May 2008 Babies....food glorious food....hot sausage and mustard!!!

[LuckyPumpkin74]

New thread as it's Nov so our babies are all hitting 6 months!

OMG, I have got such a headache from thinking about and trying to sort out my CM problem. I know people mean well, but honestly, do people realise how hard it is to get good childcare? So many people just said "get another CM" as if it's that easy. It took me a solid week of doing little else when DD1 was little to find an alternative to the one I had who decided to move away.

Not to mention the fact of uprooting DD1, who in two whole years has had just ONE day where she hasn't wanted to go.....and she's not well at the moment and a bit below par.

Don't mean to sound ungrateful but I just think some people don't realise how stressful the whole process is. Not only has a CM got to be 'perfect', they also have to have vacancies on the day you want them, be reasonable cost and be close enough that I can drop DDs off and still get to work on time. There are a lot of factors involved.
Current CM has been fab in all ways, it's only this walking thing that's become an issue.

Grrrrr! Sorry, rant over.

Oh dear gooddays that's a tough one. When I was a CM I used to just have 2 kids (5 and 3.5) and used to have to walk about 2.5 miles every afternoon (back from nursery then to pick up her older brother from school). She was older than your DD, doing less distance but still found it tough going. We used to alternate buggy, scooter and walking but it was still a mission some days. I don't have the answer sadly but YANBU! Hope you find a good solution soon

sorry, just finished reading, glad it'll improve when you go back to work

Still don't know what to do re: CM. I think I'll just stick with her as the alternative won't neccessarily be better...better the devil you know and all that.

I rang a nursery recommended by a friend yesterday and the deputy manager who I spoke t kept calling me mummy !....

"well Mummy, what we do is a full day rate or a half day rate..."
She didn't know what the rates were....Hmm. Not very impressed considering she is deputy manager. She also sounded about 12 .

See what I mean, better the devil you know!

It's sooooooooooo hard. All my friends seem to either have parents nearby who have the kids, or nurseries attached to their workplaces.

Can't wait til my girls are both at school and I don't have to worry about it, though I'm sure there will just be more stuff then to worry about.

We started our day with DD1 vomitting all over the breakfast table. Hopefully a one off, but now I have to just stay in all morning in case she's sick again, and I was gonna do the Tesco shop.

Think I must be feeling better as I'm actually wanting to get out and about now. I still shout at the kids for the smallest thing .

pina I have only been taking the tabs since Monday so can't say yet. The only thing I have noticed is that they are an appetite suppressant too, and I'm def less hungry....even lost a bit more weight this week, despite the vast quantities of cheese and wine I ate at my parents last weekend.

LM xx

GDABD I also seem to be shouting at DS1 all the time, he is definetley pushing the boundaries. I think the pressure of having three children has taken my patience and that you are just busier and have less time.
Hope DD1 doesn't have a bug, I had to get a carpet cleaner to clean the last carpets a few weeks ago as DS1 was sick all over the carpets and he had been eating hotdogs so it was a lovely pink everywhere on my cream carpets.

Pina You cope well wheneever DH is working in the evenings. I am very pleased that DH will be home today, I have to pick him up 2:20pm. Yippee

TSO How is DS now after his cold?

Niknak If you want to add me, I am sure TSO or Pina will direct you the right way.
Thanks guys!!!!

It is so wet today so all our snow is melting and it looks like movie,popcorn and duvet weather.
We are off to toddlers this morning and then I will take the kids for lunch and then to the airport, I wonder how DS1 will be when he sees his dad coming through the doors. Normally I wouldn't go into the airport but it has been so long and it will be nice for DS1.

So. She seemed OK. I asked her if she felt OK and she said yes. So I took her to Tesco with me while DD2 asleep at home (DH asleep after night shift) and she vomitted in the middle of Tesco, just as I had half filled my trolley .

Someone went to get cleaner and I cleaned up what I could with 2 kleenex but no-one came for ten mins. So I had to abandon my trolley and carry DD1 out covered in vomit.

God give me strength. At least I didn't have DD2 with me aswell!!

Mitchell Is your DH home today or tomorrow???

GDACDs - I do agree with you (in the short term), stay with the CM you know (and trust). But, you do need to keep an eye on DD1... When are you and DH going to talk to her

Mitchell - Hope you have a lovely weekend with your DH. I know my DS always recognises DH when he walks through the door, it was so lovely to see the first time it happened.

Santa - Nice to hear from you... No, we didn't get any trouble from any parents... None of them could be any more sour faced than DH's Ex anyway!!! Good name, BTW!!

I'm going to take DS to the Drs this afternoon. His cold is better, but he has quite a nasty (and increasingly chesty) cough and I really don't want to wake up tomorrow and think 'bugger' so I've made an appt. for this afternoon. It's the first time my little man has had to go to the Drs for anything non- routine but better be safe than sorry!!!

We've been to a pottery painting place today. DS had such a good time!!! I had visions of him doing perfect handprints, but apparently, his vision was something rather more 'freestyle' (read messy ) but he was enjoying getting the paint on his hands and mashing his hands into the plate creating a masterpiece and I thought, well, better have a keepsake with a lovely story behind than a perfect piece but an unhappy child (there was another mum there who made her child do 'perfect' prints and the kid just screamed ALL the way through it, which just seemed sad)

ANyway, DH home tonight. His flight appears to be on time, and we have nothing planned - I think it will be nice to get our feet up!!

Flick - How was Santa?

Hello all. Glad to hear all the dads are coming home. Glad also to hear your form has improved GDABD.

Well, I started back teaching on Mon and my lovely children survived the experience well. My CM seems to be putting a lot of effort into making them happy and well so I am very glad about that. I did miss them so much and pined for DS (the baby). I really enjoy being at school but I love my kids more than the job... If only I could stay at home... I didn't think I would ever feel this way. Today is my day off though (4 day week) and it's fantastic to be with them again. I keep looking at DS and thinking that he has changed in the time he has been away from me - getting bigger, his face changing shape, less smiley (I could really go for it here). Right, enough of that, welling up.

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

mocat - glad to hear your return to work wasn't too bad.

Flick saw your advert in Junior - Very impressed!!!

hey everyone!

TSS you are doing a great job promoting me - carry on! look at the competitions everyone - i'm doing a mumsnet offer this week. wasn't supposed to start this year so good in a way that it's been brought forward before christmas...

glad everyone is ok - can't think of anything rally to say to be hoenst

santa was great - ds1 not too impressed but sam loved it! we got a ridicolous picture!

watching gavin and stacey - tidy! i loves it. sorry that's enough of the catchphrases - rofl watching it! makes a change from my usual diet of spooks which is far too dark and serious

Pina I am glad DD1 is being good today,it does make the day much better doesn't it.
I am trying to not go on the computer that much now that he is home so staying off FB. The kids are very happy that he is home as am I. DS1 got one of his christmas presents early a bike, so he was very happy that dad bought him a bike.

GDABD That is also my worst nightmare, I am sorry DD1 was sick in tesco. How is she now? You must have been so relieved to not have DD2 with you aswell as trying to carry both back to the car would not have been fun. DH got home on Friday afternoon.

Mocat Glad being back at work is ok and sorry that you are missing them.

TSO How is DS now? Hope you having a nice weeekend, I understand now how you must really enjoy your time together.

DH is now off for at least a week, but still has 2 weeks to take before the end of the year, so he might be off for all of dec or get paid out for it. Fingers crossed he will be paid out for it as he will have the time between christmas and new year off so he will only work for 1 and 1/2 weeks anyway. We can't go away anyway as DD has hospital appointments in both weeks. DD has a high temp yesterday and today, hoping it settles soon. DS2 had a terrible night from about 2am last night so I am exhausted. And they were all up at 5:15am so this is going to be a long day.

We are going to see Santa and his reindeer today at a local castle and the kids will love it.

We put up our christmas tree yesterday and only had one set of lights which don't work, obviously threw some out the last time we used the tree (2006), so need to go buy some more.

Mitchell - Glad you are glad to have DH home!

Santacolada - Glad to hear your kids are being angels!!

GDABD - Really sorry to hear about DD1. I hope she's OK now. Have you spoken to the CM now?

Flick Really of your Santa photo.. I'm going to have to find a local santa to take DS too! Really looking forward to seeing you next week!

MM - How are you? DId you get my message? Be lovely to meet up with you too!!

We're not having such a great weekend here... DH not been in a good mood all weekend. Ended up having an argument today about it and, apparently, the reason he's not so happy is (and this may surprise you a little) is that I don't do enough

The jist is that Ddog is back and DH doesn't want a dog at all, so it's now my responsibility to hoover and wash the floors every day as I haven't yet trained the dog to levitate. Silly me.

It's also my responsibility to do all of Ddogs walks, make sure he's fed and toileted correctly, DS is looked after, changed, fed and bathed on a daily basis and take care of DSDs so that DH can still have something of a social life (apparently the reason DSDs are my responsibility but DS or Ddog aren't his is that 'I knew about the DSDs when I met DH'. It's also my responsibility to have the house in such a state that no housecleaning is required at all (other than the aforementioned floor cleaning which now needs to occur daily)

Oh, and my mother has been reclassified from Mad (DH's old name for her) to Evil.

Great!

Sorry, meant to write, no housecleaning at the weekends.

Housecleaning during the week is OK.

At the risk of sounding rude I think your DH sounds like a total tosser.

thanks!

He's not, BTW, very far from it, just has extremely high standards, lives in a 5 star hotel for 80% of the time and is surrounded by people who do everything he needs / wants.

But, it has gotten to me this weekend.

Sorry TSO that you are having a tough weekend. Hope things got better.

TSS did you get my reply to your message?

sorry you're having a bit of a time of it - can i suggest that maybe dh should pay for a cleaner??? and i don't mean you btw

not much to add here - dh's birthday drinks alst night - great time but had rather too much wine and champagne so a bit fragile today

Flick at you feeling a bit fragile!!! Glad you had a good time.

Yes, I got your message - Would Wednesday be OK? I have to return some stuff to Abercrombie and Fitch and then want need to pop to Fortnum and Mason so could meet you around there, or could just take a taxi to your place (DS and I are taking the train)

I'd like to pop to Jo Mallone too (but I can do that on the way back from your place - it's not a million miles away is it?)

Yes, we used to have two cleaners who came in on a Friday but it's no use, unless I can get them to come 4-5pm (which I can't), the dog has still marked the kitchen floor. So, then I took it on the chin about a messy floor and £50 cleaners bill!!!

He's not usually as fussy as he is this weekend. Grumpy bugger!!!!

Really looking forward to seeing you guys!!! Can't wait to see the Santa photo!!!

mocat so glad to hear your RTW has gone smoothly. I am a bit of your lovely CM (more on that later ).

flick I too love gavin and stacey....hilarious. My Dad is Bryn!!!! It's uncanny (personality not looks!). Dad is half welsh and certainly has the accent and comes out with exactly the sort of thing Bryn does....v funny!

pina DD1 is fine now after the Tesco vomitting incident. She was sick all day on and off but fine by the next morning. TBH, I'd rather it happened in Tesco than in the car (has anyone ever tried cleaning sick of a car seat........it's a nightmare, it's like the bloody krypton factor trying to get it back together again ).

serious Grrrr! once more at Mr Serious.....goodness woman, you deserve a medal for putting up with him!

OK, so I haven't been on MN all weekend cos I have been completely consumed by my CM problem. I haven't slept properly with worry since Weds. I feel physically sick all the time at the thought of sending DD1 (and DD2 eventually) again, and for that reason, I decided I had to follow my gut instinct and have decided to look for another CM.

I have spent almost the entire weekend looking and ringing people. Luckily DH off so he has had the girls while I have been on the laptop and the phone.

I feel sick even thinking about it, there is seriously hardly anything out there. I think I phoned about 25 today and they didn't have any vacancies . The trouble is, even though I only want 1.5 days childcare, I have two DDs who need a place. I am really starting to get worried now that I won't find anyone. I had a few on my list who looked really good, but no vacancies. It's so hard and unbelievably stressful. I can't believe I am having to do this.

Please keep everything crossed for us that something turns up. I really am genuinelly worried that we won't find anyone, but I just cannot send them to current CM anymore. I'm not even gonnna send DD1 again, I'm gonna pay her 4 weeks notice but not send DD1. DD1 keeps telling me she doesn't want to go to anymore . I think CM has burnt her bridges with DD1 by making her walk so far [sad. It's so sad, cos if it wasn't for the walking, and the fact I'm convinced she's over her OFSTED numbers and her defensive attitude which has really pissed me off this time, she'd be perfect .

Waiting to hear back from a couple this week.
Will keep you all posted.

pina I think you can take the 5HTP with med ADS but I would check in the health food shop first as they are apparently very strong acting even though they are herbal.

stressedluckymummy XX

LM - Sorry you have decided against your current CM. I do, strongly agree though, that you have to follow the message (which seems to be getting stronger rather quickly ) from your DD1. And, as this CM is already stressed out, I can appreciate your anxiety at then sending DD2 as well.

will say a prayer for you (Am practicing again, as I want to get DS christened next year )

TSS xx

Morning Serious.

Guess what? another night of not sleeping.

I'm so stressed out!

Now I'm so worried about not finding alternatives, I'm thinking of going to see current CM today, with DH, to express all our concerns and give her chance to resolve things, IYSWIM.

I'm wondering if she realises she could end up losing my £400 a month, she may take me more seriously. I'm even gonna suggest she puts her prices up and employs an assistant. I think if she would do that I would be fine as the girls wouldn't need to do any of these school runs and she would have more help.

I just feel sick with worry all the time. I'm fed up of not sleeping .

Morning ladies

It's been a few weeks since I posted - and a mad few weeks in the monkey household . Over the past few weeks, in no particular order, I have been hospitalised for a rather nasty bout of flu (only overnight but it was horrible!), we've had rats in the house, our central heating has broken down so we have no heating or hot water (it happened last week, they "fixed it" only for it to break again on Friday morning so a weekend showering at the gym and spending as much time out as possible), dp lost his briefcase with our door keys and some mail in it (i.e our address & keys to the house) so we had to change the entire front door as it was too old to replace the locks and just to top it all off nicely we got a letter on Saturday to say our mortgage has gone up by almost 600 a month!!!!

Anyway, aside from all that things are great! DD is moving - backwards but I am expecting her to crawl any day now. I am excited about her new found mobility but it means she won't stay still for 2 seconds. The BLW is going really, really well. She's eating everything we put in front of her and providing much amusement to other diners on the occasions we've eaten out.

We're off up north now with my mum for a few days so best be off. Hey to everyone & have a good week.

MM