January 2009 - New year, new buns in various ovens and time for our not so little ones to turn one!

[SherryMerryLennipillar]

Happy 2010 everyone! Cast your mind back to this time last year... [soppy]

Too much wine - excuse for thread title should it be shite rubbish when I read it tomorrow. Thought it was time to wave goodbye to the festive one, although perhaps we should have waited for epiphany?

Moose - that is what I call a good day! You kicked ass girlie, good on you. I am sooooo pleased you got your walker. Yay to dd for her steps. H is taking some with her walker too, they look so pleased. Am going to try the play group tomorrow. I've washed my hair now so at least I can take mi hat off! [grin

House is a pit of danger and germs. Trust me . We do have nice curtains though

Yes, I certainly seem to have some pink bunting. I love it as it has pale green in it too - my wedding colours In my defense dd's bedroom is lemon and she is a paid up member of the pink stinks campaign. Everything in this house is cream. Sometimes I crave a splash of colour. So I buy a coffee coloured throw

H clawed her way back up to just over the 9th, after dipping down to the 2nd. Which from a 50th start is a fair old drop. Today she has eaten 6 olives, 1/4 a cheesy breadstick [seems we are on a dairy challenge as she grabbed it and scoffed it when I wasn't looking] and about 6 spoons of readybrek. And 24 oz of milk.

Fairy appetite!

H has really developed this week. She seems to be taking being one very seriously. SHe has left behind some baby stuff, and taken on some toddler stuff. Like pointing, and nodding her head, waggling her finger [I do thi swith 'no' - she thinks it's hysterical] and trying to copy what I say. We have 'there'. It's more like a big sigh out for her. V cute.

Hi Tree

To be fair the only thing I really did today was sorting out the bullying. Twas long past overdue though and I feel so much better. Ds1 seems so much more relaxed and happy now that he's been heard, believed and protected.

Dd loves trying to copy what we say at the moment. Another favourite is pointing at everything in sight and saying "dat, dat, dat". I think she's trying to say 'that'.

She was very cute when we went to pick up ds1 from chess club today, sat in her pushchair staring intently at the door and shouting "TACTIIIIIC" (Patrick) over and over, much to the amusement of several other parents. She got really cross because they were 15 minutes late out, but gave him the biggest smile when he came through the door. Fair warmed the cockles of me 'eart it did.

Oh - and yes, you do have lovely curtains.

Moose - take some credit. You felt pants yesterday and today have sorted your post disaster, seen your mum, spotted new toothy, noticed you lovely girl doing lovely things, had a warm heart and completely changed your childrens experience of school. Not bad really!

Actually our play room is colourful. And we have some red/wine type stripes on the kitchen armchairs. Yay! I am not a beige biscuit!

OOO and the bathroom is white. Ok, so soon I am painting it.....er.....cream. But still. I tried it white.

Our whole house was lovely magnolia woodchip when we moved in. We have redid the living room in 2 colours of Farrow and Ball cream when I was pregnant with dd. Although to be fair, it is accented with a lovely dark red colour courtesy of the sofa, detail in the curtains and a new Klimt Tree of Life tapestry which we hung above the sofa the day before dd's birthday.

The bathroom is still bare plaster, since we had it refitted 2 years ago . The toilet is still magnolia on the top half but we bought the lovely laura ashley pink paint to do the tongue and groove and then decided we preferred it woodwashed after we gave it a coat of emulsion to prime the wood.

The boys' room is scarily bright (as in you need sunglasses to go in there) yellow, which is ds1's favourite colour, with a blue ceiling and big sun lampshade.

Our room is half magnolia woodchip/half bare plaster and the kitchen is magnolia paint slapped directly over years and years of other emulsion, which was applied directly onto the bricks - so no plaster at all - I hate it!

Don't get me started on dd's room. We are still arguing about discussing it.

Another thing I did today was agree the boys can have a birthday party each. (Their birthdays are 8 days apart.)

So, ds1 wants a Scooby Doo party and we have discussed setting up a mystery for his friends to solve, although I have no clue how to go about it as yet. I did see a Scooby Doo bouncy castle for hire the other day for £50 a day thought so that might be an idea. My only concern is that some of the boys in his class were saying Scooby Doo is for babies a few weeks back. I was surprised as I don't even like ds1 to watch is as I think its too scary. [overprotective mummy emoticon]

Ds2 still wants a pirate party and we have agreed on a treasure hunt complete with maps and clues, with each one leading to items for the guests' party bags and the last one leading to a pirate pinata loaded with goodies. Fortunately Mum seems to have come back to the fold today and has said I can have them at her house as mine is too small - just my step dad to convince now then.

I must be mad after dd's party shenanigans.

OOo I like the sound of your house Moose. I am now quite liking the colour pf plaster, having looked at it soooo long wher the tiles should be. In fact, F&B have plaster as a colour don't they. So actually we are a bit Homes and Gardens dontchaknow.

Parties sound mint. Make it easier by serving blinis and smoked salmon instead of warm food to the adults.

If you are giving the adults the kind of scooby snacks they gave scooby, I'm gatecrashing Apparently popular conspiracy theories range from hash brownies to lsd. My ex wrote a paper on how Scooby Do was actaully a subversive message to the proletariat to rise up against to modern drug of credit. Apparently Shaggy and Scooby were kept addicted to 'snacks' to ensure they did the menial dangerous work of the proletariat....yup, he was really interesting on faaaar too many cups of special-anti-altitude-sickness tea up the bloody Andes

All I wanted was a pair of Ginas to go disco dancing in Those were the days.

I am banning adults this time I think. Frankly the children were better behaved!

Hmm, your ex may have a point though Tree.

morning

well done moose - that is great there you spoke to headteacher

i was bullied @ junior and secondary nothing is ever done!!!

hi tree

bracken started on 75th centile abit of a shock 8bls7ozs!!!!

now on 2nd centile she is tall though 70cms
dd1 dropped down centile too fussy eating in the genes me and dh were both fussy
children!!
bracken is a ganet complete opossite o her sister with eating yells @ you if she just sees food and wants it right now!!!

Stopping in very quickly - Moose we had a pirate theme for DS's half of DD/DS/s party. I hid chocolate coins (treasure!) in the balloons before I blew them up and then we had a treasure hunt and they hunted through the balloons to find one with treasure in. Once they all had one I popped them for them so they could eat the coins. It was a bit out of leftfield but they really enjoyed it. Not sure how would work with older kids - oldest I had were about 7-8 and they joined in but weren't as enthusiastic as the 3 year olds and 5 year olds.

I also bought some pirate flags on cocktail sticks and stuck them in the party food - they were fab. I have loads left which I would post you but there is the not knowing where you live issue perhaps I'll post them to 'Moosemama, somewhere in the Midlands' and hope for the best!

Oh - and I have to talk to you all later about the nightmare that is DD and preschool. I am spending most of my mornings in tears atm - left her this morning crumpled in a heap behind the school door screaming to be let out I am giving it another week I think. PITA as preschool is her school (they go to reception class for the morning) and it's such a lovely school. Only 30something kids there and all really friendly children - no problems at all ever with bullying, being left out etc. as there are so few of them it is all very closely managed. I can't face the thought of her not settling there.

Oh Lenni, you poor thing ((hugs)). If it helps, there was a little girl in ds1's preschool group that screamed every time her mum left and had to be literally peeled off her. The staff used to distract her when her Mum left and she would be fine after that.

She is now a very happy, well integrated member of her class and has been since Reception year. I think she just needed a bit longer than the other children to get used to the whole thing.

Does she just do the two and a half hour session?

Ds2's party is looking like being 8 5/6 year olds, 2 7/8 year olds and a 9 year old!

Ds1's wants 10 7/8 year olds, 2 5/6 year olds and a 9 year old, but, bearing in mind who some of the those 7/8 year olds are, I think we will have to do have a serious heart to heart, cos there 'aint no way 2 of them in particular are being let loose in either my Mum's or my house!

Books- Thanks, she did have a check about 9 1/2 months as thats when we moved house, so when we switched health visitors they gave her one then! Is there another mile stone check up, or just if and when i fancied taking her. No idea how much esme weighs.

Moose- Esme MUST have a good metabolism, as is in a mix of 6-9 months & 9-12 months. But has legs that go on for EVER!! (jealous, moi?)

Tink- funny that your DD's are so diff with eating habits. Good that Bracken into everything though!

Tree- i have to agree, your house decor is gorgeous!

Lenni- (((hug))) Poor you! What do they say she's like while your gone? Esme went through a phase of not liking being left in the Creche (see below) perhaps its a phase??

Before Christmas i started trying to see if Esme would like an hour in the creche at the gym (its a nursery attached to the gym but they'll take a child for an hour if they have the capacity) she went twice, and was fine, then the next two times SCREAMED the house down apparently (why the hell they didnt come and get me, i don't know!) anyway, so i left it until this week, and tried again. Shes moved up from the babies to the toddlers room. anyway, she ADORED it on Tuesday, and went this morning too. Am made up! So i can now say swim on a Tues, and Pilates on a Thurs.... Also means even more socialising time for DD! Brilliant!

my girls are different look wise and pesonality wise 2!!

esme sounds like she is doing well in creche

lenni - sure she is ok once they distract her

Lenni ((((hugs))))) I had dd1 crying all last term so I know how sick and heavy the feeling is. How is your back btw? I don't think I have ever asked

Flying through, Thursday is busy day. Pta, school run then gym. So out 2.30 till 5.30. H cried the whole time because she can't nap [hmmm]

You have inspired me to weigh and measure dd. She was 69.9 cms long and weighed 19lb 2oz although both measurements were done at home so not 100% accurate.

It means she is hovering around the 9th centile for height and weight.

dp took c to be weighed and measured this week, and she is 72cm and 19lb 11oz. have to go downstairs now, in case my coughing wakes her up. back later

hi

bracken weighed 15lbs8 a few weeks ago and the other day she measured 70cms in height

Just thought, she was fully dressed, including nappy and holding a building brick as well when I weighed her. Not very scientific, especially as they are always weighed naked at the baby clinic.

Well I have had the afternoon from hell. Ds2, who is 5 years old and in year 1, has been sent home with both literacy and numeracy homework on top of the spellings and reading two books he already does every night. Apparently its a new school policy and all year ones will be getting them every week from now on. I am so against this. He is already exhausted after a day at school and really doesn't need an hour of homework on top. Ds1 didn't have anything like this amount of homework until year 2 and I thought it was too much then.

So I have spent over an hour and a half sat with both boys to the kitchen table doing homework with them while dd screamed (and I mean screamed) the place down no matter what I did with her. She didn't stop when I held her, when I gave her a drink, when I offered her milk (she refused it), when I gave her a rice cake (she threw it on the floor) when I put her in her swing on full speed (that usually makes her sleep in spite of herself). In the end I had to leave her in her swing while the poor boys tried their best to concentrate through her screams. It was sooo stressful. I think it could be her other canine coming through - either that or she's coming down with something, as its really out of character for her. She hasn't really eaten properly at all this week either, she just wants grapes, bananas and either yofus or yoghurts. Everything else has been fed to the dogs or thrown across the room.

On the upside, dh has just arrived home earlier than expected and she is so pleased to see him she appears to have forgotten her bad mood and has tucked into home made veggie lasagne followed by a yoghurt. Maybe she was just missing her daddy and objecting to the change in routine.

Typical, I have her screaming for hours on end, Daddy walks in the door and she's all sweetness and smiles.

Stripey, have you been to the GP at all? Sounds like you could have a chest infection.

Gawd I have no idea how long dd2 is.

DD1 is at consultant tomorrow, so finers crossed she has grown a bit.

H a bonkers baby here too. Is it the phase of the moon? The top two front teeth are just sat there, so maybe they are getting her down. She certainly wouldn't be put down today, everytime I tried she went into full screams. DD1 never did anything like this full on demon lashing out and screaming all over the place. It's bonkers!

Sounds hard work and full on Moose. You must be knackered. DD wanted to read her book, which she did, but when it got to the phonice she just hadn't the will. Too tired after gym and school. Do you do the full lot with the boys everynight?
At the mo I am just picking out the book, or the list of words, or the phonics. Trying to keep it to 10 mins.

Baby wearing women, pics on fb of a poncho made especially for slings. Fabby!

Poor you stripey. You must feel rubbish.

Hola! Sorry been a bit AWOL, busy, erm, trying to sleep and get on with the life of a zombie...............

So, finally took Z to the GPs today and he has a raging ear infection (which I suspected yesterday) so is on antibiotics for the first time in his life.
I know its not set in stone, but one of my main reasons for feeding him so long was to prevent this, DD got loads of ear infections when I stopped feeding her at 6mths and is only just growing out of them now. I really thought BF would help so am a bit. GP was nice though and really sympathetic, offered me a sedative too but I declined as he is full of other drugs atm.
I did actually get about 5hrs sleep last night, so feeling mildly human today.

Ebay purchases arrived- well pleased!

Moose- hurrah for you walker turning up and clever DD! and about the situation at school. Brave lady about the separate parties!

Tree- PMSL at H eating olives and cheese straws, she'll be expecting a dry martini with her canapes next P.s Your house is lush, I seriously covet your table and chairs!!!!!!!!!!

Lenni- about DD, what moose says makes sense. there are kids like this at DD's pre-school, where if I did duty I noticed that they totally calmed down and just got on with it within minutes of mum leaving. Still, that doesn't help with how you feel, it is heart-wrenching. Is your back better?

Stripey- get well soon.

Books- Hope that Booklet had a superb birthday, didn't post yesterday but didn't want you to think I'd forgotten

All the DD's seem teeny and so delicate compared to the big beefy boys, I'm sure if Lenni, Me, MissJ, Gumps, HZ and 120 got our lads measured and weighed they would seem enormous!!! Z is in 12-18mths clothes and chunky as ever, don't think he weighs as much as N and D but not sure anymore! He had cleared 20lbs by 6 months though

IN OTHER NEWS: On tuesday they discovered something at nursery that Zach won't eat!!! I know, who would have credited it This is an absolute first, but apparantly he won't touch cold tuna (will have it hot in a pasta bake etc) but not cold on a baked spud! Lets hope he stays like this through the toddler years (Tink, I hope DD1 grows out of it soon, must be hard for you but you sound relaxed about it, good that Bracken makes up for it!)

I really can't believe the amount of work your DSs are bringing home with them Moose. Last time I had a form group I am pretty sure they weren't doing that much since most of them seemed to be able to complete it all in registration period and they were Year 9's i.e. 13-14 year olds. I think there used to be a policy of no more than an hour a night for KS3 pupils and nothing at weekend.

Tink - She is calm after about 10 minutes or so but weepy on and off. I only leave her for 2.5 hours.

They tell me she is fine, as I would if I was in their position, they want to reassure me. And she does seem to enjoy the activities. It is such a terrible experience though, the complaining starts as soon as she wakes up and goes on for an hour and half before we even get in the car, then the whole journey she screams and cries and carries on when we get there until she is completely hysterical. I'm not putting her through it if things don't improve by half term. She is going 3 days a week so I would think that is enough to settle her really?? Argh!

My back is okay Tree - and my ankle completely fine too! And no more fainting! My nephew does the full on screaming at the slightest attempt to put him down when he's having a clingy day, I find it so wearing just for 10 hours, I have no idea how you cope. You are treemendously amazing.

Stripey - does indeed sound like you need some TLC and ABs, hope you are better soon and get yourself to the doctor asap! In the meantime I think a hot toddie might be in order. How do you spell toddie? I have no clue.

DS is about 83cm and weighs somewhere around 26lbs. He is taller than DD was at 2yo and she was on the 91st centile for height. I have no idea where his genes have come from, my family are all pretty average heightwise and DH is 6ft but his parents are also both average and his grandparents little. He is so chubby at the moment, he has a bottom like a bulging peach - it sticks out a mile. And his belly is a proper little beer gut. I love pot bellied babies.

X-posted Lenni- Awwww, DS sounds so Chunkily lovable, shame I can't give him a squeeze in half-term.

Car journey sounds bad, have you tried story CD's, music she likes to have a sing-along?

Moose- Our KS3 policy is 2-3 lots of 20 min H/W a night plus longer projects for holidays. so yes, it does sound excessive!

actually not feeling so bad this evening, although i have a very irritating cough. it's more throat than chest though, i think, moose, and i think it's probably just the end of the hideous cold i've had for the last week. will be better soon, i'm sure.

sorry to hear about the little screamers - we had a spot of this earlier this evening, flat out rejection of the notion of bed, but she has gone to sleep now, have fingers crossed she won't rejoin us till the morning. she is more of a shouter than one for flinging herself about - but it makes me feel like my brain is shortcircuiting after a couple of minutes anyway. i think the wonder week is supposed to be over now, right? doesn't particularly seem like it is to me... i'm with you on the development thing, tree, she is working on it very hard at the moment, really small things like turning things one way up and then the other in a really considered way. in between screaming 'cat, cat, cat' and chasing the poor beggars around the house... we also think she had a slight cruise this evening (i feel really weird using the phrase in this way, in my head it's something that gay men do)

that last bit is quite like a stream of consciousness, isn't it?

lenni, i'm sorry the preschool is stressing poor dd. i hope she settles to it soon

moose (and tree) - the homework just sounds appalling. poor little things.

books, hope the headache is lifting