++March 06 ++Birthdays Ahoy- thread the third++

[UniSarah]

Ok, I think I have spelled everything in teh title correctly. shout at me if i havn't.

Happy St davids day March 06 mums and tots.

LL- I'm in exeter. I forget, where are you?

Big Sheep- its in North devon , near Bideford. It a good day out so long as you like sheep and all things sheep like. Lots of demos and shows about sheep- breeds, shearing, sheep dog training/trials, also tramolpines, ride on tractor course, football area and a barn full of animals to pet and look at. Horse demo and pony rides, sheep raceing, tractor trailer ride round farm and land train ride we did not do, also a big play barn that I took boy into and then straight out again as he refused to get out of buggy and said no with big head shakes to all surgestions that he might like to take a look at teh slide etc.

Oh we were really near Exeter! We stayed overnight with friends in Broadclyst. We camped down at Beeson (near Beesands beach) and found a lovely beach accessed via the cliff path at Elander Cove - you should try it out next year. If we are in Devon again we should meet up eh?

Big Sheep sounds fun but DP is not into farmy stuff - bored of my farming tales I guess! He does occasionally help my Dad round up cows etc but is not very enthusiastic.

DP is 40 on the 21st and to kick off the month long celebrations he is walking 40 miles on Sat. Starting at our house at 5am and walking to our friends in Skipton along the Pennine Way. My Dad (he is super fit and did 60 miles on his 60th)and BIL are walking with him and a couple more are doing the last 15 miles to pep the pace up. Sadly I have a 4th birthday party to attend with the girls so will not be joining them.

Potty training....yes Tilly was dry by 18 months but Kiah will not be! We really lost the momentum on holiday and now am just having a couple of weeks settling them into their new routines. Still have nappy off time when at home and will concentrate a bit more in a few weeks. I'd like her to be dry in the day by Xmas but no pressure.

Fingers x'd for all of you training out there then, dd2 decided to sit on the toilet just for a laugh yesterday, but that's all the interest she's shown! on the otherside of the coin, the highchair is now clean and in the garage, as chair's are the order of the day, even if she did fall of one tonight she won't be messing about like that again!

We did the Big Sheep when dd1 was 9mths, had a good day out

Anyone heard from Astro?

Oh more on shop soon, should have conf off bank tomorrow if we have go ahead from them, so then it's full speed ahead!! (already have solicitors stuff, but haven't sent it on, as waiting on blinking bank mgr, whose been off sick....with no cover...will be writing a letter about that one)

we have the funding for the shop! hurrah!! 4 weeks from now, I'll be working 4 days a week (minimum....) properly, not like working from home, how scarey is that kids in nursery the works....

Wow Friz, how exciting!!!! Where is the shop you've found....when is the website sating...tell us everything!!!!

Can't believe you'll be a nearly full time working mum.

curious aboutteh high chair, boy has just started useing his! hes been useing a booster seat till now as high chair was too big ( its teh 20 quid argos one, all hard plastic, often found in cafes). Booster is now in kitchen for quick snack or playing and high chair by dining table as the tray fits over our table height and protects the table from vast amounts of milk at breakfast. how come the child has to eat his ceareal with his hands when he was using a spoon happily till last week is beyond me.

I guess its that 18mth thing Uni eh! Ours was a booster type affair as well, but I thought she'd be happy with that till 2 ish, but apparently not, ho hum
We've had an amusing day, madam has been throwing herself down and off everything down 3 stairs in a strop cried a bit after that one, off two chairs that she'd randomly climbed onto, dh was supposed to be watching her on one, as I was typing the stuff he was dictating at the time and generally at the floor when the word no comes into play too, ie no, you can't have a biscuit - wahhhhhhhhh toddlers, love em.

LL I'll let you know when we get open!! have no fear, as soon as website is up and running, will post details too! shop 1st though, gotta concentrate on getting the open, as soon as poss after we get the keys or it'll be sat idle loosing money and we don't want that very excited.

Girls Munz needs out support www.mumsnet.com/Talk/7/384410?rnd=1189283761806

Had a horrible call from ss's mum tonight, ss has a head full of nits, his mum has found some on herself, so I woke dh up and checked him and half hour later, have gotten about 20 off him horror.....have checked me and I have none, (thought hair dresser would have mentioned today if I had too!) so am now sleeping downstairs tonight, till I get our bedding changed, then I shall kick him down here!! no way am I sleeping with nits when I don't have the buggers. Will have to check the girls tomorrow just in case, only did dd1 last friday and she had none then, so fingers x'd none still! (use teatree spray on her too) Dh is going to be a nightmare though, as his hair is rather long

Thanks Friz, just posted on Munz's thread, what a mess. I'd missed her MC too.

Bad news about the nit infestation!!

Just catching up on some work bits before I head off to Newcastle for a night with work. Poor DP has to pick up Tilly plus two friends at 3pm and then have them all for breakfast tomorrow and do the school run!!! Tee hee.

BTW Uni are you still bfing? Kiah has started biting me (has punctured left nipple -ow) so may give up soon. We are away for a weekend in a couple of weeks so may do it then....

LL- yep still on the boob here, morning and bed time. Hasn't drawn blood for months and months, he only did it twice when his teeth were quite new. the odd nibble but I tell him " no biting" and stop the feed either full stop or off for a minute or so and hold and ignore if its at the start of a feed. I did try and cut out teh bedtime one, but we had such bad broken evenings from him and he wasn't drinking enough other fluids (he had VERY pungent wee) that after a week I went back to it.
If the bitten nipple is V painfull have you tried feeding her another way round- ie if she is normally laid across your lap try her sat next to you, gets her teeth/lips on a less tender point maybe.

Ouch for Boobs LL , hope you have a good night away even if it is work, harhar for dh having to do the lot!!

Girls and I are nit free, phew, so dh is sleeping on the airbed downstairs till his are gone! no accidental head contact here (fingers x'd) wet combing ahoy!

Went to look around a possible school for dd1 today was a very nice infants actually....wondering on the chances of us getting in? tba I guess! so one down, two more to look around thur and fri.

Friz, you are so organised wth your school visits already. Tilly has her name down for two in our town but I hope she'll get a place where she is aready at pre-school.
DP got let off the hook a bit as only one extra child arrived yesterday. Still he did very well and even did a load of washing!

Newcastle was good. Bit too much real ale though.

Uni, my nipple has healed now and the biting seems to have stopped. Had to express in the shower yesterday morning so guess she is still taking quite a bit of milk. We are away for two nights weekend after next so may see if she asks for booby on or return or if she forgets.....

Hmmm, my keyboard is misbehaving again!

LL- if you do stop B-feeding after that weekend don't forget to express a bit for a few days ( decressing ammout) to avoid getting horribly engorged/ blocked ducts. We have just changed Boys bedtime routine to try and ease teh transition away from a bedtime feed. he now has the feed before his bath/wash ... will see how it goes, dh has done teh bath and put to bed for teh 1st two nights of new system while I've made myself scarce.

Friz- good luk witheth shop sounds like you will be mad busy.
We have my parents with us tomorrow and sunday, Dhs friends on saturday, then into days out with my folks next week while they are on holiday 30 miles away. catch up when I catch up..

Have fun Uni, it sounds like you will hope the inlaws visiting goes ok

Shop thing is mad busy, hopefully will get even busier once open too!

Sounds like a good routine you have going for weening ds of the bedtime boob, hope he's taken to it happily, sounds like he has so far

LL, loads a pop! good time eh?
I decided to get organised re schools, as I really needed to see them, cause we;re in the catchment for the one with the worst ofsted. So one more to see tomorrow, then will make a decision as to where to try our luck I guess!! Went to the worst one today and to be honest its not that bad, just largeish (26 x 2 classes reception) class sizes and lack of teacher continuity which has affected its teaching I guess.

Also went to Chatsworth this afternoon, ended up with a new Halloween sign, that dd1 fell in love with also managed to play lots, watch a goat being milked, pet goats and guineapigs, which had dd2 squeeling with delight and ate some lovely strawberries too

oooh dh had the snip today he's doing ok, bar the fact we've just discovered his dressing is stuck to the wound! he has to swap it tomorrow, but won't even let me take it off now (he still has anasthetic in his system, surely it'd be better?) oh well no doubt that will be fun can't soak it, not allowed until Sunday night!

OHHHH to friz's Dh. well done him tho. We're waiting till dh is 40 to discide... I'll be 38 then and think we will have either have disided to stick with one or will already have changed mind and done something about it.

Just got my parents out teh door and off to their holiday rent cottage in Salcombe. See them again tomorrow ( they are helping out with childcare while dh and I run a uni event) and monday ( in salcombe) and thursday in Torquay , tehn they are back with us on saturday and babay sitting so dh and I can go out in teh evening- hurrah.

Oooh hurrah for a looming evening out! dh is 42 and as we have 3 between us, I think its a wise decision dd2 runs him ragged as it is, I think anymore would do him no good at all!
Stuffed at the mo, made Nigellas white chocolate cake for dh's birthday, feeling very fat!

Friz, did he have the snip on his birthday poor man??? I hope not.

DP is 40 on Friday so we are now having a party at our house and then trying to clear up the house and get to Newcastle for the weekend. Booked into the Hilton for some R and R. I nipped into town with Kiah for an hour to look for pressies...got him a hoodie top thing, some chocs and a big mug from the girls. Also got some very naughty knickers off the market for the weekend. 3 pairs for £2.50 due to a distinct lack of material!!!!

Any ideas what else to get him? He's having an MP3 as a joint pressie from me and all the family...

Uni, where are you going for your night out then?

LL have a great weekend away
I got dh a wii, so when he's well enough to wave it around, he will be very happy

erm other ideas, ermmmmmmm books? tickets to something? day out doing something? dd1 got dh a bear dd2 got him chocolate and they both got him a book between them! ss did choc too

Dh had snip on Fri, birthday was actually Sunday, but as Dad's was today, we did dh Sat and Dad yesterday! lol

So have already rescued dd2 from the top of the cot once tonight, picture if you will her stuck on the rail, arm and leg on one side, arm and leg on the other have put old cot matress underneath, which I kept from dd1 (I sometimes sleep on it in her room if she's really ill)

Have dug up remaining grass in front garden today and dug down a spades depth across half of it today with my dad, am knackered and off for bath soon! will do rest of garden later in week, then we can get on with block paving it

Hello!
Juat caught up on what's been happening since I was last on- a few weeks ago.

Friz- sounds like the shop is coming along nicely! When might you get the keys? How is DH after the snip? So you no longer use highchair? I hadn't thought about ditching it. Do you just use a booster on a chair or something?

LL- You enjoyed your holiday? I'm a bit confused; you said Tilly is in pre school and Kiah in nursery- sorry to be thick but what is the diff?????
I laughed when you referred to me as a fitness freak cos that's how DH (and I) refer to me! In fact we pretty much call most people a something-freak (depending on what it is they like to spend their time doing!)

Uni- I hope you enjoy this week with your family. My sis came up for a few days (pre her birthday) last week and it was lovely to spend some time doing local fun day out stuff!
Was it your evening out last night? How did it go?

Has anyone heard from Astro? When was she last on here? Assume she is still in the UK?

Well, you have all got me started thinking now about ditching high chair (though I don't see it as too urgent) and (more importantly) potty trg. Please can I have advice. I really have not thought alot about it to date.

How do I start? How do I know if he's ready, or shoul I just get on with it?
LL was saying stuff about them getting dry overnight. Do you mean that as they start to wee less in the night, you know they are near to being ready to train or have I got the wrong end of the stick?
So, I start by letting him go without nappy, say for a couple of hours, and if I notice him start to wee (or poo!), get the potty and put it in place so he learns what it's for???? Do you tend to train exclusively with potty or also with one of the kiddie seats on your loo also?

Sorry if I am asking dumb questions but I just don't really know where to start!

On a personal note, I am alot happier than I was when I posted a few weeks back. I have been going to the gym 3x a week (which I love!)and so now have a good, balanced structure to my week; I go 3x to gym and DS and I go 2x playgroup. That leaves just 2 days where there are no fixed plans and I am alot happier with this new set-up.

It would be great to meet up again but it sounds like you are all pretty busy right now. Maybe when things calm down a bit we could arrange a meet?

Am so glad to be back on here. I've just been settling into my new routine and that's why I have not had time to get on lately.

Inlaws are coming up Wed-Sat, to take DS off our hands so we can continue to sort house out (only part-way through updating/decoarting our house which we moved into almost 3 years ago-it was owned by an old lady- 'nough said!). Prob won't get on whilst inlaws are here, but otherwise, will try to get on more!

Nice to be back! Sorry for long post!

Morning all,

Wow, the sun is out after a frosty night and it's lovely.

BTW I had a letter in the Guardian Weekend mag on Sat if anyone has a copy hanging around - I'm published!!!

Friz, thanks for pressie ideas....will try to get out shopping again before Fri.

Smiley, for me pre-school is free and attached to local school and nursery is private and v. expensive.

Potty training, yes give it a go if you fancy. Bare bum is the way forward and just like you said, playing with the potty, reading books on it (you can get some good potty books from library too) etc. Then when you get a poo or wee in it you whoop and cheer like a loon and give him a sweet/treat - easy. Buy a loo seat too 'cos some kids prefer this - don't know anything about boys though - do they need a seat - do they wee sat down?????

Than they spend a while weeing and pooing on your floor until one day it all clicks and it's goodbye nappies in the day and hello cute little knickers. Don't even think about nights but it is much less washing as i used to just rinse the night nappy through and then wash em once a week.

Good to hear you sounding so smily Smiley.

Oh I'm leaving nursery to potty train dd2 I shall do her on the days she's home I suppose though

LL, published go girl, no copy here though, sorry.

So to answer your question Smiley, we signed today! should get the keys tomorrow, then the real horror of hard work getting it ready starts in earnest....gibber....

Dh is doing ok, although did himself a slight mischief walking upto town today and back, wasn't quite ready for that! his manflu has calmed down too, phew. On the otherhand I'm on orange and honey now, as my throat feels crap, boooo

Re the highchair (which was a booster), dd2 just threw lots of paddies and 'I am not, ever, never, going in one of those again, mummy' type affairs, which she then clarified by pulling my chair out and sitting on that, prim and properly so now she sits on my seat, and I sit in her old place, as she doens't want to sit there either now???? I will win the war, just not bother with the small battles eh So to answer that, stick with the high chair as long as he's happy! I just have a 'madam' on my hands

Smiley- high chair is still in regular use here too. boy prefers being able to see what he is eating. tho he can cope on a regular chair on occasion. re potty stuff . there is a minefield of info out there, read what you can and then decide what you want to do. Our March kiddies are still very young many of them won't be ready for months yet.
Night out is this coming saturday, lokks like it will be a meal at a gastropub DH likes, its officaly his brithday celebration so he get to chose.