++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.

PAnto- I'd wait til school age if its propper panto. they tend to be quite long and if its a good one there should be some scarey bits. I've seen a lot of parents having to miss half teh show coz they were pacing the foyer with a tot who is either crying and hating it, or just wants to explore the building rather than watch the show.

If it helps I took dd1 to panto last year age 3, and we sat at the back of Nottm Theatre Royal stalls, she didn't like it when the lights 1st went down, but then once she got her damn whizzy thing out that I'd brought her in the foyer it distracted her enough to enjoy the rest of the show!

Uni, yay for getting paid early always a bonus.

Think dd2 is ready for the potty, today she said mummy poo, I looked nothing, same again a few mins later, still nothing, the very loudly MUMMY POO, I look there it is forming before my very eyes , time to give it a go maybe?

Friz- how brave are you... maybe see if she repeats teh pooh announcemnet before you leap for teh pants. I thought we were maybe getting there with boy a few weeks back but he sems to have gone back to blissfull ignorance.And in concequence has nasty nappy rash from stelth poohs i didn't spot Curently hes in dizzys and metonium.

Boy and another child at ryhme time today just screeched at each other with great joy. he had teh fidgets and didn;t want to sit on my knee and bounce and join in with actions, so wondered round plonking down with other families for a minute or so at a time.
Swimming lesons continue, boy can take about 20 mins but then has had enough, climbs out of the pool and walks off. Much to teh bemusement of techer, don;t think shes used to 19m/o getting out by them selves from teh deep end.

Uni, at boy getting out of the pool and wondering off, mine usually spends all her time trying to get back in the pool, in fact she did her 1st proper jump in the other day (v proud mum moment) only the once mind, then went back to falling with style.
Did I say anything about pants noooo, just pull up nappies and a potty in the background, when I eventually get it out of the loft! starting to get tempted by the thought of a new carpet in living room....mind you still the garden which is half dug up at the front to get paved 1st....then the utility light to find out why its not working....then the hole in the hall room from last years leaky pipes to fill in think the carpet is a long way away!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1375/420883?rnd=1194642926055 your opinions please?

www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/image_galleries/sticklepath_fireshow_2007_gallery.shtml?1
has some pictures from the show i lit last weekend, I think they show off my lighting design quite nicely. The chap I took over from 4 years back said- "you can't use colour there won;t be enough light if you use colour". I like to think I've proved him wrong on that.

nice one Uni - looks amazing!

Uni you sure have proved him wrong!

I'm off to attempt to buy a new swimsuit in a mo.....McArthur Glen, think they have a speedo shop, probably my only hope at this time of year......

have also got horrible pustulant spots on 2 of my fingers, have attempted self diagnosis, full report on feb thread if you have time to look.....its either hf and m, or psorisis a form of.....I reckon.....but dh has one too, so am thinking it might be contagious?? somehow?? but its only on our fingers???? Experience of this anyone???have put cream on my fingers (dermo cream I got for my dodgy rash the other month off that shirt) have put fingers bandages on.....

Wow Uni, that show looked amazing - did they burn the whole set at the end??

Friz, your fingers sounds ugh...keep away!!!! Re the potty of course I say go for it!!! I have a few pottys around for variety. Yesterday I took Kiah's nappy off at 1pm when I got home and she eventually wee'd at 6.30pm - on the curtain, just as I was washing up. Then she did a poo in the potty! Tilly was like this too, hardly wee'd at all.

The ballet was good (it was just at our local theatre) but the story was quite hard to follow, even for me! Tilly and her friends got dressed up in fairy dresses and party shoes and she sat on my knee throughout so we had a great time. It was only about and hour and twenty minutes inc the break so well timed for littleys.

We all went to a family wedding at weekend and I got really pissed, had an awful hangover on Sun and took the girls to a party at 10am with all the Mums from Tilly's class having to look after me and take Kiah round the indoor play.

Yesterday we got a fab new solid oak dining table and two benches and celebrated with it's first curry with friends last night.

Better do some work as have my usual Tues list to attack and about 20 emails to reply to....

at Kiah LL, dd2's been poorly last few days, but well enough for nursery if that makes sense! she's got cough and spot of temp, so not attempting any potties at the mo.....
re your new dining table, I'm hoping to get our dining chairs a facelift and re glue at some point next year

Uni, Astro, Caddy, DTM etc how's life?

Oh my fingers are on the mend, have drugs to take plus cream for skin, they're taking no chances!

howdy all, we are fine...well...sort of. DS is having hideous afternoons at the mo - sobbing for up to 3 hours and wont let me put him down. Poor DD is finding the lack of my attention and her brothers company hard as well. I hope its a phase that passes quickly!

I have almost finished my Chrissy shopping! Hurrah, but it means I have spent all our November money, so a bit of a lean month now. I have spent my nectar points on a Pizza Express voucher as I am going to a 'back to work' lunch on Thurs for a friend...is it too tight to use my voucher then? Its a bogof type thing, so will I be sponging off friends as they will have to do the 'bo' bit and I will 'gof'?

Money has also been spent on a flight to Paris for DD and I - we are going to see her Godmother and hubby who are there until about Jan...I can't wait! Our first girls weekend

I am very tired, so off to bed soon. I hope you are all ok and those who are sickie are better very soon

Astro- if hey are the sort of friend who you can tell that you have a cash flow problem I'm sure they will be fine with you using a BOGOF voucher, beter to have you there than not.
Friz- you got the lurgy, you got the lurgy, nah nah na na nah.
All OK at chez uni, boy v grumpy this avro as he didn;t nap mid afternoon, just spent 30 mins in cot chattering. Had our first tear free leaving in creche today, he just wanted to get on a play with teh trains. CAme back to find him happily circling the playground on a trike, report from a playworker that hes been calling her by name ( sort of nayo for naomi) and then he snaffled all teh remaining cucumber from snack time on his way out the door.
Any bright ideas from you guys on getting messages about the importance of talking with preschool children across to illiterate parents? Our surestarts centre theme next year, not sure how to get info to those families who REALLY need it. Slightly preaching teh converted with those families who use the centre. Plenty in the area who don;t.

I will think on the surestart issue uni - our centre is the same - preaching to the converted. I think Surestarts everywhere find this

Maybe organise a really wonderfully tempting luncheon to kick the year off, and then when everyone is in the door munching on sandwiches and caviar you could show a video of a Mum and bub taking a walk and interacting - maybe a few bullet points as to why talking is so important?

I suspect its lack of positive examples that is the biggest hurdle - if they never see other Mums chatting to bubs, if their friends don't and their own mums didn't, then they have nobody to learn from.

Could you run some 'baby talk' sessions as well, small groups where they can practice? I can imagine that chatting to a non verbal child would take a while to become second nature if it was a foreign concept to you.

Will think some more...

now, bed!

just came here to show off - I feel like a sleb, 'cause I got the tip of the day, and a thread I started on the hot threads list. Aren't you all proud to know me?

We are having an at home day today - nothing planned but a trip to the park this arvo - kids currently bouncing on the couch, which will all end in tears, but in the meantime I am enjoying the peace!

You are the class swot today Astro. Like the tip...my kids are having only little bits for Xmas this year and people are going to add to their Government trust fund things instead. TBH I just can't think of a major pressie that they want or need. Had a toy sort out this week and we still have tonnes of stuff. People just give us second hand things all year round which is great.

Well, I've just been on a run!!!! Dropped kids at preschool in my snazzy new running pants and off I went. Did half an hour and was actually just getting into my stride so will push it a bit next time.

Friz - has the lurgy left yet???

Uni, our Children's Centre is deathly dull ATM so we are working on lots of photos around bfing and also play/reading etc. I think DP and the girls are going to star in one about football and bfing. We are trying to get lots of stuff in about the role that Dad's play right from the start. It's hard to get pics of 'talking' though isn't it?? It's sad when you see parents with ipods in their ears ignoring thier kids but it is often just ignorance. Astro's idea of a promo is good. How about offering freebies (face painting is always popular as it's expensive otherwise) and getting some community artists in to work up a wall display about talking and communicating. We did some great story boards with composite characters made from digital pictures of us and the kids and then did speech bubbles etc. In this case it was about the local environment but the same technique could apply to communication....

AND...I won a prize!!! Today is my super lucky MN day!

Yay for prize Astro, will go look at tip of the day in a mo
Trip to Paris sounds fab keep threatening dh with me and dd going, but he keeps saying I should go with him the man who professes to hate Paris! (he's never been)
Uni, sorry I'm a bit crap for ideas at the mo, will try and have a think, but tbh my brain is fried at the mo......because

Night from hell last night, spent on matress on floor by dd2, up every hour/half hour crying....combi of poorly and those back 4 teeth on the go I think she's been manky all day today too, however has currently gone to bed and seems to be getting better/is too knackered to cry at the mo......also got up to dd1 having a nose bleed all over the place.....happy day off

LL, well done on the running, I've gone no where near gym or swim with my manky hands this week, having a week off! much to my bodies disgust.

oh no Friz! I hope you have a better night tonight. I am just off to start a thread about DS who STILL wont fall asleep on his own...spent an hour with him for day time nap, and another 30 mins just now...DH is with him now grrrrr

Oh, Friz and LL shall we meet up before CHrissy? A Wednesday (was that the best for everyone?), maybe Chucklebutties? Or is that too far from LL?

Yes a meet up would be jolly but I have no kids on a Weds! Mon and Friday afternoons I have both of them and on Tues I just have Kiah....any good? Don't mind a drive but am reluctant to go to an indoor play if I'm kid free. The week beginning 10th Dec is a bit full for me so far.

Friz I'll top your nose bleed as Kiah slept through but and when I went in to get her she was covered in sick! Olives and tangerine everywhere!! Had to strip her and then take her and all the bedding into the shower....nice.

Have hurt my knee after my run so hope it will get better.

Uni - my friend is a speech therapist at our local Children's Centre and said she has lots of ideas for you if you want. Her email is frances dot thomas at NHS dot net and in particular she has been running a programme called 'You Make the Difference' which is all about the importance of interaction etc. Let me know if you get through to her. She is expecting an email!

Well I'm just on a borrowed computer following a meeting with a client and am off for lunch with my SIL who has had an operation and is off work.

Think I forgot to say that my other sister is preggers now so my parents have 3 grandchildren due in 2008!!! Pressure on me to make it 4.

Oh dear - poor Kiah! And poor you LL!
I have both kids Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Friday afternoons...what about your Friz?

Went out to lunch today with 2 friends, one is going back to work next week after 9 months maternity leave - couldn't find my voucher that I bought off nectar! I think it must have gone out with the recycling . Was very cross with myself, but had a great lunch - DS was the only child as all the bigger ones were at nursery, and he just LOVED being the big boy - was chatting away and laughing and telling jokes (he stops us talking, then chats away very seriously for a minute, with lots of eye contact, then laughs uproariously).

DD is stiill having fairly hysterical evenings - she is just SO tired from nursery - when does the tiredness stop?

Had a migraine this evening so DH came home at 5 and I went to bed, then I slept for a couple of hours, now my heads ok but I feel pretty seedy from drugs.

Happy Friday to you all.

Ummm nice puke LL defo tops mine!

dd2 currently a whinge bucket here, got up at 5.45, lat 3/4 of an hour temper tantrum on bathroom floor

I'm at work everyday bar wed, and the dd'2 have swimming 12:30 and 3.30......kinda akward eh! is a sunday in dec anygood for anyone?

Astro, hope your head is feeling better. Tilly is knackered too from preschool and playgroup. I've brought their bedtime forward a bit and it seems to be helping.

Friz, the shop looks fab - well done to you for getting it together so quickly. I don't think we'll be able to come to the opening as am still trying to get to Harrogate to see my friend's baby and we have a christening on the Sunday...good luck with it tho .

Kiah is a poorly bunny. This was how we spent a 15 minutes period this morning: getting dressed and she farted and did a pile of squit on the rug, put her and the rug in shower with DP. She got out, dried and asked for her potty - did loads more. Back in shower then I put a nappy on. She went to see DP in the bathroom and said 'oh dear, poo'......DP changed nappy, went to wash his hands and she did a pile on the change mat and then walked it into the carpet - ugh!!!! Even nappy diehard me has resorted to Moltex dizzies. Hope she perks up tomorrow.....

I can do any Sunday in Dec except the 16th - would be nice if we can get our backsides in gear....

Oh LL...poor kiah! poo everywhere! Aaargh! I hope she is better quickly.

Friz, How amazing you are! Super Mum, and shop opening lady! WOW!

Sundays - I am away on the 2nd (Paris yipee!), apart from that we have Church am, but can either come after, or not go, depending on when/where we meet.

DS was a little sod again tonight - He just will NOT go to sleep unless I am standing next to him. He became hysterical when I sat outside his room (he could see me!) and I persevered for about 40 mins shushing and singing, then finally gave up, picked him up and he was asleep in my arms within minutes. Feeling grouchy as DH has gone out to a party and I need to clean up the kitchen. Harumph.

Hey Astro, DP is at a party too (second stag do for this wedding tomorrow!).

Just go to bed and leave the clearing up for DH tomorrow.

I'm off to snuggle up with the Weekend mag.....hope DP stays at his friends and doesn't come back drunk and snoring....