December 2012 - 2nd birthday party chat? Already?!

[PurplePidjin]

Here we are

Gosh, happy birthday F! Two already, I can't believe it!

We're planning just a family party for DS in the new year partly because most of DH's family didn't bother getting DS a birthday present

But I heard a good rule about parties, invite the number of children for how old your dc is; so when they are 3 you invite 3 friends, 4Guests when they are four etc etc

I've just got a gold dust hospital appt on Friday so I've taken it completely forgetting I've got an appointment with dd's teacher and even if I cancel that I forgot I still need to be home to get her from the bus! I'm feeling stressed now..

have a wonderful day f and spotty

r much improved temperature has broken although still clingy and a bit miserable

Happy Birthday F

Spotty i would take the appointment and everything else will fall into place.

Nutella i like that rule.

Ddas the reasons for tantrums make me giggle.

H woke up crying again last night, apparently 'daddy ated my food' This is the 3rd time shes woke up for the same reason, so she must be dreaming about DP stealing food from her plate.

hales H's nightmares do make me chuckle. I remember the other week it was "daddy ated my sausages" .

spotty can someone else pick up DD? Or can you pick her up early from school and take her with you?

How do people leave the house when they have two under two?
We bought a double buggy - that DS almost never sits I and we're thinking about selling it already because it sits in our tiny hallway taking up all the hallway collecting dust. DD likes to be in the sling and if DH is home we leave the cumbersome bastarding buggy at home.

I've used the double buggy once, to take both kids to the dentist. Every other time E is in the sling and T the buggy. It's kind of handy having it as an option, but I can't see us using it much. Still, the buggy we have is a funky one that does single or double, so I'm still using it, just not as I intended.

We've got a bit more drama here. E has blood in her pee, so I've been doing daily pee samples and walks to the dr. T has had much more tv as a result. DH isn't happy, but he doesn't have to deal with everything. How much tv do your DC watch? Just wondering if DH is a bit over the top at wanting none at all unless it's him getting a break because of it, though still blaming me for allowing him.

Phew my mums going to meet dd from the bus. The appt is 45 minutes away so anything could happen traffic wise. Not sure how I'm going to get to speak to dd's teacher now though.

When ds is about to strop I can always distract him with food

Hope e is ok stacks.

Tv varies here. Some days it's on quite a bit (ds doesn't really watch it but dd does) ie hour in the morning and again in the afternoon whilst I do dinner etc but some days, like today, ds hasn't watched any and dd is just watching one program now (curious George, I hate that monkey).

We were a no-TV household until I got rather awful morning sickness with A. Then very little again during the summer as so many sunny days meant more to do outside, but since A was born and it coincided with O's cold there's been rather more again. It acts as a good opiate for about half an hour, but for my own selfish reasons I don't like it as kids tv is just DIRE.
Even with the recent uplift in tv though he never watches advert channels, and I want to keep it that way as long as possible..

R has never seemed bothered by the TV - he likes it on, but tends to potter the other side of the room with his books and toys. I leave the TV set to CBeebies so if he does put it on he gets something appropriate. Also, the On button is a perfect toddler-pushing height (and it's a stable, heavy CRT one on a triangular base so he won't knock it over) so I tend to let him get on with it, having taught him young not to play with the button (he's amenable to stuff like that luckily!). Being poorly has prompted us to get the DVDs going, he so far loves Cars and Polar Express but wasn't bothered by Monsters vs Aliens. I have Shrek in reserve thanks to his birthday money and the local 2nd hand games shop that sells stuff like that, all 3 Shrek films for a tenner and Polar Express for £3 :o

Good work pidj! We have 0 kids DVDs... DS will sit through a bit of Thomas, Pocoyo or Pingu while in feeding DD. I'd say on an average day he watches 30 ish minutes of TV/you tube. On a bad day... I have no idea. On a bad day, that's why we have telly!

Hmm it's probably more like 20/25 minutes twice a day on average. Good days less.

I figured while I have 2 DC under 2 a bit of TV isn't bad. I'm not intending on him watching it lots forever, just to get me through these difficult spots. Ofc things are going to get difficult in different ways as they get older, but I can even try and reason with a hungry 4m old, nor (I think) expect a 22m old to understand and ok after themselves while I deal with the other. So, Peppa Pig it is.

I hate peppa pig - she just really irritates me .

There is a big difference between letting tv babysit your kids all day and using a bit of tv to get through the day.
But that's another reason I love having DS at nursery. Yesterday they had a snow fest. They used some kind of fluffy fake snow in their soft play room - I really really cannot compete with that!

But today DD has driven me nuts. I think she has just been overtired and not caught up on sleep at all. She has screamed and screamed and screamed. Of course I bring her up to get ready for bed, all smiles! This baby loves to be naked

We have the TV on while they potter around in the morning. DD has just got the hang of the pause button on the sky remote. That really irritates A!

Pidj, I think it was around this age that DD decided the Shrek films (or as she called them "Donkey") were her favourite. I got so sick of them (she would put them on herself and try and watch it every day) that A hasn't had the chance.

A only has 10 days left at nursery. I've ordered him some dinosaur pants from mothercare, as the only place I could find any in age 12-18 months. We plan to start potty training when we all break up for Christmas. Then father christmas is bringing him some gruffalo pants in his stocking.

Ds hates it when dd pauses the tv too!

Ds has been demanding I change his nappy after each wee I'm not ready for this!

We have that too. A is definitely ready to potty train, it's just finding a point where we have him more days than other people!

I am fit to drop. My run of terrible nights continues with a spectacular 5 times out of bed last night. 4 from T, relatively quick to settle but conveniently timed about an hour apart, and 1 longer wake from dd2 with another nightmare. I'm in bed already and can't be arsed to speak to DH - I know that relatively speaking he's a good egg but he has no idea how crap it is to live on 4 hours sleep a night, long term while trying to go to work and be responsible for every bloody thing at home.
nutella I hope she's better tomorrow. My answer to days like that with wee uns is heating on, long bath and nudey play time. It's still my answer now sometimes!
stacks our tv time varies. Having recently realised it had crept up to unacceptable amounts which turn the dds into beasts, the rule of thumb is about 40 mins a day - 10 in the morning while I make breakfast and 30 before bed. T does sometimes get an extra 10 in the day if I need to distract her or chill her out. Added to that there's laptop/iPad time of about 30 mins a couple of times a week - tricky as like tonight dd1 was doing homework but it still adds to screen time.
I absolutely agree that excess tv to get through a particularly tricky spell is fine. After that spell has passed, make a new rule with lots of fresh air or crafts etc.

WL can you call in sick and do a ridiculous amount of Internet shopping rest at home? Absolute respect to working mummies!

Although I would like to have a job to go back to... I've been talking to DH about work for me recently. I need something.

I would do naked time with DD but it's difficult with a marauding DS around. Also our house is quite open.. I think I could get the bathroom suitably warm... Argh it's not forever. This too shall pass

DD is a much chunkier baby than DS was. She has a little sore bit in the folds of her neck... Should I put anything on it or leave it?

She is lovely and squishy. But I think I need to change how I wrap her.

Beasty I got a bargain 5 pairs of (well-loved but still very usable) brighbots training pants for £15. R's worn a pair about 3 times. Happy to pass on to you for same? Most nurseries and child minders will be well used to helping train, so if he's ready then discuss it with them and go for it - before he gets to the stubborn No I Won't stage If you think he's ready, give it 3 days of pants and if you get more misses than catches go back to nappies for a while seems to be what most people I've discussed it with advise lovely experienced CM's at playgroup

Nut what's she wearing and what wrap? Could you put her in a coat/jumper with a hood so the top rail isn't directly on her skin?

Posted a video on Facebook of T performing on the piano for me. He likes copying Daddy, but it's the first time he's played for me. I'll delete the video tomorrow probably, don't like too much of the DC online. Had to share though, just made my heart melt.

Pidj sorry it's two separate issues she has a tiny sore bit in one of her many neck creases. I also need to look for a different wrap because I think she is getting a bit heavy to be able wear her properly and comfortably in the stretchy

I adore my Fidella (German brand) they're super-wide at 80cm so fab for toddlers and soft for squishes too :) Mine has guitars and music on :o

nutella work is a nice balance to home, if you feel you'd like to do something then go for it (when the time is right). Be open to all options - you might find something you love, or it might just be a stepping stone. It can just be hard to look intelligent when you're struggling to string a sentence together! I just get cross the DH sees how bad my nights can be but doesn't think to step up and take on some extra stuff himself to take the pressure off me.
Re the sore neck, try a bit of sudocreme now and after baths or dribbles!