Sashybo - Back Again

sashybo

Hi all, nice to "see" you.

Beanie, DH has done well as he's had to do a lot of the fence painting in fits and starts when we can fit it in with work and the kids. I wanted to help him but I usually watch the kids so he can just get on with it.

Nicnak, Dancing & Honeysuckle, yes scary how quickly DD is progressing now, she is zooming around like Speedy Gonzales and is trying to say her brother's name too! 😱 

I'm definitely coming to the conclusion that the constipation is a major factor in DS's foul moods/not eating/not sleeping issues. He slept the full night last night without waking and had managed a no 2 (again at nursery, lucky them) and ate well when he came home. Today he has been pooing constantly (well it felt like it), I had to change 4 dirty nappies 🤢 as he wouldn't even try sitting on the toilet. 😔 He ate well again today so I'm hoping he'll sleep well. 

I managed to clean the bathrooms, including the floors, hoover the whole house and get two washings done (one was the nappy wash though) and hung out today. Also changed the sheet in DD's cot and changed DS's bed. It was sunny with a bit of wind so the washings dried and I also got them put away. I stripped our bed and washed the sheets yesterday so got them hung out and dried then.

Quite pleased that I managed to get quite a few things done around the house whilst having both kids at home. DS was admittedly bribed with the tv and I did quite a few things when DD was napping. 

Both DH & I are working late shifts tomorrow so my mum is coming to ours to watch the kids. I'll get their pjs and nappies etc ready for bedtime and will try to make something for dinner that my mum can just heat up. DH doesn't start until later which means my mum won't need to come up until around 4pm. That means DH can also get the blackout blinds and stuff up for bedtime before he leaves. I finish at midnight and will be home first, so my mum can get home once I'm back. 

Willowtree222

It must be so hard working shifts and trying to manage. 
Have a lovely day x

sashybo

Thanks Nicnak, the shifts are both good and bad, the fact that both DH & I work shifts means that we don't need to pay for childcare as usually one of us will be at home and if not my mum is very good to us and will watch the kids.

The bad part is that shift work is very tiring and DH sometimes works 9 days in a row so he's absolutely knackered when he gets a day off. It's also hard having to constantly juggle and work out who's working when and trying to swap shifts or get days off to cover childcare. Trying to make appointments can be a nightmare as well. 

I have had a busy and hard few days, DS has been playing up big time at bedtime, screaming like a demon when I leave the room, although tonight he was very good and actually just got into bed and fell asleep for a change! DH is working late shifts this week so I've been doing bedtime on my own and that seems to be when DS kicks off. 

I had one really bad night when I started bedtime at 6pm and didn't get back downstairs until nearly 9pm. 😭 DS was screaming and waking DD and then when he finally settled down I noticed a disgusting smell. He'd had a poo, played with it, got it all over his hands and then wiped it all over himself, his bed and his bedroom door. 🤢 So I had a lot of cleaning up to do in his room changing his sheets, his nappy, his pjs, washing him and then putting all the dirty stuff in the washing machine. I could have cried. Then poor DD started crying again and I had to give her another bottle to settle her, I think she had been woken one too many times by her noisy brother. 

The good news is that DS only woke up twice last night, once at 9ish and once at 1am but the bad news is that DD joined in and woke up at half 3 in the morning, I think she's teething again. I'm back on early shifts Fri/Sat so up at 5am, just hoping the kids will sleep better for me then.

My sore toe is sore again. 😩 A week after taking the antibiotics it seems to be infected again so I have self-referred to podiatry. Who knows how long I'll have to wait for an appointment, my toe will probably have fallen off. I looked into going to a private podiatrist but the only appointments were more than a month away. 

I went to a new big home bargains shop with my mum the other day - it was huge! I actually bought a few toys and small things for the kids Christmas as the prices were really good. I actually think I've done 75% of DS's Christmas shopping now. I found some Moon & Me toys for £1.99 and 99p (I bought Mr Onion for DS & Colly Wobble for DD) and also bought a care bear for DD's birthday. 💕 The care bears were around £5 cheaper than I've seen them anywhere else. 

I got a Christmas box to keep the kids Christmas stockings and things in, hanging felt advent calendars (one Santa, one elf) and a couple of stocking fillers as well. There was a huge section just for food but we didn't have time to go around it, so will have to go back for another look. DD was really well behaved in her buggy as long as well, she's not at the age where she hates shops yet!

Willowtree222

That's really good about getting Christmas things and nearly being done with at least one person. I have normally started by now, but this year I have barely done a thing. In fact, I haven't done anything yet. I don't have the motivation so think I might just do money for most people this year. I don't know what DD wants so will start to investigate that. She changes her mind all the time usually. 
Sorry DS is not sleeping so good. I have no suggestions as nothing worked for me. It was just a case of time really and that seemed to go on forever. 
x

beanielou

I have zero motivation to even think about Christmas. 

sashybo

Hi Nicnak & Beanie, I like to try and be organised for Christmas as hate all the rushing about. I don't want to spend too much this year and have cut down with the adult presents since we're doing the family Secret Santa. I need to chase everyone to put things on their wish lists though!

DS woke a couple of times last night and DD once, so not the best night's sleep.

Today DH got all the rubbish out that we need to get taken away from the garden, old bits of furniture, an old fridge (DH's from the garage and has been sitting in the garden since the garage conversion) and things that have broken/can't be used and took photos and got a quote for removal. The company are saying £80 which isn't too bad, at least it will be gone and it's the easiest method for us.

It's been a nice day, warm in the sun but a bit chilly otherwise. At least it was dry, DH is hoping to finish painting the fence over the weekend.

I have managed to plant most of the things I wanted in the new bed in the garden, a clematis, a honeysuckle, californian lilac, heather and three heucheras. I just need to finish planting the daffodil bulbs and scatter some wildflower seeds we have then it's done. Once it's all grown a bit I can see if there are any obvious gaps.

I want another small bed dug out for my winter flowering jasmine, planning on adding another couple of heucheras in that bed as well. It's along quite an exposed side of the garden though, so it can be a bit of a wind tunnel. I might move a small hebe from the front garden to act as a windbreak but not sure yet. 🤔 

I need to tidy up the front garden, the climbing rose needs cutting back/securing a bit more and I need to collect the seed pods from my sweet peas. Once the sweet peas die off I'll need to remove them from the trellis as well. 

My bare roots hedging plants are meant to be arriving in November so we have a bit of time to prep the front garden where the hedge is going. I'll need to order some bamboo canes for the plants as it's so windy here that they'll need some support until they're big enough.

Willowtree222

Lots going on in your garden. I have paid people to remove things before now when it is the best option. The peace of mind it creates is much better too. 
Hope DS and DD sleep well tonight for you. x

Sun_Addict

Sounds like you’re very organised with the Christmas prep but then with two young kiddies and shift working shifts you need to get ahead. My DS and OH have already bought their kid’s main presents. Garden stuff looking good, love the sound of the winter flowering jasmine 💕

sashybo

Hi Nicnak & SA.  👋 My early shifts at work were killers last week, I was just so tired.

DS has slept a bit better and is only waking up around once a night atm. He seems to be settling down a bit, so hopefully he's adjusted to nursery and will calm down soon.

He is still refusing to eat dinner/having a screaming fit at dinner time every night though. I think he's just so tired that he has a meltdown and screams, he keeps saying everything is disgusting or just looks at his plate and says he doesn't like it. He's never been a fussy eater so it's really weird for us when he refuses to eat. I think it's just a control thing, as he tends to eat at least a bit in the end once we stop reacting and/or just give him a cuddle.

He's still being a bit too rough with DD and she's really not appreciating it, she pushes him away or pulls his hair if he gets in her face. 😮 She had a sore mouth and was really tired tonight so was screaming before dinner. ☹️ I gave her some teething gel before feeding her and it seemed to help, she loved her broccoli. 😊 DS refused to eat anything but luckily had had a big lunch as I had made leek & potato soup so we had that with crusty bread, ham and olives. 

The junk/rubbish that was sitting out in the garden was taken away today. 🥳 It looks so much tidier now, well worth paying the man to take it away. DH has nearly finished painting the fence now, he thinks another hour will get it done. 👏 He's on annual leave this week, so should manage to get it done as long as he gets a dry morning or afternoon.

I managed to plant all my bulbs in the new bed the other day - daffodils, iris, crocus, fritallaria and snowdrops. Still need to scatter the wildflower seeds and get DH to dig my new small bed out. 

DS has been off nursery Friday & today due to a long weekend, he's desperate to go back and keeps asking about it. I'm really looking forward to him going back as well. 😂 

beanielou

Good news on the rubbish & the painting.
Our schools break up on Friday for two weeks.
Seems like only last week they went back