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

[spongebrainbigpants]

Welcome to our new thread .

Too much for my sleep deprived brain to keep up with but will try and remember some things!

sybil, my privacy settings are really locked down on FB but you should be able to access me through someone else's account. My name is C l a r e D a n d o. Look forward to seeing you on there!

AH, I totally feel your pain on the catering thing - pre-children we lived in a four bed house and were the only ones who had the room to host so we ended up doing it quite a few times, one time for ten adults! It is bloody expensive and I did feel a bit resentful that no one even offered to chip in, and thought that a bottle of wine was enough to bring . Tricky one .

PP, you sound like you're having a great time! Your comment about the barn reminded me of one of my favourite school stories - my classroom used to have a door opening onto the playground and the kids were forever leaving it open ! One day I walked into the classroom and the door was open again, so I said, "ok kids, who was born in a barn?" which is what my dad always used to say to me when I left the front door open. Quick as a flash one of the kids turned round and said, "Jesus?"!!! It wasn't even Christmas time bless him!

Had a lovely time here yesterday morning with Spider and P - P and A played so well together, it was an absolute joy listening to them laughing and giggling and obviously sharing some private jokes that we couldn't understand!

Thankfully they left before the snow came - what a mental night!

Right, off to tidy my tip of a house - no rest for the wicked.

ktpie, x-posted again!

A now likes to sit on his changing mat rather than lie down - makes it a little difficult to wipe his bum!

sybil I'm listed as a facebook friend of sponge and essie - first name t r i s h.

OK, have sent friend message to Essie - I have same first name as Abdn. I also need to put a picture up...

I've accepted you Sybil. (That sounds so very self-important!)

Ktpie yes, nappy changes are a big performance here. He normally refuses, flips over, screams and writhes; unless it's pooey, in which case he kicks his legs and tries to dig his heels into the poo. He is so not going to be socially acceptable when he grows up.

Hollybrain (!) YES! We say 'born in a field' for people leaving doors open. I've never yet come across anyone (not Welsh speaking) who uses the same/similar phrase.

My house is a barn - but actually it was a stable when I was a child. I remember it being a riding stables business! But it was built as a barn - with two levels at one end and external stone stairs to the granary (they're still there - that's why I have an outside door in my bedroom). In Aberystwyth I lived in a stable. I clearly have Issues with farm buildings!

Lol Essie! Well, you know we used to live in Wales so perhaps that's where my dad picked it up from!

sybil, have added you and sent friends suggestions to all those on MN and FB!

Sybil - have added you. I really should update FB with some recent photos. Since I last put any on there J has had a few haircuts and grown a fair bit and I have developed a massive bump (or perhaps that is a good reason not to update!)

On the FB topic - Puree - (where are you by the way?) what's this about packing a hospital bag? Has made me feel a bit panicky, I was leaving any sort of baby organisation until after Christmas! Haven't actually got a carseat yet for babba so it had better not come early, hoping to borrow my friends again.

Sponge - I'm familiar with the being born in a barn phrase. Not field though Essie!

Glad it's not just me struggling with nappy changing, what we need is some sort of toddler straight jacket/change mat combo.

Blimey, its a bit stressful this facebook business. I have no idea who anyone is. Although you are all gorgeous I need to find an acceptable photo and then work out how to put it on so you can all see me.

Didn't Neenz have some kind of strap on her change mat or did I make that up?!

LOL at a strap on a changing mat - surely the baby would just carry around with them as they wiggle - Sponge you really need some sleep!

It wasn't me but there definitely was someone with a strap on the change mat - wasn't it Essie? I always change t and e on the floor and I pin their arms underneath my legs so they can't wriggle about. Most of the time now I don't have to do it, they just lie still, just the threat of pinning seems to do the trick!

I have some friends in Lancs whose Asda deliveries weren't made yesterday because the snow was too bad . It even snowed here overnight and it never snows here so can't imagine how bad it is elsewhere!

My gran always used to say 'were you born in a barn?' She was from Oldham (Lancs).

I took t to doc's this morning cos he was up coughing quite bad in the night, but it is only a virus. He woke at 5am coughing, I gave him nurofen and sat with him for 5 mins and he went back to sleep but he was awake again moaning and coughing 30mins later so I gave him 2.5ml Medised and that did the trick. He woke Esther too tho but she spent about an hour singing 'Winkle winkle wittle wah' and then she went back to sleep and we all had a lie-in till 9am

My two are not eating much either at the moment. Pretty much every day E has the same thing - porridge with banana for breakfast, rice cake with soft cheese for lunch (after refusing whatever main meal I offer) plus yogurt, then toast and a slice of cheese for tea. She has fruit too but it is not very varied is it. I used to live in vegemite sandwiches and orange juice at that age so not too worried about her. She just takes one look at what I offer and shakes her head!

Adbn, lol at your friend getting pg so she doesn't have to go back to work. There is only 15mths between me and my youngest sister (we are DC3 and 4) but that is only cos my mum wasn't very good with contraception. There is nothing feminist about doing a job you don't want to do - the whole point of feminism is that we get to do anything we want, whether that's running a multinational corporation or being a SAHM .

Hi all - I'm unemployed!!!! If there was ever anything to make me feel better about not going to work it was the commute home last night. I didn't think I was going to make it. Thankfully Mark had driven to work and left early so he picked up Luke from nursery. I would never have made it.

I had a champagne send off an a nice card which I wasn't expecting. Didnt get emotional unyil I read one of the comments from one of my favourite people who wrote I was the reason why she stayed. Still, I have just got out of bed where I was watching Only Fools and Horses - can't do that at the office!

PP - welcome back!!!! You do sound awfully happy hun - so pleased everything is working out for you. Can't wait to hear Ryder's NZ accent if you come back for hols! I am already on cycle 1 (which basically means taking birth control pills to stop you ovulating).

Lots of ill littl'uns at the mo - hope everyone gets better before Christmas day. Luke also has a cough and cold but he's OK in himself thankfully.

Luke sleep talks! I thought the first time was a one off but he did it again last night. He shouted out Door! and Doggie! Mark went in and said he was sound asleep - how funny is that?!

I feel everyone's nappy changing pain. I usually end up with more poo on me these days than the nappy. Luke still does not produce nuggets. There was definitely a strap in nappy changer on this thread.

Essie - I also say born in a barn but field makes much more sense!

Off to look af FB now. I must upload Luke's hairdo! Sybil - I'm Amber Cutayar but I expect you've worked that out already

PS Aberdeen - I hear the snow is bad up there - how is it? Kent is fairly awful.

PPS - I forgot to say re deliveries - our Xmas Ocado (Waitrose) delivery turned up at 1am last night! He still had one other delivery to make about 10 miles away. Blimey. We also ordered some cabinets which turned up at 11pm.

Hi everyone, mil finally here, mum and stepdad drove her through the snow this morning to the airport, but the plane couldn't land due to high wind, so her plane was diverted to another airport 150 kms away, and then they were bussed back to Salzburg. She was in a real panic as you can imagine, but we waited around and did our food shop, but had to send messages to the boys as we wouldn't be here when they got back in etc etc... but she's here now and baking my Birthday cake despite being up since 1.00 this morning. What a star, think I'll have to send her to bed when she's finished.

Reindeer dust or this one We used to make it in Nursery in glass jars(old baby food ones collected through the year from parents)and layer it , so porridge pats, then glitter, then sugar, then glitter etc...., cover the top with a festive piece of material and tie on the poem from the 1st site. We sprinkle it on the lawn/snow on Christmas eve when we go out for a walk and see the lights round the village, when we get home Santa has dropped a dvd down the chimney on his way to another country for the boys to watch on Christmas eve

Yes, it was me with the changing mat! It's the rabbitts one. However, we don't use it because Iestyn goes into a tantrum if I try to strap him in. He goes into a tantrum rather a lot... he's also learnt to shake his head to say no, which is the first response to anything at all.

Neenz ok, I feel a bit better now that you've said E is the same with eating. Iestyn usually has weetabix for breakfast, but it declines from there. Tea yesterday was 2 babybels, half a flapjack bar (Hipp organic) and a Hipp organic raspberry yoghurt dessert. He's been refusing yoghurt. He still slept until 8.15 though!

OK, a totally gross question for you all. How can I get dried on snot from his nose? He had a hideous nose yesterday and today, and he won't stand prolonged wiping or rubbing. I tried to scratch it off but he screamed. Hot water on a flannel didn't do it.

These tantrums are very trying, though.

Essie - Luke is always covered in snot. I use a sponge (not the MN member!) with warm water and move it back and forth sideways really fast. You need to be harsh but it's over in 15 seconds and all the snot is gone. I then put some moisturser on him!

I love that Reindeer food - how adorable.

Snow's fine here, we've only got a couple inches, but horrible in the city 10 miles away. It took DH 1.5 hours to get to work instead of 25 minutes and at 11am they all got an email saying "go home".

essie i find that the best thing to dissolve snot is fresh snot!

Marking my spot - there's, oh shite S is about to break the tv must go!

Sybil - just sent you a friends request. My initials are AB.

Hello everyone else.

PP lovely to hear from you.

Great to see Sponge yesterday but I did just miss her and her miracles on the tv. We are in different regions.

Sybil, I think I've sent you a friend request my initials are LT.

Snowing here, not looking forward to complicated travelling tomorrow, Charlotte, Mum and I going to Dumfrieshire in the am, DH is picking up my GPs after work and bringing them down. My sister and BIL are attempting to drive up from Herts, near Luton airport (so who knows when they'll arrive!) then finally my Dad is driving up from Wilmslow on Christmas Eve.

Sister has some of the supplies, but Mum has the turkey and I've got the vino and cheese, so at least we're going to have the important part of the meals if it all goes pear shaped!

Viva does her central belt scotland crew special hand movement and waits for whinegums and BDQ to join in....

Had to laugh at the idea of Amber using me to wipe Luke's nose!

I assume that you had the day in bed cos Luke was in nursery? I'm surprised they were open! Ours was closed owing to the fact they were stranded there all night with loads of kids - how hellish must that have been ?

Spider, I will try and youtube is sometime and bore you all. It was a lovely piece but I looked soooooo bloody tired it was quite scary .

santa, good luck with the journey - I don't envy you .

Uh oh, DH is trying to construct the flat
pack toy kitchen that P is getting for Xmas. He is currently struggling with step 9 of 43. Could be a long night. Tempted to go to bed and leave him to it. Any help I offer despite being useful is out weighed by being annoying. Maybe it's the way I offer it.