..anyone else awake??

Slept till 3am but now wide awake.Thought I would sleep well as I spent most of yesterday shopping. Have just made myself a cup of sleepy time tea. Lovely.

Hi Gorki - thought I was the only one up. Actually, I was having a good sleep but our circuit-breaker went off which made the emergency light come on so we are now wide awake! DH has kindly brought me .
My mind is racing with all the things I have to do before our trip to visit DGD later in the week. Our flight has been rescheduled so we are going to get there a day late which is a bit annoying, but as long as we are there for her third birthday on Saturday all will be well.

Oh what a nuisance Bellasnana.Nice to talk to someone else at this unearthly hour. Trouble is it won't be long before the household starts rousing themselves. DH and DS get up for work at 6.15 as does DD who is staying with us temporarily. That leaves me looking after twin grandchildren for the day which I shall enjoy. Where does your DGD live? It will be lovely to see her on her birthday. Hope you get some more sleep. At least you have some company. My DH is fast asleep !

I have just read your profile Bellanana so I found out the answer to my question. I had a feeling you lived abroad . Enjoy your holiday. Hope the flight goes well.

How wonderful having twin grandchildren! I always wanted twins but it never happened!
Yes, we are actually an hour ahead of UK time so it is now after 6am. Guess what, DH has dropped off again! DD3 and DS will be off to work soon (teacher and chef respectively).
DGD lives in Georgia,USA but we are meeting in Orlando to take her to Disney for her birthday. She is very into princesses(said with a lisp!) so I think she will enjoy herself!
Have fun with your twins. How old are they? They are lucky to have you to help out. I would love to have some grandchildren nearby but don't see it happening any time soon!

The twins are 6 and the little girl has just come out of the princess stage so I know what you mean. The boy is into Lego but unfortunately they have just got into computer games the more's the pity. We have to limit them to an hour a day or it takes over. Actually we are beginning to think that an hour is too much.
Disney will be real fun I'm sure she will enjoy it and remember it for many years to come .A lovely idea for a birthday treat.

I know what you mean about computer games. DGD has known her way around an iPad since she was 18 months old and I am a bit surprised at DD2 for letting her spend so much time on it. I don't know about you,but I tend to hold my tongue so as not to cause trouble even though I am dying to say something! Anyway, when I am there I intend to play with her so much that she won't want the iPad!
Hope you have a good day and won't be too tired after being up half the night

Hi been awake for the last hour been online words with friends didn't think any one would be up here it's 6.10 here

Good morning! Theseus left for a breakfast meeting n Exeter about an hour ago - I tried nodding off again but have now given in and returned to bed with a cup of coffee. He didn't put the light on, so that he wouldn't wake me,which meant he was stumbling around in the dark, which did wake me. And him having a shower in the ensuite also ensured that I was awake. Bless him. I think.

Off for a shop and some lunch today with DD and DHD1 (17). Looking forward to it!

That's DGD1, BTW!

Hi Ariaden have lovely day out Mr F did the same only he put the light on had the dog up when he left said dog needed out had to get up been awake ever since think I will have get up now as its getting light out and belly rumbling sure sine it's morning [Smile]

Hope all you early birds have a good day.I had just got back to bed when DGS woke up with a tummy ache. Good job it is half term and I don't have to do the school run otherwise I would have to drag him out to take his sister to school. When mine were young we always had a good neighbour to leave a poorly child with for half an hour but all that seems to have gone with so many mums having to go out to work.

Gorki I'd love to know at what age little girls come out of the princess stage please. It's driving me crackers!

Hope your little GS will soon feel better, Gorki. I am off to the hairdresser to get the dreaded roots covered up before our trip. Have a good day everyone

Mine is 6 Aka going on 16!She is growing up far too quickly. She had a fancy dress party for her birthday and the majority came as princesses but I guess that is the easiest outfit to buy. Influence of the Media again !

Mine hasn't been a pink princess since she was about 7 or 8. She is now 11 and would be ashamed to be seen in pink or wearing a tiara. More likely to be seen in black leggings or skinny jeans.

Mine never has been. I never see her in a skirt.

When did this 'princess stage' start, anyway? My two daughters never went through it....in the 70s.....don't remember their friends doing it either!

Power of marketing allie I remember going to las vegas about 20 years ago and being astounded by all the lavish fancy dress costumes on sale for kids. They were unknown here then but now they are everywhere. Saw a pic of a 3 month old baby (belongs to a friend) dressed as a pink fairy the other day. Children like "dressing up" and many companies have piled into that market opportunity with disney leading the charge.

DD3 was determined her daughter, now 4, wouldn't ever wear anything pink or prissy. Result : won't wear trousers or jeans, only wears pink and loves all her 'princess' dresses and screams like a banshee if she has to wear anything else. She has done some modelling for Sainburys and is as good as gold with them and complies, but last time she was in Princess heaven as she had to wear a Rapunzel dress and a tiara. Sadly they wouldn't let her take it home......

My GDs are 2 & 4, a few princessy years left then.

GS (3) is either pirate or superman

Just feel a bit daft shopping in Tesco with Captain Hook, Rapunzel and Snow White. Feel I'm letting the side down, but last time I looked the only thing in my size was a Happy Hooker outfit that would stop me being invisible to the check out girl though!!

Re the marketing pressure - gotta get the gender ID right as early as possible?

aka

Got to hammer gender stereotyping into their tender little skulls from birth.
To turn them into little gender-and appearance-obsessed consumers that will insist on gender specific clothes throughout childhood thus pushing up sales (I can't possibly wear my brother's/sister's t shirts etc)
And eager little gendered consumers beyond buying boys toys or mountains of shoes and handbags. Yippee.

Exactly.

But it has to have the right logo on it too.