjusted his working day tomorrow so I can go, then he's off to work in afternoon/ evening. Then Sunday I have my 10k race and then the 'limpics ARE FINALLY OVER HOORAY!!! DH then has TWO WEEKS OFF. Sorry I am a little overexcited at all the joint parenting we will be able to do and therefore how relaxing it will be and have gone capitals crazy.

No kiwi mine don't mind. Probably didn't start doing it regularly til I finished may leave so when ds was nearly 3 and dd 1. Probably just their temperament rather than cos you haven't done it. I don't think the sitters should mind but it's whether you feel happy with it if they are going to cry.

Thanks Summer - I'm def going to sign up with them - if you still use them shall i put down your details as someone who introduced me to the service? I think they give you something for free - can FB you with what I need but I think it's just an email address.

Kiwi I reckon you just have to get them used to it. My two have been put to bed by various family members in the past who, to be honest they don't really know so as good as strangers practically, and they seemed to be OK, but there isn't a boob factor involved I suppose. I'd go a bit hard arsed on them with it so you don't feel you can't get a sitter to do it if you need to iyswim.
Vag is a good example of how it is done! plus a foreign country thrown in, crikey, my hat goes off.

oops cross posted. Or of course it could be their temperament I haven't a clue. I will keep you all posted though of my findings with sitters.co ! We have a dinner in a couple of weeks and going to go out beforehand for a kind of trial.

Just to add, when I was nannying. I was on sitters books and always went to the same families. You will prob find they are all qualified childcare workers who want extra cash. And as a little tip you can go wrong with a sitter if you leave them a bag of something lovely to nibble on.

I'd be more than thrilled if you turned up jammy!

weather delightful, dh gone to get BBQ stuff

kiwi, mine are happy to be put to bed by anyone. I think it's just a case of doing it regularly so they get used to it. Makes life a lot easier if you want a bit of a social life or to go away for a weekend etc.

One of my lovely new friends is 9 weeks preggy. I am rather jealous. And another one is 3 months. But heart thing not 100% settled, so holding off for a bit. Had a lovely bonk with DH last night, though. And sister in law popping any day now.... Dog arriving in 3 weeks. Dear God.

Beans I think you and Jilly Cooper are the only people I've ever seen actually use the word bonk

You've seen through my disguise, Kiwi; I am, in fact, Jilly Cooper researching my latest bonkbuster!

Kiwi, the boys would go to bed for anybody. In fact they would probably leave with anyone too. I keep thinking about trying to explain the dangers of talking to people they don't know etc but also don't want to terrify them.

DD slept through last night and now when the boys are at their Dads she decides to wake up. Typical.

Kayz mine talk to anyone too. I think it is nice to be friendly and to chat to people. I tell them not to go anywhere with someone they don't know and not to go anywhere in general without asking/telling me or dh.

I am so, so, so tired. Ds1 is doing the developmental forgetting how to sleep thing again. Can someone please just teach him how to crawl so he can just feed 3 times a night sleep again!

Mine - well, big one - is very chatty (won't stop most of the time) and friendly to total strangers, she just wouldn't want them doing stuff she considers to be my or DH job

Woke up with excruciating toothache last night: owowowow. I really really really REALLY hate dentists. Help