My new nephew

I don't see this blog as a daily journal where I should note down all that happens or concerns me. I have always thought of it more as a record of notable things that are happening in my life. I have failed to keep this updated though. On 26th November I became a proud Aunty to my brother's son and I haven't even put a post on my blog about him up until now! It is so difficult to find the time - that is the problem. Right now my boys are having bath time with Daddy. By the time they are both tucked up in bed (usually no earlier than 8.30pm by the time I have got the oldest one off) I am in no mood for thinking and just veg out (and recently fall asleep!) in front of the TV for the evening.

Anyway, I have met my new nephew twice now and he is lovely. I think he looks a lot like my brother did as a baby. I know they are going to find it hard as parents but I think once they have got to grips with it they will be great, and I look forward to many memorable family times that we can all share in the future.

Happy New Year - looking forward to 2010

Happy new year. I am very much looking forward to 2010 and what it may bring. It is likely that the most important and exciting thing that is going to happen to us this year is that we will be expanding our family! A new baby due in July! I am very happy about it as I wanted another baby. I have been a bit apprehensive about telling others though, worrying that their reactions may not be as enthusiastic. My dad made some comment about contraception although I think he was only joking really and I worried how my sister-in-law would be who has just one child through IVF, and my other friends who had been finding it hard to conceive there second while I'm onto my third already. But really I guess it is no one elses business except ours. We are the parents, the ones who will feed and nurture this baby, we are the ones who have let ourselves in for many more sleepless nights and headaches with three under 4s! But as difficult as it is sometimes being a mother is easily the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't imagine my life without them.

Another thing to look forward to in 2010: we have just booked out summer holiday to Cornwall. We are going four weeks before my due date so I feel a bit nervous about that. But we decided that one last family holiday as the four of us would be good for the boys, even if that does mean I will be spending most of the time sitting on the beach like a beached whale - sounds quite relaxing actually, if only that was an option! Anyway, despite the cottage being in the middle of nowhere it is actually only about twenty minutes from a perfectly good hospital - will make sure it is programmed into the sat nav!

New Year's Resolutions : normally for me it used to be to give up smoking (did that five years ago now) and not drink as much - which I obviously don't do much of now that I'm pregnant. I think resolutions are for if you are unhappy about something in your life and you want to change it, and really I am quite happy with my life so I am finding it hard to come up with some resolutions. Maybe mine should be to watch what I spend more and not buy unnecessary extras at the spermarket. With number three on its way and only having the one income we need to be careful. There was a time when a trip to the supermarket meant a new toy for tot, but the fact that our lounge now looks like a toy shop has made me more firm about saying no, and they will have a gingerbread man instead.

Tonsillitus :(

My poor tot has tonsillitus. It began with a high temperature of over 39 degrees and often reaching 40 at night. He has been sleeping in our bed and it is like old times when he would sleep with us every night until his little brother arrived. I resisted taking him to the GP as they always tell you it's viral and it stresses me out always having to wait at least half an hour to be seen. It got to Friday afternoon and he the temperature wasn't going dwn even with 10ml of Calpol every 4 hours so I rang the surgery. I spoke to my GP and she surprised me by saying that it probably ISN'T a virus with a temperature over 39 - more likely to be bacterial. So then I was kicking myself for not having taken him down there before the appiontments had finished. So saturday morning we took him to the out-of-hours place and they confirmed my suspisions of tonsillitus. There had been no other symptoms except the high temperature and lethargy but we noticed that every time he tried to eat anything such as toast or bread he was gagging and I asked him if it hurt when he swallowed to which he said yes. Anyway, we got the penicillin so I was pleased that we got it treated quickly this time - unlike when baby had pneumonia and it took them nearly 2 weeks to figure it out and give the anti-biotics. They are so reluctant to give out anti-biotics these days and just blame it on viruses all the time, it really frustrates me. The only problem we have not is trying to get the stuff down toddler. We had a screaming incident this morning where I ended up pinning him to the floor and he ended up with half of it on his face. For some reason he will take it when his daddy administers it to him. This is what he is like with a lot of things. Like learning for example. When I try and teach him the alphabet or counting he will sometimes be interested but more often than not will not want to know and will walk away fromme to go and play with his toys. Yet when daddy tries with him he always seems more responsive. It doesn't bother me that much, it is just that as I am planning to homeschool I don't know how it is going to work if he will not listen to me. Anyway, I guess I just keep persevering and concentrate on getting my tot back to full health for now.

Annual photo 2009

I got the idea to do an annual photo of us all from a blog by an Argentinian man who did this every year of him and his wife and kids and it is just amazing to watch the kids faces change as the years go on. When I find the link to this blog will put it on here. Anyway, I thought it was a
wonderful ideal so we've decided we'll take a photo of all of us on July 1st every year. I also thought that if we do end up home-schooling then we will not get the habitual annual school photos so it will be nice to re-create this ourselves.

Tots Tennis

Tot is doing a tennis course with two of his friends, Jake and India. It is more running around and being silly than actual tennis but he loves it! He is getting quite good at volleying and is just starting to do forehand. I always loved tennis and so I thought I would try and get the boys into it to, and so far he seems to like it! I have a photo of him with his racket and will post this too when I find it.

Tumble Tots

Tot has been doing Tumble Tots for 3 weeks now and he absolutely loves it! That may be helped by the fact that one of his best friend's, India, goes too. She has done it since she could walk and her mum would go around the apparatus with her. From the age of 3 they do it on their own and parents wait in the bar area of the football clubhouse where it is held. I was a bit nervous about this to begin with as I have never left him at a nursery or anything like this before (he used to be looked after by his Nana and then his Grandma for two or three days a week when I worked but I have never been worried about leaving him with family). Anyway, even on the first week he ran in and didn't give me a second glance! And I've noticed a difference in his physical development already: he is more confident at climbing things already! We are still waiting for postman pat to bring him his Tumble Tots T-shirt but when it arrives I will post a photo of him wearing it!

Playgroup

Just got back from playgroup - and for once we didn't have an episode that ended in tot getting hurt and crying. When I say hurt - not real hurt - just knocked over, although one week he did have a slight bruise on his arm. I'm not the kind of mother who wraps their kids up in cotton wool (well, if I did then they wouldn't go to the play group in the first place I suppose) but I always keep an eye out for them when they go to these baby and toddler get-togethers. The problem is that there are two boys who are a year older than tot (which is quite a lot when you are only 3!) and they are deliberately picking on him. It makes me feel so angry but because it is a parent-organised group it is difficult for me to say or do anything to change the way these terrors are: all I can do is protect my boys by being there to keep an eye that no harm comes to them. A few weeks ago I voluteered to do the teas and coffees as the mum that used to do it left as her son was starting school. So the problem started then. These boys are devious little monsters that look around to see if an adult is watching before racing around with a trike and deliberately ploughing into another child. They go to the pre-school (but still go to the playgroup too) and apparently they are completely different kids there: they behave because they know they have to. A few of tot's friends have stopped coming as they now go to pre-school so it seems like he has lost his comrades and these boys really are picking on him. When they see him one of them will say, "there he is" and they will go after him. One week I told tot that they were naughty boys and that he should ignore them - however, he is at the age where he is getting very chatty yet no inhibition and so he goes along to the playgroup saying to them, " You are the naughty boys"! As children do at that age they then started to call him a naughty boy, so that now when they see him they say "there he is, the naughty boy" which gets tot all upset. Last week one of their mums saw them hurt tot and she came and told me in the kitchen and apologised and got the boy to say sorry to tot. I was contemplating not going back but then I thought why should we when if it wasn't for those two both my boys would have a lovely time. Anyway, today I got tot sitting down at the craft table colouring in while I did the tea and coffees. He was happy to sit there until I had finished and came to join him. Only when I took him and the baby into the main play area would he venture into it though and he is normally so confident. But today we had no tears and they seemed to enjoy themselves. I just felt nervous the whole time though always having to watch out so we shall have to see how things turn out as to whether we carry on going there.