FEB 2010 Three is a magic number, yes it is......

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Come and take shelter from the DC here, folks!

CP great news on DD's sleep. Long may it continue. I do not envy you a weekend sans DH. I would have to throw myself on someone's mercy i.e. go to them or ask them to come to me. I honestly couldn't face a weekend alone with DC.

Bc I will bring the book along to our meet-up in August (please remind me!). She does labour the point a bit but it is amazing how much I am reading and just saying "That's me! That's ME!" I feel more normal (and still tired, stressed, quite down).

IC brilliant on the nursery parents' evening - great that she's settled now.

Was posting on my phone while feeding DD2 earlier, on laptop now (hence minddump) as BOTH GIRLS ARE ASLEEP. This hasn't happened in a morning for goodness knows how long (can sometimes still persuade DD1 to have a pm nap but nor morning). The only problem is we are supposed to leave the house in half an hour to go to our usual singing group which we all enjoy but is 30 mins walk away. And DD1 isn't dressed yet (I thought I had loads of time i.e. if she wasn't sleeping). I don't know what to do. On the one hand we should get out, see people, sing and dance. On the other..... Oh, the blessed peace.......Plus I've got some work to do.

I will postpone making a decision in the time-honoured fashion by doing some chores.

scones I would let them sleep and do as little noise as I can and take them to the park later?

BC DD2 is awful for eating we try to ignore her. It is more difficult here, because MIL is a fussy eater and a commenter (that bit really annoys me if you have nothing nice to say just SU) on top of her numerous allergies... So DD2 has a food "friend".

JF I have the "I don't like pappa, pappa is a boy, me no like boys" phase

Hear hear scones! Social isolation is a huge problem for mums, I think. I have started to realise that it is contributing to some of the issues DH and I are having: I have been on my own or just with the DDs all day, so when he gets home I am craving adult conversation and company, but his job involves lots of meetings and talking so when he gets home, he wants solitude and to not talk. We are trying a compromise, whereby we eat dinner at the table each evening (instead of in front of the TV, which is what we normally do ) and chat about our days and things we have going on. I am hoping this will break the cycle and provide me with a little of what I need without him feeling it is too onerous.

Mous, DD2 much prefers me to DH. This is lovely some of the time, but not when only the only weekday evening that DH gets home from work in time to do bathtime she melts down if I don't wash her hair, or when she insists that I do breakfast every bl00dy morning, despite it being the only time during the week that DH is around.

BC, I hope you got some sleep last night. How is your DH and FIL?

Mous, how are you doing?

JF, any eye news?

Stoof, you ok?

Anyone want some banana muscavado cake? It's splendid, even if I do say so myself

Oh! yes please!

Yes, it should be a village to raise a kid. Not everybody in a corner and everybody judging.

Bc I hope your Dh and his dad are doing OK.

IC good news.

JF how are you all?

SB you OK? you are being quiet.

I am up and down, the vitamins did work but have made my stomach upset so I stopped for a while.
Very very proud of DD1, I talked to her teacher and she is doing very well and has been very brave (she seems to have grown out of her panic attacks and facing the problems even when she is a bit wobbly).
DD2 is writing her name everywhere (even the walls) apparently she is called Xototl or something , probably a reincarnation of a mayan god .
I can't believe that DD1 was actually writing her real complicated name at that age, not sure if I have to worry or not about DD2's inability to recognised letters. She does recognised her name tag at preschool, but it is the only broken one and hand written one. (she is fanatic about the alfablocks though)

So DD2 seems to have hives face and chest, yesterday after lunch, today at preschool after snack and just now (just eaten a strawberry), I can't relate it to anything food was different everytime, can pollen cause hives?

Almost disappeared after 40 min, few blisters left but she is not red anymore.

Slightly too obvious... strawberries?

yes but they weren't involved in the other 2 meals

snack at school was pasta, cheese and apple

Difficult. Maybe totally unrelated to food. Has she run through nettles? Ivy? Played with something she's reacted to? Rubber?
Glad she is okay at the moment but it's obviously something to keep an eye on. dh has a pretty serious latex allergy and I am watching the girls like a hawk just to be on the safe side.

Oh and to go back to your question, I have no idea if pollen can cause that kind of reaction, but the pollen count is ridiculously this year. I feel like my whole face and throat has been clogged up for weeks and I don't have hayfever.

My mum has that too JF
She felt into nettles last week and had the same kind of rash on her hands/arms, but not those time.
I thought cat or woollen dirty carpet, but there are not at the playgroup, sun (playgroup started inside), plants she was playing with the 1st time (not 2nd and 3rd time), sweat she was watching TV 1st time, no rubber that I know of,

Shall I give her claritine?

Shall I give her claritine because she has a blob under one eye which is not going away? forgot to finish my line of thinking

How is she, Mous?

Yes please SR!

I agree about the PND/societal SAHM thing, Scones. It does - or at least, it should - take a village to raise a child as Mous says.

JF DH is suffering with hay fever for the first time in his life. There's definitely something in the air...!

Mous I just don't know enough about allergies, so can't really help But would a dose of claritine be ok on the safe side? I mean, I often give calpol if I'm not sure that they are really ill. Don't judge me I don't think it hurts and it may help. How is she now?

SR your talking dinners sound a good compromise. DH and I are like that with physical affection, i.e. I have been manhandled all day by the girls but he has touched no-one all day so he keeps grabbing me and it really winds me up. But I'm with you, you do NEED to talk to someone after being on your own or with small children all day.

I left the girls to it earlier and they slept for nearly 2 hours Result. I got some work done that I'd have otherwise had to do tonight so I can waste time here instead drinking sherry and just enjoyed the SILENCE. We went to a different group in the afternoon.

DD1 was still tired all day even after that though, and at bedtime complained that she felt ill (non-specific). Please oh please don't let them come down with anything else. We have had a real run of illnesses from them. And we are out tomorrow night, with my Dad and two sisters who are all down especially. At a beer festival

Mous, I hope you gave the loratadine? My DD1 has been on it pretty much constantly for the last month, and it has really kept her hay fever in check despite the monstrously high pollen count (I have had to start with my spray, despite not suffering since having DD2 - an unusual but welcome side effect of pregnancy).

Scones, hope your girls are ok. Mine sometimes get tired and cranky in the heat, and napping can bizarrely exacerbate it. Children are very odd. Glad you enjoyed your free time and have made the most of your evening

No SR I didn't, I only have adult one left (well 6+) and while I was debating if her size allowed me to give it to her, she bounced off the sofa onto the coffee table with the corner catching her just behind the ear at the base of the skull . So I decided against it to make sure I could detect possible brain injury

She slept with us most of the night and is fine this morning. I will see what happen today and I might go and get some liquid claritine.

scone Fx no illness. Have fun.
SR what heat?

Ok both girls are up I have to do something now...

Good thing that I didn't give the claritine, it is 9+ not 6+ DD2 is definitely not anywhere near 30Kg
I need a brain transplant

Thinking about it she did have a reddened face before after eating/drinking but no blotch like the last few days, so it is getting worse even if it still disappear in few hours. I never though it could be hives, bad mum

Mous Another wild guess, but does she get squash to drink at playschool? dd1 reacts very badly to it although more in her behaviour rather than coming out in a rash...

dd2 has been in tantrum mode ever since I woke her at 8 (bet she'll be pouncing on me at 6 tomorrow). It's going to be a long day...

Mous, my DD1 has Clarityn tablets because she's an awkward madam who won't take liquids and they break in half quite easily. Half a tablet is fine at this age and weight. The liquid is expensive and spills.

Hot and sunny here today, and forecasted to stay like this for the next week or so

Dd1 is going to the sleepover arranged by her rainbows pack tonight. Excited doesn't even begin to describe it. Bizarrely, dd2 declared that jamie Oliver was going to be there too . Quite a conversation to be having at 7am.

Thanks SR That is good to know I thought I could do that in emergency
I hope your DD1 has fun with Jaimie

Hello

You've been busy! Well, life is ticking around at the moment. My mum was here last weekend and this weekend I'm solo parenting as DH has gone with some friends on a motorbike trip to France.
FX the weather will be nice tomorrow as DS ad I are planning a picnic to the beach (or taking a boat journey to another island for lunch!)

I'm sorry to hear that some of you are feeling low.

I'm too from time to time lose my temper with DS and most of the time it's because the last action he does is the last drop in my glass (iyswim).

I can't comment on the DC1/DC2 situation but should we ever have a DC2, the age gap would be 4 years or more.

I'm kind of okay, just putting a foot in front of the others as work is a nightmare at the present (with my relocation and not much support from my soon to be former or new supervisor). We're dtd next week and fx it will work especially as if we're unsuccessful this month i may ask for some fertility tests (I think DH swimmers may be the problem)

DS is doing well at swimming getting some ASA badges that I then have to sew on his swimming bag