OLD temp buddies, still together.

[rainbowdays]

Sorry I could not think of an original title

Fettle - I hope that you are resting in a tidy house and that your dh is on route to arrive with you very soon...... we will forgive you if you don't get much time to post in the next few days, I am sure your dh will be distracting you from mn.

I am currently somewhere between 5weeks5days and 6weeks3days, depending on how I read my temps and other charting methods.... being ill in the mid-cycle was not convenient for getting precise about ov date. But I am just waiting patiently for my next scan, next monday, to give me the news either way. I am just trying to keep calm and thinking positive, it is not easy.

Hi Rainbow - I'm feeling ridiculously happy, sitting in my tidy(ish) house finishing off an open bottle of wine! Had an email earlier saying that he is landing very early tomorrow morning, so should be able to get him before taking DD to school (should she actually want to go to school that is!!!) I've tried not to get too excited, but I can't help it now I know that he is really finally on his way home!!!

But.....I hope all is ok with you and baby - it would be just too unfair for you to have yet more bad news. I'll keep all my positive thoughts for you.

Right - I have to go and make my bed - thought I better put new sheets on! Going to have to wake the children up early tomorrow to get to the station on time - they have no idea about that though!! Just praying that this possible snow that is forecast for round here, doesn't amount to too much! But I've parked my car at the top of my little hill, so that shouldn't stop us getting away in the morning!!!

Sleep well all - not sure I'll be sleeping for a while yet - have I told you I'm excited!!!

(just hope it is all ok - sometimes R&R is just a hotbed of arguments and heavy dicussions......nah it will be fine!!)

ps greedy - stop overanalysing your parenting! You're wonderful!

Hello everyone else!

pps where is the Ile de Re? I've never heard of it?!

fettle- hopefully you will have collected DH and be at home having a lovely reunion- did DD go to school?

I now have 13 watchers on my buggy- and another offer for £40 which I declined... 4 days left on the auction... I could get into this ebay lark!

I am just about to book a villa in Croatia for the summer via owners direct. Have to fly with ryanair though which is a bit rubbish as I dont like them- and hate all the extra charges they whack on- grrrr.

This weekend I have a residential workshop with the NCT which I am really looking forward to- a whole weekend away from everyone! Hurrah!

rainbow- fingers still crossed.

lottie - personally, we always do the bath/bedtime routine together if dh is around cos it takes so long to bath the 3 of them, get the older 2 to read their reading books for school (which we never have time to do before then) and then read all 3 of them a different story!!! unfortunately ellis doesnt like fairy books and kiki isnt keen on spy books and i feel mean not giving marcy a story too! anyway, most of the time dh isnt around and strolls in JUST as i have got them into bed, just in time to have a nice little cuddle and a chat with them before they go to bed and he misses all the chaos!!! having said that i generally LOVE the chaos of bath/bed time for some sick reason!!!!! we never get round to making our dinner until they are all tucked up in bed which is 8pm, so we dont normally eat till 8.45 which is a bit too late for my liking, but thats the way it goes! if dh got home earlier i am sure we would do things differently, a few days a week i am organised enough to cook us all the same thing and the kids just eat earlier than us. anyway, thats just us! but that is kind of what we did when they were little too, but obviously it was a bit quicker then getting them to bed cos there were no reading books to be read and i only ever had one baby at a time of course (sensible woman that i am!)

fettle - hope you're having fun!

honey - i bet you'll miss evryone like mad!!!

saw my sisters baby today and for a change she was amazingly chilled out and completely gorgeous!!!! needless to say she made me super broody...........but, boy did arcy get jealous!!!

grrrr- i am so cross and upset! Just had a bit of a row with my son's school footie coach. Right- DS1 is in school football team- he had a bit of a tournament after school. First match he is sub for the first half... second match the coach subs him in the second half... meanwhile other boys (the goldenball strikers) are not subbed at all... grrrr. DS1 really upset and ends up saying to coach he is quitting the team. Coach doesnt seem bothered at all. I say to coach- you are not being fair- you have to sub ALL the boys not just a couple of them- he gets all arsey at me- I tell him we arent in WEMBLEY!!! Only little boys playing- both matches they won by ridiculously loads of goals- so i say- you just care about number of goals NOT about the boys.... grrrrr.... CANT BELIEVE He is such a TOSSPOT! He then cheekily says- maybe you should come here next week and do my job...

right, i need to calm down!

Thanks

HOney - good on you saying something to him - he sounds like a total arse and I never swear!!! Sounds as if he's a failed professional who's trying to live his life through the glory of a small boys' football team. Poor DS - no wonder he feels unappreciated. How good is DH at football, could you call the coach's bluff and turn up next week in all the gear?!

Lottie - funny you should ask that question!! I'm sat here on MN with supper in the oven, waiting for last minute preparation having already had a midweek G&T (for first time in months I quickly interject!), while Toby is already peacefully asleep and DD is reading (her school book) with DH upstairs. All this calmness and tranquility is because DH is home!!! I'd forgotten how easy it can be with 2 of you - even all the toys are tidied up and put away!! BUT......it is very rarely like this, ignoring the fact I've been a single mother for last few months, even before then DH wasn't reliably home earlier enough to help much, so we like Greedy always tended to eat really late, which I don't think is very good for you and probably didn't help with my weight!! You have to do what works best for you all as a family and try and not worry if your standards slip - so what if you live of baked beans on toast, or baked potatoes for a few months!

Better go - DH is coming downstairs!!!

xxx

Lottie - I find in our house that if I give dh half an hour to do what he needs to do after he gets home, he then pitches in with the cooking dinner and then putting children to bed routine. But I have learnt that I have to keep my flagging energy going for a while after he gets in. If I immediately ask him to start doing things with the children, then I don't get as much help overall. Over time we have tended to have me doing the wind-down time with the children, while he starts dinner cooking, then we both put the children to bed together. This is what happens most of the time, but we are both easy-going and if one of us is extra tired, then often the other will do the whole bed-time routine alone.

I have to say we have it very easy (not sure it can be put down to having a bedtime routine from early on, or if we are just lucky), but our bedtime routine means that all the children are in bed by 7.30pm. We have always stuck to a routine with bedtime, at 6pm starting with calming activity before putting on night-clothes at around 6.30pm (this can take a while when chasing 3 children!), then reading story, doing prayers and then lights-out by 7.30pm. I have always had a different place and in the light for daytime naps for them as babies, and then have darkened room for nighttime. People are always amazed at how early and without fuss my children go to bed, but I think I started very early with routine and both dh and I have stuck with it. It now feels natural for either one of us to do the bedtime routine, but it is easier when we work together with it.

For now, I would think that for you anything other than pizza thrown in oven or your dh bringing a take-away back home with him, is about all you should be aiming for at the moment. You are naturally going to be tired by the end of the day, and your dh is not going to want to immediately do anything when he gets in from work. So it is just a matter of trying to find a way that works for you both. The early days are fraught with trying to find what works best as a family unit. But only you can work out with your dh what is going to work for you.

Fettle - good to hear that your dh is finally home.

Honey - I would be cross with the football coach too. It is so unfair, and clear that the children notice.

well i was so cross i decided to email the headteacher and cc the director of the football company- so we will see!

bedtime routine in my house is rubbish! And I wonder why dex was up until 10.15 last night!! ho hum... I think having older ones makes a difference. DD is very good going to bed she always has been. She gets ready at 7pm then reads to me and then by 8pm she is asleep. DS1 gets ready for bed at 8.30 and then reads until about 9.30. Dexter does what he likes! (Ok not totally- i do try and have some sort of system...)

honey - funny how the third child seems to run the house and do what they like isn't it?!! Marcy is like that too!! My Dad always says she is the one in charge in our house, and i think he is right!

very true greedy. he is ridiculously indulged with it too. He just makes everyone laugh so much it is difficult to get cross with him.

I had an email back from the headteacher- pretty rubbish response really and has made me quite upset again. Saying how my DS1 did not behave properly and did not represent the school well- FFS! He was upset, he was crying- he did not shout at anyone or be horrible to anyone. I sent a reply asking what the ideology of the team was- to play and enjoy- or to play to win at all costs? Waiting for another reply... grrrr I saw another mum who was there and she asked me how DS1 was- she said she was thinking about him all evening, thinking how unfair the coach had been and how sorry she felt for DS1. Obviously she didnt think he had behaved badly. Can't wait for DS1 to go to secondary school- juniors has not been great for him . Apparently the coach is going to ring me to apologise- but i really dont want to speak to him. So not answering phone today.

Great that DH is hom Fettle!!! . You must be thrilled!!! How are the kids - are they a bit funny with him at first after such a long absence? Hope you are able to have a relaxing 2 weeks .

Honey - Thats rubbish about the footie - as you say surely the point of school footie and playing matches is to have fun and teach the kids how to play as a team and value every team members contribution rather than singling kids out. I know you'll always have kids that are better than others but you want to be fair to all of them - especially if they were winning already! It sounds like all that coach is teaching them is how to feel crap about themselves. Poor DS1 - good on you for pursuing it though. I like your last last point to the headteacher.

Sounds you are taking to this motherhood stuff like a duck to water Lottie!!! Its always going to be tough managing and feeding 2 babies and I really admire you for getting through things so well so far! As all the others have said, if all you eat in the evening is beans on toast / pizza etc for another month or two then so be it. Th important thing is that you dont get stressed. The girls will settle into a natural routine soon enough and you WILL get your evenings back. In our house, DS2 goes to bed anytime between 7pm and 8pm depending on whether he's had a sleep in the day or not. DS1 goes to bed between 7.30 and 8pm, stories then lights out... Invariably though he's still awake at 9pm... He just doesn't seem able to sleep before then.... .

Anyway better crack on - Am SO SO SO busy at work but had to squeeze in some MN time .

Meant to say Greedy that I loved your comment about the fact that you wouldn't let the kids forget that you'd been a meanie!! I'm like that too!! I over-analyse it all if we've fallen out before school / nursery and I always talk to them about it when they get home even thought chances are they'd forgotten LONG beofre!!!! . How were Ellis and Kiki when you picked them up?

hey chooster - ellis and kiki were fine of course, as everyone said they would be!!! they had both forgotten about me being mean to them, but we did have a big discussion about everything on the way home, and (touchwood) they have been beautifully behaved since and so have i!!

shame you are so busy and dont have more time to chat!!! wish i was busy at work. january has been PANTS and i cant afford to have quiet months cos then i start getting into debt. just spent all afternoon working out my business finances and getting depressed. hardly worth me working at the mo, just a load of stress and no money! anyway, i am going to try and trip over some old people on my way home and hopefully drum up some more business!

honey - poor you, and poor ds1. i hate things like that, and it really plays on your mind until its sorted out doesnt it. i agree that the coach does sound like a knob! what do you want to happen? do you really just want the coach to say he will try and be fairer next week? hope it gets sorted soon.
by the way, marcy is a joker too. she just constantly seems to do funny stuff to try and entertain us all and looks so cheeky even when she is naughty that i find it hard to tell her off too!

this is a great place to come and let off steam isnt it?!

byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Feeling very nostalgic here- this time 2 years ago I had just had my first contraction! 2 YEARS - OMG where does the time go!

Waves to everyone (esp fettle - hope you are enjoying lovely time with your DH )

Where does the time go?!! Can't believe it - that means Toby really must be well over 2!!! Hope Cassius has a fabulous birthday! Ile de re sounds lovely!!

Greedy - I hope work picks up for you. You would think that with this bad weather and slips and falls that there should be some people with bad backs on their way to you!

Lottie - I was interrupted last time, I meant to say that having said you could live off beans and toast, they probably don't sell baked beans where you are do they? At least they don't in France where we go!

Honey - did you manage to avoid the coach phone call? The whole situation sounds ridiculous, and I think you've handled and responded very eloquently - not sure I would have thought of saying that about what they teaching the boys!! Good on you! Hope it is sorted out for the good of DS - is there another football club he could join? Hope you enjoy your weekend away - I bet it will be great, but you will miss everyone quite a lot!!! By the way, I also have a bit of dread of flying Ryanair - my parents fly with them a lot and love it - they never fly with hold luggage anymore, but personally for me with children, I find it more of a bear pit than flying easyjet. But then after my strike threatened and cancelled BA flights, they are not much better!!

Having a lovely time with DH - he's off at out at the moment, getting a new battery for the car and then he's off to see a couple of his soldiers who are home having been injured. But all in all he seems fine and happy, if tired and so very skinny!! I'm not sure I've told you all as I was keeping it a secret, but I've lost 1.5 stone since he's been away (still have another 1.5 to lose ideally, but it's a start!!) and I was so pleased to think I'd finally be lighter than him, but he's lost so much weight that he's still half a stone lighter than me and he's 6 inches taller, so you can imagine how skinny he's looking! Apparently to simulate his weight loss regime, I need to eat as much as I can, walk around all day in full body armour kit and sit in a sauna!! Sounds an easy diet to me!!

Anyway, I've gone on a bit there about him - sorry!

Ready - how's the weaning going?

Chooster - hope work is not too stressful at the moment. How is the childcare swap arrangement working? Are you still looking after your friend's child, or did you stop that?

Rainbow - hope you are still feeling positive.

Big waves to everyone.
back at some point

xxx

city - how are you feeling now?

seaside - wow - two years have gone fast.

fettle - wow well done on the weight loss, I am sure that your dh is impressed.

Hello girls...
Fettle well done on 1.5 stone thats fantastic and glad you are having a lovely time with DH home...
Rainbowdays hope all is well with you after your drama last weekend..
Seaside Happy birtday to Cassius...time does fly I can't believe its already Friday today!!
honey I have lots of run ins with coaches and I have now taken over the management role for my DS6 U7 football team there are a lot of power parents/coaches out there - for me I have to say what I think and generally similar lines to you about being fun at this age... my DS9 football team his coach is terrible always shouting especially at his own son... we went through a similare subbing thing but I must admit sometimes during a game the coach forgets who he has subbed so somebody stepped into to help him with timing and swapping boys etc... which works and makes the parents happy Hope your son is okay now but don't stand for any nonsense!!
Lottie with twins any kind of routine must be unheard of usually at this age!! I would say about 6 weeks babies usually get into a bit of a semi routine - my step sister has twins and she was rigidly strict with them but it still took a good 3 months for them to be in a good routine of sorts..
My norm is the DS3 at around 6 will have a bath sometimes with the older ones bathing or showering... he will have his milk, story and bed by 7/7.30 (depending on after school actvities).. the older ones are normally upstairs for story at 7.30 generally in bed before 8 on a school night and 9.30 (not for baby) on Friday and Saturday nights !! which I still think is late but hey ho they are good fun and most Fridays we have sleepovers here or they are somewhere else..

Right must dash as need to wake DS3 and off into town before I head to meet DS2 for his rugby and drop DS1 training gear off for football tonight crazzzy!!
Hello to everyone else will catch up again soon..
Oh and by the way I am fine last few days have been better in myself and coming to terms with another one...eeek!!

hi all

thanks for all the support re DS1 and football saga! He plays for a 'proper' team at the weekend which my DP coaches- so that is great. I'm not sure what will happen with the school team. The headteacher said she will tell the coach that winning is not the main aspect and to make sure he involves everyone- however I am still avoiding speaking to him! He's only about 24 or something and fancies himself- thinks he's a bit of a ladies man or something ridiculous- I think he was quite shocked that I was questioning him at all.

Fettle- wow- well done on the weight loss that is brill.

minxi- glad no.4 is not freaking you out so much anymore! It will be great I am sure .

right gotta go get ready for my weekend away!

oh and wanted to say i now have 21 watchers on my buggy!

Wow, one and a half stone! Fettle thats amazing! Well done for doing that - I bet DH got a surprise because you must look different? . You sound nice and happy! After wishing time away for the last 4 months you probably want the next 2 weeks to go at a snails pace!

Ahh, you are right about the beans fettle - I just presume they must sell Heinz Baked Beans everywhere! .

So when is your weekend away Honey?? I must have missed this in my speed reading recently - Is this an NCT thing?

So glad you are getting your head round another one minxi - you always come across as fairly organised so I'm sure you'll take it all in your stride !!

Minxi - glad to hear you are coming to terms with another one, when will you tell your boys, will you wait til the 12 week scan?

honey - have fun on your weekend away

Lottie - thank you for asking about me, my next scan is on monday, I am praying that we see a heartbeat and I can relax about it. Your routine is much better than I ever had at 6 weeks! If you are feeding every three hours during the day then have you considered baths and then dummies and cuddles instead of feeding during the evening. Then giving them a feed at 10pm before you go to bed? Your milk supply will be less in the evenings and it might be that they are just comfort suckling rather than feeding in the evenings? (it is also a common colic-y time). I just wonder if you will find it less tiring if they can be cuddled by your dh during the evening and having dummies/soothers? So that you can have time to yourself for half-an-hour before you go to bed? At around 12 weeks of age babies generally start to sleep less during the day, and you might find they are more tired in the evenings possibily, but by then you may also be dropping to 4 hourly rather than 3 hourly feed routine anyway so it will be all change again???!!!! But I just want to say it sounds to me like you have taken to motherhood amazingly. You seem to be a natural mum, well done for all you have achieved.