Shopping & Sleep

We had a really, really lovely day today!

After I tutored this morning we went to Reading to do some SHOPPING! I haven't been shopping in......so long, I can't remember. We're permanently skint, dontcha know. But Mike got a little bonus this month so we thought we'd treat ourselves a bit.

Reading is seriously funky-much better than crappy old Maidenhead! There's this riverside area with loads of lovely places to eat. We decided to go somewhere a bit special for lunch so we went to Old Orleans, a wacky Mexican joint that I LOVE. We were there for over an hour and William, considering he hadn't had his normal morning nap, was an absolute angel. He ate popcorn, some of our potato skins, and some of the chicken & chips & peas kids meal I ordered him-I love the way he'll try anything; he seems to be getting less fussy! Anything we're eating he'll always try.

He played with a balloon (or 'booooon' as he calls it) on his highchair, tried some of our ice-cream floats, and was generally a model of good behaviour! As for me I had sizzling vegetable fajhitas smothered in cheese, guacomole, salsa and sour cream which were gorgeous!

Mike bought lots of new shirts from Next and I bought 2 maternity tops. I think my maternity wadrobe is now complete. The only crapness is the day was about 3pm when William, exhausted from no napping, lost it and threw an almighty tantrum, prompting a row between me and Mike-we always row when he threws a screaming tantrum as we find it so stressful! But apart from that, it was a lovely day.

Soooooooooooooo tired now though. William's sleep has been awful again recently-waking anything up to 6 times a night. He seems to have lost the ability to self-settle. I've had 18 months of this-is there ever going to be an end to it?? It's no wonder I'm exhausted. I need to go to bed and sleep for about 700 hours straight. I tell you what, mini-cookie had better be a bloody good sleeper, or I may have to flee the country.

How do you teach a toddler how to sleep through the night? All sleep training methods to me seem so cold and detached. And I don't want to train him- I want him to do it himself. No way am I going to do controlled crying-although believe me, I've been tempted at 3am when he just won't go to bloody sleep. I know he'll get it one day I suppose.

On a cheerier note-talking! Now he's started talking, there's no stopping him. At the moment his favourite word is 'hot'-everything is 'hot'........cupboards, the door, me.......Today he learnt how to say 'done' and said it when he's finished his rice pudding! So sweet.

Well its Saturday night and I'm reading to partaaaaaaaaaaaaay in my PJs and dressing gown.......the TV is crap but I fancy snuggling up with my husband! Laters xxxxxxxxxxx