May09 - Christmas is on it's way and Grumpycaaa is comin' to town!!

[essenceofSES]

Hope that works!

Cocktail anyone?!

momi Very civilised indeed. Are you officially middle class now?

detsy I get that. I'm tired first thing and then seem to suddenly wake up at around 9.30 and then stay on tinternet too long. I have made a not after 11pm rule recently and so no matter how interesting the online happenings are, I have to switch of the computer and go to bed. It's fairly successfull so far and I'm feeling much more awake in the morning for that extra hour's sleep

Well, we're having a quiet day today. I've got a huge amount of laundry to tackle. Then do a bit of tidying. I'm also plucking up the courage to phone my future manager (I hate that sort of phonecalls) to say Hello, possibly arrange a meeting and discuss whether my AL is transferable or not. I can't really remember what was said about that on my interview, it was mentioned, but I think it was in a "we'll talk about it closer to the day" context.

DS made me laugh this morning, btw. I was singing a line out of 'money, money, money' from Abba. It went something along the lines of wanting to find myself a rich man. Upon which ds said: "is that what you really want, mama?"

jinglebelgina- your DS - how sweet

momino- is the piano tuned? I can't stand pianos when they are a bit out.

Just had a phone call from nursery to set up DS2s settling in sessions, starting next week . Let's hope he enjoys it there.

Oh no pula That makes it so real.

pula, the piano will need tuning for certain but we've been advised to wait 6 weeks after the move for it to 'settle'. it's not too off-key and is more than bearable, luckily, for the moment.

can't believe settling in sessions already.

jinglebelg, i've got lots to do in the house as well today as dd1&2 at nursery, but finding it difficult with little miss Clingy.

i've just wasted an hour trying to find cheap train tickets - no such thing - to London for my KIT day. train fare sites aren't userfriendly so i ended up calling an automated line, hung up and rang again to speak to someone, then got transferred, etc, etc. what a palaver. £225 return trip! well, it's my employer's 'fault' for not telling me more in advance for this training session so guess they'll pay for it.

ok, H is settled after a feed. I'm going to try to get something done if she'll let me (the little madam ).

febes, already said on FB but hope you're having a great birthday today.

morning all,

Belgina so good to hear the news about your GM. Hope she makes a speedy recovery.

Happy birthday febes

Hi to everyone else am not going to attempt a full namecheck as soooo tired today, A has decided to go backwards on the sleep front and wake every 2-3 hours through the night for the last week and is up for the day at 5am. Don't know what to try to try a bit more sleep

Morning all.

Febes Happy Birthday. Hope you have a lovely day.

Momi at new piano. I want one

Pula at how close going to work is. I go back on the 4th and am going to a team meeting tomorrow. . I have just tried on my work wardrobe, and nothing fits. Literally nothing. I am so and at myself for being like this. Just had a little cry. So fed up.

Jinglebelg love the new name. Hope the laundy goes well.

How's this for a Christmas name? About the best I can come up with in my sleep deprived haze.

To clarify, that's the 4th Jan not 4th December. Now that would be scary !

X posts - Hi Running sending you more sleeping vibes. Sounds really horrible

hi everyone.. well dh has well and truly infected me with his lurgy i feel awful.. achey body, crawly skin, chesty cough, slight temp & loads of phlegm.. posting from sick bed on phone.. will be lurking for a bit until better.. x

xposts parum Have A in one hand so gonna be quick. Sorry you are feeling poo. No useful advice to offer as in same boat here.

Fi hope you recover soon xx

I think we need to open a sick bay with all the poorlies. I'm def over the worst but O woke up with a snot covered face (sorry!) and has spent all morning until now glued to me feeding/sleeping like a little newborn!

I'm hosting a meet up with some of the girls from my ttc thread tomorrow - 5 mums, 5 babies and 2 toddlers! I was planning on doing lots of cleaning and tidying today!

Tum - it's all so close isn't it? I haven't tried on much of my work stuff. I'm just such a different shape now!

Running - sorry for lack of sleep. It's just well, torture
Love your Christmas name!

Momino - piano sounds great! I used to play quite well and we have one but I haven't played it in months or probably years. I must give it a go and see how O responds!

Fi - sounds like bed is the right place for you to be. Is DH still of work to help with DC? Get well soon.

Right, I have the chimney sweep coming this afternoon so need to declutter the living room! I've never had a chimney sweep come round before. Sounds exciting but will probably be really boring!

The ironing plans have had to be delayed. I've now got a huge pile of fire wood on the (shared) drive, so better get all of that moved into our posh little firewood shed before the neighbours complain.

Sorry to hear about all the colds. We've got them all behind us for now, but winter isn't over yet, so I'm sure we'll get visitted by the snot goblin at least once more before winter is over.

running Nice name

Sleeping: Our nights aren't too great either. I think I'm partly to blame. When C wakes I sort of partly wake and put her on and only after she's suckling I have a look at the clock. As a result she fed at 3, 4, 5 and 6 . I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to just comfort her if it's only been an hour or 2 since a previous feed, but it's hard to think straight that early in the morning.

febes Hope you're having a great day today!

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the birthday wishes here and on FB. I am having a nice day. DH is home for lunch which is nice. He got me a photo mug of me with the kids on holiday when we all had swim nappies on our heads We look like Marge Simpson. We are also having a combined birthday night out just the 2 of us which we were meant to take a few weeks ago but haven't managed it yet. Maybe January???

SIL got me Tommy Girl purfume and chocolates and I also got a breadmaker from a good friend which is amazing and I can't wait to get breadmaking!!

Ses You are brave to take on 5 babies and 2 toddlers!! How much is the chimney sweep as we really want to get out fire going this winter but the chimney hasn't been used in YEARS. We got our fireplace from ebay last year and haven't used it properly yet.

Jingle So glad your Boma is ok and things were less serious than first thought.

Donkey Love the name- hope you get time to nap today. Sleep deprivation is a killer!!

Fi Oh no! I guess with DH struck down you were bound to get it at some stage. Is he around to look after you??

Tapwater I haven't been near a steriliser this time and only give tap water not boiled cooled .

Hi to everyone else.

Febes/Ses- we have had a chimney sweep round before. Think he cost £35. It was very boring- just a lot of poles put together and up the fireplace. What made us was that he put down loads of dust sheets but still managed to get the carpet dirty . We really need it sweeping again, but not sure we will get someone round before Christmas- might have to start ringing round.

Hi there,

Just popping in on the new thread. Thanks Ses.

Happy Birthday Febes Fi hope you are feeling better soon.

Sorry for the lack of name checking. I have 2 grumpy, snotty boys! Ds1 has been to nursery for the past 2 days but refused point blank to go to playgroup this morning. He's also taken to battering ds2 around the head which is a real pain. I had to put ds2 in his cot this am whilst I sorted the kitchen out. He slept for a good 2-3hrs and woke up just after I got ds1 to sleep!!

Oh yes - we have teeth here! They appeared amongst the snot the other day!!

Got to go ds2 is grumpy again!

Oh yes - Belgina great news on your grandmother You must be so relieved!

Afternoon all.

Lovely new thread. Am I too late or perhaps early, for a cocktail?? I really really need one!!

belgina am so pleased to hear your GM is ok.

febes A very happy birthday to you! Hope the paracetemol is helping with the rash.Am not envious of that hospiatl visit.

Gosh who else??? Am loving all the Xmas names too. Very clever. Really need to give it some thought.

DS1 is just back from his second taster at school and has brought a pal home. School visit went well but I think the reality of it is very different from 2x 2hr sessions ( for both of us).

Am having a major stress with nursery. We have been so so happy with DS1 nursery over the past 3 years and so the plan was for R to go there too. I KNOW I filled in and handed in a form for him to be put on the list for a feb start, but it has now emerged that they cannot find it. The manager assumed I had changed my mind - depsite me asking for the wait list form and telling all the staff that R is starting in Feb ( as well as DS1 also telling them !). R is therefore without a place in Feb. I cannot believe the incompetence. We have been in and out of there and not once has the manager said to us " so you don't want a place for R then?". YOu would have thought she would at least check! Plus I wrote to her in August to see if DS1 could be squeezed in for a few extra days and also if R could actually have a few days in Jan to settle him in. This was in writing and it raises no alarm bells with her at all. This problem could have been picked up in August - not 10 weeks before I am supposed to go back to work. I know I sent the form in, but I cannot get angry at them as I need them to find me a space!!!

We have managed to find a back up nursery space today but it makes me feel weird sending R to a different place - not because I have any doubts about the place at all (a lot of my friends have children there), but I would be so sad not to go DS1's nursery m IYKWIM.

Sorry for the rant. I am soooooo annoyed. I am still waiting for the manager to call me after I rang 2 hours ago. Admin is not one her strong points! Its the one area where they need work, other than that it is a fabulous nursery.

I can smell something emanating from R so better go.

Oh god. I am not cut out for this.

Just discovered DS1 (age 4 1/2) had done a poo on the carpet in the playroom. Poo in his pants too the pants have to go in the bin. Some things are not worth saving. I am at this. He is about to start school. I have had to put him in the shower there was so much mess.

He has just taken two of the chocolate decorations off the tree and started eating them whilst I was in the kitchen.

I have banned Mario games as a result for the next 48 hours but how else do I disclipline him when his friend is here?

And to cap it all they are now running around playing transformers and friend is shouting kill kill. Oh god how do I deal with this? Where did my peppa pig and charlie and lola little boy go? This is a nightmare.

Really sorry about the mememe posts.

Have I scared everyone off??

Anyone care to join me in a glass of wine or something stronger this evening?

headless You haven't scared me off, I was just away for the dcs swimming lessons. I was so soaking wet from the rain I looked like I'd joined them, but without taking my clothes off... I think I need a glass of wine too, make it mulled wine to warm me up I can say that I completely recognise the scenario you described (but with wee rather than poo). Last play over was a bit like that and I felt like never letting a friend come over ever again. They were just so full on the 2 boys together. The chocolate xmas tree decorations are a difficult one. I'd say remove them for now and put them back on in a little while with the message that they'll go again if eaten without permission again. That worked with my 2 anyway.

Talking about ds. He seems to be having one of those days where he keeps coming out with some true gems, lol. On the way to swimming today C was making noises in his car seat and ds said he thought she was saying she wanted to go back into my belly . He seemed very surprised when I said she's too big to fit in there now and that in fact she's more than twice as heavy as when she was born. I suppose in his eyes she's still a little baby and hasn't really grown that much yet, lol.

*Headless& I'll join you! Sounds like a nightmare day.

Loving the Christmas names.

Febes happy birthday

Jingle great news about your Gran - it must be a huge relief.

Grumpy you look fabulous in your thread-starring role, daahling

Phew. Just about caught up with goings on - I've been really busy with bits & pieces and then things like housework getting behind, so I thought I'd be saintly and do stuff like talking to DH instead of MNing all evening, but I'm missing my fix

Re sterilising just pump & bottles here (not that H will take a bottle). But I'm wondering if I've been too laissez faire (??) as H seems to have a bit of a tummy bug. Although it's probably caused by H grabbing his willy as soon as his nappy's off then, when I take his hand away, shoving it in his mouth before I can clean him up properly - nice

Right, better go and unpack shopping. DH was sent to Sainsbury's with a '£12 off a £60 spend' voucher. Last time he managed to spend £100 even with the £12 off. This time it only came to £40 and there was too much of a queue to go and get more stuff. Now he wants to go back and spend £60 on nappies so he can get the money off. Shame we're not Sainsbury's shareholders!

Evening ladies-

LadyH- sorry to hear about the nursery cock-up. Let's hope they can squeeze R in. Do you need a full-time place too?

Well I am starting some serious sleep training tonight after speaking to my HV today who says he's gaining weight well and won't stop waking if i keep feeding (although not sure how long it will take me to crack). Phase 1 (Operation Dummy) has already been completed, with relative ease. He has started playing with his dummy, but he can't replace it so gets cross, so I didn't give it him. He went to sleep without it for the first time EVER (apart from when he's fallen asleep feeding). Just one minute of grumbling and a quick shush and pat on his back and he went to sleep . I am hoping if he learns to fall asleep without it, he can settle himself at night...

Thankyou for the new thread, I'm still having to borrow DP's work laptop, so quick post from me.
DD's school asked us to bring in a brown top and brown trousers/tights, DD's nursery class are reindeers for their school play. DD had told me that they were wearing antlers and flashing noses too. Sooo I sent her in with a plain brown top and tights, but have since found out that other parents have actually sent in full reindeer costumes. They didn't actually ask for this, and if they had, then I would have bough it, but I can't afford to, tbh, not when I've already had to pay for DD's school photo's, school trip,it's the xmas fair on Friday, I don't really know what to do. I asked my friend, who lives over the road what she's sent her LO in with, and she said, brown trousers+top, AIBU to not go out and try find a reindeer costume now? Sorry for mini rant

Belgina I'm glad you're Grandma is ok

Headless Chocolates on the tree are always tempting hehe the accident, hmm maybe he was too engrossed with playing, if he doesn't normally have accidents? But all children have them, and at alot older than your DS too. Try not to worry so much

Detsy So lovely to hear from you!! Are you broody all ready? I'd love another, but I've got my hands full, and don't think I can have anymore

jael YANBU IMO. The school asked for T-shirts and tights and that's what you got. I would have done the same. Our old school used to make parents buy the T-shirts from them to prevent any such scenarios. It worked really well.

pula Good luck with Operation Dummy. C has started a similar programme herself, because she doesn't like her thumb now she's got teeth. I suspect they dig into her thumb.

spangle Lol at your DH and the shopping. But that your DH actually does the shopping!

I just went upstairs to see ds because the cat had bitten him or something. I heard dd1 shout from affar: "someone put a jigsaw on my bed" When I entered the room I saw why: she was making a jigsaw in her bed, lol. She was blaming it on a stranger entering the room taking a jigsaw and putting it on her bed . Children, hey. They can make you laugh sometimes.

Anyway. Back to the ironing