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August 2006 - one year on!

399 replies

sarahlou1uk · 15/08/2007 18:31

new thread for all us 2006 girls!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
hoppybird · 18/04/2008 09:34

Hey, BHM, those are great photos! You look like a lovely little family. I really like the wistful one at the bottom, too. We've never got round to having professional photos done, but it's something I'd love to have.

I'm quite excited! We're just in the process of booking our summer holiday - first one we've had since before I was pg. We've been constantly on the go for the last couple of years: new baby (obviously), dh's mum dying, moving house and all those things surrounding those issues, they really build up and we need a break! We're planning a do-it-yourself touring holiday of the States for three weeks! Trouble is, I keep thinking that we could spend that money on a new bathroom...

hoppybird · 18/04/2008 09:47

Oh, also, the 50-50 thing where you buy half your house and pay rent to a Housing Assoc. - my SIL has one of these properties, but I think she has 40-60. It was a great way for her to get onto the property ladder - she wouldn't have been able to afford a place otherwise, despite having a really good job (she lives alone). Apparently, different Housing Associations have different contractual requirements. My SIL, for instance, would like to gradually buy more of a percentage share, but the HA only allow her to buy £15K chunks, which she feels is a bit too much. I guess she would feel differently if she had a partner, as it's easier to save up. BHM, you'd have to look carefully at the contracts, and compare what different HAs require from you.

PinkTulips · 18/04/2008 09:47

ooo, that'll be brilliant hoppy. when i was 14 my parents did that. all around california, arizona and nevada with a day in mexico.

best holiday i've ever had. bloody hot though!

startingoveragain · 18/04/2008 10:04

hello pinky mwah welcome back

btw its booby

well we are settled in flat big girls beds for both of us lol and still no sign of a sofa so im still on my patio chairs lol minimalist is all in lol

its hard having no money i darent spend a penny coz of paying bills and waiting for all my benefits to sort things so i can work out how many hours i need to work still knitting and making my jewellery has kept me sane

me and chris are still tentively getting on bt he's finding it really hard he has good days and bad bt we are muddling along

cj is sleeping and eatig well has about 10 teeth and is obsessed with football and crayoning her talking is not great but she is very good at expressing her wants and needs

hope your all well

hoppybird · 20/04/2008 13:01

Hi there Booby! Wow - big girl's bed already! I'm hoping my dd is staying in a cot as long as possible, for my sanity! It's hard starting over again, particularly downsizing - I know, I've been there (went from a house to a 1 room studio at one point to get out of a relationship) - I hope everything goes well for you. My dd loves scribbling with crayons too, she makes really good spirals!

Pinky, our touring holiday won't be quite as hot (I hope - I don't do well in heat) - we're covering the East Side, where we have friends in various places (Boston, Buffalo, Philly) We're also hoping to stay on a farm in Lancaster (Amish country), which should be nice an relaxing. We tend towards atypical holidays.

olivo · 20/04/2008 19:58

I knew it!! i go away for a couple of weeks and you all start chatting without me!
Pinky - welcome back, great to hear from you, and booby, good to hear you're getting along okay (and a big wave to you others, of course! )
we had a fantastic holiday; it was very hot but dd was great throughout. she loved being able to swim all day and can now do a whole length of the pool on her own ( with her armbands!). she loved running and jumping in, it was so lovely to see her confidence. her talking has also really come on in the last couple of weeks and her obsession with peppa pig is at its peak!
we've come back to a building site; we had a wall knocked down to open up our kitchen; not quite finished and the whole house is filthy and dusty but back to work tomorrow so it'll have to wait till my day off!

got to go, loads of reports to write this week so need to make a start. hope everyone is well x

startingoveragain · 21/04/2008 10:14

olivo your lucky cj wont entertain arm bands just screams and yes shes fab at spirals too

i have to hide the crayons coz she has coloured everywhere due to me being on here and not concentrating

well i had to go with a big girls bed coz chris kept her cot and she looked to big to stay in the travel cot but we have a stair gate on her room and once thats sht she knows its sleep/nap time its nice and low and she just jmps in its so sweet to see

she is showing sign of stroppiness we went to nbg's a couple of weeks ago and she threw something at ds2 i was gutted at her behaviour nbg says it normal and kept knicking the babies bottle

am thinking time for more toddler groups as a sibling will not be an option for a while

any ideas of arty things to do with little ones too im a bit cautios as i dont want her poisoning herself ????

PinkTulips · 21/04/2008 13:46

sorry i disappeared, lost the damn thread, lol

booby, good to hear from you babe. i'm sorry things with you and chris didn't work out. i've just gotton access to my hotmail account (don't ask, dodgy pc and internet ganged up on me) so i'll email you in the next few days to see how you're getting on.

toddler group is a great idea... both of mine enjoy them so much and it's good for them to play with other kids and learn how to interact.

hoppy, we went to NY in may one year and almost boiled to death so don't count on the weather being cooler, lol!

olivo, HI! your holida sounds ace. glad dd enjoyed the water... my two haven't been swimming in so long, i keep meaning to check about a toddler pool that's supposed to be about 40 mins from us but forget. where did you go? we never got to take that holiday last year, had to use the money for the move instead, am gagging for some sunshine!

BigHotMama · 21/04/2008 16:05

Wahey the thread is moving again

Hiya Booby, hope you and cj are well! She sounds like a darling! We are having major strops here with Jackson too but think he's getting used to not having his own way all the time.

Olivo, glad you had good time away, wow your dd is doing well in the water, she seems so confident which is great start for them at this age.
Bet your loving being back at work .

Is my child the only one who tends to chew crayons instead of colouring? He's really into his cars and football at the moment, luckily he loves books too and sits himself onto my lap and demands me to read, bossy bugger!

Thanks for the advice Hoppy, will check out the different HA and see how we go about getting the ball rolling soon, think its going to be only way for us until I get into teaching. Your american hol sounds like a great adventure, dh wants to move there now, its like another world there apparently.

Have you tried chalks or paints Booby as an arty thing, ds has aquadraw but he's not into it much yet.

Essay over

PinkTulips · 21/04/2008 19:52

yep, non-toxic, washable paints or washable, non-toxic markers go down a treat.

be ready with the baby wipes though as they do rather suddenly decide they're done and wander off covered head to toe in blue and red

olivo, my 2 adore peppa pig too... dd has memorised a peppa pig book and 'reads' it to ds lol

hoppybird · 21/04/2008 23:08

Wow, I'm really impressed with your dd's swimming, olivo! Sounds like you had a great holiday! I'm a neglectful mummy on that front - I have never taken dd swimming ever! . I just never consider going to the pool as I'm not a great swimmer myself. It's finding the time as well, there's always so many other things to do.

Pinky re NYC - yes, I'd realised that it could be pretty hot there too! However, dh has convinced me that the marvellous air conditioning they have in many of their shops should keep me happy. We'll only stay in NYC a couple of days before heading for the coast near Boston.

BHM - it will be an adventure for me, as I've never been to the States, but dh has several times (he had a gf over there, nearly went there permenantly). One of the couples we'll be staying with have a son similar age to dd, so that should be nice.

I second aquadraw - dd loves hers, but it seems to be not working as well as when we first got it. ds once bought her an 'In the Night Garden' magazine, and she really loved the stickers, although I'm sure they tell you that they're not suitable for under 3's.

PinkTulips · 22/04/2008 00:15

dd poured orange juice on her aquadraw an hour after getting it, then drew on it with marker the next day.... it went mouldy and got dumped. not a fan of aquadraw

at least paint you can wipe up properly, if aquadraw gets something on it it shouldn't it's totally wrecked and that's 30 quid down the drain

BigHotMama · 22/04/2008 21:41

Jackson had me in stitches earlier..after I pulled the plug out from his bath I went to fetch his towel and come back to find he had done a big poo in the bath? I couldnt believe it but glad he didnt have chance to pick it up or tread into it. He stood there looking at it saying poo poo...wonder if its a sign he might be ready for potty??? Am so clueless about starting potty training...any ideas or tips?

hoppybird · 22/04/2008 22:25

BHM - that's really funny! It does remind me of an incident when my ds was actually potty training, so he was nappy-less, and had an 'incident' on the carpet. He turned and realised what he'd done, exclaiming "Poo fell out!"

If Jackson is aware every time he 'goes', or goes to a special place to do it, or better still, tells you that he's 'gone', or tells you if you ask him, then maybe it's time to start thinking about potty training.

Personally speaking, I found potty training ds a complete doddle compared to establishing bf or weaning. In fact, I actually quite enjoyed it because it went easily. There, I've gone and jinxed myself - dd's gonna be a potty training nightmare now!

I'd take it slowly, BHM. You could get a few books about it (for you to read to him). 'Once upon a potty' is good, if a bit americanised - just insert your own words. 'Everybody Poos ' as well, can't remember what others we had. There's a toilet-themed episode of Bear in the Big Blue house, too. Start with those. Maybe buy a couple of potties, one for him and one for his favourite toy, to get him used to seeing them Some people start on the toilet straight away, but it's better physiologically for a child to have their feet on solid ground, or at least something solid.

When you think the time is right, sit him on the potty with a nappy on regularly after meals and read to him. Gets him used to sitting on it for a long enough time. If you feel he's ready, maybe suggest one day to sit with nappy off, reading. If you get a result, show him what he's done, and give lots of praise. After several results in a row he might make the connection, at which point you could start potty training seriously - you need to be consistent - no nappy, sit him even more regularly, ask him if he needs the potty, praise for each result, and if he was truly ready for it, he'll start running to the potty just before he needs it!

There endeth the sermon.

PinkTulips · 22/04/2008 23:06

lol BHM

ds is starting to become aware of that stuff too now, he's been telling me for a few months when he's dirtied his nappy.

the other day he was running around without a nappy on and started to pee on the floor, i called over 'uh oh, are you peeing?' and he stopped and looked really confused, oops! i plopped him on the loo on dd's seat but he's terrified of it so we've got the potty banging about the place again now and his teddies use it now and again

am refusing to be optimistic as dd still wets he knickers every day practically and she's been 'potty trained' since she was 2... she never does it at playschool, just for me

he was very funny earlier after their bath, i was dressing dd and he climbed into her bed with no clothes on so i called over 'now don't pee in sarah's bed caleb' and he replied 'ok mama' pmsl

startingoveragain · 23/04/2008 13:23

lol we have paint i just darent i might thought now i have a settee and we cand sit at table with the patio stuff lol

well all is going well apart from being skint bloody broadband fee but i cant live without it scrb that wont lol

bhm yo singing my way again any time soon ???

cj has decided she's being girly this week keeps knicking my handbags and jewellery then playing football dressed like pat butcher is all very strange

she's doing really well with going off to daddies as long as she has upsy daisy shes a happy girlie still has a dummie though much to my

have dipped my toe in the dating scene and seems im not a horrible warty minger and have had a few nice young men take me out lol i met chris for a cuppa today and its made me sad it was strange sitting across from him not holding hands not having a kiss i still miss him lots but i know weve done the right thing

hope everyone is ok

PinkTulips · 23/04/2008 20:31

booby, must be so difficult.

i wouldn't worry about the dummy, both mine still have em and are giving them to santa this year together

BigHotMama · 23/04/2008 20:55

Jackson still loves his dummy (num num) too but we only let him have it at night and what a good idea to give it to santa this year Pinky!

Booby, not singing your way until 1st August at The Diamond in Sutton in Ashton, would love to meet up if you could make it, we stay overnight there as they have rooms and its too far and tiring to travel back after the gig, so maybe you could stay if too live too far away? And you are NOT a warty minger, your gorgeous and will find the right man when the time is right I'm sure!

Cheers for your advice Hoppy, am definately going to get a potty this week, hope its a doddle for me too. Will have to look out for those books too, great idea!
I really like the little mini-toilet-looking ones has anyone tried them? Will get a nice cheap one for teddy too (How funny saying your ds saying poo fell out!)

PMSL at your ds pinky saying OK mama, dont they just say & do the most funny things at this age? I absolutely love it!!

Jackson has a new milk ritual before bed, he goes to the kitchen with dh, opens the fridge and gets his milk out, then watches it being warmed up in microwave and waits for the beep beep beep and joins in, funny thing is he always chooses the full fat milk out of the 2 (we have semi) how mad is that?

startingoveragain · 24/04/2008 07:43

cj does that with the milk and likes opening all my cupboards coz when we were at home and at my mums there was a cj cupboard wigth bottles and plates etc bt i keep them on a shelf here to save her destroying my kitchen

is it just us or am i the only silly one not to have black out blinds she's been up at 6 twice this week but when it was light like this last year she didnt wake til 7-8 mind yoou she was still breast feeding

cj has started showing food preferences she loves pine nuts baked beans and mashed potatoes and the little bugger will only meat for everyone else apart from me

she's still at nursery one day a week which is helping her but i want to get her in a bit more so i need t go back to work

bhm im not really sure where sutton is lol so it must be quite a way lol

is anyones elses little ones demanding a certain place in the house cj is obsessed with 'her own seat' at my mums its a chair at mine itsd the chair and her nans its the chair she screams blue murder if someone sits on too the point of trying to pull them out

oops essay

hi to all though xx

PinkTulips · 24/04/2008 13:39

bless booby, she sounds like a little miss to rival my dd

don't think balckout blinds make a scrap of differance, my 2 are waking up at the crack of dawn too and their room is pitch black, weirdly they never did in the other house where they had a south facing bedroom with no blinds at all to speak off. it's worse on the days dp does his course though as he has to be out the door at 6.30 and he doesn't seem to have a mute button when he's clattering around in the morning. they end up running around my room til i dig up the energy to crawl out, then the 2 of them are moody and grumpy for the day (and i'm not much better!)

how did cj take to nursery booby? can't wait to ship ds off but he'll have to be 3 for the playschool and no other options locally til then was nice when sarah was little that she could go to creche, although it cost a bomb, at least the playschool is cheap!!!

BHM, dummies here are technically for night time only but anytime we're upstairs they scream til i give them to them

BigHotMama · 28/04/2008 20:44

I have to hide them during the day here too lol, I remember not long ago he had 3 dummies in his mouth at once, we couldnt stop laughing, he must have a big mouth

Ds loves nursery too, used to cry when I left him but now waves me and blows me a kiss. I think its good for them to be sociable with other kids their age but agree its so expensive, we pay £16.50 per half day and he goes twice a week.

Lol at CJ being demanding in her own seat ha! Sounds like she means business . Jackson gets dominant when he tells me and dh to lie down on the floor on our fronts and he just tramples on us and does body slams on our head, and it bloody hurts!

Well got a cheap potty off ebay and ds wont go near it yet lol.

olivo · 30/04/2008 21:50

BHM - you are so lucky with your nursery fees -ours is £292 a week (full time), it's seriously expensive.
lol at the dummies, we have a serious thumb sucker on our hands! dd laso has her'own' cupboard and her 'own' seat; she goes mad if we sit where she wants to!

hope everyone is well; having a hard time at work at the moment and have an inspector in tomorrow. on the plus side, we have 2 bank holidays next week so i'm only working 2 days - phew!

BigHotMama · 01/05/2008 16:12

Olivo I have broken up today yipee! Have you got Ofsted in then? Sounds scary think I'd be having hot flushes, hope everything goes well for you.

Lol I still suck the skin on my thumb, not the end bit, just inbetween the bones, wierd I know.

startingoveragain · 08/05/2008 11:42

well finally bottom teeth seem to be coming thru after lots of poo and tantrums and colds bless her all that for one lousy tooth

i have noticed she has satarted saying more bird raaaa for lion lol nurnur for dummy or bottle makka pakka lol bye bye mummy daddy

but its not a lot im a bit worried to be honest but like i have said before she is very expressive

and my word tantrums are not the word i had crossed arms shaking of the head and the biggest bottom lip you ever did see yesterday my mum is getting worried about taking her away co she's so mardy at the mo bt im sure she'll love a week in the sea air

have been making the most of the weather and trying to do some gardening which you will maybe remember i hate and never got the chance to do co my mil always used to do it well now its all down to me have taken a before so if i can get it sorted i will post an after too

oooh and i got a sofa too

PinkTulips · 11/05/2008 22:20

please don't mention tantrums to me... ds has gone completely mental recently.

it's not like i'm not used to tantrums, dd threw them from 9/10 months on but he takes it to a whole new level.

the second you say no to him his face goes red and he explodes into a rage, screaming, kicking, howling like he's being tortured and it goes on for up to 2 hours every week at toddler group he does it and it's mortifying. he doesn't ever do it if daddy dearest is around though he's also started saying 'go away' really crossly if you try and interfere with whatever mischief he's up to

on the plus side the playschool is now insured from 2yr6 months instead of 3yr so ds and my friends little girl will be sharing a place after xmas, we each send them part time on alternating days. is it sad that i'm already looking forward to it?!

was reading a book in the garden earlier lying on my tummy and he crawled onto my back and fell asleep! wouldn't have been too bad except our garden is open on 4 sides and dd was running around and dp wasn't about.... thought i was going to have a nervous breakdown as she kept dodging round the side of the house or towards the road. and i now have seriously weird tan lines as it was midday and i got baked!

booby, what's the sofa like? did you survive gardening?