melbourne groover

My son is very big for his age and the baby Bjorn one has been great. Nice and solid, not too short.

Don't mock the emotional doohickey....

For my son's 3rd birthday I laid out a few different set of toys (a bit like a playgroup) for when they came, they all played brilliantly for about an hour, we then had food/cake etc, did pass the parcel and finished off with some of those balloons that shoot round the room.... I think at 3 they are a bit young for too many games. It was the most chilled out kids party I have ever thrown.

Kids zoodle is good on the iPhone but has loads of games on android that I can't see on the iPhone, am I missing something?

I love the Seuss ones, the stories are great and there is a brilliant one called Seuss band that is great for a variety of ages (I quite enjoy it too!). The Postman Pat has also gone down a treat.

I'm with Nunheadmum, my eldest was an appalling eater as a baby (at one point pretty much only eating this revolting jarred porridge, nothing like the Ella's kitchen etc) and I too tried every combination I could think of. Tortured myself with Annabel Karmel, agonised over it all and threw out a lot... However I too now have a 6 year old that happily eats most things (and will less enthusiastically eat others but still eats them) and is really getting adventurous, although still has a sweet tooth! Try not to worry too much, and just keep offering stuff.

There was a local woman on here a couple of years ago who had a business selling fabric wall stickers. They were really cool and equally important super easy to put on and take off! Obviously this is useless information if I can't remember what her business was called... Will cast around and try to remember but if no luck then wall stickers in general? ETA found it! http://quickbrownfoxofdulwich.co.uk/love-mae-reusable-fabric-wall-stickers I highly recommend them.

Excellent, I have been waiting for our collection to expand a bit but will most likely go this way. Am very happy for you... ;-)

The south bank is looking very cool at the moment, also good people watching, art spotting, coffee drinking etc. easy to head into Covent Garden from there also. Or a movie at somewhere like The Ritzy/Everyman/Electric etc?

Make up remover? Think I used this last time.

Fuschia, can't believe you know Bad Jelly. No one ever does here but is ingrained in NZ society! The Spike Milligan reading is on YouTube if anyone interested...

I think they go through stages of being very into all things girly and times when not so. As said above, give options and they usually find what they really like eventually. Personality and friend groups do play a large part also, but some things are definately innate (or so it seems to me). I guess it is how you deal with it. I just try and reiterate girls can do anything, and give the same level of positivity to my son. The super girlie phase including a desperate longing to only be read the traditional ladybird stories (urg was not keen on these) and wear all things pink was actually pretty short and seems a distant memory now...

Keep me posted if you do go for it!

Lakeland sell a cake pop maker for ?20 which I have been debating (obviously totally unnecessary but I know a small girl who would be over the moon...). Thought it would be good for cake sales/birthdays etc.

By the time I got to the birth bit was flinging my nightie over my head in my enthusiasm to get into the water... (Not usually an exhibitionist though)

I had both my kids in birth pools - but did just hop in towards the end. I found it hugely more comfortable in the water. I knew after the first one that I wanted to be doing the actually pushing in the pool so did hold out on the second one to make sure I could have him in the water, first time was just the way it worked out as was in a hospital birthing unit and the pool room wasn't free until close to the end. I had my second at home, and we filled the pool too early and had to keep topping up (not me obviously) but if you buy a cover (or survival blanket)it keeps it at the temp for longer. I think the water often does slow it all down and also think there is a time limit you can be in the pool (not sure about this but vaguely recall something along these lines). Definitely buy a pump to empty it!

We did a disco, hired some cheap lighting, had a couple of games, food then went for it. I had a couple of dances up my sleeve (birdie dance, timewarp etc) to keep it all under control also. It was (relatively) organised chaos, went down a treat!

I highly recommend High Vibes(Vibration training place on Melbourne Grove) effective but can be really low impact if that's what is required.

Passiflora tincture really helps me, it isn't a sedative and doesn't stop you waking if you need to be helps me get to sleep and v importantly get BACK to sleep after being woken. Just seems to calm my thought processes down. I used to be a great sleeper but now....not so much... Health matters sell it. Def talk to your gp but in the interim it could be worth a try? Good luck!

Passiflora tincture really helps me, it isn't a sedative and doesn't stop you waking if you need to be helps me get to sleep and v importantly get BACK to sleep after being woken. Just seems to calm my thought processes down. I used to be a great sleeper but now....not so much... Health matters sell it. Def talk to your gp but in the interim it could be worth a try? Good luck!

I really liked the Adventure Buggy Co Everest pram for that kind of gap. Provided you don't need the oldest one to sleep it was great. Not so good for folding down though, I used to mainly use it locally and keep a Maclaren in the car. They do come up on eBay but pricey if buying new (not sure you can get them new in the uk).

I was using Metanium until a friend told me about Mustela, downside is you can only get it online but it lasts forever and is brilliant!

Has anyone been yet?

I think it would be possible for your 7 yr old but unlikely for the 1 year old (unless you strike it lucky with a bulge etc). But Goose Green is rocketing ahead and Bessemer looks lovely. Another thing to think about is secondary, as far as I can work out (anyone correct me if this is wrong...), the newly defined catchment for Charter is the Ashbourne side of Lordship lane. Good luck.

The Aquarium? Can get the bus right there!