Nov '05 Toddlers plus baby bro's (& sis)

[Rodeo]

Here we are!

Evening

Gorgeous pictures Rodeo and Londoner, Can't believe B looks so grown up as does J and J is just adorable, love the blowing x's, love all that hair too. Had to lol at E on the dishwasher, that is just fantastic, nothing like getting them domesticated young

Diege welcome back, looking forward to hearing your news.

GG at your run of bad luck, and double at your mate, don't think she's a friend you need to keep on your christmas card list personally. With friends like that you don't need enemies. If you need to vent just give us a call, you can rant all you like then, pick a night when your dp is out so you can really let off steam

Twinkle holiday sounds fab, pack us in your suitcase please!

Feetheart, hope you're ok, will send you a text to check tomorrow.

Sorry haven't been around much, am keeping myself very busy in the holidays, catching up with people i don't get to see and generally wearing the kids out.

Quick question, does anyone know anything about hydroseals[sp?] in boys, took B to the hospital today and he apparently has one and they are going to decide if they have to operate or not, was just hoping for some first hand experience, so I can allay his fears, have promised him a couple of days off school if they have to operate though, so he's happy with that idea at the moment

Hope everyone else is well and enjoying the drier warmer weather, will catch up soon, love to all Beks

doh! that should be hydrocoeles

Just managed to catch up.
All well here (and no floods!), thanks for the concern, its nice to be missed
Just been very busy and little time to get to computer. Will try and post tomorrow but if not have a brilliant holiday GG, you certainly deserve it.

Twinkle - Good deal I think - we paid just over that for a week although holiday shopping and spending money soon bumps it up doesn't it? Where else have you visited in that part of the world if you don't mind me asking?

Londoner - Love your update on E Really had me smiling!! Must go and look at new pics - speaking of which will post some of ours now that i have a fee half hour.

Diege - Welcome back, how was your break away? Rodeo - Do you take J on the back of your bike? Do you know if it's possible to take two kids on the back of a bike - gosh maybe not, would probably cause major accident! GG - Sorry about friend situation, roll on holiday, you'll have a great time!
BB - what was that website for organising thingies? Made note to self to order in August. Beks - Hoping everything goes okay with B, no idea what that is, nothing serious i hope. How has everything been with you anyway? Are your folks around this summer. Hope to catch up with you and the boys next meet up, is there one?

off to look at your pics and do mineses x

ChaCha on that side of the med I have been to most of the greek islands & mainland, Malta, Hungary, Italy also former yugoslavia, israel, egypt, tunisia/morroco.Have to say they are over many years
twinkle

Hello . Just had a skim through everyone's news..GG, you certainly deserve a holiday you poor thing..as other have said, feel free to let it all out on here - will be v. cathartic for you hopefully. TWINKLE, you will have a fab time in Turkey; I went to marmaris a long time ago, and it was great - v. busy and bussling, but good fun. Hi CHACHA - you sound v. busy as usual - can't belive that child in the playground btw - think you handled it brilliantly. Oh and re: bikeseat query, dh puts dds (2 of them) on his bike at the same time, using one regular childseat at the back, and a bike seat at the front (especially designed for front of bike). Think RODEO and BROWNIE will remember it! The other option would be a trailer for back for now, or tag along when Z gets a little older (sorry for hijacking your question RODEO!!).HI to LONDONER, NOVA, GG, FH, BEKS (is it the same as a hernia?) and anyone else I've missed!
To summarise hols, weather was great - only one rainy day. Took a few days to get into it, then just as we were settled, it was time to leave! Can see the benefits of 10 days/2 weeks...The beach in the back garden was a big hit, L loving the sea (the 'plash plash'). She also settled well at night in her travel cot, which is a first for all dds, though all up 5.30 ish which wasn't great . Had this idea of blissfully pushing L around the sunset-lit town late into the evening, with dds following hand-in hand, then having massive lie-ins, but of course they have been too well Gina'd so were past it by 7!! The one night they did go later, they woke earlier!! . As you can tell, sleep is becoming an obsession! Oh and L loved flamingo land - a treat for dd1's 6th birthday - she was 'spolit' by the rollarcoaster, and consequently tried to get the baby rides to go faster by rocking vigourously back and forth in seat!
Right, off to look at everyone's piccies

Afternoon!
Blazing today, think I've caught the sun but did wear SPF15, obv. not strong enough! We went to a 'b active' afternoon at the park, was great! We played swingball, rounders, bowling, cricket and with one of those big parachutes! And all for free, bonus!
Hols sound great Diege Where did you stay? Which beach was it - you must give me the details!
Chacha - Yes Diege is the one you want to ask about bike seats! As for me - bloody hell, no! Who do you think I am - wonderwoman?! J & B go on their bikes and I push the pushchair Bike ride yesterday was a bit of a disaster - Joe's bike chain kept popping off, my hands were black with oil, I looked like a machanic the time I got back, we must have been gone hours!
Beks, No first hand experience, my friends little boy has had op's in that 'area' his testes hadn't descended and he'll be having a circumcision soon due to the hole being in the wrong place. He's been fine, I'm sure Ben will be too (is it just a procedure to release the fluid?) Their mum's on the other hand...
Feety, glad you're ok!
21 month update - J is still as easy-going as she's always been, her independent streak is growing though (just intime for her 2nd birthday!) Her speech is coming on and she's starting to string 2-3 words together 'byebye JoeJoe' 'There you go' 'get out' 'shoe on' 'my back' (she shouts this as she sits or lies in front of me and pulls her top up for me to stroke it ) Still animal and Dora obsessed (well remembered Londoner!) Uses the potty before and after the bath and manages some big wees (and a poo but that was surely a fluke!)! Is a bit front-bottom obsessed too and likes to stick stickers on it (hopefully a phase and not a taste of things to come!) Is a creature of destruction and breaks things at will quite easily, nothing is safe....
Better go and make tea (Old El Paso Taco dinner kit - if you were wondering!) I'm running tonight too (yes, still doing it!) So bye for now! x

Evening

GG hope you have a great time away, you certainly deserve it.

Chacha what lovely photos, your house looked lovely and the Z&Y are so cute.

Rodeo thanks for the advice, it is the fluid in the sack thing. I'm sure he will be fine and is already planning what and how big a present he should get for having a bruise on his winky

Diege holiday sounds fab, ouch at the girls getting up so early though, no rest for the wicked eh

Feety good to see you back, and that all is well, remember to ask for an annual leave form next time please

Had a great water fight with the kids today we all got absolutely soaked to the skin, shame was it wasn't in my garden so I had to walk home leaving a dripping trail behind me Great fun though, kept getting them to look down the hose to see what was wrong with it then turning the tap back on - wicked mummy!

Right best go and do some ironing before dh moans about not having a shirt again. Love to all Beks

loving the updates, will try to do mine somethime this week.

Morning! Just looked at the piccies - wow they are gorgeous - how grown up are your boys CHACHA!!! - and love piccies of Jess RODEO - and BELLA looks the spit of you! Have posted a few piccs of dds, including a few of the hols (the cottage is second from left, and you can see the beach behind the house -RODEO the beach is the one on the Abbey side, just by the steps/Shambles area.
Right, these 3 are driving me mad, so I'm getting them out!

Hi everyone
i'm on my own tonight DH has started back on shifts today and his first shift is 100:00 til 7:00am! He's not been on shifts or in uniform for over 4 years so was quite anxious about it all, I think I was quite unsupportive to him today, nagged him about how long he was taking to get ready etc.. feel mean about it now , being home alone again , weird too, am dreading trying to keep the kids quiet tomorrow when he's asleep! Will probably go swimming .

Heres Seths 21 mth update: Hes into everything, never stops climbing running jumping, his favourite game is to climb on the chair at the end of his cot , climb up and jump off!!Hes chattering non stop, favourite words are Layla ( long term favourite), slugs, doesn't matter,doc doc (chocolate or anything sweet), no, and .....dog poo!!! Lovely child !! Hes hilarious and gorgeous I can't keep mad at him for long. Hes still got long blonde curly hair, a real surfer dude, but he really does need a DH will have to take him though as he is a complete wuss with anything like hairbrushing or washing.

we're off to Twycross zoo on friday and Gullivers on saturday as my cousin and his family are over from New Zealand, they have a 23 mth old, am dreading it as S tends to smack and push anyone who tries to take his things!!!

Hi to all, Diege Rodeo, FH, Beks, CHa Cha < Nova GG , Londoner and everyone else.xxx

Well busy day here today, O has tennis, birthday parties & I'm off to B&Q to get stuff for the plasterer who's doing the kitchen at the weekend. wahoo! Also got to get a few bits and bobs, then early night tonight, he he! I know I won't be able to sleep tonight, I'll be like in the "I'm too excited" advert!

Morning!
Awww, I loved that advert GG, so cute - you have a great time!
Hi L&S, how did his first night go? Did you make amends for being a cow?! That's all I seem to be doing at the mo! Enjoy your daytrips, will probably be doing Twycross and Gullivers at some point too!
Beks, lol at waterfight, Joe would go ballistic if I turned the hose on him, no sense of humour that kid
Think we're off camping this weekend just staying overnight, did want to go for 2 but dp can't get cover for his classes - maybe a blessing in disguise - never taken J camping before, one night may be more than enough!
Well have lovely days all, I'm off to look at new pics! Speak later x

Just seen pics - Diege at Libby, she's so grown up! I still imagine her as the baby I met last Oct! Love her hair! Love the cottage too - I know exactly where it is! Have eaten fish and chips on that beach many a time! Who did you book with if you don't mind me asking?
Chacha - you hol pics look lovely too Would love to venture over there, if it wsn't for my fear of coping with 3 children at airport/on aeroplane! Maybe we'll take the plunge one summer!
Oh bit of a rant coming - just got a postcard from my dad signed off with 'See you soon, I!&% & M$!%"£*'! He's married again with 2 spoilt step-children (not that I'm bitter!) but didn't realise he'd stopped being Dad This is a few months after, when my sister announced she was getting married, my step-mum asked 'who will walk you down the aisle?'!! err, my dad!

Rodeo, at your dad signing off with his name.

If any of you are wandering past a newsagents, pop in and buy a copy of Septs issue of Practical Parenting.

See you all after the weekend.

GG xx

Do we have another magazine star in our midst GG? I can't wait to hear your report back on Disney, DH is itching to take noo but we're worried she's too young still.

Now, some advice please, this is a new one on me.... noo has started to become quite disobiediant (sp?). I told her off today (down at her level, firm voice etc) after she ran off near a road after I'd asked her to stop (which she normally does) and she laughed at me . I have no idea how to handle it, and she did it again this afternoon when I was firmly telling her not to something she just smiled and laughed. She used to cry as soon as we told her not to do anything, so this is a new thing, and one I guess she will continue with. How do you discipline a laughing toddler?

Oh no Nova, its a real pain isn't it? A has done it with me for ages, though with Daddy he just dissolves! I just reiterate what I have said in a more serious voice and try really hard not to smile (which can be very difficult at times!) I think I remember T doing it too and it used to make me cross, I might have chilled out a little since then

GG - intrigued by PP, will try and sneak a look in newsagents at next opportunity!

Had a good look at all the pictures for the first time in ages - we really do produce gorgeous children don't we?
I'll try and put up some of my two on the beach at Southend yesterday if I can get the damn things off the camera! It was a Pre-school trip but we elected to go by car rather than the coach and DH actually took a day off. It was a wonderful day, most of the rest of the people were trying to cram in all sorts of things but our two were happy on the beach so we stayed there most of the day. I think A thought he was in heaven - water and stones as far as he could see AND he was allowed to throw the stones, something that is NOT encouraged at home!!

Will try and sort out photos before I fall asleep - fresh sea air is very tiring (not that Southend sea air is probably that fresh but it beats Luton!)

Evening

have just got in from an impromptu bbq at a friends house, had a great evening and all the parents had their faces painted by the kids B put MUM a heart Love B on my cheek, T on the other hand tried to shove the pencil up my nose, needless to say it became a free for all and we were covered by the end of it.

Diege wow how grown up is L, all three are gorgeous and i just love L's bunches she looks really cheeky.

GG will go out an buy PP tomorrow. Have a great time

Rodeo at your dad signing off like that, no matter how old we get we still think of our parents as mum and dad. Mine are forever reminding me that they have names when i introduce them to people

Feetheeart, Southend sounds great, love it down there, always forget it is so close and end up going to Brighton all the time.

Nova, I agree completely with Feetheart, just say it as firmly as you can and don't make any extra fuss of her, but pay more attention to miniman instead, so that she knows naughty behaviour gets her told off then ignored.

T's 21 month update, he is funny, willful, naughty, cute, very affectionate and a complete dare devil, who is afraid of nothing and rarely cries when he hurts himself. He is stringing two or three words together now and chatters constantly.
He loves Macdonalds and squeals every time we go past the local one and climbs on the back of the sofa shouting man man every time the ice-cream van comes round.
He is a very good sleeper and eats anything.
He can tantrum for england and shouts "no" and hits the wall or anything near him in frustration but he is so funny with it that I can normally only laugh at him.

Right best let my dh get on the computer, speak to you all soon Beks

As always, loved the updates Some 2nd birthdays are only a couple of months away

Diege/Feetheart - will have a look at Y once the LO has his breakfast.

L&S - Is good to see you post again. My dad worked shifts when i was young, could never have friends over to play on the weekend (our home was quite small) but my mum always made up for it the evenings - they were lots of fun.

GG - Hope you have a wonderful holiday, you deserve it! Will also look at PP this weekend.

Nova - How is weaning going btw? How are the DC together? DS1 likes to roll around the floor with DS2 but often squashes him by lying on top of him. Will console him when he cries by tapping his back or tummy and because of the praise he receives from giving him a toy now gives him one without prompt when he sees him empty handed (often shoving it in his face though) which makes my day!

Feetheart - DS1 is also like this, hides behind the chair when DH tells him off. I always have to look away because when i do it he copies my facial expression and is all wide eyed and open mouthed, hilarious.

Beks - Love the face painting What a great idea! Why do the boys do that Beks?! DS1 has just started this...last night (boys have been unwell for 2 days and sleeping patterns up the wall) DH takes him to the bath, he comes home really late and DS was really tired but when he'd finished having his hair dried and was refused the hairdryer to play with he just went loopy making himself sick, throwing himself around and then these short breaths and shaking thing that had me soooooooo worried. After a bit of kicking and going mad i carried him to bed, gave him some milk and spoke about the Night Garden (his fav programme that he gets after dinner), he cuddled me and went to sleep Now, what is that all about?

Sorry, not posting frequently so posts turn into major ones. DC getting better which is good as DH out at 8 and home by 9

both awake..breakfast

Morning all,
We have had a mad few days my friend from the north east and my mum have been here since tue!! 6 kids, 3 adults, 1 grandparent madness........... they have just gone home.
Well only 10 days till we go to turkey now i MUST get insurance book car, pack etc its just difficult so do with 3 kids.
Quick update on Josh
He is very cute, cheeky, singleminded,and loves his big brother and sister He still has a mop of blonde hair and a cheky grin.He loves his food sleeps 7-7 and relly likes swimming.
He now says a few joined words all gone, bye bye and lots of singles, he loves to sing tunes perfect pitch, odd word great, the rest is baby speak!!!! he is very chilled out and loves to follow S & H round "helping" well i should go and make weetabix before ther's a rebellion
Twinkle

Hello...Gosh evertyhing seems to be so busy at the moment! It's great reading all of your news, I haven't posted much recently, as am trying to get myself in some sort of order before our holidays - less than a week to go now - hoorah! Am mega busy at work too - which is always the way!

Chacha - here is the link for the Organisers and diaries - I really do swear by them Organised Mum - Emma

In fact - must remember to put my order in after holiday, although, still can't decide between an A5 or slimline diary....ooh the choices!

Will try and get some more photos uploaded at some point - don't really have any recent ones of T on there.

He is a star, but a monkey! And can find toruble and mischief at a 1000 paces!

Right - this was justa quick one for me, am v. tired, so am off to bed now! Night all,

By the way, it's good to have you back Diege - will look at all the new photos tomorrow, after some sleep!

Brownie
x

Hello all, really enjoying the updates from everyone and Summer is here, hooray! Must get on with etc etc but wanted to say hello!

Kids can't contain their excitement as I'm filling the paddling pool with warm water and bubbles for an outdoor bathtime!

Hello!
Had a lovely past few days, seems like everybody else is out enjoying the sunshine But where are you all?! We spent the weekend camping in Whitby - had chips on your beach on Saturday night Diege! Jess was a bit of a nightmare at night - I got about 4 hours sleep in total - but won't bore you with the details!
Hello Londoner - did the children enjoy their bath? What a great idea! I succombed to buying the kids a pack of Jelli Baff (I know - the spelling alone should have put me off!) but haven't had the courage to use it yet!
Chacha - LOL at him copying your face! And poor Z's and his tantrum! Maybe it was just over-tiredness? Our meltdown's are usually down to this (it's usually ds too!)
Hi feety & Beks, enjoying your news and update!
Nova, I'd go along with Beks good advice I've had to deal with a laughing 5 yr old today and that is 5 times more irritating! Though instead of following the above good advice I got angry and shouty and things spiralled out of control with both of us needing time out
Bye for now! x x x

Hello all!! . It's been a bit hectic here with all 3 off (I'm not used to it!!) but slowly getting into things. Had a day out in lieu of school class birhtday party for J, taking 2 of her friends to Gulliver's world, along with dd2 and various siblings. All went pretty smoothly (kept L in nursery, tee hee!)but shattered after all that walking around!
Feel strangely jealous of you on my beach RODEO ...we booked the cottage through the bloke who owns it (got the no. from the window the previous year) ; just shout if you want it! I wouldn't feel so bad about 'losing it', have been there many, many times, and don't think it does any harm from time to time as they need to see we're human once in a while! Hi LONDONER! That outside bathtime sounds blissful! What a great idea! Just after I'd read your post I looked wistfully outside the window to see large spots of rain falling! Hope it kept dry for you! (though a rainy bath would be super-cool I'd imagine!). BROWNIE, sounds super-busy at your end; you'll feel great when the work is cleared though, and you can emerse yourself in the holiday spirit! TWINKLE: hope you managed to get your holiday preparations sorted! Bet your house feels EMPTY now that your guests have left . CHACHA, my sympathies with the tantrums - we had the same with dd2, vomiting on demand, the lot, but at 3 in the morning...really scary isn't it . Sounds like you are coping brilliantly , far better than I did! BEKS, had to laugh at T's excitment at Mcdonalds, L is the same , so all she does when actually there is suck salt off the chips . Hi to FEETHEART, NOVA, GG, and anyone else I've missed!

Hi!

Rodeo, ChaCha,Nova, Beks, heartily agree - being laughed at is tough at the best of times- but when it's your own child who you run round after 24/7 it's downright insulting!... always leaves me feeling wounded too. It's just them testing the balance of power I suppose and each time they do it they manage to move those goal posts a bit more..... I always comfort myself with the thought that if they weren't rebelling/testing your boundaries they would be rather strange and you'd end up with an unbearably compliant annoying 'yes' person who didn't know how to please themselves and never learnt any independence or freedom of spirit who might one day explode from the strain and go MAD, so - erm- rejoice?

Lol at L going beserk for MaccieD's only to sit sucking salt off chips Diege rofl!
Rodeo and Diege hols look and sound perfect, how funny to share a holiday spot!

Paddling pool bathtime was a big success thanks Rodeo.. but how spookily quiet they were for 2 lo's in a paddling pool as it was so warm and relaxing and the bubbles filled it by about 10cm! - they were so much easier to get to sleep I have to say so we might just repeat it this evening... gorgeous weather here I'm afraid Diege, hope it's brighter for you today!

Hi to everyone else too, right, back to it!