Monthly Archives: April 2005

We’re in :-)

Yes, we are moved into our new house:-) and it seems very big :-) and we have a lot of boxes…….

Sadly, Guiness (one ofthe cats ) did a runner. We took them out of their boxes and put them in a room that we didn’t need to go in (they’d been in them for 8-9 hours, not eaten or drunk and G was getting very unhappy.

Sopme time later I found the door slighty open and Guiness gone :-) I guess the cathc wasn’t quite catching? Didn’t see him at all, we think he must have run out of the front door. Thing is he won’t really have any sense of this as home, so not sure if we will see him again :-(

Back to the unpacking………

Protected: reflections on maternity leave

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Let’s Rock and Roll

Ok, a bit later than intended, by 800 am is goo by my standards :-) Cats’ finally in their baskets, cue much sad wailing – only a few scratches from Whiskey.-

Ok lets go, I want those keys in my grubby mits…

All gone.

They came, they packed, they removed.

Yep today was removal day, tomorrow is ‘putting in’ day, Took them about 6.5 hours from 8.30am, including them packing the house contents, though I’d done the garage, shed etc. Having them pack all the contents was very worthwile, though you do need to sort/clear out stuff first as they just pack what they find.

So while Beans and Mummy have decamped to Mudpud Central I’m left rattling around in an empty house with 2 cats (eventually). The cats were very loathe to come into the house once the removal men had been, Whiskey kept running in and out Eventually, she came in and managed to get her shut away from the cat flap/door. Guiness was more circumspect, kept meowing, but wouldn’t come in, then disappeared altogether. I started to think he might not come back at all tonight.

I did some emergency mods to the catflap, removing one and fitting it to the exisiting flap hole. The repleacement has a one way lock so they can come in but not go out. Evenetually Guiness appeared at about 1.30am, the flap worked he tried to make a run for it but couldn’t and now is moping around mewing loadly. The fun of trying to get them both single handedly into the cat carriers awaits in the morning.

Another day for goodbyes (and a few tears), Helen took Stringbean to Wacky Wharehouse this morning, when they eturned we had lunch out of the way in Mollies. Time eventually of course for everyone one else to go, cue tearful farewells to Molly, she has been such good neighbour, and has been so lovely to SB (a surrogate ‘Aunty’ really), what brought a tear to my eye was SB running madly around the lawn, whenever we go over to Mollies she loves to have good run up their lawn. Ah well, Terry has computer now he is learning to use, he will soon be online I think and they will be able to keep up.

It’s hard to know what a 4 year old makes of such happenings exactly, but of all the people she knows here, M&T are probably the ones she will miss most of all. she loves being able to ‘pop round’. I remember how excited she was when she got to ‘visit’ by herself (we have adjoing drives) while I watched her.

I said my ‘slighty tearful/lump in throat’ farewells this evening.

After the removal men had gone I did a final tip run, and the went to the gym for final visit. Not for anythign enrgetic, I just wanted to have nice rest in the Spa. Sauna etc. I found myself dropping off a few times, probably not the best thing to do in water…. after that I spent the time worrying about cats, doing bit of cleaning, ‘putering, TV etc. Trying for an early start tomorrow.

Have some thoughts wobbling about, but I need to go to sleep, planning an early depature nd to catch up with the Beans before heading into huntigdon to hang around wating for the keys, hope we don’t have to wait for long.

Night all :-)

Looking forward to being in our new house tomorrow and to ahve stopped saying goodbye for bit.

Quick one

SB been near angelic in her eagerness to be good and behave to day.
we really have worked hard, but not a lot seems to have changed.

last tots this pm, and she had great fun playing with her friends from babyhood – glad to see her so happy with them.

Needless to say I cried as we said goodbye to my postnatal crowd, as they have been with me since SB born, and heard my winges, and delights.

Then Aunty Margaret came round for the last time. All though I will see her again, she has been coming to visit fortnightly since SB born, and such a regular part of our life, that seemed equally horrible, so I howled again – being of the same family so did she!

We’re still working hard, but I am truly knackered, as neither girls sleeping well at the mo.

Wanted to have time do do a nice blog about how Leeds has been a great home for us, and that a great place to live and bring up a family. If things had been otherwise I would have loved to stay, however each thing has its place and time, and ours now is to move. Also about how this home was unloved and in need of a lot of care and attention, and has gone from house to home. Although we have outgrown its space, we have been happy here aand will carry memories on with us.

Hard goodbye tomorrow to Molly, and to the house itself, then just the future to look forward to.

Back to Work!!

oh and Congratulations Jan, Jonathan and family!!

330 down 40 up

As in finances, coventry building soc underestimated the redemption amount, so a hurried wire to the solicitor!

Rang to cancel mint card as 40 worth of over limit charges -?2 over limit!, and got it wiped as long as I didn’t cancel, needless to say……

SB’s room sorted, my weekend bag for me and girls packed – Merry, is Max strong???? No, don’t panic, not staying with you for whole weekend!!!!!!!!

BB in disps so nappies washed and dried for move. Need to fold and sort one lot, other in at the moment.

Chris on tip run. How much stuff have we got?? All the outright junk, and the stuff no-one came for on freecycle. 1 more run needed.

Me and girls will decamp to tots group for a break, and on return expect Jan to no longer be expecting!!!

Sun is Shining in the Sky

I think we may have broken the back of it yesterday, still lots to do, but feels just about manageable.

Just sitting here, drinking tea, getting ready for the day, getting ‘five minutes peace’, and looking into the garden. Sun is shining through the Flowering Cherry, which looks lovely, it has come into bloom to say good by to us. Always liked this room at his time of the day as the sun shines into it. Garden a little sad at the moment, lawn too long, veg beds etc. rather weedy, feel it would have been better to hand over in bit of better state, but …….

Just reflecting on things, on the plans we had for the garden that were never achieved (sorry dear, you never did get that deck under the Oak tree for summer evening drinks…..), and things that were – like digging those veg beds in the first winter, me and my Dad building the herb beds. The last one is poignant for me, as he’ll not do to anything like that again for us, he just can’t manage it anymore. :-(

8 years+ have seemingly whizzed past here, so many good memories – getting married, the excitement of things new, the future, children, sunny days in the garden. Excitement for the new house will come again, but today seems to be one for reflecting on the good things we have had, the future will be here quick enough (is there a smiley for ‘wipes a tear’? *sniff*)

Ah well, SB is up, Cbeebies is on, BB is ‘raarring’ upstairs, time to get on.

*sniff*, *sniff*, *sniff*……..

Aaaaaahhhhhh :-)

Aaaaaahhhhhh :-)

And great big pile of rubbish for the tip outside :-)
Time for bed.

The Big One…[was cry me a river]

SB had a great time at nursery today, and a wonderful party, it was an indoors teddy bear picnic due to the rain. they played games, sang songs and ate party food. she even got a couple of presents.

I cant quite believe we’re not going back. I gave then SB at 6 months and hoped for the best. In the last 3.5 years she has been loved and cherished there, and allowed to grow and develop. They aim to nurture through play, and thats certianly our experience. We saw her first [Maria] and last [Mandy] keyworkers when we went to pick her up, and they were both genuinely sad to be saying goodbye. I cried all over the place. In time SB wont remember nursery except through pictures and stories, but I am glad that they will be of love and fun. Thankyou kids academy for the care you have taken. I have really appreciated it, and feel i has helped shape SB into the confident girl she is.

New tooth!

BB’s first tooth poked through enough to see now, so is a toothed baby!

of course this is one of those milestones that a delay is appreciated!