Petits Haricots

14.22

Well, I spent about an hour staring at the phone this morning before I plucked up courage to phone up the estae agents and make an offer on the nice victorian house. Intial offer rejected, as we expected really, but got enough info to put in another offer later.

Bit more than we wanted to have to go to, but it hasn’t been rejected yet, so hopefully it has been enough for them to consider it - it’s our max. offer, but may still be bit low for them, so we will have to see..

16.47

Oh put me out of my misery……….

We do do other things apart from cleaning and viewing, honest!!
As a present to SB for being so well behaved, she got a richard scarry leap pad book, and seemed to really like it. We went through it together, and then her other 2 books, so leappadded out.

We have also been pirates today [in the viking boat] looking for hairbrush treasure [her choice], and Even pirate Alys in the boat - Chris may do piccie if we don’t drunk too much shampers after SB goes to bed. Our pirating antics didn’t put buyers off though!This led to a discussion on pirates and looking at the bit on webland. We weblanded for some time on other bits as well. I think next installment is next week?

A re-enactment of princess and the pea and other stories with puppets, and then some mooching with a tots tv video. So quite a variety of low key home ed things going on with lots of attention to offset house hunt.

BB a delight - v smiley happy baby. She is v interested in her hands now, and gurgles to us.

This mornings viewers have just put in an offer at full asking price - to include greenhouses, carpets and fittings, but lets not quibble! [value of perhaps 2-3000? but its not as if you can easily reuse fitted carpets, and I’d never conisdered lifting the laminate floor - do people do that? We were including shed and one of greenhouses anyway, the other greenhouse we were going to donate to friends, but they will understand]

Sold in 12 days - maybe we should have made asking price higher! Just kidding, as v happy with result, and house down road at 5000 more been on market 3 months [though dated decor]

Chris and I dancing around house, SB thinks we are mad! Where is that champagne!!!!!!!

We obviously accepted, but as don’t have viewers number who is coming in an hour, we will let him view and tell him we have a full asking price offer.

Wooooooohoooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[I am excited!]

We went to Huntingdon fri eve to specifically view one house on sat - though we did arrange 2 other viewings while down there. Sat, 2 hours before viewing, they cancelled it! this is 3rd non-viewing, so guess they are not interested in selling. Howeer, would have been my other prime candidate. so fed up! they new we were coming all the way from Leeds as well. Another view of it. I really thought it was a top contender too, so v disappointed

The Victorian house has received another offer, but rejected it - ? too low, or? as they want the person to have sold their house before they will consider. We need to get skates on, and still may not get if someone bids successfully first or they hold for asking price - sigh.

As for our house, we have another viewing today, someone that has sold. ALso the couple from Wed are doing a second viewing today, and are interested. However they haven’t sold their house. Hmm!!

Ok, ok….. here we are with some to go with Helen’s post earlier.

Arrrrhhhh !! Viking!!

Having a very un-viking Clementine snack.

Alys looking cute.

Hopefully Chris is going to add pictures soon to this weblog. We had a great day together. We started with a bit of baby massage, with SB helping me. BB does seem to like it - even though SB’s technique hardly a recognised one.

Then we did almost all the jigsaws that we have. SB loves jigsaws, and romped through them. Must crack open the harder ones!

Having read the DK Viking book yesterday, we decided to ake some Viking things today. We were going to be simple. but arrival of a reversible car seat for BB [ She is 16-ish lb, so already looking big in size 0 carseat, so have bought a britax 0-4years one] meant that we had a huge box. If Chris pops on a photo, you can see our Viking ship with dragon head. I did the basic shell under SB’s direction. She then stuck on some coloured paper, and then went on adventures. Vikings and pirates seemed a bit interchangeable in her stories, but fair enough.

We did some book reading and cooked tea together - a yummy bits and pieces curry, then a burst of cbeebies while wating for Chris to come home asa bit of relaxing time out fr her, and some BB time for me. I feel we have had a lovely day together.

Tomorrow we go down to Huntingdon in the evening and view a couple more places on Sat, as well as the victorian one again. I am just so impatient to sell ours!

yesterday was a manically busy out and about day. We first had SB’s gym class, which she really loves. getting more confident at walking across the beam - forwards and backwards, and is remembering all the different position names. A hasty shop round asda for car-picnic food [samosas, cheese dippers and fruit] and we were off to Eureka.

I was there with my friend Kat . She works part time, has a 2.5 year old and twins of 6 months. SB and Emilia get on v well, and rushed about together holding hands and being generally cute. They had a long shopping session and got more out of the bank than I expected. We then went to the under 5’s area, where BB and the twins could lie in the sensory area, and SB and E could run about looking for things. A short hop into the human body bit, and the girls were pooped. 2.5 hours though before they started to flag, so can’t be bad! A perk up at the cafe and home before rush hour hit too badly.

SB fell asleep in car and was most unhappy to be woken up, so were into some serious blankly looking at CBeebies when the people showed up late to look round house. Ubnfortunately they were there when I wanted to cook SB tea, so not ideal showing, and also the CBeebies background. they did seem v interested though, and were here about 40 mins! hopefully a good sign. Did look in all little cubbyholes though, so a bit concerned at what they saw!

SB at nursery today, BB in chris’s care as I was on a fab course on negotiating through change. I have an almost pathological fear of conflict, so have been doing a 5 day management and lradership course. this was the last day. Although I still not a conflict girl, I think the knowledge of the processes and when to draw a line is helpful. I even ended up volunteering for the crappest role in the role play today, and enoying it. Hopefully this will help me in the non-medical part of my job in the future [as well as any potential officious LEA bods]

Also fripped on ebay by buying some german starter leappad books - alphabet and richard scarry. not expecting SB to really understand yet, but will go along with the Muzzy.
Child of our time was predictable on not questionning school. However did suggest that the twins waiting a year to gain more emotional intelligence was a good idea.

we have another viewer for our house tomorrow. Again fingers crossed, and beautifying tonight.

i have realised we have a problem. i usually pay supermarket by switch. I also usually get cashback. SB in her games was swiping the credit card and giving me money. She thinks you get money from supermarkets along with other groceries, and the working/earning thing is seperate. hmm!!! Anyway, easy maths and aditions. deciding who would eat what etc.
bit of reading, time telling and mostly play. enjoyed making a helicopter from chunky wooden mechano-ish pack from ikea.

BB has a dreadful cough - poor love.

went ok, house fairly presentable, but garden needs a bit more attention! they were fairly non-commital, so prob not buyers, but hopefully they will leave some feedback to help with next viewing. After all, what do you say about a house??

As I still meet my postnatal group regularly, coupled with the 6month age groups at nursery makes this an expensive season! We went to ‘fun city’. The last time I went there I broke a foot, cuneiform and 2 ribs so no fond memories. SB loved it though and had a great time. It does have a great curly slide and a really high wavy slide. She is a slide girl. I did worry as in and out security v lax, and due to the spread of the place, the children can be out of sight a long time.
SB also getting better at I spy in the car, and that was the only overtly educational part of the day!! Unfortunately she also started to cry in the car on realisation that is was the last time she would go to rossa’s party and next year she would have no friends. We discussed how to make new ones [something I am crap at] and how others would also love her. Felt like crappest mum.
Anywaiy, BB finished feeding so better get on tidying.

ps had hoped to find my payslips, not where they should be, not in any of the standard ’safe places’. please don’t let me have thrown away as need to get mortgage. sigh.
Also complete panic as have apparently been overpaid the last 2 months - i thought it was pay owed for overtime prev2 months - so hosp took £1500 out of pay this month without discussing. I’m left with not enough to cover direct debits let alone food. Is this allowed?? I have savings to dip into, but hosp then owes me money with one hand, and clawing it back with other. Much gnashing of teeth, as can’t ring and shout until Mon.

ok, SB still confused with ‘g’ and ‘y’. we had a good play with her JP flash cards, some singapore maths and a fair bit on the weather. made a birthday card and general craftiness!
we then popped outside to weed the veg beds, stick in some broad beans. the shallots are romping away. may stuff in garlic, as will also be verdant during house selling period with negligible care!. tidiedup the espaliered pears. this is their 5th year, so have 4 tiers. v sad that we won’t actually get to taste them. 2 more beds to tidy, then prune the raspberries and goosegogs. greenhouses looking sad as needwinter clean and lost a pane of glass in the wind. will blame newborn at viewing! chris did one of his fav garden thigs - burning! a nice bonfire was made.
BB must have been messing with latch on left as v painful today. I can remeber with SB that left always more of a prob.
just realised i am logged in as chris. never mind.
ps, my squeegee window cleaner from lakeland is lovely. even if chris laughs at me!! maay even make windows one of my jobs! should have bought the handle to go with it though

this sun by someone who has sold their house. fingers crossed.

We had a fun day today, with lots of lego, making up stories, and a nip to M and S to buy some presents. chris did lots of ‘messing about’ with SB - ie throwing her in the air, twirling about, and making it look like she will be dropped and break a neck at any given moment. I try not to watch!
I suddenly realised that it was the closing date for ICS-UK [international continence society] abstracts to be received, and since I’d done this little number with a friend, I had better spend the evening popping it in. have done so now. Now just have to register and get accomodation. As always, expensive.
BB waving at me madly and snuffling. Methinks it is time to give her some attention!

in partic letterland. SB getting better at ‘b’ and ‘d’, and ‘g’ and ‘y’, which she has been muddling for a while. Also now reliable at the sh and t sounds. though when there was a picture of a beaker, and she identified the b start, she was still happy to say b for cup!
Also a gym day, and really loves that. Did some singapore maths, lots of general book reading and lego playing took up most of the rest of the day with a brief spell at tots group. we were going to cook tea together, but she watched a letterland vid instead. At tea, she told me jesus’s love wasn’t really very wonderful [in repsonse presumably to the song] so we discussed why love was always wonderful.
BB gave us an absolutely appalling night last night, so Chris and i have been a bit of live zombies today. She has fed almost all day as well - makes me even more tired. Beingly gorgeously smily in front of me right now.
Have def decided not to overstretch iourselves over house buying, as I was going into blind panic. I think its all that ‘well if I can’t be physically present for them, I should buy them the best that I can’ thing.
Rather peeved with Chris, as he turned off volume on laptop, and the back on button is one that isn’t working, so now no sound. not too bad except………….SB can’t now use for jump ahead cd’s, webland [which is installed on hear] etc etc, so laptop now a disaster for its prime daytime use. Hmm

there was a snow flurry today, looked like it might settle for a while, as lasted most of morning, sometimes very heavily, but then rained.
box room is still being archeologically excavated. ALthough Chris thinks all the ‘pute things are joint, since i can’t identify half of them, there are thousands of wires, and more cd’s than legs can be shaken at that are unnamed, I think not!!
Aargh, projectile vomit from BB while NAK-ing She has been sleepier today. is this vaccs related, or my DnV related??
Nursery day for SB, and returned exhausted. watched a letterland vid, read some books, bit of counting and shapes and then bedtime collapse.
Chris has been DIY man. house smells horrible- though that may be due to the plastic spoon he part melted. Also doesn’t look at all tidy, but mostly superficial mess.

Apparently this is our house, not sure I recognise it…..

Our house

Please note it is has not normally (in fact ever) been in such pristine state……….

we haven’t had BB weighed since 2 weeks old - shame on me! She is nnow 8 weeks. Today was vacc day, so had her 6 week check - fine, but a bit of a kerfuffle when GP couldn’t find her on computer - oops forgot to register her.
om weigh in 15lb 4 oz. OMG. over 97th centile for weight, and on 97th for length and head circumference. no wonder she had grown out of smaller nappies.
Always worry about vaccs. i do believe in their need [unsurprising given my profession] but do have a too vivid imagination added to knowledge of rare but known risks. BB seems v relaxed in my arms.
I do hope Chris adds sme photos soon, as having read other bloggers ursing about adding, I feel that is a delegating job.

Modern barn conversion-a-like with fantastic family room - looks much better in real life. in a small village with no amenities, not even sure a bus link. road is a b road and a reasonable though not excessive noise. No place for chest freezer. Can see girsl cycling around the building happily, and garden to make veg and fruit areas, and even room for polytunnel.

victorian listed building which is gorgeous. obviously needs some upkeep work, including roof on utility, some decorating, in the next 5 or so years considering the wiring etc. still big garden, room for fruit and veg. in lovely village with shops etc. but, directly on the road [same mod busy one as barn house, and next to pub. also all that ongoing looking after.

really should be looking at houses below 400000 [what a huge wallop of money that is]

BB growing, feeding, sleeping, smiling and gurgling at us. Her first vaccs tomorrow - and first weighing since 2 weeks old, [whoops] . She has liked the baby einstein videos, her kick mat and a brightly coloured butterfly.

SB been gorgeous. watched a few too many dvd’s in travelodge [on ill-fated laptop] got a clear idea of how to talk like an estate agent [even shew daddy around the upstairs of one house in great agent speech]. found a lovely play area in Godmanchester [but no house there unfortunately]. fell in love with a dog at one of the houses, and was disappointed that it wasn’t included! Also, amusingly, as soon as we entered the travelodge, identified a crying corner, for when she wanted a sulk - weird really, but better than tantrums. Since coming home it has been a happystreet fest, and swimming this afternoon with Daddy.