Dec 2011: The one where they sit on potatoes. And turn TWO!

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

New fred! Roll up roll up, potty adventures and birthdays galore!

Have sat down with a cider in front of the footie after a mad period of getting two loads of washing done, the child fed, the sandwiches made, Xmas discussed with my DF, and my new boots sprayed!

Spoke with our solicitor today about the move, the vendors' solicitor still hasn't responded to our queries- the EA had phoned him today too, so the EA is going to hurry along the other solicitors....COME ON PEOPLE, MOOOOVE. Ahem.

Oh, and the dog wasn't on a lead, so pretty crap but at least we have spare balls!

That sounds stressful for you hinky, and if it's part of his personality then not too much to be done- do you think he picks up on your stress about/for him at all? I'm sure there'll be threads in Parenting for further info about how to manage his worrying.

And that is awesome hop, full marks! We wouldn't manage without DS' playpen ref showers, etc- I'm really not sure when we'll be able to put it away (was even thinking about starting a thread on it). DS doesn't do TV, and whilst he'll sit and play/read, etc, I just can't leave him on his own for any time...

That is really good news figgy- it did sound like he was down in the dumps big time and now he's got the medication sorted and things are looking up he's more positive about no.2 dump the contraception and get pregnant quickly before he changes his mind!

Kat it's not forced of nature is it bloody awful but I love it!! Ben affleck is one of my mega crushes. Dh gone out so I'm watching newsroom and walking dead on catch up.

Yep, that's the one Figgy. There is something really weird about an actor playing a character with his own name. I used work for a well known video chain, and once I had got a "proper" job had one of thise cinema cards where I paid £10 a month and could go as many times as I wanted. As a result I had seen EVERYTHING. Now, I haven't even been to the cinema since.....OMG the second hangover film. hmmm Bradley Cooper

I wonder of the cinema down here does the baby viewings

ooh, Yes it does. Wed AM. Which is also a day that DS is at the CM!

Don't fancy the film they are showing tomorrow though. So I'll be ironing I guess!

That sounds much more positive Figgy! Fingers crossed next year you will be expecting!

On the exercise front, I've upped my game to pilates, legs, bums and tums, body pump and step class once a week each. On the downside I've scoffed two cream filled donuts today Still, tomorrow is another day!

I have lost weight from my legs, hips and bum, my tummy is going to be the last thing to tone up I think! My arms are looking more defined now too - good for lugging around DS :)

On the speech front, DS has a few words...

Turtle
Purple
What's that?
More!
No
Duck
Water
There

And a whole lot of babble that I'm desperately trying to make sense of!

We have;
Hiya
Mum (said like Cartman, for both DH & I)
Bear (one of his godfathers)
Bye
Cuckoo
Car
Va (for Van)
Uh-Oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah (always 3 times)
No
Ilk (Milk)
Rwar (for dinosaur, cheers George Pig)
Eloow (for Yellow)
Kay (for Keys)

Aside from Hiya, Bye, Yeah(x3), Mum and Uh-oh the rest have only been in the last few weeks, so I have high hopes for sentences by the time he's 18!

Figgy, Ds2 is 3 months already

Hurrah for weight loss Chip!

Northen, hope you hear good things from the solicitor today. Amazed that your DS doesn't like TV, I've put a childlock app on my phone so DS1 can watch youtube vids whilst I feed DS2.

I can recommend the app; they're on Android there's a main child lock called Kids Place (where you can load all your child apps), and the video one is Kids Video Player (you can load up to 10 youtube vids & disable youtube search), both free!

Inspirational phrase for weight loss. Ok, this is wrong in sooooo many ways (weighs?), and was lambasted at the time, and I can't stand Kate Moss, but I find what she said pretty good - straight to the point: "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". (I am quite sure that you have to translate it as: you feel great and confident when you're looking good - so think long term benefits rather than short term cream cake. Don't translate it as "men prefer to feel boney women", because that's simply not true.)
Cheesey Sandra Bullock - I think she's fab. If I did any thing remotely meaningful with my life that would warrant a film (ha!), I would want Ms Bullock to play me. She would have to pile on the pounds and a thick Bolton accent, but she's a pro, she'd be reet.
Got to go. We were invited to the Grunkohl Essen, but we declined. Yes. Seriously. Tonight in Ahaus there is a business event where local business owners eat cabbage and talk business.
Glorious!!!

Gah just wrote big post and lost it

Hi all! Can't face rewriting it all. Just saying a) hugely busy with lecturing and prep hence lack of posts, feeling rather stressed and bit overwhelmed by the mountains of prep facing me b) flying home tomo for SIL's father's funeral and back Fri night so will be v flying visit. It is v sad for them ... he'd had an op but they were told he was on the mend and all looked v positive, then he v suddenly took turn for the worse and died. He was only 60. It is very sad for them c) hope you're all well. Sorry for v few name checks but just briefly Queen hope you're feeling OK without the tablets, figgy hope positive phase of husband/baby talk continues, Northern hope house sale hurries up and slow solicitor gets his act together, Oi hope more success this month, I'm forgetting everyone else. Really sorry

DS was bitten by another child at nursery today . When they said to me "there was an incident today..." I was tensed waiting to hear all about how DS had done something to another child (he is a fan of throwing things and has a very good aim!), but in fact he was the victim and it was unprovoked. He was just sitting next to the other child and they leant over and bit his arm. There are teeth marks but he is otherwise fine now.

I took inspiration from Hop and got a dramatic new 'do today. Went for a graduated bob and am very pleased with the results

Oh dear. Isn't it awful that there's a certain relief that your child was bitten, rather than the biter? Ali was bitten 3 x in a very short period at the cm's.
Not good.

And I'm booked in for a new hair cut on Friday. Taking inspiration. Thinking of going short again... Was determined. but now unsure...

Also, please don't feel bad about not being able to Namecheck. Whilst name-checking is nice, I think we all know that we are all interested in all of us. But we are all busy at different times.
I'm much more interested to hear how you are all doing /what you are experiencing, rather than reading a response specifically to something I may have written. - of course, I want your feedback and reaction, but also - after a break - you shouldn't feel like you HAVE to Namecheck all. Don't let it stop anyone from posting. Just post your update. We genuinely want to hear from you. That's more important. X

northern how do you still have a playpen? Eva screamed the place down when I put her in it, I put it away a few months ago, and I've now just got it out again for DD2 who's rolling everywhere now.

figgy glad talks are commencing again, hope the job interviews go well for him.

hinky DS is a major worrier too drives me fucking mad. With DS health problems though it kind of makes me wonder if it could be they're picking up on how much we worry about them, I don't know.

DH saw MIL and BIL in the supermarket earlier and was hiding from them so they didn't see him. He spoke to MIL on the phone later and told her he'd seen her there, she genuinely couldn't understand why he hadn't gone and said hello to them when he had the DCs with him. She also gave him a sob story about not being able to afford to make a chrismas cake this year as they can't afford the electricity because BIL was sacked

Anyway, holiday on Friday, can't wait to get away from here for a few days.

X-post but I agree with oi :)

Seven I don't even know what expletive to use.

And I also agree with Oi, mostly because I am rubbish at namechecking. If I don't respond as soon as I read something it is lost forever....

I look like a totally inept parent (unless you have children yourself) as DS has a HUGE graze/welt on the back of his neck. He has taken to standing up in his highchair at breakfast time (he has one of those junior chairs at the table for other meals). He's been told repeatedly not to, that it's naughty, that he'll hurt himself etc etc. So today he stood up and fell of. Judging from the size/shape of the graze I think he caught the back of his neck on one of the cupboard handles.

And DD has a red mark on her cheek bone where DS took of his shoe and smacked her in the face with it. This sounds much worse that it actually was, he was showing me that she was crying in case I hadn't noticed she was crying and he had his shoe in his hand. I don't think it was deliberate

We've had an explosion of words, combined with a desperate need to label everything and have an adult that'll be me then confirm that the label is correct. So we start each day with him pointing at me and saying "Mummy" repeatedly until I agree. Then pointing to Daddy. Then DD (either Baby or Immy depending on whether he can remember her name!) And so we spend the day.

Which would be and is cute, except that although the number of words has increased really significantly over the past 3 or 4 weeks, his pronounciation has really slackened off. He could say Bus really clearly but it is now more like Ball. Spoon is now spooooo. I can't think of any other examples. But obviously when he wants me to confirm that the label is correct it would be useful if I could understand him (he can clearly see through my "Really, yes that is right" response judging from the look of disgust I receive)

The CM told me that last week and this week he has been telling her that I'm at home with his sister saying "Mummy home Immy". Which is correct. Clever boy!

Oh, and I can't decide whether to get my hair cut back into the lovely sharp bob with chunky fringe that I had this year. Or grow the fringe out so I can go back to my annual hair cut rather than the 4-6 weeks that the short cut requires.

I thought that the shorter cut was more grown up. And if I grow it longer I'll just end up scraping it back into a ponytail. But longer hair (and no fringe) is easier with hats over the winter. But short hair means less opportunity for DCs to pull it.

Mostly I just need to dye the grey back out of it

Nursery have stopped asking about DS's bruises/scrapes and when he injures himself there they just explain it with a 'well, he was just being himself and then he fell on his face/tripped over a toy/tried to climb on a toy motorbike' I think because he just doesn't seem phased by injuries (other than proffering it to me to kiss, and saying 'bang it! kiss, mummy!') that we just shrug it off. I was wondering if he would need glasses, but then he can spot a tiny areoplane up in the sky, and I'll find him poking at an ant he's found on the floor etc. I just think he's always in such a hurry to keep moving, he can't be doing with going the safe way.

In terms of language, he's a chatterbox. Lots of little sentences now, and you can almost have a conversation with him. This morning I was drinking my coffee and he was stood in front of me -begging for a sip-- saying Mummy dink coffee! Coffee hot! Blow on it mummy, fank oo! He can't say 'sp' though, and so says POOOON! for spoon, and has a lovely lisp. He also can't pronounce his 'r's BUT he can roll them like he's Spanish. So weird because I can't do that at all, so don't know where he has heard it! Most common phrases at the moment are 'I no like it; bed/chair/cow/shoes/coat/hat', 'Dat my; picture/pen/cup/other item that is clearly not his' 'Cuddle mummy/daddy/captain!' 'Love ooo Mummy/Daddy/Captain' and 'I DO IT! NO MUMMY!' whenever I try and help him with anything. Oh, he's also taken to bossing the cat around and does a good line in helping feed the cat by putting food down and ordering him to 'EAT IT!' telling the cat to 'sit' and telling him to 'shut up' or getting down on the floor and bellowing 'miaow!' in the cat's face whenever he miaows. Poor poor cat face. He is so patient. Nursery have commented that he's above average for language and that he is amazing them with his conversations but FUCK ME the kid will not sit quietly or do anything like watch TV for 10 minutes, do a jigsaw (am still amazed as Bois jigsaw skills!), colour in or play with play dough (without taking the odd bite). He also still puts every single thing he touches in his mouth.

Kat get the fringe back.

Oi I liked your hair when you had it in a short-ish bob a while back.

seven you should write a book about your DH's family. Nutters.

mopsy sorry you're a bit snowed under. Chin up, you can do it!

Faffin we have been both the biter and the bitee. I much prefer when he's getting bitten (that sounds awful, I know) but the guilt at having the biting/hitting/throwing child is much worse.

Greetings from Exeter not as exotic as Oi's Germany trip I know!!

DS woke up at 5.45 this morning obviously had got himself into an uncomfortable position in his bed and was Groaning which of course woke me up, he didn't actually wake up of course. He's off at PIL today with his daddy be glad when today is over and have weekend with him am encouraging him to repeat words now and Its getting better but pronunciation not great here either egg is eh big is bi but it'll come.

hop I tried to reply to your PM but it wouldn't work on my phone. I have accepted the FB friend request so hopefully you'll be able to add me to the group. Thanks :-)

Apologies to everyone else for hijacking the thread!

Octoboy is not particularly loquacious. He has a few words and enjoys them. He hasn't many teeth though so that may be hampering development. Or it could just be his perfecred use of imperious handwaves to his minions siblings:o

Hop, I actually lol'ed at the description of how your DS bosses cat around!

Ocotpus, we have handwaves and pointing here mostly too, love the idea of him bossing around your older two like he was conducting an orchestra

seven, I have no idea what to say about your MIL, wtf sums it up nicely.

mopsy, sorry to hear about your SIL Father, hope today is going 'well'
Hope you're feeling less overwhelmed soon.

Talking of hair, mine has been the same since I was 16 (10 long years ago now!) and I want to do something but have a massive chin, nose and a manly jawline, so short cuts looks crap on me (not to mention I luff a ponytail so need length)...what to do?

Oh Myyyyy; our postie left a few months back and since then we've had different ones everyweek but the door just went and we have a DAMN FINE one now, I have to order more stuff online.
Wonder what the milk man looks like?