The 11th Gemini bus - Trudging through the terrible twos

[AGnu]

Haha yep we all learn the hard way! Some kids just get really hyped up when they watch TV (like my #2) and some get really dozy (like my #3).

Good Lord I cannot wait for school to start! This summer has been just running around driving kids to different activities to keep them off my back about being board which has just resulted in total exhaustion. This morning for example: take #1 and 2 to their summer program through the schools (just really playing outside, coloring, and going on field trips, wears them out like nothing else, great value!), head to the gym at 10:00 for an hour and a half with M in the kid's care so I can go get my ass kicked in Body Pump class (again good value, I actually have arm muscles, huzzah!), then head back to the school to pick up #1 from summer program at 12:30, and drive him a mile to the other elementary school for a week-long 3 hr class on robotics that he wanted to take. Then go home and try to shower, fit in M's nap and get some work done. Then at 3:30 go back and pick up #1 from class, #2 from the summer program, head home and feed everyone. Then I've got a hair appointment at 4:20 (finally! my hair is ridiculous right now). Then come home, make dinner, eat said dinner and then finally take #1 back to the elementary school for his swimming lesson at 6:40 (he's a little fish and has been cruising through the levels this summer). Then back home again and put #1 and #2 to bed (DH does M-bedtime-duty, she only wants "daddy!") after another snack, shower and reading Harry Potter. HOW THE FUCK DID I END UP WITH THIS MUCH SHIT TO DO IN ONE DAY!? I'm being the kind of mother that I totally said I would never be. I feel tired just typing out my day. Iceland cannot come soon enough!

board=bored! oops

Omg bring! I could never be that mother that's so going to be me. I'm tired just reading your post

Wow bring! Hope you find time to sit down for 5 minutes that isn't driving!

AF arrived first thing yesterday morning with all the enthusiasm of someone who knows they've let you down by being late & really wants to make it up to you by working extra hard... I do not feel good right now!

Add to that the prep for camping which we couldn't afford to do 2 years ago so I do know what that's like, cooking enough curry from scratch for 9 people for the first night, entertaining the DC they've watched every episode of Bagpuss on YouTube, cooking beef stew for dinner tonight... I'm hormonal & just want to curl up on the sofa with a hot water bottle, a blanket & some ice cream! Urgh. I've told DH in no uncertain terms that I am taking a break for 5 minutes having been slaving over the stove all morning. I've got the sofa & the blanket but I think if I got myself a hw bottle or ice cream he might get a bit cross that I'm chilling out while he's still doing things!

It's driving me mad that some of the people with DC the same age as Runt have recently had babies. It's made even worse by the fact that every one of them has had a girl! I can't imagine how hard it must be to experience that while TTC yourself. Fx you both get your BFPs soon!

Thank goodness that was only 1 day and today is much more chilled (although a ton of work to catch up on and a cranky 2 year old).

Ugh, so sorry to hear about AF giving you a hard time angu! You should kindly remind him that your neither region looks like a murder scene and that you will be glad to give him a taste of what you're experiencing with a good punch in the nuts so that he will understand why you are fully entitled to ice cream, a hot water bottle, blankets, and sitting on the couch while riding out the first few shitty days of having your period. Also throw in there that he should be glad to be helping you out while you shed your uterine lining for the lack of a growing child and also that you've pushed out two humans, so this is the small price of being a woman, he can help the fuck out.

Woo CBeebies, frus! Loads of kids! Wowza you are brave!

Always a teeny, tiny silver lining Frus! I won't even consider taking my DC somewhere like that because all the noise & bustle would send me Calf into meltdown! Hopefully it won't be too busy & you can all have a lovely day! When were DDs on TV previously?

This might be my last check-in for a week or so, unless I manage to get onto PILs wifi tomorrow... I expect to come back to lots of tales of DTD & 2WW symptoms! AF might be taunting me with my lack of pregnancy but someone needs to get upduffed!

Agnu, don't worry I don't think you'll be missing anything exciting with me. 4dpo here and no symptoms whatsoever just like last month. Still early days I suppose Lor on the other hand....well she might provide more tales of excitement

No tales of excitement as yet. Due to ovulate in the next day or so I think so just having lots of DTD fun Have caved slightly and bought some OPKs. No line yet but that would be early for me anyway.

bring I have only admiration and awe for your energy! And throwing in Body Pump too! I'd love to be doing more exercise. I do one yoga class a week and it's just not enough. Need to do another one or something more cardio but it's so hard to find the time! I just need to be more organised.

Agnu sorry to hear AF is giving you such a hard time. It's total misery some months. Have fun with the inlaws!

Frus CBeebies should be fun! Have a good time.

We FINALLY booked part of our holiday. We're driving to Somerset to visit the in laws for two days then going to a Haven holiday park in Devon (Devon Ciffs) for 4 days. We're then going to Brighton for a few days (mainly so DH can spend one day at a tech conference that he keeps missing every year and really would love to go to for his work) before coming back to London. Really exciting about the caravan park bit. Loads to do for DS. Should be fun (I think).

Sounds like a super fun trip Lor!!

Bah, energy? I think I'm running solely on coffee fumes . Coffee. All. Day. Long. I

Lor - that sounds like a lovely break away! Good luck with the next few days

Bring - aww what a lovely idea to cook! I hope you're allowed

So, DS is still napping and I really need to wake him up. I want to garden soooo much. Why doesn't he like gardening!! Honestly, you'd think throwing mud around with a spade would be right up his ally. Do they ever like gardening? Please say yes Pear!!!

It's really weird that I'm buying stocking fillers already isn't it? I brought a "cars" lunch box in the sale today and some bargain books from TKMax on Wednesday

Huzzah! Frusso survived the attack of the children! I'm glad that everyone had a great time! Awesome seats! Sorry to hear of the migraine. Hopefully a good night's rest will sort it for you.

Ha, yes pear eventually they do like to garden! My boys helped plant the flower pots in the front and also the garden boxes in the back. Now they are asking me everyday if they can go check for cucumbers and tomatoes, so it does happen. M isn't really a sand or dirt kid either tbh. We have a sandbox that she won't spend more than a few minutes in and couldn't care less about helping with the planting or pulling of weeds either. Maybe it's just the age?

Yay for surviving Frus Today will be a much quieter day

So, I used the over positive mummy theory on bpear and it worked!! When I woke him up from his nap I pretended to be mega excited and told him that we were going to garden outside. Jumped up and down and was over excited. He stared at me in amazement from his cot like "wth have you been taking whilst I was napping" but it worked! I just kept repeating how much fun it was going to be and that we were going to put our gloves on and get the wheelbarrow out and get all the tools from the garage and I'm so excited Anyway, as a result he actually sat with me for at least 20 minutes whilst I de weeded the one bed I am determined to keep tidy and alive!!! All he did was shovel earth into his wheelbarrow (with one of his gloves dangling off his hand) but that was actually quite helpful because at least I knew that earth could be tipped back in Well, useful until he tipped it out and then I ended up brushing it back in but that only took a few minutes at the end I also learnt that my faded Sylvia looks rubbish because you're meant to de-head it lol Why can't all plants just do what they got to do to help themselves grow Anyway, every two weeks I'll try and keep that enthusiasm up

Morning ladies! Just been for my progesterone blood test. Ouch I'm such a wuss when it comes to tests I get the results back in a weeks time. 7dpo here but no symptoms to report. Over the weekend I felt like I had a very full bladder for no reason so that was a bit odd but thankfully that's gone now and I've upped my water intake just incase it was to turn into something unwelcomed! As you can read I'm driving myself insane on the 2ww DS is with DH for a coupe of hours so I now about to start a big batch of cooking.

Morning.

Well done for getting your bloods out of the way. FX for good results next week.

Not much to report here. Had a relatively quiet weekend, although did go to Greenwich on Sat to look at the boats which was nice and got a the river ferry home which DS loved. Didn't want to get off the boat.

Got a positive line on OPK on Sat and definitely had ovulation symptoms (sore breasts mainly) on Sat/Sun so assume I ovulated yesterday which would be about right for 23/24 day cycle with 10/11 day LP. DTD on Sat and hoping to get DH to do it again tonight, although will have to see how that goes as I've sore back and hips from having been to osteopath on Saturday morning.

I'm also signing up today to do an online project management course. My career has stalled a bit and I think this would be a useful qualification to match my current experience/skills and make me more employable when I start actively looking for new roles.

Lor - that's exciting (the opk and the online course). I am very in awe of anyone who can juggle career stuff with a child.

So, I've managed to cook veg soup, beef and butternut squash oriental stew and homemade Mayo. Need to sit down now! I was getting excited about a possible pregnancy but I've just noticed a very AF type spot brewing so my hopes have now faded dramatically

The key to juggling career and child is having a good DH. The fact that we're both working 4 days means we cut down on childcare costs by C only being there 3 days a week. Plus the other days we swap pickup/drop off as well as alternating bedtimes/cooking dinner. Honestly it's harder on DH than it is on me. He's doing more actual juggling than I am due to running his own business.