December 2011: They're one Jim, and highly illogical!

[LittleMissFantabulous]

I went with Gary's suggestion, as it was quite awesome and indeed factual!

:o

Onwards?

Oh and figgy childcare is always a big juggle: managing it seems to be a varying over time depending on age/school/leave. I burn leave in the holidays, sometimes have had "holiday care" childminding, sometimes afterschool clubs, the odd babysitter/temporary nanny, all sorts!

I would suggest the following for your uncovered week:

1. ask yOur childminder if she has any childminding friends who can help out
2. ask around if any work colleagues have a nanny who might be able to share care for the week (nannies can do this if its agreed with their employer and they don't mind the extra work, you'll have to pay them though and their employer will add it to their pay for you)
3. burn a week of your own leave (sorry!) : if you have bone then your boss can authorise unpaid "parental leave" if you can't find alternate cover.
4. go the whole hog and hire a temp nanny for the week or look at local fill-in childminders (ask at toddler groups or the surestart centre). Down side of that is you won't "know " them...

Eek! That's a lot of money on food Xiao, but it's far too easy to spend a lot, especially when you're busy and tired. We've all done it! We officially have a budget of £200 per month for food, toiletries & household cleaning products, but we have started going over and realistically we spend £250 per month.

DM bought us a slow cooker for Christmas, so if I buy one packet of 750g mince, I can make up a huge bolognese sauce with lots of vegetables and it lasts all of us three meals and they are decent sized portions too!

My other tip is to buy a whole chicken and have roast chicken one day with the legs and wings, the next day shred up one breast and make something like chicken & tomato pasta/chicken & chickpea chilli/Moroccan chicken/chicken and pasta bake, and the third day use the last chicken breast for a similar meal.

Figgy that sounds like a nightmare! We're quite lucky in that if our cm is ill or on holiday we can ask the nursery to have DS for an extra day or whatever. Failing that I'd probably panic tbh as we don't have anyone that could step in to look after DS. I'd ask your cm if she knows any other cm that could have Figgyboy on a short term basis and see what she says. Good luck.

Jiggle don't forget to try and have some "me" time as well. It's hard going when you can't get a decent nights sleep.

Will have to take a nosey at the photos Oi glad you had fun!

Northern that sounds grim! Is it burst eardrums that is causing it, I can't remember? DM had burst eardrums quite a few times and she said it's agonising :(

Anyway will sign off now as I'm determined to go to bed early!

Xiao we had a bit of a bitting phase a while ago, I was quite stressed about it because he bit another baby at nursery and left a mark. We did the firm 'no! we do not bite' and put him down for a few seconds. He had many many screaming fits on the floor at being put down, but he seems to have got the message. I think it's quite normal, it seemed to be more about teething and amusement than aggression. Now we just need to tackle the hitting. Sigh.

Looking HAWT Oi!

Sorry for all having work related stress. I'm going a bit mad at work at the minute, I know it will get better after they have a reshuffle in April, but in the meantime I'm trying to do to more than a full time job in three days, and with one of my team on what is turning into long term sick leave. It's causing a lot of stress and exhaustion and I'm eating like crap because I just can't be bothered in an evening.

Does anyone else do the drop offs at childcare and not the pick ups? For a while now C has basically been a daddy's boy, and I try not to let it hurt my feelings but he honestly just wants nothing to do with me if daddy is home. Daddy also does the bedtime routine, so I'm thinking about switching it around a bit to see if maybe that helps? I'm wondering if there is something in the fact that I leave him at nursery and daddy picks him up?

On an even less fun note, C had a reaction to his MMR. He had a couple of days of the grumps, and then seemed fine. On Sunday he had a couple of little spots on his head, and then on Monday morning he woke up COVERED in the most horrendous rash. (If you're on the FB group I posted a picture) He was sleepy and not interested in his food so I quite rightly FREAKED OUT and we went down to the walk in centre to get him checked out. He has a vaccine induced measles rash, which can happen since it's a live virus, but it's not actually measles. He got awful nappy rash too (metanium is the best thing in the world!) and we've all got a cough. Am so sick of illness. Can't wait for summer (it's bloody snowing here again!).

Ditto the cough and being sick of illness easily Summer cannot come soon enough in my book. Feels like it has been cold/rainy/snowy forever and one or other member of the family has been ill since about october. I am in bed after a hot bath and should be going to sleep. AF has now come to join the merry band of complaints I have ,so now have back ache and feel even more crap than I did. Right to sleep. Night all and hope babies play ball and let us sleep!!

xiao we spend waaaay too much on grocery shopping because we don't plan enough.

Northern I had umpteen grommets as a child. Endless ear infections before I got my first one aged six and earaches started up again every time the grommets fell out (they are supposed to fall out naturally after a year and many children only need one and it sorts the problem but I kept having them until I was 14 or so). I had burst eardrums very frequently also. Earaches were agony. I hated them. But the whole grommet thing never felt like a big deal or anything. It's very common I believe.

Torturing myself with obem why???

That was the least interesting OBEM I've seen, think I'm getting over watching other people have kids!
Figgy, a 4 yr old still in a cot?! Impressed with his cinema going!

Easily, DH works a week of earlies & a week of lates, the earlies week DH puts DS to bed & he won't bother with DH if I'm in the room & the lates week I put him down & he's a right Daddy's boy, so I think you're onto something there!

Xiao, we have to shop smartly as storage is a real issue here (2bed flat).
I batch cook everything we eat (I never make anything with just 2 chicken breasts for example) Dh takes food into work, buy most veg frozen/to be frozen, don't buy cakes/biscuits or anything we can make at home (aside from bread, hate the smell of baking bread) & we stock up whenever something we use is on offer/meal plan lots.
Costco is best for meats, rice (not pasta), cleaning products, some hygeine stuff (Listerine is always on offer there) toilet rolls -cakes & all the storecupboard condiments/basic herbs/spices etc. They also have Creme Eggs (40 for £18-ish) from Mid-November so I luff them.

Biting has stopped here, everytime he puts something inedible in his mouth (hay, rabbit poo, elastic bands, my knee cap) I pull a yuckky face & go 'bleurgh DS, ickky' & he drops whatever it is he's eating.

& for those who may need it tonight.

I am stunned at Gary's 35 quid a week shopping costs. I'd be delighted at £70.
Time to get organised.
After all your lively compliments at the dodgey sailor outfit, I've decided to wear it for the wedding tomorrow.
Must go to sleep. Sorry for short post. Too much to do for tomorrow!

Thanks all re. DS's ears... yup Cheung it is perforated eardrums as opposed to 'proper' ear infections, so there's a brief period of intense pain and then rivers of gunk that goes everywhere and then goes crusty as opposed to any temperature. Given the amount that he drools, and that he's babbling as opposed to saying words it may be having an effect on his hearing, so I'm glad we're getting the referral now as opposed to a couple of years down the line. Thanks for the linky raboonah, it's backed up what I was thinking.

Ah- Oi -y m'hearty (see what I did there ), I think you look great, and it's definitely preferable to the other hen-wear.

We do about £100 per week on shopping, but that includes about £10-15 booze generally as we can't/don't go out.

Right, this post got interrupted by the Utd game, so must go off to bed now! Will catch up better later....

cheung we do have a slow cooker so I will be trying all those things. Unfortunately we are seriously greedy and can only stretch a chicken over two adult meals and then soup which we must change Somewhat in mitigation, DH is 6'3" and 14.5st of mostly solid muscle and when he has been reffing rugby or beagling he can eat a whole chicken on his own...but he won't be able to do that forever as he gets older.

We do buy fancy wine, and DH also has a soft spot for his boys and buys them nice things to eat and drink and I don't think he's claiming anything back. Entertaining two lots of six teenage boys twice a week is serious wear and tear in the biscuits, crisps and squash department!! We're just like you mopsy, at the moment we don't batch cook, don't properly meal plan, don't bring lunch to work so buy stuff in the City, have people over at least once a week and buy almost everything fresh to cook on the day or takeaways or ready meals - which makes me think that hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to cut way down with some time and effort since we are not doing anything at all to reduce costs.

gary you don't like the smell of baking bread!? That's so funny, as isn't the standard advice if you're selling your house to bake some bread so the house smells lovely when viewings happen? Just imagine if you were the prospective buyer, it would totally backfire.

northern that sounds absolutely grim - I thought DS's bogeys were bad enough that start out the consistency of blu-tac and harden into a solid cement plug. But rivers of gunk with intense pain - poor kiddo!!

Oi I think it's perfect wedding wear, particularly if you want to upstage the bride in the best possible way

figgy I can't watch OBEM, never have been able to, or call the midwife or anything like that. Floods of tears and hiding behind the sofa

jiggle it can only get better...there's a definite scent of spring in the air here today, I was too warm in my coat and boots on the way to work and there's quite a lot of blue sky visible from my office window. Spring is coming, the sap is rising, and good health is right around the corner I promise

Well not a good morning so far here, though I agree it does feel more spring like today. Up twice in the night (only once with F, the other was because I remembered I hadnt taken washing out the machine at 2am and it included DS's uniform for today!) Freya dialled 999 this morning whilst I was not supervising her properly and had them ring back to check - a bit embarrassing. Then DH and I had another big row due to my tireness and grumpiness combined with his laziness.

Basically it was 745am - I was trying to get dressed with freya crying to be picked up at my feet and DS whinging at me as he had a stomach ache (ie he needed the toilet/didnt want to go to school). I had already made two beds, changed the worlds biggest nappy explosion, dressed F etc etc. What was Dh doing all this time - still in bed ignoring it all . He does this most mornings and gets up just before eight. I have asked him so many times if he could get up earlier and help more. Feeling grumpy this morning I snapped about lazying in bed, ignoring whinging and of course it is then all my fault as I am grumpy and dont "let him" help. Fed up of this discussion. Poor old DS ends up saying stop fighting etc.Happy Valentines heh!

Jiggle how does he manage to stay in bed to 8am? He needs to get his arse in gear and help u

Good news cm found someone to have Danny when she in leave and it's someone he knows from a group they all attend yay

Grump. Still no exchange. And poor DS keeps bumping into EVERYTHING due to his obsessive toddling, climbing and clambering. I know it's normal but still feel guilty, his poor little face keeps looking so bumped, but the only way to stop him would be permanently strapping him in the buggy :(

for jiggle to use when needed, doesn't sound healthy for your DS to be picking up on it, hope he's ok?
Hope you're alright with it too, what would he do if you lay in bed & didn't get up for DC's?

Figgy, good news.

Aethel, fingers crossed for good news soon.
Does DS care that he's bumping or does he just get on with (bumping more)?

Oi, wear it. Go on...get DH/DS dressed up to & claim ignorance to it not being a fancy dress wedding!

Northen, sorry, missed your post on ear woes, glad you've got a referal & hope all goes well for you.

Any POAS/babymaking shagtastic news anyone?

figgy he works ten mins walk away and doesnt start till 9am ish - therefore feels he doesnt need to get up earlier. he is crap in the mornings so tbh not much help even if he is physically present, but have asked him to come down to breakfast ten mins earlier eg 810 instead of 820 so I can clear up upstairs before leaving at 830am. his view is I dont need to do it before school as I am at home in the day. (same view even on the two days I work strangely!)

I am trying to be careful about rowing when DS is around as I know it is not healthy for him. I hope he is ok too. He is always super sweet to me when DH is horrid but that is not his responsibility and I have to make sure he is not involved. It is not good for DHs relationship with DS (for which I am blamed too!)

aethel - how frustrating. Is it looking like it is still on the cards though?

On the positive front Freya was happy at music this week and was so involved she even walked her first 2/3 steps!

How's the wedding been Oi, or are you still making merry?

Yay for Freya jiggle, that's great Your DS sounds lovely too, and sorry he's picking up on the atmosphere. I think, given that you and your DP both work full time every day, either in the house or not, he doesn't have a choice about being 'crap' in the morning: it's a joint job to get the kids ready.
Though ref the 999 call, DS was merrily ringing out to a local no. on my Mum's phone after he got his hands on it, hung up just in time!

Sorry about the house aethel, this is getting ridiculous now, you poor things. I think we should all come round for a housewarming when you finally make it to the bloody place!

Frankly I'm surprised and impressed your bill isn't higher given the amount of teenage boys you're feeding Xiao, that's crazy- very, very kind, but crazy! You will easily get the levels down with batch cooking, etc. I think the biggest thing is actually taking a packed lunch- I know mine will come to about £1.50 per day, but to buy would be a fiver, more if you bought a drink, so for two you'd save £140 every four weeks! If you add in not buying a coffee every day, you'd be making a huge saving.
We'd be cheaper if DP didn't believe that every meal had to have meat....

You were certainly grommet central mopsy, heavens - must've been a faff having them re-done every year, as don't you have to have a GA? Glad to hear (ha, pardon the pun!) it all sorted though.

yeah GA every time Northern . In fact, that was the worst part as I am always weepy for a cpl of days after and it's not sth you understand as a child. I had my first grommet op on my 6th birthday and I remember sitting in the sitting room in tears a day or two later during my birthday party while my sisters and our guests were all in the kitchen eating ice cream cake. It is a really vivid memory!

Unfortunately, I had an ear infection and perforated eardrum in Sept last year (first earache since mid-teens coinciding with small baby in nursery...coincidence? hmmm) and my ear has been all weird since, the pressure keeps going wonky like I'm in a plane or a tunnel and I have tinnitus, well, a constant note in that ear (incredibly irritating, esp at night as more noticeable) so went to GP and he said the eardrum is still perforated (it should have healed ages ago) and referred me to ENT. I so hope they can fix it cos I don't want to have this note in my ear forever :( So unfortunately, not all fixed. But I did have twenty years in between of no ear problems and the grommets stopped me being deaf! So all good really :)

Oh you poor thing mopsy, both historically and now! You must have had more GAs than the rest of us put together.
Rotten luck re. the new one, and definitely no co-incidence with the baby in nursery...I didn't know the world could hold so much snot until DS started going. Really hope that they do get it sorted for you, tinnitus is grim.

fingers crossed! As ailments going could be a lot worse so hope I didn't sound like a moan.

your poor wee boy though :( hope that it gets sorted for him. I never minded grommet ops too much cos I knew they would stop the earaches. Another very early vivid memory is of lying in my parents' bed during the day aged 4 while the others were all at school. I had an earache and I remember the sheets in mum's bed were so soft and cool compared to my own. Weird thing to notice. Anyway I found out when older that she and dad had lovely pure cotton sheets whereas naturally the rest of us got no-iron poly cotton. But it means that as an adult (once I got my first real job) one of my little luxuries is to always have Egyptian cotton sheets and bed linen.

anyway I digress. Sorry. My point was that some of my earliest memories are connected to ear infections. I guess the horrible pain makes them particularly stand out. So I hope your poor little boy gets sorted soon.

Not a moan at all mopsy, I can see from DS how rotten it is, and for you to have it for so long, and so many ops...and then for it to come back again as well!

Funny the things we remember from childhood...
One clear memory for me from about that age is folding up the gold foil wrappers from Trios, or the silver ones from Kit Kats, and posting them out of the front door through the letterbox, so "the burglars won't get us", the thinking being they'd get the precious metals at the doorway instead.
It was a tough area, but to be fair I did have a wild imagination!

ha that is so funny and cute. we used to make 'jewellery' out of them!

oh and did anyone else make 'perfume' from flower petals soaked in water? Which invariably went a mucky brown colour and smelt like compost rather than roses. Or make experiments in the kitchen sink very very early on Saturdays (before parents were awake) using bicarb of soda to get the desired 'explosion'? Ahhh, those were the days!

we might be exchanging tomorrow as the paperwork is in! Yay!!

northern, that sounds like an excellent plan... I will have a think and see if I can survive the actual move then PM people

DS is now sporting the scar from last weeks eyebrow Mobilo incident, a small bump on the head from two days ago, yesterday's black eye from where he headbutted the doorknob, and today a bump on the nose from a Glaswegian kiss on the coffee table. I swear that velcroing him to the floor is the only way to stop this. My DDs were exactly the same, mind, we moved them into toddler beds at 18 months purely because they climbed and fell off EVERYTHING....

Sympathy mopsy and babynorthern, grommetts rock, a younger relative has had two sets and they turned him from a drooling half deaf child whose favourite word was "wha?" to a happy soul with dry ears and good diction.

oooooh exciting aethel ! Finally. Fingers crossed very hard.

I used to get told off for shouting when small, which I used to find very upsetting as I didn't think I was shouting. I couldn't hear myself. Grommets do indeed rock!

minim slept through for the first time in what feels like forever and woke after 7 instead of her new preferred time of 6. Woohoo! Feel properly rested instead of fuzzy and zombiesque. Have a good Friday y'all!

aethel any news?

We have exchanged!!!! insanely late in the afternoon but who cares, it's done and will complete at the end of the month to give us time to get movers etc.
Am very relieved. Phew. Thanks for all the support and twisted digits.