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.

Sorry to hear that indith. Try not to think of the percentages, all stage 1 cases will vary in treatment and how healthy the person was to start with.

Kayz Would the 5:2 not be hard with all the walking you do? You don't want to feel lightheaded or low on energy.

ZJ We had Booths sprouts, were they from your farm do you think? We've got sprouts in our veg patch. They are tiny buds so we'll prob have a edible crop in April when no one wants sprouts!

Vag Our cats would have killed a hamster within 30 seconds of freedom! I'm amazed you can let it free!

Jam Brilliant news on a less painful feed. Lying down feeding is impressive, I think dd was about 3 months before I got the hang of it!

Sorry to hear about your mum Indith. Does she have lots of support? I'm sending white light her way.

ZJ, I'm glad your gallbladder op has allowed you to enjoy yummy foods again. You were very good at not complaining, I don't think you even mentioned your symptoms.

Jam, brilliant news that the feeds are getting easier. How old is DS3 now?

Still thinking of you LadyT.

Can I ask you girls how often you go out in the evenings? Either with friends, DH or even alone? Having an au pair living in has made me realise how dull my life is. You get two nights a week free babysitting with an au pair but we only really use one night a fortnight, meanwhile all my friends with au pairs are struggling to stay within two nights a week. It's not that I only go out once a fortnight, I probably am out once a week and DH is probably out twice a week but not together so we only need a sitter every 14 days or so. I'd love a more exciting life but I'm so God damn tired with three kids and disturbed nights etc. I just feel a bit flat at the moment, like I'm missing out on my 30s by watching tv and staring at the Internet and never doing exciting things.

Hey Rubes what issues do you have with immigration in the US? DH has to go to Boston at the end of the month but have just discovered his UK passport expires in October. I know it is more than 6months but I'm wandering if they will be picky about it. I'm thinking he might be better using his Aussie passport.

urgh, it's multifactorial and therefore quite long winded Vag. I'll tell you all about it when we have a bevvy and your'e here. I think Sybs and I are going to sort out a date that we can do with you and then twist some arms to come along Will be in touch on FB! I think 6 mths + is fine, however if he's worried, then definitely go in on Aust passport but make sure he remembers to leave on it to. Boston is pretty good (one of my fav's if I had to pick the US at all [grr] but they can be pricks in JFK and MIA. I mostly go into the US on Aust as it's linked to my Green Card, but as long as he decides before hand and does the Esta accordingly. They tend to like Aussie's better too (understandably )

DH has just signed up for some bike race in Cape Town so I'm going to request the trip and take him out there as our hotel is 800 meters from the start. He said all beer stops now he's going to need to do some major bonk training! Says he needs to lose 15kg before then.... and he probably will. But crikey my trip is 35 hour stop over there and he wants to go both ways on my flight the Upper Class Gods better be with him!

Bonk training Rubes??? That sounds fun, especially in Upper Class...

Ha! It must have been on twitter we chatted about this. Vag? Deids? Tis when you train on basically no fuel. Not so much the fun bonking
Hmmm going out. We go in fits and starts. Sometimes phases of using sitters.co or mil quite a lot and then nothing. Recently nothing as dh flat out at work. Only outings are if he comes on my trips. Need to go out for his birthday shortly though. But Arti, I def know what you mean as I recently said to dh To do with this house purchase that I don't want to look back when were in our 50s and wonder what happened to our 30s and dare I say 40s we are sidling up to. Though in your case it's kids knackering you. I can only imagine how tiring 3 is as I feel it with 2 (even with older ones)! But hey have all your friends with nanny's got 3 as well?

Rubes yes think it was twitter, when we discussing our poor performance and the lack of carbs...or something like that!

I know how you feel RT! Thing is half the time when I do go out I thank my lucky stars I'm not in my 20's and can't wait to get home to put my Pjs on. Old woman am I!

I never ever go out. I miss having meals with DH but would be quite happy to never have a night out drinking ever again.

Indith, sorry to hear about your Mum, I cross posted this morning and didn't see it. It's good news it's been caught early, and remember that each person is individual and not a statistic, so your Mum's odds could easily be better than 80%.

RT I rarely go out in the evenings during the week - I'm in charge when he's away and when he's back I like to spend time with him rather than dash out and leave him in charge. On average we probably have one family day out a month, one family social event with other families a month and one grown ups night out a month with friends. We rarely go out just the two of us, and like Kayz, I long for that, it just seems we've used up our babysitting so that gets missed of. I also miss the cinema, done that twice since DD1 was born. We do make sure we have one weekend away, the two of us, each year, plus we both have a weekend away with friends a year. What I miss most is swimming or yoga, but I can't commit to a class as DH is away on different nights each week.

Hons very likely the sprouts were ours, DH was their main supplier this year. Hope you enjoyed them? Booths were a pleasure to deal with and organised on their supply and demand, unlike two other supermarkets who drove me potty, regularly changing their order for the next day at 10pm meaning DH had to go back out for a few more hours despite starting at 5am every morning. I'm so glad December is over now

I think we would go out more if DD would sleep. I don't like the thought of my Mum or Bro babysitting the boys and us taking DD with us. Just seems very unfair now she is older. It was ok when she was little.

But I am going to be very strict on her this year. The sides are coming off her cot and the stairgate is going up on our door and she will bloody sleep in her own bed!

RT I'm with you on not going out. we so rarely go out together. It's nearly always separate. I am gasping to go out for dinner a deux. think I'll have to take him out soon! a surprise x

Does anyone know how to make DD tolerate a bath? She's always screamed and thrown herself about. It's getting worse and with DH going tomorrow I'm really worrying about bathing her as I can't hold her still and wash her.

We've tried in with one of us, in with the boys, lots of toys and bubbles and just using the shower.

I'm worried she'll hurt herself.

Oh gosh, Kayz, I'm not sure how you stop that. Maybe don't tolerate it at all and the moment she kicks up a stink, take her out and put her in her own in her room til she calms down? I don't know really, mine all love their bath! I guess that's what I'd do.

Kayz does she have a fear of water in other situations or is it just the bath? It seems odd as most kids love the bath so maybe it's a fear related thing.

I'm having a bad moment with the au pair. Up to now she has been really friendly, chatty and engaged which had made sharing a house with her really easy. But since she returned after Christmas she is increasingly teenagerish: monosyllabic, always playing with her phone, looks a bit bored when DH and I talk to her. I'm finding it really difficult as I can't relax when she's around but not seeming engaged and happy. I've always had a weird thing about needing to be liked and having someone who appears bored by me but lives in my own home isn't fun. Trouble is she's not doing anything outrageous and seems ok with the kids so I'm not sure whether its even appropriate to bring-up or what I would say if I did bring it up.

I'm not sure about other situations. We've never taken her swimming because she's so scared of the bath. She's completely terrified of going near the bath.

To be honest I have trouble getting my two out of the bath, but not in. You could always give the boys a bath and give her a little wipe down next to the bath while the boys are in there. Let her be near the bath without the pressure and fear of having to get in. Maybe eventually she'll get in with the boys of her own accord as she sees them having so much fun. There are plenty of times when forcing them to do something works, but trying to physically get her into a bath and hold her there is not only dangerous to her, as you say, but you are risking your back.

Hooray for free flowing pain free bazookas Jam.

I have trouble getting them to keep the water in the bath. They get a bit wild with their bath games.
Kayz how is she with paddling pools? I think vag's advice is best.
Arti I'm like you. Probably worse. I get all paranoid if anyone is weird and I immediately assume they don't like me / I've offended etc. The list goes on. I haven't really got any advice as I could never have a live in Au Pair myself. Not too sure I'd even have a cleaner either - well maybe in the future. Sorry not to be helpful, but perhaps you need to ask her if she's "OK" on the basis that you're worried something (outside Au Pair-ing) is bothering her.

Woke up with a really odd ache in my thigh. Have taken codein and it's still then. Going to try ibuprofen and running it off now

I have the keeping the water in the bath issue here too Rubes. Two growing children snorkeling in the bath doesn't help either.

RT sorry I missed your post. To be honest she sounds like all my nieces at that age (bar one who isn't that age yet). It could be she is missing home, something happened while she was home. It's quite difficult as she is in the house with you. But I think it is probably best if you bring it up with her. Whatever the issue is your the boss and it's your house.

On the going out. For us it goes in fits and starts sometimes we go out once a month to dinner together sometimes it's several weeks in a row either alone or with another couple. Mostly the cost would be the reason we don't go out more. Eating out can be quite expensive here and not great food. We are also getting quitr into the weekend away thing. We are lucky and have goid friends locally who are happy to take our kids. A weekend away is actually really awesome.

Rubes DH will be fine doing a fly in fly out for the race. As long as he rests well the week before doesn't even try to get into the local time and keeps hydrated in the plane it will be all good. The sleep or lack of, that you have immediately before the race doesn't really have a bearing on it. It's the rest he gets leading up to it.

Actually the time difference won't be that different will it?

DD spent 5 hours in her bed last night. I'm going to try it again tonight. I'm sure it will be harder as DH has gone.

Yeah no jet lag and only a couple of hours diff, plus he'll be in Upper Class too Vag. It's the time leading up to it though, You're right as he doesn't stop with work. However at least he can train commuting as well.
Right any ideas about an aching pain which is bothersome to sleep on like a pressure thing vag? I've had it off and on for awhile. Have just run on it and combined with codeine and ibuprofen it's feeling fab. Dh just said hammer it with the foam roller tonight - fingers crossed!

RT, I'd ask her straight out. I give too much of a shit what other people think of me too and would struggle feeling that sort of discontentedness that you've got.

I'm trying to keep DD3 awake til I take the girls swimming. An hour to go. Aaaagh! She's already miserable. If only if only she would sleep longer in the day!

Kayz, on reflection, I'd go with Vag's advice. She's a much nicer Mummy than me! Eek!

Rubes, no idea with the ache. I'm feeling distinctly queasy today. Not sure what's wrong. Bleugh.

Beans maybe you're preggo How old is dd now?

Waaahhh hahahaha thats what I thought Rubes Sorry Beans