April 2011: losing sleep and gaining shoes, toddlers share with us their news

[ecuse]

I have taken the liberty of starting a new thread.

Pile in!

etc

MrsW, two words, online shopping! I have my Christmas deliver already booked in for the 23rd. I'm doing a ham in coke, slow cooked silverside, and a small chicken. I don't like turkey and its bloody expensive! Plus the turkey is yesterday's works Xmas dinner was so dry it reminded me how much I hate it!

Do you have an Aldi nearby? Go there for veg, I went last year and it was dead! And the stuff was so fresh! Do as much as you can in advance! I'll cook the ham Xmas eve so it just needs glazed and popped in the oven. Peel spuds and put them in a bowl covered in water same for chopped veg. Buy prepped stuff even, ready made mashed neep is fab. This isn't the time to be fancy schmancy. And if all else fails tank everyone up on and they won't care about the food!!

Thank you for the birthday good wishes and Happy Birthday to Chilli

I ice skated when I was younger and hated it. I lived in my roller boots and found the lack of stoppers on ice skates a nightmare. I also worried that if I fell over I would put my hand out and someone would run over them with their blades and take them clean off

MrsW we did Christmas dinner one year and got a turkey, it did just fit in the oven after DH had sawn it's legs off on Christmas eve. I can't recall the size but I think it fed 7 adults, and made turkey curry, risotto and chinese until Easter! We didn't have a dry turkey - the key was to pour cider over it we used Strongbow [classy] because I didn't want to waste my nice cider on cooking .

lol at Strongbow

I think I will try your choc mousse Fizz. Mine was ok but was just too rich and was more like a chocolate cup than mousse.

The weather is shocking here today. Cold, blowing a gail and pissing it down. It's the village Christmas lights turn on this afternoon, but I really don't know if I can face taking both boys on my own with such shocking weather. Maybe we will stay home instead and do some baking.

Vile here too. Had to take A for his injections then go up the high St to collect his new snow suit and hat from the delivery office. Got it from 'the essential one' they do gorgeous baby clothes up to 3-6 months.

windy wet and wild here too!

Yes, we have grim weather too - I'm sure this wasn't on my birthday wish list :(
I've had a lovely day out for breakfast and cake with DH and a curry for tea. later when M is in bed.

ILike I have a reputation amongst my friends of putting alcohol in all my cooking, which isn't entirely true, just most of it

Aargh! Just realised I haven't posted my SS present! Will pop to PO with it tomorrow and hope Royal Mail rise to the challenge! Apologies to my recipient for my general disorganisedness!

Me either mumtotiny. Will send it special d on Monday.

I am just hoping mine arrives on time!

Hope the birthday girls have been well and truly spoilt.

chilli I have to say alcohol is the secret to many great meals. I make a killer risotto which involves at least half a bottle of wine.

kitty how's A? Injections are horrid and traumatic. We're overdue Habs but we haven't had a cough/cold free week!

I loooove ice skating. Wonder if there's a rink near me or whether Gsy is my closest!

4 more teaching days!!!!

Btw that's mine TO recipient rather than mine coming here for SS.

Oh gaaaawd I forgot about the whole basting malarkey! What have i let myself in for!!?? Strongbow turkey sounds good tho
Online sounds like it might be a plan fizz I was planning on going to Lidl for my veg as nearest Aldi is about 20 minutes away but there is a Lidl in the town. Was also planning on doing the whole prep the night before thing too as I really do not want to spend the whole day in the kitchen. Your ham sounds amazing btw. I'm just so institutionalised that it HAS to be turkey on Christmas day, nothing else will do.

Might go and check out Tesco now and see if they have any spaces left for the 23rd and how much it's going to skin me I was hoping I'd just go at 7am that day and get it blitzed sans children and DP but didn't factor in the fact that I'll just be finishing work at that tim! Duh!

Well A slept from 1120-650 in his crib. His best night ever. Coincidence? Or the wine I had?

There's so many colds and bugs about isn't there. Two of my friends had to postpone their lo's jabs.

I love ice skating too (my dad correagraphed it apparently) but I stick to the edges.

Got our family Christmas today. Out for dinner at my mums neck of the woods with my brother and his family and my nan and grandad. We don't see each other otherwise. Tho I go to mums Boxing Day with the boys and stay the night and see my bro.

Good luck with the shopping and cooking mrsw. Don't think I've ever done Xmas dinner.

Getting A weighed this morning. Hoping for a good gain as he's not been sick in nearly a fortnight since starting gaviscon.

No need to baste mrsw. My dads secret is to push a block of butter under the skin and lay streaky bacon on top. Not had a dry turkey from him for years!

Thank you secret Santa. S's present has arrived and is under the tree. X

Random question but do any of you remember having stinky wee when first pg? I've just been to the loo and my wee had a distinct aroma and it jogged something in my memory about when I was pg last time. Maybe just being uber hopeful am pretty sure we have no chance this month as only dtd about 3 times in the last 2 weeks and maybe only once was around the right time.

We did a Cook Shop Christmas dinner last year up at the PIL's. It was lovely. Previously we'd go up early to the PIL's and cook for them but now the children are older we don,t get up there until nearer lunchtime. We'll going to do Cookshop again this year so all my elderly MIL has to do is turn the oven on and bung a couple of tray's in before we get there.

When cooking a whole turkey for Xmas, we'd always order a fresh Kelly Bronze from our local butcher. For maximum moistness, you cook them upside-down so the juices all flow down to the breasts (oo-er), and then you just flip it back the right way up for the last half hour of cooking. Always tasted great.

Secret Santa was dispatched and should be well on its way/arrived. (Although let's face it, it's not so secret from me due to the country of origin and the fact customs require me to put my name and address on the back of the parcel.)

Oooo mrsw. Can't remember re wee. But I had twinges pretty much straight away and was sure tho still surprised as it took one go.... So fingers crossed!!!

I had stinky wee! Dh asked if I was ok even before I knew I was pg! And it only takes one time at the right time!

Fingers crossed for you MrsWajs, DD was immaculately conceived as we couldn't remember DTD to match the dates, so you never know .

I am home alone as have dispatched DH and the kids off to his parents for lunch with instructions not to come home until at least after teatime. Am blitzing the kitchen as we speak. Have the local radio station on and I actually cried when they played Walking In The Air. I will blame it on the PMT, I have never cried at that before . Parenthood does strange things to you!

Cry at the snow man! The John Lewis advert just about ended me this year!

First batch of ice cream is churning as I type! Just plain vanilla first so I can gauge how long it takes etc. I shall report back.

Oh and I remember when we conceived B because it was the only time we dtd that month and we broke the bed!

Hmm machine is very noisy! Even with the kitchen door closed! I may need an icecream making room somewhere!

Gsy I waved at you today ;) we could just about see your island through the fog!

I have a precise date for M's conception too. It was the only time DH was around that month.

How did the ice cream making go, fizz?

for a first attempt it was ok. it was a bit eggy/frozen custard tasting but more than acceptable. b loved it!

so b is awake. wide awake. currently putting animal puzzles together on the ipad!

I hope you managed to get B asleep Fizz. sleep has gone somewhat awry here in the past few weeks too, so we are on project 'stay the eff asleep' - I am getting flashbacks to this time last year

For whatever reason, ds3 has decided he cant get himself back to sleep anymore. I could pin it on sleep regression, developmental milestones etc, but my suspicion is it's his dummy falling out. So, it's got to go

We started last night and he fell asleep fine and done his usual 2 wake ups. He settled fine with a few pats on his bum, so I was feeling super pleased. Because whilst he still woke up, it wasn't anymore than when he had his dummy. So, it's comes to today's lunchtime nap and he refused sleep for an hour, which is unheard on, but he did fall asleep in the buggy when I took the boys out for a walk this morning.

Needless to say he is a complete douchebag this afternoon. But hopefully he will settle ok again tonight. After a few days if he is still waking up, we will have to tackle the wakings in the night. Gawd knows how though, I'll have to have a ponder.

On to better things, I have tried your choc mousse recipe Fizz, and it's in the fridge as I type. I made it with all milk choc as it's going to be an alternative dessert for Xmas Day, so I thought something lighter would be better.

Oh, and I loved the crying at Walking in the Air. I shouldn't take the piss though, because it sounds like something I would do.