Dec 08 Mums - Terrible twos already? Tears, tantrums, tiaras and tractors - and the rest!

[Beans33]

Hope this is better - sorry all!

DS1 was not interested in soft toys until he was 3 and DS2 is only interested in them if DS1 is holding one >veggie pokes her tongue out in Spots general direction<

Spot that's brilliant about the eurostar from Lille, good result. DH now has a flight tomorrow morning at 7 directly from Barcelona to Budapest. So at least he won't miss his course. Currently our flight is not cancelled but all today's flights out of schiphol are cancelled and slowly flights tomorrow are showing up as cancelled on the website for the airport. I'm going to catch a minicab to the airport but don't want yo book it yet, I'll need to leave at about 7am and would really like to know what's going on as I don't want to pack if we aren't going. The website just says closed indefinitely so not very helpful. I did actually call the airline but after getting through a million menus and waiting for ages paying god knows how much I finally got through to a lady, eventually found my booking after much difficulty because she could understand my accent with the reference number, only to have her hang up on me. Bitch.

DS2 is still unwell and unbelievably whiney, he won't sleep just wants to cuddle and whine. Much as I love him it's getting way too much. Making polenta pizza for their tea, which sounds a lot more wholemeal than it is. Aaaahhhh I can hardly wait til their in bed. I had a delivery pizza lastnight and am very tempted to have another tonight.

Go for the pizza Veggie! We are having a curry night and I have a bot of wine in my handbag.

I will pass on your kind offer to DH Spot. I think he's cleared the decks temporarily in preparation for the new chap. Who is still stranded in S Africa. I loved the idea of T answering to Steve!

I am carting a lg box and a carrier bag of stuff home for this conference, whether any of our US/E European speakers will be able to get here is another matter. Sigh. The nice conference chairman has arranged a Chinese on the Sunday night, bless him.

Soft toys: ds1 never bothered, ds2 actually quite likes them but prefers nabbing toys off ds1.

Great news on the house Summer . it must be a most desirable residence!

And happy happy birthday to LadyT

Hi

Aubs just wading in with my brazillian. I go to a fab place just behind Oxford Street where they use a hot wax to do the undercarriage they sort of paint it on and wait for it to go hard then whip it all off in one go it is painful but not as bad as when they do the strip bits at the side and yes they do do your bottom bit but you can ask for that not to be done. Also I always ask for more of a triangle to be left otherwise sometimes you end up with a bit of belly button fluff left in the middle of your nooni. Take a couple of ibuprofen before you go helps with any extra sensativeness afterwards. Lots of TMI there.

Wow congratulations modernlove.

Been to Watford today to see an old college friend was lovely she has 2 older girls 9 & 7 and they just dote on the boys makes for a very pleasant afternoon. But am a vv bad mummy and stopped off at the golden arches on the way home.

Rubes how has work been we live 30 mins from Stansted and it is very strange not seeing planes in the sky.

this is the place Aubs

Fuck!!!! Sorry but I've just spent another 30 mins on the phone to the airline and they frigging hung up again. They are clearly trying to recoup their loses from this through the customer services lines, it's 50c/min. Meanwhile the flights are def cancelled. DH, after checking that his course was still on sorted flights tomorrow to Budapest only to get an email from the course organisers to say it's been cancelled now, so he has to cancel the flights he at least had to somewhere and look at some other way to get home from Barcelona. I sooooooo wish I'd gone with him, we would be hauled up in Barca at the Hilton together!!!! Bless him he is miserable, he just wants to come home. I told him if it was me down there by myself I would be living it up and enjoying having my own bed! At least he's not alone there are a load of them down there who can't get home.

Meanwhile poor DS1 has been putting up with me grumbling and looking a bit sick of me. At least he is learning a lot about volcanoes. He has become very interested in the news, Aljazeera have been reporting on it regularly and he thinks it's cool. Also his little friends from next door went out playing today and he had a great time whizzing up and down the street outside our house with them.

I can't believe it's Friday, happy birthday Lady, for a short time you are a year older than me .

Alright Effie i will have pizza, and great news about your DHs business. I have a friend whose DH started his own business with some friends and a year ago sold it for an undisclosed sum, but easily in the millions. I hope the conference goes ok despite the (bloody) volcano.

Right poor little sick DS2 is asleep now to sort out DS1 need to give him cuddles I think.

Oh and SL imagine if they start a bidding war!

That is just crap Veggie. Sending you some virtual chocolate.

Hello ladies

Sorry I haven't really kept up this week. All been a bit thumb focused, plus Andrew has been off work so we've done lots of family things. Been great actually. I have forgiven him for his rubbishness of late. Am still seeking my mojo, but perhaps that will also find its way back to me....

I am at panty old work tomorrow so no doubt will catch up in my lunch hour.

Happy birthday dear Lady T. And love to everyone else.

sorry girls, the thumb is going well, though it's rubbing her wee hand a bit in the hotter weather. One week down, 3 to go. I hardly dare take it off in the bath even, in case she gets the idea again.

She has been a little bit painful this week but I suppose that that is only to be expected.

Lots of love to everyone.

Happy birthday ladyT! Hope you are having a wonderful day.

I'm too tired to do a proper catch up tonight, but will post properly over the weekend.

Night all.

Happy Birthday LadyT

Sorry for those with messed up travel plans.

DD has never shown any interest in soft toys but DS loves them particularly a polar bear which he cuddles when he goes to sleep - oh so cute.

and with all the brazilian chat!

DH has been booked on a flight for early tomorrow morning that hasn't as yet been cancelled and on a 1pm flight if the morning one has been cancelled, I hope the volcano stops errupting overnight, and it all
blows away by morning. Not holding my breath though.

Poor little DS2 couldn't settle again so he's out with me. Pizza was good.

Syb, I meant to say about the thumbsucking. I thumb sucked for years and ended up with braces and still have an unattractive overbite. I wish my mum had done something drastic to stop me at 3. Keep it up your doing the right thing by her.

Fingers crossed for your DH, Veggie.

Glad things going well, Sybil, hope the mojo returns

Bugger Bugger BUGGER!! Why didn't I call in first! Lucky I don't live far but no-one called me and I went in cause I didn't want to call and "presume" I would get the day off and assumed since no-one had called that I must have been needed to answer phones but no - what a contscientious muppet - oh well, it was a ghost town and at least I got the day off and hopefully tomorrow too, but I was livid for quite awhile today

Veggie glad your dh has been sorted. Nothing going in and out of London tomorrow as far as I know - well they are saying 1pm, but they will push that back.

I got the cup Veggie - thanks - haven't tried it on him - I tried it myself and I'm wondering if it's hard to suck - but tomorrow I'll try him.

He had major meltdowns today as wouldn't nap and then got over tired playing all day at the swings with mil I think! He won't eat much when he's shattered. Swimming tomorrow (1st lesson) so I hope he has a good nights sleep tonight

Anyway at all the Brazillian talk!

Aubi that sounds great for the 10th! ds would love to trash play at yours! (actually he doesn't trash things at all!)

at the swim nappy moment!! Hope I don't have that tomorrow !!!

Still no DH on a flight tomorrow but I imagine that will be cancelled. He can catch a train which will take 13 hrs and be a few changes but next available seat is weds evening. The ticket is non refundable so he's decided not to book. A hire car will be at least a days wait and he doesn't really fancy the 15+hr drive.

Poor DS2 is still unwell and a sad old sack of potatoes but he & I have been shopping and tidying the house while DS1 has been out with some friends to some local stables.

Gotta go DS2 dropped my fav nail varnish and it's spurted all over the kitchen tiles, cupboards, dishwasher and my only clean jeans, others have spew on them!

hello all - wedding was lovely - our friends split up in 2007, divorced last year, and both are getting re-married this year- this was the first of the 2 weddings. it was lovely - and made us all realise how the first marriage just wasn't right. funny how that happens...

thx for the clomid/accupuncture advice. have appt at doctor on monday to talk about something else - will remake another appt with a more suitable gp to talk about this. i'm going to wait for next cycle's madness before i decide, but want to check out options.

loving the waxing talk - had a brazillian once for a play i was in (about tabledancers). i was advised to take paracetamol beforehand. it wasn't pleasant, but i find waxing there much less painful than on my legs/underarms. good luck!

sorry to hear about poor people still stuck away from home - can't imagine how frustrating it must be. hope the trains/tunnel are helping.

well done, modernlove! forgot to say earlier.

i'm sure there was loads more to say... can't remember anything.

Veggie fingers crossed for you and the removal of volcanic ash (though can I confess that, living under the flight path as I do, the silence is kind of lovely.. Sorry!!)

LadyT belated happy birthday hope you had a lovely day!

DD very grumpy today. Oh what am I saying she's ALWAYS grumpy... Honestly I can't think of a day in the last 4 months when she didn't have at least 4 massive strops. I sometimes think she doesn't like me very much.. She's downstairs happily playing with DH right now. Am feeling very down about it, I can't seem to do anything right with her (except shove a boob in her mouth) She seems to get so bored with me and is so happy at nursery I feel guilty about thinking this bit I swear she'd be happier there than with me.

No sign of any talking (no words except dada and occasional mama tho never directly to me) either. Is that still normal at 16 months? Or walking. Again I feel this is my fault and I should be encouraging her talking more but she's so difficult it's hard to get her to do what you think she should do (read a book together) rather than what she wantsto do (whack things...)

Kiwi I feel the same with DS2, I'm lucky because Ive had DS1 who was a whole different kettle of loving fish. But DS2 seems to often get quite annoyed and screamy at me bit thinks DH is the best thing ever. He has been saying Dada and eith real feeling for a bit now but no mama. He has started cuddling so that's nice but still feel like I irritate him half the time. I think it will be nbetter when he can talk.

Hello all, a sneaky post from work (well frankly if I have to be at work on a Saturday what do they expect?!)

Kiwi you sounds pretty cheesed off lovey. Lots of our babes aren't talking much, and I know exactly what you mean about not being very easy just to sit down and do something with her, dd doesn't get much talk during the day as she's busy pottering about moving piles of gravel (!) or trying to clamber onto the dining table, the best I find is when we're on teh bike as then there's plenty to point at and tell her about, and she can't escape (muahahahaaaa). Or out in the pushchair - on teh one hand it's not excatly very exciting going into town as it's the same road every day, but the more they get shown the same things the more chance they'll pick up a few words is my logic.

brazilians - ouch. I'm more of a "as long as it's not out the side of my undies that's ok" home waxer, the more you do it the less it hurts I find.

weddings - Katie I hope your groom was able to make it home!

Lady - hope you had a lovely birthday not a day over 21 of course...

and that's my lot I'm afraid, colleague has come on (voluntarily!!) so now my screen is being overlooked catch you later team!

Hello everyone.

modernlove congratulations on your news!

LadyT belated happy birthday. Hope you were spoiled rotten.

Hiya Nolda, nice to see you.

Kiwi there is so much variety in how/when babies develop speech. It's completely normal to not be saying anything at this age. If they're not saying much by 2 and a half then it might be worth start thinking about, but even at that age lots of parents are still worrying about it and the DCs turn out to be just biding their time. I know it's easier said than done but it's very unlikely to be a problem.

syb I am following your thumb stuff with interest. DD is a thumbsucker, but it's not like she's always got her thumb in her gob or anything, so I don't really know if it's something I need to keep an eye on or not. How early do teeth problems start to become apparent, does anyone know?

Speaking of teeth, DD hates having hers cleaned too (I think I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she's had a right proper clean). However, I take some comfort in an article I read a while back which said that the saliva in your mouth and the natural action against your tongue and the inside of your lips is actually pretty good protection for the front teeth. It's the molars that are the ones that really need the most attention with brushing - cavities are rare elsewhere, probably unless you're born with very weak teeth I would think. So I'm hoping that by the time she gets her molars through she'll be a bit more amenable to having them cleaned.

Aube on the Great Debate I'm with spot - it would have to be GB, who I actually think was a bit of a dish in his time (well relatively in politics anyway). It would be a case of closing my eyes and thinking of a socialist utopia I reckon. It would be worth it if I got to push Cameron off a cliff anyway.

Veggie hope Veggiedaddy gets back soon. But what I wouldn't give to be stuck in Barcelona for a couple of days with no DP or DCs, through no fault of my own...

Cuddly toys - DS has no interest(so far anyway) but DD's face lights up at the sight of them, which is very sweet but a bit weird. Never understood the attraction of them myself. She prefers dolls though.

Had my bum inspection yesterday (thanks for asking JB) and got a clean bill of health. Hurrah!

Hi guys - me again - to add to a dreadful day DH is ill. Is 38.9 degrees high for an adult? I can only deal w baby temps these days! I mean I know it's high but is that stay-in-bed high or see-doctor high? Ibuprofen doesn't seem to be helping bring it down.

Kiwi: I'd ring nhs direct. Can you try paracetemol with the ibuprofen?

Kiwi, I'm a kids nurse so not much better really. But temps in adults are ok as long as the...erm...'patient' is fairly well hydrated and no other nasty symptoms.

DH has given up on the car as a bit expensive and has now booked a bus to Paris on tuesday night and will then get a train back to us, via amsterdam airport to pick up his car.

thanks guys. Think he's feeling a bit better now after some paracetemol too. Bit of a trouper actually he's been very good patient (better than me or DD would be!) I shall never accuse him of man flu again...

Is he feeling better today Kiwi?

Veggie: your poor DH. How long does the bus take? I don't know if there are any signs of the wretched volcanic dust moving on - we need a good strong wind! Though nice for Rubes if she can get some time off.

veggie, hope your poor dh manages to get home soon

Spot just noticed about T liking the name Steve, how random and brilliant!

kiwi hope the medicine works on dh and he's not feeling so dodgy. Were it not stupid oclock in the morning I'd suggest DH's favourite cure which of course involves Scotch, him being a scot and all. He says that temp is high but nothing to be too worried about - as long as the paracetamol is helping and there's no other 'worrying' symptoms you don't have to hoick him to the out of hours doc.

modernlove! congratulations and keep us updated! So that's 4 babies on the way, hurrah

London ladies - we have an unexpected day on Tuesday with DH free so are thinking we might take the train to the big city, what would you recommend as activitites that can fairly easily be got to from Kings Cross (ie don't involve lots of changes on the tube)? DD would be happy with somewhere to run around, we'd be happy somewhere with a decent cafe for lunch