December 2006 - The sun has got his hat on, hip hip hip hooray, tshghho now let's keep these bugs at bay

[LenniEd]

I got all brave and made us a new bug free thread...

Bebe - that does sound pretty drastic if he hasn't done anything at all yet. I'm also stressing about school. We live in a tiny village with a school that has 30 on its role - maximum in same year is 8 kids and minimum is 2 so there is a chance DD could be one of only a handful who go. Used to think it was lovely but DD is really active and very advanced in development terms physically for her age. I am keen to let her develop her enthusiasm for all things active (as I'd love to have the same enthusiasm for health reasons) but the village school only does 30mins sport a week and has no after school clubs at all, let alone sports things. The pre-school there is also pretty rubbish. Alternatives would be sending her to private junior school from age 3.5 and then state high school or a state primary 20 mins away which is bigger and has better facilities. I'm waffling...

Thanks for nursery description Indith - made me feel much better. Is it too far for me to commute to your nursery do you think?

Cleaners - am making enquiries myself... am willing to give up chocolate and cake to pay for it.

30 second roundup before I must go to bed!

bebe, commiserations re: school and. Do you have to send him, is it a legal requirement? Or is he simply eligible and you could send him if you wanted. I would be eeek to about it, although ds2 tried to get into school this morning. Lennied, I see your dilemma, but you have 2 more years to decide don't you? The school and/or dd may have changed a great deal since then. AND your parcel arrived, I was very excited as dd has outgrown last cardie and lo and behold cardies!! Thanks so much

eli, how're you and dd2? Are you not just amazed btw how much has changed since christmas when you were dreading the op? SPD slightly better this week, I think I need to do more stretches, physio exercises during the day so the pain doesn't build up.

castles, re: dh, it must be so hard when he's just not there. Although do think he ought to have made an effort on MD! (DP ended up calling me a silly cow by about 9am, can't remember why but I nearly walked out and left him with all 4 dc's for the morning). Are you still going to therapy? I don't think you missed anything btw, I had spd with the dt's, it got better now it's worse, sort of chronic I guess but physio is hopeful it will go soon.

ds2 has a SALT referral, his gross motor skills seem to have improved a lot in a matter of weeks so I'm not worried any more. And he and ds1 do play so wonderfully together at the mo, long may it last. I think ds1 has figured he's got a playmate now and they're starting to get up to mischief together. . DS1 gave very amusing lesson on how to be a daddy tonight, very amusing to watch him deal with four children/soft toys Apparently dp ought to have practised for the job (careers and industry day at school last week...).

indith, may would be great (NCT sale again on the 9th I seem to remember). Yes, cleaner still available, clean floors again!!!

Oh and Lennied, I had a 'bad' nursery for ds1, which my gut told me was wrong and I was miserable for 2years until I switched him to fab fab fab nurser that ds2 goes to now. If you're not happy on the first visit, you never will be and there's enough guilt involved as it is. Can't possibly challenge indith's description of hers, but mine is great and there is a vast difference between good and bad as I've visited several over the years. You just know when you walk in whether it's a happy place to be.

now really really must go to bed!

I can't compete with AQ's roundup but here goes:

bebe, I somehow missed the GD news. So sorry. The bland diet is really too bad. How much longer until your DD? I'm also a little at the school thing. Does he have to go?

Indith, wow, your nursery sounds really great. Ds2 goes to a really nice Mother's Day Out that we are quite happy with. He started out in a class of only 6 but has now moved up to the 2 and 3 year old class. It's larger so they have two teachers. I really like that all the teachers know all the kids there. He takes gymnastics on Thursday and next year can add a music class.

I've run out of steam...

Will pick up here next time

sorry guys. cant keep up. DD1 has runs, DD2 was sick all over me and then 3 more times yesterday. My neck has all swollen and I cant move my neck round much as my throat is so sore. Off to GP this morning about prolonged periods anyway so I'll get them to check this then.

EV - sounds lke you need a hug, and some time in bed - hope things improve soon

Thanks Lenni, AQ and Jabber for the input about my school panic

AQ - No its not a legal requirement, compulsory education doesn´t actually start until 5/6 but it seems everyone sends their child before then. I am adament its too early but there´s just no half way measure (no play groups etc) and then I start to worry DS isn´t getting any interaction wth other LOs etc. Arrgh

LenniEd - don´t worry about the waffling, its such a tricky one the whole school business and I never thought I´d even have to think about it this early on!

AQ - Your 30 second round-up was pretty impressive. Really sorry about the SPD, I can´t imagine how debilitating and painful that must be and I must say it was the PG side-effect I was most worried about getting, would much rather have the GD if I had to choose, (although preferably neither!) hope it starts to improve soon...
Good news about DS2

Get well soon EV and babes. And Eli. How is DD2? Is it parvo or vargo ?

Bebe, I've heard that about the Spanish school system. My advice: get yourselves back here

Lennied, sympathies re school thing. Been there! Personally, having been terrified of the 30 kids in a class thing beforehand: I think it's a better option in a school (like my DCs) with excellent facilities and at least 2 teachers all the time. There are so many more options in a bigger place.
Don't send DD2 to nursery (can't afford it ) but from what I know the independent places are better round here.

AQ, sorry to hear about the SPD. But well done on the SALT referral. It's always the way: when I voiced my concern about DD2's lack of speech her long gobbledigook sentences became clear overnight! That's lovely about your boys being partners in crime. I find the holidays great now as they are all such good pals in their own sweet way
I've had to stop the therapy AQ (lack of funds again)

Re cleaners: I have one but need to get rid of her (again can't afford her). She was great for a bit but now seems to spend most of the time tidying so I can never find anything (grr!) interspersed with being my my life coach.

Anyone seen BP? I wonder how she is???

Gosh bebe that sounds so harsh for such little people!

Lennied just move here, tis very pretty and wonderful then she and ds can cause mayhem at nursery together

What is it about cardies AQ? DD also out of hers, I had a big stack of knitted ones from ds but they are too short on her. Thankfully we got a call from MIL yesterday to say they'd just been given a load of stuff from a friend at church. Your boys sound great together. Love the "daddy" play. Ds is getting very caring towards teddies etc, he changes their nappies, feeds them, turfs dd out of her bouncy chair so they can go in it and puts them down in dd's cot and insists that I put the mobile on and the monitor

Ds being a sod today again, don't know what has got into him at the moment. Went to a new toddler group today and spent a lot of time telling him off

He is cute though when not being a pain. Starting to sing the actaul words to nursery rhymes Row row boat boat streeeeeeeeeeeam! Mewily mewily mewily dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeam! and I cannot resist gwape/kwiwi/cake pleeeeeeeeeeease!

Have just spent half an hour wresting him though to make him nap as he is shattered but I failed miserably so he is now in front of the babysitter highly educational cbeebies while I hide with a pack of cookies.

So of course dd is now threatening to wake up

How long til I get some sleep?

25 years Indith - by which point you'll no longer want it.

Glad DH above the 50th centile Castles. But not so glad that therapy and cleaner are not in budget right now.

Cardies! Now they aren't a staple of this house anymore. DD not a cardie fan but she should be on top of this big hill.

Moving not an option unfortunately - well fortunately really. Live in a family heirloom, not saleable. Love it so not complaining.

Am going to go and look at the big schools I think. Visited the little school for a university research project and remember thinking it came up a bit short on pushing the more able children and everyone was very placid and sat quietly. So god only knows what they would make of DD who is like a whirlwind. Think she would be expelled. She might well change though like you say AQ.

Oh yes, cbeebies... Oli once told me "Remember cbeebies is your friend" it has become a household saying now!

LenniEd, I'm with you on well-behaved schools: I opted for the friendly one where the HM said 'go ahead and talk to the kids about their work' (and they talked with enthusiasm, loudly) rather than the 'look at how well behaved and quiet the kids are, oh, and look at how many resources we have' one. dd is blissfully happy

Poor EV, hugs and sympathies and hope GP helped?

AQ, imagine finding time for exercises hard, to say the least!

dd2 has had weird welts on cheeks (look like urticaria) the last 3 mornings when out in the wind, then they go. Otherwise fine, but am taking her and her cheeks to GP this evening not least because I feel utterly like poo still, and my temps are getting higher each day, and I want to know if its going to stop soon, or do the kids in for the Easter holidays, or something. And he might be nice to me
Parvo-vargo-virus, I think, Castles.....definitely worse than parvo, must be vargo...

ps a family heirloom? Sounds wonderful, LenniEd, tell more? Am besotted with houses atm (other peoples', not mine).

Eli - I've missed whats wrong with your DDs. Mine have had a high temp/rosy cheeks, seem ok, then a few days later rash all over which lasted 3-6 days. Both are very tired and the high temp keeps coming and going.

The stomach problems came for them yesterday but I think that may be a seperate bug.

The Dr gave me antibiotics for throat & chest infection Feeling a little better already although very very tired.

Re the blood loss, I burst into tears in my appt. I'm set to cancel my 2nd smear test in a month tomorrow as I'm still bleeding, and they need that to move forward with the diagnosis. She has told me to call and demand an appt with any nurse the first day I am not on my period, and to tell the receptionist it is on her authority. . She is also referring me for an ultrasound.

Oh and for schools, we went for the one where we liked the Head best, where we would feel comfortable talking to her about any issues and we would trust her to fix them. When she was showing us round she stopped talking to us to answer a child's question (in another school the child was ignored), and also it was the only school where they spoke to my DD and not just us.

eli, hope everything is okay. I'll be very grateful for summer. Ds1 has missed so much school this semester I got a severe talking-to from the school He now has to have a dr's note for any other missed days

I got ds2 a light sabre on Saturday. We have now spent LOTS of time in the playroom doing very theatrical light sabre fencing with one of us occasionally falling down and the other one saying "Luke, I am your father" in a very Darth Vadery kind of voice

Jabber I wish you could do us a video, or at least a soundbite, of that.

EV, sounds like your dds might have had Fifths?? Before the stomach bug, that is...yikes, what a run of nasties for all of you, I'm glad the ABs helped. Re the bleeding, you must be at the end of your tether with it, I'm so sorry . Though v good your GP is being bossy and pro-active re telling the receptionist to just book you in - quite right, too.

GP was v nice, as I knew he would be, and said dd had lots of glands up, but didnt' look like Slapped Cheek/Fifths at all. He had no idea, but maybe urticaria, in which case Piriton if it goes on for more than 20 mins and thats it.

He also listened to my (clear) chest, peered into my (red) ears, took my (high) temp and said he had no idea for me either, but that 10 days of nasty coughing and 5 days of nasty fever was too much, and I had better take ABs, and we'd soon know. And he said I was Sensible, which no one has ever accused me of being, nice man that he is

Eli - are we living parrallel lives?

Could be...

...dd1 had sudden tearful meltdown, said it felt like she had a cut in her throat when she swallowed, and has gone to bed (out cold) with a temp of 38.2.

This will be my first experience of nursing sick child through night on a mid-sleeper, whilst rather wobbly myself

EV, what are you doing for comfort? I'm reduced to chocolate, Benelyn (at night), and whining a lot

Lol. I am taking antibiotics, paracetemol, strepsils, lockets, drinking tea and moaning.

Oh, and my DD1 has a midsleeper too

Ah yes, forgot the paracetamol...and nurofen...throat ok though, just the coughcoughcough

Definitely parallel lives: both dds in midsleepers?! Mine sleeping ok, temp down, torn between putting mattress in her room (in case she wakes scared, which she tends to when ill, or throat too sore to yell, which would be a first..) or listening to dh and going up to (loft room) bed and hoping for the best. Very tempted to listen to dh

ps chocolate nicer than lockets, and probably no more calories

Listen to DH defo.

Lockets coat your teeth in sugar. I feel like someone has stuck sandpaper to them.

Dear me, you're all suffering from ailments!

Dh got the all clear for Gladular Fever and has another round of ABs to take and hopefully he'll recover.

One little tip I have for the ones suffering from coughing fits... Smints, they kind of cool your throat without the medicinal taste or the coating of teeth.

Sending healing wishes to you all.

What is a midsleeper?

Its a medium height bed. My DD has this in pink but without the drawers

SMints noted, thank you Margo Good that your dh is recovering, and glad its not GF - can take ages to recover from that one.

Did listen to dh, thank goodness, because dd woke once, took her nurofen with mild protest, then slept fever-less and is bouncing around this morning demanding to go to school Either miraculous recovery, or usual virus that spikes up in evening! Either way, I'm glad she wants to go to school because I feel utter rubbish and am beginning to feel slightly, probably ridiculously, worried because I've never had a temp for this long without either an obvious reason or a cold...someone tell me to chill, please...