FEB 2010 Two and a half to three...the "contrary age" (no it isn't! yes it is!)

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Come in, sit down, fresh coffee is brewing, Prosecco's in the fridge for later and there's a bumper box of Lindt chocolates for all....

survival I used to have the same problem re cleaning the oven. I now use Oven Pride which comes as a gel so no fumes (and I also find it more efficient than spray-on).

Last minute xmas shopping is needed today and I'm dreading it

BG how did it go?

I hope you all had a great Christmas and that Father Christmas spoiled you and your LOs.

I hope you all had a pleasant day. Dh was a single dad today and did really well, bless him. The virus that made dd2 sleep up to 19 a day last week has me in its grip and I have missed chunks of Christmas Eve as well as most of today. Managed to get up for breakfast today and had half a slice of toast, then had to go and lie on the sofa. So achy I couldn't stand and only sit briefly. Dh realised this is very unlike me, so encouraged me to crawl up to bed, where I slept until 4. Then lay on the sofa again a bit... Still soaked in sweat now, still coughing, and now so weak I can't carry dd2.
The girls meanwhile had a lovely day playing with all their new toys and enjoying dh's full attention. They did have pasta for lunch instead of the elaborate dinner I had planned but I don't think they even noticed.

Do I get a prize for only having two bits of toast, a banana, and water on Christmas Day?

BG hope you feel better soon.
Not so good here too DD2 gave me her cold as a Xmas present, not as bad as yours though.

BG I hope you're feeling better

Just had a massive argument with my mum about how I deal with DS behaviour. I know I'm hard with him because it's the way DH wants things to be dealt with but if I was by myself I may not be acting like this so I've got to act accordingly. Sorry for the rambling but I need to empty my bag especially as I don't have anybody in RL to speak too

Bless you all, especially SB with your asthma now as well. Hope you all feel better soon.
MIL surpassed herself yesterday by giving dh a loud lesson in how to cook Christmas turkey dinner, including warnings of spoiling it if not followed to the letter-about an hour too late for us to implement the instructions! We have cooked Christmas dinner successfully before and it was fine, but just added pressure. She then broke one of my birthday presents from November and seemed amused, although DH did say she was actually mortified. SIL also failed to provide crackers-the only contribution to the day requested of her. Despite these minor irritations, we had a lovely day and the boys have all sorts of super things to excite and interest them. DS1 has a bat cave and batmobile. DS2 has the 2nd hand ebay-sourced Playmobil diggers.

My family came today, but are always happy to muck in without issuing unwanted cooking lessons!

Boys are now watching Room on the Broom as chill out time. They gave us an undisturbed night and lie-in until 7.40a.m. - possibly the best present I could have asked for.

Looking forward to hearing how the rest of you have fared. Hope you've managed some playing and relaxing.

sb hope you are resting and feeling better. It sounds like you are being pulled every way by your DH and DMum. What about how you want to approach things?

Christmas was good, now at the ILs and counting down the hours

I have to say that DD's bedtime antics nearly ruined the day for me. Still haven't adjusted to these yet and find myself getting a bit angry with it all, but I'm clinging onto it calming down again soon. Had a great evening though playing lots of family games and drinking. Don't think DS was impressed as he woke loads.

survival that sounds bliss

Merry Christmas you lot :)

BG, mous and SB :( (fortunately the kids picked up and DH and I haven't yet progressed beyond a few lemsips and 'a bit under the weather')

against our better judgement (wanting to stay home, and additionally not put pressure on my brother and his partner whose first christmas together it was) we accepted an invite to theirs for xmas with my mum too?. it all went fine tho their stress levels were through the roof and I was far more anxious about them than i've ever felt about cooking christmas dinner for the usual 8 or so that we've had over for most of the last 20 years?

my brother announced at about 8pm "i had no idea it would be this tough? i'll never take christmas dinner for granted again, and I'm sorry i've probably never shown my appreciation" ?.

Groan, bad journey so far. It has just taken us six hours to get as far as Birmingham due to congestion on the M6. Now have another two hours to go to get home if the roads are clear. The girls have been incredibly good so far and it pays off for both to have strong bladders. I'm the one who's had tantrums

Something amusing to pass the time (still on the road). The other day the girls had dinner early and dh and I planned to eat in front of fire and TV. Dd2 came down to find me in the kitchen and when I asked her why she got out of bed she said 'But I want to have my supper!'
I have a posh child

Finally home and grateful it was just heavy traffic that slowed us down (quite aware people died on the M6 a few days ago). Children are in bed, dh is reading to them and I am on the sofa waiting for him to light the fire. Gotta love him! He paid me a compliment of sorts by saying in all the '25 or whatever' years we've been together he has never ever seen me lie down after breakfast and not appear again until 4pm. I'm back on feet again but only just. He wouldn't let me drive today either because my coughing fits make me retch- not the safest driving behaviour in stop start traffic.

Any of you also travelling, have a safe journey!

Glad you are home safely BG. I hate travelling with children. We did an hour and a bit each way to Gloucestershire today and on the way back DS2 needed three wee stops!! I try very hard not to blame him and DS1 for that as they both get their bladders from me and I vividly remember hating the tellings off for needing the loo on journeys as youngsters. Will make sure I have an empty coke bottle to hand next time though (one of the advantages of having two boys, me thinks!!)

BG so sweet of your DH

survival one boy here but he's got a big bladder (I start nagging him to go to the loo every 3 hours )

survival on the other hand having a big bladder boy may cause me problems as I sometimes forget to ask if he needs the loo before we leave home.

BG glad you home safely? we passed a horrid looking accident on the way south on m6 to my brothers, and coming home yesterday the traffic was bloody horrid? one of my favourite bits of coming home from NZ was heading north on the M6 and getting to the bit where the M55 heads off for blackpool and all the traffic just melts away and you start just seeing mostly cars with cumbrian or scottish number plates as the climb up to shap starts (yes I'm sad and frightfully parochial )

the big bladder talk made me remember: how regularly you go to the loo when heavily pregnant and how disappointing the mere trickle that comes out is when you've been absolutely busting? then a day or two after coming home with DS, I went to the loo 'desperate' and felt like I was sitting there for half an hour as my 'back to normal size/capacity' bladder emptied - it took forever!!!!

Stoof Yes I can also do a horse impression

SB he has been really good and I let the '25 years or whatever' comment go. He clearly has no idea when we met...

Talking of wee again, dd2 does worry me a bit because she refuses to go. She does one or two big wees a day and that's it. She does drink enough and has a very wet nappy in the morning, so I guess she prefers to hold it in. Not sure this is good for her bladder and kidneys though?

Just been to the GP to check if my lungs are holding up okay and it turns out I have actual proper flu which explains a few things... I had the vaccination in October, which is just as well because without it I would have spent Christmas in hospital. Also looks like dd2 may well have had it on top of her chickenpox, which also explains a few things especially her excessive sleeping (she got up at 10 again today so still not recovered).

BG at least now you know what is wrong.

As Father Christmas brought us a new coffee machine (witha thermos jug ) and a Kenwood Chef (for me), I've been selling our old food processor and breadmaker and manged to get £40 in total Now of to list the old coffee machine and a few glass jars...

what do i do with all the old toys

and how can they have so much and we don't even buy for them!

EBay or NCT nearly new sale CP.

Well done on recouping the expenses SB.

Flu is horrid BG. Hope you can rest enough to get well. What did they say about your lungs? I had flu the month before I got pregnant with ds2 and was confined to bed for 7 days. How anyone can confuse it with a cold baffles me.