December 2011 - me do it mine self

[TheOnlySeven]

Offers round and

Thanks for the links. I can't seethe point of potties, tbh. Why not go straight to the toilet?
I'm sure I'll find out in time.
We aren't ready yet, I just want to stimulate the conversation/idea.
Fig - calm thee down. There are plenty of great presents out there for little ones. Birthdays (at this age) don't need to be more than a Tenner - and you can do it for less. Even at MnS. Those £5 fleeces are fabulous!

Pooties can be useful. You can pose the question "do you want to go on the toilet or the potty?" rather than "do you need the toilet?". It's best not to give them the option not to try in the early stages. We had a potty chair from mothercare as well as basic potties, it went down well with DD and her friends.

Off on a hen weekend in the morning. Wish me luck!

Have a fab time, faffin. And good luck!

Can't wait to hear the stories faffin, do report back! I've managed to avoid ever going on a hen (though I have been, briefly, to a 'Just Divorced' party complete with sparkly sashes, balloons and penis-shaped straws, sigh) so I get a vicarious pleasure hearing about others'.

Am soooo looking forward to all the gardening this weekend, my problem will be restraining myself at the garden centre. I must remember I've got a load of perennials still to plant out, some fuchsias in the post, and I'm going to a flower show in May!

We'll start doing something with toilet training this summer I reckon, DS has suddenly got the idea of it. We'll agree with nursery when he's ready though, tackle it together.

That does sound hideously expensive figgy, glad to hear your DH is starting his new job in a few weeks though, that's brilliant. Sure it'll make all the difference with his general well-being/mood too.

You feeling any better today seven, that all sounded grim. Plus you must be feeling knackered anyway. Are you getting another scan when you reach 12 weeks by the way?

Oh God, the garden centre I'm a member of has just e-mailed to say it's BOGOF for hardy perennials, I'm doooooooomed

Feeling much better thanks northern, I was having hideous worrying stomach cramps so the stomach upset was quite a relief tbh. We declined the nuchal scan so they had no reason to re-do what should have been the 12 week one, shame as it was too early to see much. Hope you can show restraint at the garden centre!

Good luck faffin!

Potties are good in the early stages as they're easily portable, we had a couple of cheapie asda ones, one for the car and one which we shoved under the buggy when we went out, the big toilet tends to be terrifying without a toddler seat on.

I ordered DS a single bed yesterday, my first baby has finally outgrown his toddler bed . The toddler bed has cars on so we'll paint it for DD1 then the cot is free ready for the next one.

Have had a lovely tantrum free today he's been charming all day even went in shopping trolley without a peep, he's now in bed playing with his new octonaut plush toys £3 reduced from £7 in Tesco, ended up with all 5 (excessive i know) he's played with them, talked to them and protected them from the Hoover for the last 4 hours. Didn't ask for tv once!! He fell asleep in car back from DN 5th bday party and slept for about 1.5hrs unheard of in this house!!

Dh off to get a Chinese to finish off day mmmm lemon chicken back to diet tomorrow!!

Hope you've had lovely days too!!

Hmmmmm....

Neighbour knocked on our door yesterday, asking if she could briefly borrow our guest parking permit: her parents were coming to stay and she'd lost her own.
Didn't know her as we're new and she's from about four doors down- but on the spot and wanting to be helpful, we handed it over. She said she'd post it back through the door later in the afternoon.

No permit. Have spotted it in a VW Beetle across the way, which at a guess is more the sort of car a young woman in her 20s/30s would drive, rather than say a couple in their 50s/60s. It has the silly flower.

Am going to go and politely request its return in a couple of hours, let's hope she's just forgetful

We had a great outing to one of the local parks so DD2 could practice on her bike (she's not been on it since she broke her arm last winter) they have a cafe on site so we ate lunch there too, was lovely.
Then we played in the garden with some planting/watering (DS lOvES watering things, then met some friends in the evening.
So yes, it was a good day. The sunny weather really helped.

Glad you're feeling better seven.

northern you're not doomed, you're just "differently flowered"....
I have no basis to criticise as have spent over £250 on plants/trees/bulbs/willow this winter. Still want to buy a few seeds for some interesting veg....

ANd [hmm ], good luck with the neighbour!!...

Sounds bit dodge Northern.

We had fab day yesterday. Breakfast in fab local café, then trip to local safari park in morning, then Minimopsy napped while we drove to a National Trust park and stayed asleep while we had a picnic from amazing local bakery (quiche followed by lemon and cardamom brioche-yum!) and then woke up and ran around the park for a few hours. We didn't get home until 5, having left at 8.30. The kind of day you imagine having before you have a child but that rarely happens in reality.

Three hours in the sun in the park today! What a difference nice weather makes! Did you go mad and buy loads of new plants aethel?

hmm killed the thread again

I bought many things mopsy - I specifically wanted some lavenders (got Munstead and a pink papillion) some phlox, and a dwarf apple tree, as I love the blossom. I got all of those plus some extra bulbs/perennials

Surely phlox isn't a real word?

mopsy sounds like an amazing day.

Me and DS fixed the Perspex greenhouse as it got rather battered by the winter storms. By fixed it I mean we stuck the broken pieces back together with gorilla tape then stuck them back on . It looks rubbish but means the greenhouse is at least useable before DH gets round to fixing it properly once he isn't marathon training on his days off.

Did I mention that we're taking DS with us for the marathon? He's completely obsessed with London so we're heading down Friday to pick up DH race number. We're staying right next to the London Eye so will probably go on it Friday evening. Saturday we're going to the Natural History Museum in search of dinosaur bones (thanks to Andy from CBeebies).

pops Northern I actually thought Northern as I typed that but subconsciously aethel must've been on my mind as she was talking to you about it.

oops not pops

That's ok Mopsy, we knew what you meant!
My purchases have all been to stock up what was effectively a turf-and-patio vanilla plain-ness of new garden. The next few years will hopefully lead to much more greenery, a few veg and fruit along the way, with a side order of willow playden! that is if it all survives DS's total obsession with watering everything constantly with his little wateringcan.....

I'm back and I survived! It was actually relatively civilised since the bride is 36 and most hens were similar age, married and with children. Started with lunch, then afternoon activity was learning a dirty dancing dance routine. Fortunately this was in a private room in a gym so nobody saw it! The hen was .are to carry a watermelon with her all day. We then had a nice dinner in the evening before going on to a club. Then brunch today before heading home. Irritatingly I had a splitting headache all day which I couldn't shift so I bailed our earlier than everyone else last night, but at least I wasn't hungover when i drove home today.

Got back to be met at the door by the DC's very excited to see me, and armed with chocolates and flowers "to show how much we missed you mummy"

I then spent 90 mins tidying the house, which looked like a bomb had gone off, so the chocs and flowers were good pre-emptive tactics on DH's part!

Just accidentally poked myself in the ear with a knitting needle. Ow. Bed time before I carelessly give myself a lobotomy.

Update northern, what happened with that parking permit?! Do we need more ?

Hah! When it got to 10am, I went and knocked on the door. She answered with small child and all still in nighties...admitted it was still in her friend's car, and despatched female friend to extract it. My assumption ref drivers of VW Beetles being confirmed along the way

Chatted nicely about the weather, the fact we had north facing gardens, etc. Soooo, definitely not her parents, and definitely no "whoops, I forgot to return it yesterday afternoon", just a quite brazen 'oh yes, we've still got it...' But it appears whilst she had the brass neck to snaffle it under false pretences- and clearly aimed to keep it- she hadn't quite got the cheek to retain it!

It was a lovely day overall, just so fabulous to be out, in our own garden, with DS playing with his football and sitting with Dada. It's not huge- it's the one real compromise we made with here (bar the sodding loft room) but it's big enough, and it's just so fab to have the outdoor space.

I dug out a number of small trees/shrubs, then planted out the 'skeleton' of the garden (and I knew you meant me mopsy, there's no other person with an uncontrolled addiction to plants ) so all the big shrubs/little tree, but still have a lot to do.

Will need to get the bloody outdoor tap working though....

Sounds like a FAR too civilised time faffin, no squirty cream and strippers? No enforced-all-wearing-crappy-outfits-which-include-suspenders? No projectile vomit? You're all far too classy!

Hop, have you made it through the day without inflicting any more home-made piercings?

Northern what a cheeky mare!!!

I am still working have a 7.30 train to london tomorrow and decided i either do some work tonight while DH is out and DS asleep or i have to drag the laptop with me tomorrow.

Question for you all do your DC's go to sleep with light on or off? DS always gone to bed in dark but last few days he has his wanted the light on as he wants to keep talking to his toys and he then falls asleep with them after a 5-10 mins. Will this encourage him to be funny about the dark? When do they get scared of the dark?

Right off for shower so dont have to faff with hair washing in morning and then whizz through the walking dead before bed!!

I need your knowledge for our garden!
Fig - Ali has just started whinging that he needs the light on too. I'm mainly allowing it as he's been really difficult to settle recently, so I'm trying the pick-the-battle approach.
Am away from home tonight and tomorrow night. We are not to far from home, but the room had been booked for me tonight even though the mtg doesn't start until tomorrow. It's an international mtg, so thought it'd be good to meet and have a drink and a chat with all those who have marketing issues... But the pasta I had at dinner did not agree with me so I've been back in my room since 9!
Might as well have stayed at home!
Meh!

Bummer Oi.

Figgy, I do the door open, hall light on thing. Still pretty dark in her room but she can see enough to chat to her teddies ... turn off hall light when I go to bed.