General Chit Chat!

oooh aren't you clever Stella - I love music, it is really important to me - but can't play any instruments.

Went to a family gathering earlier and I managed to avoid eating anything...I had one pringle - literally one!!! Despite having taken strawberry cheesecake and chocolate fudge cake as our contribution!! (which I could have happily scoffed)!

Wow 4angels - good on ya !!! I did manage to get through an entire night with new fella without having takeaway - just ate him instead lol

Scary - taking his kids out next weekend eek - they're already calling me daddys girlfriend !!!

LOL at eating him instead of a takeaway...naughty Stella!!!!

Was quite easy to be good on everything except dessert as it was not a veggie meal however when everyone else ate was at bottom of garden with kids which just looked liked I was being rude and mardy. My family do's have always been buffet's, never one-pot meals like this one, so this was really alien to me not to have choice!!

Anyway.....

Good luck next weekend Stella...very good sign that he wants you to spend time with his kids though!! How old are they and what types of things do you think you'll do at the weekend? You'll be ok hun...hopefully they won't bite (too much anyway!!)

Naughty but very very nice!!!

We are going to the seaside - ones three and the others 5 - Im sure I can find something at the beach to occupy them!!

I'm really chuffed that he wants me to spend the day with them

I am such a happy person today you would not believe

(4angels - Im sure they didnt think you were being mardy!!)

Actually - to all the mummies out there - any suggestions for things to do with a 3 and 5 yr old would be gratefully received.

When we were going to the beach I'd take the usual stuff like a large ball, buckets & spades . We build sandcastles, write their names in sand with fingers/sticks, collect pretty stones & shells, paddle etc. We also have a sun-safe tent for them to have a bit of shade & picnic blankets to sit on.

We don't usually stay more than 1.5-2 hours on the beach depending on how bored they get, what the weather is like and who needs the toilet! If there's a grassy area near the beach we tend to eat a picnic there and play football before or after the beach so you are not eating 'sand' sandwiches!!!! This might be my OCD about tummy bugs & hands, but I take babywipes & hand gel for hands if there is nowhere to wash them.

Other ideas:
Is there a zoo or a kiddies farm nearby?

Nice park or playground that you can go to where you can picnic, use swings/slides, play football or feed the ducks?

What about if it's raining? Is there an indoor soft play near you?

To be honest its dead easy to wear yourselves out entertaining little ones and doing expensive things when they'd be happy sliding/swinging/running around in a playground, or being indoors playing with playdoh, baking biscuits (even my 3 year old stirs the mixture, adds choc chips etc), painting, doing jigsaws....alll the stuff really that doesn't cost very much as they just like the attention.

You could always google kids activities in your local area and see what other things there are to do as there maybe some places you've not heard of.

I suppose it depends on the nature of the kids and the weather really as well!!!

Good luck whatever you decide to do & let us know how you get on xxxx

Well Im looking now to see if theres anywhere we can stop off on the way as its nearly a two hour drive and they are bound to get bored!!

I've baby wipes on my "list" along with a picnic ! We're not going anywhere / doing anything expensive - we're both skint - thats why we thought a day at the beach!

Thanks for all your suggestions !!! *files in brain for future*

Perhaps they might like to choose themselves a comic to look at on the journey (even my 3 year old gets a cbeebies one) they usually like the naff free gift on the front but it keeps them busy for a while. We bought 8 comics on the way to Dorset and 4 on the way back a few weeks ago LOL!!! They can get expensive though!! Buying a library would probably have been cheaper!!!!

I'm sure they'll love going to the beach...the best days out we have had haven't cost hardly anything...whereas sometimes you spend ££ going somewhere & they are tired/bored/feel ill after 30minutes!!!!! For example we drove to a zoo about 90mins away and spent just over an hour there which cost us about £60!!!!!

Hope you get the weather you need hun!!! xxxx

I hope the weathers good - the little ones never spoken to me before but last night he just kept going on about the beach - told dude he shouldnt have told them yet!! Typical bloke!!

Methinks you might have a mound of sand, paddling pool & plastic palm tree indoors then if the weather is awful

Hopin you get some good weather hun!!!

Lol - can see me down the builders merchants Saturday morning

Lol Stella - builders merchants - a day at the beach sounds perfect - plenty of pottering about and will tire them out in good way - and its low impact for them meeting you for the first time as its not too rigid and planned as things have more ways of going wrong when you plan too much - hope you have a great time

They've met me a couple of times but only for about ten mins at a time when Ive taken them back to their mums, this will be the first time they've spent any real time with me.

Thanks for the good wishes

Just thought I'd let you know as I still cant believe it myself - everything is going brilliantly - weight wise and dude wise !!

Thats fantastic Stella - so chuffed for you - definitely a great time for you at the moment thanks for the updates

I probably wont be so upbeat on Saturday night when I get home lol

Hope you have fun on the beach fingers crossed for the weather! I also hope they don't wear you out too much!!!

Had an email off his best mate saying good luck - they're a bit of a handful!! Have to dust down the old teaching skills that havent been used for a while!!!

I'm sure you will be fine hun. So nice of his mate to say they are a bit of a handful .
They will probably be really good for you - you never know!!! Plus his mate might be exaggerating as all kids that age can be a handful especially if they are excited... and what they are like for one person is not what they are necessarily going to be like with another. I'm sure your dusty teaching skills will spring clean well hun!

Hope it all goes ok and I wanna know what happens asap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ditto Stella - you will be fine

Well - you will be pleased to know Saturday went like a dream - we went to Prestatyn then onto Rhyl - we bought the obligatory bucket and spade and - due to the weather - a kite and stayed there for 7 hours !! Food wise I was a bit naughty and ate a burger (and thoroughly enjoyed it) and of course you HAVE to have some cockles - its the seaside law!!! Im sure though that I ran it off - I didnt seem to stop all day!! We had a brilliant day and all went home absolutely pooped !!

Saw him again last night - took the kiddiewinks to the local park - I must be the only person over 35 to have a boyfriend who travels to the park on a skateboard!!! Still - pushing the buggy up hills must be good exercise - 4angels I dont know how you do it!! Ive only had them for the weekend and Im pooped!

oh thats great news Stella - so glad it went so well - you were obviously a hit if they wanted to stay for 7 hours - sounds like one of those great days you remember for a while .

I'm so glad you had a lovely time Stella!!

I'm sure you burnt the burger off running around hun! 7 hours is pretty damn impressive I have to say! We only last a couple of hours at the beach...so well done you guys for having such a fun-packed time!!!!

xxx

Thanks you guys - we did have a brilliant day and Ive just found out he managed to get a photo of me .............unheard of !!!

Weighed in this morning and 3lbs on eek but Im confident I can get that off as did loads of running round in the park on Sunday chasing after the kids and to be honest I think 8 stone 13 was a bit low. I hit my goal and Im not making excuses because I know I could get there again but Im happy as I am and if I can maintain around 9stone I'll be happy!!