Sept 05 - onwards and upwards!!!

[HeyBaby]

Thought this title was appropriate given that (hopefully) things will be looking up for everyone!

[HeyBaby]

[Simplyred]

New thread - new fred!!!

[PiccadillyCircus]

Hello new thread .

[mummyhill]

Grrrr Bunch of yobs standing outside my house (drinking alcohol) from 2 this afternoon so I called the local police station as we are in an alcohol exclusion zone and they eventually turn up at 5.00 after the idiots have gone to anoy someone else!!!

[mummyhill]

I have started a daily quiz tournament. If any of you are interested please sign up here my.funtrivia.com/tournament/Wendys-Daily-Trivia-Quiz-45198.html. Sorry no good at links you will have to copy and paste it into your browser. I have found it best to add it to my favourites so that I can log in each day.

[wabbitintheheadlamps]

SR - definitely duped !

Mummyhill - hope getting back to work goes as smoothly as possible for you, I know it'll be a wrench to leave David but it may also help to have a focus outside of the home and {{{{Hugs}}}}

No afternoon sleep from 3 months??? Heartless that's what I call it! Conrad gets very and if he's too tired.

It's nice to be writing about something other than my DP problems

Guess what's happened today????? Contractors for the council doing paving over the road have pranged my car - and left no note or contact details. (aren't they total sh*ts?) Have now got to take it up with the council and the contractor who contracted the council contractors IYSWIM!

SR - 'obviously very fertile' made me spurt my tea out

Beatie and Milward - thankyou so much for your thoughts xxx

Rhumba - think it was you.... Yes I definitly think her clock's ticking I also think she's tried to out-do me... From what DP says there are very big jealousy issues, I don't quite get this as I'm the one who's being cheated ... anyway her issues really aren't my affair, she can rant and rave that I'm only 'clinging on to him for money' like she can really afford to judge me? I did say to Dp that I was SHOCKED that she dared to make any accusations about me

Enough anyway - I don't want to work myself up... I've been doing quite well so far

[wabbitintheheadlamps]

Faith in human nature restored (if only temporarily )

Contractor has just call round to say he's arranging for all the work to be done on my car so I don't have to worry about anything... he doesn't want to lose no-claims and is even arranging a car for when mine goes in to be repaired. AAAhhhhhhhhhh (a deep sigh of relief)

[mummyhill]

If you sign up for the quiz would you use your mn name pls so that i know who is playing. Thanks

[pooka]

Have done - and done badly at that

[Rhumba]

thanks for the new thread, bit more manageable.

DD had her sleep this pm at about 3.30 and was still shattered by 7. Don't think i'll be dropping it for while. Managed to get both kids in bed as DH is out. Always dread it when he goes out but can now relax as won't have to do it again for another week. (bit feeble I know but it's so much easier when he's around.)

Wabbit glad the guy fessed up as if you'd had to go through the council may well have taken ages. (best bit when I got bumped was the free valet they gave it after fixing it - almost made the hassle worth while)

Mummyhill good luck for Monday was thinking about going back as a promotion came up but to apply would have had to go back fairly soon, Decided to pass on it for now as just can't quite get my head round work and the cost of childcare is so massive that can't face the hassle at the moment.

On the potty training front have DS in training pants tonight as has been dry for ages and thought I could then see if he's ready to be nappy free at night (the space ships disaapear if he dribbles!!)Let's hope I'm not changing sheets at 3am!

[mummyhill]

Aww pooka that was a respectable score don't put yourself down. Try again in the morning. I find it quite adictive.

[milward]

Heybaby -Love the thread name

wabbit - good news about your car. Hope it's fixed soon. best wishes as well xxx

mummyhill -will check the quiz but I'm terrible at them!! hope the return to work goes well xxx Poor you having to wait until 5.00pm for police to turn up.

rumba - good luck on the potty training! Here dd3 is doing great on the loo in the day. She's so happy about it! A wonderful change!

Grrrr - today a mum at dd3 pre-school asks me are all the kids with me mine. Yes I reply. She says that I have alot & she thinks I look like the nanny!! Felt a bit shocked. It's probably my lack of bling & my choice of comfy flat shoes that confused her!! Unlike most of the mums there I look after my kids myself.

[pooka]

I have a confession. I have not yet done the bedtime routine with ds and dd on my own And dh is starting to get rather behind at work and could do with doing maybe one really late night a week (til midnight maybe). Sooooo... could anyone help me by telling me what they do of an evening (so what time supper, what time bath, baby in bath with toddler or not etc)?
At the moment it works like this:
6pm we all eat supper together.
6.45ish I give Tom his bath and then take Tom upstairs and feed him.
7.30ish Tom asleep in his cot. Every other day I then get into the bath with dd then read her 3 (yes 3) stories then lights out.
While I'm sorting Tom out from 6.45pm to 7.30pm dh plays with dd downstairs then takes her upstairs to run her bath and then, every other day will get in with her, then read her stories and lights out.
So...if dh is out of the equation, what do I do?
Am thinking could try and put tom in bath with dd at, say, 6.30pm. Then dress him. Then dress dd. Then feed him while I read her stories.
Problem is that he is a real wriggler and is dd obsessed so may not settle very well with her cavorting in bath/reading stories loudly. Suppose I will just have to bite the bullet and give it a go........ oh dear. I've built it up into such a big thing that it's a real mental hurdle. One advantage is that might try on Fridays as dd would not have had her lunchtime nap as she goes to pre-school - so should be exhausted. We shall see......

[wabbitintheheadlamps]

Milward - the cheeky woman! Some of us have values that surpass the material - bling sweetie means nothing, but having a teenager truely joyful to see you when you get back from school. That's when you know you've got your values right somewhere... and I'm sure your LOs will be just like my Noop in that way

[PiccadillyCircus]

Have done the quiz. I love quizzes .

I find that putting DS and DD to bed on my own is do-able (good thing as I do it probably about 3 or 4 times a week) and it does make me appreciate DH being here when he is.

I am useless at having a strict routine, but this is what generally happens.

6:30 or so - DS, DD and I go upstairs for bathtime. DS always has a bath - he gets in first and then DD either goes in for a bit (on a bath support thing) or doesn't. She comes out before he gets out and I get her into her babygro. DS gets out and runs round like a maniac or pretends to be a penguin (don't ask ) and I manage to get him into pyjamas. DD lies on her mat in the bathroom (on the floor) watching/falling asleep/roaring.

Around 7, we go into DS's room and DD either lies on the car rug, or I sit in the chair and feed her. If necessary, she is put down and DS is given more attention. Then once he is in bed (after a minimum of 3 stories - he is becoming very skilled at saying "one more story" in a sad sort of way), I take DD into our room and depending on whether she is awake or asleep and whether she has had a feed in the last hour, will feed her or put her straight into the cot.

Although this evening I put her to bed first; DS was reading to himself (sounded very funny) and once DD was in cot, I went and read to him.

It does take a long time, but it is mainly OK. I stressed a lot about it before DD was born (seem to remember worrying about it on here) but in the end you just get on with it.

[PiccadillyCircus]

Forgot to say about supper - if it is a nursery day for DS then he will have eaten there, although may have a snack of some sort around 6pm. If it isn't then he will eat about bewteen 5 and 5:30.

DH and I eat once he has come home - generally around 8:30 or 9 ish.

[wabbitintheheadlamps]

Sounds lovely at yours PC

[PiccadillyCircus]

All disorganised chaos .

When DS, Alice and I came back from having gone out, the cat was making a loud noise. Came into the living room to find lots of small feathers and a (just about) alive bird on the floor.

DS had fallen asleep in the car, so was grumpy. Alice wanted feeding so was also grumpy. I managed to removed the bird into the garden. Wonder if it is still alive, or if it died.

Really should tidy the living room of the seven million toys that DS can manage to empty out in 5 seconds. And go to bed.

[jaamy]

Pooka - I bath DDs together but then we have one of those bath seats for DD2 so I'm hands free. Bathtime goes pretty much like PC's except that afterwards both DDs come back downstairs again till bedtime at some ludicrously late hour!!! Sometimes though I say to hell with it and don't bath them at all, I know, Shocking isn't it? It wouldn't be the end of the world if you didn't bath ds and dd for one night.
Milward - Pooh to the other mums at your school. When they're crippled because they wore the wrong shoes all their lives, they'll be sorry! They probably wish that they hadn't spent 3 hours getting themselves ready to leave the house!!
Ok...off to do your quiz mummyhill!

[mummyhill]

Well done to everyone who did the quiz yesterday those were respectable scores. I wouldn't worry unless you get less than ohh 5. A new one has started this morning.

Children eventually went to sleep last night and have both woken up in a much more pleasant frame of mind I however could do with crawling back into bed.

David doesn't have a routine yet but neither did dd at this age and she is ok. She knows that after tea she has a bath and is then allowed to come back downstaris to watch her fave tv programme then it is time for bed. Quite often though she will go straight after her bath.

[mummyhill]

I am getting borred of my little pony. Someone bought DD a dvd for her birthdya and it has been playing nonstop since yesterday morning. I won't even get a break from it this afternoon as I am keeping her off nursery today as she has her MMR pre school booster today.

[milward]

mummyhill - hope the vaccination is ok. My dd3 is obsessed by her Morph video! she can watch & then watch it some more. I can hear the morph voices now!!!! ahhhh

pc - hope the clearing went ok - plus hope bird was ok.

jaamy & wabbit - thanks for your words Some school mums are just so awful! Happy to be non-bling!

pooka - good luck with the change to your routine - hope it goes well.

My evenings go sort of like this -
between 5.00/6.00 - dinner (I eat with kids as dh often back late)Check doesn't clash with blue peter & newsround!!
6.30 - play whilst I clear up sometimes dds like to wash up.
7.00 - bathtime teeth & nit combs (do this everyday as prevention I hope) - ds on his mat on the bathroom floor with cloth books to chew on!
7.30 - stories. I bf ds.
8.00 - go to each dd to talk, get their clothes sorted for the next day & say goodnight
8.30 - make dd3 lunchbox & clothes washing out & in - then have big cup of tea!!!!
fit in bath some days for ds4 either before dd bath or let them play before stories. Just depends on if he needed a bath in the day after a huge nappy!!!!

[Rhumba]

Milward - here's to comfy shoes!! They obviously never walk in the park.

Mummyhill - internet was soo slow last night so missed the quiz.

We had spaceships on DS' pant this am so no wee in them. He's been dry during the day since June and dry at night since december but just nervous about no nappies at night. But feeling a bit bad about the ammount of dry nappies going in the bin.

Routine is

5.00 ish tea for DS

5.30 if DD hungry then give her one side whilst promting Ds to put toys away

6.00 Let DD kick without a nappy on towel while they both watch cbeebies and I run round franticly getting organised. DS has milk then

Bath DD about 6.15 then Ds comes up after Roly Mo (?6.30 )and jumps in bath. finish getting DD dressed and feed her rest of breast feed. (either that or bath them together with him going in first and coming out last)

Clean teeth and get him on toilet, she sits in bouncy chair.

Read both a story whilst giving her ebm or finishing breast feed Think it's about 6.55 by now

Kiss Ds good night

Settle Dd in bed and wind up mobile

LARGE G+T please!!

[Simplyred]

Hello!

Did the quiz - didn't realize speed was important so played with Rachel between questions and went to find her a bottle and rabbitt! will try harder next time! It was alot harder than I'm used to!!!

There are a handful of bling mummys as ds's school - they make me feel dowdy! But they look so uncomfortable trussed up in tight jeans, belts, cropped tops and stillettys - not that I'm bitter!!!

[sarahhal]

Mummyhill how could you - now there's something else to distract me from all the jobs I need to do!!

Am having a bit of a sad day today - finally stopped breast feeding Tom a couple of days ago after winding down gradually. As we're pretty certain we won't have any more babies it feels very emotional that I'll never have that special time with another baby again ( oh dear, off again - anything can make me cry today)

As much as I'd love a third child, I know that I need to get on with looking forward to the future with both DSs but it does keep making me very sad.

Am also starting to really dread going back to work. Not actually due back until after Easter and I'm almost certain that I'll extend that until after May half term, but I'm the worlds worst for wishing (or rather not wishing) time away. We've been left some money from the sale of my great uncle's house but as yet we don't know how much we'll get ( that sounds really cheeky I know) so hopefully we should be able to put that towards me staying off work.

Hope everyone is ok - Pooka, have only had to do bed time on my own twice and have to say there were no baths involved to make life easier!!!!