FEB 2010 Proper threenagers now!!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Come on in, Chicas!

Dive into the bubbly and home-baking and take advantage of our deluxe creche....

We have lost our tax credits completely now. They are offering to pay 800ish over the next year and then reclaim it but I think we'll just tell them to keep it now to avoid hardship later on.

It's good that DH is earning more but I think we are slightly worse off. Hopefully his earnings will continue to go up.

We had a lovely afternoon with Scones and her DD1. Went to pub with playroom and then playground. Scones DD lost her bunny for ages but Scones finally found her stuffed inside a plastic aeroplane. My DS has a tantrum over me saying no to ice cream but apart from that they were very good.

Glad you and scones had a nice time, BC. Wish I could have made it. Next time...

IC, great news on poos in the toilet! Is it continuing?

We don't get tax credits, but did lose our child benefit at the beginning of the year. Hmrc offered the same "deal" for that, in that you could receive it but then have it reclaimed. How can that ever be a good idea?

How is everyone? I'm trying to work through my enormous to do list before we go on holiday on Saturday. MNing isn't helping.

Eek at tax credits overpayment!!!

SR after 6 consecutive days of using the loo for her poos, DD has regressed to nappies again. Frustrating.... But hopefully it won't be too long before she works up the courage to try again....

So lovely to see CP and her DD at our place the other day!! And what a talented photographer you are, CP - as well as all the other things you're good at!!

fell off the thread just checking in without reading

Mous How are you doing?

Hi everyone

Bizarre about the tax credits, the offering to pay and then reclaim it I mean. Why would that be better than not paying it in the first place? All the extra administration. Crazy.

Shame about DD's poos, IC, never mind, I'm sure she will get the hang of it again. DD1 still point blank refuses to even consider potty or toilet.

She had another UTI-like incident (screaming with pain when weeing, a bit of blood, raised temp) but the doc said her urine was clear. So no idea why it keeps happening (well, twice).

We had a nice week at my mum's (and a lovely meet-up with Bc and her two ) but just as I was due to come back, my step dad had a third heart attack. It was a mild one, but the angiogram showed that three of his arteries are almost entirely blocked and so he is having a triple bypass this week. The odd thing is he seems ok, although of course very worried about the op. I did come back home in the end, I think it's easier for mum not to have us under her feet, and she is spending a lot of time at the hospital.

DH was supposed to sand and polish the kitchen floor while we were away, but he had a DIY disaster and it is only halfway through. He is usually very good at getting on with things so is a bit upset by it. Knowing us, it will stay in this half-done state until the girls and I go away to mum's for a week next summer.

scone sorry to hear about your SD, Fx for the op.
JF I am worried panicked and aimless I am turning around like a headless chicken. My plan Z has been used not sure what to do next... But I am OK, thanks for asking.

Mous What about your DH? Is he jobhunting? It is hard; very hard. There are plenty of jobs in London but not necessarily in other parts of the country. I have an interview tomorrow (cautious yay) but it is way, way, way below what I 'should' be doing. And pays peanuts, I'm not sure if it will cover the childcare. But I have to do SOMETHING.

Keep posting Mous

scones how was it?

and mous how was today for you?

Scone FX the interview went well!

DH has had a raging toothache, got much worse over the week end of course and all emergency services have been closed since we left the UK! Even the rota of pharmacies . Better now after a week of ABs but he had to camp at the dentist for a while to get seen.

Scones I don't think he has been looking at all, hence my panicking. I will have to give him an ultimatum too .
I can't find anything to apply to and even if I could my confidence is rock bottom everybody think I am an idiot, they won't take me for a public facing job due to my appearance, I have a foreign name, I can't even meet new people because I can't invite them around I need to find a course I can do to get up to speed with the market but I am completely lost at what to do.

Gaahh I smacked my head in the door yesterday, it hurts a lot! feeling sorry for myself...

Mous Hope you are okay.

I'm back in the UK and feeling very sorry for myself, too.

?

On my 3rd cup bowl of coffee! DD2 still sleeping ! hmmm peace

I didn't bang myself on purpose, promise! Better today thanks JF. Even if being here is driving me up the wall. All the very annoying things about DH are learnt behaviours. MIL stops jobs in the middle for a rest, leave rubbish everywhere, drop food on the floor (not cleaning), have snacks and leave everything lying around until next time 2 days, gaahhh. I would give her some slack for her age but since DH was is like that I am sure she has always been the same. It is all getting passive aggressive too. It is unbelievably kind of her to have us but DH needs a kick up the arse and I need a house of our own considering kicking the tenants out so I can get our house back.
DH's toothache is back so I guess I will spend the week nursing again beating him with a stick until he stops complaining and go to the dentist

I can't even get to know people because I can't invite anyone back for tea or playdate. they are avoiding me like the plaque when they learn about it

Mous I would strongly suggest you do some kicking! (Give your tenants notice or not renew when their contract is up, and tell your dh he'd better sort out some income for when you move back into your own house!). Can you set yourself a deadline eg. be back in your own house by Christmas?
I just spent three weeks under the same roof as my parents and I love them dearly, and they are wonderful for putting up with four people descending on their quiet life. But there is no way I would live with them for any length of time.

Little lurk and love to all.

I echo JF, mous - even the loveliest of parents and in-laws start to drive you mad after a little while sharing the same living space. Good advice on a deadline to get into your own place....
Meantime, have a

JF are you okay? Back to UK Blues getting better? Be lovely to see you one of these days!

Sorry for the absence - we've been in Cornwall for a week with tricky internet access (hence my improved ability to solve cryptic crossword clues..!!). It was a lovely week, only two REALLY crap nights of sleep, the rest okay (one was because DH forgot to put on DD's night nappy....wet bed at 02.30, tried to settle her in with us, gave up after 2.5 hours of non-stop fidgeting - DH ended up taking her outside where they both curled up under a duvet on a single mattress in a tent in my DSis' garden for a few hours....I got 20 mins more kip before DS was up for the day....felt a bit weary, I can tell you..!)

Meantime, DS has just turned one and is celebrating by eating brilliantly (apart from sweet stuff - wasn't overly grabbed by his birthday cake, but wolfed down the chili lentils I'd made!!), and sleeping until 07.00ish with only one nocturnal awakening. Crawling and cruising are coming on apace and the withholding seems to be nipped in the bud, although he's still on Lactulose at the moment.

DD is on generally good form too - apart from the wet bed incident, she hasn't woken in the night for a good few weeks, after a run of interruptions because of nightmares and has recently been much better at playing with other children, including a new ability to "adopt" older girls in the park and then boss them around shamelessly (much to their delight, in most cases!!) Her previous dislike of the beach seems to have gone and she decided she wanted to stay in Cornwall "forever" so she could have easy access both to the beach and her beloved cousins. All good!!

Good to hear from you, IC! Your holiday sounds lovely. And a very happy birthday to your DS. One already! Wow.

Mous your poor head. No wonder it is hurting with all that's going on with you. I agree with the others, some kicking is in order. You need your own house and own space, and your DH needs to look for a job!! What is he playing at?!

Sorry that your confidence is at rock bottom. I feel the same. A course sounds a good place to start. Are there any publicly-funded ones where you are? There are a few around here (as an area of high unemployment/deprivation) although they are all very basic. Still, have a creche. I am considering doing one just for the childcare (honestly).

My job interview went well, but there were a couple of sticking points and I didn't get the job. I have learned that I need to bullshit more and sell myself more. I think perhaps I could have got it if I'd been a bit more bullish, but at the time I wasn't convinced I wanted it. Now, of course, I wish I'd got it .

Nothing else on the horizon at all, jobswise.

DD1 has an obsession with sleeping in our bed at the moment. This morning she ended up in our bed with DH and I was in her toddler bed with legs hanging out.

CP - your suspicions about DS were right...I've had a chance to look properly and he does appear to have an upper lip tie. It obviously hasn't caused us feeding issues, but I'm now thinking I should probably get it sorted to fend of future dental/speech issues. What do you think?
Anyone else with experience of this?