April 2011 - We understand no but we choose to ignore it.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Welcome Aprilites

the poo in the pants while trying out a sleeping bag did make me laugh, only because it feels like such a familiar scenario!

We've booked our next trip in the trailer tent, just a few nights on the Suffolk coast. Then hopefully off to France in the summer holidays.

Do you have much of interest in the garden firefly? Maybe some pots and compost just for M? Builders trays are good for all manner of outside (and inside) messy play. Uncooked pasta, rice, popcorn kernals with spoons and containers is popular here.

Local parks are always a good bet, but I have always found them to be punishingly dull when it's just the kids and me. So I often ask a few friends and their lo's along too.

We made ds's cotbed into an actual bed at the weekend. Touch wood, so far he's been fine and there hasn't been any getting out of bed shenanigans. However I fear it is only a matter of time!

I've no idea how to handle a baby and toddler, I'm afraid!

We already have a tent! (I think we've got 3, actually! But I do have my eye on another!) but we are in need of a new double mat type thing. Our last thermarest type died a sieve-like death last year! I'm after luxury now though.

Sandpit in the garden is a winner here though, and bike around the park.

I'm just up feeding DD2 and catching up on the thread. I'm also resorting to far too much CBeebies firefly. The weather here was grim yesterday and it seemed to be on virtually all day, I'm afraid it's the easy option when I'm feeding the baby.

DD1 loves painting, glueing and sticking and would do this all day I could be bothered to supervise. I appreciate that 9 months is probably a bit young to get involved though.

We've got three (THREE!) birthday parties this weekend. Give me strength (or Valium) to deal with them and a junk food laden DD...

arrgh. some days I'm really looking forward to going back to work. then I remember I'll still have them both to deal with in the afternoons looks like baby isn't having a nap this afternoon. she was just dropping off when M starts shouting and wakes her. try again upstairs and she comes into the baby's room and won't go away when asked/told/hissed at.
I think its made worse by my friend having a 3 year old with exceptional comunication skills who'll generally do what she's asked, and an 8 week old baby who sleeps most of the time. I'm hoping I'm just at a really hard stage and it'll get lots easier (Ilike, ali, please confirm this!). I can't leave them in the same room now either as baby a is pestering poor m, climbing into her chair, etc.
I have a friend who has split her mat leave with her husband - very clever, he gets the tricky second 6 months .

apologies for the rant. I feel marginally better now, I haven't shouted at either for 5 minutes...., but have resorted to octonauts, and the chocolate mug cake.

Hugs firefly. It does get easier, but in themes time nowt wrong with doing what works!!! X

• in the meantime

thanks kitty. i suspect the age gap between your two meant it was even harder.

Oh dear, Firefly, sounds like hard work at the moment.
Ironically I've come on to say that DP and I decided last night that we would start TTC no 2 next month, gulp, and although I really want to make our future family dynamic four not three I am suddenly gripped with terror about the reality of doing all that baby stuff again.... and being needed by two of them.....and I need reassurance that it will be ok and that it will be worth it in the long run! Any tips on how to survive very gratefully received (yes, I know I'm not even pregnant yet but I like to be massively mentally prepared about everything!)

How exciting Daisy! Obviously it's much earlier days as a foursome for us but at the moment I wouldn't say the step up from one to two has been too much of a change. I think I've been able to stay more positive when we have had a difficult day because I know that it won't last forever. It's very unlikely that we will have anymore so I'm trying to make the most of the time that we have while she's tiny.

It's still ages before I go back to work but at the moment I'd like nothing more than a lottery win so that I could stay at home and have another one! I'm sure I'll change my tune soon!

Hello all just checking in. Daisy I have no words of comfort, I'm worrying about the exact same thing at the moment. And torn between really looking forward to having a year at home with my lovely girl and a new baby and wishing it didn't come at a time when I was REALLY enjoying my job...

Nom how is the pox? Green how is the napping?

Had our 13 week scan last week and all is looking good (a big relief after bleeding scare at 7 weeks). Starting to tell people now, which is fun. Did my mum last week, will be seeing my Dad this weekend. And I've mentioned to a few people at work as well now. I like this bit :)

There you go, ecuse, you've helped me already with that excitement of telling people! We were out at the park this morning with friends who have two and they were waxing lyrical about the joys outweighing the difficulties, so feeling a bit more optimistic! Icecream in the blazing sun is helping too.... You also sound very happy, twentieth how old is little one now?

Hope all the illnesses have retreated and are allowing everyone to laze around in the sun. So gorgeous. Although my boy suddenly looks terrifyingly old in shorts and t-shirt, somehow, all lanky legs and arms!!

The weather is lush here. 22 degrees in the shade, which I think is a very civilised temperature. Still cool enough to get things done and not feel lethargic, and cool at night too.

We went to a fab wood fair at the weekend. We had a mooch around, ate hot dogs and ice creams, then watched a street entertainer act for ages. The boys loved the entertainers and joined in with the clapping, excitement and general silliness.

You'll find that different people find the different stages difficult/easy for different reasons firefly. Maybe this just isn't the easy or most enjoyable bit for you, but like every stage it will change. Focus on the positives of the day, no matter how small, then forget about the negatives.

Yay, for 13 week scan ecuse , and happy shagging Daisy!

I just had to go back and see what I was complaining about! we had a lovely weekend in the sun and both girls have been adorable..

She's 10 weeks. We had the day from hell with her big sister yesterday though. I may have been too hasty with my assessment of it all being a breeze! She's turned into a teenager over night!

Pox I think has retreated. M of course passed it to A, who was very poorly.

M was in hospital last week with a massive asthma attack which was not nice. Less scary than before because we know what it is and that it is controllable but not fun.

I like having 2. There are 'moments', but there were moments with just M! He is very sweet with her, she obviously adores him, I like that they will be able to play together in the future and save me endless hours of their fun. She is far more chilled than he ever was.

Does anyone else still have a turbo charged child? He seems constantly on the go and gets wound up very easily. I don't know whether this is him or a Threenager thing.

My threenager is very petulant at the moment, schlafenfreude

Also - would anyone else's child happily survive on 4 bowls of cereal for breakfast and not much for the rest of the day?!

My turbo child is away for the week to my parents. We have childcare ishoos again. CM had another op last week and is recuperating this week.

He is having a ball though! Although poos in the potty have gone a bit awry. I'm hoping it's just a blip because it's different and we won't get a defecting child back!

I feel quite bereft!

My threenager is impossible at the moment. She could out strop Harry Enfield's Kevin. I feel exhausted just thinking about it to be honest...
And while she loves cereal, she is a bottomless pit at the moment / constantly complaining she's hungry. She's a skinny little rake though and never stops running round, so I figure she needs it. Like her mother, I think she would happily live on chocolate if allowed

Sounds like a rough ride with poorly children S . Hope that M and A are on the mend. You must be exhausted with it all.

Oh crap - that was meant to be a sad face after my comment about poorly children. It looks like a 'hmmm' face now I've posted it on my phone. Just so that you know I'm not completely insensitive!

Oh crap - that was meant to be a sad face after my comment about poorly children. It looks like a 'hmmm' face now I've posted it on my phone. Just so that you know I'm not completely insensitive!

Oh crap - that was meant to be a sad face after my comment about poorly children. It looks like a 'hmmm' face now I've posted it on my phone. Just so that you know I'm not completely insensitive!

I give up!

I quite like having two, at least some of the time. Thingsseem better than a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday was particularly lovely with them in the garden and M going on the slide then insisting that A had a turn, then the same on the rocking horse. It was adorable, especially as I've never known M to do turns before even with her peers.
We've also started a sticker chart this weekend to encourage tidying up. It will hopefully be expanded to potty training which is still not happening. I don't know if the bad nappy rash yesterday might encourage her...

Hope poorly children are all better.

The emoticons on the phone thing really confuses me! I actually type : ( to be sure I've got sad fax. And hmm for the snarky eyes.

M shares really well with A here (just realized we gave our children the same initials green! He will do turn taking but is more likely to try to give her toys - small metal cars - or big cuddles.

fizz I can imagine the bereft feeling. DS hasn't been away very often but I miss him when he is. And when I had A he went to his grandparents and I felt like I'd replaced him :(

They must be good initials schlafenfreude :) I think kitty has a youngest A too, yes?

I'm now on the countdown of going back to work :( this is my penultimate week of maternity leave, then two weeks annual leave... we're on holiday next week. The first since moving and A arriving I'm really looking forward to it even though we're only going an hour away!