The one where they put their best feet forward

[Soph73]

There you go Ellie

Knitter, I'd have you in a flash - and I love my childminder! - I'd still love to have DS being cared for in our house, I'd probably go up to full time but try for two days at home if I could get someone like you, just so that I had the chance to have a bit more contact with DS during the days.
I'd emphasise

• small number of babies but chance to socialise
• care in familiar environment
• follow family's routine and wish for outings

(this is something I feel a bit about sometimes with my CM, feel that B could benefit from a quieter day but she still has to get her daughters to school/nursery, so B gets taken out and about regardless..tiny thing, and I know I'm being PFB to even worry about it).

Well, having now done very detailed budgets using the money saving expert budget sheet, takes into account one-off payments and lots of stuff we'd forget otherwise, it looks like we can still afford to have small wedding and flights to NZ, just can't afford to buy any clothes, books, or pizza anymore. Slight exaggeration, but will have to be very tight strict.

Who has a recipe for pizza dough that can be made in a breadmaker?

Am also going to look out for some freelance work, just to see if I can get a few more pennies coming in. Feel like I'm about to climb Everest - this is going to be tough, but worth it

Wonderful!!! See it as a challenging adventure (kind of like training for a marathon - painful now, but will be worth it in the end)!

I have a recipe! We had home made pizza last night - and God, was it good. Mmmmmm lovely doughy base and loads of cheese and masses of topping mmmmmm

Actually - we just used the normal white bread dough recipe for the bread maker, but just did it on dough setting, then took out and made pizza. Was dead easy and SO yummy.

My money-saving tip of the day (which I started yesterday so am full of vim about) is to make menu plan for the week so when go shopping you only buy what you need. We did this week and the shop was about 20 quid cheaper.

Plus made me be a bit more creative with cookery - had lovely ham boiled in cider tonight and am making pea and ham soup with the leftovers. What a good little mummy i am - or would be if all you had to do was cook

Ellie - sorry to hear that Molly is not very well. L is not very well still - been going on for 2 weeks now, so back to dr tomorrow. It's been a cold, but she's also had conjunctivitus, diarrohea and not eating. She is sleeping better now and less snotty, but not eating properly and hardly having any milk. I know that she's not right and she's now quite exhausted with putting up with it for so long and I want to get it sorted - am I over-reacting?
DH & Me have joint bank accounts that I have complete control over . We're both self-employed, but he's terrible at handing over the money to me, so I deal with it all (giving him some pocket money when he deserves it)
Taking MIL to cancer scan tomorrow so hoping that goes ok. My Dad is looking after L whilst I go, but it seems that my sisters are getting jealous of the time that our parents spend with my DD! Anyone else with these problems? My parents live closest to me and help me and DH a lot with babysitting so that we can go to work.

Sorry L is poorly - I would take to the doc if had been going on that long, you aren't being paranoid.

Hope the scan for your MIL goes OK tomorrow bumpkin x

No, I don't think you're overreacting either. It will probably be nothing major, but I know how hard it is if they are ill for weeks at a time without any improvement. I've promised myself I'm going faster in future and not waiting until R's very ill again. Worst case is dr can say don't worry, but for all you know, they can give her something to help.

Good luck with tomorrow.

Uhm, I'm a little embarrassed to admit in case you all realise mistakenly think I'm crazy, but I'm seriously (as in dh and myself spent all afternoon planning dates and itineraries) considering going to Peru and Bolivia for 2 weeks in June. Independently, off the beaten track kind of holiday... I keep trying to convince myself I should go somewhere, oh, I don't know, safe or something, but this just feels right. (Ok, I should probably admit that I thought Iran was a good option until a week ago )

My boss might still say no anyway, in which case it doesn't matter.

But see here Maybe we'll realise it's completely impractical tomorrow... It just looks such a nice thing to do as a family. And if we don't do it now, we never will. (One baby ok, but don't think i'll do it with a toddler and baby in tow.)

Sal, I would love to do something like that! The only thing that would concern me would be the length of the flight as on our very first holiday with ds1 at 16 months, he ruined our flight ( and that of our neighbours, I daresay! ) by crying practically the whole way there! Now, in fairness to him, he was ill and had earache and a nappy rash and wasn't half so bad on the way back but I will never forget that flight.

I actually think your holiday might be better than our "safe" Lanzarote one as ds1 was very, very bored there and I think might have been better if we had been travelling around rather than staying in one place.

Hmm yes, the flying thing... It will be quite long - think with Iberia about 15 hrs. That's with a stopover in Madrid. I've done an 11-hr flight with R before (from SA) which wasn't all bad, but that was direct and through the night. Urgh, I don't know!!! Am now reading lonelyplanet travel with kids forum, but those lot are worse than me!

Am currently considering skipping Peru and doing only (or at least mainly) Bolivia, as Peru very expensive.

We're having the most exotic holiday of all of you this year. A week in a cottage in North Wales with my parents at the beginning of July! (Actually not booked yet, but that;s the plan). Not very far away from home at all!

Sorry to hear that L is still poorly bumpkin, hopefully the doc can put your mind at rest. It's tiring isn't it, when they're ill all the time? We had an 8 week stint of one thingh after another a little while ago with G. Wasn't fun, you have my sympathy.

Thanks for the 'job offers' Ellie and Ladybee, I told DH earlier that we need to move to either London or Jersey, and he reminded me that I've also had a job offer in San Diego! His aunt and cousins live there, and one of his cousins had a little bopy less than 24 hours after G was born. They're looking for a nanny and his auntie was trying to persuade me to come live in California to do the job, at DH's grandma's funeral!

Also, I might be getting a bit of nanny share practise tomorrow... One of the girls in my NCT group has just had a massive falling out with her MIL who looks after her little boy 2 days a week while she's at work. Long story short, MIL knew that friend & her DH were going to get DS's feet measured and buy first shoes this weekend. MIL takes it upon herself to go out last week and do it herself. First shoe buying is a huge thing in friend's family, and MIL knew that. Friend and her DH very very angry. MIL meant to be having baby tomorrow, friend is going to see what happens when she goes to drop him off. If MIL makes things worse and friend feels like she really can't leave baby with her, I've offered to have baby for the day so she has an alternative.

I've been listing things on eBay! It takes me forever to do this sort of thing, but have got a couple of things up and will do some more on Wednesday I think, now that I've got the hang of it, am very excited - I wonder if anything will sell?
Bumpkin, I hope the cancer scan tomorrow isn't too awful - do you know what that will involve for your MIL? I'd go to GP too, it's what they're there for. Honestly.
Knitter, I hear San Diego's lovely..but London...well..ok...I hear San Diego's lovely

** disclaimer: I do love London, but do sort of love it slightly less now that I've had DS...not the most child-friendly of places, I think.

Sal - do it. Go on an adventure with baby. Then you can show him all the photos when he's a bit older and he'll think his parents were renegades and will rebel by being serious, studious and boringly safe - yippee!! you can't lose!

Ladybee. I'm saving your quote as ammunition for the full blown attack we know we're going to get once the parents find out!

And wow, but you really are organised this weekend! (Not that I ever took you for the unorganised type, mind you.) Hope it all sells and that you're rolling in money (and, more importantly for London prob, space!) soon. Won't sell for much, but I might try and follow your example and do a clear out. So many baby things that I don't ever use anymore. Gave some of it to someone at work who's having a baby in March.

Knitter, that sounds lovely! Ooh, and how clever - you'll have childcare around too if you and dh want to pop out for a drink on your own. Am very jealous of you guys having parents close by. We've only been on a cottage (well, a gite in France, but I'm sure it's the same thing) holiday once (at Christmas), and it was so lovely and relaxing. (Am now itching though, hence the S America thing!)

LadyBee, I lived in London for 9 years, in Fulham and Kentish Town as a nanny, and stayed with a friend in Woolwich for 6 months between jobs. I loved it when I was young, free & single (I moved there aged 22) but much less so at the end. I totally agree about it not being the most child friendly place. Fine for doing local things, but a nightmare to try to get them any further away! I found it all so competitive too.

Sal, I moan that my parents are far away... and they're only 2 hours away in Leicester! I must remember that I'm lucky that they are only 2 hours away next time I grumble. Annoying thing is that in laws are only 15 mins away, but are pointless as grandparents. Not a nice thing to say I know, but true. It's a shame.

Morning all.
Kids are FINALLY back at school after last week's snow fiasco, only to hear we are expecting a massive snow storm tonight. Great
Also DP has to be in court tomorrow, no matter what and it's about 20 miles away.

Ladybee, I really wouldn't worry about B having to go on school runs, it's the reality for every child that has a brother or sister and a bit of fresh air is good for them.

Ah we have that also predicted VS, can't see it myself!. DH will be narked as other people will get the day off tomorrow if so but as he's already there when it starts he can't call in.

Sal I'd say go for it; my sister never stopped her trekking when her ds arriced, they've been to Kenya quite a bit, Australia this year (only £600 with all her dh's air miles for the lot of them!) for six weeks.

Rioght, PTA resignation to do. Oh no shoopings here instead, ah well.

No snow here, just rain.

Sal - go for it if you want to.

LadyBee - Seriously dont worry, i have to wake Mimi up sometimes or school runs; when she was tiny i have BF whilst walking there, no changed nappy, nothing, so dont worry!

Hi to VS, Peachy, Knitter

Ellie - Masterchef!!

I have to go in town today and i really dont want to, but we need a cheque to clear before DH goes away this weekend. Fabby.

'Lo all. Molly slept pretty well last night but her breathing was so horrid I lay awake listening to it for ages...silly mummy

Oh poo she's off to play with the video - see you all later!

Great idea sal! I'd go!

BAs has a stinking cold and poor breathing also, screamed when we had to get him up as he ahd slept so badly , asleep in buggy right now.

Oh all these poorly babies We have only all just got better from our various ailments!

Just a quickie to say I have 2 babies to look after and I'm loving it! (Also both napping at the same time- bonus!)

Cool! Fancy taking mine too?

She was so tired she cried and cried but couldn't get comfy because of her horrid blocked nose, poor mite. Cos she's ill I cuddled her to sleep which I was secretly about - is quite nice sometimes innit? Makes me feel like a proper mummy when I can make her feel comfy and relaxed and better. Is all about meeee you know....

Poor little Bas - hugs to him from another poorly snot-ridden household.
Incidentally - how's riven doing with her knobby social worker?

Morning all. Am going to catch up on posts in a mo. Just have to say I've put a couple of piccies of our huge amounts of snow on my profile.

Sam's all snotty again today, coughing like a good 'un & slightly warm. Was up 3 times during the night with him and once with DS1. Aaarrgghhh!

Had great night on Sat though so that's good.

I think im miscarrying - im 5+3 and bleeding and crampy

have a thread in mc dnt know where dh is

Oh sweetheart - have you got anyone with you? Do you want me to call you? If so email your no and I will.

I am so sorry xxxxx