June 08 - a Coalition for all (even those with May or July 08 babies).

[DomesticGoddessInTraining]

Abdn liked the title so I just went ahead!

Domestic - I bet if you recited a rhyme every single day with S, at some point it would be recited back to you or at least joined in with. I always sing Rock a Bye Baby to Luke at night and never thought anything of it but he can now join in with 'Rock 'my' baby' - it just sunk in. Learning things parrot fashion is not a sign of intelligence (so says my nursery). It's when they start to figure things out for themselves that counts. Luke does the whole ABC song but he hasn't got the foggiest what it means or that they are letters of the alphabet that he is singing about.

Aberdeen - enjoy your holiday but I think 30th December is a tad early - looking more like 15th Jan!

Neenz - Glad your FIL's op went well. What do the DTs do in bed for 2 hours then if they aren't sleeping? Are you sure they aren't having a cheeky nap at some point?

Neenz we were in Formby today and will be again on Friday, but we're busy tomorrow! We'll manage it one day! Glad your appmt went well, and your FiL got through his op ok.

DGT stop being a doofus and get back to your usual gobby robust self

Deb and Abdn safe travelling. Deb good luck with the house stuff.

Amber lol at grape, but also sympathies!

DG, boys are ok, thanks for asking. Listless and both running temperatures but not too bad. Oh, and I have chicken pox too!

And second what neenz said about them all being on a par when they get to school. I've said it before and I'll say it again - reception teachers could not tell you who in their class was the first to walk/talk/recite a nursery rhyme and so on.

Last year it was all the stress about walking, etc - yet if you lined all our two year olds up you would not be able to tell which one walked first!

Right, lecture over, off to scratch my spots .

Oh no Eddie, hope it clears up soon for all of you. You're lucky you didn't get it in pregnancy then if you were not immune?

Amber, the DTs just chat, sing, shout, scream, read books and throw all their toys out of their cots. They sometimes go to sleep - if it all goes quiet then I know they are asleep. It's possible they have a nap but usually they are making constant noise so not really!

Rolf, that's a shame we can't meet up - next time you are over let me know.

Thank you everyone! If reciting humpty dumpty every day is what it takes then bugger that!

We're currently watching finding nemo - it's stopped the relentless demands for 'po pat' and 'thomas'.

If only it was as simple as reciting rhymes every day. Not how it works in our house. P has signs to demand the wheels on the bus, row row, twinkle twinkle etc and does the signs whilst I sing them, but he certainly isn't saying the words. What I am confident of is that he understands alot of the content as it gets translated to real life e.g. when we saw a rowing boat on the river, or if he hears a bell then he makes the associated sign. I think it will come with time.

neenz what are you going to do when the DTs realise they can climb out of their cots?

Eddie sorry to hear you have the pox too. Are you feeling poorly or just itchy. Hope your mum has arrived to apply the calamine lotion.

DGIT I got my MAT B1 yesterday - now I just have to discover who my line manager is, track them down, get them to sign some ridiculous form, find out who I'm supposed to send it on to and then send them off! there appears to be no guidance at all on the hospital intranet, the page on Mat leave doesn't even tell you where to get a form, never mind who to send it to. (and I'm working for a different trust this time so it's not just the same as last time.) gah.

That's ridiculous Biscuits! The only thing they need is for the payroll dept to see it so they can calculate your SMP.

Spider, the signing for songs is cute!

DGT it is cute, although the "ding, ding, ding" sign for the "Wheels on the Bus" has been over used and the sheen has worn off slightly.

I am going to put my judgey pants on now and tell you about a birthday card that was read out on Milkshake this morning. A 1 year old girl called "Pepper". I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't spelt like Peppa Pig TBH.

D'you think she's got a brother called Salt?

I like judgy pants. Tres stylish in my house.

My mum brought The Metro for me to read - had an article about baby names, including a baby named Puppy!

I'm glad someone else leapt in with a condiment joke. I had to sit on my hands not to type it.

I try to keep my judgy pants in the closet most of the time, but it doesn't come naturally to me.

When you move to Edinburgh Spider we can wear our judgy pants to the park

Is this the best way for an English person to blend in?

just make a condiment joke, we love them north of the border.

Condiment jokes in the Weege, judgy pants in the 'Burgh. Being a Glaswegian born Edinburgh resident I get to do both

Finally got my chicken pox jab, actually jabs after a 2 hour hassle at the surgery yesterday and a further hour today. Test results did come back after all(aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!) and I'm not immune so happy to have been injected, even if the needles were the size of R's fingers. I don't mind injections but these really hurt and were in my bum. Sounds like Eddie needed it more than me tho poor thing!

Rolf - Sidekick story very funny. Will you post the video when done?

Deb - I liked the FB pic. Wishing you peaceful flights.

Amber - That is far too early! The DTs should move up a bit soon and be away from your bladder, for a month or two at least.

Abdn - But if you get money for your birthday you can really enjoy the sales!

Domestic - I'm proud that R said ice-cream today in a way that would be totally illegible to anyone else. Humpty Dumpty!!!!???? R doesn't even say egg. I'm burying my head and claiming to enjoy the peace.

Spider - your Edinburgh comment reminded me I meant to mention the 'friendly' racism I used to encounter from relatives north of the border. My Mum and all family on her side are Scottish (as is my brother). My cousins husband was shocking, 'anyone who lives in London is scum', 'all sassenackers (sp) are lazy'.....etc, etc. However I am beginning to realise that the English are gently hated by everyone, eh Dewin? Someone was telling me how my ancestors had tried to kill all the Maoris here. I pointed out that my ancestors were actually too busy in Scotland and Ireland at the time and asked about his family. Turns out they emigrated from England and were actually some of those actually fighting the Maoris here at the time. But he's a NZ so that's OK, cos it was the English that did it....

Well said Eddie!

DGT - LOL at "bugger that" to daily recitations of humpty dumpty! Thomas used to drive me mad, but found American dubbed Thomas on utube and am a bit embarassed to say I don't mind that. A lot less whiney IYKWIM.

Neenz - Glad apptmt went so well. I leave R for 30-60mins every nap in lieu of a non existent nap too.

Spider - Shhhhhh, R is yet to realise that he could probably climb out of his cot if he tried.

I'm sure I'll offend someone with this, so will apologise in advance, but I've resorted to R saying Ta as he won't say Thank You and I've realised that Ta is better than nothing. But I hate it so much! We weren't allowed to say it when growing up because it was 'common' and it still bugs me now. (It's funny how my Mum was such a snob when we were so broke! ). Any suggestions for a similar replacement words IRO please or sorry?

-Pepper- -Puppy-, just striking them off my potential baby names list.

Loving the judgey pants banter. Mine are like spanx, I'm never without them but prefer that others don't actually see them.

Judgy Mcjudgy here, but my pants are buried under layers of fat so nobody sees them these days .

I know others who are v funny about Ta penguin, it doesn't bother me! A now says 'Ank 'Oo .

Oh everyone hates the English - tis tres boring ! We get used to it tbh. Had a holiday in Ireland a few years ago - west Ireland was the worst, initally a lot of people assumed we were American (Ireland full of Americans seeking their 'roots' ) but as soon as we opened our mouths and they realised we were English the hostility was horrendous. Apparently, according to an Irish uni friend, they still haven't forgiven us for the potato famine . Yes, that was personally my fault!

Great that you got your pox jab, as Neenz pointed out I'm glad I wasn't exposed to CP when pg as I assumed I was immune .

A has just fallen asleep on the sofa - bless him .

Penguin you are on form today! Luke started off on ta at nursery and I hated it but he says thank you very nicely now so it will wear off. It's good for him to say something to acknowledge.

Eddie - I said it on FB but get better soon!

I can always claim to be Maltese if anyone is horrid to me about being English

In the film Iron Man, Gwyneth Paltrow plays a Pepper POtts.

LMAO on Pepper. With Iestyn's surname, say... It would be one vowel from Pepper Potts.

Near to a breakdown on the job application here. Has to be in, today, so, so scared...

Ah, you see Amber, Malta is one of the few countries in the world where they love the English .

I was conceived in Malta, does that make me half-Maltese ?

Lol DG!

Dewin, good luck with the application .

Spider, if the DTs start climbing out I'll shut the baby gate on the door . When they go in beds I'll do same - bit concerned about what state the room might be in (trashed) at end of 2hrs but it will be worth it for the rest .

lol at Pepper .

Biscuits, why do you need your line manager to sign your MATB1? I just sent mine straight to HR. Sounds like things are going well with the pregnancy tho .

PP, that is so funny about ta. I didn't think anyone else bothered. I don't mind it but the DTs say thank you and I do have a thing about them speaking properly, not saying horsey or doggy etc. The CM has taught them to say 'nanna' tho for banana . Just keep saying thank you to him and he will pick it up, but nothing wrong with ta in meantime. My SIL's little boy calls me Nee Nee which I hate! And she encourages it by repeating it back to him. He calls DH Pee Pee [puke]. I don't get it - he can say my name, I have heard him but she seems to prefer him speaking babyish.

Eddie, lol at the Irish and the potato famine being your fault. I am so proud to be English/British (even though I am Australian ) and haven't come across much anti... I think it might be a Southern England thing .