March 06 *#* all around the world

[UniS]

sorry couldn;t think of a funny title. but here goes.

Anyone with Dcs born March 06 welcome to come on in and introduce yourselves.

wow, what a busy thread all of a sudden!

Uni, your cider pressing adventures, and LL your community food group (not that I even know what that is really) sound so idyllic, and precicely the kind of thing that makes me miss England. Sounds lovely! The piddling rain is not so tempting (mind you we've had a fair bit of that this winter too!).

We are just into spring now, and all the daffidils and fresias are out, with the blossoms just starting too. Its still quite cool for this time of year, but it's been a very cold winter (for us) so not surprising. I LOVE spring :)

LL very sorry to hear about pox and I hope it's not too bad a dose. DD1 was vaccinated, DS had it in England along with DH, but DD2 is as yet unvaccinated although I think they do it at 12 or 18 months - I'd better check. We found piriton syrup helpful.

Caddy - an awful situation for you and DH to be in re more babies/no more babies :( I was thinking it would be hard for you to adopt as ex pats - hard to go through the whole vetting process as you are on the move so much? If/when we have number 4 it will be our last, as my body is just not up to it and the moring sickness has been dreadful. If that weren't so, I don't think we'd stop at 4 though - I can imagine myself stoppping for a while, and then having another few in 5+ years time - but that wont be happening. So I do feel some of your sadness. :(

Re HEd, yes, DD1 will go to school next year. I think that will be best if I am pregnant anyway, and she is keen. I think she'll enjoy it and although it wouldn't be my choice if I had my ideal world, I think she'll have a good year and it will be a relief for this very imperfect home educator! We'll consider doing another year further downb the track - I do love the freedom and family time it gives us, so we might take a year off school again when they are all bigger -do some travelling or just spend time at home again.

Anyway, speking of impfect home ed I need to go and feed DD and get her to do her reading. She'd been building a duplo pyramid whilst listening to Paddington Bear on CD which I'm sure is all highly educational, but even so...

I am in awe of your home ed endeavours! I can't wait for these blisters to pop so Kiah can go back to school!

She is much brighter today but still itchy. Anti histamine helps though. She slept through last night which was a relief for all of us - I gave her a bicarb bath, smothered her in Germolene with anaesthetic and fed her anithist and Calpol...did the trick.

We are thinking of going travelling again, maybe in 2013 when my Lottery contract ends. Certainly stops any broody feelings thinking about backpacking again.

Operation Farm is my little group but we just got a grant to do a Harvest Fesrival so quickly came up with a logo and website!! here.

Looks good LL, I was watching 'my family gap year' or whatever it was called on E4 yesterday evening and wondering if anyone I knew would call them to be filmed, surely you'd be the perfect candidate (whilst wondering if our business would ever be at the stage where we could leg it for more than 2 weeks at a time )

Astro, think of the cold over here, the real biting cold, then you won't miss it half as much as you think you do

Ah yes Caddy I see your point, that same reason prevented me from adopting a random Romanian boy I saw on the TV who looked to me like he'd fit right into our family (the ban and dh, who is insisting no more kids, although I have to say I agree my hips cannae take it, let alone my sanity)

Uni, you've reminded me I must water our compost (should have left the lid up last night, as yes it whaled it down)

So dd2's big day tomorrow.

We attempted swimming today, her 1st big lesson, with no teacher in the pool. Lasted until the 2nd instruction, when she got a bag on and stood in middle of pool in a huff, then she stropped out, tearing off the new tasty hat they'd just given her to wear.... I had to call her into changing room, give pep talk/bribery of swim with me on sunday and chocolate, then she went back in and swam properly....gotta say I'd have been bricking it as well, new teacher, directions from side, all new kids, and she was smallest and youngest of the 5 of them, she did bloody well to go back in

so, how are all the school kids getting on?

Friz, I'm intrigued by your discription of the swimming lesson. what do you mean there was no teacher in the pool? who teaches the kids?

well we have had a busy week, preparing for DD1 to be flower girl on saturday (buying stockings, making head bands, convincing bride that 6 and 3 year old girls don't look classy in a fascinator covered in lace and fake flowers...), getting presents ready to post surface mail to the uk, and catching up all the house work I didn't keep on top of over the weekend (as was my birthday)! We have done about 30 minutes of home ed, seriously. 15 of those were when I made DD read a book to DS!

Hopefully next week we will be mor eproductive. We have school holidays in 2 weeks and I can never get DD to do anything bookish in holidays, so we do need to crack on a bit, especially as I am contemplating moring sickness next term.

The house hunt continues...

How goes it with you lot?

after months of planning, fixing and getting rid of junk, my parents house (family home for 60 years) is for sale. :(

www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Neutral-Bay/?adid=2008578274

Wow Astro, your parents house is gorgeous, great space, sorry they have to sell it I guess it's getting to big for them? are they downsizing? I can see the price tag is whew....I'm guessing this is the problem that Sydney has created for you too

I did post that the teacher stood on the side of the pool yelling from the side....she refused to go back this Tue, so I got her swapped to her old teacher on the Wed, she went in the pool happily for the 1st swim, which was halfway down the big pool with a banana float, then that lesson got moved to the deep end - getting out half way down and she refused to get in so after 15 mins they called me to go get her and have said they'll squeeze her into a lesson with more advanced kids...that is half hour earlier on the wed, but that uses the shallower half of the big pool..till she gets her confidence back up (staying with same teacher she's used to) we shall see......

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/product_tests/1042414-How-does-an-unforgettable-Ford-test-drive-day-on-the?msgid=21354118 LL/Uni, do you fancy applying for this?? needless to say I have!

Ah, so teacher is present! I've just never heard of that before -with teacher not in water. OUr teachers are very hands on - manipulate the kids arms into correct position etc. Does it work ok (apart from DD2!)?

Yes, my folks' house in gorgeous (usually full of junk, but all spick and span now, and those lovely real estate photos help too!). They are downsizing. And yes, the prohibitive prices are Sydney to a tea (mind you they are very close in - literally 2 minutes from the South side of the harbour bridge). Even so, a vacant block of land on our street went for $840K at Auction on Saturday (roughly halve for pounds), which puts us out of the running for this area too. Ho hum.

DD1 was flower girl at DH's brothers wedding on the weekend, and she walked very nicely and looked beautiful. Unfortunately DH and I were sat at a table by ourselves with DH's (crazy, bitter, twosted) Mum and stepfather, because nobody else in the family is on speaking terms with her. At the food was nice!

DD2 has been crying all day - just woke up (again) after only 20 mins. Poor lovey, have given ibuprofen but she is still not happy. :(

Oh boo for the crying Astro, is it teeth, or something else? well for dd1 getting to be flower girl, even if you did have to put up with the outlaws..... I guess the swimming thing generally works, bar dd2 obvioulsy!!

I have a viewing booked in for Wed fingers x'd eh! (am trying to move it to tomorrow actually, as forgot swimming on Wed, so kids will be tired...)

OMG have a viewing in 15 mins, people who are renting over the road, relocated in from South Africa, hope they love our street so much they decide to buy mine (fingers x'd)

PS: Please don't discuss the move out loud on facebook, as don't want a few people to find out that we;re thinking of moving before I get to tell them in person! (willl cause all sorts of problems, as you know some family members can be funny)

Well I got to meet my new neighbours if nothing else! they're having to rent their house out back home, so don't have a deposit for a mortgage at the moment....they're saving it up, but are very interested in our property should it be available in a few months time still...have to wait and see eh

oh, shame they can't buy now, but at least they liked it hey?

I think/hope DD2 crying is a tooth. She seems a bit better today. She is also in a very unpredictable 'routine' - sometimes waking at 6am and going back to sleep until 8.30am ish, but sometimes waking at 6am and staying up...and so I never know when she is going to go back down for her nap, or whether she is tired or hungry...tricky. Anyone else had such an unpredictable baby? My other two where on a good up at 7am, down at X time routine by now...

Hello ladies,

Just ctaching up on the thread whilst stuffing pasta down my throat - nice!

Astro - I love your parents house but at the price and also at the lack of photos! If I was spending a million quid on a house I'd want photos of all the rooms at least.

My parents are house hunting in Scotland at the mo and have got 3 possibles...they have of course made firm friends with all the sellers too.

Friz....fingers crossed for more viewings then.

I might sign up for that car driving day...are you taking a partner??

lol at your parents getting cosy with all the sellers LL :o

My parents house - yes I thought odd that only 4 photos too...was expecting 5 or 6, although there are always fewer here than you seem to have on rightmove.co.uk etc. They never put up photos of every room here...I wonder why that is? maybe the just want to lure people in with the best few?

As for the price - it will be auctioned (mid to top end houses pretty much always are here - it contributes to the stupid housing price bubble ...thanks very much auctioneers), I'll let you know what it goes for though, I'm not sure if 2.1 is their reserve, or just a figure they pick to get people interested.

Feeling a bit tense this week. Combination of last week of term 3 so trying to get lots done with DD1 to make up for very slack last week, and possible very slack first few weeks of term 4 as we will likely be moving...and people keep dropping in and interupting us (normally I LOVE drop-ins...), and starting to worry that times a tickin' with our lease ending, and we still haven't found a new house.

Also trying to decide whether to TTC this month (good for having morning sickness over the summer hols, rather than DD1's first term at school) despite our health insurance waiting period for obstetrics not being waited out yet...which will really suck if I can't get a caesar on medicare... I do know what we should do of course!

oh LL, just re read...how do you feel about your folks moving away? They are really close by at the moment aren't they?

lo all. bit busy. boy shouting for me to come and fix his lego truck or skate park, not sure which. toodle pip.

Booo tis me, have name changed as started new blog, as per facebook, then thought seeing as it's got a spot of advertising on it, that some stalkers may try n track me down on here, so have name changed! see if that helps?!

Astro, hugs, tricky, I'd go with Summer hols and see how it all goes eh As for the littlest one, I guess when your on the bottom of the pile, if you wake an hour earlier than your siblings, you're guranteed an hour with mum alone eh I'm sure she'll settle into something eventually, hugs in the meantime, as I hate having to get up early (dd2 woke me this am at 7, singing 'get up lazy bones')

LL, oooh your mum moving too, are you ok with that? is she going nearer your sister? or just halfway between you all?

Waves at Uni and Caddy if your out there.

I've changed again, after hitting talk n finding mnet have a thread in my other name!

how very confusing Boris. Am I right in thinking you are the poster formerly known as who tracked down falling for me??

Good grief ladies I'm all confused!!!

Boris were you previously flying through the air like a fast plate????? .

My parents - yes they have been near me always as have been on the family farm since Dad was born in 1945. DP and I moved back up here before Tilly was born so we've had both sets of grandparents a few miles away. Very lucky I think.

Anyhows the tenancy runs out in March and they need to find somewhere to live. One of their regrets in not moving to Scotland earlier so I think they'll give it a whirl. The 3 houses are quite near my sister...fave is maybe only 5 miles away. It'll be great for her with the 2 little ones and her wobbly mental health. Not so good for me and my other sis down here. Esp other sis as she still has a baby. My bro is down in Somerset and no-one likes him anyway.

Times they are a changing. I can't imagine not having the farm to go to . My friend's parents are aso moving off their farm, although they retired some years ago, so they'll go first as a test run!

LL you've gottit!
Just took my 15 mins to find my new name totally forgot it!

LL, {{Hugs}} will be hard on you guys, I guess you get very used to living close, but at least you'll still have your sister locally eh? for them having to leave the farm what seems like so quickly though, but good news for your other sister! gives you a double excuse to spend more time up there too

Uni, who did you think I was?

Its OK, you are who I thought you were. I just can;t type.

I'll no doubt get bored and change it back soon

Hello all! I am not good with change. I simply don't adjust well...

Wow! Talk about moves.

Astro: I hope you find a house soon. It is so stressful wondering where you might be in a few months. Your parent's home is beautiful.

Try not to worry overly much about your dd1's schooling. Think about all of the hours that are spent shuffling about in a classroom. Her learning time in concentrated one on three one.

(This of course comes from someone with 4 international moves; a baby; morning sickness followed by a medical horror show leading to many neglected 'school' hours in the last 5 years...)

LL It must be sad to think of having your parents far away and no longer having the farm in one go... Your sister must be looking forward to having their help close at hand.

Uni: Was it the park or the firetruck?

Spiderwoman/ boris or somesuch: I can picture my dd2 in a similar strop at swimming lessons. Thankfully, ours are done in our own garden at the moment but our girls seem to share a similar attitude. I will have a closer look at the blog; I only managed a quick peek.

The cadclan are off on Home-leave next week. I am positively dreading the whole thing. 22 hours of travel time in order to put up with our crazy families. Dh's parents and brother (with SIL and kids) have recently moved to the same place as my parents. This should make things easier since it will involve fewer flights and less hassle but it all appears MORE complicated than ever. Nobody has actually extended an invitation for us to stay with them for fear of upsetting anyone else but the decision hangs over us like a trap because all three of the expect us to stay with them.

It has been 2 years since dh's parents saw the children. My parents were with us at Christmas and will be here in January so they fall to the bottom of dh's priority list but I don't think I could cope with 3 weeks with his family. In an ideal world, we could rent our own accommodation but that would spell the end of any friendly relations with family as they would all take great offence.

This usual nonsense is compounded by the fact that I can divide family into two categories: The one's who won't say anything about the loss of Timothy and my ensuing medical nightmare and the one's who will go on about how it was all for the best. I don't feel like dealing with either camp. Neither of our families do real life well. They only like happy and easy-going.

Oh DREAD!