June 2008-keeping little hands off mummy's creme eggs

[poppy34]

New thread here

at your restraint Abdn ! I do still fancy a balance bike and haven't ruled it out for the future, but after much thought I do think he would get more out of a scooter this summer and it would fit in more with the kind of stuff we do IYSWIM.

I wouldn't be going to the London one at those prices either Spider. The cheapest off peak one is £5 in Glasgow. Are those prices for midweek? It's definitely cheaper midweek up here.

I did so little study today .

spider, we have also decided against the ITNG show cos getting there would just be too hard . It's a shame cos I think A would love it!

Amber, don't ever ever ever pay full prices for Legoland - there are discount vouchers everywhere!

Deb how is E getting on with his bobby car now? I have a friend who was thinking of getting her DS a car/ride on type toy for his 2nd birthday and I was going to suggest the slightly larger bobby car. Her DS is amazingly tall - quite literally head and shoulders above S and just one day younger. He just looks older too - could pass for 3 or 4 easily.

I've got my fingers crossed you get a decent offer for your place deb - it must be frustrating waiting to hear!

Abdn so you have any recommendations on good helmets/knee pads for toddlers? While they don't seem to be as common for use with scooters, Edinburgh pavements and roads can be pretty bumpy so would like to try and get in the habit sooner rather than later.

You are right DGT, the tickets are cheaper in the week. Somehow I had only looked at weekend prices. So the London prices start at £10, which I would pay if I wasn't put off the journey. I feel better now. I was coming to the conclusion that I am a terribly mean mother: not only will I not give P a birthday party, but I won't pay £60 for the family to go to ITNG!!

We're fans of the met helmets. All three of my boys have them, even the grown up one!

Thanks Abdn. Do your boys have knee/elbow pads when cycling?

Spider you're definitely not being mean on ITNG or the party front! If I'm very honest, I'm planning party for S just because I love having an excuse to have people over.

Am very frustrated because we took S to get his feet measured and he's STILL got enough room in his current shoes. Now, this would not normally be a problem but 1. they're really, really scruffy now and 2. I'm desperate to get him some lighter shoes before all the nicest ones sell out (I know, bonkers, but the women did say if there was a spell of really good weather to get in quick smart). Meh. Also, I'd wanted to get him crocs but they come in 4/5 and 6/7 and he's currently a 4.5. Pah. Could get no time at all out of a 4.5 (he's been that size since before Christmas) and/or 6/7 too big.

DG do you think S would ride on the scooter? My two just walk theirs along or stand on it with both feet! S might be more advanced than them tho of course!

lol Spider at 'just turn the telly on' - that's what I said too . I really hope the ITNG show is great for all the LOs going but I'm not sure my two would even know to look at the stage iyswim, they would probably just want to run around. And I have friends who say 'I took my LO to see Peppa Pig/Tweenies and she was terrified!'. That plus £60/80 for tickets plus 36wks pg = no .

That's so lovely about your successful trip into London when the LOs were tiny .

I hope think so Neenz ! I've been encouraged by lots of favourable threads on MN, and I do think he would get much more opportunity to use it than a bike atm. Time will tell...

You've reminded me that I must go and book my ITNG tickets. We've taken S to a few 'shows' at the Festival and he's enjoyed them so I think he will get something out of the show. I can equally see that it could be terrifying though! We're going for the £5 shows here so quite cheap.

DomesticGoddess |DS has both a balance bike and a micro scooter. He's too short for the balance bike even though he's got quite long legs, he loves his micro scooter and can scoot on it - it's very easy to stear even when I have to pull him on it!

amber if you didn't get there today, I'm pretty sure that WHSmith's are handing out vouchers for legoland at the moment, with any purchase.

waves... tea is ready!

Lovely day out here at Zell am See lake, there were people sunbathing in bikinis - , we were skiing last weekend.

Goddess - Ethan loves his Bobby car, took a while but he plays with it the most of all his toys, he has it outside and then we wipe the wheels and he has it inside as well. I would definitely recommend one to your friend, and I've seen they stock them at John Lewis.We're getting Ethan a trailer for it for his Birthday.

Aw Deb that trailer is so cute! I haven't heard of the Bobby car before but T and E have ride-on cars from Beanstalk which they really like.

I am thinking a really nice garage and cars for their birthday. It is something they can play with together (hope) and they both like the ones at playgroup. Something like this. Has anyone got one they can recommend?

Thanks Deb. Have duly recommended. Those bobby cars are fab, can't remember if I said that S had a go on one at a party around Christmas. I so wish we'd got him one instead of his wheely bug last year. He's got a little trike though which will just have to do. I know he'd love the car though!

Neenz S has the elc garage here. I looked at both this and the little people one and tbh I think they're much of a muchness. I can say that the elc one is very robust - S stands on it quite regularly. He really likes the trio of cars that come with it (and you can buy others) like www.elc.co.uk/toy/construction-vehicle-trio/. He likes joining them all up with the magnets. It's a bit more expensive but you can always get a 20% off voucher for elc which makes it a bit more comparable.

Thanks for the feedback on scooters going. Having just measured S's height today for the first time in AGES I definitely think he'd be better with a scooter. I'm actually thinking about taking him to the docs - he's now on the 9th centile for height (from 75th at birth). Weight has steadied off at 25th centile (again, from 75th at birth) but it's been like that for ages now so have got over my anxiety. He is becoming noticeably shorter than everyone I know (boys and girls) of the same age. Is it a bit PFB to get it checked out?

Neenz - the bobby car here is the equivalent of the cosy coupe in the UK - everyone has one!

I like Fisher price stuff, ethan has a garage but rarely plays with it, today he wrapped his favourite cars in his sleeping bag instead

dgt the boys don't wear elbow or knee pads... They tend to fall on their sides actually and scrape the sides of their legs. My two are tough though so I don't worry too much as I just feel it's inevitable.

We've this garage but I think it used to be a lot cheaper. It goes with other bits to make a whole city which DS1's friend has and they boys love it - but not cheap here.

dgt I've got short boys over here too - there's nothing wrong with asking at the dr's but what I was told was that as long as they were consistently growing it was okay, the GP wouldn't worry until the growth stopped.

p.s. cross your fingers for me - we should hear if the car is written off today.

Just spent ages catching up and now am determined to post before I forget everything.

Abdn - hope the car isn't written off. I made the bag from the Cath Kidston book last week, the instructions were pretty easy to follow and I'm pleased with how it has come out, although I wish I had lined it now (take note Biscuits!). There are quite a few things in there I think I might try although there are a few dubious projects, not sure I will be making the bath hat!

I don't know if you all remember but J was meant to be getting a balance bike for Christmas, he still hasn't got it. One of DH's cycling friends is passing it on to us free and forgets it every week, I think DH is going to offer to go and pick it up this week if he forgets it again, although as it's free we can't really complain too much. It would have been too much for him at Christmas anyway plus the snow may have got in the way!
DH is currently building me a bike so maybe we will all get out cycling sometime, not quite sure how that will work with J and DH doesn't think a kiddie seat will go on any of his bikes (something to do with the brakes I think, Abdn may understand!) so I would probably have H on the back.

I think we will be having a family party for J's birthday. Feel a bit sad as since his best friend moved to Australia he hasn't got any friends anymore to invite . In fact I got ridiculously excited when we met one of the other families at the allotment this weekend, their two girls are 2 years and 9 months so not too different to our boys, and they seemed lovely, and they are thinking of moving to our village. Does this all make me sound a bit desperate for friends (well friends with similar aged kids, I do have other friends, honest)?

There was loads of other stuff I wanted to say but I am wasting my precious 'chance to have a shower' time so I'd better go.

Gah, managed to lose a whole post. S has now woken from his nap so best go see to him but essential said thanks to Abdn, ktpie you don't sound desperate, and Neenz do the twins have a wooden train set? S's favourite toy by far.

Second the train set. Got Iestyn's out and he's already very keen on it. He has one I picked up in Lidl but in my Mum's he's got the set from Tesco which is great. £10 and Brio-compatible.

Train set could be good - any links? The Plan Toys garage looks great Abdn and I love the idea that you can add to it. There are no prices on the website though which is always a bit worrying . I'd be happy to spend £60 or so for a good one esp as they are sharing.

ktpie, are there any playgroups you can go to to meet mums? At first it can be hard work and even sometimes upsetting if you go and you don't know anyone and hardly speak to anyone but if you perservere and people start to recognise you you might find you meet some really nice people. It has definitely made my time at home much more enjoyable to have two or three mums with children the same age. It has taken about 12m to get to that stage tho. It gives you so much to talk about when the kids are similar ages.

I have had all Esther's hair chopped off today and she looks like a little pixie . I will put a pic on FB later. When she was a baby I was desperate for her hair to grow cos I think girls look so cute with long hair esp when it has a curl like E's. But she hated having it brushed so it often looked scruffy and she used to get it caught in her bib at the back which made her not want to have the bib on, so now it has been hacked off. I like it and think it will be much easier to manage - and it's a bit different.

J has the elc garage. He sits on it all the time and it has stood up to the jumping test too. He also likes the magnetic cars.

Ktpie not desperate at all, its just really nice to have a little friend. one of ds1's had a little brother 11 weeks after J was born and they have sort of 'inherited' each other. Its sweet actually and they get on quite well.

We didn't hear back about the car and DH is getting more and more negative (realistic) about it. I'm not good at waiting and not worrying - I'll cope much better once we know where we stand....

ktpie yes, it's so nice to have friends with kids the same age!

Neenz it just so happens that I've been looking for bits to add to S's train set for his birthday (I always have to come up with a list for the family) so can point you in the direction of a few possibilities...

S got this set, which is a pretty good starter set IME and well priced. It also has a battery operated train which is very popular.

John Lewis also do this set which looks good value for money and gltc have this one which is a bit more expensive. As Essie mentioned, Tesco have a bargain set at £10, but for the life of me I can't find a link.

There are loads of accessories that you can get to build on it over the years try here and of course amazon. There is also loads of the stuff on ebay - a whole new world of bundles for you to explore .

Also to add Neenz, Brio is probably the best known 'name' but most of the wooden sets are compatible with each other.

Fingers crossed abdn - I'd hate waiting too.

Found it tesco