snowboarder

Etta - I can imagine exactly this happening...:-)

For the last time this year we are taking advantage of going away during term time....has anyone visited Pollenca/port de pollenca this summer and have any tips/recommendations? Nice beaches/restaurants/trips? Only there for a week...

Unbelievably mini snowboarder is due to start school next september - so I'm looking at the autumn school open days to go and check out what's around - does anyone have views on whether it's a good idea to take him along or do it while he's at preschool? Confusing to take him? He might not like somewhere (v fickle like that!)? I'll have to take 18m old with me whatever I do....

Ok. Bearing in mind I have 2 boys and never really spent much time on girls names...(and I always thought I'd have a little girl called Isabelle!). We liked Meredith, Martha, Annaliese, and Anouk...husband likes Jessica.

Yeah go for it. This thread is the most fun we've had in the family room for ages!

Hmm my husband was similarly negative towards most of my suggestions and could only ome up with Harrison, which I don't like!! Names we didn't use were Jasper and Jacob, both with Joel as a middle name. Eldest's middle name is Ashe, which I love. And I completely love youngest's first name (and am glad we were brave enough to use as initially thought was a bit unusual/pretentious!!) so agree with need to have the wow factor for YOU rather than wider public!! Others...Jude/Cyrus or Sirus/Arlo/Kester (LOVE this!)/Monty....

I think pronounced Zander! I already had a 'Z' and quite fancied Xavier (p Zavier) for no. 2 but thought too similar. I don't think I have anything new to add...I like Gabriel, Jasper, Noah, Louis, Joel, otto...

Well you usually transfer to the seat at 6m latest - personally I think having a parent facing seat is a massive bonus (Had for baby 1 but not baby 2 as in a double and missed it) but it's totally a personal thing. It's nice to be able to chat to them/see if they are asleep/awake etc.

Look at the baby jogger city versa - new out in September - basically combines the parent facing options of the cherry with the easy fold/great sunhood etc of the babyjogger city mini. You will need a carrycot for a new baby.

Yep we have a massive skoda octavia estate and the besafe takes up LOADS of space.

We have the rear facing BeSafe iZi Isofix seat - but I think this is only suitable until 4/18kg. Our 18m old has been in it since 10m and seems comfy, and doesn't seem to mind rear facing - but does have his forward facing brother to look at! Our older child (3.5) is in a kiddy guardian pro isofix which is good up to 12 yrs BUT is forward facing - I'm not sure there is one that does both? I like the kiddy seat but I'm not sure I'd put a 1 yr old in it (I know people do!) - it has virtually no recline for sleeping - oldest boy slumps face first onto the impact cushion when he sleeps - and my youngest HATED the impact cushion.

We have just used an agency to help us find a nanny - even if you didn't want to go down this route (as obv you pay them a fee!) I had a useful initial call with them just to establish basics such as salaries etc. We have 2 children and a nanny worked out cheaper and will hopefully be way more convenient than any of the other options.

Have not been to the paralympics but went twice to the 8.30am start hockey at the Olympics....we arrived at 8.30! It didn't even occur to me to arrive early!

Jojo does a rubber ring that little ones actually sit in. In no way does it teach them to swim but my son loved bobbing about in it on holiday a couple of years ago at a similar age.

As mentioned above the Babyjogger versa looks great. Not out until September. There is also a GT version with all terrain wheels which is out in October and looks amazing. I'm wondering how many buggies I need to sell to buy it....I'm thinking of flogging my bee+ that is sitting in the loft for it actually!

There's someone who posts in the family room - queen bee styling? On this thread - http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,937848

Eating out really all down on the coast - there's a local beach with nice laid back restaurants all along a pedestrian promenade. Padre Aviles is about 15/20m drive up into the mountains - we tended to eat out at lunchtimes (recommend taking a strap on travel seat type thing dep on your childs age - nowhere had high chairs although all v child friendly) and then self catered in the evening. All the balconies overlook the pools. The people running the place were nice and friendly, we were there for 2 weeks and had a really lovely time - even took some longer trips to Fuengirola zoo and Tarifa. We really liked it but it was a bit remote - you couldn't really walk anywhere from the accommodation. Totally beautiful, nice, easy holiday though. (Hmm and baby no. 2 rocked up 9m later...so yeah, we enjoyed it!)

Ditto above... That's why on hols we maintain 7pm bedtimes and relaxed evenings for us. Beach at 8am so not too hot!! We had a lovely time with our then 14m old at a place called Padre Aviles - http://www.padre-aviles.com/ near Malaga. Self catering apartments with shared pool - so not as expensive as a villa. No frills such as baby clubs etc but a lovely relaxed holiday with short transfer from Malaga.

I don't really either BUT what I gather is that actually full sized (ish) boards are still better even for small ones as they are more stable. Z had a 'toy' one which was about ?10 but he literally trashed it really quickly (threw it around like the big boys at the skate park!). He was treated to one of these - http://www.hardcloud.com/slide-skateboards-retro-22-skateboard-orange-red/m-slide-or/ - recently - apparently a 'trick' board but good as plastic rather than wood so hardy. Bit dear though....

I've had success selling a pram on gumtree. Also I think there are facebook selling pages - there's def a Mountain Buggy specific one. Netmums and Babycentre have selling boards too.

I like fb for similar reasons to those already stated - keeping in touch and seeing friends photos etc. I'm on twitter but never really use it - was on fb first and unsure why would tweet rather than fb. Mostly I kind of find fb is a source of company when you only see small children all day!! It's like my link with the outside world!!

HS - bizarrely smallest snowboarder slightly better in that will actually eat unprocessed meat and fish and vegetables - favourite food = peas. Random. Erratic though as you say!

I know. Sundays and in particular christmas day was a particular low point for me when I realised I actually was serving my child sausages and a hopeful spoon of beans for christmas lunch. Sunday lunch is a pasta bake. I really never imagined this....I LOVE food!

Hi - come over for tea, my three year old only eats pasta (cheese sauce or pesto ONLY), sausages, bananas and bread and maybe a handful of shreddies. Oh and chocolate! It's totally tedious, restricting and I imagine nutritionally not great either. He had hysterics the other day as he thought I was daring to give him tomato pasta (had muddled up bowls and put his brothers lunch in 'his' bowl!!). About the only good thing is he will eat relatively good portions of what he does eat, so I kind of go with it. Anyway...no answers...his little brother eats more normally and will eat fish pie etc so peer/sibling pressure doesn't help...Just to say you are not alone!!

Hmm we tend to go for self catering apartments/villas and feed the little ones early evening then eat later once they are in bed - as at home. Really can't think of anything worse than being in a hotel room with them or keeping them up yet - in time maybe...:-)