October 08 - Got ourselves some crying, talking, sleeping (sometimes!) walking, living dolls.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Well somebody better start the new thread, so might as well be me!

No stats this time .

dusting.

oh crikey i'm definitely a once a week hooverer (or at least my husband is)

Star i am an environmental consultant (do environmental impact assessments, management systems and that kind of thing, mainly for the oil exploration industry). It should be interesting, but its always stressy, and the atmosphere in the office is not what it used to be as we got bought out by a much bigger company... we were also going into the recession when i came back to work. We are busy again now... Hopefully the atmosphere will pick by the time i have to come back again

I'm not going to participate in this conversation until you stop talking about such ridiculous ideas as hoovering once a week...more like once a month if that in our house...

star - have you asked your GP whether Q might have asthma? I'm not sure quite how it exhibits itself in toddlers, but just a thought.

Was thinking yesterday about perkypopsy (because garden centre is in town that she lived in) - was ronshar in touch with her off board?

Check up and scan at clinic yesterday showed baby breech at the moment, so would like some turning vibes please, as too lazy to stand on my head or whatever else is required to get it to do it. Ds turned 3 times between now and the next few weeks mind, so I'm not overly worried yet.

Oh and I tend to vacuum at least bits of breakfast room and kitchen every day or two, but only because the dc drop so much food when they are eating. Then the whole house gets done once a week by the cleaner.

csws you're talking sense about the hoovering.
I'm really afraid of him having asthma, because I had it as a child and it is a very scary thing. More so than people realize.
I want it ruled out, really. Dr said it could be - but won't be diagnosed for a while yet and nothing we can do aside of inhaler he already has for wheezes/difficult breathing in coughing fits (only once in a while he needs to use it - but it's dead scary when he does ).

LOL at pepper!

Blimey - I just went to look at the pics . She's so young to be in a smart uniform!

I don't think they will diagnose asthma until 3 or something, but it is worth asking about as i know good friends of ours had an inhaler for their toddler before that point as a precaution.

ekka - I went there!!! Probably still got my boater somewhere!

We have already been given an inhaler over the winter at some point when he was wheezing a lot - it's just the basic one with the spacer, no big steroids (thank god) but it does help when his coughing gets to the more barking sound and he is struggling to get breaths. Those coughing fits are the worst ones adn don't happen as often, so luckily we don't have to use it that much.

They won't diagnose asthma for a while yet - 3 sounds about right, Ksal. But I wish they would just tell me they think he does or doesn't so I can stop worrying or just get used to it.

I sweep a lot.
I feel like the floors just get sooo dirty all the time! Dh doesn't see it at all and says they look fine, but I can always see the little specks. I wish I didn't!

Your dd is beautiful, ekka

Tell me about it - how soon before I'm shelling out another fortune for that blazer?!?! We bought her the biggest one she could sensibly wear but I can just see her having a growth spurt so it only lasts a short time.... Its a nursery attached to a school, so the uniform is (roughly) the same throughout, but it does make her look v grown up. Can you get pre-emptive 'empty nest syndrome'? The sports kit is the one that makes me laugh though - its all the age 1-2 size and yet she is swamped. V funny!

Pepper - I hadn't realised you went there, did you enjoy it?

Star, I work on the basis that a bit of dirt helps their immune systems and in theory reduces the rate of illness and allergies etc (though ds is hardly living proof). I sweep the dining room after every meal as ds likes to crawl around under the table and eat scraps otherwise and downstairs gets swept/vacuumed probably every couple of days, then I vacuum upstairs once a week.

Btw - dd had an inhaler and had to go on steroids a few times when she was little and every time she had a major teething bout, but she seems to have grown out of that now. Occasionally she has a little wheeze, but nothing too bad, so it might be something Q grows out of. I hope so....

Oh yes, wish us luck for her first day tomorrow - we normally have lunch at 1, but tomorrow we have to have eaten lunch, dressed dd and tied back her hair, packed her bags, got to school, found some parking (there is hardly any there) and dropped her off by 12.45 . I think this school lark is going to be hard work

Ekka, I did enjoy it though it was about a hundred years ago now! My neices both went there, the youngest left last summer and is at sixth form now. They both did well all through school and have turned out into really nice young women ( if that doesn't sound too cheesy!) i would love to be able to afford to send DD there but we'd have to do all 3 privately if one went... [shocked].
I've heard the nursery is lovely so I'm sure she'll have a great time.

I have to get mine out, dressed, breakfast, lunch packed, bag packed ready to go at 7.30am, so there

Then it's always a mad dash after school ends to go collect him through all of the school pick up traffic (ughhhh it's always a nightmare getting out of our loooong road) - even though he is only 5 mins away! Takes me 20 minutes some days. It will be much nicer when he comes here with me... then I'll only have the manic morning to deal with.

But you only have to do that with 1 star . Doubling the child count more than doubles the length of time taken I find.
I don't think I'll go out again once i have 3!

oh yes, I would struggle more with 2. It's hard enough with 1! I'm exhausted by the time I've gotten everything done between 5.50-7.30am!

Oh its ok star, I'm not even thinking of competing with your morning. I'd be a nervous wreck! Mind you, we were ready to go out by 7.30 this morning . Sadly we didn't need to leave for toddler group till 9.45.....

At the moment, mornings aren't too bad. I dread to think what they'd be like in this house if we had another one.

One of the girls at work brought her tiny six week-old baby in and I had a cuddle with her. My ovaries were twanging like mad after that.

Very tired. I went out to the theatre last night and, although I wasn't home late, went to bed much later than usual and Stan had a rotten night too. I think he's sprouting more teeth again.

Helloooooo.
The holidays are over I have almost caught up with myself.

Star my immediate thought was Asthma. From last week. Then when you said a few more bits I firmed up my thought. And when CSWS said it I knew I was right.
Asthma most often causes a cough during exercise but not at rest. Night coughing is caused by the immune system going into overdrive and causing the alvioli (crap spelling) to constrict hence the cough.
Birch trees are in pollen at the moment so they could be cusing Q to suffer. I am in bits, very sore eyes, loads of sneezes, cough, crap sleep. I feel for Q if he feels like me. The ear pulling could be fluid catching in his inner ear from his sinus's.

Pistachio. Great news about the NCT. I take back all my angry words from last week.

50ft. I hate it when peoples children vomit on days out. Very inconvenient Are they both all better now?
I have an idea for you. Get a big box. Gaffa tape it up and cut a hole in the top. Put in the equivalent amount of cash every time you are about to buy the dc something. After a month open the box. Hey presto a holiday for you all
Give A a smack from me. Silly boy.

Ksal you are a great mummy. E is healthy and happy. Be proud of yourself.

Ekka and Pepper. The morning run is a nightmare isnt it?
We are up at 7 each morning and I am still pushing and growling every morning to get out the door in time! W is the easiest at the moment as he cant argue with me.

CSWS I saw Popsy a few weeks ago when I went to London for the allergy clinic. She is very good. Her dd is a beautiful girl and doing very well. P is very busy commuting into London for work and being a mum.

Dh & I have finally finished filling in DD1s application form for Christ Hospital school. It the closest we can get to sending her to private school. It is academically selective and means tested for fees. Unfortunately it is boarding only. I just have to post it now.

Does it mean you pay what you can afford, as long as they meet the academic level needed? it sounds like the opportunity that you know would be fantastic for her, but lordy, I'd miss one of mine if they boarded.
Mornings! If I say that it took 17 months of having 3 before I managed to fit in me eating any breakfast before we left the house of a morning.... though I am notorious in my refusal to get out of bed before it's absolutely necessary, as we leave at 8.30 I can now actually stay in bed till 7.45 some mornings....