International Nesties
MouseInLux
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Mums Bumps and BBTs
Morning all, how are you doing?
Ups? Downs?
QOTW: If money was no object, would you send your LO to the local school where you are or to an international type school (that is in theory close to you)?
~BUMPS~ Brit's Luna154 (India) - Due January 16txlioncub() - Due Marchbail229 (Australia) ? Due April 14Johlise(US) - Due April 18Just Peachy (Qatar) - Due April 30MrsHooi (Indonesia) - Due June 1st.Dublin - Due August 3 Mrs. SC - Due Augusttraveling turtle - Due August 29gblake - Due September 3sushisamba - Due October ~BUMPS-TO-BE~LoopyNoodle (Ireland) ? TTC #1Treesapplaud (Sweden) ? TTC #1Blueberries8 (Israel) ? TTC #1Mavjen (UK) ? TTC #1ondjima (Namibia) ? TTC #1 http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/26f699StumpyG (Japan) ? TTC #1oneslybookworm (Netherlands) ? TTC #1 in 2012Mrs. DRJ - TTC #1txlioncub - TTC #1 ~BIRTHDAYS~January5: Melaina25's (Scotland) DS, 20107: LizzieandGar's (Ireland) DS, James, 200920: titicole (UK) DD, Adaya Caroline, 201221: LAChurch's (USA) DS, 200921: rpic81 (UK) - DS, Thomas Mateo, 201223: lyvienna's (Vienna) DS, Owen, 200823: titicole's (UK) DS, Micah William, 2010February6: beannie's (UK) DS, TM, 20098: lyvienna's (Vienna) DS, Everett, 201010: andrea922's (US) DS, Finlay, 2008March1: Irishgal (Ireland) DD, Niamh (pronounced Neeve,) 20112: Nanner's (Singapore) DD, Hannah Jeanne, 20074: kellibelli04 (Guatemala) DD, 20116: bahamasbride.04.07's (Germany) DD, Luisa, 200911: katrina_pharmd (NZ) DS, Michael, 201112: cee-jay's DD, Lina, 2008April5: andrea922 (US) DD, Lila, 201116: kelly321 (Germany) DD, R, 201121: nestinginjapan's (CA) DS, Levi, 201022: twopeasinapod's (Netherlands) DS, Quint, 200828: stephanieVM's (ARG) DS, Lucien Andre, 2007May9: vivjek's (Australia) DD, Isobel, 200910: dubliner's (Ireland) DS, Henry, 201020: pandi02a (Germany) DS, Dominic, 201121: rocket2japan's (Poland) DS, Anders, 201024: Bananas0827's (Scotland) DS, Daniel Alexander, 201031: hamilton.ja's (US) DD, Evelyn Therese, 2010June12: KimiCas's (UK) DS, Sebastien, 200822: Linnya's (Germany) DS, Seamus, 200822: ExpatFamily06's (UK) DS, Leo, 200923: Nanner's (Singapore) DS, Samuel Ezra, 200525: MouseInLux's (Luxembourg) DD, Eleanor, 201127: welshgirl's (UK) DS, William, 200827: brainie's (UK) DD, Elizabeth Jane, 201029: cakenbake's (Italy) DS, Jonathan Wesley, 201029: xnickerx's (the Netherlands) DD, Sabrina Rachel, 1999July2: bigfatgreekwedd's (Netherlands) DD, Una, 20072: newporter's (Ireland & NYC) DD, 20093: plainjanie1's (Japan) DD, Aeris Noelle, 20105: expatjen's (India) DS, 20105: MoniqueJW's (Australia) DD, Genevieve Joni, 20105: newporter's (Ireland & NYC) DD, 200711: Smudges*Mom's DS (Soon to be Germany), 200915: stephanieVM's (ARG) DD, Rose Margo, 200921: azure_azure's (France) DS, Morgan, 200825: stever's (USA) DS, Mikey, 2009August1: sarahkelly's (Netherlands) DD, Sadie, 20087: ExpatFamily (UK) DS, Ajax, 20119: Tofumonkey's (UK) DDs, Kaitlynn and Lochlynn, 201012: Emily523 (UK) DS, William, 201013: FayeD's (Italy) DS, Baby D, 200916: alwyzbsy's (Germany) DD, Alexandra, 201017: globalwife (Colombia) DD, Velencia, 201121: Just Peachy's (Qatar) DS, EM, 200831: Linnya's (Germany) DS, Owen, 2010September10: bugabean's (Denmark) DD, Bean, 200814: LAChurch's (USA) DD, Zareen, 201015: northgal's (Qatar) DD, Vesper, 200921: mrshooi's (South Africa) DS, Otto, 200926: Amy726's (Australia) DS, Benjamin Ernest, 201027: cakenbake's (Italy) DS, Jeffery, 2008October13: bugabean's (Denmark) DD, Bug, 201015: xnickerx's (the Netherlands) DD, Florence Rebecca Maria, 201019: MrsBini10's (USA) DS, Noah, 201126: bigfatgreekwedd's (Netherlands) DS, Nestor Arthur, 201027: jillana's (UK) DS, Costa, 200831: LadyMadrid's (Spain) DD, Aurelia, 2011November?: hamilton.ja's (US) DS, 20072: traveling turtle's (Germany) DS, William, 20109: gblake's (Australia) DS Thomas Cole, 201010: EnidFalcor, DD, 201010: Choensa's (Korea) DS, 200912: MarlaDossett's (USA) DD, Irene Caitlin, 200812: lelia's (Germany) DD, Frances Caroline, 201023: beannie's (UK) DS, EG, 201125: Dublin's DS, Leo, 201028: amwallac's () DD, Georgia, 2010December2: Ctgirlingermany (Germany) DD - Ryan, 20116: welshgirl's (UK) DD, Matilda Jane, 20108: lorilane4's (US) DD, Stella Lane, 201016: northgal's (Qatar) DD, Neve, 200620: BlushingMama's (UK) DS, James Edward, 200720: ashleynicoles's (Netherlands) DD, Chlo? Isabella, 201022: Shekels831 (Israel) ?DS, 201123: chelbel7 (UK) - DD, 201123: sandradpage's (Australia) DS, Brayden Luca, 201026: kahleorourke's (US) DD, 200929: Fififa21 (Mexico) ? DS, Lucas, 2011
Re: Mums Bumps and BBTs
Hi!
Ups: I'm in my last week of my first trimester and I'm hoping this means I can get through a day without napping. We'll see, though. I do like my naps. W got lots of play time with other people this past week recently which is rare. He loves it.
Downs: I don't know. There's nothing bad going on that I'm worried about. W isn't much of a talker that other kids his age seem to be, but he understands what's going on.
QOTD: I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Ever since I met someone in 10th grade who transferred to my school from the Jakarta International School, I've wanted my kid to go to an International School. As it stands now, we'll have to pay for it. If we move or change jobs, we'll try to negotiate it into our contract. There's an International School near me, but I prefer one that's a bit away. It's more established and I like their curriculum. Since my youngest will almost be 5 before he's the age they accept, it'll be a while. If we're still in this general area (which is unlikely) we will move closer to that school and pay for it out of pocket if we have to. There is a local German/French school that I may send W to until then.
If we move to the states, I need to figure out what we'd do. Some of the options of where we would live in the states based on my H's current job are not close to International Schools. A lot can change between now and then, but I prefer the International Schools and will do our best to go that route.
Morning!
Ups: She's mobile! She has finally learned how to crawl and is inching towards me as we speak.
Downs: She's had a miserable cold this past week and I was up 10+ times / night sucking out her nose, comforting, etc. And now of course she's starting to feel better and I'm sick.
QOTD: If we had the money, probably an international school or an American school on a relatively nearby base. I have some serious issues with the German school system.
Morning!
Ups: She?s getting to be so sociable, and she?s also great at playing alone when she needs to. It?s fun just to watch her discover things and try out new things.
Downs: Another parent told me that I need to set more boundaries (e.g. no more child locks, just insist that she not open something) and this was coming from the mom who let her 2 year old and 5 year old stay up until 10....I hate when other mothers tell you how you should be doing it. If I had asked for advice, it would have been one thing, but I didn?t. And what works for one person doesn?t nec. work for another. So we have cabinet locks and drawer locks on most things. She has a drawer in the kitchen she can open and stuff she can take out, and the rest are off limits. With locks.
QOTW: Probably a regular school. The Intl. one near us isn?t that good.
glitterfart: what did you say to her? I just feel each parent/kid combination works and each parent has a set of things they can work within and each kid has a different point at which they want to push issues. My cousin considers herself an awesome mom, and there are certain things she allows that I don't have the patience for and certain things that my son does that I'm sure she doesn't have the patience for. Doesn't mean that either of us are horrible, just that *shock* we're different and our kids are different.
I also have locks on cabinets. There are many things that my son has been messing with since he first could (our dryer/tv) and no amount of pulling him away or distracting him have worked in the past 7-8 months.
Ups: M has been pretty good at home and at school. He isn't hitting anymore or saying the "bad word" after I used IN advice of a sticker chart and taking toys away! Worked like a charm and I even shared the idea with a few moms at school who now think I am a genius!
Downs: His teacher told me on Monday that he doesn't want to do any work at school. I talked with him about it Monday night and yesterday morning, but it was Carnival yesterday, so they didn't do work anyways. Hopefully tomorrow he will be motivated.
QOTW: Here I wouldn't send him to the International School, in general the French school system is good and the private school he is at now is very good and relatively cheap. If we were still in Saigon we would have sent him to the French International School.
It's the buttons... they love to press buttons and see what happens - checking out cause and effect... N does it with the remote control and anything that she can reach...
Ups: She is settling really well with the new childminder. I know I shouldn't jinx it but yesterday she went in with no tears at all! That was a first. And when I collected her yesterday she was sitting still on a cushion on the kitchen floor (they all were!) watching the minder make pancakes...
Downs: I think she has a little tummy upset but hopefully not too bad. A bit pukey yesterday and off her food which isn't like her. Found out last weekend that my brother has been offered a job in Sydney and they are not sure if they are going to take it or not. Yes, the brother whose wife used to mind N. So if they moved she wouldn't see her cousins for a long time...
QOTW: Local school. Even if I was in another country, it would be the local school. My cousins lived in France for a number of years and the youngest one now works in a support call centre as a French speaker... the only non French person in his section...
Good morning ladies! Doing pretty well here. Just waiting to take Leo to gymnastics class this morning.
UPS: Jax is sleeping better and only getting up 1.5x a night.
DOWNS: Jax is still getting up at night and I am TIRED!
QOTW: No doubt they'd be going to the International school.
Morning!
Ups: We're settling in here. T is, for the most part, a very content baby unless he has gas or tummy issues. Then he screams bloody murder and my heart melts. He makes the funniest faces - I think I spend way too much of my day staring at him. My mom has been here for two and a half weeks and has been an amazing help. She's been getting up with me at night to help with T. The other night I knocked on her door at 4am in the middle of a crying fit for T, asked her to take him for five minutes, went into the other room and cried, then woke up three hours later. I had dozed off and my mom calmed him and kept him in her room for the night. I love this woman.
Eating-wise, he seems to have put himself on a schedule of every two hours during the day and every three hours at night. Not too bad for a one month old, I think. And breastfeeding has drastically improved! I love those moments with him.
Downs: Gas. He gets so upset over it. I know its normal, and it's not colic or anything, but I wish there was more I could do. I took a baby massage class, so hopefully that helps.
QOTD: We'd send him somewhere private or one of the international schools.
Ups: I'm still feeling really good, with few symptoms, although I'm expecting them to kick in at any moment. We have our first scan tomorrow and I am so excited to see the little seed.
Downs: Nothing at the moment.
QOTD: I'd lean towards the international school, but we haven't done all the research yet.
Cecilia arrived 12 October 2012
I can't find my old login so I am back to this one. Oh well!
DD woke up with another cold, thanks to a preschooler in the house. I am so over snot. I did drive yesterday with them 6.5 hours from Florida back home by myself and they did awesome, I was worried she would freak out but she didn't at all.
We are going through this right now with ds. We actually had planned to do the international school here but have since decided that it isn't the right fit for him, and it has a high turnover rate of students since it is a lot of international families who are here for 2-3 years (my city has several huge headquarters here) and since we are here indefinitely I don't think it is fair to do that to them. But we have applied to 2 private schools for him for next year so we will see. We are 99% sure we aren't doing public.
Things are good. I am waiting to see if anyone gets the stomach flu today or tomorrow. Evelyn threw up twice yesterday morning but I am 95% sure it was from congestion. We shall see, though. Other than that things are good. It is school vacation week and since it was also a three day weekend we had a short two night break down to the Cape, our first family vaca just on our own in a Long time so that was really nice. Now the kids and I are just being super lazy and hanging at home.
I think we will send them to private schools. We are sending Bruce to a private school for K and then we will reevaluate after that if we will switch to public school ( he misses the cut off for next year, hence the need for the private school now. He may repeat K, though.) But we do like the public schools in our town, it's just a question of what we think is the best fit for the kids. I'm worrying already about sends them to different schools potentially but I know it's not a one size fits all equation so I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there. If we were in the UK I dont know what we would do, he'd be old enough to attend public school there and if we were in a good area we'd probably do that. If not we might look into private options. If we were really on expat assignment we might look at the int'l school, but we never have been.
Ups: I think Matilda is on a teethign marathon. 5 in 10 days, including 4 molars. Sh eis loving toddler groups though. Also, we have a lovely half term with William, with play dates, museum trips, etc - such a lovely week with my boy. Oh, and Matilda is doing 2 word sentences now, which I'm excited about
DOwns: I think we're working on cutting more teeth. She's still super fussy, drinking more than eating, and not sleeping great. Yay. But if the other ones come quick I can have a break, so I'm trying to stay positve (I think we have 4 incisors and another top front to go before a break before the 2 year molars?) Early morniings - for both. No one is sleeping past 5:30. M wakes us all up and W wn't go back to sleep.
QOTW: I don't know. If money were really no object, I'd be tempted to move to a fabulous area, with amazing public schools, and go that way. I like the community of public schools, the ability to walk to school and go to playdates easily in your neighbourhood, etc. This might be shaped by me absolutely loving oru local school, five minutes' walk away, that we purposefully bought a house in the catchment area for. I love our school, but hate our tiny house, so would love to keep the school but trade in for a bigger house.
Ups: Baby girl had some 7 and 9 hour sleep stretches at night over the past week, which has been lovely. She smiles and coos so much now and it's so fun to watch. My sister finally got to meet her. I've met some lovely Mums in my area at a December baby group. I successfully carried baby girl in her carrier all day while we were out on Saturday. I'm doing well with breastfeeding in public and gaining confidence getting out and about with her.
Downs: Although my mommy instinct tells me that she is just fine, I finally saw a pediatrician yesterday because she still doesn't necessarily have a pattern to her bowel movements. The pediatrician wants me to cut out dairy from my diet for the next four weeks. Now I have to figure out some new food ideas and be sure not to just up my intake of junk.
QOTD: I'm planning on having DD go to school back in the states, so she will hopefully be going to the local public school wherever we choose to move. If we were still where we are and money was no object, then I would be exploring international schools.
Ups: The smiling and constant jibber jabber from my darling son is the most adorable thing on earth. He is a big ol guy and growing so fast. He's an angel when we are out and about which is a god send.
Downs: Not STTN--not even close. I'm lucky to get 4 hours, last night we were back down to 2 for some reason. Not looking forward to his 2 month shots on Monday
QOTD: I worked at the international school here a couple years ago and really loved it. The kids are fantastic so I THINK we'd send him there. Although andrea992 and I are talking about the same school and she's right about the transitory aspect of the school. The major downside of that school has always been how often kids come and go especially since the class sizes are smaller than any of the local schools in the area.
My Israel Blog!
Gah, I had no idea you worked there! Now I need to pick your brain on it
I am bummed my kids got sick but will message you about rescheduling our brunch!!
Hi!
Ups? 16 weeks pregnant.
Downs? Lots of appts to deal with!
QOTD? I would totally send my kids to an international school if we could swing it.