Here comes the terrible twos!!! (OCT 04 TODDLERS)

[biglips]

wwwwwweeeelllllllll im still calm.... (just about!!)...

Hi girls - I so cold my hands hurt. Hope you are all well! Grace is doing really well in her pants - I'm big now mummy she says! ALthough at night she has started to demand the door being left open as she goes to sleep which drives dh mad as he thinks she needs pitch black to sleep...but better than her crying herself to sleep - which I have nver been very good at standing and espcially not after read ggg. posts about losing her daughter.

Hi all.
It's soo cold, and we have to have the windows open because of the turps DP has used to clean the OIL PAINT off of the carpet. Alfie's new artistic bent has led to him breaking into DP's room and smearing his oil paints all over his head, the carpet, cushions etc... Wah!
He's into everything all the time.
The jab went really well, very quick and no reaction so far. We met another couple of toddlers getting their jabs, which Alfie loved. They all played football in the waiting room.
The other two children were about a month older than Alfie, but they were soo much more advanced at talking. I felt a bit sorry for Alfie, because he really couldn't communicate with them, but he smiled a lot and clapped his hands. The little girl was rolling the ball to Alfie and saying 'There you go baby' really clearly and 'here's your ball'.
It's like another world to me really.
Alfie can just about manage three words joined together.
Oh and I went and picked up an application form for the nursery that I most want Alfie to go to, it's called St. Mary's, so finger's crossed.
The lady seemed really nice and Alfie lay on the floor wailing because he didn't want to leave. [rolls eyes]
Going to get forms for the other two options by the end of the week, depending on when I can be bothered going out and freezing to death.

It's still cooold and the window's open!!
Alfie is in a good mood, but he won't let me do anything, or finish anything, forget about phoning anyone.
However, he seems to have finally worked out how to pull down (for pull down read, take off completely and abandon) his trousers before going on the potty. He usually won't wear clothies on his bottom half, but he seems to like the trousers now.
I gave him a chocolate button(twice, today, first time ever), from a packet in my fabric cupboard, now whenever I go near it, he sprints across shouting 'buddom, buddom!!!
I don't even remember telling him what it was called.

(ive got summat to tell you........DD did a BIG poo! in her potty for the first time 2nite!! it was since yesterday she decided to go back on the potty first time in ages)

Yay Tweenie!!
It's ridiculous, isn't it - getting all excited over a poo!! Imagine if one of your friends told you that, before you had a baby, you would think they needed to get some more sleep. LOL!
Did Tweenie go on potty strike!!
Will you be moving Tweenie to a school nursery when she gets her free place at three, do you think?

hee hee!...i know!...yes she had been on potty strike for a while but now slowly coming back on it.

Yes there is a nursery school that i need to check out so must ring them today for a tour! (its my dp;s old school and there is a primary school attached to it aswell. One of the playgroup staffs at elsewhere said that she will be starting there NEXT january and not NEXT septemeber - will mention it to the nursery school)....what about you? u sorted anything out yet?

well just came back from the nursery school tour and ive put her name down for it. teh staff were so lovely too. DD will be starting in October - phew!

Hi Biglips, that's good. One of my friends sent me a link to a list of reports for nurseries and schools, which I found interesting.
I'll look for that link, I think it was hmie or something - Geog and Cazzy will know.
Where are they?
Cazzy - lurking??
The woman I phoned at my first choice school was in the school office and I think she owned the school and was considering letting us in, as long as she liked the look of us.
It reminded me of the scary secretaries when I was at high school - I'm sure they thought it was 'their' school.
She said Alfie wouldn't be able to start until he was exactly three, which would mean the start of November. There is a waiting list, but I don't know how long. Of course school secretary told me it was very long and I would be very lucky if she let me in.
The lady at the nursery was lovely.
We had a Burns Supper tonight, with both sets of grandparents. Alfie's head nearly exploded with all the grannies and grandads. Boom! Faint!
I still haven't been to the other potential nurseries.

Just posted about my easate agent dilema - go for the one selling the house you want to buy or another one?

Anway - Maisie - you mean OFSTED - here
Then search by location at the top. You need to read a few (I think) to get a feel for what is said or not said!

Thanks Cazzy, I'll go and look at the post next time I'm on.
Will my nursery be on that: I'm in Edinburgh? I couldn't see anything in Scotland.
The one I was looking at was \link{http://www.hmie.gov.uk/this one}
I think the reports just make you more confused. [confused face]
The bit about the percentage achieving three nationally set targets? Is that a load of rubbish? They seem to vary from year to year by quite a large percentage in the schools I looked at?
What do you think is a good way of choosing a school nursery?
Is it better not to go to a nursery attached to a school??
Ow my head!

Sorry the link again

Oh god I don't understand scotland - I suspect they have their own school inpsection things!

If it where me and I was looking for a nursery - would want:
not too large staff turnover (but some)
a play based approach to learning
a nurswery that offered trainning to staff
a postive approch to displine
I would look at the menus
I woulk look at how well resource they are
I would look to see the staff are actually playing with the childrne not chatting about where they are going wiht their boyfriends that evening
I would look at how much outside space they have and ask how they use it - ie do they plan for learning oppurtunites outside
how often to they read to the children
do they have a role play courner
art work on the walls
happy children
ohh and how they report what your child has done bkac to you
ohh and how they keep records of what the child can do

HTH

Hi Cazzy, thank you very much for that! I was about to ask you what you would look for in a nursery.
I can find out some of the stuff you mentioned from the reports about the nursery, and the rest I would have to ask.
I have handed in the application to my nearest nursery and picked up another application from another nursery, further away. The second nursery is quite limited in places and didn't think Alfie would be accepted when he was three. A teacher there said that they would choose a four year old over a three year old and that would probably stop Alfie from getting in.
The third option is a nursery one my friend's daughter attends and one that has good reports. I would apply there, but it's on a really busy road, with a bus stop outside. I can't help thinking I don't want Alfie to have to put up with that for two years. I'm probably being over-protective - it's like a bus every two or three minutes. What would you do?
The other nurseries are in quiet areas and the nearest one actually sits next to a common (we call it the links).
I know I'm being paranoid, but the woman at the nearest nursery said that she thought there would be a place when Alfie is three. So now I'm thinking, 'why would there be a place, doesn't anyone else want to go there?!??!!?!?
Wah!!

Well there is nothing scientific about my choice of pre school for geog. Its where i'm the chair and his brother and sister went / go there. He will start in September 2 half days, then 3 after christmas and 4 when he is 4. It isn't attached to a school but all the kids there go on to the same school.

Hi everyone, havent been on here for absolutely ageeeeeesssss!!!!

Toby started his special school on thursday and did well apart from having 4 poos before lunchtime. He does suffer from constipation and I had upped his medicine as i thought he had been blocked. Obviously not!!!

He finally had his operation to fit his gastrostomy and all went well apart from him getting cold on the operating table. He took a while to wake up properly as he was having such a nice sleep!! I tell you it is sooo much easier than his ng tube and at least we were able to get rid of that from his face.
Work is going well and I have just employed a new staff member as one of mine is moving to liverpool. Toby is coming to my nursery now and is doing well. His other nursery closed and I was worried to start with as all the children are so much bigger than him. He sits in his special chair and they all come round him and bring him colouring pencils etc. They also like to pretend they are him as he gets to sit on a bean bag!!! Will try and upload a pic of him without his tube!

Hi Jbad, that's great news! I'm glad Toby got through it OK. It's quite a worry when little tots have to get things like that done.
How is he getting on with his glasses?
Sounds as if you are very busy with the new staff. Is it better for you, having Toby there with you?
I can't wait to see his piccie!
I would upload one of Alfie, but we can't find the cable that attaches the camera to the PC!! Grr!
I will look for something quite recent to upload, because he hasn't changed much in a month.
[snuffles about, looking]
Geog, does that mean all your children get A's for everything?

The only perk is that babygeog has already done a couple of sessions while i've been doing stuff like staff appraisals. He'd start tomorrow I have to drag him away every time we drop his sister off

yippee jbad - at last hes havin the op. and i bet u like it that hes in your nursery too as you must feel more comfy with him being close to you. Gald hes enjoying it as well.

what other ops he gotta have? or is that it?

have u posted a piccy of him yet?

well ive posted another piccy of tweenie with paintings on her face at a party last Saturday. She was so good as kept still whilst the girl was painting on her face...

she is talking alot more now - more of joining the sentences together and getting more and more cheeky!!!

oh and she got a sore chin too as my mums dog pulled dd's over on the lead so for the past week it had been bleeding on and off, on and off........

Aaaah Poor Tweenie! They start looking as if they are abused around this age don't they. Alfie always seems to have a scratch and a bruise displayed prominently somewhere on his head/face.
I'm finding him really rough at the moment. He bit me when I was feeding him the other night, reallllly hard!! I was in tears - mainly because I was so shocked.
Whenever we play it gets really crazed and he ends up biting me or clumping me or pulling my hair. It's a bit tiring.
I think part of it is that he is cutting another lower canine and it has been red for ages. He seems more grumpy and intolerant at the moment.
I'm trying gentle discipline on him, but I still shout at him when he hurts me and sometimes I have to force his fingers open when he has hold of my hair and won't let go. It is so painful sometimes.
He divebombs me in bed as well, jumps in the air and lands in a sitting position on my body somewhere, which can be very painful.
Calm down Alfie!!

ooh dear maisie - its prob time to get that BIG LOUD voice out as i have been doing since she turned 2...i feel most of the time that tweenie doesnt listen to me till i raised my voice at her and she'll answer to me straight away.

I know, I do end up speaking loudly and sometimes I shout. I find it tiring though.
He doesn't take me seriously half the time. He often thinks I'm playing with him and runs away from me when I try to get him to pick up something he has thrown.
I always get him to clear up his mess if he has deliberately poured a drink out or thrown food. He might take a while to do it, but I just keep asking him and eventually he will wipe up with a cloth or put stuff in the bin. He's a little lamb sometimes.
He is really just very energetic and I don't think he is very good at tempering his physical actions so he can hit quite hard when he is just playing.
DP often lets him play rougher with him, which I think he finds confusing, because I object to the same thing that DP lets him do.

i give one warning to my tweenie if she does it again she is go to bed (for her 2 mins timeout and carried on doing it till she clicked on) if i didnt do the timeout - i think i would've of pulled my hair out...on the other hand yes she is brilliant as she just have the odd tantrum but she do not DARE pull my hair out!!

Poor DP has a big scratch on his cheek from looking after Alfie today.
I do a kind of timeout, where I take Alfie to the bedroom when he is getting too worked-up, but before he does anything really bad.
I pull the curtains and shut the door, but I stay with him and tell him to stay on the bed. So he jumps around like a nutter for about five minutes then gradually calms down a bit, when I think he is calm enough I get him to hold my hand and walk back into the sitting room.
I quite enjoy the time out too - just sit on a chair and say 'it's time to calm down' (which is to me as well).
I have quite a quick temper so I have to really calm myself. I find it really hard.[steeeeam!!]