Author Archives: HHaricot

musical cv for sarah

my mother is a musician, so we were def encouraged.

piano – started imperceptably, always enjoyed. grade 8 age 16 = 134.
violin – the great love – asked for age 4 grade 8 age 17 = 144. great thing aboput violin is orchestral playing – county string orchestra and then county youth, music centre orchestr and school orchestras – all fantastic. Also when 16 involved in setting up wycobe symphonia with my mum and her friends. high points – playing beethovens violin concerto [my fav] with them, and also playing a solo at the royal albert hall with the music centre. carried on with uni orch and chamber groups – played in the groucho club, barbican etc.
singing loads of choirs etc – love singing the great masses!! leads in various musicals at school. Leeds festival Chorus – which was great as sings with professional orchestras – fantastic concerts/telly/cd’s etc

now – am aiming to join an orchestra again when I have settled a bit, as find it totally uplifting

at work

Not as bad as thought as they are all very nice here, and made this a light day to get me into the swing of things. So have sat at computer and gone through thousands of emails.
Actually quite restful really.
My Wed day off has been finalised, so only actually work 2 wednesdays – not bad! Monday is an early home day [about 3pm] and Tues a late to work day [- 9am!] every 4th Friday off as well, so things OK.

Sorry about all the self centred wibbling. I’m just a greedy bugger who wants to have cake and to eat it!

Moving

Well, with the sterling help of my parents, things aren’t as bad as they could be. the kitchen stuff is in and sorted, most of SB’s toys and clothes. BB’s clothes are AWOL, mine are mostly sorted and ? about Chris’s. DIning room full of books and computer stuff – as still not got that sorted properly, though Chris says he has arranged broadband. Guinness looks like definitely gone, I hope he has found a kitchen to attatch to. SB has decided he has gone adventuring, and will come back and tell us all about it one day.

House itself will need a lot of work over time, but is absolutely fine for now. Humoungous in fact, and I’m really happy with it. Garden and patio are gorgeous, and we are open for visitors! [in fact I'm off next wed] I like the bells from the church – they ring every quarter of an hour. The road is way busier than I thought, and I hope there arent too many live bands at the pub! When feel flush, could replace the patchy secondary glazing with some heavy duty stuff that is more soundproof though.

Family

Well, have phoned home and they all seem fine. SB very excited to hear from me. She’s not so happy for me to be at work but as Daddy at home, I’m sure she will quickly get used to it. The beans are going for a taster at nursery this pm and then start on Thurs. Luckilly BB has decided that she will partake in a few drops of EBM from a bottle, so thats a relief. We were supposed to fill out a plan of her day, but since we don’t have one, can’t decided whether just to make something up, or admit to planlessness!!

SB was very happy when climbing frame was put up in the garden, especially as we have added the extension bits so really rather high! Also cycling round the garden. A nuisance that one bit of path too narrow, so we will have to do that. She likes this house, especially the jacuzzi! I don’t understand why even with a bigger bed chris and I are perched at the very edge though? Bit better nights sleep though, and SB not complaining so much of her ear hurting. In fact it was BB keeping me up with the munchies.

SB not watched telly since Friday, and hasn’t asked for it either – its in a different room. So that has to be good. Ditto for me as well. Not really done much ‘education’ though read lots of books, planted some bedding and discussed weaning and suitable BB foods.

Did go to Stagecoach on Saturday though, which she did like. Though apparently dancing with ‘parteners’ is not the same as ballet, so she would still like a ballet class! Looks like there may be a rainbows in the village to investigate, as an easy way to meet local friends. I would like to find a gym group though to carry on with, as she has really enjoyed that, so ballet may have to take a miss for the moment, unless one in the village.

Thats it really. I’m not sure what I will blog in the future though, as relegated to secondary carer, you can’t really blog what someone else has done with your children!

Am going to wander round the ring now.

Quick thanks

To Merry for her hospitality, while I was still feeling shakey about move [and yes, still am!]
my parents, for helping unpack – half done
SB for doing her best to be good – though she had blood coming out of ear last night and temp ? infection/ popped eardrum, so on nurofen and awake all night crying. Seems mostly fine this morning, Chris and I zombies.

reflections on house – huge!!!!! Needs a lot of work doing. Road far busier than I thought it would be and pub far noisier – live band last night, felt like living in London again! Will we be happy here – i THINK SO!. shame heating system / hot water is unpredictable, and showers dire – though SB likes the jacuzzi!

Anywat, not on broadband, so big blog from work tomorrow!!

Protected: reflections on maternity leave

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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!!!

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!

Bin or Keep?

School exercise books?? yeah, chuck!
middle school projects folders? – actually was just thinking of them last week as good home ed ideas for later!!

A Blue Day

For me anyway. SB enjoyed nursery, and excited by the goodbye party tomorrow. She baked cupcakes with Chris and decorated them in its honour. Wht does her happiness and exitement not take away my guilt for uprooting her?? I was uprooted at 5, and don’t remember being partic sad/stressed or whatever.

We tidied – always a hated task – and threw away memories – so it seemed.

i hate moving.

i also hate days without SB fun to cheer me up!

BB teething, so feeding erraticaly, not taking alternatives to me, and also sleep gone to pot -3.30am she finally fell asleep last night! So post ilness and knackered not really helping

I really hate change, and change of my security zone/bolthole is not good!

where is that chocolate when you need it!