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"Savings" - is that the new word for the space at the end of your credit card when they up your limit?
Lotte, your experience must have been terrifying. You should get all your costs back but you may need to go via the Motor Insurers Bureau who pay out for little sods like that - it all depends on the circumstances but as the car was stolen I'm thinking the MIB is likely. My only advice is try NOT to use shoosmiths solicitors - I had them as panel solicitors (I had legal cover) and they were blooming useless. Drove me crazy cos I couldn't really do it myself as it was outside jurisdiction - our accident was in Liverpool. Yours should be more straightforward cos of the police involvement.
CC, thinking of you.
PP - I need to drink some of the water in your area!! Congrats.
Re child benefit, we'll lose it cos I will be earning in excess of threshold then and whilst if they did it just now my childcare vouchers plus pension contributions would probably bring me back down, by then I will be an employer rather than employee so can't qualify for childcare vouchers and I'm a bit allergic to increases in payments to pension schemes, just don't trust them and anyway I need the sodding money now, not when I'm 75 or 80 or whenever I'm actually going to be able to retire! Of course the fact that Andy earns lots less than me and that together we won't hit the £80K that some will be able to take home is VERY VERY irksome. Should be done on household income I think.
Yve congrats, saw FB!
Caro - I liked the FB pics. I hope hubby is successful in finding new job soon.
I get my blood test results tomorrow I think. suppose it's handy for the blip to happen the month that I am actually getting tested. will be interesting to hear what they have to say. AF turned up today as anticipated.
Got a new phone on Monday. Can't work it. Quelle surprise. Though i was slightly shocked at my inability to answer an incoming call! It's one of those touchscreen things and I was poking away at the green phone and putting it to my ear saying hello hello and still it rang. happened twice so had to dig manual out to find out how to take a call. You have to drag it to the right - presumably to stop you answering the phone in error. Felt a bit of a pillock though. Hilariously one of the calls was from phones4u to find out how I was getting on with my new phone! Have managed to get FB on it but can't get this website to work at all. Nor am I getting any signal in my office whereas I used to. haven't even changed network. HMMM. So much for the snazzy phone. I can see the brick coming back out.....
Hugs to all who need them especially CC, Lotte and Caro.
Well we are now back home in Swindon. Max was a real treasure the whole trip. He is a bit disoriented (so are we!!) and is now in bed.
We should get to bed too - knackered!
PP - congrats! I did think, wow how scary, but then it's a fairly common age gap - my sister got pregnant again when her oldest was 9 months so it's nearly the same! Night of passion, what's that?
Lots of people having tough times at the moment - Caro's hubby, CC's hubby and Lotte's accident. Big hugs to you all ((())). Sorry if I've missed anyone!
Our biggest news is that Sophie is now eating baked beans after 2 years of either point blank refusing to try them or declaring that she didn't like them. And last night she also ate cauliflower cheese for the first time! We could well be on the up on the eating front...
A friend has given me a cow cup and another sippy type beaker to try S with for her milk - I said to her this afternoon: "would you like to have your milk in a cow cup instead of a bottle?" "no."
!
Had a nice morning sitting in the house waiting for the HV to come only she never turned up
. Decorated some buns with S and she was v good so wasn't all bad, just annoying, especially as I'd been looking forward to finding out N's weight. A different HV is coming on Tuesday instead. He woke up twice last night for a feed after a few nights of waking just once, just wish he'd become a bit more reliable! 12 weeks today, where did that time go...
Minks, that chaos sounds awful. I thought about extending this house but between you and caro I think I am put off. We will move when the housing market picks up and something actually comes on that I like! We are stuck in a tiny catchment area - want Buckstone Primary and Boroughmuir High and there's only really our estate and one other posher one (where most of the houses are way out of reach) that goes to Buckstone and if you cross the main road you end up at Firrhill High which, although it has better facilities and is a brand new school, I would rather avoid.
JT I'm glad that things are going better.
Running wise - since that IS the reason we all know each other, well I am doing variably. Have pretty much had a cold since the second week of hols back in September and have been all husky now for over 2 weeks. have done a few gentle runs. Managed 5 miles on Sunday and almost enjoyed it. Have put on tons of weight so trying to be good food wise - couple of blips but lost 2lbs last week and have to weigh in again tomorrow morning. Given AF here and given I have just eaten enormous stirfry I will settle for a no change tomorrow. Got to shift some lbs though as I keep thinking I must be pregnant because I look it!!!
CM I meant to say you were right to sort the batteries. Some things are non negotiable and that is one of them. How stupid can he be to take the batteries out and just leave them?
Right, I know I have missed some of you but as I am posting properly for first time in ages I have weeks of posts running round my head! The good news is that Andy had the day off on Monday and cleared the spare room so that we can actually get to the pc, hurrah!
Better get on and order the Christmas books off amazon - joined prime for one month only! Ooh and forgot to say, got Loubielou's Santa pressie yest - the ELC dolls house - it was down to £72 which considering it was £110 last year is a bargain. Looked at lots of others and liked different things about different ones but she adores this one so just got it. yay!
Right, that's amazon shopping cart loaded, just got to wait for payday - Monday I think for child benefit. how ironic.
i can recommend boots.com as well - they have a fair selection of toys including ELC stuff and of course you get points on it all plus most of it is in 3 for 2 and if they do what they usually do then you get every third gift free rather than just the cheapest item so if you bought three things at £20 and 2 at £10 and one at £5, you'd get one £20 free and the £5 free. Certainly that's what happened before and I thought it was brilliant.
JG - yey to Sophie and the bakes beans - I treasure things like that with Nates eating problems - gives me a itle hope!
We wil lose our family allowance too - not ooking forward to that specially as when I return to work it will onl be to retain my position so I will actually be out of pocket every day I work. I amdue back full time but hoping to go back part time but not knowing how the defence cuts have hit the Naval Base at the moment doesn't help as I may not even have a job left by then
Wow PP- thats good going!! Just go steady in the race x
EF- Xmas shopping fills me with dread, luckily my sis came over and was doing a tesco order the other day & added a few things to her cart for me. Have got the boys a trampoline with a handle & hungry hippos (should suit Arch as he's always hungry and is a wee bit hippo'ish).
Money really doesn't go far when you take out all the expenses we seem to have & then race fees!!
Also missed Yve's news- must go for a look on FB. Congrats Yve xx
MM-good luck with the birthday, I'm taking party food to toddlers tomorrow instead of throwing Arch a party of his own (although it's over a week away at the end of half term).
Twisted my knee earlier bending over- now it's throbbing!!! STUPID !!!
Stop with the Christmas shopping already!!! Between now and then I have both my parent's and hubby's b days, and everyone is getting homemade jam for xmas this yr. Secret santa beware!!
Minks -come to my house, yours will feel positively clean and shiny in comparison. Don't talk to me about dust. Our current argument with the loft people is with the bathroom lighting - it is way too dark. We didn't notice till the evenings started getting darker and we went up there, turned the light on and it was positively gloomy, not a nice, light, welcoming bathroom. But of course it's all plastered etc, so will require alot of work and mess to put more lights in, so they are trying to fob us off. I want some more spot lights in the ceiling, and they are digging their heels in. Plus they have damaged our hardwood floor downstairs. It's now 14 wks since this all began, and they told us 10-12 wks. Time for a phonecall today I think.
Work as normal today, then a conference in west london all day tomorrow which will be good. One of those things where you see people you haven't seen for yrs.
Caro thats awful- if they can't / won't put more in the ceiling could you somehow add a different light source? I'm thinking one of those theatre mirrors with bulbs all around the outside !!!!!!
My hubby has also pointed out the dried weetabix under our table this morning, I tried to say I do clean most days when he admitted seeing Archie drop it on Monday.... his fault for not getting it up when it was wet then
Xmas was always a big affair here but when Archie was ill just before xmas 2yrs ago I did a newsletter instead which I put into everyones card, explaining how he'd been poorly & therefore we didn't want too many visitors (germs) and that we weren't buying or expecting gifts. Worked a treat and slashed my buying from around 30 people to about 10 (kids, siblings and sis 3 kids).
Chynah- thats bonkers about loosing money to work - guess if they want people to go they may offer a good package but if you still want your job thats not a help is it? Why don't you gain by working?
CC I think you and I are very similar in our parenting! M's favourite word is no - massive tantrum this morning because I wouldn't sit on the sofa with her and read 101 dalmations (new fave book) at 7am, when she needed to be out the door at 7.25am to go to nursery, and still was in her PJs, needed to brush her teeth, do her hair etc etc. So I left her upstairs sobbing and crying and eventually she calmed down - until time for hair when we had another tantrum. Ho hum.
Fortunately we never had to get rid of bottles or dummies, but if we did I would have just got rid of them one day and said take it or leave it! I am so used to tantrums that they don't really phase me, although life would be nicer without them.
Happy Birthday Josh and Harry!
Yes 4 years old today. Can't quite believe it. They have had some presents and their cards that had arrived and I have packed them off to pre-school!! Hubbie coming home early and we'll both go and pick them up at 2.45pm. I have made a cake, had small disaster with the icing, but it looks OK with the pirate candles I've bought for the ship cake
I have to make for Sunday 
!!
Beautiful day if a little cold, but I love this kind of weather tbh
A no nonsense Mum here too, with food and cups and everything. If they don't like it they don't get anything else. They had Chicken Curry for tea last night. Not their favourite, but its what we had the night before and therefore its what they they have the following day!! They are having their favourite tea tonight of big pasta (tortellini) with red pesto and brocoli!!
I have a small concern over Sophie. Had her weighed yesterday and she has only put on 3oz in 4 weeks, and has dropped from just above the 9th to between the 2nd and the 9th. She is 12lb7oz and is 5 months this weekend. Should I worry about it? I am sure once she's on solids she's going to gain weight quickly, just wondering whether to ring the HV. I didn't take my red book with me to tots so HV just wrote it on a piece of paper for me to add to the book.
Happy birthday to Harry and Joshie, MM!
MM, does Sophie look a healthy weight and size to you? If so I wouldn't worry about it. My poor sister-in-law was constantly being chastised by HVs for my nephew's failure to gain weight. He was deemed very underweight for his age and they even had to take him to the hospital about it but he is completely fine - in fact his legs were pudgier than Kit's, I'm sure. Maybe Sophie is just finding her natural weight? After all, you are small (I don't know about hubby) so chances are she's not going to be a giant. Lots of babies are quite podgy to begin with then find their natural weight. Kit was born on 75th centile but that was never going to last - has stayed on 25th ever since (no idea what he's on now though; haven't weighed him in ages). He was 15kg at the time of his accident, which was just before he was 3.5.
JG, that's heartening news about Sophie's eating. Kit is also getting a little better - he will now usually try something new even if he ends up deciding he doesn't like it. Have had a few successes though - he will now eat sausages (still working on the mash
) and he likes M&S Simply Kids fish pie (although we call it Fireman Sam Neptune Pie and don't mention the fact it has fish in it!) He still won't eat baked beans or pasta in any shape or form, which is a pain as hubby and I eat tons of the stuff.
JT, our pension scheme is currently going through a consultation process. The likely outcome is increased contributions from employees (probably from 6.3% currently to around 7.5%), which coupled with NI increases at the same time will mean I will definitely be worse off come next April. The final salary scheme will also probably change to an average earnings scheme which, if they apply it to existing members, means I'll definitely end up with less as I went from full-time to part-time. Grrr.
Caro, I feel for you re. the loft conversion. Stick to your guns with the lighting issue too. Really glad I was at work yesterday - got home to find total chaos. Our entire bedroom floor has been ripped up (in some ways it's done us a favour though as we were getting rid of the laminate anyway!) and there are umpteen holes in the walls in pretty much every room where new sockets have been put in/moved. Our electrician is a lovely lad but doesn't seem to work in any kind of methodical fashion - rather than completing one room at a time, bits have been started here and there and just left unfinished. Hence we can't use some of the light switches as they're not properly secured, likewise some of the plug sockets. I ended up not being able to go for my run last night as would have felt bad leaving hubby to clear up all the mess and put Kit to bed on his own. Hubby hadn't even been able to work from home yesterday as power kept having to be turned off and our laptop battery has had it, so he had to work last night instead. Will be glad when the work is finished - already dragging on longer than expected.
And that's just the start - all the internal doors need replacing next ...
I have become a much meaner mummy since Kit started having tantrums (has been a lot better lately). He had a mini-strop this morning ebcause he didn't want to wear the jumper I'd got out the drawer for him. I put it on him and he took it straight off and threw it across the room. When he'd calmed down I told him calmly that he was wearing it because that's what Mummy had decided he was wearing today - he does not get to choose his own clothes (we let him choose between a couple of pairs of pants but that's it - getting ready in the morning takes long enough as it is!) Some things he gets his way on though as I can't be bothered to have a battle over every little thing. This morning he wanted to stay in bed while I dried my hair and got dressed, whereas normally hubby would help him get dressed while I was getting ready. But frankly as it made no difference time-wise I let him stay in bed rather than waste 10 minutes trying to negotiate with him (CC, know exactly where you're coming from re. J's "negotiation" - Kit's doing it already and he's only 3.5! What's really scary is that he can already out-logic me in an argument (has inherited that from hubby, with whom I NEVER win an argument!)
He asked my mum the other day, "Why is the sea salty, Nana?" Mum didn't know, and I'm not sure I do!
Happy birthday to the twins! Love the idea of a pirate cake! Not sure about the weight thing - I am a bit rubbish at that and have no idea when I last weighed Lexi or what she weighed
CC - I am on the civilian side at Portsmouth when I'm back from mat leave - if theres anyone still there then
You're right Minks. I only got her weighed at tots because HV was there, and I wanted to chat to her about weaning S. I do think I might start this week, she seems so hungry, and is starting to wake up at 6-6.30am instead of 7am. Just not sure I'm ready for it, but this week is as good as any!! She was born on the 25th and has dropped to between the 2nd and 9th. Boys were born on the -0.45th!! I think they are roughly 50th and 9th, but like you not weighed them in ages. Hubbie is 5 foot 10 and weighs very little, so not surprising our kids are pretty small.
S asleep in the car, just been to the sensory room at the local children's centre with some of the Mums I met at the postnatal group with S. It was brilliant, she LOVED it. Just waiting for hubbie to get home then we can go and get the birthday monsters!!
Had major poo incident before I went out. I have had to wash all her bedding and her. Need I say more...
Good luck for your hubbie Caro. Hope the car doesn't get nicked!!
Don't get me started on the child benefit thing, I've been working full time for nearly 20 years now have never been entitled to child tax credit or anything like that and now they want to take away the only thing I do get because my salary is over the limit. Fair enough if I was earning over 80k but my salary is nowhere near that and with the cost of living in London so high we really need that money. Ggggrrr.
MM - happy birthday to the boys, pirate cake sounds great, good luck with that. As for S's weight, as long as she's feeding regularly and well and she's alert and happy I wouldn't worry about it.
JG - have you tried getting a cup with one of those built in straws, all kids love drinking from straws, we let Issie pick which one she wanted from the supermarket and she used it every night for milk after that. We've stopped giving it to her at bedtime now though as we're trying to limit her fluid intake before bed as we're still lifting her at 10pm for a wee as if we don't she still can't make it through the night dry. I guess she'll get there eventually but I'm happier to lift her at night than keep her in pull ups indefinitely.
Lily will eat most things or at least try them but Issie is very stubborn, she has never eaten potatoes, just won't even try them now and we've tried every type with her. Have to admit I've kind of given up now as every time we used to put them on her plate she'd just pick them up and dump them on the table. She loves pasta though which is a relief as like you Minks we eat loads of it.
Right, back to work, lots to sort out before holiday next week and I need to leave early tonight to go to parent's evening ...
PP - congratulations! You are a braver woman than I - theres no way I could even contemplate going through pregnancy and labour etc again so soon! I'm sure it will be lovely though to have a close age gap. Take it easy in your half won't you.
Lotte - so scary, glad you are all OK. Sounds like the kind of thing you see on these traffic cops programmes. Never imagine it actually happening in 'real life' though. Hope you escape from Stoke soon!
Congrats to Yve and happy birthday to the boys MM.
Hope hubby finds some work quickly Caro, and that things don't work out too badly up in Kinloss CC.
Welcome back to the freezing UK TTid! There'll be no sunbathing and pool time for you here I'm afraid (evil laugh).
I know I've missed loads - will try and get back on again tomorrow. Been fairly manic here with visitors and seeing friends. James has also started crawling (at 7 1/2 months...) so have no opportunity to take a sneaky look on here when he's awake!
Lol Caro!
Yes it may well come to "take it or leave it" with the milk thing. I guess I've always worried that it'll mean she doesn't drink milk anymore but she does drink tons of the stuff. Maybe I could start with "no more bottles at breakfast" and progress to the night time one? A friend has given me a spare cow cup which S has rejected so far although she did drink water out of it. I'm also gathering the courage to ditch her dummy when she's in the pram, seeing as she very rarely falls asleep in it anymore. Same with the car except we've got 2 long journeys coming up so might wait till after that. Stupid to feel nervous about it but I want to be definite and not go back on my word, which could lead to a lot of screaming...
Had a slightly chaotic night and morning - S woke up all croupy AGAIN several times in the night "I've got a sore throat. I want medicine." ! Hubby dealt with her and she did go straight back to sleep. Seems ok today apart from a bit of a snuffle. Then while i was washing up breakfast she somehow managed to fall over and cut her top lip in the living room, cue lots of wailing and blood! She also fell over twice more at playgroup - must be tired or something!
N has been driving me nuts crying and crying and refusing to sleep, spitting out dummy, even a walk with the pram didn't work. Finally screamed himself to sleep in his bouncy chair while we were having lunch
. He's since woken up after 45 mins, screamed again while I was putting S to bed for her nap, and has fallen asleep on me now so I'm stuck. Don't know what to do, S would at least have a dummy although I guess I can't really remember exactly. He's got a permanently blocked up nose which can't help.
Happy birthday to the boys! Wow 4 already!
Boo to lots of building work and annoying builders - they've chosen the wrong person to cross Caro! We need more sockets in our bedroom but reading your stories I'm not sure it's worth the hassle...!
Karen - I did also try one with a straw last night (she does love drinking from straws) but it was instantly rejected. She had a sip of water from it but didn't seem impressed. I will persevere though, she was tired at the time. I might also try your tactic of letting her choose one...
Phone ringing and I don't dare move N to answer it...
My turn with the gremlins - I haven't had a second client like that, although the last family did look like Little Britain and their dog (a Staffie, of course!) was called Fagan.
JG - I think you just need to go for it. I saw a super nanny once where the dummy fairy came, or maybe it was father christmas - anyway someone came and took the dummies away in the night - so that was it, cold turkey. You could do the same with the bottles. By the sounds of it, whatever you do will cause screaming and tantrums.......
Saying that, I really need to do this potty training thing. Was planning on starting on Monday next wk, but then hubby is taking her to my dad's for the wk end on Friday next wk, so a 2 1/2 - 3 hr car journey on day 4 isn't great, but then surely if we said a nappy's ok for the car then we're confusing her? Advice please! Plus she would be in nursery on the Thursday, and I wouldn't want to put her back in nappys for that.
JG, I'm beginning to wonder if we really did need more sockets in the house after all!
We did though - one end of our living room had none at all! So we couldn't plug in any lamps and that part of the room was consequently really dark. The new sockets have already made a difference. Same with light switches - some were in weird places and have had to be moved, and we've had a couple of new ones added. Needed switches for the kitchen lights inside the back door as we often come in that way, and the light for the alcove in the kitchen where the fridge lives was in the hall before!?!
TTid, welcome back to the UK - hope it's not too cold for you!
CC, I would be desperate for a run in your position too! I was itching to get out last night and escapte the chaos but it just didn't seem fair to abandon hubby to it AND Kit's bath/bed routine. So I sorted Kit out while hubby whizzed round with the hoover and generally put things back where they usually live. Haven't even been able to do any washing this week as if I leave stuff on the airer it will get covered in dirt and dust. No point hanging it out either - too cold for it to dry.
Caro, really hope hubby doesn't have to sign on for too long. I had to for a while after I first graduated and it was pretty soul-destroying. The time of year doesn't help either - I remember spending a lot of time in the public library because it was a lot warmer there than at home (Mum couldn't afford to have the heating on all day). I also went for a lot of walks in the park. At least hubby has you and M to keep his mind off it and hopefully something else will come up really soon for him. ((()))