We are the festive receptionists' mothers - we bring shepherds, aliens and travelling cribs to a nativity play near you

[mistletoemulledwinemoodlum]

This is our new festive thread ladies.

I think we are making some progress with Our Situation at school - hard to tell from the reports of a 4 yr-old but I think she is playing with her Best Friend on and off and sometimes playing with another girl - the designated New Friend.

roundabout - I think I am far more distressed/obsessed with dd's social life than she is.

Had a manically busy weekend. Dd went to a non-school friend's bday party on Saturday. True to form she asked to go home after about 2 minutes but then had a lovely time on the bouncy castle with another friend (who only knew dd which was very handy). I am always pathetically overjoyed to see dd enjoy herself with a friend. I think the lack of structure (only one round of pass the parcel so no pressure to do anything) and early food (party was at lunchtime) helped a lot. Got there a bit late too as we could only find one party shoe - major trauma - until second shoe was retrieved.

Tree - I suppose you must have looked into the possiblility of not going back to work or reducing the hours. I hope it feels better when it actually happens. Good to hear about Mr Tree - not enough dad's going into schools. Dd is also a 'play my way or the highway' kind of child - which I think is a large part of her difficulty joining in with groups.

Had to go back to the house twice this morning - forgot shoes to replace wellies, then forgot dinner to take to CM

Dd als a has a massive bump on back of head where she was messing about cleaning her teeth and fell off the toilet and hit her head on the radiator (dh was supervising ). Heaven knows what the neighbours thought we had done to her. I wonder if school will notice.....

Hello everybody - just a quick dip in and out as children have been dreadful about bedtime tonight (well, to be strictly fair, dd2 threw up) and I have been filing my tax return, so I have nothing cheerful to say.

Glad to hear the social situation is improving, Acinonyx.

I've been boggling at the diary and how far they've got through reception. Looking forward to half term though. Tree - I really feel for you. I'd be miserable to go back to work now and leave them both. Especially as dd2 is at a very cute stage at the moment (vomiting aside).

I wish we had a home-school diary. Though I'd be amazed if they actually had time to read it - dd's teacher always seems stretched to the maximum.

Hello everyone.

I saw Amen to realising that the 10 mins extra in bed will whoop your ass in stress and rushing.

Aci - that is great news about The Situation. Really great.

Bit zonked. Trying to request my holidays for the year 2010-2011. I have no idea what holidays I want Jan-March 2011

Aci - how is The Situation now? So pleased for you that there is a New Friend on the scene. Fingers Crossed.

Tree - of course one cannot think so far ahead as that - how ridiculous - poor you

Well we had a playdate at someone else's house this afternoon. But poor ds ended up in tears as I think he has another bloody infection or virus or whatever, and has a sore throat and a sore ear. So no school tomorrow.

I feel all unsettled tonight. Hopefully a night waking up regularly with ds to give him four hourly calpol and nurofen will make me feel better. Not.

Hello Moodlum.

No better? . Lovely duvet day and perhaps make some buns. Are you working? I can't think

We have a short week. Hurrah! DD is at consultant on Friday [failure to gain weight and lack of appetite] Appointment is at 10.30.

Do I

a) dutifully return her for luch and afternoon session?
b)scuttle off home with glee and do some playing phonics?

I'll ask teacher if afternoon arrival would be disruptive

They did proper PE today, got changed and everything. Very proud.

Also have a ponics workbook, keywords, and a reading book. From fammine to feast!

Tree - its going to be a friday afternoon - children never do any work then - I really wouldn't take her back

DS is actually fine this morning, so we've had some cuddles on the sofa watching peppa pig, and then I think I'm going to take him back to school for lunch at 12. Tree - don't worry about not remembering if I work or not - I have the same problem! I do freelance PR, and I'm more "freelance" than PR at the moment, so I have time a plenty!

I need a mn database. In fact mn should have one in 'mymn'

Where you add the name and known feature. Like 'lovely' and 'enjoys cake' and 'knits' or like 'troll' and 'arse' and so on.

LOL Tree - when I read that i thought it said 'knits like a troll', and I was intrigued!

Poor DS was very unsettled going back to school. They just don't like a break with routine. I brought him in when they were just about to sit down for lunch, and he didn't want me to leave. Fortunately his TA who is lovely and knows him of old, swept him up and ate lunch with him. Poor little rabbit.

How was minimoodlum this eve? Ok?

Spoke to teacher, she said to do whatever we wanted. In a nice way

We'll go for lunch and take it from there.

Thanks Tree - he's fine actually. He's pretty perky and they did nice things in the afternoon so I'm pleased I took him back in.

Am having an alcohol free January, which so far has been successful. But tonight is trying me, it really is..

Tree, you should definitely just make a nice day of it with dd on Friday! I didn't realise she wasn't eating properly - thought she just had constipation problems. You must be worried for her. Is it something that's been going on for a long time, or will this be her first appointment about it?

x-posts - moodlum, glad to hear mini-moodlum had a good afternoon. My dh is having an alcohol-free January too... he's lost loads of weight! And he doesn't snore... it's bliss. I wonder if I can convince him to carry on through February?

at your dh aranea. I've not lost a lb.. I did it just to check I could iyswim, and I can. I did wonder idly if I might do it all year, but now realise that would be madness

Sorry tree - I too didn't really ask about the consultant's apptmt & your dd not eating - sorry. Are the two issues linked - not eating a lot because of fear of constipation? DCs and food is a battle so hard to win if they set their minds to it - sorry

Hello

I went to school all day today. I am tired . Was an open day and I went to DD's class in the morning, then to DS's class, had lunch (he let me sit next to him ), did playing outside and was with his class in the afternoon.

Have decided I must do some useful things during the day as house is more disreputable than usual .

Have applied to be an exam invigilator in the upper school down the road. Would be boring but not a bad way to get some money. As they have sent me a CRB form I am hoping they may be happy for me to be part of the team

I wonder what categories I would fit into on tree's database....

Oh don't worry. This is second appt, she had bloods etc done 6 months ago so I guess they were all A-Ok. I think not eating is down to pure lack of appetite, down to constipation. It's a bugger.

Stil, chiro continues to keep on top of it. SO we don't have all the soiling and lack of control we had with movicol

Noah - sounds good. Open day and invigilator role. I did that once, many moons ago. Maybe I should look into it again.... Anything to escape shifts!

DH is looking into QTS> Which will take 4 years as he has no degree. 4 years on my 12k per annum after tax-ish. Plus £3500 fee's per year. SHould be interesting.......

What subject and age is your DH looking into tree? Do you have to pay fees for it now; or is it that he will do an ordinary degree (so would need to pay fees) and then a PGCE (where I don't think you do).

Poor little-tree. I have been having the odd time of constipation recently (am very glad none of you know me ) and it is horrible. Can't imagine that happening all the time

He's thinking primary, probably IT or maybe sport. So it's a degree in something [probably education as there is a local one that offers qts with it] and he needs the foundation year first. Hence 4 years.

Plus he has to get his C in GCSE maths and science this June. We are starting from scratch here! He is so capable, I'm so cross he wasn't managed at school. He can do amazing things with numbers.

Olives appear a winner in dd2 and her constipation. Tasty too!

Do olives really help with constipation? I had no idea. They've always been a great favourite with dd1, but I've been a bit wary of letting her have too many as I assumed they would be too salty. Maybe I should give her free rein with the olive jars though.

I was going to have an alcohol free January, but unfortunately it was my birthday last week and one of my presents was a bottle of Baileys.

Noah - I do a fair bit of invigilating. I quite enjoy enforced boredom (good job really).

It was Boy's fifth birthday today. So as from now he actually has to go to school, rather than just doing it because he feels like it....he had a nice day apparently although I wasn't around for much of it.

Also had non-uniform day today and just remembered I have to make cakes for Friday.

Happy birthday to little golgi!

And a belated happy birthday to small sapling no.2. Sorry not to have said it before, tree.

Happy birthday boy goli!

Oh blimey no worries Aranea.
How goes it with you? Another mner has just said they have same effect on her family too. Give them a try. Salt is a worry, buy I ave tosay not half as much as the bloody constipation. I think it's the bulk. Ours come out prett much as they went in. Nice.

Happy Birthday Golgi and mini golgi!

Everyone who's had colds has given them to me. So I'm off to buy a pair of new shoes for the school run - a pair of converse (or the like, but cheaper..) I feel a bit springy and think it might be nearly time to move out of my boots and into something a bit more exciting. Woo.

Noah - I've always wondered about exam invigilating - seems a good way to earn a bit of extra money.

Happy birthday for yesterday mini-golgi

OOO I was looking at my red pair yesterday and wondering if it was time yet moodlum. Then I remember the trenches where we park and decided no.

It's the weekend, no school tomorrow. Yeeee Haaaar!