MAY 07 Post natal - This time a year ago it was all just beginning, look at us now...........................

[Mrsjaffabiffa]

Morning........

i am now wearing a re inforced super padded outfit in preparation of the tak sitting on me

tak = tank

Been to aerobics and prepared for M to sit upon me, otherwise its a 5hr 22min journey for me

The cotswold place was only a suggestion since I'm not sure exactly where everyone is and April just can't do without a challenge so everyone needs to go and participate in her new thread so she can get busy doing the math

Still think Dover's a good idea

we could make it dover if meant that you came

thank you for your advice re party. Man just called to say that Nemo had been fixed - so panic over. Have the wrapping paper for ptp and will do that tonight. Need to get thinking about food, i guess sarnies, cocktail sausages, mini scotch eggs, cuecumber, pepper, carrott and a few crispies should be ok, followed by cakes

Sure Cam would be happy to come to Dover..... That must be a long way. I would though, 7hrs this side and an hour on the ferry, pah... day trip!

Sounds yumm!! AM

Was very shocked at what seems to be the tradition for food for a childrens party in France. It's sweets, sweets, cakes and a few more sweets. They set it up just as we would in bowls and plates it's a dentist's dream come true! Now I am not an anti sweets mum in small quantities but I didn't want to bring Harrison home from either of the partys he was a delight fecking nightmare! The party bags consist of a tooth brush and paste after.

Oh you talk to fast for me, i may never catch up

PMSL at SOH thinking im some kind of film star, i mean really unlesss you think im Danny Devito We would be very happy to have you for as long as you can put up with us! We have a room all for you

I am every interested in the meet up, will be good if it is a saturday i can bring reinforcements (ie the twins)

AM hope the party goes well, 24 under 4's... you must be crazy! I say start drinking the wine straight away! I have done it and had a huge church hall and a bouncy castle, the kids just wanted to dance jump and eat. I had games but it was pointless. The Nemo cake sound fabby.

Cam your zebra was most excellent, im very impressed. You did a grand job, bet the kids loved it.

I will bring cake to the meet up, how many will i need??? Im hoping alot

MrsJB shame you wont get over to see the baby, i really hope it turns. Just tell her that Beau was breech till the 11th hour and he flipped, tell her to hold off on the section date till her due date as the baby may turn. I would have ended up with a section if i had not left it to the last minute!

My day went like this >

Took dh's cash card to get some shopping and fill car up with diesel. Arrived at cash point before work to find the pin # was wrong Put it in 3 times thinking i must have done it wrong, pin cancelled [ So im at Asda with red light on fuel gauge, need to get to work. Bugger. Had £2.50 in my purse, put that pitifull amount in to my car in fuel and promptly drove out of the garage forgetting to pay Realsied down the road, turned round and went back to pay. DH got out of work early and managed to get the bank to reactivate the account, phew.

So today almost as bad as yesterday.... Im dreading tomorrow, bad things come in three's Wish me luck.

CharleyMouse how lovely to hear from you. I would have defo gone for the mixed dozen but i would have had 2 boxes I have just googled the trip to Sherwood from here and it is about 4 hours Too long for a day trip i think. Shame as it would have been really nice to meet up and introduce the little one's to each other. Hope you all have a lovely time! Im sure little George is just fine, nice to have the consultant see him though. I had to see the Paed's for 2 years after the boys were born. It was very reasuring to get them checked every now and again, each cold and cough bought me panic. Lots of love to you xxxx

Hi all

cool cake Cam, good luck with the party AM you are a braver woman than me, it all sounds fab

G & I visited two childminders today, both nice, but one had a two year old who thought it was fun to scream when he realised that it made G cry, he kept doing it, and G got hysterical in the end but it was near the end of the day and he was getting tired too - i needed a brandy by the time we left there - i am sure G will get used to it!

LGBP - thanks so much for the childcare offer you lovely woman you, will let you know if needed.

right off to watch 'in the pursit of happiness' and have a curry, have a good evening all

MrsJB, I would drive all the way to Charentes for a chance to see your mansion you and your family I am with you on the sweet thing, my dc were given sweets at any and every party and even from school. I think my French friends think me giving the dc fruit for snacks is weird, as for making 'novelty' birthday cakes, all their kids ever got was a sunken looking chocolate cake and looked enviously at our cakes

ooooo LG&T, I musn't snigger, what bad luck. Good luck for tomorrow

Charley what an epic, but good to hear you are all well. Have a great time at Center Parcs.

[gri n][g rin] [gri n][g rin]

DH has driven himself to work this morning. Woo hoo! I am sat in bed MNetting, feeding G whilst DD watches milkshake.

P'raps should explain, DH passed his test at 17, had a couple of minor bumps ad gave up on driving. When he knew I was definitely having a section he booked some refresher lessons but until today has not driven on his own.

For the last 4 months all of us have got up in the morning and DH has driven to Sheffield then I have driven home. Whole thing in reverse at the end of the day. It has driven me mad 4 hours out of my day, but this morning he got up early and was letting me have a lie in when he came upstairs and started clattering about. I was just about to bawl him out for being noisy and he said I will drive myself this morning.

There is hope LGT and 12YG. I never thought DH would drive again. It has helped him having an automatic so all he has to concentrate on is the traffic around him and not clutch control.

Only problem now is I won't have an excuse for not getting all my jobs done today. DOH. Bless he has just rung me to say he got there okay. He will leave early tonight to avoid traffic but this was such a big step and I am so proud of him.

G weighs 12lb 6oz and consultant doesn't need to see him for 6 months.

We are all okay Mrs JB G has a bit of a gummy eye though, glad to hear the jaffalings all okay.

ApM have posted on meetup thread.

Sorry not to see you LGT but appreciate it is a heck of a journey. Fingers crossed today is a better day for you.

SOH please don't let tank sit on G. I may never see him again.

Cam great cake last time we went to the safari park DH bought me a black/white stripey pen (he thought it was a white tiger pen and did not click until 6 months later it was prob meant to be zebra style) He would never have clicked except my mum referred to it as that zebra pen.

Anyway had better get on with my jobs as have loads to do today, washing etc for weekend away and generally tidying up/decluttering in anticipation of packing to move.

Charley, was it your DH who went into a ditch last winter? Anyway, delighted to hear that you have your life back. What a fabulous wife you are, doing all that driving every day. Really nice to hear from you.

Sent DH and DD1 off this morning with some spooky Hallowe'en cupcakes made with "black" icing... Or as black as I could get it anyway. DH was highly amused and then opened the box and said, "Ooh, they're good. They look like they were bought in a shop."

MrsJB - parties are like that in Ireland too. Or at least they were where I'm from. Sweets, crisps, cakes and a plate of curling sandwiches that the kids won't so much as look at. Wouldn't dare offer a table of junkfood now I live in Muesli Muswell Hill.

Oh sod it. I forgot to email Mars about the secret santa thing.

ShowofHands - I meant to thank you. I sorted A's "existential crisis" by carrying her around and being her whole world for a couple of days and by going back and forth indefinitely to her room for a couple of nights. She seems to have learned very quickly that I'll always come back and we're back on track now.

Oh sod it i forgot too Are we too late? She hasnt gone to Cuba yet...

I have managed to do the shopping yey!!!

CM very glad your dh has taken the plunge all by himself! I cant wait for dh to learn, i may be waiting a while though >

TYG you clever thing on the cake front, black icing is a bloody nighmare to make. I have made zilch today and dont think i will have the chance now. Beau gone down for a sleep but i still have phone calls to make and the school run to do soon. Poor neglected children, dh will have to carve the pumpkin later!

Mum2G very happy to help if you need me

Happy Haloween......

TYG, I'd have been ok at the sight of a curling sandwich or savory snack delight. I kid you not it's just like the pick 'n' mix stand at the cinema. lol H has a friend from school coming to play on Friday pm I wonder if he'll be expecting a selection of des bon bons?

CM, excellent news on dh driving alone again. Well done him, it sounds like it was a big step for him.

Jorja has just started crying when I leave the room or she can't see anyone. It's a bit of a nightmare, I'm sooooooo not used to it. Don't remember either H or M being like it. Doesn't seem to pacify her if I keep talking either, she has to be able to see me.
Or anyone. Wonder if sticking her infront of the guy fawkes would work?

You two are wubbish.

If you e-mail her now, you'll probably get each other to send to.

Wooooooooooooooowooooooooooooo I've got my very own mini pumpkin,look at my profile

Child cruelty that. I mean orange on a boy. Dearie me.

Will post a picture of M later. She's also dressed up... I swore I wouldn't do it to her but my dear ol' ma bought it for her. She's got the scary noises spot on, she currently screeching like a banshee at the cat (her best friend in the whole wide word- they sleep together, play, roll around on the floor).

MrsJB, M cries if I leave the room too then grins like a loon when I come back. Talking doesn't work either. Maybe she's French, I'll try calling 'un moment petit chou, maman est er... seulement dans le piece a cote de vous... er... taitez toi... ne mange pas le chat...er... "

awwwww Cam he looks very cute! I have not dressed B up yet, the others will do that later. Tonight i will have given birth to a Worlock, Devil x2, evil bunny, pumkin and whatever B is dressed as! As we were looking at costumes yesterday one of the twins was reading the labels and started laughing, i asked him what was so funny and he was giggling soooo much he could barely speak so showed me the label... 'highly flammable' Ah they kill me those two

They do sound great LG&T, your entire family does. You could have a family show, beat the Partridges, Osmonds etc hands down. The twins could be the Chuckle Brothers only, you know less irritating and actually funny. Hugs can come on and cause terror, oh it'd be a hoot.

M is dressed as a ghost. Supposed to be wearing a baby gro but it's up to 9 months and the legs are too small to fasten round her chubby pins so mummy's adapted it into a cape/cardie affair and made a hood out of the legs. She looks darn cute I must say.

The past 4 days M has been napping every 2hrs without fail. She's also feeding every 1.5hrs but I don't care, she sleeps!! One week and one day to 26 weeks.....

TYG, great to hear that wee A is over her crisis. And er, Muswell Hill? La di da. You and MrsJB are right posh birds. I failed the entrance exam to the posh section of this thread, couldn't answer whether a twinset should be accessorised with pearls or diamonds. So I'm stuck in the bit of the thread with artex and brown carpets. I hear tell that you're surrounded by turkish rugs and silverware. May I polish your boots?

We're on the cheap side of the hill.

I am a BAD MOTHER. A was being narky and a piece of paper was amusing her and now she's surrounded by what can probably be described as papier maché. Will sort my life out and put some pics up.