Category Archives: General

quick question – car seats

any ideas for really safe ones for 16 kg tall 4 year old to take her to about 11, SI protection a must, like the backed versions? Anyone any idea on which the safest?

chill out [a command to self!]

C’sPs left this morning for an easier drive down. Chris didn’t have work – which was nice – so we were going to have a nice family day. A combination of me and the post managed to scupper that.

The post contained stuff about moving house.

Our buyers solicitors want us to spend ?200 on an indemnity policy, as the extension put up in 1965 had building permission, but not permission frm a restrictive covenant in 1938, which said that builders had to give permission. Although they think it is unlikely that there will be a problem. FGS unlikely!!!!!!!!!! We didn’t put up the extension, and our solicitors on buying were obviously crappier as didn’t mention this to us. Chris of opinion we should pay up, and my glowering bad temper is spilling over from other areas – OK.

The next letter also from our solicitor, saying our buyers solicitors want to see the building regs OK for the carport. This also put up in 1965 by previous owners, and we have sent in the planning permission, so WTF????? I not paying for any more bloody indemnity policies, it has stood quite well now for 40 years FFS [I am quite grumpy today aren't I? Maybe Chris has a point]

then we also get from our solicitors the bits from the vendors of the house we are moving into. Fixtures and fittings as we expected – they are basically giving us everything bar one chandelier, and a mirror with attatched light thing which we thought was ‘unusual’ so no problems there! However, on the what do you know about the property bit, they ticked ‘no’ for alterations, extensions etc, and there is a definite loft conversion in the hayloft – which we believe predated the listing, but change of staircase didn’t. SO………. we are writing to solicitor to get hi to chase this up. ? did it have planning permission if they’re not saying owt about it. And their carport. Budger

At least we got the mortgage OK

SO instead of going to park, we wrote letters to solicitors, and then it rained.

i thought I would have a short nap while SB had her lunch, and woke up 3 hours later. I guess I have been so bullish, chris was happier with the peace, but it did mean no go for a family day. And I am still oscar the grouch.

no actual Ed, though we have read books and painted together and made up stories and songs. We did try watching the history prog, but SB not really interested. I finally remembered to give her back her birthday pogo, so she was much pleased by that.

added later: oh, did do some ed in the end with supper- german from usborne first 1000 words book. BB troughing all day and v grizzley – please do not be pox precursor!!

snowing again……….

……………so fed up.
C’sPs staying as dont fancy the hideous drive.
Hope SB’s gym not cancelled.
I want the sun!!!!!!!!!!!

update SB gym not cancelled, but drive certainly unpleasant, and still snowing! ? tots group or snowmen this afternoon????

AAArrgghhhhhhhh. Didn’t go to tots group because C’sPs wanted to play. So they are now asleep [snoring loudly], I am knackered, SB and BB both feeling demanding so have escaped to change BB’s nappy! [which I am obviously doing] SB doesn’t want to go out in snow as too cold. but whining as didn’t go to tots group.

1642 update. well, have read lots of phoncs books, and BB now sleeping. SB and I made a bean and sausage hotpot, and rice pudding. Chris came home and told me it would take too long to cook, so now in strop as well. Honestly, I had even texted him to say I had had enough and need my house back!! Think I heard the kettle go on, so if that is the case, will forgive him

1933 and some peace! [well here, not in historical terms] SB and BB in bath – they both adore them. C’sPs doing it, with chris supervising. The sliced potato on the hotpot was apparently too thinly sliced [only setting in our food processor] but the rice pudding went down well. Think from SB point of view the day was fun. I’m just too bone tired to see wood from trees. Constant reference to my twin insecurities of going back to work/abandonment and my weight [as multiple alleged jokes] just does not help.

good news that buyers happy with survey. they are getting married on sat and have 2 weeks honeymoon, ant which point I hope we are ready for exchange of contracts and complete mid april.

Museums and Friends

We went with C’s Ps to The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds today. I hadn’t really thought of going there, as felt it was a bit old for SB, am a pacifist, and did’t really want to explain the concept of war too much. chris’s dad was keen to see though. SB actually liked the museum, and it ash been really well thought out, and the layout is good – well worth a visit, but for an oler child I think. As you go into the war section, there is a display showing a child crying behind a bookcase with her room vandalised and a military type holding a gun threateningly – so I started crying and moved on, confirming this museum not for me! The bit on jousting v good though – even for me – and I like looking at the armour, also the japanese samurai etc. [less realistic for me I suppose]. i thonk I would like to return when SB quite a bit older, and we have discussed wars, the alleged justifications and looked at them in more detail [this was touched on in the museum, and as I said, I was impressed].

The new webland also came, and SB and I looked at all the new bits to see. Never heard the song before, and thought it was a bit weird?

This evening I went to CLOGS. this is a sort of women in obs and gynae who like to eat in restaurants group – and I have known some of the people all my training. it was the chinese new year celebratory meal – late, as the organiser tries to spend chinese new year in singapore with family. We had a great laugh, nice food and a bit of wine. I will be really sad to say goodbye to these friends – as my work support people. they think I am a bit odd, but don’t try to change or judge. Another one of the sad things about moving on.

got back to find SB ravenous, so now hopefull zonked out, and I will go to bed too. C’s Ps go home tomorrow.

happy St Davids Day

technically welsh I guess, and have Welsh birth certificate – however cannot speak it [before I am asked pronunciation advice from parent 1 or 2!!!!]
My daffs in the garden not quite flowering in time
Also, have fallen off chocolate wagon, by eating 3 creme eggs in very rapid succession. Oh well!
Bedtime!!!! [a supplication to morpheus]

Catch up blog – birthdays, meals, guests and HE

Sat was lovely. We went girly shopping with Chris’ cousin, as SB being her bridesmaid. SB v good at girly changing room shopping [i really hate it, but then am not a twirly girl like her!] She got a bridesmaid outfit. The nipped to ELC, as was going to buy her those insect bits that you stick in playdough/soft stuff. However, they stopped making them in nov. prob the only thing that would get me to enjoy playdough. A digression – the reasons I hate playdough are the mixing as well as the fingernails I decided.

Officially 4
When we got back, chris’ parents were there, and we opened up SB’s presents. They had found the ELC dolls house for knock down price of ?20, and we had ebayed look alike furniture to go in it and also gave her a leappad book[ebay]. Chris’ cousin gave her an art set. My parents gave her a junior pogo and a pink barbie princess [princess and pauper series], my sister gave her a leap book as well, and her godmother gave her an indoor/outdoor croquet set. She loved every single present and has played with them all. The pogo is at present confiscated though as she threw it down the stairs at me, and I realised my other thing against barbie, apart from the americanism pushing outrageous ‘feminine’ ideals, is the fact that there are bits to be lost, hair to go all scraggy as SB doesn’t treat too beautifully!!

After an afternoon of playing, we went to local restaurant for a meal. they are an italian franchise, greast with kids, so always loads there. V well behaved. My Aunt and Uncle joined us, as live just down motorway south of Wakefield. SB made her own pizza, sweetcorn and olive! yummy food, some wine for us adults, and got away with only 1 feed for BB. Aunty M bought 2 lovely ooks, an Angelina Ballerina and one about hearts of glass [which I might try a before FIAR thing with][hope chris adds some photos at some point]

Sunday, and we abandoned family to C’sPs as 1. no food in house, 2. closing down Allders sale. Although we have NO spare cash, we plastic fantasticked a sofa bed for new house as 65% off – not bad really! the did a v hurried shop for food. We were both exhausted as 1. we hate shopping IRL 2. SB woke up at 4am and didn’t go to sleep again. [see I am a listmaker, even if they are short - in fact, if we have to go for a nom de plume, I might ditch the somewhat derogatory broadbean for Queen Listmaker!]

Monday, and Chris went to work. Sleep de[rived this time by BB, who fed 3 times in the night – AARRRGGGHHHHH! i was told I was a good girl by dentist [new noisy toothbrush a good thing] and we did some home ed.
With C’sPs we finished a clock making activity bought for a fiver from sainsbury’s as someone elses b’day pressie! [photo please chris] SB v impressed that it actually works. How long for is anyones guess as she keeps twiddling the hands round, so not actually reliable for time!
She impressed Nanna with Webland, and how good she was at the activities on it. She got far more scaffolding from Nanna than me, possibly cos I can see how far she has come on with letters and sounds since their last visit.
We also tried some of the Exeter maths from the webpage.The 1a, and SB whipped through the first 5 pages. Since recently she has been messing about with Singapore maths – redoing ad nauseum some of the pages, and not moving on – I thought I would try a change of tack. [Sarah, all the patterns have a blank middle line - are we supposed to invert the line 1 and 3 paterns, or leave blank?] Anyway, I will continue to use them for now.
Our word sounding is finished for now, as SB says she doesn’t want to read at the moment. However, still keen on reading books together, so I imagine only a short break.

We mostly played lots with new toys. oh, we also got her some switches for tesco/ELC wooden train track, so have a complex pattern of track on the floor to jump over. Barbie has been singing her song all day, and I have memorised it to SB’s satisfaction. I really think this was a succesful gift giving.

Update on June list [see below] in that I got from ebay 2 of the explorer CDroms for ?8 including postage to try out, so even if not too good, we can prob ebay on for not much loss.

SB’s birthday meal

SB's birthday meal


Helen

A Bean on speed.

Nanna and Grandad, my Mum and Dad are visiting for a few days, Stringbean is on the floor on ‘pump up bed’ in office/box room while they sleep in her room. Woke in the middle of the night and came into our bed at about 4 am, but didn’t actually ever go back to sleep….. Rescued by Nanna at about 7.

She has been on speed all morning so far, whizzing about, chattering, telling you complicated 4 year old stuff, crashing around, now she is playing shops with them. Butterbean has been wooing everyone with her general smiley/cuddly/laidback-ness. She of course slept all night from about 11 to 8 – bless her. I never cease to be amazed at just how different they are already. Before we had our own kids and had so much contact with others I never really believed that little babaies could be so different.

Just to share…..

Just to share.....

Could there be a more Stringbeany card? Thanks Nanna and Grandad.

Just to share.....

Mmmmmm, jam and lettuce on toast, a lovely breakfast :-)

not celebrating

actually as grandparents coming tomorrow, we have deferred the event for a day. SB excited by bday tomorrow, so OK

SB HE
today we did lots of rpg together, with me making up most of the stories and SB correcting them – I am storied out! Also read far too many thomas books and half her new testament.

did my least fav thing today = playdough. i hate messy fingernails. i also hate he impasse over putting it away. i explained v clearly that if it wasn’t done the playdough would dry out i would throw it in bin and not get any more. we actually did make lots of things with it, but the 2 hours to put it away drove me up the wall. we also played with straws, and she made some good number shapes with them.

Samosas and bhajis for lunch, and when i got a phone call, she got out blasted farmyard plasticine -arrrgghhh. we measured our heights and various doors and windows etc, deciding bigger and smaller along the way – this was quite good fun.

jigsaw play and then chris home. spaghetti hoops and home made scones for tea. now having a bath.

no overt 3 rs activities, but i spy, sounding out words, counting etc were all part of play.

BB
Well I feel I gave her a better deal today. SB not so impressed when I am talking and laughing with BB though – nothing overt, just attentiony. she is a smily baby. heavy though. she is lying on my arm as i type and i have pins and needles!!

RL
solicitors letter asking me if we had built on the sewers threw me. rang to say we hadn’t built anything. he said i had to identify sewer manhole – threw me in a panic. chris reminded me that it was our drains he was meaning, and the manhole on drive. so rang back wih best useless female impressionthat i had found it!
prospectus for new nursery came – looks v nice. more expensive though.
still on tenterhooks re the buyers survey.
i need some peace and quiet. feeding BB with SB bouncing all over me atm. has been a long pause in the blog. def some green eyes. Timeteam on to duscusss archeology. first question – what is that digger…….a digger……….no what type is it……………a yellow one….SB grumpy as chris and i explain we dontknow subtypes on diggers. i guess we should have done internet search……………

ps SB just asked if they have found a chocolate button – ever hopeful – it is a roman coin!