June 08 - if your name's not down you're not coming in!

[EddieIzzardismyhero]

Welcome to our new cliquey thread !

Just a quickie for those looking for Thomas days out - go to the Thomas website, there are links there - Bo'ness and Brechin in Scotland for Goddess and Abdn, we might go to the Bo'ness one if we can. Thomas is a definite obsession here at the moment for B.

Wave to Biscuits in a mini Scottish clique way.

Fraser loves babyccinos but we just make them at home

I am not looking forward to the costs of older kids!! I know it's going to skyrocket. But I think the £10 thing right now is mostly for me, if I spent more it would be on coffees and cakes and that really is money we don't need to be spending. Fraser could honestly care less.

Bugger - yes, we've been to the Brechin one. We just realized we've got tickets to Peppa Pig www.peppapiglive.com/ on Wednesday. I'm sort of trying to weasel out and get DH to take them on his own (I've sat through some singing kettles already without DH). But the boys will absolutely love it (they are big fans of George and his dinosaur)..

I found the Thomas days earlier - am gutted that we are away for both weekends it's on at Bo'ness. Am trying to persuade DH that we could fit in a visit before going to the airport in August. Depending on flight times then we might just make it...

S hasn't had a babyccino yet - is it just frothy milk? Pizza express is very child friendly we've found - am sure I've got some 2 for 1 type vouchers somewhere so must try and go again.

My annoying neighbours are having a 'big bbq' this sat I had an inkling when I saw them hack cut their grass earlier. The only time I see them hack away at it (it's in a truly foul state) is when they've got people coming over.

Back to the dreaded assignment!

DGT yes, just steamed milk - not quite so posh as it sounds. If you're out they often put chocolate powder on it.

Oh my God - I just went to buy tix for in the night garden live and they are £20 each - so £60 for the 3 of us. Plus it's unreserved seating so you could end up at the back. That is mega expensive for a 1 hour show. Blimey!!!!!

PS Luke goes to Gymboree which is 32 a month for 4 x 45 mins - bloody expensive too but he loves it. And swimming which is a bargain!

Amber, the tickets for INTG vary a lot depending on what day and what time you go. Monday morning tickets in Glasgow were only about a fiver I think.

Am not here, am writing assignment, I promise

Ok, I've finally finished all the theory part, which is about half my word count, but the other half is all about my organisation which I can write about freely without having to cite and refer to stuff continually so can easily write that in one night (so the theory goes...).

Amber, meant to say earlier - if you're still a bit worried but don't want another internal scan (understandable) you could badger your GP to have your HCG (or is it HGC, I can never remember) levels monitored. When I was pg with S I got a blood test every week until my booking-in scan for reassurance that my levels were increasing at the right rate. They didn't offer this willingly though - it came after a few tears on my part! Having said all of that, it didn't make me any less anxious, so wouldn't necessarily be the right thing for everyone.

On a seperate and frivolous note - has the final season of the Tudors completely passed me by? I've seen some comments about it on Twitter and hadn't even realised it was on!!!

Not sure about the Tudors DG. Glad the assignment is going ok.

Amber, ticket price put me off ITNG too. It is £5 for the 9.30am show here but would be nightmare trying to get there for that time. Some tickets for the 11.30 show were £15 and it was split into £20 tickets at the front and £15 at the back. I thought they wouldn't get enough out of it to justify £60/80 for the four of us. Maybe next year! Gymboree sounds like Tumble Tots - £32 a month is a lot esp when it's x2.

Anyone else find their LOs get much more tired and grumpy in this weather (or is it just terrible 2s?). The Dts still have a sleep in the day but sometimes they are really ratty at tea time.

DH took them to a baptism on Sunday (I went to my sister's for Father's Day so wasn't there) - last night his mum's cousin rang to say what a delight they were at the do and what a credit they are to us . He said 'you are obviously a very good mum' - poor DH didn't get any credit lol

Bloody hell girls, you lot can talk! I've trailed through 6 threads since the last time I was on here just to find where you are now!

Happy birthday to those that have already had their birthdays. Can't believe Luke is 2 tomorrow! Still see 5gomad regularly but just don't seem to have as much time to spend on MN as I used to. Have tried to keep up with things on FB but I will admit seeing real names as opposed to MN names, I sometimes get confused as to who is who!

Have I missed anything major since last September!

Love to all

LLxx

Hi Libra how are you? I saw on FB that you have HD an op recently. Hope you are recovering well.

News:
penguin moved to NZ
deb is still in Austria, but hopefully not for much longer
sponge/eddie, purée and ktpie had babies
neenz, me/ali, biscuits/viva, poppy and Amber are expecting
and probably lots of other stuff too (sorry those I have missed).

Deb what is the weather like this week? It was this week last year that we were with you and it was glorious at Wimbledon, but rainy in Austria.

I forgot: Penguin also pg. Sorry

Not only one who thinks you can chat- agree with amber that Gymboree could value. There is no soft play round here and you get one session where you can go in each day and play which is good when it's wet. Also free babycino in starbucks here- it's a good bribe if want a coffee yourself.

Amber glad things are bit better but take it easy and congrats to your sis.

Any news from trip yet deb and how is ds2?

Libra nice to hear from you.

Home working today(first day back after two weeks) as had to take e to her nursery for a meet other parents / let her play. She liked it and loved sandpit. Teacher lovely and other parents generally nice. But tell me what you think here - E was playing in cosy coupe car [neenz I know you will be with me now ]. other little girl also two went over and pulled her hair so hard e's head was actually pulled out the car so Edie started crying and I went over to free her and then pick her up as she was really upset. Said something to little girl like don't do that . Other girls mother was about five yards away talking to another mother then notices and said "oh she has a 4 year old sister so I am afraid they fight all time." I thought at least she could try and stop herbrat child ripping my childs head off and even apologise(I know that they do fight as neenz can testify but can't you at least show by example it's not on..).

Actually i don't care if aibu but mental note that won't be hurrying on any playdates with this child..

Hi Libra

Spider - weather is awful, it managed 11 degrees this afternoon and has been raining for days.

I'm hoping we're over the worst with Tristan, 24 hours of sickness and diarrhoea, numerous bedding and pyjama changes day and night. Keeping everything crossed that he hasn't shared it with anyone else in the family.

Neenz - Stefan did call briefly last night to tell us what he'd had for tea but no call tonight

x-posted with you poppy, thanks for asking about the boys. Re nursery visit, I would expect the other mum to apologise.

Hi LIbra - long time!

Neenz - disgusted that the other parent didn't apologise - I would have been mortified.

Deb - you seem to have suffered constantly with illness you poor thing. Hope Tristan is better soon. x

I have been researchng a maternity nanny as I read on a thread that you have to start searching as soon as yuou know you are preggers they are booked so far in advance! It's mega expensive but it means that I can have an elective c section (which I know I would end up with anyway so say the stats) and have an extra pair of hands to help me for a few weeks (in the absence of relatives). Having twins certainly ramps up your costs - Neenz would you say that was true? I now have to look at different cars as well, as the one I wanted wouldn't get three in it.

Poppy I would definitely have apologised and asked S to say sorry in those circumstances. Funnily enough, S once good quite firmly pushed by a slightly older boy in an incident involving a cosy coupe (and no, that mum didn't apologise earlier). I really don't get how parents don't apologise when their young children/toddlers do something inappropriate. Even when they're too young to properly understand right/wrong/concept of sorry, they'll only learn these things from their parents so it's important to set a good example as early as possible imo. S is quite good at saying sorry (he gets plenty of practice .

Waves to LL and goes back to assignment. Am quite grumpy because my horrible neighbours have clearly been boozing all afternoon and lots of screeching and foul language already

Oops, slight cut and paste issue put my wave to LL and back to assignment in wrong place. I'm going back to it now

Ooh, DQ I'd be too about the neighbours. And I'm angry on Poppy's behalf as well. Must be in an angry mood today!
Actually Poppy's post made me think of a thread I read in AIBU about a woman who had a son who always bit another boy and she had no intention of telling him off. So he'll never learn, then...
Iestyn was so funny on Sunday. He had been throwing food on the floor and I told him off, said 'naughty boy' firmly (with a pointed finger) and looked annoyed. He then said 'mam, mam, food on the floor'. So I said 'yes I know, and nobody's laughing'. Big mistake - Iestyn did his pretend laugh and said 'Iestyn laughing, food on the floor.' At this point I was struggling to keep a straight face, but DH arrived with Iestyn's little custard pot. He gave it to Iestyn, then started to take the lid off but Iestyn thought he was trying to take the pot away, and got agitated. He suddenly slammed his hand on the table, pointed at DH and said 'Dad, NAUGHTY boy!'. I had to leave the room I was laughing so hard.

Hi Libra was thinking of you just the other day. (Sounds random and it was too - sorry! )

Nothing much to report here. I was due to move offices tomorrow but the men unexpectedly arrived today. I had a feeling it was going to happen so I was all ready for it. New office is nice.

Thanks Dewin. They're playing music and singing now. The baby (under a year old) is being passed around and being held up like a sack of potatoes by drunk folk.

My options this evening are to work in the kitchen and get increasingly irate or move upstairs to the spare room which is unbearably hot and stuffy as it gets the sun late afternoon/all evening.

Twice.

Funny stories about Iestyn btw!

Domestic how annoying (can I recommend a cheap air con unit for your spare room) - and BBQ or bonfires that stink the neighbourhood out are my pet hate(I am casting evil looks at man two doors down now out the window).

Iestyn stories made me laugh- Edie tells me off if I tell her off. Are you going to post new photos of your office as I want to see it now dewin?

Thanks for making me not think I am made re nursery kid- as you say domestic they do daft things at this age so that bit wasn't so surprising but it's the lack of saying something or trying to set an example(and lord knows I have every sympathy as it's like pissing in the wind trying to get e to do some things but I still bother).

Amber have you tried a specialist agency or gumtree/nannyjobs?

poppy my two fight like anything but they know better that to fight with any other kids - seriously, that's not okay!!!

deb hope Tristan's on the mend and fingers crossed that S doesn't get it (and the rest of you, but especially him while he's away).

DGT hope you're upstairs - do you have a fan? (Remembers it's Scotland and not toronto....)

dewin Iestyn sounds delightful! My boys would think that was the absolute funniest thing ever too!

Anyone have any strong views on the budget? I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it works ... and 20% VAT doesn't bother me because honestly I hardly buy anything....

DG, what a nightmare .

Dewin, glad you like your new office.

Deb lol at S ringing to say what he had for tea [sweet]

Poppy, YADNBU! If T or E did that I'd get down to their level and say 'no, you don't pull hair!' and then try to get them to say sorry (they are just getting hang of sorry). To say 'oh they fight all the time' is just lazy parenting.

T and E have been the children from hell this evening. I think they were just tired because they were asleep almost as soon as heads hit cot mattresses this evening. They both refused tea, T just banged his spoon in his bowl (crying) so I took the bowl off him (cue more crying), he wanted it back so I gave it him back and said 'you have to eat it not play with it', but he just played with it (crying), so I took it off him (more crying). E was not so bad, she refused her tea (only cos T wouldn't eat his I think), cyring, then she just sat on the sofa watching TV. But they both cried and fussed (a lot) during bathtime. Standard exhausted behaviour I think. Anyway I am going to try giving them their tea at 4.30 instead to see if they do better cos that is a few days now where I have felt they have been knackered at teatime and played up. Usually give them tea at 5pm, tonight was more like 5.30. The heat doesn't help and they are getting less sleep at night cos they wake at 7am when it used to be 8am or so. I don't think they slept at lunchtime today either (not sure as I went to sleep myself ).

Amber, yes it is expensive having twins . The most annoying thing of course is that you have everything you need from Luke but have to buy it all again . You could get a Multimac www.multimac.co.uk instead of a new car, we are getting one as we found 7-seaters to be so expensive and the boot space rubbish. I think a maternity/night nurse is a good idea. My mum used to come once a week to give me some much-needed sleep and i couldn't have done it without that help. I used to be so depressed on Wednesdays when she went home! That was only for a couple of months though. Once they were in a good routine and sleeping at night things were so much easier. Have you looked into doulas - they might be able to help postnatally and would probably be much cheaper.

Neenz - does that multimac do rear facing and front facing combo? Have you got one?

Hi, it doesn't help when some of you have changed youe names as well

Congrats to those who have had and are expecting again!

Yes recovering from op. 2 weeks tomorrow since surgery. Just taking things slowly. Easier said than done with a 6 year old a nearly 2 year and a husband who is away! Thank god for Mum and Dad!