March 2013- the one where plonk gets married!

[Gerrythetootallgiraffeswife]

Perilously close to filling the old thread suddenly!

Oh I forgot Gerry.....I can't possibly tell you what she's up to. Hussey! I think it's got to do with having more time on her hands now Facebook is banished.

I have rather than and am curled up in front of the telly after a very loooooooong week.

Eco you are funny ! How am I ever going to sustain a decent argument with DH again? Every time one starts I'm going to get a mental image of him tied up in the pantry and crack up. As it was we were actually remarkably civilised, and forgot all about it within about 5 minutes. I took him up some tea. He refrained from bellowing. The toddle slept. No one sulked. When did I get to be so boring

Yummy wasn't so much a storm as a flood. I was out in the car and I swear I have never driven in anything like that before. Terrifying. Roads flooding, zero visibility, rain so heavy the wipers literally couldn't cope. Didn't last long fortunately, although I have a niggling feeling it is about to start up again.

After the success of last weekend I have got ahead of myself and agreed to host a 70th birthday party for my mum. This is insane isn't it? Well, maybe not insane.... just slightly batty. My family are all mad. Put us together en masse and chaos will ensue. Or it might just be fun. Who knows. Guess I'm going to find out!

Night all. I'm going to go and listen to the rain now. Cathartic.

Eco I wish your vision of me were true but unfortunately I'm just still on nights

It's DH's birthday tomorrow and his presents are a bit crap but as he's a useless lazy moaning manchild at the moment he's lucky he's getting anything better than his clothes on the doorstep.

Stormy enjoy your boozy night.

Eco are you recovered now then?

Happy weekends everyone else.

I'm on my phone and have a memory like a sieve but just popped back to say Doli, I've spent the day in bed listening to the rain, I love summer rain, and I'm completely bonkers because my favourite thing is standing outside in shorts and bare feet during a summer storm.

Another rain fan here. To the point where I demanded the french doors remain open throughout and so have just had to spend some quality time with the mop

Wotta my guess for where you were could still be true....resting following successful completion of a mountain marathon in the rain? I fear your long week is down to other reasons though? Is that lovely boy keeping you busy with his walking?

Doli, glad there's harmony once again. The birthday party must include a treasure hunt of some description; fun for all the family!

Betty, I am better thanks. But my wee smells of chemicals. I guess it's all the antibiotics. 8 a day. My tonsils aren't white any more and Plonky has taken the cross from our door. Hope your night shift is a straightforward one.

Well, I've just got back from NY after taking some exclusive pics of Beyoncé's baby...... Pffft.

I've just spent the best part of the week under the fug of cold and now I'm helping poor DD get over it. Poor mite has snot running down her face and keeps wiping it all over Teddy. Grim. Plus she is resistant to cuddles and just grabs my neck/chest area (décolletage?) and pulls the skin off. Makes it fun to comfort her. Aaaaaarrrrgggghh. I've have thrown everything at her (including the snuffle-babe-on-the-feet trick) tonight in the hope that I get a good night. The sound of the rain is helping though as I too find it very soothing - plus, we have a car-port with a plastic roof, which is right outside DD's room and the sound is keeping her soothed too.

Right, off to bed must I, with a hot toddy (Honey, Lemon and RUM)

It's piddling down here too. Sat in the beer garden under a pavilion, it sounded awesome. I am home now, and not that drunk, but it turns out I still suck at pool. On the plus side, the friend I was out with also sucks at pool, so we were well matched.

Fartypants is home tomorrow. I am looking forward to giving her a cuddle. But within a week I'll be looking forward to the next expedition to MIL's house (October, probably). The peace is heavenly. But the days lack structure. Good for a holiday, but I wouldn't like to go back to living this way all the time.

Although I do like getting home drunk and there being no one else home, so I can dance around the living room with ridiculous drum n bass arms while listening to groovy moves without dying of embarrassment. That aspect of the pre-child life, I will always miss.

I'm here too! I guess we are fairly honeymoon-ish still, but that's not keeping me as busy as I'd like

We're currently trying to work out an acceptable amount of money to try to save every month. It's a headache. So I've retreated to the bathroom with a clay mask and MN for some head space. We're off to the PILs today. Fun! I spent twenty minutes in a Pandora store yesterday trying to find an acceptable charm for SILs bracelet. That's time I'll never get back.

Now Betty slide me some of that Mount Gay, will you? It's the best rum ever.

Driving through Bodium and doffing cap to Doli and Gerry!

The A21 on a sunny day sucks. I never remember this.

Can someone tell me if its ww for 8th march toddlers or maybe ds is coming down with something? I have had a hell of a day. Everything I do is wrong for ds and follows a tantrum. All food is yuck and sleep is for wimps. We have had hourly wake ups since monday maybe one good night of 3hrs of unbroken sleep.

Hope you are all having a great weekend. Eco I waved as you passed me by too.

Aye, yummy, there's a wonder week coming. I believe the magic date is either this coming Saturday, or the one after (I'll check after this fag). Have to say it's not been so bad here this time. We've had isolated grumpy days, rather than weeks on end.

Fartypants acquired a toy pushchair while at her grandma's. Best toy ever for a toddler who likes nothing better than pushing things around. Today she's looking ridiculously cute in dungarees (size 12-18m, but still a bit too big...). I've missed her. Although I haven't missed 6am!

Thanks stormy that explains it. Maybe I forgot the other ww's but this one is a hard one for us. It becomes a lot harder when they are mobile and know more how to express emotion (that is putting it mildly).

We was supposed to go to a farm today but it's raining boooo.

It's this Saturday, so only six days to go. I think part of the reason we're finding this one easier is DD's mobile. In the past not being able to move meant she was extra frustrated. Think we're due an easy one though, for the past year they've all been grim to hellish!

Was ds late, early or on time? We've been ww for a fortnight, but he was late.

Oh and we've found it to be quite mild.

Any big New skills yet, Plonk? Only new thing we've got so far this ww is understanding what the telly is all about.

Telly, yes, very engrossed in that. Can actually watch for about 45 mins before getting bored. Not my finest parenting but I refuse to be a one woman baby entertainment centre - we both need downtime.

Speech is coming on remarkably well. Cat, cow and car all sound the same but I can categorically state he can identify each spontaneously on sight, and out of context. Unless I'm deluded and he fails to spot the difference.
Our cat is no longer called Cat, but Rara. Her name is Rosie so he can identify her as a) a cat and b) Rosie the cat. Cars and trains go vroom. Chickens go bok. The dog he has been chasing for the last 24 hours is woof - other dogs say bark but as this one is actually called Wilf I'm certain he knows his name. If you pick up your handbag he waves and says baba. If you walk into a room he says hiya in the most sickening Derbyshire accent I am Mama.

Two weeks ago he could say about 3 words.

We also have lots of new actions, including stepping about on the spot, spinning around and sitting down with his legs crossed. The pace at which he's developed is incredible, and very reassuring when others are saying their toddlers are advanced in xyz ways.

plonky ds was 2 days early. That is a lot of skills gain. Well done toddleplonk. I have noticed ds has gained a few more skills so perhaps ww started earlier for us and I didn't notice it until yesterday. Today he was much calmer.

Wow, it's quiet around here!

I don't think we're wonder weeking here, just at an age where there are regular tantrums! DDs understanding is definitely coming on leaps and bounds and she's getting a few new words now and occasionally even Mama!

Yummy was it you that was trying to work out how much you can save? We've just done the same and realised it's basically bugger all! My salary's going down again, nursery fees have gone up, our tenant has moved our of our flat and the sale is taking forever to go through so we'll have to pay a couple of months of mortgage out of the savings and our driveway has collapsed and the bannister is on the way out! Ah well, it'll work itself out hopefully

I'm off to see my lovely friend today and her two DDs, the youngest is 6 weeks and I can't believe I haven't met her yet. I feel like a terrible friend. It's been ages since I took DD away for a night on my own so fingers crossed it's better now she finally sleeps!

Has everyone survived the storms? We have a very soggy garden, DDs finally learnt to walk in wellies and I have definitely got my money's worth from her all in one rain suit!

DD has also expanded her food tastes to include pomegranate! How bloody posh is that? Yesterday I had the best first world problem....how the hell do you get pomegranate juice out of merino wool?!

Ah no it was you Plonky, sorry! I'm on phone and can't scroll.

Wow, so quiet....

Betty sounds like you're being quite philosophical about the flat and job, which is good. Sometimes you've just got to make lemons. But the sun will shine again sometime and you'll be out, making hay. And other sayings!

Our savings are looking up, thank goodness. It was touch and go for awhile but we reached a decision, and went to discuss it with those in charge of our almost-fallen through windfall. The up shot is that we'll probably be house hunting in the new year.

Doli how is life with a toddler and ever growing Babax? Has dh done anymore shouting into the phone lately? I thought of you on Saturday night - FIL is utterly incapable of speaking on the phone in a normal voice. I think he thinks he's on a temporary line in a trench. Thankfully ds slept through it, but I was ready to deck 'im just in case.

Stormy has dd returned and reinstated structure (with a dash of chaos)?

Yummy are you full into ww now?
If you are, have a Galaxy on me.

I've had a very grown up day of house sorting, going hither and thither running various errands and prepping four days worth of meat and veg in an effort to be less wasteful. The toddlesaurus obliged by having a three hour nap I think I bored him so much and being a thorough delight upon waking. He even put up with a trip to see a lady in the bank. Sadly my photography course has fallen through, so I think I'm just going to plough on and set up shop regardless. I can beg nice families to let me photograph them for free learn as I go. Shame though, I was really looking forward to a week of studentdom again. And I now have to plead with nursery to waive the two extra days I signed ds up for, not charge me. Best make a trip to Thorntons in preparation...

Oh Plonky just go for it. Set yourself up on Facebook, do some shoots with people you know to get some nice shots on the page and then spread the word that you're doing an introductory offer. Precisely what I did and i've got the ball rolling now. Practice makes perfect but also confidence - let them think you know what you're doing and you'll impress. Plus, check out the coffeeshopblog www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/?m=1 for some lovely things to make your pictures look super professional. Just do it

Plonk you can practice on us whenever we're in Nottingham! I'd love some pics of us all!!!