November 2012 - Halloween costumes anyone?

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/2179741-November-2012-The-nights-are-drawing-in-again

3.39 here as clock change plus a cold proved too much

We have murmurings but no chat yet from our newly-2-year-old - I am impressed (and surprised!)

We can always tell when he's properly awake as he launches straight into loudly issuing instructions and providing commentary - along the lines of: "mummy in mummy and daddy's room. Daddy in mummy and daddy's room. L in L's room. Got water. Got Teddy and Lamb. Got sleeping bag on. Daddy go to make L milk. Make Mummy tea. Mummy come in this room. Mummy sit on this pillow. Take sleeping bag off. Get out!"

Then we know it's time to get up.

Ok. So how has everyone coped with clock change?

O slept till around 06:30, which I am quite pleased with as that would just be at the earlier end of his usual waking up window anyway.

Lol I didn't see those for some reason.

Funny msj O just shouts and then pretends to cry.

S usually sings or talks to george pig, then she shouts mummy wake up. Except she can't say w words so it's mummy bake up

Lily

Zamboni I am guilty of the same, my parents often say they can't believe I am able to do stuff as I am so unorganised - I try to point out I have been living independently for 10+ years now...

Sorry to hear of horrendously early starts. F slept til 8, not surprising though given the sleep refusal last night, and the previous days 4am start.

Looking forward to a day with friends, roast dinner and a long walk.

My girls my girls my girls

Wanda

Yay wanda

Sorry I haven't caught up properly, just want to ask a quick wwyd/AIBU on something that's been playing on my mind all weekend.

Last week DH and I went shopping to look for ideas for M's birthday and Christmas. Saw a few things but decided on a balance bike and possible a scooter. Thought the balance bike would be good for when we go camping to the motorbikes for m to have her own 'bike'.
I like the idea of balance bike then progressing to bike with no stabilisers as a easier way to learn to ride although I know some don't, but I think knowing M she'd pick it up easily a hopefully progress to a bike when she's 3/4.

Anyway, one the way home I asked DH to not mention the bike&scooter to MIL, possibly being mean but I wanted to choose/buy the bike. DH then says 'Erm I think she's already got one' apparently there was a box there when he went last week and when asked she said it was a bike
I felt really annoyed/upset as it's yet another thing that I've decided to buy and they've beat me to it. She has so many toys at MILs it's like a toy shop and often makes me feel rubbish.
I'm annoyed that she hasn't checked first, surely a first bike is something that the parents want to buy or have a say in?
I'm also imagining it'll be a pedal bike with stabilisers which I don't want her to have yet as she's too small and I don't really want her to learn that way.

So am I being a complete arse? What should I do know? I think I'm going to get DH to ask what bikes she's got and tell her we've already ordered a bike so she should have checked first (little lie, we haven't ordered yet). If it's a pedal bike do we tell her to put it away for next yr as she's too small or just let it lie?

Sorry for the long rambling post.

Enjoy your girls wanda I always feel so cosy and happy when you are expecting them :)

fatima they should have checked with you first but I guess it wasn't done to step on your toes. I donnt know, being NC with my ILs it's easy to say though. Re bikes I got one for LO with stabilisers, it is a bit big but she manages it really well and by next spring it will be perfect. We have a balance bike that we got for Dd1 but neither of them have got on with it (it is a bit big for LO actually) and so am going to sell it in spring.

Which reminds me. FIL sent LO a card for her birthday (not a word from the MIL phew) and used some pictures from my FB to decorate it. Am ok with that, but one of the pictures he used was a selfie I did of me and LO. And he cut me out of it.

My SIL always likes all my photos on FB except ones with me on them.

It's annoying how with even this little contact they manage to still try and hurt me. It doesn't hurt. But is annoying how petty it is.

But no fatima you are not being an arse. I think for big buys grandparents should check with the parents. It's common sense. Otherwise she could end up with three bikes and no, I dunno, socks :o

fatima Leo's family do that all the time. It's awful. I actually accept everything than sell it. I'm not ungrateful but there are things I don't want and there are things I want to give her.

wanda enjoy!!!

Fatima I think the little lie is acceptable in the circumstances - certain firsts are a parent's prerogative and if they buy without checking then it's the risk they take - it's already been bought or isn't something you want her to have. Just make sure DH is on board.

I've not changed the clocks here yet. doing everything in the usual manner but changing it when the girls go to bed so I'll have an extra hour in the evening we have an early start tomorrow so don't mind them being up and about earlier then.

wanda enjoy x

fatima my in laws always consult with me before buying anything. As does my sister. My mum never does but she never buys big things anyway so it doesn't matter. I would be annoyed in your situation. I'd tell a white lie and say you've already ordered one and if it's too much of a faff for them to return then they should keep it at their house. I went the balance bike route with DD1 and has worked well. E is far too small for a bike at the moment.

zamboni I'd bite my mums hands off if she offered to buy 2 pairs of shoes for E. But then that would never happen. we have a very different relationship. What's done is done. Don't dwell on it. I'm sure it will all be forgotten soon.

Thanks for reassuring me. PILs are lovely, just go a tad over the top sometimes. M has a new toy every time she goes and I often feel like there's nothing left for us to buy. I also feel bad for my parents as they are retired and don't have much money and so M has much less at their house. My mum always checks if it's ok to buy something.

I think we'll go with the little white lie. M is only dinky so I imagine a pedal bike will be too big for her anyway. And knowing MIL it'll be a shiny pink one with ribbons hanging from the handle bars. Not really mine or M's style

Now to decide which one, been looking a the Puky one recommended on FB or the kiddimoto one's. Toys r us have a my first balance bike half price at £25, so could buy her a scooter for Xmas as well at that price

Better measure how tall M is

Puky all the way . Much smaller and more manageable from a younger age than any other i've seen. I got one from ebay for about half price and will sell it again that way too as still absolutely fine. F wasn't lifting his feet/balancing yesterday but was definitely scooting/sitting as well as walking with it.

I'd be irritated too, neither set of grandparents would buy big things without asking us first. But i guess they mean well.

zamboni i'd have probably taken the shoes. My mum is v keen on proper shoes for support. Last year she got the boys their next size for xmas alongside other more fun stuff.

Happy birthdays to all the newly 2s.

We braved fireworks last night - boys ok but not happy happy with it. But one late night + groclock turned off = lie in until 7am new time. Hurrah!

And there we have it. Both girls in bed at 6:30pm. Boom. They were both unbelievably tired.

No nap here today, in bed sound asleep also. Phew.

o clock?

I have a little miss nap dodger here as well BP. Bed time was definitely much easier though and she was sound by 7:10 which is a massive change.

Good work on the early bed eliza! Enjoy your evening of peace

The birthday celebrations went really well. DH organised a kitchen table with bespoke menu win matching wine at a 5 star place wnich was fantastic.
The hotel we stayed at was great apart from a blip when we tried to check in and they had no record of our room. It would be fair to say that they were no solution focussed. After getting booking.com on the case it got resolved and we got a massive room with two double beds and a view of edinburgh castle from the loo!!

P was a superstar with granny and grampa and had a ball. She went to bed like a dream and didn't wake until 8:30 new time so everyone was delighted.

When we got back she became a clingy whine monster but that is fair enough I suppose. All in all a fantastic weekend.

I will go back and read properly in a bit. It is o'clock for certain

Fh is out. Waiting for him to get back with wine.

Rely need to sleep train A. He is over a year old and still not sleeping through or able settle himself to sleep. I have rock him to sleep and we still have transfer fails constantly. Considering there are no health issues I think I've let this go on too long now. It's time to sort this out.

Got to move him to the loft. Guess that's the plan this week. Then a little controlled crying fx will be quick.

Currently sat in dark with A passed out in me to scared to transfer. A bar of chocolate is calling me!

GT best of luck! Fc that without any health ishoos, he will adjust quickly. Then you can look forward to long nights full of sleep!

Have just remembered I am doing an outpatient clinic tomorrow, a specialist clinic about a subject that I know very very little about. Am frantically reading through some guidelines and hoping people have suitably low expectations

I have two nap dodging sleep dodging toddlers still going strong. LO back at nursery tomorrow whoop whoop but DD1 has another week off, as does DH.

I have a lot to do so hopefully with two of us to one kid it should be easy to get it all done. LO's birthday party at nursery will be on Tuesday. She will finally have a birthday cake I really hope she never notices when she is older that she didn't have a second birthday cake at home (pictures etc). In my defence she did have breakfast on the beach on her birthday which IMO kicks birthday cake's ass.

Another nap dodger here too bp pass and pr. ON days like today it's ok. Days when I need to do things and she just follows me round whinging are not so good!

pass Sounds lovely. Glad it all worked out well.

pr I don't have any photos of E's first birthday cake. In fact I'm not even sure she had one . I didn't see her at all on her first birthday (had a wedding to go to). I'm looking forward to making up for my complete lack of effort at this birthday. But having an older DD has shown me that really at this age they know bugger all about birthdays and care not a jot. If I didn't produce a cake and a party for DD1 she would have me shot for the worst mother in the world award. We are better off getting away with it whilst we can.