snowboarder

Hmm it's depressing isn't it. I am too fat for the likes of top shop and uniqlo doesn't seem to work. The White stuff and sainsburys combo is much favoured here...and Fat Face actually is much nicer than white stuff I think. Lots from Gap, have rediscovered Next for some basics recently (summer tops etc), sadly I even get quite a few bits from Marks and Spencer - the Autograph and Limited Collections are ok. Got a few nice dresses from Pepperberry - on line clothes section of bravissimo. On line ranges I quite like are Wrap and Poetry. I find most things can be improved with a nice scarf....

Yep - Party bags and the 'free' gifts in the childrens magazines I am begged to buy whenever we go into a supermarket!

But duplo? and lego? They're good. We have both - brio railway especially goes down well, and eldest (3) is really loving his duplo knight's castle. And cars - plastic and metal and wooden varieties. But basically there's nothing more fun that other children's toys. Even when they are the same as your own but in a different environment....

McDonalds?

Hmm I didn't see anywhere selling milk but I wasn't looking...

Planning to go and bounce tmrw - anyone know where in the park it is?

As crystal7 says, I think there is probably a distinction between full time nurseries in permanent buildings, and term time pre schools in halls etc. My little boy was at Buds pre school in the cricket pavilion on the South Circular - they took a small packed lunch (they would heat up if required) and actually I quite liked that he did - he would not have eaten anything else and it began to teach him how to manage to eat his lunch away from me with his contemporaries.

To report back on our trip! We took a 3 and 1 yr old, a double buggy (p&t), and 4 bags and assorted jumpers/coats with us. Everything was great - having a buggy meant we jumped queues, zoomed along fast lanes and managed to go against the London Bridge tedious one way system on the way home as needed to get the lift etc. We had an early start and were at London Bridge for 7.30am but it wasn't busy and the tube to Stratford easy - we fitted on fine with unfolded buggy. Really the only pain was when we dumped the buggy at the store and had to walk round to the other side of the Riverside stadium carrying a hefty 12 kg 17m old and a belligerent 3 yr old! The park was all v busy by lunchtime - not many places left to sit and eat, and we were pretty tired after all the walking. Trip home fine too - empty tube from Stratford and London Bridge all ok at 4pm. Going back next week without the babes - I think I might take the buggy anyway to carry bags and get us in the fast lanes!

Oh seriously. A hammer thrower (female, at least). Better dig out the ww app and get counting.

We had a full 2 weeks in between son 1 and 2 getting it. Yawn.

Laundry (and post) is the bane of my life. Children scream/fight if I go upstairs to get laundry out of huge pile upstairs, ditto when feeding washing machine/dryer. Then try to sort clothes into iron/non iron and then (this is the decadent bit) I call my saviour (aka ironing lady) who comes and takes away husbands shirts etc. But even then I can't seem to sort clothes or even when do put them away - can only do when kids asleep then can't put clothes away in sleeping children's rooms....argh!! Interested to know why/when a sahm should be able to iron Dudley?!? There is NO way I could iron (apart from emergency) when my children (3 and 1) are around. Apart from anything it would be dangerous! And they are around from 6am until 7pm (only the baby naps). So no different to full time working hours, no?

Hmm we are going with our 3 and 1 yr olds on Wednesday...hadn't really thought about logistics!!

Kite surfing in Cornwall for 5 days then 2 weeks chilling on Turkish coast. Too nice. 2 children later and now our family hols are with the grandparents and to uk log cabin parks....Hmmmm....

Isn't there a patapum toddler carrier for bigger babies? but might also mean older/longer as much as heavier suppose. Wow! Are the rucksac carriers better for heavy ones? Dunno how you are managing...C is 25lb and it's killing me carrying him about. Am hopefully getting a hip seat to spread the load tmrw. Edit to add - I had a mai tai and found it harder to fasten well enough and keep comfy once baby got bigger. Am not great at knots though...

Haha Lucy I just knew someone would post that - I obviously have very fair weather children!!!

V depressed here too. Gloom gloom. Just got a new house and garden for the boys - 1. Can't use it as raining, 2. Even if could the rain/sun craziness has turned it into an overgrown wilderness. I know kids are supposed to not care about rain and go out in all weathers but mine do - it makes them both cry!!

So many threads on this over the last couple of years. OP - if you are the sort of person who makes friends easily then maybe the nhs classes/the forum will just great for you. For me I managed to get on a local class, loved the 6 weeks or so of being in a small group of 6 having a weekly class learning new stuff, and the ready made group all had our babies within 4 weeks of each other and it was invaluable support. 3.5 yrs later some of us have moved but still keep in touch and some meet v regularly - I also keep in touch with the NCT teacher we had and she has also been great support when things were tough.

We are only just in Kent really - between Orpington and Sevenoaks. Commuting into London Bridge was essential for us so that made a number of decisions about location. Our nearest station gets husband into London Bridge in 18m on a fast train in the morning. Maybe I'm a completely naive idiot but the schools issue (whilst obv important) came second to simply having more space and a garden for us. My 3 year old was kicking 5 footballs daily into our neighbours garden and we just decided we wanted to try and keep them and him in our own space. We've only been here a month though - it is certainly going to take some getting used to,

We have the kiddy guardian pro isofix - http://www.groovystyle.co.uk/productpages-new/kiddy/guardianfix-pro.php - so the seat is attached to the car with an isofix connection then you use the seatbelt to secure the lap resraint. I like it because my (then) 2 yr old was slipping his shoulders out of the shoulder part of the 5 point harness however tight I did it up - this feels much safer. I have to say though - I know it is supposedly suitable for group 1 age - BUT I've put my 15m old in it and he HATES the lap restraint and looks super uncomfortable. We got when our eldest was 2 3/4 and it's been great for him. It's slightly odd when he sleeps in it as often he literally is face down on the lap restraint!

F - if you're talking about the more basic p&t - they aren't great as singles really - quite heavy and big and quite big folded too. Most models you have to take the second seat off to fold them and again - most models - the weight limit in the second (back) seat is 15kg or they tend to tip if no one in the front. But as an option where older child can hitch a ride they don't really have a competitor. I hear you about the steering on the maclaren - I can't push ours and hold older child's hand. If you want a good roomy comfy single with storage - a single nipper or mountain buggy (is nappy lady still selling hers?)? The baby jogger mini is great but not fab for storage. A second hand chameleon?

We've gone to (north west) Kent too. Bigger house, massive garden and fast train into town. Lovely but I miss ED SO much!!

I bought a potette travel potty but my trainee (boy) hated it - he like to go 'on the grass' (gah) and just used normal toilet when in cafes etc. I think I used the potette once (during busy bees at the horniman actually!!) and it was a pain to fold/unfold.

ps - just to say need for a double totally depends on your 2 year old's character and how much walking you do!! My 3 yr old still hitches a ride on longer walks (and I sometimes need a place to imprison him!). He was just under 2 when baby 2 came along and we used a double full time for at least 6m, and then it was winter and he didn't want to walk in the cold. He also steadfastly refuses to ride on or stay on any type of buggy board (even a fancy scooter version) even now, and I find pushing prams with buggy boards on them ridiculously annoying. But I know many who have managed without - especially with girls :-)

Oh - sometime in august apparently! http://www.peppermint.co.uk/nursery_department/blog/phil-and-ted/new-phil-and-teds-dot-announced-12-june-2012

You could look at the new phil and teds dot - http://philandteds.com/nz/products/push/dot - not sure when out though...