OS Singlies - We Do It Our Way!

BookWorm

Evening all

I'm very glad it's finally the weekend! Looking forward to chilling this evening - something nicer about it knowing that I don't have to get up for work tomorrow

Ooooh look what I missed last night....

LB - awesome news - congratulations!! :T Very pleased for you

BW

CRANKY40

Well done LB! Have some baking stuff in - cake cases and muffin tins, things like that. Most children like baking especially if they get to eat what they've made.

I made two birthday cakes today. I've told the boy that next time I say I'm making two on the same day he is to tell me no! I did make the flowers for decoration yesterday, and also did the cake boards yesterday, but still......

mothernerd

Congratulations Lavender Bees.

LavenderBees

Aweee, thanks, Guys!

I got a good haul in a few CS today - a couple of lovely stuffed toys, bats and balls, badminton stuff for playing on the beach or village green, a couple of jigsaw puzzles, books for various ages including a lovely night time story book (can't wait to read that myself!), an easy recipe book for kids to make cakes/lemonade etc, junior pictionary (brand new!), colouring books and oh....felt tip colouring pens...hmmmm :eek:, and a piggy saving bank.

Would have all cost a fortune full price but got for a fraction of the price.

Very pleased with my little haul but won't buy any more until I know more about the children who may be placed with me over the coming months. At least the room will look a lot more welcoming now .

There's so much stuff you could buy isn't there? I've spent years ignoring children's things as it's painful when you would like children but don't have them, so it was a complete joy to poke around and start buying for children! :T

I also bought (yet) another cat toy

Haven't managed to do anything else today. Need to have an early night and bounce out of bed ready to get stuck in tomorrow.

Yeah....whatevs! :rotfl:

LB xx

3forholidays

Big congratulations LavenderBees!

What about some games like dominoes, snap, connect 4 or guess who?

Might also be a good idea to get some school stationery: pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners etc.

Extra bed linen and a mattress protector might also be advantageous.

elona

Waterproof sheet and nightlight could be essential.

LavenderBees

Oohhh...nightlight....hadn't thought of that. Thank you! Will add that to the list

I have one mattress protector but think it best to get another for backup.

I already have a fair amount of linen, so should be ok for the time being anyway.

Def will be keeping an eye out for other games in CS or similar.

I was going to get cake cases today, but decided not to, just simply because I thought it might be nice for a child to choose a recipe, then come shopping with me with a list to get the ingredients and cases, then bake the cakes and enjoy eating them...

Great ideas, folks! Please keep them coming...

LB xx

ellie99

Meant to ask LB, did YBC cope with the litter tray changes?

Definitely second the mattress protector and night light suggestions.

Car boot sales are a really good place to get kids things.

Favourite games were connect 4 and jenga, also a train set and lego is always popular.
Blowing bubbles is fun, and you can refill the tub once you have one.
Any left over wallpaper? Use for drawing a huge picture with thick crayons or paints.

We used to play a game when we cut little arches in the side of a shoe box, then tried to roll marbles into it (was more fun than it sounds, honest :rotfl:)

A few dvds for quiet time?

I'm too tired to think of anything else right now, had all the family round this evening. What did we talk about before DS had a dog? Hours of amusement playing with her

mum2one

Lb, - this may sound daft but thinking about u, and all I could think about was toothbrush, - might be worth getting a few kids toilettries.

Def agree car boot for kids games, avoid monolopoy - great game but it goes on for eternity...

x

LavenderBees

Fab suggestions, thank you.

Yes, toiletries is a very good one...spare toothbrushes won't take up much room and will be very useful.

YBC has partially embraced the litter box changes in that they are all covered boxes and he uses them willingly, as long as the cat flap bit is pulled back. If the cat flap is down, he gets confused and I have to pull it back for him to go in. He knows how cat flaps work, so I suspect it is more that he thinks it has turned into a cat carrier, and those he associates with vet visits and catteries.

What we have not managed is to move the one from the living room...when I inadvertently moved it from the living room at the same time as YBC needed to use it, he didn't think..."I'll go and use the other one", he simply squatted on the floor where his preferred litter tray usually is. To his credit, he knows that is wrong and he really was very unhappy for ages afterwards (so was I :eek:), but it seems he cannot think through logical options, and knowing it is wrong, didn't stop a stinky mess :eek:.

I really don't feel it is an option to move this litter tray, but I have turned it so the entrance is to the wall (the cats can get in, but you have to lift it and move it back to get human hands in properly) so I am expecting ongoing "discussions" not only with my supervising social worker but also with children's social workers. If this is enough to mean that a loving home is available but not used, then so be it.

I will be arguing for a pragmatic approach . Nowhere is perfect, and caring enough for children to help them build relationships along with resilience to deal with life's compromises and problems by using common sense is the name of the game here.

Right, I'd better get myself moving. Beautiful day here, shame to spend it clearing cupboards, but it's got to be done. I'm going in....I may be gone some time... :rotfl:

Have a lovely day, All

LB xx

P.S. Ellie - lovely to hear the baby pup is doing well..baby anythings take over your life. I know that from the kittens...within hours, you have no idea how life was before they arrived and turned your life upside down. It's fab! :T