radical cross stitch, theological debate, Easter bunnies, changing bags,and a baby brother...it must be June 08!

[spongebrainbigpants]

Welcome to our new thread .

yes Abdn, Ethan was 10 lbs at birth, he's still very tall but not heavy - no baby friends here to compare him to Rolf

Also BDQ, Ethan recently had about a month of not eating, just picking at things, don't know why but he's back onto his food now. I was worried at the time as it went on for so long, but now he's eating well again.

I'm allowing myself some surfing time til 10am when I must get on unpacking boxes and sorting this place out.

We missed Dr Who as no tv til today - waiting for Mr Sky to turn up this morning. Will have to watch it on iPlayer - can't find out if it's going to be repeated on BBC Three online, sometimes the Beeb website drives me nuts!

The house is fab - loads of space (which is rapidly filling up!) and it's fantastic not having all those blardy stairs to climb anymore. Our garden is one giant mud pie at the moment - lots of work to do there!

I'm persevering with B in his own room - he went down ok last night, but I gave up and brought him in with me at around midnight, just to get some sleep.

Ok, that's my curfew coming up, so will catch up with you all later.

PS As for Christmas - stick to your guns all! We're doing it at home, anyone is welcome to come to us, but I'm going nowhere!

Morning all, bit of a hellish night here. Odd - Iestyn is normally a good sleeper these days. Anyhow, last night, I went to bed and at 12.15 ish he woke up, and then kept being awake(ish) until 3am...
Tried everything - including singing, Sponge, I'm quite a diva singing weird songs at 2.30am! - but nothing doing until I went to his room at 2.30 and cried right back at him...

He won't sleep in my bed. Is that odd?

hooray for the move whinegums! Essie DS1 never wanted to sleep in our bed. Nor did DS2. Both the girls love to sleep with us.

I saw our pharmacist this morning as I have really sore eyes, and she told me to go to the GP straightaway. I have an infection and an allergic reaction to all the builders' dust in the house . I'm home briefly then off for blood tests to check thyroid/blood count because of my hair falling out. I am so thankful that I am generally healthy - it is so time-consuming and wearing to trail around for medical appointments. My poor father does this all the time and it takes over his life sometimes.

So I have scraggy hair, piggy eyes, am covered in dust...No wonder DD1's teacher knew I wouldn't flip when I was told about about DD1's self-inflicted haircut . Apparently she and another child decided to cut their hair in school yesterday. DD1 has half a fringe

Gosh, has everybody gone to some other thread? What don't I know about?

Rolf sounds annoying with the eyes. Hope you get good results with the hair though. Mine is now lesbian extremely short but looks better than the stringyness I've had in the past. But LOL at your DD1 - who was the better hairdresser, her or the other child?

I've watched Dr Who now. [smile Had a hellish day, though. Due to being very tired (I need an excuse for this...) I sent an e-mail to a group, 'reply-all', about a tutee of mine (he had clash problems, and also complained about an absent tutor) saying that he's annoying and whingey and complains about everything, but don't rush to help him on this matter because he's so flaky he didn't know x and x which he should have known before whingeing. And...yes, it was sent to the student too.

Luckily, I phoned IT and they managed to delete the message from his inbox because he wasn't online and hadn't logged on. ( btw at the power of IT services!) All of my colleagues in the group did get it,and luckily most of them thought it was funny...the most senior one said perhaps it was time for the student to know that he is annoying and whingeing...

Tomorrow I think I will leak some major government secrets!

Essie sorry you had a hellish night. S won't really settle to sleep in our bed these days (unless he's poorly and needs to cuddle into his mummy). If we do bring him into our bed he just tosses and turns for hours.

Oops, the reply all button is evil! We've had to shower IT with gifts lately in return for an email related favour too...

Yeah, BDQ, that's what Iestyn did. He just moved around, lay on top of me, then rolled around...but no sleeping. He's also hurt my breast by putting his hand firmly in the soft bit in an attempt to stand up on hte bed. It's quite painful!

Ouch, been there, got the bruise!

I'm currently trying to demonstrate some uncharacteristic consumer restraint. The happy land village set is half price at £35 at debenhams. S already has far too much for Christmas but it's such a bargain!

BDQ -surely you've finished your Christmas shopping haven't you?

Essie - oops about the e-mail and thank goodness for the IT department. Ethan won't settle in our bed either despite him not wanting to sleep anywhere else for his 1st 6 months. One night about a month ago I brought him in and he eventually slept flat out on top of me - not the most comfy nights sleep.Hope tonight is better for you both.

Whingums - congratulations on the move and the move to the new bedroom.

Rolf - sorry to hear about your woes, your dd1's haircut is obviously a drop in the ocean! Apparently I had a major hair mishap as a child when my Dad decided to trim my fringe, I had to wear a bobble hat on the bus to the hairdressers - in summer.

Penguin, when do you go?

Nearly, deb, nearly! I've got a couple of things to order, but I know what what they are. I do love a bargain though...

How are the boys today? Are they getting back to normal post-visitors?

BDQ I have the happy land village sitting beside me waiting to be hidden. I shall tidy and put away some toys to make myself feel like ds really does need it!

Whinegums I hope you are enjoying your new home.

Rolf I really hope you are having a better day. One of my fears is that one of the dd's will come back from a playdate with a haircut.

At the weekend I had a close look at ds's teeth and noticed a brown mark on one of the front ones. I really tohught he had a cavaity and felt really awful about it. Took him to the dentist and she said he has fluorosis, feel much better now but really hoping his adult teeth are not affected.

BDQ - yes we're back to normal now and the boys have adapted quickly. Ethan was quite confused when my Mum arrived, the day after mil had gone home. We look alike and sound similar so he was a bit wary!

Going2 - I was devastated when ds2 needed a filling and a tooth out that was bad, but he has the same diet as ds1, same toothbrushing routine etc so it's just his teeth, the big ones seem to be much stronger though.

Christmas shopping - I've still got a looooong way to go. Only got main presents for ds1 and ds2 bought so far, still not decided what to get for Ethan from FC, he's got pans from us and will be getting a hand me downrevamped kitchen. Thinking about one of these ride on cars which are the car to have here! Also they're very robust. I know he won't be able to use it outside until Spring but we've got indoor space.

The car is really cute Debs. I'm tempted to get ds a micro scooter, it says from age three but one of his friends can use it fine.

I think P might be getting a toy kitchen for Xmas. He loves them at playgroups. I am just trying to decide whether I can face having one in my lounge for the next year or two. Deb - I am sure that Ethan will love racing that car up and down the corridor of the big apartment on weeks when you don't have anyone in.

Essie may have books that she has published to be proud of. By contrast I am feeling very pleased with myself because I managed to set up the craft activity at play group this morning. We did potato printing.. whoop whoop... Also, Essie do you have any links on the benefits of bringing up children to be bilingual? I met my Chinese friend yesterday and she has started speaking to her baby in Catonese, but feels embarassed about it. I thought you might know where you can find info on why bi-lingualism is "a good thing".

Rolf Hope you are feeling a bit better today. LOL at the haircut trauma for your DD1. Did it look any better this morning? Going I can see why this would be especially bad for your DDs with their modelling work.

BDQ Debenhams are going to wonder why there's such a run on the Happyland village...yes, one bought here too. And also a coat I've been eyeing up for a while.

Spider do I have links... I have a pile of bumf, including a pack in London - I'll dig out your e-mail address and e-mail some links later on. The hard one though is that she feels embarrassed. Was she embarrassed out and about in public, or all the time? That's two different things.

Have just spent 40 minutes trying to get on bloody hamster website to buy bloody hamster house and being kicked off. Finally got on and bloody hamster things have all gone.

Also, J has a cough and keeps vomiting everytime he lies down. He was a nightmare last night and bloody dh has bloody well swanned off to bloody Rotterdam.

Sorry, ranty me me me post but bloody hell!

Quick post for Spider - have you seen the ikea play kitchen? Nice neutral colours so maybe less offensive in your living room? S loves them too, i'm already thinking about one for his next birthday (ducks to avoid flying happy land people from those who're still to decide Xmas presents).

Still restrained from buying happy land. It's killing me.

I emailed the hamster website in my best ingratiating 'I'm a lovely person, give your hamster house to me' way. They have just replied to say they had over 500 people trying to access a site designed to 30 and they didn't have any anyway, their suppliers won't get any in until January.

Seriously though, why didn't they make enough?

Spider - yes I thought that corridor would be useful and also the garage, on snowy days when we can't get out!great news is that the large apartment is pretty booked up, looks like our best season yet.I've seen the Ikea kitchen and it's lovely , I wanted it.Ethan also loves the kitchen at toddler group but I can't justify one to ship back to the UK at some point! However I am VERY tempted by the Happyland village - what a bargain, but it will have to do for his Birthday as it will cost a fortune to send it here.Maybe we'll be in the UK by June????

Sybil - sounds like you need some "bloody" chocolate or a stiff drink!Hope J is better soon.

BDQ - I admire your restraint!

Also in favour of bi-lingualism here!! I'm used to it now but you do get strange looks out in public.Ethan hears German at toddler group, from friends and on TV, he likes Kleine Rote Traktor! But we speak to him in English. I think it's why it takes most of toddler group to get used to the German he's hearing, he comes out of his shell in the last 10 minutes, and starts singing on the way out of the door!

Sybil that sounds hellish. I will keep an eye out for a hamster house (never thought I'd ever type anything of that nature...) although it's not looking good. None in Debenhams today but that's ELC anyway, I think. Will keep an eye out for anything hamster related because from what you say I can sell even if not to you. (I'll charge you treble, mind! Only joking - but perhaps it's no joking matter, it sounds like you'd happily pay treble. )

BDQ it's such good value - how can you pass up on this?

Do you mean Tecwyn y Tractor, Deb?

• it's out of stock, are Ethan and S to be the only boys in the June group without their very own Happyland village set?

Essie - yeah that's the one ( I think)