November 2012 - The run up to our babies' first 'proper' Christmas

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1927883-November-2012-Oh-Christmas-tree-oh-Christmas-tree-your-ornaments-are-history

lily my DDs are 7 and 9. The 7 year old loves make up and anything like that, sparkly tights go down well, they love books, glitter pens, bath bombs, flowery note pads and hair accessories. Anything girly girly. Oh and fairies. I found a book called now to draw fairies on amazon as a stocking filler.

DD1 is having an epic tantrum. Father Christmas bought her an umbrella and this is by far her favourite present

Yesterday météo France gave me 90% rain probability for today so yesterday evening I promised her a walk in the rain with her new brolly and wellies. All day it has looked like it is just about to rain, but there hasn't been a drop. Massive disappointment.

Thanks purple. So do you do anything special for it? I always thought people in Canada boxed up their Christmas decor or watched boxing on TV 2 hours down, 6 to go. 8 hours for us is barely crossing into the next state. Soon we will live closer though, but even further from my family

:o boxing day is for recovering from Christmas, eating all the leftovers and now, apparently, shopping in the sales. Except where I live where the January sales don't start til January and everything is closed on 26/12. It's not boxing daay though here, but is a public holiday in Lux and Lorraine. Possibly Alsace too, not sure.

My special boxing day activity was cleaning the house from top to bottom in prep for mil's arrival tomorrow. Quiche, I will need you over the next few days.

I don't know if anyone else is still to upgrade to the next car seat but all car seats are 50% off in the Mothercare sale so we're getting ours tomorrow and saving a cool £90 . We're travelling south on Saturday to see DHs family and I hope the bear will be more comfy in a bigger seat but he's not 9kg yet so we'll have to go for a Britax one.

We had my cousins family and my sisters lot here today so kids of 4,3,2,1 and 3 months and 5 adults as well as us. Crackers but lots of fun. Everyone has gone home now. It's just the three of us and it's lovely. I feel so sorry for my sister about having to put up her useless selfish husband and his passive aggressive mother !

V jealous of the proper bargains you people get.

Did you go for the britax first class YW? We have it in the big car and - although a total faff to fit - I love it. Sadly it won't fit in my fiat but my maxicosi tobi is equally good. Big hugs to your DSis.

GT sorry yesterday wasn't much fun.

PR I LOVE your dd1's tantrums. Sorry

I have had a really lovely couple of days. Been utterly spoiled not just with gifts but with a thoughtful, caring, non-argumentative P who hasn't pissed me off once. He can do it when he wants, I just hope this really is the start of things to come. Since I went back to work, our money problems and issues with being in each other's space all the time have gone and now M is sleeping slightly better we really seem to be getting on a lot better. He is entirely on my side that ILs are utter bastards they blanked M's birthday and Christmas and is 100% determined they will not get back into our lives anytime soon. He is also biting his lip and not arguing back when I have hormonal tantrums fucking pmt. I really want things to stay this way but am not setting all my hopes on this as I know I will likely be disappointed. He has until February.

Anyway I am really happy at the moment and keeping everything crossed 2014 is a much better year.

and M was in bed by 7.30 last night and slept through until 8am

So glad to hear you sound so happy isles and tantrums are hilarious. It is really hard not to laugh sometimes but here's a tip: don't laugh, it sends them further into their rage :o

Isles that's the one!

Glad you've been treated as you deserve. Leopards don't change their spots from my experience but if he can do it now he's got no excuse in the future. Am so glad you had a lovely family Christmas (what was in the sparkly parcels?) If it were me I'd get your escape fund secreted away as a just in case. I really hope you don't have to use it but better to have enough for a deposit as 'better safe than sorry' so you and M don't end up trapped just because of money. However this is said entirely hypocritically as I have always historically blown my first pay cheque of a new job on spoiling myself and loved ones!

I've just had an inch of Stilton and OM FUCKING G - bliss.

Am so looking forward to seeing DHs family south as they worship Jonas. Not looking forward to the drive to Kent though . They'll be so chuffed to see how he's changed. He has earned himself a new nickname this holiday 'Sir Edmund Hillary' due to his climbing skillz!

YY to squirreling cash away, I am drip feeding money into M's savings account simply because I am the only one with access to it and it is a tax efficient way of building up a nice safety net. I hope with all my heart I never have to use it but if I do, it is there. And if I don't, she can have it. Either way it will be used to give her the best future possible, whatever scenario we find ourselves in.

I have been spoiled with new perfume (apparently a guess on his part after he 'smelled them all till he found one that smelled like me' - mine ran out about 2 weeks ago and he got it spot on!); a photo album with all of my fav photos from the past year in it; a new pair of ghds (mine died about a week after I started my new job after 6 years of service) and a gorgeous new Matilda-proof purse. There were lots of silly wee things too. And my new car. He did well.

Haggisland to Kent! Safe journey yw and safe rest of journey to lydie

And to my ILs who are driving up tomorrow.

.....

Aww Isles v thoughtful! Sorry just reread and spotted that your in laws ignored M this Christmas

PR thankfully we're breaking the journey with my family in Derbyshire thank goodness. I'm so excited about going to visit my best pals in Oxford and introducing the bear

2/3 SILs sent horrible cloths ungrateful bitch much? but MIL and FIL completely blanked her birthday and Christmas. It was the final straw for both of us. Even my arsehole dad managed.

(My DM and step-dad have ridiculously spoiled her )

Have a safe journey xx

*clothes

Actually isles those gift sound extremely thoughtful. I am so glad you have had a good Christmas despite the ILs.

I am currently trying to watch Harry Potter but the transmitor seems to being blown about All over the place and reception is horrendous and my iPad won't pick up itv player tonight, even our wind turbine monitor keeping shutting down the weather is that awful.

I think a Baileys and then bed to listen to the wind with my book.

Dp got me posh chocs rosemary and sea salt was less disgusting than expected and even posher soap, both locally handmade and bought from the market. I gave him slippers (his are falling apart, they were part of a bundle of things including razors, a dressing gown and a couple of drawers next to my bed that i did for the first birthday he had 3 months after we got together) and a photo frame with 5 little pictures of him and R.

He can do it when he tries

Sorry PR did you mutter something quietly under your breath about your in laws?

Sorry guys I am here just busy. I sound like a broken record :/ I am reading but haven't the time to post properly

Home!

P is in bed. She seemed instantly happier when at home. I suppose we all feel better when in our own homes when unwell.

Big scare at bath time though. I was running the bath while p pottered about. I pushed the shower screen out the way and it just fell completely off the wall. I have no idea how it didn't brain me as it sort of sliced down my back. I cannot even begin to imagine what would have happened if p had been in there with me as she often is.

So, currently chilling in companionable silence with DH while eating parsnip crisps and wearing my fabulous secret Santa slipper socks.

We didn't do gifts for each other again this year. We do well out of friends and family and I appreciate my birthday is only a few days before.

P has got lots including a hobby horse (she stroked its head sadly while looking at its poor, emaciated body before starting to cry) and there is still more to come. My sil bought her a pair of genuine ugg boots. The sight of her padding around in them while staring at her own feet made me laugh a lot. They were probably more expensive than a full week's shop mind you.

Kent yw?! May the force be with you!

Just checking in from BLS. Staying with friends as not enough room at MILs.

She looks awful. All teeth and eyes, and the colour of Shrek. DD1 barely batted an eyelid. DD2 was scared and cried. I was shocked at how ill she looks. Cancer is a bitch.

J fought sleep and now I am terrified I will wake him with my coughing, which is horrendous. I wish I was at home in my own bed

Oh vq must be awful seeing her like that. But so glad you made it down to see her (((hugs))) Walk down to the shore tomorrow, breathe the lovely Lancashire sea air.

kyz knowing you I can imagine that Christmas will have been manic. Hope you got some time for yourself.

Glad you got home safely pass

Aw no vq. That all sounds rotten. Poor all of you. How long are you there for? I hope you get to have some nice family time together.

Nice to see you kyz! Like pr I can well imagine what you have been up to.

Thank you. We are here just two nights. Unless we get snowed in.

Night night. Sleep well my dear quiche friends x