Start your runners (talk) and your new jars of Jam, 'tis the season-almost.

[Vagolajahooli]

Here we are ladies, time for all that talk of christmas table runners and chrissie deccy colour combos. And will we be getting some new Jam in this thread! Maybe not quite.

DD has now slept through for the past 3 nights. We'll gloss over the fact I haven't slept well and that DS2 has been up before 6.

I'm actually going to find some thread worms and insert them into the child to see if he sleeps better.

We've caught 2 mice now. The sound of a mouse trap going off when you want to go to sleep is grim. They must be coming in via our bedroom as that's where we are catching them. Yuk

Check your loft Kayz thats where ours hide. Its horrible they then can get into the walls, shudder. But traps are pretty effective and getting rid.

Indith sorry for another crappy night.

Our loft has been turned into a room. We think they are coming in through the old chimney.

DD has learnt to say Daddy. Still no Mummy.

That is FABULOUS that your DD is sleeping through Kayz. Will she self settle at bedtime now too?

Beans, sorry to hear about the mastitis. I had it three times in the first three months with DS but touchwood I have avoided it since then. Its a bigger to get rid of and it sounds like your original antibiotics were not strong enough so it lurked and struck back. I hope you feel better now.

Rubes, what happened to your hair??? Don't leave us in suspenders.

I need urgent help thinking of a christmas present for DD2. For her birthday she is getting a huge Playmobile School but I am at a loss about her main big christmas present. DD1 will get a proper digital camera and will play with it all day and I don't want DD2 feeling she has nothing comparable. Any ideas?

Hi all. Sorry to rant about hair crisis and run! Was off to San Francisco the next day and was way behind with things I needed to do due to 7 hours in the bloody salon! Basically a friend cancelled hair as her boy sick and off school so went to book my back up but no appt on the Mon (only day I had) so went to another salon (Rush don't ever go) and had their most junior. Just wanted usual roots done etc. Towel came off. Hair was a weird color with huge copper patches. Apparently she put some toner on it (prob to fix her cock up before revealing it) which was all wrong and further messed it up. I Wanted to cry. She tried to squirm out of it making excuses. Offered to fix it another day! I said no no no sweetie you're fixing this mess TODAY. had to collect ds so dh got there same time and took me back to salon. She consulted her boss who THANK GOD was upstairs and then tried getting toner out but it was still the same so her boss sort of step by step put corrective highlights in over messed up part (fortunately was only half head) finally it sort of came back to normal (but not exactly) then he insisted on free (duh) deep treatment and at end only offered 25% off!!!! AND off next visit!!! Erm, no thanks! Could have prob argued more off but just wanted to get the hell out of there after 7 hours!!
Left for San Fran at sparrows fart next morn. Didn't sleep a wink (seriously 30 min as anxious about both leaving kids) then... our plane went tech and after 5 hour delay finally took off! Brought dh along to work too, so fortunately he got some work done and won't need to whilst away. Had a quick drink and bite to eat last night but shattered so finally got 8 hours in and off for brekky and some shopping / lunch / Chrissy drinks today in the city by the bay! ??

Rubes, I'm glad they eventually sorted it. I hope you're having a nice time in San Fran.

RT, nope she will still only go to sleep if she's either on me or next to me. I'm not quite sure how to change that.

We've caught 4 mice now. Hoping for a lottery win so I can call in someone to sort it out and go to a hotel until it's sorted. I bloody hate mice.

Kayz is it your house or do you rent? If you rent it is the landlords responsibility to sort the mice out.

Rubes that is a nightmare. Stupid hairdresser, should be completely free! Would you write a stern letter?

Got a horrid lurgy that has come on really fast. Was feeling a little iffy yesty arvo, now flat out with a horrid headache and sore throat. Luckily DH can work from home today so I can actually rest up which is nice. I need to get the boys presents wrapped they get their sinta klass presents tonight.

Indith how is the assignment going?

Hey who here is a statistician? I need to do a research proposal for uni and am trying to work out what research method I'm wanting to use. I'm basically wanting to document the styles of under 5 developmental monitoring of 3 countries and compare this to the health outcomes and developmental diagnosis rates of early school age children. It's a bit broad and I will probably hone it down as I go along but I'm basically wanting to compare having robust pre school child monitoring compared to not so robust by comparing stats. What style of research is that? I'm not actually taking any of the research myself, just looking up stuff.

I'm not exactly a statistician but do quantative and qualitative research. If you are comparing the actual stats yourself then it is secondary analysis, it sounds like you want to do a meta analysis.

Where are you getting the stats from? We use the millenium cohort study at work for ld stuff. That has lots of under 5 info. There should be plenty of published papers around.

Vag pop over to the Durham meet up thread (not on MN local, just in the meet ups section on here) and ask for Leggy. She is muchly lovely.

Have hit word count and just e-mails it over to my tutor for feedback. Hopefully I'll get it back promptly and can play with it and tighten it all up by the end of the weekend.

Need a wee, clear desk of all paper relating to this essay and pull out my plan and research for the next one. Woot! The joyful life I lead.

Anyone want to buy a toddler? Very chatty and cute. Spends all night yelling "muuuuuuumy! muuuuuumy!" at Dh or when dh gives up and brings him to me "more milk. More too. More too. More too. More too. More too. More too. More too, More too." over and over and over again.

Me and dh keep arguing. I spent a good portion of the bit ds was actually asleep following hours of the above in tears on the sofa.

recently discovered ER being shown from the start on Pick tv. Finally ER on free view! Have missed a fair bit but I've set it to series link and tonight I get a reward for being a good student. Doug Ross, baby Carter, the lovely Carol and of course Dr Greene.

I am glad ER has perked you up a bit, Indith. I used to love it in the old days, the characterisation was fab. Benton was a great character! You sound very stressed. It's not really surprising. Try not to fret about the rows with DH - it WILL pass.

We had a lovely, chilled out hol in Fuerteventura last week but it's been the usual flat out nonsense since we got back on Sunday night. I got a terrible headache on Tues morn which hasn't really left me and has made me so sick. Ugh. It's lifting now.

I haven't caught up properly yet but I see there's been a lot of sickness and Rubes is living it up in San Fran. Yes Sybs, I am deffo in for Secret Santa - DP could do it but unless you are really pushed and you would rather he did it, I think you would do a better job

Kayz, DD1 didn't say Mummy for ages. Then she just said Lady. She only stopped calling me Lady when DD2 came along. V embarrassing in shops etc. We've got electric mouse scarers, you plug them in. DP got the poison that Rentokil use, he bought it on the internet.

I am so wiped out I can't type straight, so beddybyes for me! Sorry not to do a proper catch up. Love to you all, you marvellous ladies.

Vag, it's our house. We haven't caught anything in over 24 hours now and we haven't heard them. So fingers crossed that's it.

Vag, ZJ did all the statistics when the babies were born. She might be able to help.

Lady, we have got those plug in things. Need to move one of them as DD has realised if she presses the test button it makes a noise.

Does anyone have insomnia tips? I'm tempted to try those calms tablets now I'm not feeding. I'm so fed up of being awake.

I am in for secret Santa. What's the £ limit?

I'm glad you had fun in the Canaries Lady. Sorry about the headache. Could it be hormonal and a sign of Little Lady 3??? Did you mean your DD1 actually called you "Lady" or did you mean your RL name? "Lady" would be hilarious.

Jam when is your due date? Any signs?

And are you all better now Beans?

I love ER Indith. Possibly my fav long running series ever. I had huge crushes on Carter and Doug. Later I rather liked Pratt.

Little DS has impetigo all over him. It just seems to go round and round my house. Every time I rid one child of it the next one scabs up. It's horrid. DS looks like a leper baby.

RT, DS1 has impetigo at the minute. So he's off school again. He's at home more than he's at school at the minute. DH went to see his teacher yesterday to get some work he can do at home.

Happy birthday to anyone turning 5 this week, and all the Mum's as well - it's been a busy week for birthdays

Hons did you enjoy your weekend with your friends? I hope the girls stopped guilting you?! I'm not surprised you gave up trying to find anywhere, in addition to the Xmas Fayre in town there was also the UK snooker championships so rooms were at a premium

Vag I'm afraid I deal more with primary data collection, so your project is beyond my area of expertise. I'm fairly sure I did study that kind of thing, but can't get into the loft at the moment to dig out my old notes

I read Rubes hair dressers tale with horror, so glad it was resolved before your trip. Having previously loved getting my hair done at least every six weeks, it now fills me with dread, especially if I have to take the girls. As a result mine has been trimmed a whole two times in the last 13 months - my split ends are a sight to behold

Sympathies to those with impetigo, DD2 had it at the beginning go the year, and she definitely looked leper-ish

I'm currently enjoying a quiet week at home, I've had my gall bladder out earlier this week, so the girls are out of my hair during the day and I'm loving a bit of daytime trash tv. It's like being on mat leave just before the baby comes, except no sleepless nights on the horizon. And it was blooming lovely to be curled up by the fire yesterday with the hideous weather outside. I hope the Essex girls all stayed dry and anyone else on the coast? And how did you fare Vag? I have some friends who live right by the Humber and the river got extremely close to them, I think they had a hairy night!

Back from my trip just in time for school run. Will read back later and catch up!

Lady, if your DP would do the SS honours, that would be lovely. It isn't going to be a huge feat of organisation as the only participants are you, me, Rubes, Beans, Arti and Jammy. Would that be OK? Am massively hungover, kids still awake and working tomorrow so haven't quite the energy to do it tonight.....

Glad you are back safely Rubes.

Why don't I do it. All I have to do is put all your names in a hat pull them out in pairs then PM each of you with your presentee right?

Gall bladder ZJ. Shame you needed to do that to have a break. Make sure you take it easy for long enough.

I am 41 tomorrow. Not sure how I feel about that.

Happy birthday lovely Vag! 41 is a mere youth. Have a wonderful day.

If you could see your way to doing the SS draw, I'd be hugely grateful thank you.

Off to work in a minute. Boooo! But it's going to pay for a few nights out! Hurray. Still feel hungover. Hey ho.

ZJ, hope you are feeling much recovered after your op. Take care and rest well.

Sure no problem at all. So just to check it's Sybs, Lady, Jam, Rubes, Beans & Arti? Right?

And me! Please, if it's not too late?

Happy Birthday Vag!!!