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

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Come and take shelter from the DC here, folks!

Just was running through dd1's spellings for the week:

Me: can you spell whoever?
Dd1: umm.. H..
Me: are you sure it starts with h?
Dd1: umm...
Dd2 ambles in: it starts with w

I'm sure it's utterly random but dd1 and I were a bit

SR whaoo. I'm impressed even if it is a pure guess

SR You have to test her in some other words!!!

ON some other words! This phone is driving me insane.

Just tried NK.

Me: what does whenever begin with?
Dd2: w
Me: what about sphinx?

Still, impressive spelling for a three year old! (And for yr 1!)

SR lol I think it proves she's got a good memory as she may have heard you or DD1 spelling those before.

Agree! 3 out of 4 isn't lucky, it's very good odds! And phonics ends with an 'x' sound. Some books actually use box and fox when they come to x, which is confusing to say the least.

Thanks SR, will talk to her. Knowing her she'll respond with a matter of fact "no" and carry on. :) Anyway, we're off on holiday tomorrow so will see what happens. She's happy with me wiping her at least! And will not use any soap for the time being. Funny enough she has only very little whitish stuff, as you put it mous however she's quite red all over the nether region for want of a better term!

Was tempted to do away with the bedtime nappy since there's been a couple of weeks of dry mornings, but still not brave enough yet. Must take the plunge one day though....

better late than never : DS is 96cm and 16kg?

A bit jealous of all the childcare and ILs help here too although I do have more than you CP. And I am a MUCH nicer person in general on the days DD1 goes to nursery. Roll on her free hours and longer sessions (atm she goes three very short 2.5hr sessions and it seems no sooner have I dropped her off, than am heading back to ck her up. And not enough time to get a reliable nap from DD2).

A fly-by post as I MUST get some sleep. Still shattered from our party-tastic weeken
Hope to catch up properly soon.

It's odd to see that the SAHM would like more child-free time and that I am envious of all the time you have with your DC and would like to see more of DS

Do you have to fill in any forms or anything to get your free sessions or does it kick in automatically?

We don't have any nursery now, DD doesn't do to the local pre-school until September. Now DH is working from home I am going badminton once a week during the day.

DD slept until 7 today and only had one waking at 3 which was just after DSs feed. The drowsy antihistamines seem to help a bit with DSs sleep although there is still at least two feeds. His skin is getting a lot better as well.

The second of two london days in a row, had distractions yesterday afternoon and took DD to see the peacocks in the morning. Hoping the sun makes an appearance and I can chuck them out in the garden. I have leftovers for dinner and it's a climbing night though.

bear the 3yo funding kind of kicks in automatically in that the setting has to draw it down from the LEA. It starts the term after they turn three (so April for our lot). While most places are very good at remembering, it does no harm to gently remind them

stone I think you have hit the nail on the head in terms of our childcare wants! Having done several combinations of SAHM and childcare (very long mat leaves at one extreme, and working full time plus extra freelance at the other extreme), I feel very lucky to have the balance I enjoy at the moment.

DD2 was cuddling me in bed yesterday morning and did that head tipping back thing they sometimes do. Smack into my nose. I whimpered, my nose bled profusely for about five minutes and I have had a headache since. It alkso appears to have messed up my vision in my left eye, which I am putting down to new (or rearracnged) floaters

I am thinking of encouraging her current love of letters and numbers by moving the magnetic board and letters and numbers from DD1's room into DD2's. In fact, it is probably time I overhauled DD1's educational toys as she has probably outgrown most of them and DD2 is at the stage where she might like them. A weekend job, I think

Ouch SR - poor you.
Very impressed with the spelling, though - wow!

CP good to hear your DS' skin is clearing up and you're getting fewer nocturnal interruptions, hooray!

Well, DD is still driving me batty - her appetite is back down, her sleep is still disturbed (although she doesn't call for us...just lies in bed awake for ages...) and the withholding continues to be worse again. Small breakthrough today when I got her to admit that she was feeling sad because of nursery...because she doesn't like being there without me...I listened, acknowledged, then helped her come up with a few strategies if she started to miss Mummy while at nursery (cuddle Bunny, go and do cutting and sticking, Mummy will collect her a bit earlier....) and she brightened right up, ate something, did a poo, asked for Big Girl Knickers and was much happier again. She still didn't eat much at supper, but hey ho, at least we saw an improvement. I just hope it doesn't take her too long to fully adjust to nursery. I try not to let my own anxiety (about her anxiety) show, but it's hard sometimes....

Well, the three year funding doesn't kick in automatically where we are. It has to be applied for and has a deadline for applications. The council also only fund certain childcare providers. With dd1 we lost out on the 15 free hours because no one told me I had to apply (no info was sent due to data protection apparently- what utter bollocks) and the only approved provider near us is usually full and also not very good. So we have forked out for the pre-school of our choice. Now met the deadline for dd2 but have no illusion that we'll get money towards the fees. So much for 'free' childcare in our area...

No free hours over here so I cannot say.

This morning on the way to pre school DS and I we had this conversation:
DS: 'it's a big truck'
Me: 'daddy dit(says) truck, maman dit camion'
DS: 'camion'
Me: 'good boy' (in French'
DS: 'daddy says truck, DS says truck'

He then looked at me with a big grin!!

The joy of bilinguism...

Stone

More spelling wonderment here. DH was going through DD1's spellings (don't normally have to do them so much, but this week's have been trickier) and she got them all right except elephant.

DH: have a look at elephant, what's the third letter?
DD2 (from another room): E

She's a freak!

Having real problems with DD1. She's full of attitude and being really rude

SR you have a genius there
Is your DD1 5 or 6? If I remember correctly when DD1 was 5 there was a rough patch when she copied rude behaviour from her friends, I remember 6/7 and the beginning of 8 as being very lovely so hang on!
I was firm that it wasn't acceptable, and that I didn't care about what her friends did or didn't do, but at home and for her it was my rules, and that I knew that deep down she was a lovely polite girl...
And her rude friends are mostly very nice now (FX until the hormones kick in!)

Your DD1 might also feel like she is being upstaged by her sister (especially if she can answer her homework while she can't...) and been angry with it, is there anyway she can do her homework a bit more privately?

[stdavid] trinkets of spring for all of you!

Mous, thank you. I know it is a phase, and most of the time she is lovely, but these sustained phases of rudeness drive me mad! She's six (in year 1 a school), and behaves beautifully there. I'm glad it is this way round int hat she behaves there and not for me, but it is wearing.

We don't normally do homework like this, to be honest, and her spellings are normally mastered in two sessions of just her and me. These ones have proved tricky so have needed a bit more work, so have had to be done a couple of times when dd2 is around (not helped by us being away last weekend). She is not short of confidence in her academic abilities, so being upstaged by her sister is not a concern (in this case).

Pretty sure dd2 isn't a genius, more that she has a keen interest in letters at the moment (and has seen the spelling list stuck on dd1's wardrobe). Dd1 was much the same and now is capable (working at level 2c across the board at school) but very normal Well, apart from bringing a bible home from the school library and declaring that she wants to read it ALL before she takes it back

Same problem here SR, dd1 is also yr1 but not 6 until the summer. I also struggle with her attitude. Glad to hear mous that it improves in your experience.
Got he dreaded letter (first ever) saying there's been a case of head lice in the class... I haven't stopped scratching since!

SR It's not unheard of for children to read at 3... I think your dd2 will be one of them .

To be honest I can't see the point in spelling lists at all. A while back dd1 came home with a list containing words like flume, fuse and ruse which mean absolutely nothing to her. I would prefer children to learn to spell words in context and then have tests where they write full sentences down (that's what I did at school).
Sorry, wrong thread for this I know but just needed to rant.

NK I'm glad I'm not to only one to scratch my head if headlices are mentioned. I have to admit that I treat DS as a prevention each time we get that letter.