February 2011- the one where life gets better for all of us.

[GOLDdebka]

New thread open for business!!

I am anticipating MUCH weight loss, job improvements, sleeping babies, good health and one very eagerly anticipated BFP. :)

Thanks reastie. No I don't think 4 yo's realises what they've let themselves in for! It's too much of a faff for me to go over and be there while she goes to bed, plus I just think A is too young. They're really nice offering but I don't know if it's bcos we had their 4 yo for an afternoon recently and they feel like they should reciprocate. Or maybe they want us to have 4 yo to stay?! No chance! Haha.

Happy birthday Anna and Leo! Fab pictures.

Ponyo, hope your grandma gets better soon. Must be worrying for you. I haven't let Anna sleep anywhere else apart from her gps yet, but then she's had her first sleepover here just recently. It's whatever you feel comfortable with, but I honestly think 2 is too young outside of family.

Yay for half-term reastie, hope you have a few nice days out.

Lol at Dilly singing happy birthday all the time. Let her sing for her supper!

Sounds like a lovely valentines blizy. Enjoy your weekend in!

Got to get cracking writing the receipts for the cookies. Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Reastie yes they fucking are. Mon till Wednesday so basically my working days which will be nice to come home to.
Just had an hour long chat about it with dh and I'm now feeling as if we can't go on much longer. They just want more involvement on our lives than I can accept. What with all this and the enforced holiday I feel one I'd be better off alone-again. I just function better on my own cis I'm selfish and don't like to consider others constantly.

FourforMe Happy Birthday Archie xxx

Deliaskis Happy Birthday Claudia xxx

ledkr I'm so sorry you are going through such a horrible time with your in-laws. You are not being selfish at all, your family is dh and the kids and then everyone else. And I say this as someone who lives about 5 mins away from both sets of parents. Please don't let the feckin eejits quash that ledkr fighting spirit that we've all grown to love and admire xxx

Ponyo Hope your grandma is doing better x. I think it's a bit young for sleepover but that's because of the night-time waking. Anna has only stayed once overnight with my parents. at them suggesting it so you reciprocate!

Having Annas party today, off to squirt some bleach down the toilet, and take the cake out of the Tesco box fridge.

Thanks wiggs I wish so much I could be one you are s
With them and just get along. I think it's easy to accept people's different ways etc when you don't have to spend such big concentrated periods if time together and you can't escape home when you've had enough.
I know dh just wants to keep everyone happy and of course wants to see his parents but I see it as a massive intrusion.
I told him last night that to me house guests whoever they are mean extra cleaning shopping cooking and no time off!
He says he doesn't feel like that (doesn't get it does he?)
My stupid mood is getting lower and lower and I'm trying self help but I feel as if the constant pressure from them makes me worse.
I invited them for dillys birthday and felt much better about it but why two weeks later do they have to come again?

ledkr I know where you're up to as I've felt exactly the same as you. It's swings and roundabouts re: them living far away though as it's bad for you to have to have them stay - not sure how I'd cope with that, but then having them close in my case means lots of 'just popping round to drop this off, I won't disturb you' yes you will type of scenarios. IMO it sounds like the main annoyance of PILs is having them to stay at your house with no peace/time for for you and your family and you're right, having them live with you does make little things you could normally deal with alot harder. What about your camper? Could they stay in that when they come and fend for themselves food wise for meals except maybe one or two dinners you could have them with you? Would they stay at a b&b/hotel? I think that's the way to go. I know it sounds mean if you have a spare room, but if you limited PIL staying to when you invited them and if they wanted to come over they would have to find their own accomodation then it would help I think? I'm with you there on feeling the misery/down-ness of inviting them over and feeling that would be OK for now but then have them invite themselves over soon after. FWIW I've often thought DH might end out splitting up because of PIL. I hope we won't though!

delia and four4 happy birthday to the Claudinator and Archie

Oh yes and ledkr I think the citalopram has really helped me be more relaxed with things in general including PIL . I told my GP this and she said she might have to try some

Ha ha thankyou reastie I know you understand.
It's hard when they are not people you would choose to spend time with unless they were pil. I've never had any acquaintances who use a tablecloth for a banana tbh all my friends are easy going Nd a bit mental.
I can't take citalopram I don't like the side effects but I may try Prozac again. I have just spend a small fortune on St. John's wort agnus cactus and vit d today to try and help myself. I've been gyming and have lost some weight so feeing good about that.
The bloke in the health shop was so fit I nearly fainted so did dil

Sounds like you're doing the best you can to cope with it ledkr. to you and dilly fainting at the man in the health shop. Tablecloth for a banana . It's also really hard I find as DH just doesn't understand how I feel and so I can't really talk to him much about it like I normally do to get things off my chest. That's half of the problem, not just the PIL but not having DHs full support and understanding in it and feeling like I can talk freely about it. At least they will be there when you're working - can you give them a shopping list to get some food in for you whilst you're busy at work or get them to do something useful or are they not like that? Hopefully when Dilly gets a bit older you can send her for fun week ends away with the PIL so you get some time for Ella and DH and they get to see Dilly

No reastie I'm leaving dinner for the kids (small) and will be eating at my mates on my way home just so I can say "I'm not hungry" when dinner is mentioned!!

Happy birthday to Archie and Claudia!

Hope Anna's party went really well.

Hope PILs visit passes smoothly and you manage to get some time for yourself ledkr. Perhaps they could babysit so you and dh get to have a drink somewhere? My PILs have mentioned coming to visit this year, will be the first time in 3 years. Dh doesn't think they will though not sure whether I'm relieved or not

Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

PrincessOfChina Happy Birthday Romilly xx

Ponyo Hope your grandma is doing a little better x

Annas party was great, the kitchen is a huge success, although I may have to arrange a playdate for the grownups who had to be dragged away from it

Hope everyone has a lovely day today, the weather is lovely here, well dry, it makes such a difference getting the girls out.

Happy Birthday, Archie and to Claudia, for yesterday. Hope fab time had by both!
Happy Birthday Romilly, have a lovely day!
Ponyo love to your grandma, hope she gets better soon x
wiggles glad A had a good party and that the kitchen has gone down well. There's a whole subculture of envious adults who were Never Bought a Toy Kitchen (Waaa!), I've found! Along with Mr Frosty it seems to have been a highly coveted toy of yesteryear!
ledkr boo to your PILs, its come to something if it's making you feel you might prefer being alone to having to deal with them. They need to realise they are making you feel taken advantage of and that you struggle to enjoy seeing them because they have all these expectations of being waited upon.
reastie I know you have problems with yours too. i just hope that I'm a nice MIL, it's sad that some basically drive their DILs away. I know mine wishes I went round all the time and basically rejected my family to be part of theirs, she finds me way too headstrong and not submissive enough to her adored son. I feel a bit sorry for her really!
Big wave to tad I love all the American refs you make, Girl Scout cookies etc! I imagine you living a perfect US sitcom life haha!
hello everybody else, hope blizy is having a fiiiilthy weekend :)
I have managed to steal some time to do college work, aargh my aching head! I need to get really high marks to secure my 1st choice uni place so the pressure is on. However, the fact i'm MNing should tell you my heart's not in it today!

Happy birthday Romilly!
Glad the parties and the toy kitchens have gone down a storm!
Haha at the sitcom - I couldn't wear that much make-up in one go. A is currently out delivering her cookies and we did a booth sale yesterday which entailed us standing at a junction waving placards and bouncing around to get people to stop and buy some. V American! For some reason I have an image of you living in the Park in some ancient draughty house! Hope you get some real work done. Would be a shame not to make it into Notts.
Hope everyone else has had a lovely weekend and ledkr's ILs make themselves useful tomorrow.

Hi all and happy birthday babies.
Dh and I had the mother of all "chats" yesterday. My tea even went cold!!
I think he gets me a bit now. I like to see anyone but really struggle with people staying in my home.
Ella had a weekend sleepover and confessed today that her BFF was doing her head in by today so she's obviously like me.
I'm taking her and dills away for a week in the Easter hols. No dh no mates. We were planning scrabble and DVDs and snuggling up with nice food.
Had to drive to brum today in me pjs to pick up ds3 who went for a night out and ended up waking up in his hotel no phone or cards mates gone home. He was hungover and had a messed up face.
Turns out he got pissed lost wallet, mates had his phone and his face was carpet burns from falling over he puked all the way home.
I did feel sorry for him. He never goes out.
You have it all to come ladies

Happy birthdays to Archie, Claudia and Romilly who I missed at the weekend!

We had a very busy weekend. My mum, sister and cousin came for L's birthday - we hadn't seen them since Christmas so had a nice catch-up. Those on Facebook will have seen L's Elmo cake with a very wonky eye that I made and I had to borrow a lighter from our stoner neighbours to light the candles. L loved the attention but was overstimulated I think. He was very emotional last night and this morning.

ledkr - LOL at your DS. Sorry things are rough with the PILs. Since you'll be working, can you leave DH to it? Let him sort meals, etc and tell him you want PILs cleared out Wednesday before you get home and the house tidy (should be easy with 2 extra babysitters). I find houseguests v stressful too, even my family who are not shy about getting what they need (and always travel with enough food to feed a small army).

tad - you know how much I love Girl Scout cookies. My mum wrapped up a box of Thin Mints for my birthday but I'm on the hunt for Samoas now. She said they didn't take pre-orders this year, just sold the boxes outright.

Hoping ledkr is getting some child free time with the extra babysitters.

There'll be some booth sales at supermarkets somewhere near you surely american? Samoas are E's favourite and he bought some with his Christmas money! We did buy a few boxes as well but they are a bit moreish and I need to shift some weight!

Happy birthday all the 2 year olds :)

Hope everyone's good. blizy thinking of you especially xxx

Have a stinking gobsmacker of a cold, feeling tres sorry for myself.

Well they've bought us a takeaway and were fairly pleasant. I came to bed with Ella as I've been awake since 4.30

Dilly was pleased to see them which was cute.
The best bit was after some psyching up I said that it was best for us if they left Wednesday daytime (they were hankering for a late departure) I have to work in the evening and before that its dancing runs do I could do without the company.
I'm just chuffed I was able to speak up.
Hope you are all well, I'd better try to sleep.

That doesn't sound too bad ledkr - certainly better than they've been before. Are you still teaching dance? I have a vague memory of you teaching tap till quite late in your pregnancy. Or I could have imagined it entirely!

Hope you feel better soon hobknob.

Hobknob hope you're feeling a bit better? or at least getting taken care of

ledkr good for you, hopefully the rest of their visit will pass really, really, really quickly. Hope you got some sleep and D had a bit of a lie in

Mr W has managed to swing a couple of extra days off after doing some extra nights so we're off on a few daytrips etc (girls on midterm). Supposed to be going up the coast today [glancing at fog outside, may bring a coat )

Anna keeps wishing her new kitchen goodnight before bed -its very funny "Goodnight my new kitchy" Less funny when she wakes up at 6am shouting "I need my new kitchy" . Need is Annas new word!!

Happy birthday to all the big 2 year olds I missed!

Well done ledkr, I now hope they have listened!

Hobknob, thanks for your thoughts, hope you feel better soon.

Wiggles at Anna "needing" her kitchy!

Morning all.
Thanks for the support guys. All seems ok. D has a bad cold and is very grumpy. I feel a bit sick but will be going to work as can't stay here with pil and moany dils.
wiggs Anna sounds like d. Spirited is the word I believe. D loves the tv particularly you've been framed but kicks off spectacularly when there's an ad break or it ends
Mil just followed her up to my bedroom (two flights) cos d wanted me. As she got to the top I heard her say " she can't walk in this bag" the knobhead had let her climb stairs in a sleepin bag!!!
Is it me?
tad yes I did teach tap but not done since which is a shame. Ella's the dancer in our family now lol.

Sorry xxx to blizy

Blizy hope you're OK up there. Is it half term for you this week? I'm not sure if that means more or less work for you though!

ledkr hope you're feeling better now and PIL continue to be as good as they can. FWIW I'm completely with you on just wanting my own space and house to myself. I did at Dilly walking up the stairs in her grobag!!

wiggles love Anna 'needing' her kitchen. Hope you have a nice time at the coast.

Hobs how are you today?

This has made my day today - I've been selected for the mn product test of Estee Lauder eye cream. I'm so excited it's embarrassing about getting free expensive skincare to try (and of course the prospect of less wrinkly eyes!)