Awww, see normally I just think I am talking twaddle. Well, I probably normally am...
I agree with what's been said about 2, BTW. Yes I felt guilty before ds2 was born, but ds1 can't remember a time when ds2 wasn't around, and I don't think it's done him any lasting damage...! And yes, it can be tough - ds1 did play up when ds2 was born, and there were points (about 3m, 6m, 12m...) when the fatigue was horrendous. But, baby-wise, no 2 is totally different from no 1. Everything about ds2 was easier. I knew what I was doing (mostly). It was normal, it wasn't this horrendous shock to the system that ds1 was. And seeing the pair of them growing up, playing... of course they do spend some of their time screeching "mummy, he sntached my toy and hit meeeee!". But sometimes they sit and play together for ages, and I watch them giggling and interacting, and I love it. Sometimes they give each other a hug and a kiss, bless.
Each to their own, and for some people, one is the right number of kids (or none, but they're not normally on MN!!). But if you want more than one, then (in my experience) it's occasionally as hard as you expect it to be, but frequently so much more wonderful than you can imagine. Oh, and at this age, blooming convenient when you want to get something done and they amuse themselves!
And (if you haven't heard enough from me by now ) I think 2 is a hard age. They're the centre of their world, which is difficult to deal with. You're permanently explaining/cajoling/ordering/bribing; everything's an effort if it's not what they want to do/wear/eat/read/watch/destroy. And they have boundless energy, which is tiring, but they get to go to bed at 7, you don't! I seriously think that ds1 has improved immeasurably since he went to nursery. I ought to feel guilty that he is getting something from school which he can't get from me, but I don't. He gets social interaction, exercise, variation. New things new experiences every day - I can't compete with that. And I can see why 6 months ago he probably was getting frustrated being at home with me. My sister (the one who said at Christmas that ds1 was "incredibly difficult") is struggling with her dd (who is 4 next month) (ironic ). She's in Edinburgh, and dd won't go to nursery until Autumn - they're a year after England. I think ds1 has the advantage over her, not that I ever thought I'd be one to advoacte getting into the system early. I guess I just never appreciated how relentlessly exhausting it really is with young children.
Ah well. Before we know it they'll be surly, uncommunicative, secrative teenagers who'll get all grown up and leave us where we were just a few years ago but too shellshocked by the intervening 18 years and too bloody old to enjoy it!!
(More than) enough from me.
Dh - PMSL at the fairy cake! That made my day (sorry!) Out of interest (and please don't read anything into this BTW!!) how is going from 2 to 3 compared with 1 to 2?
Raisin - grrrr! That is seriously not on. It's off to make that little effort any time, but given that you're pg, not sleeping, doing everything round the house.
Reg - definitely can't offer advice on cleaning dd's ladybits!!
Vino - is E pretty much trained now then? eandh's H is too, isn't she? Anyone elses?
Bored. dh off visiting his dad in hospital again. Looks like he may even be kept in until next week, so bang goes my plans for getting dh to help me out in the garden this weekend... shit, that makes me sound like an ungrateful bitch , but to be fair, the bloody garden shed that blew away and we got a new one on the insurance is nearing it's fricking anniversary, still sat in boxes not put up yet. Can you believe it?!