May 2008 bubbas: Walking, Talking (& climbing!) Little Monkeys

[monkeysmama]

Thought we deserved a new thread

MM We got DD2 some sparkly little shoes for dressing up in simply cos she loves wearing my shoes around the house. I do however, draw the line at make up and nail varnish on a 20 month old!!

My MIL mananged to do her usual 'let's see what the biggest and noisiest and most expensive showy thing I can buy them' and we have all manner of grotesque vtech 'things' in our house. (sorry if offending anyone, just my personal opinion). Funnily enough DD2 loved her little wooden shape sorter fro John Lewis which SIL bought her more than the huge monstrosity that MIL bought her which is currently obscuring my view out of the window it's so friggin big and noisy.
DD1 was chuffed to bits with her Tinkerbell book....we got her other stuff but she was so happy with her book!!!!

I must have a little moan if I may....my SILs on DH's side have always gone mad at Christmas on pressies, spending about £25 per child, which may not seem a lot to some of you but when I have 8 of theirs to buy for it amounts to £200 on ungrateful brats.
I always make a point of suggesting things for my girls that cost between £10-£15, hoping they get the hint but they usually end up buying them more than one thing suggested cos they don't think just one present looks 'enough' .
So this year, I got most of my nephews (at their request) vouchers for GAME. I reckoned the least I could get away with was £15, and got them a seletiong pack each to go with it. So I spent about £130 on their brats and they, for once, just got one thing for my two, which is fine and I am genuinely happy they did that, but it means they spent about £30 on our two girls in total.....I know I shouldn't moan about this, but I do feel a bit miffed to be honest, not that they didn't spend more, cos I think what they did this year was right, but that I felt pressured into spending more than I wanted to on their kids. I'm cross with myself I suppose . AIBU?????

NYE will be me and DH and a Raclette.....we get SKY HD tomorrow so planning to watch our first film in HD and eat lots of cheese! Last year DH was working and I was home alone with my poor bro who was in a bad way at the time. I'm just glad to have DH with me this year.

HM Thanks for passport info. Trouble is, my folks don't even have any photo I.D. as they have old fashioned driving licenses. And you are right, funerals are planned very quickly in Ireland . No news from Mum today.

Good luck to all those wanting to conceive in 2010!!!! DH does his sperm test in Feb to make sure the snip has worked....then I am looking forward to my first shag in nearly 2 years without a condom (so sorry if TMI!!!!)!!!

LM xxx

Hello all,

Sorry I've been useless, but I have been reading! Business has been picking up so I'm quite pleased and hoping not to have to go back to old employers after all. Won't have to decide til the summer and hopefully things will have picked plenty by then.

Wow monkeysmama I'm amazed at your DD! I've been using the "oh he's bilingual" excuse but obviously DS is just slower than your DD. He can say bean, poo(!), no, mama, dada, daisy do (ITNG), ball, balloon, and ten(here you are in Spanish) and tarta(cake in spanish) and a couple of other things I can't remember now. And MuhNuh for I want that. Funnily enough if you say pitpitibi he goes muhnamuhna and we can do a rendition of the sesame street muppet song.
He understands EVERYTHING in both languages though, quite frighteningly so actually. He had a good go at trolley the other day too.

I'm beginning to get a bit broody I suppose, although when I stop to think about actually having another child to look after day to day I'm not so keen some how! we always said we'd like a 3 year gap or so and work wise I have to decide whether I'm going to need to go back to my old employers first, so we won't be ttc ing until at least about September. But I think either way we'll probably start to think seriously about trying to get pregnant some time next autumn. The PILs have already started to ask when we're going to have a little girl , cos, you know you get to choose the sex.

Anyway, hope everyone had a lovely xmas and happy new year to all. Hopefully I'll be better at posting in 2010.
M

Hi Macaco - glad to hear the business is going well. Agree with your point about the LOs understanding everything . It's scary!!

LM - I can empathise with your present situation. Thankfully, I only have one sister, to whom I am very close so she is very thoughtful when it comes to presents and one of DH's brothers has 3 kids under 4, so they tend to be thoughtful too (plus we agreed this year that only the kids got pressies which was very helpful) but DH's other brother didn't even bother buying our kids presents . He did give DSDs gifts (money) which I suppose was something... but DH and I had to buy a present for his mum for him to give her This guy is 46, FFS!!

MM - at nail varnish and/or high heels for a 19MO!!! Surely that's not safe.. Haribo would probably try to drink the nail varnish and break an ankle with the shoes!!In either case, I wouldn't allow him to have access to them.

Mimi's here... i have to go

Re: DD2 and 'shoegate'.....

She tottered down the kitchen on them on Christmas Day and I was horrifed.....what was I thinking!!!!!!! (me being a physio and all that!!) Ha ha!! Oh well, she only wears them for about 10 secs at a time, twice a day. It's not like I let her wear them to walk around Tescos . They are dressing up shoes! Is she wasn't in them she would be in mine......

Happy New Year to you all, hope it brings all you wish for x

Hey girls

Got to leave for airport at 4 & not even started packing so just a quick one to wish all you FMLs and our FMLOs (Fabulous May Lovely Ones) a briliant 2010 full of laughing & sunshine.

Love MM

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monkeysmama Hope you have a wonderful holiday

Macaco Nice to hear from you, so pleased that your new business venture is working out well

RE: The shoes, both my DS love walking round in my heels or pumps. But definetley won't be buying them plastic high heels

Hello all, a quiet new year here too, nice though, DH disappeared upstairs and came back down in a suit He didn't get to keep that on for very long!

Hope all's in working order (or not!) with your DH LM, freedom!

starting to get very at all these words, DS does animal noises but no (recognisable) words at all. Not even mama, occasionally dada.

Just been to one of DH's work mates house for lunch, really nice, three couples, three toddlers and a lovely little newborn for us to oggle! (Yes we are TTC but in a relaxed fashion, hopefully 2010 will be a big year!)

Hi I was just wondering if Haribosmummy comes on here as I am trying to get in touch with her?

Nappyaddict have past on your message.

Hi Nappyaddict!

I'm here (far too much sometimes! )

E-mail me at ycbs @ fsmail . net

(I'm Harimosmummy now - since DD was born... Had to update my name to include her!!)

HM x

Ack... that e-mail isn't working any more - it's ages since I've used it...

I'm here on FB

Wishing you all a lucky new year! Full of love, laughter and plastic high heels!!!

LM xxx

Feel I may need to go out and buy some for DS2 .

Baiyu maybe he should wear the suit everyday?

OK, joking apart girls, I appreciate we all have different opinions and at least on the FML thread we don't get flamed for them (thank-you!). I personally see no harm in my DDs wearing plastic 'high' (not actually that high!) heels for dressing up purposes only, but I can definitely see how some of you disagree and that's fine, it's a personal thing. HOWEVER I have just returned from in law duty and my neice who is FIVE was there in her new proper boots complete with high heel . Now that I do NOT agree with!!! She's 5 years old FFS!!!! I will try and google a pic to show you what I mean, but they wouldn't have looked out of place on Vicky Beckham IYSWIM. I'm amazed they even make proper high heels in such small sizes....

Please no-one say it amounts to the same thing cos IMO it so does not!!!

Hope you all had a nice Sunday. DD1 was literally fed packet after packet of Haribo (not actual Haribo from our thread you understand) at MIL's. I lost count but I reckon she had about 9 packets....then MIL said 'see these are OK for them cos they are fat free, I think they're sugar free too' at which point I said 'ahem, I don't think they are sugar free....'. Oh, and that was after giving them a selection pack each and opening it and giving them 3 things out of that each to eat. How I didn't end of with the dreaded 'vomit in carseat' situation I don't know.

LM xx

thought I might get DDs some of these next week

neice's boots honestly looked like this

OMG, LM, that is unbelievable!!

I don't think that's acceptable at all! Having teenage DSDs, I can't see the rush to grow up at all. I know kids want the latest stuff and I'm not saying that they have to be babies forever, but shoes like that just can't be good for growing get. PMSL at Vicky beckham... She so would never answer to that!! You just know she's a vick or a Tor. Tor probably.

As far as dressing up stuff / toys goes... I think it's OK to buy stuff like that for your own child. I mean, Haribo has toy power tools (including a chain saw) and a couple of mini guitars. he also has a collection of real 1:12 models of cars... Even the BMW salesman looked at me funny when I said I was buying them for a 18MO...

But, I don't think it's acceptable to give stuff like that as presents unless you know that the parents are going to be OK with it. (especially in MM's case, it's pretty obvious it's been done to annoy her) For me, that's what's unacceptable about it... Mind you, for the life of me, I can't fathom how anyone gets nail polish onto an 18MO child without resorting to rhohypnol or ketamine (that's a joke, by the way, I don't have a stash of both locked in my meds cabinet!! )

Well, DH is back on the early flight tomorrow. CAn't believe the holidays have gone so quickly!!

Hope everyone had a lovely time!!

HM x

OK, I have no clue what growing gets are.

Growing feet, obviously!!!

Hello! Happy New Year! Hope you are all OK!
Didnt do much on NYE, but DH was off work for the first time in 7 years so we stayed in just us two and had a nice meal. Made a nice change from staying in on my own!!

DD2 getting very cheeky at the moment, which is driving me insane (esp as DD1 is hard work as it is!!) she has definitely got a mind of her own and is starting to fight her own corner with her sister...think we got a good glimpse into the future on xmas day when they were fighting over their toys! She pushes DD1 and says "GO AWAY!" and hits her so trying to knock that one on the head...any ideas?! No doesnt seem to work...

We have had to put her into a bed as she was climbing out of her cot, so day before new years eve was the first night and its gone ok, but hard work as the novelty of climbing in and out has not worn off yet. Plus she now wakes up 3 times in the night and starts crying which is draining really.

Im on garden leave now, and end of feb will be redundant, so desperately trying to find a part time job...but its not looking good!!

Anyway hope everyones OK, excited to hear people are hoping to conceive this year!! Looking forward to lots of good news!!

xx

Happy 2010 everyone!!

We had a really quiet one here, cupple of cups of tea hardcore i know watching Jools Holland. Oh and watching the very lovely and expensive looking fireworks display the local hotel put on from the comfort of our kitchen.

Total at those shoes lm

We'v had some major developments in the speech depart here recently. DD is now managing 2 word sentances. her favourites seem to be 'wan duce' aka 'want juice' and when I say I think I can smell poo, she replies 'me too' then laughs.

We are also having trouble with hitting. She mainly does it when she is tired and not getting her own way. If we give her into trouble for hitting someone she goes over to the couch or coffee table and starts hitting that. When I say hit, I mean both hands walloping of said object at the same time.
Also like you say fuzzy saying 'no' doesnt seem to have much of an affect. Im hoping that if im persistant enough she will grow out of it. You know iv actually had people give me into trouble for giving hannah into trouble for hitting. 'she's only wee, and she's soo cute' She wouldnt be saying that if hannah gave her son a black eye now would she....

My niece who is 1 next week, has been walking around aided for a few weeks now. On NY day she got up and ran around the room, hands up in the air squeeling with excitment!! Her party this weekend is going to be soo much more fun now with both of the girls running around!!

Hope you are all healthy and happy.

I really do wish this snow would melt..
Sho x

We've started the naughty step and putting him outside the room...

I don't have any problems with hitting - in fact, haribo just wants to cuddle Mimi constantly. But, I DO have a problem with biting. Occasionally he does it when he's angry but mostly, he seems to think it's funny. The more you tell him NO the more he comes at you, mouth wide open, ready to bite. .

I now have a 'naughty playpen' - no toys, no view, outside of the room. I have (and I'm not proud to admit this) smacked him a couple of times when he's bitten me. I don't agree with smacking really, but it's just a surprise and it HURTS (esp. when he won't let go). I'm hoping it the last of his teeth (he has pretty much all his teeth and they are obviously giving him some jip... He actually prefers brushing his teeth (and then he can have teething gel) to chocolate or icecream (or Haribos.. Son't get me started on those, LM I could eat packets of them (and I don't mean those kids packs, I mean proper family sized packs... DSD2 and I did 2 whole packs going to Manchester and back

Sho - Your niece sounds adorable!!

Baiyu - LMAO about the suit. FUnny how suits have that effect!!

Well, best get on.

HM x

We have started the naughty step too, although luckydaddy put her on it last week for hitting DD1, when she came back in she hit DD1 again, shouted 'NO!' at herself and took herself back out to the naughty step shutting the door behind her!!!!

Sho PMSL at 'me too'!! We have some two word sentences too here, mainly 'Daddy seeps' (Daddy's asleep....when he's on nights) and the other day when being offered beans on toast for lunch 'No beans!'.
She really is copying nearly every word she hears and her vocab is pretty big now for odd words. It's so cute. DD1 also helps by constantly saying 'Curly, can you say 'hands'....say 'hands'.....good girl!!!' .

I was awful last night, D1 played up when it was time to leave MILs, started rolling around crying cos she didn't want to go home. I was fuming cos I don't feel I can employ my usual discipline techniques around MIL and SILs as they are so soft they think I'm so harsh...so I waited til she was in car home and calmly told her she would not being watching a DVD before bed tongight because of her behaviour (it's happening a lot when it's time to go home). She was so upset. I was so horrible, I even let DD2 watch an episode of Charlie & Lola while DD1 howled upstairs in the bedroom!! However, she has been on her best behaviour today so something worked!

HM Yes, I think she would be a 'Tor'!!!!.

FP nice to hear from you. Have I missed something but what happened with the job? I know you had swapped branches, why now redundant? Sorry to hear that.

Must get on and get my jobs done while DD1 at school and DD2 asleep.

LM xxx

Hello all.

We have some real tantrums going on. DS is very strong willed, although I wouldn't say naughty really. Just if he wants to do something he's so TOTALLY OUTRAGED if he's thwarted.

Like, we go for a long walk most afternoons in an attempt to burn off some energy and he decides he wants to go in the other direction/run across the road, sit in a puddle etc, so we have to pick him up and carry him away from whatever it is he's doing.

Well. He goes totally ballistic. Full on screaming like he's having his legs removed with a rusty saw, plus head banging and hair pulling. He calms down if ignored for 5 mins or so but it's sooooo embarrassing in public.

He did it the other day in the park after sitting in a giant puddle and I had to strip his trousers off and fight him into the buggy and strap him in in only his jumper and a nappy. people were looking at me like I was a child beater!!

I too have smacked twice on the hand for hair pulling, just out of total pain and shock and to get him to let go. I'm anti smacking for him in particular (and in general really) as I know he'll just learn to hit me back. He already quite often goes to do something naughty (like climbing on the dining table) and say Noooo and wags his finger as he does it , cos he knows that's what I'm about to do!!

I've found NO and removing him from what he's doing and then ignoring seems to work best.