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

[spongebrainbigpants]

Welcome to our new thread .

Hope E feels better soon Deb, its rotten when they are ill. J has a cold/cough, which basically means he is throwing up a billion times a day as he coughs until he retches. Its really demoralising as he eats normally then throws it all back up over the course of an hour or so.

~You will notice that Whinegums does not scare me and last years name is staying. So ner! (Sybil runs and hides [big scaredy cat emoticon])

Sybil - throwing up a billion times a day sounds grim - hope he's better soon

sybil I want to say that's because you haven't met her, but I'm worried that'll sound rude instead of funny .

Sorry to hear about poorly babies and hope they're better soon. Deb, don't they have nativity plays etc over there? What kind of Christmas traditions do they have?

BDQ/BQW very good on the new name! Me?? Bully anyone?? Never! Glasvegas are you being a troublemaker!

Can't think of anything else to say, brain is slowly shutting down. Not so slowly in fact.

I got some mitten clips from one of the mail order places - Blooming Marvellous I think - and they are fab.

Great name BDQ

Deb poor Ethan, and poor you. I hope tonight is better. The 2 girls love taking stuff out of cupboards. It's so sweet to see them playing together though.

The nativity was ok. DD1 looked tiny, much younger than the others (she's a July baby) and exhausted. The angels were at the back and after the first few minutes she crossed her legs and stuck her thumb in her mouth. She just looked like a little girl too young to be at school. I think her ear is bothering her again.

DH and I aren't making a big deal of it, but I have to admit we did feel a bit sad. She was so excited about it and was up late last night singing all the songs in bed (probably why she was so tired). DD1 doesn't seem bothered by it so I guess that's the important thing. She's making me call her by her teacher's name at the moment. She calls me by the TA's name, and Thea is the teacher for the other reception class. So our conversation at bathtime went:

DD1: "Mrs Smith?"
Me: "Yes Mrs Jones"
DD1: "Look at Mrs Green wriggling around on her bottom"

I can't find my Christmas file!!

Aw, don't be sad Rolf. My niece was always doing stuff like that when she was younger e.g practising loads for weeks for stuff and being really excited and then getting all upset and refusing to take part on the day.

at whinegums.

I'm watching never mind the buzzcocks and swooning over David Tennant!

Rolf so DD1 is the youngest in her year? Couldn't that be the source of her struggling with school? I noticed a huge difference in the kids based on age at DS1's nativity. He's one of the youngest and the difference that 6 months makes at this age is massive. I'm so glad we're in Scotland and he'll start the year later (June birthday). They are so little to start school even up here (it's 6 months later in Canada, a year later than Scotland).

sybil I've kept last years name too.

I should take the boys into town to go swimming this morning but I'm thinking we might just go for a walk instead... I need to buy tickets to a burns night supper and I should have dropped off the cheque two days ago . But the times when it's easy for me, it's always inappropriate to go knocking on neighbour's doors.

Yes, she's one of the youngest. The cut-off is 31 Aug, so she's with children who are 10 months older than her.

There was a big thread on here not long ago about the age difference within years. Got me thinking about Luke (and all the Junies) and how they would be pretty young too. Still, my phantom one day pregnancy means that I don't have a kid born in August! Totally unrelated but isn't it weird that my sister's due date is the same as mine with Luke?

Poor Ethan Deb, Luke was the same over the weekend. He also coughs until he retches and the worst is when they are in bed and you have to strip the whole thing in the night. Hope he's better soon. Luke is on the green nose gunge stage now and the cough is slowly getting better.

Rolf, sorry you felt sad about DD. But she had such a good time preparing for the play so she probably got lots out of it - I am sure she is happy. It is hard for the youngest in the year, you should be able to keep them back if you don't think they are ready. I am cos I am really glad this baby is an Aug cos you can ship them off to school earlier . Might change my mind about that though if they don't seem ready. I am July and my dad August and I was always glad of it, like I was doing stuff early eg my GCSEs when I was still only 15 and graduating from uni when I was 20.

whinegums no miss, not me miss, it was BDQ miss. I'd never cause trouble miss.

rolf loved the bath time story - DD1 at the nativity sounds like lots of the children in nativities - so excited beforehand that they are a bit overwhelmed on the big night.

My sister is a primary teacher and they had their carol concert last week. just before they started to sing o come all ye faithful, a member of her class turned to her and asked really loudly "Mrs DS, what's a virgin's womb?". love it.

The Scottish system for school entry also has pros and cons to be honest. the youngest ones are still nearly 12 months younger than the oldest, they're just 4.5 rather than just 4. My mum (who was a reception teacher in England for years) preferred the older system of staggered entry.

The last two days as I handed the DTs over to the CM I have been quite embarrassed by how much dried snot/porridge etc was on their faces! . On Wed I'd only wiped E's face about 5 mins before but it was still crusty. Is this normal? I try to keep their faces clean but it is a bit of an uphill battle, they are never really bad but it's often that there are some crusty bits! I don't tend to ever see other people's kids with muck on their faces - do these people very diligently wipe their DC's faces and am I just lazy?

lol Neenz! I was shamed into getting off a train yesterday, as Thea was screaming the place down and was covered in porridge and snot.

Yes, DD1 loved all the preparation for the nativity. I think that there's usually one child who cries and has to be carried off stage. There wasn't one this time but DD1 did take on the role of sleepy angel!

I know other summer-born babies who don't seem so young for school, and winter-born babies who struggle. I had a friend who made sure she only ttc in months that would ensure a winter baby because of the school intake . Think that's a bit extreme though.

Just marking my place as you'd dropped off threads I'm on!

Rolf, when I first started ttc I diligently avoided ttc when baby would be due in August ! It's a teacher thing - alright for girls but a tough gig if you're a boy .

Obviously, after months then years of ttc it stopped mattering anymore!

DD1 is a June baby and was more than ready to start school. We still have staggered entry and she started in January but really would have been fine to go in september. DD is a march baby and just missed the september entry by days but hse was very happy and would have been more than happy to stay at nursery for even longer!

Hi everyone, glad to report that apart from a croaky voice ethan is improving.

The one thing I like about education here is that they don't start until they are 6 , which for Stefan was fantastic - he really wasn't ready before.

The thing I don't like BDQ is the lack of Christmas festivities in the school - no party, no carols, no nativity

Deb, why do they not celebrate xmas in any way?

Glad E is feeling better Debs. I took J to see the doc this morning as I thought he might have a chest infection but he said it is just a really nasty snotty cold. He is also now cranking up a temperature which is not helping matters, especially as he views calpol as something devil-made.

I am waiting for the snow in some desperation. If it snows dh will stay home tomorrow and help with J which will be lovely, and the kids might get a snow-day which would be an early christmas present for them!

Deb happy 18 month birthday to Ethan. Time flies doesn't it?

Rolf thanks for sharing the bath time story, it made me chuckle. Some of the things your DD1 does sound so bright and funny. Glad you have a plan to wait till after Christmas.

My Mum was a reception teacher and was always very much in favour of waiting before they start school. I think twenty years ago there was more flexibility about it, and she would get parents keen to get their September born children into school when they were still 3 years 11 months. She really thinks that starting them so young does them no favours. The worst case though was a mother who lied about her DS's age to get him in (it was a private school so not sure how the registration process worked). My Mum was worried about his development thinking that there was something wrong with him. Eventually it turned out that he had started school at 3 years 9 months, and the mother had said he was 4 years 9 months. No wonder he wasn't able to keep up. This woman had done this because the school fees were cheaper than the cost of full time nursery . This little boy also once asked my Mum whether to take his reading home to "his Mummy with the make-up" or "his real Mummy". Tragically the "real" Mummy was the au pair. A few years later this woman walked out on her husband and three children. Very sad and disturbing.

Sorry, got a bit carried away there.

A hat and gloves that I ordered for P arrived today. The hat is lovely, but despite having ordered the 18month - 3 year size it is too small. It says it is for a head circumference of 50cm, and so I measured P and he came out as 51cm. Wondering whether this is a realistic size for something that should last till 3 years I checked the WHO head centile charts, and it turns out that P's head size is right on the 99.6th percentile. There is probably a bit of inaccuracy in my measurements, but non the less I am now having to order the next size up which is for 4 - 12 years olds. Madness.

There was other stuff I was going to mention, but I have forgotten.

Spider, at the 4-12yrs hat and at the stupid woman who put her kids in school cos it was cheaper than nursery! Poor child .

Sybil, how's the snow? We had a bit but it has gone now I think. It's pretty cold though!

I had to leave work early again tonight (and yesterday) cos DH was stuck in court and couldn't get the kids. I have to leave 90 mins early so it is taking the piss really. My boss is very understanding but really where do they draw the line? I can't exactly keep working six-hour days. I offered to take half a day's holiday but he said no. usually PILs pick them up if DH can't but they are away. I feel like saying to my boss 'don't worry I am PG again and I won't be coming back after this one!' But it does make more of a case for me quitting work altogether (which I am more or less decided on anyway).

I bought E an iggle piggle doll today for christmas cos she has recently become very obessessed with ITNG (she has two ITNG books which she carries everywhere with her). But they only had one so I bought T a little cash register instead cos he is not so bothered about ITNG (he even hands E the books back if she drops them - bless). When I got home I thought I'll just show her the doll to see if she likes it (cos wasn't sure whether it was just the books she likes) - well they both went mad for the doll so I have had to buy another for T. Got one on ebay thankfully - would not have been good on Christmas morning for E to have opened that only for T to want it too!

Sponge - They do celebrate Christmas but it's the "Christkind"(Christchild) that brings the presents on 24th about teatime so there's no Father Christmas to visit etc... some schools do more Christmas activities but our new head teacher is pretty miserable. Stefan has participated in 3 Christmas plays/productions - 1 here when they had a head on secondment(fantastic outdoor nativity in traditional Austrian dress in the snow with Gluhwein and Christmas market) and 2 in the UK in Nursery and Reception. Obviously there are church services being a Catholic country, but not being Church people doesn't help.I could go on and on about the primary school!!!!

Sybil - hope you get the snow and dh is off with you tomnorrow, it';s no fun looking after a poorly child

Spider - the real mummy story is so sad, and poor P needing the next size hat, I'll measure Ethan tomorrow.

Neenz - lol at the dolls, good job you showed them!

ps. Just opened a big parcel that we had couriered over with presents etc from family and Mil had put in 2 boxes of Cadburys celebrations - how heavenly that there are creme egg sweets in there, what a surprise!Wonder if they'll last till Christmas?

crap - Fraser just erased everything I'd typed.

as a bright but youngest in my year kid, I think that it's the social side which is hard on kids when they are the youngest and although some might be fine, I really do think it's much easier to be the middle of the year. Not only that but there's evidence in Canada that the ones who are older are much more successful in sports just because of the age advantage - it becomes really obvious when you look at the birthdays of the hockey players in the Canadians Junior League (16-19 year olds, professional league with a draft).

Glasvegas there is a staggered entry for nursery in Scotland at least. but it's more than 12 months because so many parents defer if their kids are born in january or feb and a few even defer the nov-dec ones. There's two kids being deferred in the year above DS1 who will be back with him next year - both boys. So maybe the problem is what happens to the ones who don't defer - then they are even younger compared to their peer group. And a working mum would be far less likely to defer than a stay at home mum - £8K less likely...

neenz re picking up the twins - I know exactly what you mean, it was a huge frustration for me too.

Its a snow day!!!!!!

Yippee!! (although obviously not for working mums)

Right, have to go as there are snow men to build and even j is going to get a little go in the snow. He is looking very cute in his Bob the Builder snow suit and wellies!

It's interesting to read what you all have to say about children who are young for their cohort. We don't have staggered entry, so they all start in September. DD1 was 4 six weeks before she started full-time school . I don't think state schools have any discretion to let them start the following year, either. I know a couple of people who have enquired about it and they've been told that if they keep the child back a year, they will start in yr 1.

Having said that, I know of one lady who brought her child in on the first day, saw how hysterical he was and that he just wasn't ready to start school and said to the teacher "oh, he's far too young for this, I'll bring him back next year". And she did! They tried to tell her the following September that he had to go into year 1, but she just announced with confidence and authority that she'd looked it up and she was allowed to put him in reception, and managed to blag her way into getting her way .

The only other person I know who has managed it did it by moving her child into the private sector and moving him back a year, and it was just what the child needed.

We had a bit of snow last night but it didn't stick. It's bloody cold though. I'm getting party food ready today for DS1's birthday tomorrow.