Jan 09 Summer sun, peachy bums and... toddler tantrums..

[120]

New thread here...

Hmm, that's what I was thinking about the tops. New, clean, unstained etc, plus, having bought them in the Next sale, they aren't 'cheapest primark go out of shape in one wash' quality, so should stay decent for a smidge longer.

Dog walks have to be first or last thing these days really to avoid all the godamn tourists that have discovered our piece of paradise. We can take them in the day if we hike up through the forest and come out a few miles further up the beach - which is what we usually do, then I carry on walking up the beach with them and dh builds mega sandcastles, complete with sea defences with the boys. Don't think we are going to be hiking this year somehow though. We used to go there and have the whole beach to ourselves and maybe just one other dog walker, now the main entrance looks like Ibiza in high season with the number of other tourists that are down there at break of dawn to claim their own patch of sand. Tis a very different place now than the one I used to spend endless summer holidays at - or even the one I used to go to with dh when we were first married. Its all changed really since ds1 was born.

Dh has also informed me that he wants to leave little-old-lady-dog with his parents this year. He has a point, she is almost deaf, pretty much blind, very doddery and manages to get lost in our tiny house, let alone the huge holiday house and she does love staying with them BUT she has always loved it in Ireland and is the one dog we can take on the beach even if its busy as she just stretches out on the sand, or even in the beach cabana and sleeps. She has even been known to let the dcs bury her up to her head in the sand and then stay there and sleep for a couple of hours before digging herself out. I will feel so guilty going without her - first time in 12 and a half years. Am also terrified she'll die while we are away. [double sad]

Dd has dropped down to just under the 4th centile according to the digital scales at home and I'm thinking I should take her to the hv/gp and get her checked over. She's not skinny, has nice chubby knees, arms and cheeks, but her tum is such an odd bowling ball shape rather than the usual beer belly shape that toddlers get. She is just into 9-12 months clothes and some eg George and Mothercare still swamp her. She meets or exceeds all her milestones though, is bright as a button and I really don't want to start another round of hospital/doc appointments with another dc if we don't need to, quite apart from not wanting to put her through all the tests etc. Ds1 was/is small, but then he was born onto the 9th centile and has pretty much stuck there ever since. Dd was born between the 50th and 25th, dropped to the 25th until 10 months then dropped to the 9th, stayed there for a bit then dropped a bit more. Last time we saw the hv she said she was happy with her on the 9th because she is in proportion and not at all skinny, not so sure they'd be happy with her dropping down as low as she has though.

Anyway, shouldn't you be in bed? Actually, just looked at the time, you probably are in bed by now.

Have I frightened you all off with my mahoosive grumpy posts?

Sorry, you don't have to read them - honest.

I am absolutely starving, but can't think of anything healthy to have as a snack, especially this close to teatime. There are cheese and onion crisps in the cupboard and they have been calling me all day - the evil sirens. I AM going to resist though, I have now done a full month without eating anything bad, so it would be a shame to spoil it now. Am going to allow myself the odd treat on holiday though.

Not me, I'm just posting elsewhere on mumsnet today. Kids slept lots today and now watching Finding nemo before bed. Forgot about that scary fish in the deep part of the film though

Oh yes, I noticed Nemo was on yesterday. We can't watch animated feature films as ds1 has a really bad phobia of them (don't ask, its an ASD thing ).

I did however spend an enjoyable couple of hours watching Grease yesterday afternoon - took me right back it did!

Tree - I know we've had this conversation before but I can't find it... Narrow girl's shoes - what did you recommend again? DD back down to a D fitting after we got away with an E for a while and I can't seem to find anything. She has one pair of sandals that fit after a big growth spurt in last few weeks and it's tipping it down here so they aren't proving very practical! I'm desperate so will stomach expensive but would rather not have to iyswim.

Hello moose, good luck for hospital tomorrow.

Tea, I'm intrigued, what fun threads have you found?

Pat- this is so late but congratulations on losing 21lbs. Well done, that issomeweight loss!

hi mm - shame about your leg and holiday it will be nice to get away from the house though and somewhere else

both my gilrs have dropped centiles i would worry

dd1 started on the 25th centile and is now just above the red she is 5 end of aug and a skinny minny
dd2 is 19lbs and just above the red she started on the 50th centile
saw padatrician with dd1 said it is cause we are small
not going there with dd2
dd2 has a huge appetite not like dd1
has a huge tummy

bought online
tomy megaskethcher for dd2 for hols dd1 wont share hers and dd2 luvs it
wondecube filiings and happyland pirate shiop for dd2s bdy

Hi Tink

Its reassuring to know that your girls are small and have dropped through the centiles as well. Re-weighed her yesterday evening and she has actually put a bit of weight on. She is just below the 9th centile now for weight, and just under the 7th for height, so not too drastic and as you said, she has a huge appetite, is meeting all her milestones and appears happy and healthy, so I am not going to worry about it - I have enough things to worry about at the moment, without creating more.

Dd loves the boys old colour doodle, which is like a megasketcher only with colour instead of just the grey and white. All three of my dcs have them and we take them all on holiday as well.

I have just ordered a load of numeracy, literacy and phonic books from this range for my boys to take away. We have a deal that they will do 20 mins work and write one postcard a day. Ds1 wants to concentrate on his times tables for the national times tables league and he needs to do work on his handwriting. Ds2 just needs to maintain his current levels, without slipping back over the holidays, so have bought him phonics and spellings and year 2 mathematics. Am also buying them junior scrabble, some colouring, dot-to-dot (which go up to over 200 for ds1) and puzzle books to do on the ferry and while we are away and of course they will have their poi for the beach and wobbleboard for the garden.

Been to see the consultant today. He is happy that healing will be straightforward and doesn't anticipate any problems, but - I am still in the flipping cast. Have to wear it 24/7 for the next two weeks, then can start taking it of for short periods, gradually building up to not wearing it. Have to go back and see him again in just over 4 weeks, so the week we get back of holiday.

Noticed this morning that more dark purple bruising has appeared over my outer ankle bone and when he prodded and poked my foot he noted that the area around my ankle bone is more painful than around the fracture site. He thinks I probably sustained quite substantial ligament damage and reckons it will take at least another 4 weeks to heal.

Anyway, at least the end is in sight, even if it is still four weeks off.

that is the main thing if she eats lots and is healthy
i am never sure if those centile charts arent more of a pain
have got out red books to check

@ birth dd1 weighed 6lbs12.5 ozs
dd1 is now :-

for weight- in the middle of red so between the 0.4th and 2nd centile
height- just above the second centile
she hasd always had no appetite was a nightmare with breastfeeding had to stop @ 5 weeks as she wasnt getting enough
with bottle feeding hardly had anything
she is extremely fussy still hardly eats much atall a very skinny minny

@ birth dd2 weighed 8lbs7ozs
dd2 is now :-

for weight- 2nd centile
height - above the 25th centile
in contrast has always had a very stronmg suck on the bottle with milk
didnt bother breast feeding after dd1 was so bad!!
sh has got a huge appetite eats all the time and not fussy atall which is great
is not skinny is chunkier
and alot stronger

shame about your leg

moose, glad to hear that the end may be in sight with your ankle at least, though obviously it's rubbish that you've got four more weeks of it...

tink, your dd1 sounds a regular titch c is on about the 25th centile for height and weight, or she was in may when i last checked. 'course, it may be different by now, she grew an inch in june and about half an inch so far in july... she has spots, i think it's obviously to do with the growing, or perhaps teeth - does anybody else's lo get this? she's cut half a top molar today, poor little thing.

nothing much to report here apart from the teething nightmare...

morning

hi stripey

popped to tesco

off for walk up to my local next to pick up dd2s all in one swomsuit

nice and sunny here

hi all. tumbleweed on here!

Sorry about your leg Moosey, hope you are finding distractions beyond the kids and the diet.

Stripey, H is cutting molars at the mo and also has a funny rash on his face. Wasn't sure whether teeth, sunscreen allergy, lack of face wiping/using wipes on skin etc. Really hard to tell. Am wiping with water now and using different sunscreen so we shall see. He definitely gets a rash round his neck in this heat with the nivea 50 stuff. He is SUCH a cheeky monkey. Winds up the 3 year olds and then cries if they hit or push him away. H is 50 for weight and 25 for height, so small and chunky! May be the BF on top of his enormous diet.

Hi all. It's very early (8am) and I am up because I am off to London for the day for a job interview. Feels very nice to just pop in and out like that without having to pack the car etc. Only 2.5hrs on the train. It's for a job I won't get, for several good reasons, but I am visualizing a good result anyway...

MM bet you will have a fantastic holiday anyway, despite the foot. I know it can often seem like a hassle to get away but just being away from the kitchen sink is really refreshing I always find!

pat amazing weight loss! But you have always looked amazing.

120 N got 6 teeth at 11 mos and has had nothing since... until a big tooth this week towards the back. Is that normal; I expected the next lot to be next to the two on the bottom front? Anyway, he was okay with some nurofen and gel. Hope the rash gets better. N gets a rash behind his ears sometimes and I use this magic stuff that comes in a green bottle. Sorry, not very useful. I will have a look what it is.

Still pg, still feeling awful, still anxious as all hell. I may have an early scan tomorrow as it's 7 weeks then, and we are off on holiday on Sat for a week. But the scan place is Cardiff, over an hour away, and I just need a day at home - we have been so busy of late.

Managing whole days without bf-ing and nights have dramatically improved with a bit of ignoring... still co-sleeping most of the night though.

Anyway, fingers crossed for me please. Sorry for lack of proper catch up.

morning

good luck miss j

good idea having an early scan should reassure u
i had an early scan @ 7 weeks with dd2 so cute

having a quiet one today

lots of rain here!!

Morning,

I know you've already gone, but good luck MissJ.

I had a 7 week scan with dd and found it really reassuring. Cost seventy pounds and lasted all of about two minutes, but that was all I needed.

Hi Tink, we have lovely sunshine here this morning, but I think they've predicted rain for the school run this afternoon - again.

Made a bit of a boo boo and forgot that yesterday was ds2's last day with his Monday to Wednesday teacher, so didn't send in a card or present. Was hoping to get something today. I am never this disorganised and am really hating not being in control, even though its my own fault. Fortunately she's popping in to say a proper goodbye this afternoon. He made her a card and a hama bead heart this morning before school and I think that's much nicer than anything shop bought anyway. Will have to do one of each for his Thursday/Friday teacher tonight as well though.

Ds1's teacher is getting one of the notelets out of the card box and he can write it himself, as I can't think of anything I want to thank her for.

I was at a birthday party with the boys yesterday afternoon and heard some interesting relevations about both boys' classes in relation to other pupils and teachers. I don't tend to socialise with the other Mums much, so wasn't privy to a lot of it. One of them works at the school as a TA and her insights were very interesting indeed. It was also interesting to hear how badly some of the other children have been affected by a lot of the problems this year and how many of them have had problems with the same 'bullies'.

Apparently ds1's Monday to Wednesday teacher next year is renowned (sp?) for being very strict and he told me that the children know better than to play up in her lessons. This is excellent news as this year's teacher let the trouble makers get up to all sorts without any discipline or even a telling off. One of the Mums that helps out in class told me that a certain boy is allowed to crawl around under desks and disrupt, tease/bully other pupils during lessons without being told off. I do know which child it is and understand that he has a lot of problems, but surely he needs help to learn to behave rather than special dispensation to behave badly. I have chatted with his Mum in the past and he doesn't have any 'conditions' or 'syndromes', but he did have a very bad start in life. He was new to the class at the beginning of this year and has had a really negative impact on what all their previous teachers described as being the nicest class they have ever taught. Unfortunately, because his behaviour has gone unchecked other boys have got the idea that they too can play-up, tease, bully and steal without intervention. End result - a horrible year for an awful lot of the children, who had previously been very happy and settled in their class/school.

I guess we can only hope that the new, strict teacher will sort them out in September. I'm not holding my breath though.

Anyway, didn't mean to rant about all that stuff again. Only today and tomorrow and I can forget about it all for five and a half weeks. Yay!

Hello

Good luck MiisJ!! I hope you have a good interview, everything crossed. Good luck with the scan too, if you decide you go for one x

Moose, bleurgh to another 4 weeks, but yay to the end in site with the cast. Does this mean you might not need it on holiday, or not all the time?

I'm a bit mithered!

Started nights monday, fine. Had a stressfull night, a niggly worrysome night with a case I worried about. Then couldn't sleep well Tuesday, finally dropped off about noon.
FIL woke me up at 5, H had hurt her foot. My immediate reaction was, oh be fine, I'll take her to GP tomorrow but no, he said they were on way to A&E.
So dashed off there, she was wailing bless her. Nanna stayed with dd1 who was wanting to see me and a bit sad. I dan't seen her since Monday am.
So spent 5.30 till 7.40 in A&E, and lo she has fractured her foot! They put a massive soft cast bandage on it, and I dropped her home and went to work. Only 20 mins late, not bad.
Then fracture clinic yesterday after my night shift. Or hell on a hot day as I have renamed it, awful place. So busy and manic and boring and HOT!. Consultant saw it, and just when I expected he should have said 'it's fine, take the cast off and forget about it' he said 'hmmmm....hard cast for 3 weeks and we'll see'

SHe only fell off a little step from Ikea. The ones everyone has for helping them reach the sink etc.

So now she has a roboleg like you Moose, only its a cast and it's bright blue. Didn't fancy the neon pink with her hair

I finally got to bed yesterday about 3pm, and slept through till 6am! Realised I hasn;t eaten for about 30 hours, nearly fainted, and am now ok if a little frazzled.

It's all go ths motherhood lark. Poor H, toddler lost her toddle. She's 18 moths today

happy one and a half treelet. gosh that must make quite a picture, poor thing. Tree, hope you eat some proper food.

mj good luck with the interview and scan. H still only has four at top, two bottom and now after about 5 months, 2 molars. I'm sure it's fine. Annoying though as it hinders what they can eat.

H is completely crazy about cherries, and eats them whole, stones and all. We have to grab them off him and destone them with the stalk on as otherwise he gets grumpy. Honestly a mega pita. And v messy.

Moose, very interesting to hear more stories about school life. I really think you could write an excellent book as you have an engaging style, and then you could see all of this as research rather than frustration! Good that the next teacher will discipline them though. I know I've spelt that wrong and can't be bothered to go and check it.

Amazingly sunny today and I have two sleeping babies.

Our exciting news is that we have started thinking about moving and buying a house. Yippee! Just need to get a plan together and then decide what the market is doing in our area.

Thanks 120, I just had a sandwich from the shops and a bag of crisps. Which was not proper at all, but filling and easy, so suited down to a tee.

X-post Moose, sorry love. Interesting insight into the school, and encouraging I think. Hopefully ds will feel he has someone to take him, and the issues with the other kids, seriously.
I mean, putting this badly, she might feel more 'on side'. Like it is a problem, because she demands good behaviour, so it s a problem for someone else too. That mght make him feel less alone with it, and less like it's him.

Oh blimey - you know what I mean. Possibly

Awaiting calorie rush to fuel brain functions.

Also awaiting camera to charge, will get some pics of H n her cast up. She looks cute with it.

oooh pics!

I am a secret Hoola Hoop eater. Ready salted only. Used to have three packs a day when I first started working. Crisps rock and do not count as calories imho. I would say that's probably why I'm fat, but that was my first pack of crisps this year. I blame eating the toddler leftovers and then having a proper supper with DH. With lots of wine.

Just realised that is a bit random when I said that was my first pack. I had a sneaky bag last week on the train home from work and it was delicious.

Oh poor little H, my heart goes out to her. Its bad enough being a sort of grown-up and being in a cast, let alone a little toddler that doesn't understand what's going on. Do you know which bone she's broken? Do you have suitably co-ordinating outfits to go with her cast - or does this call for an emergency clothes shop?

I understand what you mean about ds1 Tree and I think he is actually thinking along those lines, as he was telling me in the car yesterday, that "Mrs X will sort them out Mummy - she doesn't stand for any nonsense".

The school is going to have to do something pretty serious now anyway, as a year 5 boy had to be stretchered off in an ambulance yesterday after having his neck injured in a fight with a year 6 boy. I really don't know what has happened to that school, it used to be such a lovely little school with a real family/community feel. Well, actually I do know what's happened, the head's strategy for bringing in extra funding involved opening the intake to every single child in the borough that can't get a place elsewhere. There has been such massive growth in class size over a 12 month period, with many of the children coming in with a history of problems and without any strategy or support to back them up, that the school simply cannot cope. Such a shame.

So frustrating, when a huge part of our decision to move back here from Burnley was so that our children would go to good schools and not be exposed to exactly these sorts of problems. This is a posh surburban area fgs, all very Boden, yummy mummy and bunty cupcake - you simply don't expect to have these sorts of problems in an area like this, let alone in a primary school. I know that sounds like I am a real snob - I'm not, honest - its just I was prepared for dealing with my children being picked on for not having the right designer labels or for us having a tiny house and an old car. Never in a million years did I expect to be facing these sorts of problems with them. I grew up here - in a council house - and went to the same school, I honestly thought moving back was the best thing to do for my dcs - huge misjudgement on my part there, apparently.

Still, I am not going to think about it now until September, my poor old head need a break from it all.

Anyway, enough of all that.

I am stupidly happy today because of socks of all things! I ordered myself some thin, pure cotton knee socks to go in my cast off ebay the other day, as the ones they supplied are thick loopy cotton stuff and not only are they sooo hot, but they leave horrible big striped indents all up my leg. Apparently its going to be over 28 degrees here next week, so I needed to do something or I'll seriously struggle. They arrived this morning and feel so nice compared to the others, I am actually fairly comfortable for the first time in days. Best thing is, buying two pairs means four socks, so I can finally get the ones I've worn washed and dried before I need them again, twas a nightmare with two thick ones which refused to dry even on the line in bright sunshine.

I have such a headache and feel sick today - dh reckons I've got Wacky Warehouse poisoning! We did say we wouldn't let them go to any more WW parties, but this was the ds of a good friend and it was at the posh WW (if there is such a thing) in an even posher area than this one. It was ok actually, only 12 in the party and no-one else in the WW, I suppose as it was a school night.

120, yay for house buying. Very exciting stuff.

I love crisps, but try not to eat them. We have a bag of 6 packs of my favourite Walkers Cheese and Onion in the cupboard and I have managed to resist them since last Saturday. Also love Worcester Sauce French Fries and salt and vinegar chipsticks dipped in sour-cream and chive dip - yum! Am having to be really strict now, as my weightloss has plateaud at one stone and I don't think I'll lose any more now until I can start exercising again. I'm getting more than a little bit fed-up of eating only healthy stuff, but will probably gain weight if I'm not really strict while I'm still relatively immobile.

Another Yay for house buying 120.

Thats sad about the school Moose. Has anyone else said the same? Could the governers address this issue?

Poor H. She is sat watching telly, which she never does. She can manage to get standing, then realised and just sits back down I'll try her with her boot on and see if t helps.

My Green Baby order arrived today. All very nce, although leggings, You know, what can you say about them? Well, they cost £2,80 and are organic and friendly trade, so that is worthy stuff. Not massively exciting though.
One of the tops for H had sold out, so I'll send back dd1's too, I only got it so they could have matching days. DD1 sometimes likes that.

Poor H. She loooks very young bless her.

Have causght up on laundry, adn MIL has taken some ironng God love her. SHe mopped my floor in kitchen today, which has made everything look better and easier. They are having H while I take dd1 to symnastics tonight, it would be too much for her. Too much bustle and need to walk.

I always have a headache after a playgym session or a party ther. WE had one Saturday, it wasn't too busy happily.

I feel a bit flu like. Pah Long day Sunday then week off praise be!

One of the mum's dh and I have spoken to is a Governor! Her youngest ds has been through hell this year with bullies in his class - again actually bullying in the classroom! So they are well aware of what's going on.

The head insists they are having a targetted programme to deal with all these problems starting in September and that it will involved consultation with Governors, staff, pupils, parents and appropriate outside bodies. He is aiming for a huge change in the culture of the school, but obviously these things take time.

If H's foot is anything like mine, she might not want to put weight on it for a good few days/a week. Even with the cast and crutches mine still hurts to walk on it sometimes and this is week 4 for me. How about sticking her in the high-chair with play-doh or some other 'sitting-still' activity?

Yes, will try those ideas Moose. She's really enjoying tv at the moment. I'm glad we don't have it on much, makes it a life saver for times like these She is also mauling my ipod which seems to be top information.

I can't imagine it would be as painful as yours Moose, I could barely see anything on xray, at worst it's a greenstick injury to her metatarsel. I bet it's a strain and ligament tbh. The consultant said the xray was typical in that it looked grainy as their bones aren't fully calcified. It was more the fact she refused to weight bare that worried him.

Intersting stuff from the school, and all very well putting plans in place. think the worry is that a) no consideration has been given to the 'before plan' year and b) how long the plans will take to bocmone usefull and effective next year. Which might be the role of governers, to seek assurances on behalf of the parents.

But yes, 5.5 weeks of no school runs worries.

I wonder if our dc's will get dressed at all next week?

I know for a fact that ds1 won't get dressed - he loves his pjs does that boy. He's even taken to coming home from school and changing straight into them.

My tendon and ligament pain has been worse than the fracture, apparently its a high sprain though, which tends to be more painful and takes longer to heal. The tendon that snapped the bone off is the long one that runs down the outside of the calf, under the ankle bone, then under the foot and joins to the base of the 5th metatarsal - typical, trust me to do it good and proper!

Forgot to answer your other question earlier. Yes, I will have to stay in the cast for half of the first week of our holiday, then am allowed to start taking it off for short periods around the house, gradually building up to doing without it completely over a two week period. I am assuming that one I can start taking it off for periods during the day I won't have to sleep in it anymore.

I think part of the reason I have to keep the cast on for longer is because with a high sprain the ligaments are weakened/stretched so much that ankle instability is common and potentially I could go over on the ankle again and pull off the same bit of bone before its properly knitted together.