Halloween fun, feeling wrecked.....coming out of the other side!

Urrgh have felt totally wrecked this week, just starting to feel human again!  Think it's due to all the getting up at 5am for ds' bottle (even if dh gets up...I'm still awake and there's no going back to sleep at 5am let's face it).  And if ds sleeps through, dd decides to wake up "can you put my blanket back on"  "I might need a poo", yeah great!  Halloween went well, took the kids to meet friends at the soft play centre, they had a party on which went well, dd was actually not scared of the big giant Peppa Pig for the first time ever, well only a bit scared, and ate her own body weight in sweets.  We went to the dentist in the afternoon....after lots of scrubbing of the green tongue!!!!!  Dh took her out for her first ever trick or treating which was great, she overcame any shyness in the name of sweets and did very well! Ds was so excited he puked....even the trick or treaters commented on how messy our lounge is oh dear.  Am attempting to make ds a birthday cake, this is not looking professional.....

Cliquey mums, more early starts, work worries...

Well some of the mums I met in playgroup have decided to become a clique, ie they went out for a night, and I only found out 'by accident'....hmm. I know why it is....it's cos I am the only 'working mum' of the group and they don't feel like we have stuff in common any more now I have gone back after mat leave.  Well stuff 'em!!!!!  I love my kids just as much, I just have other things I need and want to do.  Still - how long's that gonna last? The government are making cutbacks and unfortunately our dept might now be one of those that is cutback.  Oh dear.  More stress to pile on top.  What's gonna happen who knows.  Time for some alternative scenarios.  I love my job and the girls I work with, and have worked and studied hard to get here so I hope it doesn't come to that.

Ds has got up at 5am every morning this week apart from yesterday when dd decided to get up twice in the night instead.  Aaargh what's wrong with 'em.   And nursery for some reason didn't give ds his afternoon bottle today so am fully expecting an early wake up call.  Two birthday parties this weekend - so time to go to bed I think, night night.

I am SO TIRED!!!!!! And need to sort out Xmas, more birthdays etc......

Not for any reason in particular....just so tiring being a working mum!!!!! Dh is shattered too of course.  If each of them wake up once in the night, and ds has taken to waking up at 5am lately for his early bottle, then that's the night basically gone, it's hard to get back to sleep and the quality of sleep isn't great.  Even Boots' eye bag removal stick isn't working!!!!  (Eyebags are the size of suitcases mind you)  Thank God for M&S ready meals.

Got to sort out what we're doing for Xmas, spent the last 2 at the in-laws but it's not fair on my parents I guess.  Could squash everyone at ours but will need some extra folding tables, luckily we live near IKEA!!!!  You can't win can you.  This weekend, one christening and one kiddies party.  Need to sort out ds's two parties, one with the antenatal group next week then one with the family.  AAAAAAARGH
Off to a friends' tonight, hopefully some light relief.  Or may just fall asleep.

More interest from www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk good!!!!

Schools viewed, ds walks and dd behaves!

Well I am pleased to report that 'tough mummy' worked and dd has finally started eating properly.  Well as properly as 4 year olds go.  Twas upsetting at the time though.  Trying to eat as a family seems to have helped - but the practicalities of life don't always make this possible.  Ds took his first little step yesterday at a kids party - there will be no stopping him now!  Well it was a bit of a strange kids party - it was mostly our original antenatal group only the kids don't all regularly play together so not many of them really knew each other.  DD and one of the other girls were fighting over one of the little boys.  Her friend had a meltdown when she couldn't sit next to him.  Honestly they start too young!!!!!
 
Viewed 2 schools last week, both good/outstanding ofsted but one was one of these 'open plan' schools.  Not sure what I think of them really, I suspect it's a fad but not heard good things about this approach.  Does anyone have any thoughts? Don't be shy, let me know :-)

Website busy at the moment www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk so please keep logging on :-)

DD refuses to eat....

AAAARGH dd is now refusing to eat.   Twice in a row I've come back from work, given her and ds some lovely homemade soup (it really is nice!) and she's had a full scale meltdown and gone to bed hungry.  Feel awful about it.  But everyone keeps saying "Don't give in" - else I'll end up with a really fussy eater who knows if she whinges enough she'll get what she wants.  Had a nice Chinese with some mum friends from my first antenatal group....who know exactly what I'm going through.   Ds is bouncing around quite happily though.  Photoshoot at nursery today, only nobody told us.  DH took dd in with her hair everywhere and an old t-shirt, and ds was in a second-hand pyjama top and 3-6 mth trousers.  Not a good look.  Never mind!!!!!

Did a bit of work on my website www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk now it's time for bed, good night.  I am delighted that more of you are clicking on here.  Don't be shy you lot, sign on to be a follower or add your comments!!!! :-)

DD turns 4

Hi, well we've had a very hectic week. DD finally turned 4 this week, after a week of whining every morning "Why am I not 4 yet, all my friends are 4".  Honestly she's been a little....challenging this week shall we say, I must admit I've breathed a sigh of relief when I've got to work and can 'relax' a wee bit!!!  Anyway, we had a lovely day on her actual birthday, took the day off and went to the Space Museum.  It was nearly a disaster as she took some convincing that she wasn't going to actual space, but we all enjoyed it in the end, especially when she found out how astronauts go to the toilet in space!!  Anyway she had her party today at the local soft play centre, definitely the way forward, ie no organising for me other than sending out the invitations.  And my dad was there to help look after ds.  All went well, none of the kids had meltdowns (apart from dd when she didn't win any sweets in pass the parcel) and we now have a house full of presents.  DD seems to be liking her new balance bike today (bought in neutral colours so ds can use it in years to come....customised with a hello kitty sticker!) and starting to get the hang of it.  Hope they both sleep well tonight....

Been busy with the website www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk this week too, time for a rest, put my feet up and watch the X factor!!!

Grandparents.....helpful?!!!!!!

Well, I am lucky that my parents help out with childcare 2 days a week.  My dad is now fully retired but mum still works some days.  My dad says he'd find it hard to cope with the two of them together, so he has one of them at a time.  It's lovely that they have a special relationship - my grandparents lived overseas so I missed out. BUT - why can't they stick to the way we're trying to bring up the kids?!!! I understand that they want to give them the odd treat - fine - but not constantly!!! And they refuse to say 'no' - ever.  (don't know why - they said no to me enough times!)  Honestly, I'm not being ungrateful but filling dd up with sweets and chocolate and letting her watch as much TV as she wants is really not the way forward.  But also childcare is so expensive in the UK, I don't feel like we have a choice.  I sound like a cow don't I!!!!!!

Also the nursery phoned about ds saying that I needed to collect him as he had chickenpox.  A visit to the doctors later, and it's just an eczema flare-up. Probably due to the random weather we've been having this week.  I feel bad about leaving my colleagues in the lurch but I really didn't have a choice.

Lots more interest in my website www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk so keep clicking on, you mums out there!!!  Will need to stock up myself on more lovely organic baby clothes for ds, they seem to really help with his eczema.

DD learns to swim

Well I am pleased to report that dd has finally learnt to swim, just before her 4th birthday! Now this might sound quite young, and I am definitely not being one of those 'competitive mums' (who I hate!) - but this is after weekly lessons since the age of 4 months, through baby swimming classes such as Aqua babies and Puddle ducks and the lessons at my local gym.  I decided to get her swimming early as my husband had a fear of water from a young age (finally learning to swim at 37!!!) and I wanted her to always be water confident and safe.  However it has not been an easy journey - at the age of about 2 she decided she didn't want to follow the lessons and either did the opposite of what she was being asked to do, or else threw a tantrum! I think they also suddenly become aware that actually you can sink in water....and it becomes scary for a short time.  I stuck with it though, and changed her to lessons where she could be independent (ie not with parents in the water) and she came out the other side, regained her confidence and we finally persuaded her to let go and swim (with me walking backwards very slowly...) The swim discs helped gain her confidence too - going from 2 to 1 now none!  If anyone wants to know more about my experiences please get in touch.

Am absolutely shattered, ds decided to wake up at 5 today, down his bottle and a giant bowl of porridge and half a banana, throw some of it back up and then go to sleep....all by half 6. Great.  Then had a full day at work, aaargh! At least my website http://www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk/ is still doing well, the breastfeeding covers are really popular!

Thank goodness it's the weekend - no lie in of course...

Well it's been a hectic work at work as usual.  Had a phone call from the nursery - ds teething so time to hit the Calpol! Or is he growth spurting - awake at half 5 this morning starving, great!  He's getting jealous every time he sees us eating, even if he's just finished his tea, honestly he's a food monster at the moment! DD seemed to enjoy her tea tonight, nice to actually get time to sit down as a family and have a meal together, wish we could do it more often! Yay weekend now - kids clubs and catching up with friends.  Time to check my website www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk     - mums with eczematic babies (like me!) are benefiting from the lovely organic clothes.

Crazy kids at playgroup and confusing school aplications

Hi, this is my first post! My day off today - took my two kids (dd nearly 4, ds nearly1) to our local Surestart but honestly, all the kids were wild today, don't know what got into them. DD had to have a bit of a sit on the naughty step when we got back.  Been looking into applying for schools, seems like they don't release the open day dates until you 'register an interest', what's that about?! Made gingerbread shapes with dd which seemed to calm her down, ds spent the afternoon crawling round and refusing to sleep, I don't care as long as he sleeps at night! Hectic evening sorting out the slow cooker food for tomorrow and butties etc - back to work in the morning.
Website still doing ok - lots of mums starting to click on now (hurrah!)
www.babyclothesandmore.co.uk