crystal7

I love uniqlo for knits including cardis. They do some nice, classic shirts too. Oliver Bonas and ED have some nice dresses, I only buy in the sales though! Also like Zara. We need Belle to come to this thread, she's a great source of fashion advice!

Sainsbury's have lots of princess/knights/superheroes, not sure if they do baby sizes though.

I think you can go to your gp and ask for a referral to Sunshine House. Waiting list is probably long though. Or speak to your health visitor. Various children's centres have drop ins with speech and language therapists, your HV should have a list, it it may be online. Tricky if you work though. Good luck!

We keep the front bar on for as long as possible! Oldest was about 3 (i.e. When we started to wean the little one) youngest is still using it at 2 but should take it off really as he can climb in and out.

Stoke handysitts are great but my 2 year old can escape from one by throwing himself around, he is a keen climber though! We ended up getting 2 Tripp Trapps, you only need 1 babyset so a bit cheaper. 4 year old uses hers for drawing etc. too.

I've bought shoes from both of the places mentioned above and would recommend. I also like Biff in Dulwich Village, has been great for toddler boy's shoes.

Both my children suck their fingers/thumbs and don't get ill very often *touches wood* so I wouldn't worry about that. Habits like this are hard to break. My daughter went through a stage of picking at the skin on her lips until they bled. I bought her a rabbit comforter to rub/suck which helped a bit in spite of her never being particularly attached to a soft toy.

No experience of A Day out with Thomas but we went to Thomas Land at Drayton Manor Theme Park and my train mad 2 year old loved it. Big queues for rides but we went in the School holidays.

My daughter and son were scooting from 2 ish on micro minis. We got the seat an do bar attachment for my son but he didn't use it at all! Both were shorter than 34 inches at 2 I would have thought. Micro minis are great, be warned though, once they master scooting they can go incredibly fast!

Another vote for the Maclaren. My fairly chunky 2 year old is starting to look a bit uncomfortable in my beloved Bee. We have an old Quest which he sleeps well in, I like that he can easily climb in and out too.

We have a wonderful childminder who does before and after school care for our daughter term time only. She picks up several children from the same class and they have a lovely time, my daughter loves going there. We pay ?7 per hour. 7pm is a late finish though.

Another vote for the Victoria. The Herne still had an outside play area just before Xmas. The Plough has loads of space, the food isn't great (although fine for toddler tea if you need it) but for drinks it's fine.

We are hoping to move to St Albans this year. There are some lovely parts of Kent we thought about but our families are North and West so we didn't want to move any further away from them. Lovely place with good, co ed secondary schools (our 2 are only 2 and 4 at the moment though). Mr C7 will commute to Canary Wharf. Lots of trains to London Bridge, fastest 25 min. Housing is cheaper than ED but that's not saying much. Bit sad to be leaving but we have outgrown our flat and can't afford a house! Good luck with your search.

There's a lovely playground behind St Thomas's hospital, 5 min or so walk from Waterloo on Lambeth Palace Rd, called Archbishop's Park. It's much better than the one near the Eye. RFH is great for a run around and not very busy before 11 ish on weekend mornings plus it has a nice cafe. Think Turbine Hall closed at the moment but could be wrong. Enjoy!

Happy New Year everyone! Father Christmas (and everyone else!) have been very kind to my 2 children this year (aged 2 and 4) and we consequently have several duplicate toys and a few bits and pieces we just don't have the space for! I hope I'm not coming across as ungrateful, it's lovely that so many people want to buy for our children but we live in a little 2 bed roomed place and have limited storage. I would like to give them away to a charity or anywhere really that needs them. There are puzzles, a doctor's set, some crafty making kits and pjs, all unopened. I could take them to one of the charity shops on Lship Lane but thought I'd see if anyone one here had any ideas or is in a similar situation. Thanks!

We pay 7 per hour for after school care, term time only.

I echo everything that Snowboarder has said. I've tried really hard to get out and about with too but it is much more difficult than with 1. I took my daughter to the theatre yesterday and then shopping in town and it was lovely! She is now at school and I'm I'm enjoying pottering around with 1 toddler. If your son is still napping and will do so on the go it might be nice to have some lunches out whilst he sleeps. We used to go to the Southbank, tire out my daughter at a Royal Festival hall and the playground and then eat at Ping Pong or similar.

We went to the Transport Museum yesterday, was packed but kids loved it. Contemplating a trip to the Natural History Museum Museum tomorrow, hoping that the rest of the world will be too hung over to be up and out at 10...

My second went down to 2 daytime feeds when he was about 9 months old. I worried as it my eldest didn't stop night feeds until 15months. Like your daughter he ate and drank really well and I continued to do those 2 feeds until he was 21 months.

We sometimes go to the library post school, daughter too tired for much else.

We had 2 BT monitors for ages with no issues, a 150 and a 100 too I think

Ooh yes Uno is fun for everyone, we used to play it in Welsh holiday cottages when it rained (all the time). Guess who is a bit fiddly for my 4 year old but think she'll get into it in time.

Really odd advice! Other posters have said it all really but just thought I'd say that my son was 17lb four months and I didn't wean him until he was 5.5 months or so and sitting up. Until then he was happy/thriving on breast milk. He never took a bottle either but I wasn't very good at expressing, there aren't enough hours in the day!

> don't get the obsession with milestones, > particularly when people are desperate for their > child to be able to walk, and very frustrated if > they do this later than their pals, when it is > sooo blissful being able to go to a picnic / cafe > / pub lunch with a baby who can't walk! Me neither!

We pay 7 an hour term time only for 1 hour in the morning and 2.5 after school. School breakfast and after school club is similar cost...