Dec 2011: Running around after our Cybermidgets...

[Aethelfleda]

Roll up, roll up, it's the Dec 11 new thread.
Prepare to be upgraded (if you can catch them!)

At least they will have the same Dad and go away at weekends together.

If you both want another child then go for it, no one knows what the future holds.

My only advice would be never have more children then you can lookafter and raise on your own as you dont know what the future holds, bad shit happens.

Hope you all enjoyed the sun!

We went to the urban beach and monkey loved it, me not so much being splashed but he was so excited

He hasn't napped in 2 days though, he's fallen off out of exhaustion at 5 yesterday and 6 today, he woke up just getting home and was hellishly grumpy till he finally dropped back off 2 hours later.

Oi I hope you figure out what to do. I love the simplicity of it being just us two, I couldn't even imagine his 'father' or even a boyfriend in the mix right now.

Wow, that was a hot weekend, the butter nearly refused to churn! (it does that if it's too hot or cold and you end up with warm whipped cream) back home and sooo tired. dS fell asleep instantly result. dDs tired but had a great time an have jusy starte to settle. Now to watch Les Revenauts on Ch4 (dead spooky!) and veg with the fan on. I am in total denial of the huge clearing/washing to do list, it can happen tomorrow!

Hope your weekend got better seven, and big cups of cooling tea to all who need them!

I drove for 2.5 hours today without feeling stressed woohoo! Down the motorway and also round about to various sites. Lovely picnic at ruined old mansion and later on, MIL (visiting for weekend) minded Minimopsy while myself and Mr. Mopsy went for drinks/dinner out. Back already (didn't want to leave MIL on her own all evening) but was really lovely, especially as we rarely get to go out due to having no family nearby to babysit.

Yesterday, Mr. Mopsy also finished digging/levelling end of back garden and we went to B&Q and got gravel and anti weed layer so our garden looks SO much better now with a lovely raised gravel area at the end (he also built a fab little wall out of drystone wall stones we found whilst digging up the weeds/rubble at the end of garden). So we must just buy a garden table/chairs and it will be fab. I am sure that, along with the new kitchen, it will make our house more attractive to potential buyers. And in the meantime, we can enjoy it!

Went to see my new head of department on Thursday and have all my lecture modules planned and approved now. Scary. But also exciting. One lecture series which runs over the two semesters is totally new and all planned/designed by me. I hope it goes OK. Eeeeek.

Otherwise, just enjoying the weather.

Hope you're all having good weekends.

That sounds like a successful weekend all round mopsy

It's been a hot weekend to pack up a kitchen, but I think we're just about there now. The builders start tomorrow, and then it's a 'mere' 16 weeks until we have our shiny new kitchen! It's going to feel like a long time...I'll just be waiting to see what type of grand designs style problem occurs along the way

oi sorry I was a bit of a bitch harsh the other night. Only you know how much you want another baby and its none of my business, forgive me.

mopsy sounds like a fab weekend.

Bea has her first jabs tomorrow. She is starting to seem a little better now, some feeds are still awful but its not constant now. Plus I don't think it'll be long before she gives up her night feed which will help no end. DH is off all week hoping to have a big push and get the kitchen finished if not I may throttle him. Now about to order the table and chairs, then need to look at curtains.

seven I didn't think you were being harsh at all. Nothing to forgive!!
I need to have a good think about a lot of things. 9Hope bea's jabs go OK.)
I think you all know that I would not consider another baby in the hope of it saving our marriage. That certainly would NOT help. And if we were still together, it'd probably mean the end of us. I can imagine seven that it puts the relationship under much, much more stress.
I'm certainly not going to TRY for another baby just yet. But, making the effort, this weekend, fuelled with alcohol, we dtd.
That was on the Friday. We had a nice Friday and Saturday. By Sunday I wanted to murder him.
In other news, I'm getting a new fire/wall spec'd up for the house. It's very exciting. hang on... I'll go and find a picture...

here
I'm having the wall inbetween the living room/dining room ripped out, and building a fireplace that will come out about 1.8-2m to create a divide, and it'll look very similar to this.
It's very exciting.
I should spend the money I have on much needed new patio doors. The ones I have are faulty, drafty, and let out all the warm air in the winter, and so are costing us a fortune in heating.
However, i can't do patio doors and fancy fire... In this I am being ruled by utter madness my heart and my wish for something pretty. I should get the doors sorted... BUT if I buy curtains, that'll help, right?! hee hee!
pretty fireplace.

oi the fire looks nice but I would go nuts telling the kids to not climb on it and worried about the glass getting hot and the kids throwing something at it and braking the glass. Im waiting till they are teens before I get nice stuff for my house lol

when Air was two he learned to throw and was obbessed with throwing wooden blocks at me/patio doors/other kids it got him in trouble loads of times but he is really good at throwing balls now

Aaron does his first full day at school tomoro. We have a parent/teacher thing this afternoon. Then footy tonight.

Im going to take Hope to toddler swimming in the morning im so looking forward to spending time alone with Hope. When air is in school in afternoon she is sleeping so its nice for her to be awake and having oneonone time.

I have got the tent out of garage and checked it all so we are good to go camping now

I have also found out about the splash park opening times, the Urban beach and finding out about summer holiday activities for the kids.

Inlaws have offered to take us on holiday next may to disneyland paris for a week, so Air is excited about seeing micky mouse now!

The glass would get hot, so BOi would have to learn not to get too close. (but there is a 3" lip between the edge of the stone base and the glass also). And the glass is super tough, so nothing's going to break it.
But, with anything, it'll be a case of learning what can and can't be played with.
i visited a colleague's house in Germany last month. they have two young'uns. they also had a white carpet in one section of the house. And it was immaculate. I asked how, they said simple rules. The carpet is on the play area, but the kids have to go to other areas (e.g. the dining table) to eat ice creams, or to drink anything other than water...
So, I took from that, that anything is possible. I add here a clause, that as long as there is room to be free, to play (in safe areas) - and the whole house isn't bound by conditions - then you can have select areas with conditions attached.

Impressive fire oi! We are toying with a woodburner but are well and truly in tight budget mode now til I get back to work, so that and many other cunning plans are on hold for now. Will all be fine when I'm earning again (she says optimistically)

Oh I love our wood burner aethel (well, multi-fuel stove as we're in a smoke-control zone) and will be so sorry to leave it behind, sigh. We just have a fireguard round it, though DS tends not to be up when we have it on...not that we'd want it on at the moment anyway ! The PiLs have a burner between the dining room and living room Oi, not as open as that but same idea.

And yes, curtains will help

I'm glad it's not just DS air, I despair of his throwing things. Definitely far better strength and aim than his mother though even now so will try to look on the bright side. Good luck to Aaron too!

Can't believe the amount of kitchen activity going on, but 16 weeks faffin? Are they quarrying the stone themselves?! Or are you in fact Princess Faffin and live in a castle? We had our kitchen done, and that needed taking back to beyond the bone, new wiring, screeing the floor, revealing and then removing paint that hadn't seen the light of day for 100+ years, and even that only took a few weeks!

In other news, the heat is hot, work is like a Turkish bath, and it's toooooo busy. I've ended up being piggy in the middle to the two senior staff's disagreement so keep on having to counsel them, on top of all the other stuff I'm doing that's not part of my JD....

Fingers x'd that DS doesn't wake me at half 4 like he did his father today!

oi the fire looks great, go for it! We have a wood burner but don't have a fire guard. The DC's know that like the oven, it's hot, and they just stay away from it.

It's amazing what the builders can do in just one day. The kitchen and utility rooms have been ripped out, an outbuilding demolished, and a temporary kitchen installed in the dining room. The garden is full of rubbish. The skip arrives tomorrow and will be emptied three times a day . And to DS's utter delight, there is a digger on the garden. DEEGAH! [Grin]

Not quite a castle northern, but we're doing an extension as well as new kitchen. By Nov we should have a big kitchen with bi-fold doors all along one wall leading into the garden, and it'll have a dining and lounge area in too. We're having a utility and a shower room where the outbuilding was, and all the windows in the house are being replaced too. Should be amazing, and I'll have to keep that in mind during the upheaval of the next four months!

Faffin that sounds amazing, hope the next four months fly bay.

Northern Pooh to work stress and turkish bathness.

Oi fire looks lovely.

Air disneyland paris? Very jealous!

Quiet weekend here. DS has been waking at night recently asking for water and complaining that he's hot. Is tiring, but I can't blame him really, it is bloody hot!

We had a rough day yesterday where, for whatever reason, DS spent the whole day pinching, biting and hitting me. I was calm and firm, but it took every inch of patience I had and I practically ran out the door when DH got home. The biting really really hurts! I know we just have to be consistent, but it seems to go in waves? He wont do it for ages, then when he's tired, it's like he does it on purpose? He's also an expert thrower of food, cutlery and plates. I am mean mean mummy, and stuff that gets thrown at meal times, does not come back. He was asking for more cous cous on Sunday after chucking his everywhere, and I said no (gave him a banana later on).

Got the inlaws up this week, but I'm at work so wont really see them. I know they just want to see DS, but it's such a pain having house guests. I'm going to become a hermit.

Faffin - the house project sounds fab. And your builders sound realistic. My kitchen extension (a few yrs ago) was quoted as being 8 weeks... It took 5 months! Ugh!
And ugh to biting. You sound like you're doing the right thing. Keep it up hop!

The biting sounds horrible hop, DD1 is having a phase where she keeps hitting DH. Well done on being patient.

oi that's an impressive fire! We have an open fire, and I love doing toast, marshmallows and chestnuts on it! I'd love a wood burner one day though not that we'll ever be able to afford it

faffin hope the next 4 months go quick. I find it helps immensely to tell myself it'll be worth it when it's finished if ours ever gets finished

We went for a disaster picnic, Bea screamed the whole time and my friend who we were meeting got stuck at work and didn't turn up, we've given up and come home early. Both girls now asleep so better get my jobs done!

Hop DS has a thing about biting toes at the moment i really have to watch as my natural reflex is to kick him off/in the face but obviously shouldnt be doing that!! He also lunges at my arms and shoulders and not sure if he going to bite or blow fart noises .

Back from Scotland this morning, unpacked, DS to CM and to work by 12.30 had a fabulous time he and his 25mo cousin had great fun together and only fell out once over a thomas the tank engine train which they squabbled over all last night with DS shouting Me ME ME and DN yelling my train, no share, my train!! he loves my dad he shouts after him all the time, chases him, jumps on him laughing was very sweet and sad in equal measure as wont be back until October(ish). Of course i have come back with the normal dilemmas swimming through my head - I want another baby, i want to move to scotland etc. Gah it is frustrating!! DS 20th flight today and he was an angel with his crayons, peppa pig stickers and thomas the tank engine book.

Hope you havent all melted in this heat!!

Hee hee! BOi loves blowing raspberries on my shoulder or tummy. He also thinks its really funny to try and put his head up my dress to hide. ...you see, he did this once with a particular dress that has different sections, so that was ok and fun, but at weekend, at a crowded event he was fighting to shove jus head up my sundress. Not good!!!!
Re the fire. I was going to get a wood burner, but then saw that they were available as gas, with looky-likey sticks, and powered by remote control, so went for the easy, quick option. I love a real fire, I just don't like the idea of cleaning them and carrying ashes and soot through the house.

I think my anxiaty (sp?) is going up a bit, as I let air press the button tp cross the road and had visions of him tripping into the road and getting squished by a truck not sure how to cover come that fear!

Air did great at school. He was happy and with friends, eat all his lunch and seconds , got up on time and is excited telling daddy about his day. So he was fine.

Hope and I had a nice girly day too

Its super hot here and I have a headache now and feel tired.

There was a little girl in the new class that was crying her eyes out and her Dad just left her crying and walked out Aaron and another girl classmate was trying to comfort her before the teacher came for
her. Then another boy was falling to sleep and the Dad had to carry him home asleep on him

Aw! Glad he enjoyed his day at school. (Must be a relief!)

My two are still up with this wretched heat! Writing (very cute) thank you-teacher cards for next week, I asked them would they like vino and apparenty they prefer chocolate (!!) so will be choc hunting with a net and spear shortly.

Glad Air enjoyed school.

Darcie is glad it's the last week at school...got thank you cakes to make & cakes for YR3 party on Friday. So thankful Sky is at nursery all day on Thursday as that will be my baking day.

Sky being a right cheeky madam although seems to be coping alright with the heat. I'm not however!

Got a throat the size of golfballs :( but meeting a friend for breakfast so hopefully lots of orange juice will help.

I'M MELTING!