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

[poppy34]

New thread here

Puree - afraid I don't think I can help as when ds1 and ds2 were small dh was usually around we could split them up! I remember when Tristan was tiny I didn't bath him at night, I used to bath him in the morning instead as this made night time routines a little easier, then I'd try to combine reading to Stefan at bedtime with feeding Tristan.Thankfully there was 23 months between them, so when T arrived Stefan was interested in TV - what a bad Mummy eh? Ethan still isn't that interested in TV, but we don't get Cbeebies here - maybe that's where I'm going wrong.

Got to go, think I can hear E waking up, he's slept for more than 2 hours after eating no lunch - must be poorly I think.

Not really sure Puree, that's where having two the same age is a benefit (well there have to be some ). I am sure ktpie and Sponge can help you out. Maybe C has to take a bit of a back seat, can she stay in her cot while you get A up, or put a gate on her bedroom door so she can play in her room. She might complain at first but she'll get used to it. Can you bath C in a gap between A's feeds? I think a fair bit of crying from A is to be expected because you can't always pick her up etc like you can with just one. The twins always had to wait their turn so we always had lots of crying but I figured there's no other way so they'd just have to get used to it. I am sure you will be a whizz at it in a few weeks!

The pram I 'missed' on ebay - I emailed the seller to say if the sale fell through I would be interested in buying the pram and she said it had and when can I pick it up! So I got it yesterday for £360, it is great but very very big and bulky, I am shocked even for someone who has always had a double pram! It is much more hefty than the mountain buggy - it folds really strangely, but it can fit in the car (just).

T was so cute this morning, I was carrying him down the stairs and I looked at my watch, then he copied me as if looking at a watch on his own wrist!

I'm no major help Puree, DH gets landed with doing bathtime and the boys have baths on alternate nights now (so J can only have yoghurt every other day now, on bath night ), Neenz is right about the crying, I'm getting used to just having to get on with things with the soundtrack of a crying baby in the background . Henry always seems to want me when I am doing something I can't drop like changing J's nappy so he has to just wait and cry until I can see to him.

Glad you got the buggy Neenz, saw your link on FB, it looks great. I'm slowly working out which shops don't accommodate my double buggy, I can't get into one of the post offices and why do some shops have so much clutter in the aisles?

I had a terrible day yesterday, lack of sleep and a bad cold got on top of me, I had slightly more sleep last night and feel a lot better today.

Deb - hope E is OK. J has had a cold that has lasted for weeks and has been sleeping even more than normal, which is a good thing for me at the moment.

I'm rubbish at parallel parking too. We just had on street parking at our old house, most of the time there was plenty of space but whenever I had to parallel park there always seemed to be someone behind me and the street was narrow so they had to wait, that really flustered me and made it all go wrong.

It's my birthday tomorrow, have a few friends coming over and I don't really feel in the mood at all, feel ill and tired. Maybe tomorrow I will feel better .
DH announced the other day that I was getting a bike for my birthday, he is getting the frame from a friend and has most of the other bits kicking about in the garage. No expense spared! I hope it doesn't end up like J's Christmas bike that he is getting from a friend and still hasn't got (free so we can't complain too much). On the positive side he may be big enough to ride it by the time we get it, or we could give it to him for his birthday and save on another present .

Hi to everyone else, I have been reading but my tired cold filled brain can't remember much. Plus this post is long and rambly enough.

Sorry you're not feeling brilliant PP. Hope you manage to enjoy your birthday!

I don't know how you all manage double (or triple) buggies in shops at all! S's bugaboo bee is really compact but some shops (particularly the elc!) are terrible. And don't get me started on Boots checkouts!!! Fab that you got the buggy though neenz.

Must get back to clearing our hall - it's getting painted tomorrow. So I guess I'll have to go to ikea at the w/e for some shoe storage, new mirror etc

Sorry, don't know how I mixed up PP and ktpie!

Happy birthday for tomorrow ktpie - it's no wonder you are feeling a bit rubbish with a newborn keeping you up all night! Don't expect too much from yourself and make your friends pamper you tomorrow.

I find the double buggy gets pretty much everywhere - which one have you got ktpie? Mine is the mountain buggy which is the same width as a wheelchair so should be accessible to all public buildings - if not then there should be a disabled entrance somewhere you can use. And I usually find aisleways are the perfect width, perhaps I have just been lucky. The umbrella-fold buggy is slightly wider than the mb so a little more tricky to get in and out of doors, those few extra cm really make a difference!

DG, I get major singleton envy when I see mums pushing Bugaboos around - they are so small! Imagine, a single buggy

Where is everyone? Its a bit tumble-weedy here today.

I have actually had a bit of a day. I cut my long hair short and we accepted an offer on our house. Then we viewed a fab but hugely expensive house that we both really liked. But can't really afford.

Do we live on cheese sandwiches for a couple of years for a great house or not????

Does the big house need lots of work?

Are you pleased with your hair?

I got a phone call from school today asking me to collect DD1 as she has chicken pox. So far she doesn't seem too unwell with it, but she is being really stroppy (so maybe she does feel unwell). It's going to be a long week...I bet T will get it too.

The big house needs no work. It has been extended and primped to an inch of its life (but really well and in keeping with the 1930's original build) All bedrooms have built in furniture + beds, kitchen is solid pine/granite. There is hand-painted motifs over walls etc. It is beautiful (perhaps too beautiful for my three tearaways).

What to do, what to do.

In my experience, once you know they have the pox the worse is over. They seem to incubate the worse before the spots hit, so hopefully she will be fine very quickly.

Hair is ok. Going to take a bit of getting used to.

You could grow veg in the garden for some added nutrition sybil Rolf hope the pox passes through very quickly.

S has been running a high temp all day. He was in nursery though he's got little spots on his back so I think he's got a viral rash.

Poor S. Hope he's feeling better tomorrow.

DD1 has more spots every time I look at her. I have dosed her up with drugs and hopefully she'll get a good night's sleep.

Sybil I don't know what sort of mortgage deals are around at the moment. Are there good fixed rate deals so at least you can budget for the next few years, without having to worry about interest rates going up? And (obv don't tell me, none of my business!) if buying the house would be a stretch, would you be able to get a big enough mortgage anyway? Lots of people are getting turned down on applications that would have sailed through a couple of years ago. I am madly jealous of the idea of moving into a house that needs no work. Our house still needs work and I have chronic conjunctivitis from all the dust

oooh Sybil- the house - sounds amazing! If it's all done up you wouldn't need to spend a penny on doing it up.

Rolf I think it's inevitable that everyone whose not had it will get it now but I don't remember it being that bad - just itchy. Put Calamine lotion in the fridge for the itchy bits!

Hi to everyone else x

sybil I love short hair - although I'm currently growing mine out - will you post pics on facebook?

About the house - it sounds lovely. We're conservative and bought a house well within our budget which has the capacity to be extended when I start making a fortune (or never, we're okay for space now). But I do sometimes wonder if we were too conservative - I could have had the extended version for not too much more money and it looks like we could have afforded it....

as for mortgage deals, they've just really loosened up criteria at HSBC and we've jumped and remortgaged, but to their 1.99% tracker rate. The fee is horrid, but it'll pay back in 4.5 months compared to the fixed rate we were paying before so perhaps I don't mind. It's the first time in ages that the same rate is available with 75% LTV as 60% LTV which was exciting for us (we barely make the 75%). It's all so different than when we started looking for a house - but things had already changed by the time we moved (Dec 2008).

Rolf both boys had one crap night with chicken pox but were otherwise unbothered, hope DD1 sleeps tonight! can you dose her up with piriton?

DGT hope S is okay,

and Happy Birthday to ktpie!!!!

I'm a bit late but Happy birthday KTpie, hope you're feeling better today

Sybil - well done on getting the offer on your house, I'm jealous!

Boys school ski race today and they both got 3rd place in their respective races - I am such a proud Mum! Then they give out prizes, a bit like a raffle for all the children, Stefan won a scarf and Tristan won top prize - a pair of skis But I was so pleased for Stefan as he isn't so confident as Tristan despite being older, and races against some very fast boys in his class. When he got 3rd place he said"It was my dream to get a cup!" - aah.

Well done Tristan and Stefan

Abdn I've given her calpol and antihistamine, and smeared calamine aqueous cream on her spots. She's fast asleep, sucking her thumb. The antihistamine is soporific (that always makes me think of the Flopsy Bunnies!) so hopefully it will help her sleep despite the itching. I trimmed her nails, too, and filed them so there weren't any rough edges. Can't think of anything else we might need. When I got the phone call I raced into a shop and bought felt tips and colouring things so she has some nice new things to brighten things up for her.

Sorry I sounds really OTT don't I. It's years since I've dealt with chicken pox - the boys were younger when they had it.

Oh yes, happy birthday Ktpie

Aw, well done to the boys deb

I don't think you sound OTT at all Rolf. The new colouring books etc sound like a nice idea.

I've been filling up my amazon shopping basket with books for S tonight. I love buying him books. Lately he's been very good at sitting for a story so I've been really inspired to get new books. Current fave is tabby mctat. He brings the book over then sort of reverses into my lap and gets himself all comfy. Am probably not describing that well but it's cute!

DG I am getting the Dts some new books today - I never thought I would say that because they have so many! But they have read them over and over and they are learning anything new now, not that that is my main concern, but you know with animals etc it is the same animals all the time now! It is a bit repetitive for me too.

Rolf, your poor DD, I thought the pens and books were very sweet! I hope she is feeling better.

Fab news on the skiing Debs!

Sybil, I think it depends just how skint you are going to be. The house sounds wonderful, you have to decide whether it is wonderful enough to make you happy even if you do have to live on cheese sandwiches! I think it's fine to live frugally and even quite fun/rewarding, but if you can't really afford to have a day out or treat yourself now and again (and what if the boiler breaks or your car needs some work?) then that is a recipe for misery IMO. There is always something extra that crops up every month that we haven't budgeted for (of about £100-200) so I think if you are going to be skint but with a little bit of contingency money go for it.

DH would love to move house but since his last pay rise we have got past the counting every penny stage and I am so much happier. I am a worrier about stuff like that, I used to lie awake at night worrying about whether we had wasted money on this or that or whether we had enough, but I haven't really thought about money in about a year and I know that makes me happier than any house could iyswim. But everyone is different . I bet it is really messing with your head isn't it!

I am getting a bit worried about E . When we are reading counting books she just says over and over 'Six! Six! Six!' She is like Damien from The Omen . It was very funny today though because she was saying 'Six! Six! Six!' but then when we actually got to 6 in the book she said 'seven'

We're big into books her too DGT what books are you buying for S?

C's current favourite is the gruffalo. I was woken up yesterday morning by chanting of 'luh-fa-low, luh-fa-low'. I couldn't understand what on earth she was on about until I realised that she could see the book on the bookcase from her cot! - the other big favourite is Penguin, do you have that one, it's ace!

Well done Tristan and Stefan, that's great Deb.

Rolf you sound very organised, hopefully she'll sail through it and be better in no time!

Neenz Charlotte shouts eight! as we go up the stairs (was inspired by amber's amazing counting Luke to try this) we just get 'one, two, eight, eight eight, until step number eight which is either nine, or one again!

I know what you mean about getting bored Neenz - S has loads of animal books. I really enjoy reading books with good rhymes in them like the Julia Donaldson ones.

Biscuits we're getting this Oliver Jeffries book, a new Spot book (S loves flaps) and one other to be decided... I haven't seen that penguin one before so might give that a try! Does C have any of the hairy mclairy books? S gets giddy with excitement as soon as I start with 'hairy mclairy felt bumptious and bustly...'

Right, must go and do some reading of my own. The academic sort sadly...

Oh I meant to mention this game that S got recently from Orchard Toys. S is really enjoying it and it keeps his attention for more than 5 minutes which is a bonus!

Ooh, I like Oliver Jeffries. I recommend Penguin, C loves it. We have hairy maclary and the bone, which she has recently started picking to be read. We love Julia Donaldson books, although am biased as am good friends with her son. (he's the gruffalo's child!).

That looks like a good game, attention holding is an issue here unless it's a book.

Am grumpy, as it's a beautiful day outside and I'm at work. Thought I was going to get a chance to do some studying before going home at 1430 and had settled down in the hospital library with my text books, then my phone rang and I'm sitting back in the departmetn waiting for an emergency patient. boo.

It's lovely here too Biscuits so I feel your pain. I'm on chapter 1 of 22 very dull chapters for the exam I accidentally missed in November. [slightly bitter]. Have put the penguin book in the basket. I'd forgotten about your Julia Donaldson connections!

We decided to go with the expensive house, and then got involved in a bidding war and ended up paying the asking price. DH is thrilled but I feel quite sick at the cost of it. The location means we will get the kids into the old grammar schools though, so we won't have to worry about school fees which will save a fortune in the long run.

We took the kids to view it and they loved it. We found a large frog in the garden which they stroked before it hopped off and they were just delighted. We will probably live in it for 20 years and never see another one now.

J likes turning the pages of books but doesn't give you time to read the actual story. Which is a pain as I love reading the stories!