Jan '07 part 25: Tell our families that they may take our social lives, but they'll never take our FRREEEEEDOMMMMM!

[2Happy]

Now paint your face blue, and stick your tongue out at the world - end especially the half-wit-mid-life-crisis-lacking-common-sense-PMT-suffering-eejits we otherwise call men.

eandh, ratbunny, susie, UD - this one's for you

Morning all

Well, J has a throat infection - took him to the gp who took one look at him - his glands are up - (bad mother for not seeing them ) and gave him antibiotics. He is like a different child today. THANK GOD!!!!!!!

LTH - It is amazing what size bras people wear, I was wearing a 34C but got measured and fitted properly and am now a 32DD. My tits look perkier than ever in their bra!

Shimmer - I think the name is LOVELY but I do think your mum has a point. Try to think about people saying 'Shall we go to xx for a coffee and browse' - what about Once Upon A Time (but then I suppose you have same problem). I do think it is a lovely name though.

I am supposed to be packing, have just done two of the kitchen boxes and have so much more to do. Packing is just not my forte!

UD - what is the next step with your pg? Do you have another scan or not?

DH - so sorry I haven't paypalled you yet. I will go and do it in a minute.

LTH - have you sent DH your £2 for the sweepstake? EAH - and you? I think that is everyone...

Right, I guess I should go and pack some more. DH and I had a row last night but I can't be arsed to carry it on this morning cos I am so excited as we COMPLETE TODAY!! Whoo!!!!

Ignore that LTH - just seen it in my account, DH £6 coming your way...

DH - just sent £2!!

Wilkie - get packing woman (weird freak I am love packing)

Shimmer - my Mum would be like your mum I love the name personally (just asked Ellie if she liked it and she thought we were going there today ) although we are off to the enchanted forests and she truly believes we are going to see fairies

sounds fun!!

Ah wanky bollocks. Make me go and pack someone...

Have done 2 kitchen boxes and have stopped for a rest

JUST GOT THE CALL TO SAY WE OWN OUR HOUSE!!! YEEEEEAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY

go and pack and stop mnetting

Oh and congratulations and I know you'll love the new house (and no more lovely language when you are sitting in the graden )

...back...another box done...I just packed all of the alcohol away that I can't drink

Might give up for a bit now. I HATE packing - DH is so super organised with stuff like this and he's home at lunch.

Fish tank is empty - giving up on tropical. They are just a PITA to keep, gonna get two nice big goldfish and call them Colleen and Wayne

Great news Wilkie! You must be sooooo excited. Are you spending tonight in your new house?

Eah - That link looks great. I want to go there. I've never heard of it before, looking forward to hearing all about it.

Hey congrats Wilkie!!! Now get packing

Hi Lizz! What you up to today?

Eah that place looks pretty cool. I want to hear about the Zeedonk!

Shimmer I absolutely love the name, but I think it is too long. If I was arranging with friends to go there, I'd end up saying something like 'shall we meet at that nice bookshop' rather than 'shall we meet at long ago and far away'. That makes me sound incredibly lazy - how hard is it to say 7 syllables?

Can someone talk to me about tantrums. Little Miss here is definitely reaching them. I have had many battles with my previous sweet natured child this morning. It took an hour to get her trousers on (not contiuous I am pleased to report), and I gave in to her demands on the trying out all 20 spoons and forks for her lunch. She is becoming very independent (how dare she!!) and wants to do everything herself. I'm fairly chilled and am happy to wait hours to do things, but it is so tedious.

Off to see Vino and family later today! Can't wait!

I am about to whip up some browinies for pud later on as my brother is coming to stay tonight so if rgee is lucky ahe will able to sample one.

DH gone out to do a few jobs and sainsburys so I can enjoy being at home. We've been so busy since we moved in jan and as silly as it soudns cos I 've worked at hoem all the time, it feels like i've hardly relaxed in the house so i am loving just pottering at the mo.

Sylvie is doing fine. She has lost a bit of weight but MW not worried, she is feeding plenty! BF going ok which is good so hopefuly none of the painful probs I had last time. We went to register her birth this morning so have just done child benefit and tax crdit stuff for her.

Shimmer - havng probs uploading pics to MN at the mo but there are pics of sylvie on facebook

Congrats Wilkie on the job and the house. Hope J continues to improve
Shimmer - I like the name, very evocative. Kind of makes me think of the faraway tree, which I loed as a kid but suspect if I read now I would hate Enid Blyton with a passion!! Please don't let my kids decide they want them as a bedtime story (Brambly Hedge is long enough!)
DH - tantrums: the key is to repeat "it's just a phase, it's just a phase". Ok, a fecking long phase that's bloody hard to deal with, but it all passes (then they becom teenagers and start tantrumming again . ds1, who tantrummed impressively from before he was one, in the last 2-3 weeks has turned into an angel. Like he's turned 3 and the terrible twos have stopped (despite the fact I know that 3 is supposed to be worse... so sadly, this angelic phase is also just a phase and it too shall pass ). Not much worked with him. Positive reinforcement was best when he was younger (ignore the bad, praise the good). Or distraction, though the oft quoted MN tip of, when they're about to kick off, saying all enthusiastically "ooh, look a " (insert fairy, tractor, flying pig of your choice) never worked for us. Sometimes resorted to naughty corridoor (steps wouldn't have worked!!). These days I say "don't laugh" when he starts kicking off, and he normally dissolves into giggles. No idea why it should work, it sounds ridiculous, but works!! HTH!!
Poo calls (ds1) back shortly

Oops reg obv, not DH. I'm quite sure DH has plenty tantrum experience (not that I'm suggesting L tatrums lots, oh I'll just stop digging this hole and jump right in shall I?!)

Rgee - DJ is King of tantrums. Its soooo embarrassing! He has developed an awful habit of babging his head on something hard when I tell him off or when he is in the middle of a tantrum. In fact he will actively look around the room for something to specifically bang his head on which is painful. I've been told to ignore it. But earlier this week he had a huge bump/graze on his head from doing it outside on the seafront concrete path! When I can, I shove something soft underneath him and the hard object, but that generally makes him more angry!

Shimmer, what about "the happily ever after" bookshop? Although Rgees point about a long name is true. Our local lovely one which has a very long name gets shortend to "The Bumper Bookshop". (which is quite a good name!) Its got a properly Boys Own feel to it, lashings of rice pudding etc etc. (does anyone know what I mean?!)
Is there any kind of Enid Blyton reference which would do as a name?

Or how about naming it after Freddie?!
Fantastic Freddies Fun Filled Bookshop for Boys and Girls. (shortend to Freddies Bookshop)?!

Have to go...DJ is shouting his new word at me. "Cake, CAKE, C A K E!!!!"

I like wilkie suggestion but had thought of "Once apon a time....." before I saw her post.

I'd call it "Once apon a time........in the bookshop"

which is longer then all of the other suggestion but sounds great IMHO

I can imagine the name on the shop front written in a lovely swirly script, all magical and mystical. with teh In teh book shop bit written after the lovely swirly stuff with my trademark ......'s and then in text as its written in a book.

does that make sense?

I think that would look greta on ashop front.

happy birthday LTH (I think its yours today isnt it??)

Congratulations Wilkie on the job and hope all is well with the completion.

Shimmer- I love the name. It probably would get shortened but I would shorten it to 'long ago' I think. Or maybe you could make it 'Far, Far away' still magical but not as long. I still like yours though.

Rgee/2happy- Lots of experience of tantrums here. And they only get worse and bigger! Ignoring and distraction are the only things that work for me. Ruth not too bad at the moment though but I think that she will be a little madam when she is older! Has that twinkle in her eye!

Lizz- I need to buy about £200 worth of stuff from Mothercare. It is a toddler bed and all that goes with it, although some if it is in the sale. Do their cards give you money off or is it not worth the hassel?

EAH- Glad you are feeling better.

Vino- I think you are amazing making brownies after aweek! Makes me feel like a real malingerer (sp?). Glad all is going well with the feeding.

My mind is blank so sorry if I missed anyone else. xxx

Lizz- Just got 10% + free postage from online codes. Will I get any better than that from the card?

Dh - it depends how desperate your local m/care assistant is to reach their store card targets, but... You could get £10 off for spending over £100 on your first transaction of opening a storecard. Plus you could get £10 off if your toddler bed is over £150. The only other good point is that you don't have to pay for it all up front, you can obviously pay it off bit by bit as per a usual credit card.
Or..if you don't NEED it straight away, see if its eligible to buy on the Nursery Plan scheme, which I am currently in love with. You put down a 10% deposit on whatever it is you want to buy (not everything is eligible for payment over the nursery plan so you have to check with staff or look in the booklet which should be instore) Then, you pay it off as an when - before the agreed delivery date. But, the bonus thing about it is, if you want an item on sale, you can put the deposit down on the sale price and if it goes up you still just pay the lower price. OR. vice versa, if something on your nursery plan item goes on sale/promotion and you notice it (its up to you to notice it) then they will amend the amount you are paying off so you'll get it at the lower price. There is no hidden costs involved in doing it this way, no interest or anything. And I think its a great way of buying the big items that you may need.
Apart from that, £10 off (possibly £20) on a £200 shop instore isn't that great IMO. Have a look at the money off coupons on the instore magazine too though, I think there is one for £x off a cot in there too.
HTH. Sorry.

Btw - Argos seem to have alot of bedding and beds in the sale at the moment, have a look on there too!

Hah! 10% off is better than you would get instore! Go for it. (whats the code?!)

Cheers Lizz. Got it form this website. Put it in twice accidently and got the 10% and the free postage. The nursary plan does sound good and would prob opt for it if we were paying but PIL are treating her so we can pay it now. Thanks again xxx

Yup...I am soooooooooo broody!!!!!!!!!
Titchy teeny cutey babeeeee Vino. Looks the spit of her big sister, and just so lovely and new and ickle sleepy contented baby. Sigh.
I have to say, how good can a woman look less than a week after giving birth? And I got some lovely freshly made chocolate brownie. Muchos respect Vino.

Thanks for all your advice / reassurance re tantrums. She was pretty good this afternoon. Enjoyed playing with my very old velcro hair curlers and reading approximately a million books. 2H laughed re your comment 'digging holes' as when I saw you that's what your ds1 was doing.

Bless. DH has just brought me a glass on red wine. And he's making tea .

Happy Birthday LTH!!! YOu doing anything to celebrate?