June 07 - Tinsel and baubles all over the floor.........mummy is seething; she can't take any more

[TheTwelveDAISYOfChristmas]

hello

blimey, have they started arriving already. I'd better get mine wrapped and posted then. Bought I'm afraid. But I like it.

just be honest ria, say you have already bought the presents, but if she cant afford it dont buy any back?
tricky one ria

It is a shame my DF wouldn't appreciate a nintendo ds t-shirt or a crocus-growing set (they are not the gifts that had the effort BTW)

Charlie & Lola bought, sick child attended to, DH home from work...

night then ria

Morning

Is it wrong to love Charlie and Lola!

Ria, that's a pain about your friend but I would just be honest and say you've already bought, but you don't expect anything back.

DD is getting:

-a pushchair (donated by SIL)
-a tape player (£1 from NCT sale) and some tapes
-a makka pakka bath toy (bought in a 3 for 2 spur of the moment a few months ago)
-a soft toy cat kennel with a little soft cat in it (bought in a sale and been horded since she was about 6 months!

Wow that's pretty impressive for someone who was going to get nothing!

Was fecking woken up this morning by one of DD's noisy toys spontaneously going off . She's still in bed too! She was up crying in the night, I think DH had to get her up for a while (I generally don't do night duty!).

hello (so much for me reigning in my MN addiction)

Are you back PT now bumper? How is your DH enjoying his new job? DDs present list sounds good, baggins is getting a trike (bought with some of my ebay earnings) and loads of the boys old stuff wrapped up. I may have to get him an ITNG bath squishy cos they're cute! I bought him a book at the supermarket yesterday too, but it wasn't £3 like it said on the sticker. I am a sucker for books. I think it would look to an outsider that they will all have too much, but they are only getting small things and they are all sale bargains/ebay/charity shop type things, or stuff they need. I am economising and not buying PJs though.

(Can you tell I'm starved of adult company?)

I am still undecided about friend. My self-destruct has kicked in and now I'm wondering if it's because I don't fit in with her new friends, and I have a feeling she blames me because DS1 has grown apart from her DS2 since he moved schools. both her and her priorities have changed a lot over the last year or so

I am no good at people. Sometimes I wish I lived in a (centrally heated) cave.

Gift cakes x4 to ice today...

Hello everyone

Good to see you Ria and great news about DHs job - even if the management are tossers. Has he got to work over Xmas?

Weather a bit better here today so off to the Reindeer farm after lunch.

DD has got a fancy dress party at nursery on Friday FFS. She's 18 months....I don't do imagination, so off to Matalan and/or Asda as well today.

You're all so sensible with your Xmas presents

Same here butterfly! But I veer between needing an active social life and lots of friends to wanting to be holed up on my own.

Norty what are you getting DD for Christmas?

I've got roller skating practice today!

Ria DH came home yesterday and said "I love my job" that is so nice to hear and worth having no money! How's your DH getting on? Hope he can sort out the management. You guys deserve a bit of luck.

cot worked well last night....when he actually got in it that is! he didn't settle until nearly 4am . main issue being a poo....he grumbled and grizzled for four hours before managing to poo and then for another couple of hours afterwards. this isn't normal is it?

dd is getting
a trike (that we got half price as it was ex-display; dont you just love independant shops? can't see mothercrap giving that sort of discount)
a bucket of stickle bricks
a microwave beddy sheep
an ITNG jigsaw
some Usborne books
DS1s old duplo
a push along ladybird from DS2

Ria, your friend is priceless, she really is. The cynic in me says she left it this late deliberately, as she is bound to know how organised you are, but the charitable side of me says maybe they have had an unexpected bill or something.

at SS pressies arriving already. I haven't even started mine yet

my inner cynic is bit too. I will decide by tonight. Probably.

Actually I have decided and I will suggest cutting down our gift buying over the year to just godchildren on birthdays, so that is one each. DN can have what I bought for friend as an extra, DH liked the thing I got for her DS1, and my DS1 will happily have another nintendo tshirt. Leaving a small token gift that can stay in the cupboard as a standby/prize or something, and one less thing to buy.

It is her agenda that is bothering me because I know we have both had christmasses with less money and still managed.

DH is only at work til around 6pm today. Last week we dropped him off and I had the car for the day, but we are too ill today He is not working christmas day or hopefully boxing day. And hopefully not NYD either. which is why he invited everyone to us for xmas. But he will probably only have Thursday off before xmas day (and we have to visit PILs) so I have gently suggested we can't manage it. Will be nice to have him home for the big day. But he probably won't finish til midnight on xmas eve.

right, i'm rounding up support for hanaflower in the name change competition. would be good to see is as a genuine "vote for the clever name" comp than a popularity contest for once

great news about DH's job ria.....but arses to the management. Fingers crossed good things will come of it; you guys deserve the break.

bumper....what qualifications did DH need to get the library job? I'd love to work in a library, but I thought you needed proper librarian qualifications?

pmsl at your post on suwoos thread

here...oops

morning.

no idea what DCs are getting til I sort through the various packages which have remained unopened since despatch (if my kids would go to bed and be asleep before 10 pm I'd have half a chance )

but I think yours sounds very sensible Butterfly. There's no value in giving kids heaps and heaps as it becomes about opening the next present, not the gift. Or at least it does here.

really pleased for your DHs Bumper and Ria

Right, our tree is up, DH pruned a tree in the garden and we used that, it looks fab now though by the time we get back from UK it will probably have dried up. DD just asked if she could take the decs off and put them on again!

We haven't gone overboard with the pressies here, partly because we'll be in the UK and I have to consider getting everything back again, and partly because I know they'll be getting plenty from my folks. Anyway DD is getting some playmobil, some books and a bracelet, DS a baaing, vibrating Shaun the Sheep, a noisy plastic pirate boat thing from boots and a Shaun the Sheep DVD. I have given in to MN peer pressure and got new PJs though, but DD really did need some.

I was in a shop yesterday with DD and we saw a huge plastic digger she wanted to get for DS. I automatically said no as I was annoyed at the time (DD is a total pain to shop with and I couldn't find a cardigan for her, which was what we were actually looking for), now I regret not getting it and feel mean as it was a nice thought on her part. Oh well.

Ah beds, yes Daisy, bit late now but between the cot and the bed we have a thing which I originally got as a waterproof undersheet thingy, it's quite heavy IYSWIM so stays put. And there's another cotton cot blanket type thing on top of that.

I really like the sidecar thing, DS stays in his bit most of the night then wrigles his way over at some point. When he was little and used to wake more I would lean in to feed him. It just means more room for everyone and less likelihood of disturbing each other.

I have sifted through the shite under the stairs and have 4 large boxes and about a million bin liners of stuff to take to the charity shop/dump.

I still couldn't get rid of a single newborn babygrow though. Saddo that I am.

Santa list with DD1 now

thanks sputnik. We did allright last night but will sort something more robust out.

My boobs are sore today. We thought we had the feeding cracked, but it would appear not . He now seems to have lost his suck and isn't latching at all so we have milk dribbling all over the place when he feeds and he's leaving me all lumpy and full still. And he loses interest after five minutes as well. Also, my supply seems to have gone into overdrive and I'm getting leaky boobs (which I never normally get and didn;t have until last week) and it's squirting everywhere which I've never had until this week either.

I think I need to speak to a breastfeeding counsellor and see if I can get some practical help.

Sorry to hear that Daisy. BF is fantastic when it works, but its hard too. Have you got any breastshells? Help with the engorgement and you can use the milk 'caught'.