Dec 11: Not tonight dear, I've got a haddock.

[PerilousStiletto]

I liked this one. :)

Octoboy can have the box of Christmas tat decorations as they should come down on his birthday. If it lasts that long. I hate thay stuff:o

Mopsy...I need organisation in my life otherwise my brain goes all scatty! Think I'm slightly ASD too. I've finished Darcie, my nephew, my MIL. Started Sky's, my nan's, SIL, my mum & my sister. FIL is easy...Amazon vouchers & bottle of the finest red. BIL is a Metallica CD and some loungewear. So all good.

For dinner tomorrow I think we will have minted lamb grill steaks with rice & steamed veg.

Must do the sodding ironing tomorrow & batch cook some stuff as got some sweet potatoes to use.

Octo - how's your CAHMs referral going?

I have a spreadsheet of Christmas presents I bought pretty much everything for the DC's stockings in July. Haven't bought anything else yet, but everything is listed on the spreadsheet, along with a list of what other people in the family are getting. Presents for DS will be largely vehicle related - a big city garage for birthday from us, and vehicles for it from others; andhe'll have some form of digger for his big Christmas present.

I have added to the list of what someone else can get today. He needs his own apron and chef's hat. He did his first bit of baking today, helped me and DD make the crumble topping. He wanted to wear her chef's hat, she wouldn't let him. I had to put him in a witch hat to keep the peace

I have an explanation for DS' hideous behaviour earlier in the week, his top canines are now just peeking through. Really hoping he stays in his own bed tonight. He was in with me last night, and I only got about 5 hours sleep due to all his roaming about!

faffin exactly how organised is this spreadsheet? I desperately need organisational advice, I don't even have anything written down, I've had present ideas which I've not written down and later forgotten . And stocking presents for LOs greatly appreciated.

So far I've bought DS Frustration, a wormery kit from John Lewis (gross!) and a big space Encyclopaedia. I'll probably just get him a couple more games and more books. I'm also looking for a nice first proper reading alone set of books if anyone can recommend anything? I'm having trouble as I guess technically he shouldn't be reading alone very well yet, I want something that aren't just easy 'Learning to read' books, but not too old as he's still only 5. I bought DD1 one of the big happyland sets in the sale a while ago, not sure whether it'll be for birthday or Xmas yet. I want to get her some dressing up things, not sure what else yet though. DD2 I've got no idea. Being DC3 we've got sodding hundreds lots of baby toys already, and she has DD1s old clothes because they're still mostly in excellent condition.

seven it's not hugely organised, it's just that if I don't write things down I forget. I used spreadsheets loads at work and find them more flexible than words docs. It's essentially just a list. I have a tab for each of the DC's, one for me to write down what I'd like from others, and one for ideas of what to get other people. I have a column for each item, can out hyperlinks in the next column if needed, and do a virtual tick against each thing as it's bought.

Stockings for the DC's are mostly pocket money toys from ELC, plus some glow in the dark stars for their ceilings because I always wanted some of those as a kid. I'll get a bag of chocolate coins for each of them nearer the time. At Christmas I tend to get them the stocking, one big present, a game or puzzle and a couple of books. And then of course they get tons of other stuff from the rest of the family. My side usually ask for ideas rather than choosing something themselves, and FIL gives me money to get the DC's presents so I need lots of ideas and start writing them down early.

Faffin we use a spreadsheet too

Seven what about getting DS the Biff, Chip & Kipper books?! He'll have to read them in school and they go upto a hard level.

Seven, look at TheBookPeople website, they are fab for reading sets. Second the Biff and Chip books (oxford reading tree), but a lovely set of easy readers my tomboyish DD loved is called " happy families" by Janet and Allen Ahlberg. Great rhyming stories, loads of puns and visual jokes including a few for the parents, Master Track's Train is particularly inspired....

First settle in visit to the nursery today, eek!.....

Aethel I'm sure settle in at nursery will go fine.

How'd nursery visit go aethel?

How are things xiao?

You're all so organised with your spreadsheets! Luckily we do Christkindl in my family so don't need to buy many presents. Don't know how I'd cope otherwise!

I'm a bit sad and have a spreadsheet each year for Christmas I have recipient names, budget amount, actual amount spent, ideas, and actually bought columns and a grand total spent at the bottom.

I think we are going to get DS a scooter for either his birthday or Christmas, and DH wants to get him a Vtech construction site to go with his Vtech garage that he got last year.

I will have to have a look around for stocking ideas, although he will definitely be getting a book, a puzzle, socks, toothbrush and some chocolates!

If anyone asks what he would like for Christmas, I will probably ask for some pretend food and pretend kettle, toaster and plates etc., as he enjoys playing with these at playgroup. I might also ask for a Wendy house as well so he can have it indoors or in the garden depending on the weather.

DS is mainly into books, puzzles, duplo, wooden bricks, ride ons and tidying up, so I can't really think of any 'big' toys to get him.

I went to Hobbycraft the other week and he's got a nice little stash of art stuff, paints, crayons, paper etc. now, although I might ask for a Hobbeycraft voucher or some more art supplies!

Hi All Figgy Here have been lurking since my return from Brixham am going to unashamedly not try to do a proper shout out as it would take all day however special mention goes to our suffering Xiao just remember you are on countdown to D (or C) day!!

For xmas this year ds is getting a Mr PotatoHead, a train set and a remote control dump truck from the my first JCB range he loves his current 2 JCB's and Mixers from the range as well as Toy Story and Thomas so meets all his likes. I have bought nothing as yet of course. He did get his Thomas Bookset from the book people it has 68 books in it and he get it yesterday from PIL's as they didnt want to wait until xmas which was fair enough.

Am leaving work early today to take DS to Dr again he has been holding his ear over the weekend and the CM has mentioned that she thinks his speech is still slower than she would have expected compared to all of his other development. She suggested a hearing test might be a good idea as when she has seen this before with other kids it has been linked to glue ear and its impact on spech development. Anyone know anything about glue ear? My bro had grommits as a kid think it might have been due to same thing.

Oh I missed the nursery bit, hope it all goes well Aethel, but it can take a good few weeks until drop off gets easier, even though they're fine when you've gone!

I had glue ear figgy and I had lots of gromets. It is fine if you catch it early. I didn't have any speech or devt probs anyway

Thanks all Will refrain from posting more misery guts posts so I will just give a massive shoutout to aethel for advice and handholding and my DH who is amazingness personified...

but also managed somehow to misplace three motherease rikki wraps which were sitting on my side of the bed when I went into hospital ready to be sent to a nice lady on facebook who I was swapping with for two fleece totsbots wraps. Have turned the house upside down but they seem to have evaporated into thin air. So frustrating! I'm going to have to contact the FB lady and ask whether she'd like me to pay her for them or send her wraps back if I can't find them.

And also - what is it with people who MUST talk on the phone and CANNOT communicate by text or email. The last thing I want to do is talk on the phone (ever, particularly now with this headache) and yet I get texts "Really need to talk, need your advice, when are you free?" AAARGHH.

Will do shoutouts in a sec because this person is about to call my mobile GAH.

On rereading that was a misery guts post. Sorry all.

Go ahead and post away xiao! You bloody well deserve a good moan I should think! Hope the phone call wasn't too long.

Oh xiaoooooo, I think you should ring ALL of us on thread, for at least half an hour each.....

well, the electrician has just been and confirmed all the electrics are undamaged from my little escapade. Phew. He also put in a new phone extension and is quoting to put some actual low energy LED-compatible fittings into the kitchen so we don't have to have 200 watts of juice from our evil halogen bulbs just to make a sandwich. Tried plug-and-play LED bulbs in the halogen sockets and they don't work cos of the halogen transformers there's 30 quid wasted, wish LED bulb sellers would describe their goods accurately so new fittings will be needed. Who knew hooses were so complicated!!

Fingers crossed for offers and new house findings cheung and northern

ps. Am in denial about Christmas. So there :)

Had a really good day at work today, even with it being the first one back! Very productive. Have got piles of washing on the go though, always the way when you come back from a break. Place is a tip too

As my birthday is mid-October, I always get past that, and then do Xmas shopping. Have got the annual pilgrimage to York too, which covers some of it.

Delighted to hear that no permanent damage has been done aethel!

We're in the same boat LadyG, DS had his hearing test and we're waiting to hear back, and expecting glue ear and grommets diagnosis. More common in boys I believe, and the grommets do sort it out- I'd get him tested. They only do the op from age 2 upwards here, not sure if that's a national thing.

Just waiting on DP doing the food shop, and then can eat- am ravenous!

An hour long wait at Drs but ds was very well behaved and distraxted by cheese dippers (oh the shame) and walked away with some anti biotics DS has a retracted ear drum in his right ear suggesting fluid but left ear seems fine although he's been prodding at it since been home .....very confusing. Have to take him back next week for a check up they didn't seem keen on a hearing test but the more I think about his lack of words and hid poor pronunciation of the words he does have the more I think there's something going on.

I think defs get him checked figgy but also at this age, poor pronunciation is normal and not sth to worry about. So I wouldn't worry unduly. But I'd defs get him checked so that if there IS an issue they can get onto it straight away and also just for your own peace of mind.

Queen his assessment is today at school. I'm finishing off his info sheet. I am panicking.

Xiao I want a phone that doesn't phone. An ipod that texts is my idea of heaven.

I'm away to bed. There's only so much I can take. See you in four hours.

Good luck with Boo's assessment octo, digits are crossed that it's productive and not too stressful for him or you.

figgy I believe northern is queen of the grommet experiences cos she had them as a child? Indistinct speech is still normal at this age. I've no concerns about DS's hearing at all, but his only well pronounced recognisable words are mum-mum, dad-dad and lollollollollol (for lolly). All other words are variations on "duck" eg dit-dit for biscuit, da-Dair for downstairs, ya and nah for yes and no. He substitutes letters, so I know he can say "m" but milk is "nuk". He can make a "b" sound but doesnt use it in words.
What I'm trying to say is by all means check if you're worried but at this age its more important if they understand whats going in (hearing) rather than what's coming out IYSWIM? So try not to be too worried, he'll probably start talking all of a sudden.

Oh and nursery settling went well (phew),, tomorrow I leave him there for an hour. Oh, the hedony.... I think I may stretch to book, coffee and cake in the local cafe...

Octo Good luck with the assessment today.

We've been to toddler group this morning. Now home and Sky is having a nap so I need to crack on and make DH birthday cake...it's his birthday tomorrow.

Just practically swam back from shops at lunchtime however good news is i have new boots for winter and DS first xmas pressie a megablocks thomas the tank engine set where he builds Thomas, a track and a few little buildings. £20 reduced to £10 in Tesco it says 3-5 so he will get years of (initially supervised) fun out of that!!

Been thinking about his words and he does have new ones recently wet, sit, more, me it is just exhausting having him shout tractor at me a million times a day .

ELC have 20% off Happyland toys for anyone who isn't ignoring Christmas.