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

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

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

Such a knobhead i forgot that my way to work is closed this week and so ended up in a massive diversion down country lanes which were far too small for the traffic using them then 2 mins from office realised had left my laptop and work phone at home. It is so cold in this office today my hands are cold. Went out at lunchtime and had a white choc and cream hot choc from costa.............honeycomb and cream hot choc on the agenda for this weekend.

DS loved the train yesterday was very excited when it came along, charmed the old ladies on the journey who thought he was about 3 (he really isnt that big!!) then got so wet jumping in muddy puddles he then had to come home in the car with no socks or trousers on.....spare clothes for the car now needed!!

Faerie do you work? I find without the banter i get at work i would be lost for adult interaction....was never good at the whole baby group thing tended to go with the other ante natal girls so at least had a little gang as groups can be so cliquey.

yeah faerie I'm another who finds playgroups hard and I avoid them after a fee tries. I am fairly outgoing and at ease generally in social situations but playgroups are a nightmare. V cliquey. Probably the other mothers there would be horrified to hear that and don't mean to be (and it is entirely possible that when I'm at sing time at the library with my friends and their babas - or used to be before starting back at work full time - that other mothers thought that about us) but yeah. You're not alone.

figgy in spite of business and stress of trying to do my new job, I'm also far happier since I went back fulltime. It is bloody hard being a stay at home mum. I'm much happier being a lecturer and evening/weekend mum. I don't get why some (fish-slap deserving) people (husbands) think it is the 'easier' option. I find going out to work far easier.

busy-ness not business

I find playgroups are fine, I always find someone to have a chat to even if it is DS I haven't made any good friends through playgroups yet although I'd like to have some friends that could pop round for tea and biscuits during the week.

I would struggle to be a sahm, today has been half lovely with painting and drawing with crayons and half hell with a walk in the rain and DS rolling around a wet playground in the mud having the tenth tantrum of the day!

I think I lack patience and understanding sometimes and get a bit screechy! I think that's why I'm enjoying the gym so much as it's partly some 'me' time, partly because it's a good stress reliever and partly for chatting to new people and with the added bonuses that I'm losing weight, getting fitter and stronger and I'm finding my back is not aching half as much even with lugging DS around!

DS is still eating like an elephant and the good news is that he ate some road chicken today! Hopefully if chicken is back on the menu it'll keep him full up for longer!

Hope everyone's had good days even if it is raining cats and dogs!

faerie how old are you? I'm still in my twenties too (27).

figgy I'm far too late but for future reference I never brown the meat first in the slow cooker. I also never bother with recipes, the best slow cooker stews are always the ones where I throw in whatever we have in the fridge and cupboard, but often feature chicken, tinned tomatoes and butter beans and any veg that need using up.

I find play groups hard and I'm generally shy and really awkward in any social circumstances when I'm sober. Really wish I could overcome it but I never really know what to say to people tbh.

We came home early from holiday. The house was pretty rank and really cold, pretty sure there were mice too. Stressful drive home yesterday. Didn't realise the sat nav was set to change the selected route if a faster one was available, so trying to avoid roadworks on the M25 in Hertfordshire tried to direct us through Central London instead. Managed to get away with just a tour of West and North London whilst putting my map reading skills to the test trying to get back to the motorway.

chip it took me a few minutes of wondering why the hell you were feeding your child road kill (what, they're rednecks in Alabama or something?!) before twigging it was roast chicken....
What with figgy's phone behaving I've been quite bereft of good autocorrects!

We're the same faerie, no family for a very long way away, and then the ten-year age gap, though round here I'm the granny-mum in my early 30s! Stick at it though...and is there anything you can look to do (adult ed, martial arts, etc) if your DS goes to nursery at any point?

Bloody house issues here, and it's the final issue to be raised... people have a loft room, which we knew wouldn't meet building regs as it has a fixed ladder up to it. Fine. They said it was all properly done, but the head hight and ladder prevented compliance. Fine. It's not being sold as a bedroom. Fine. So when we asked for info about its construction, to ensure it's safe, why did the bloody solicitors state "it's being used purely for storage and so doesn't need building regs" when the damn picture on Rightmove shows it's an office...and we've been round there! Why tell such a blatant and easily disproved lie?!

So will find out what's doing with the local council, and then indemnity and some proof of what work was undertaken would be good...all we wanted was a schedule of works from them....
Gah.

DS has been devil spawn challenging today. I feel like crap and he's just been whining and hitting and screaming and having tantrums and I am all out of patience, tolerance and wine. Practically chucked him at DH when he got in, then went for a drive to the McDonalds drive thru for a milkshake after dinner.

OK, quick straw poll. What is the verdict on doing DS's birthday celebrations (cake and gifts) on boxing day, rather than Christmas day (his actual birthday)? Work conflicts mean that my FIL is only going to be there for lunch on Christmas Day, and I just think big Christmas lunch and pudding, lots of presents and sweeties and then doing more cake and gifts all in one day is a lot. Plus, he's still small enough that he just wont know or care that it's not on the right day?

Chip, along with Northen I thought you meant road kill!

faerie, I'm in my 20's and our playgroups are full of mums my age who all know each other from school, or nannies/grandparents!

seven, hope you haven't got mice, although it's the 'time' for them. We've got them back.

Northen, arrgh! Bloody solicitors, really hope this is all sorted for you asap.

Hop, sounds like a plan to me.

We're not planning anything for DS1's birthday this year, figure it's the last year we can get away with doing naff all!

Hop We're doing birthday stuff a day early so all the family can come round for cake and everyone can exchange xmas gifts as ds bday is 23rd (mon). I'm planning this on the assumption most people will be working on the monday. Although as it turns out dh is off so we're going to go out for the day just the 4 of us.

Hehe! Road kill chicken... Yuck! Silly phone :)

Hop DS has an Xmas Eve birthday so not quite as bad as Xmas Day birthday, but yes I think it's a good idea to celebrate your DS's birthday on Boxing Day and then the whole day can be for him and it spaces out the presents a tiny bit!

I expect as they get older they will tell us how they wish they had July birthdays but oh well!

seven I'm 26 and shy and awkward too.

I don't work, I was in my last week of teacher training when I went into labour so didn't have a job and I'm way too anxious to get one atm. I don't think schools are much respite anyway, still full of loopy kids.

Planning to be pregnant when ds is at nursery!

We are having a quietish birthday this year, still going to make a cake though

at road kill.

Northern Bloomin' solicitors. Hope it gets sorted asap.

I'm happy to take Sky to toddler groups on my own as end of the day she is there to run out of energy play.

Hop This yr we are celebrating Sky's birthday on her birthday 22nd Dec but next yr we are going to hold a little birthday party/celebration for her in August time as everyone is too busy xmas week to do stuff with her.

Seven How are things going on the cake business front?

Northern go canny on speaking to the council as if you raise it with them you can't get indemnity insurance which will only cost you a pittance. Our sellers did it and stuffed us so the council could enforce the work to be done. If it hasn't been raised by the council in the last 12 months you should be fine. If that makes sense.

Here I'm joining aethel in the money pit woes. We've had three leaks now and a massive tree down in the garden following the winds then found five more down in our little wood so going to need a tree surgeon which will be £££ Plus the roof needs some tlc and so do the windows and the aga is costing a bomb. Feeling the strain with work too and ds1 isn't sleeping well so it's just all a bit much

Any ladies looking for xmas presents there is a groupon deal today on a childrens workbench (with lots of tools) it is half price at £24.95 and has free postage, it is for 3+ but i figure with supervision he will be fine. Had been eyeing one up anyway as would like him to have some more role play type things and he ran off with a hammer out of DH tool kit last week and was very happy with himself.

Danny has taken to calling himself D....when you do the whole who is this game he says Mummy, Daddy, Mama (Granny) and then what’s your name .......D and he points to himself with a massive smile and when i tell him no he laughs the filthiest guttural laugh as if to say “what are you going to do about it Mummy”. He sounds like a twatty teenager who refers to himself by his initials....DH says for me not to react and he is just doing it to get a reaction from me but I HATE it!!!!

Northern sending some haddocks your way for all house related issue makers.

Ds bday this year is going to be a party at softplay on his actual bday, as it is 22nd and so last sunday before xmas it is booked for 4pm as i figure all shops are shut by then so the mad last minute panic buying will be over for the day. I expect we will have PIL, SIL, BIL, DN around first and then our close friends back after as a last catch up before xmas. I wasnt going to bother this year but all the other antenatal babies were having one (actually in the same place) and didnt want to not reciprocate. it was £43.50 for an hour hire so reasonable and if it half empty there will be more cake for the rest of us......anyone in bristol area that day for any reason is very welcome obviously.

Have at last minute committed to going to the xmas party so now i have 2.5 weeks to lose weight need to fit into a pre pg dress as not buying a new one. I had lost all the baby weight but bad habits have meant i am now prob 6lbs heavier than i was last time i wore it.....crap!! also have now a xmas night out in scotland with my home friends (dinner and casino) as well as a night out with friends here on 07th Dec so 3 xmas "do's". God help me i will be fatter, skinter and exhausted by the New year .

sorry hadnt noticed your post hinky haddocks for money worries too, i swear we are just about managing at the moment if anything went wrong with house, car etc we would be well and truly screwed!!

Am angry today. So that deserves a . And a massive for my idiot DH.
Boi was I'll last night. Had a temperature which we got down before bed, off his food all day - but he drank his milk.
He threw up his milk all over his bed a short while later.
Anyway, DH was being very am dram about it all, and not coping calmly with it. Very annoying.
Eventually we all went to bed, we brought the spare cot into our room by my side of the bed. Boi came into bed with me at a later stage, I was worried about his temp again, do asked DH to get some calpol. He faffed about then passed me the syringe. Annoyed that it was only a 2.5ml thing, but anyway, deep breaths.
4 hours later, after some broken sleep, Boi is still hot, I ask for more calpol. We get 2x syringes, coz I ask for more. Boi doesn't take it all.
In the morning, we sleep late, I want to make sure Boi is alright before he goes to the gp's. he seems ok, I pack his bag, go to get the calpol... To find that DH has been putting fucking Beechams All in One into the syringes. Fucking livid are not the words. What an absolute fucking idiot?!
In better news, mum reports that boi's much better today and is eating.

Gah oi that really is stupid. I would get serious rage over that. Glad boi seems to have perked up though. How's the hair?

Sorry things are falling apart hinky stupid houses and trees. And huge smelly haddocks for all those with house buying and selling issues.

DH is at home today, ripping out the ceiling in the hallway because there is some kind of leak and we can't get to it from above. Except he's ripped it out and can't find where the leak has come from because all the pipes are dry. So now I've got a fucking massive hole in the ceiling for no reason.

Chip if DS ever dares complain about his Christmas day birthday I shall politely remind him that he wasn't due till January, so it's his own fault.

RE friends. I have made a couple of good friends from baby group when DS was tiny. We hang out most weeks and go for a night out about once a month. I've sort of drifted away from my pre-baby friends, which makes me really sad, although we are all getting together in a couple of weeks. Our lives are just so different now, even the one other friend who now has a baby too, lives an hour's drive away and it's just a faff when you've got kids. Plus DS wails his head off if I hold any one else's baby.

DS spied his Christmas present on top of the wardrobe the other day 'SCOOOTER! DAT MINE! DAT MY SCOOOTER!' Yes kid, it is, but you aren't having it right now. DH thinks IABU to want to get him a helmet. IS that unreasonable? I'm worried he's going to crack his mahoosive melon head on the pavement.

Oi I would be too! glad Boi is ok today tho.

We had parents evening for Darcie tonight and she is settling in really well so far and is a very mature & interesting student who is a popular member of the class

And what is particularly infuriating is that now is procreation time, and I have absolutely no inclination. Grrr!
Maybe next month...

It's really strange you all talking about Christmas birthdays, DD1s is only 8 days away. When did they stop being cute babies and start bring disgusting toddlers?! She blew a raspberry into her hand earlier then said dribble and wiped it on me.

oi I'd have been bloody livid too, how on earth did he manage that?!

hinky no advice but haddocks to money worries.

queen glad to hear a Darcie is doing well. No progress on the cake business front but I'll be concentrating on it more after Christmas, how's yours? I spent an obscene amount in Lakeland earlier on supplies though, I'm challenging myself to an Octonauts Gup E cake for DD1s birthday and figured it'll come in useful after that anyway.

How many pairs of shoes have your LOs had? DS and DD1s feet both seem to grow really slowly, I bought her second pair today, I rember the car park being slushy when I bought her first pair.

The cake sounds great, ds is watching octonoughts right in front of the tv now.
Ds has had a few pairs of shoes but his feet are massive - size 6 now.
We are often tight on money too we just seem to muddle though so I hope you can do the same

DS1 is size 7 atm, he was a size 5 in March when we got his first shoes and was in them until August, since then we've have 6 & 6.5 (one pair only).
We buy two pairs for each size, one everyday shoe (always Clarks!) and one waterproof; Sainsburys ones are nice but we're going to get him some Geox walking boots when he's a size 8.

seven, good luck with the cake, had to google Gup E cos I thought you meant the octopus shaped base! Wondered how you were going to get it to stand up

Figgy, if you need to lose 6lbs, in two weeks, and don't mind about keeping it off...Atkins diet is fab for short term loss (no idea how people stick to it though).

Seven I look forward to seeing pics of that cake. Sounds fab.

Sky on her 2nd pair of proper fitting shoes. She has small feet.

For Sky's birthday I'm going to make an Elmo cake :)

Seven jealous of the cake we were going to have octonaut theme this year but to have a cake made was around £50 which seems mad 3 days before Xmas. So we've gone for Thomas this year and will just get a basic £10 Thomas cake I've seen in Tesco instead.

DS needs new shoes am taking him to be measured at weekend as hes currently in 5.5's but his Welles are 6s so it's time. He's been in these for about 6mo so don't seem to grow too quickly.

So miffed he has 2 pairs of Thomas pjs size 2-3 the trousers are fine but the top barely fits him seriously who designs slim fit pyjamas for toddlers? 1 from next another off eBay clearly same manufacturer.

Last trip to London today for a few weeks ......hooray sick of the sight of paddington station. At Least today's train has free tv do watched some older dr who with matt smith as dr, I love him will be sad when he goes can't wait until the 50th special in a couple of weeks!

I have been informed by my MIL that she's ordered a cake for Boi's birthday. I have no idea why. I have no idea what it is - its some character that neither Boi nor I have heard of. She told me that they'll bring it the day before his birthday, which is interesting... I only get home with him at about 6pm, and I'm certainly not planning on feeding him cake and sugar just before bed. She hasn't asked me if we're planning anything - like a party...
I just smiled and said "that's nice". I can always take it into work and let them eat it.
If we do have a party, it'll be the weekend before, so I'll pick up a cake from Tesco.
(She'll probably get him a cake instead of a present.)