June 2008: the One Show (almost)

[Essie3]

Thanks Deb that's handy to know. The little tikes thing I was looking at was this one. Still cant decide if he'd get better use of something like that next summer - so might as well hang on till next year and get something a wee bit bigger.

How were yours with sandpits at age 1 - did they eat a lot of it?

yep I'm afraid stories did upset a bit -its two years since I lost my son on monday so it touched more of a nerve than usual. So may lurk for a while

BDQ good to see great minds think alike as had similar views on birthdays -although Deb your view tallies with dh on what edie would like so think thats what we'll go with.

and cannot believe its the football on and apprentice on record

Sending virtual hugs to you poppy. Too many people on this thread (currently or previously) have sad stories - its just not fair .

Hope everyone who needs a little extra TLC just now is getting it.

(((hugs Poppy))) was thinking of yu today funnily enough x

Apologise to Abdn- meant BDQ.....oops. First Aid course with baby steps. Cannot recommend enough. They come to your home, which I think is fab, o everyone bought their babies and they all slept through- there were travel cots all over the place!

A friend got this for her twins birthday whilst it's on offer and she says it's awesome. Cecily is getting this from granny and this from us! PFB alert. DH has just announced that he wants to get her a couple of things to open on the day because the playhouse went up last week.....bet you're glad you asked, hey?

Anyway, off to bed. Big goodnight smooches to you all x

puree thanks (and hugs back) -first aid course sounds fab as have been thinking of doing something like that -will look it up [night night)x

(((hugs))) from me too Poppy, lurk all you like and pop in when you want.

BDQ - that LT slide was v popular at toddler group with littlies but not so popular with us Mums dismantling it very week to put away in the cupboard, if it's staying put in the garden then it's good. You could always get it 2nd hand, we bought our LT sand pit 2nd hand 8 years ago and we still have it. I find after the 1st few tastes they don't bother with the sand after that.

Puree - I cannot recommend the cosy Coupe enough, I think it is a must for all children. We didn't have one for ds1 and the Christmas he was about 20 months we went to mils and she had an old one given to her, Stefan spent all Christmas day in it, he didn't open any presents.

The ride on toy to have here is the Bobby car

Poppy I did wonder. I am really sorry about the terrible timing too. Also, I think I was quite late joining the thread so I may have missed any discussion of what you went through (but whatever, it sounds awful, any bereavement is), and two years is so short a time. So I will be thinking of you. (Also thought of you because my friend called her little girl Poppy.)

Sponge I'm really worried that you're panicking now too.

BDQ the swing is one that will do until Iestyn is, well, an adult. Might get to go on it myself!

Poppy . I'm really sorry to have upset you. I'm talking to Amber on e-mail so won't post anything else here. Sorry to anyone else upset, too (Sponge?)

Thea can clap and wave. She is a genius .

Rolf no need to apologize -shouldn't have to tread on eggshells cos of what happene to me. I am a bit surprised at how I feel as thought I was living with it. essie I like the idea of presents you can play with.

[stomps in in teenage sulk] Stupid Bl**dy husband got up at 5am to leave for work today and managed to make so much noise that we were all awake and madam wouldn't go back to sleep but just sat sobbing......I'm knackered already and I have to go to work today! Sorry- needed to tell someone before I explode with anger and frustration. I'll leave now. I'll be in a better mood when I come back.[slinks shamefacedly from the room]

Hi guys, I was lying low, sorry . Rolf, please don't apologise - I just find the 2nd trimester immensely difficult to manage psychologically (my AND kicked in at this time with Alex) because all my pg symptoms have pretty much gone, and I have no idea whether spongelet is ok or not . I am hoping to see my MW next week and listen to the HB, but until I get past my 20 week scan I really can't relax. (When I heard Alex's HB for the first time I then convinced myself that he just had a heart and nothing else - I really am a terrible worrier).

Anyway, please don't feel you have to temper your conversations for me - I can always just disappear for a bit. poppy and I were keeping ourselves amused by bitching about The Apprentice via Facebook!

As for birthday presents, my parents want to buy A a paddling pool - any recommendations? I'm going to ask the ILs for one of those push along bike things, and I've no idea what we're getting him!

Really busy at the moment putting the final touches to preparations for the naming ceremony on Saturday - we have 90 people coming so it's quite manic! We're raising money for a children's hospice to mark the day, if anyone wants to make a donation [shameless emoticon]!!

Alexander House

puree, your hubby owes you big time! on your behalf!

hugs poppy

The little tikes cars are a huge hit at our playgroup! If you have a big garden, I think it'd be brilliant (we've got a terrace in ours so I need to stay away from things on wheels).

puree vent away - and then go get coffee. I'm needing some today - I had horrible nightmares of being chased all last night. It took me ages to figure out who you meant instead of me on the list - no worries!

sponge i hope your MW will let you hear the heartbeat - I am a worrier too and never relax until after the 20 week scan.

Morning all. Thanks all for sharing your birthday present ideas. I really like the cozy coupe and push along trikes, but our garden isn't particularly great for those kind of things and tbh I wouldn't really play with him out front, so will have to wait till we move (I've really got a moving bug, but not allowed to act on it just yet!).

My p's are also dead set on the little wooden trike from elc too, which is a bit more compact. He's already got the wheely bug too so I'm thinking that's enough wheels for now. It's hard not to just buy everything though

2nd hand is a good idea Deb I might a look and see if anything on gumtree. I've had a few toys from there lately.

Puree - are your friend's twins age one? The slide you linked to wasn't too big for them? It's a good offer and bigger than the little cube one so would have a bit more longevity I think.

The weather here has been absolutely foul over the last day or so, so I'm thinking about the elc garage again - guaranteed he can play with it no matter the weather!

sponge elc have a few paddling pools but haven't spotted any others particularly.

Neenz do you happen to know where the twins ball pit came from - it looked fab in the pics!

Rolf S is a genius too. He loves waving and clapping. In fact he waves all day long; apparently he just cracks them up with it at nursery! DH was teaching him how to eskimo kiss i.e. rub noses yesterday, he was loving it.

Ok, I'm officially on a study day from work so I need to get in the shower and get to it. I'm going to try and study at home today rather than trek to the library (my back is playing up so cant face dragging a bag of books around). If you see me on here later (apart from lunch time) send me away

Charlotte is also a genius. (apart from the not crawling thing!) She waves, claps and does jazz hands on demand, while saying Hiya to all and sundry. I think it's a desperate measure to try and distract from her complete inabilty to even attempt to crawl and her lack of teeth (only 1 here Essie, mind you, that's still 1 more than Iestyn )

BDQ happy 10 mnths to S too for yesterday. And HAppy 10 months to Barnaby for today Whinegums

There's a big age range on this thread for a group all due in the same month isn't there?! Us central belt Scots lagged behind the rest of you considerably!

Right, am also supposed to be studying, my coffee break has lasted an hour now.

S'alright Sponge- I just spent money online on his CC (did make a donation too!) Feel better now I;ve evnted, Let me know how this weekend goes- it's our turn next weekend. And try not to worry too much so that you can enjoy the day.

Abdn- thanks, and hope you get some sleep tonight!

BDQ- twins are one on Monday and it's not too big at all, but will last for a while. It's a great deal. I can email you a pic of them using it if you like! I do love a garage though- my brothers had one with a wind-up lift when I waas a kid and I loved it!!

Afternoon,

Typing this from my car as I sit with P waiting for him to wake up (PFB alert ). We only have street parking here and there were no spaces next to our house so I decided to surf the Internet in preference to leaving him by himself or wake him up by getting him out of his seat.

I have enjoyed looking through the birthday present links, so thanks for posting those. I am not too imaginative so your ideas are very useful. Unfortunately the slide thing that those twins got appeals to me but it would cover half of our lawn, so I am sure that DH will say no. Either that or we will have to move house which is also not an option at the moment. DH would definitely say not that one. Peter got a lovely ride on/push along horse from mamas and papas for Xmas. I can't link to it for you as am on the iPod but for those of you looking for an indoor present it might be worth checking M&P out.

Hectic morning here. Another eye appointment for P at the hospital. Good news: even though the opthamologist says he is long sighted, the orthoptist says he can see things as normal for a ten month old. All babies are long sighted, but they gradually grow out of it. P is just more long sighted than the normal range. We also went swimming. All was going well till they switched on the water jets without warning: cue lots of screaming babies

On the subject of presents, I got my birthday present early yesterday. It is a mini laptop in a very girly shade of pink . The idea is that I will be able to more easily surf the net from our lounge. Our main computer is in our totally unbabyproofed basement, and so I am usually reliant on the iPod in the day. It is pink because that is what was cheap on ebay, not because I am especially girly.

There are some things I have been feeling nosey about. Please don't feel obliged to respond:

BDQ: what are you studying? I am intrigued. Also what is your job and do the studying and the job relate? Good luck with the exams BTW.

AH - what nationality is your DH? Same as you, or something Scandanavian?

One for everyone: how did you meet your DH/DPs?

I met James at uni through hockey club socials. Alot of alcohol and a trip to a hockey festival in Clacton on Sea was involved.

Ooh, I love garages with a wind-up lift. We never had one and nor did my boys . I am looking at all the links to lovely outdoor toys and getting very grumpy as I am not allowed plastic in the garden. AND he's put flipping tomatoes where I was going to put a wendy house, and a wormery where I was going to put a sandpit. The only game we're allowed in the garden is quoits. Yes, we live in a Janet and John book.

The room I was going to use as a shower room he's snuck books into as obviously we need 4 studies in our house .

For a bloke who has all these children, he does a very good impression of someone who is pretending he has none.

BDQ and Viva get back to work you lazy girls!

Puree your DH is naughty, I'm not surprised you're cross with him.

We have the 7-in-1 trekker car thing from Mothercare, Jamie got it for xmas. We also have the old version and the cosy coupe, but these are in the garden and the new one is indoors. The old ones have been very much loved and I would recommend them to anyone.

As well as the ballpit, Jamie is also getting the ELC garage (from gandma) and the little cars. He does love cars though.

Rolf - our garden is a toy extravaganza. Your dh would hate it! AS well as the trampoline and tp swing set and slide we also have two push along cars and a plastic climbing frame like this but older in our defence, ds1 is a may baby and we went though a stage of buying garden toys because there was no room left in the house!

You guys all made me laugh! LOL at Rolf's Janet and John house (although I never set eyes on Janet and John - is this normal? It was all Sali Mali here). Also sniggered a bit at Ali's romantic Clacton rendezvous!

I met DH at Oxford - and now it can be your turn to snigger, Ali; he came to Jesus* to fill in when the organ scholar was away, and I was in the choir. But we got talking in the pub afterwards.

*that's the college, not a big religious realisation.

Feeling like I should be very naughty today. Tim was sworn in as a judge and has promised loyalty to the queen (smirk - I'm a republican and stay seated for God Save the Queen). Anyhow, he is on best behaviour for ever now. But I'm not!

Had a departmental meeting today and sat next to my colleague Javier who is very easy on the eye, don't you think? (See, I'm being naughty!)

And the big news is that Iestyn has started crawling! I spotted some movement last night before bathtime, and this morning he demonstrated by crawling across my big landing. He sort of goes commando style at speed. It's so funny, I have this tiny commando in the house! Or maybe a little maggot. (I think it's funnier because he's so small!) He has a new and very tiresome thing at bathtime though - he flips onto his stomach and paddles his legs furiously. I suppose it's all quite confusing for him - he gets dunked at the swimming pool, and then turned back over when he tries it in the bath... I do have a bath seat for him now, but I'm wondering whether I'm being a killjoy!

welldone Iestyn!

Hmm, Javier is goodlooking, but he looks more like an investment banker than an academic to me. Are you sure he isn't an economic migrant to N Wales. Essie - knowing you has changed me! Last night I watched 10 mins of "Coast" because it was on Anglesey. I hate coast (good concept but has been overdone), so can only put this down to my aquaintance with you!

Peter is now awake and we are back in the house. However he slept for 2.25 hours . Swimming rocks.

Essie was thinking of you today as I tried to track down a colleague who works p/t at Bangor ... and I came to Linguistics as a bilingualism researcher, although am some distance from that now - so let me know if you want any tips for speakers

My son's German friend has a Bobby car, it's fab. But the Little Tikes cars are always top value at nursery too. I haven't even thought about Caitlin's birthday present yet - that playhouse looks fab puree! Here we will be looking more in the range of a nice book or perhaps a small soft toy!!

puree and Ali, thank you for your donations .

puree, really looking forward to the day, although my excitement has been dampened by the fact that my parents will no longer be there . They have both contracted the virus that A had last week and are really poorly with it. I'm absolutely gutted .

Essie, I had no idea you were a fellow Republican! (Did I tell you my little bro' runs The Republic?) I also sit down for the National Dirge Anthem . Don't know what I'd do if I had to swear allegiance to the Queen - looks like my promising career as a judge is going to have to be put on hold until we get rid of her!

Yay on Iestyn's crawling - with all these mobile babies I think a trip to the park will definitely be in order on the 25th!

Ali, please tell me you didn't sit in the car for 2 1/2 hrs?!

Dh and I also met at university - 16 years ago. Both studying Politics and were assigned to write an essay together on Post War Politics in France . Love over la republique!!

He asked me to marry him 6 months later and we've never looked back .

Ali- 2.5 hours in the car is beyond PFB....but at your pink laptop. Dn't suppose you ever played Oxford at the Clacton festival? DH used to do all that sort of thing until he met me

We met on the interweb (datingdirect.com) seven years ago, started looing for a house three months after we met and started planning the wedding once we'd moved in.

Rolf- PMSL at Janet ad John- do you listen to the TOGS ones on Radio 2?

I am the polar opposite of Sponge and Essie (totally get Essie being Republican as she is from welsh Wales, but what's your excuse Sponge?)I come from an army family, know several verses for the National Anthem, stand for the Queen's Speech and always wear a poppy.