Still haven't been able to speak to Mom and Dad but I spoke to Uncle Wayne again yesterday and he said that Grandma fell on Tuesday and broke her arm! I don't know all the details yet but Grandma has been in a bad way for a while. She's suffering from dementia and gets confused easily. Mom has had to find a nursing home that can take Grandma temporarily because her nursing home in Silsbee was damaged in the hurricane and won't reopen for at least a month.
I bet Mom is going nuts right now. Dad has been home for a few days but Mom and Grandma are still and Uncle Wayne's. They only got electricity a couple of days ago but the electric is still out in Silsbee and they're not letting people go home yet. Nikki managed to speak to Mom on her mobile and Mom said she was going to try to sneak home by going late at night. I haven't heard if that worked or not. I know she's desperate to get home and start cleaning up the yard and getting things organised. Nikki said that they could buy a generator and a window air conditioning unit (the temp has gone right back up to 95 degrees) and FEMA would reimburse them. The problem is finding these things because everyone wants them. It must be such a nightmare.
I know the little things like not being able to wash clothes will be wearing Mom down. She's usually immaculate. She's the kind of person who would iron her underwear if she thought we wouldn't tease her about it. The thought of having just a couple of changes of clothes for over a week will be really hard for her. I hope she managed to get home where at least she can be in her own space and I know she'll feel better if she can get busy on the house. As far as Dad is concerned, I think he's been moving prisoners and sleeping at the house at night. I haven't heard anything about Jon, Angie and Dyllin though. I've tried to ring Dallas but Mark, the friend they're staying with, had a full voivemail inbox so I couldn't even leave a message.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
Thank goodness
I've been trying to get through to Mom and Dad but all the phone lines seem to be down now. I got this email from Nikki though:
"The house is in much better shape than I thought it would be. Apparently, we don't have a back porch anymore, the aluminum roofing on that is gone. The roof to the shed is gone and Dad hadn't gone into the shed to check out the contents of it, but I imagine a lot of the keepsake stuff is trashed. Some shingles are gone, but the roof is still intact, no flooding happened, and no windows blew open. Thank god!! Oh and some trees fell down. Sadly, the big oak tree in the back next to the shed, with all the flower beds around it, is down and uprooted. And one of the pine trees is down."
So the house is fine and intact. Sounds like a lot of clearing and repairs to do but nothing vital has been lost. Thank goodness.
"The house is in much better shape than I thought it would be. Apparently, we don't have a back porch anymore, the aluminum roofing on that is gone. The roof to the shed is gone and Dad hadn't gone into the shed to check out the contents of it, but I imagine a lot of the keepsake stuff is trashed. Some shingles are gone, but the roof is still intact, no flooding happened, and no windows blew open. Thank god!! Oh and some trees fell down. Sadly, the big oak tree in the back next to the shed, with all the flower beds around it, is down and uprooted. And one of the pine trees is down."
So the house is fine and intact. Sounds like a lot of clearing and repairs to do but nothing vital has been lost. Thank goodness.
Taken from the Sacramento Bee
As Rita lumbered toward the Gulf Coast last week, much of the worry focused on how the massive storm might impact Houston and Galveston. But it was smaller towns to the east, such as Silsbee and Beaumont in Texas and Lake Charles, La., that ended up reeling as the hurricane swept through as a Category 3 early Saturday.
Silsbee, a lumber and oil town of about 7,300, sits in the midst of a wooded area of east Texas known as the Big Thicket. On Saturday morning, the giant pine forest at one end of town lay savaged, scores of trees snapped in two by Rita's powerful winds.
Fallen trees and power lines littered most every street in town. Most homes had sustained damage, from shredded siding to shattered windows. The storm - still blowing with tropical force Saturday - left Silsbee without water, power and phones.
"It is devastated," Silsbee Fire Capt. Robin Jones said Saturday, as he and colleagues watched helplessly while a home just three blocks from the fire station burned to the ground.
"We've got a gas main in the back of the house that has ignited and multiple gas lines around here that have broken, and we have no water," Jones said.
Firefighters could do little but watch and warn onlookers to back away as ammunition, likely kept for hunting, exploded inside the home, along with a carbon dioxide cannister.
On the town's main drag, the Texas State Bank had its front window sheered away, exposing the office within. The steeple of the First Baptist Church sat cock-eyed. At Brooksh Brothers Market, a grocery store built of sturdy brick, the entire roof had blown off in large metal sections and one huge section of wall had collapsed.
Despite the wreckage, no injuries or deaths were reported as of Saturday.
F.A. "Buddy" Guidry, 72, a self-described Cajun who lived in Sacramento until 1960 and came to Silsbee in 1978, was wandering around his used car showroom Saturday morning.
It was soaked. The windows had blown out on two sides, and the mini-blinds hung like twisted decorations.
"I can make you two a good deal today," he boomed at a pair of visitors. "We've had a few hurricanes here before, but they haven't been this bad."
Still, Guidry and his wife had refused to evacuate when most others left town to join the massive coastal exodus.
"What, and miss all this fun?" Guidry ask. "The truth is, we didn't evacuate because my wife didn't want to sit in the traffic."
Silsbee, a lumber and oil town of about 7,300, sits in the midst of a wooded area of east Texas known as the Big Thicket. On Saturday morning, the giant pine forest at one end of town lay savaged, scores of trees snapped in two by Rita's powerful winds.
Fallen trees and power lines littered most every street in town. Most homes had sustained damage, from shredded siding to shattered windows. The storm - still blowing with tropical force Saturday - left Silsbee without water, power and phones.
"It is devastated," Silsbee Fire Capt. Robin Jones said Saturday, as he and colleagues watched helplessly while a home just three blocks from the fire station burned to the ground.
"We've got a gas main in the back of the house that has ignited and multiple gas lines around here that have broken, and we have no water," Jones said.
Firefighters could do little but watch and warn onlookers to back away as ammunition, likely kept for hunting, exploded inside the home, along with a carbon dioxide cannister.
On the town's main drag, the Texas State Bank had its front window sheered away, exposing the office within. The steeple of the First Baptist Church sat cock-eyed. At Brooksh Brothers Market, a grocery store built of sturdy brick, the entire roof had blown off in large metal sections and one huge section of wall had collapsed.
Despite the wreckage, no injuries or deaths were reported as of Saturday.
F.A. "Buddy" Guidry, 72, a self-described Cajun who lived in Sacramento until 1960 and came to Silsbee in 1978, was wandering around his used car showroom Saturday morning.
It was soaked. The windows had blown out on two sides, and the mini-blinds hung like twisted decorations.
"I can make you two a good deal today," he boomed at a pair of visitors. "We've had a few hurricanes here before, but they haven't been this bad."
Still, Guidry and his wife had refused to evacuate when most others left town to join the massive coastal exodus.
"What, and miss all this fun?" Guidry ask. "The truth is, we didn't evacuate because my wife didn't want to sit in the traffic."
Spoke to Mom and Dad
Mom said that even where they are in Lufkin they didn't have water or electricity on Saturday but finally got water on Sunday. Aunt Carolyn has a two burner butane hot plate so they've been cooking on that. After hearing that Mom had taken a shower but couldn't use her hairdryer OR her curling iron because there's no electricity (oh, the injustice of life) and about how bad the house is going to smell because all of the meat in the freezer is going to spoil (if there's a house left), I talked to Dad. They had tried to go home but had been stopped. The authorities aren't letting people back into the areas most affected yet.
Luckily Dad is part of 'the authorities' and he was going to use his badge to get home and see what was left of the house. I think the not knowing is the worst part. There's also a big problem because two of the prisons in Beaumont were destroyed and they've got to move the prisoners into a more permanent situation. At the moment they're extremely overcrowded into one prison that was already full. Soounds like a very bad situation. So, Dad headed back yesterday afternoon to check on the house and help sort out the prisons.
It's hard to get a good picture of it all. Mom is all doom and gloom and Dad is just waiting to see for himself. Hopefully I'll be able to speak to them again this afternoon and find out what's happened.
Luckily Dad is part of 'the authorities' and he was going to use his badge to get home and see what was left of the house. I think the not knowing is the worst part. There's also a big problem because two of the prisons in Beaumont were destroyed and they've got to move the prisoners into a more permanent situation. At the moment they're extremely overcrowded into one prison that was already full. Soounds like a very bad situation. So, Dad headed back yesterday afternoon to check on the house and help sort out the prisons.
It's hard to get a good picture of it all. Mom is all doom and gloom and Dad is just waiting to see for himself. Hopefully I'll be able to speak to them again this afternoon and find out what's happened.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
From what I'm hearing it sounds like Rita has just hit land. I'm very tempted to call Dad, I bet he's up even though it's 4am in Texas, but I don't want to wake up the whole house. The hurricane has been downgraded and the winds have reduced but it's still a big one. It looks like Mom and Dad's house is right in the path too.
I spoke to Mom yesterday and she said they didn't have flood insurance on the house, which worries me. I asked if she had put everything up high, off the ground and she said no. She hadn't thought about it. Her biggest fear is the roof coming off the house and everything being destroyed. Dad thinks their roof will be fine but they'll lose some shingles. I hope he's right.
They live in the middle of four acres and they have a lot of crawfish in the yard which makes me think that the area could easily flood. If crawfish are happy there must be a lot of water in the soil.
When I talked to Mom she was more concerned at that moment about getting the cat litter sorted out and they were going to pick up my cousin Tessha and her kids. I could tell by the grave tone of Dad's voice that he was worried but enjoying all the excitement. I think Dad would love to be a storm chaser. I remember as kids sitting out on the back porch with Dad, all of us wrapped in quilts watching storms build and even driving around in the car and watching tornadoes (from a distance, of course). I can just see Dad now in his police-issue yellow rain slicker, standing outside watching the storm while languidly smoking a cigarette. I'm sure that's where my love of extreme weather comes from.
Jon, Dyllin and Jon's fiance Angie are all up in Dallas so I know they're safe too. Angie is from Lake Charles, Louisiana and her hometown is taking a beating too. I guess it'll all be over in a few days and then we'll know what the real damage is.
I spoke to Mom yesterday and she said they didn't have flood insurance on the house, which worries me. I asked if she had put everything up high, off the ground and she said no. She hadn't thought about it. Her biggest fear is the roof coming off the house and everything being destroyed. Dad thinks their roof will be fine but they'll lose some shingles. I hope he's right.
They live in the middle of four acres and they have a lot of crawfish in the yard which makes me think that the area could easily flood. If crawfish are happy there must be a lot of water in the soil.
When I talked to Mom she was more concerned at that moment about getting the cat litter sorted out and they were going to pick up my cousin Tessha and her kids. I could tell by the grave tone of Dad's voice that he was worried but enjoying all the excitement. I think Dad would love to be a storm chaser. I remember as kids sitting out on the back porch with Dad, all of us wrapped in quilts watching storms build and even driving around in the car and watching tornadoes (from a distance, of course). I can just see Dad now in his police-issue yellow rain slicker, standing outside watching the storm while languidly smoking a cigarette. I'm sure that's where my love of extreme weather comes from.
Jon, Dyllin and Jon's fiance Angie are all up in Dallas so I know they're safe too. Angie is from Lake Charles, Louisiana and her hometown is taking a beating too. I guess it'll all be over in a few days and then we'll know what the real damage is.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Rita update
I managed to speak to Dad yesterday. I got him on his cell as he was part of the mass exodus out of Houston. Dad works in the state prison system and he had been evacuating prisoners for two days, hadn't slept since Tuesday. Mom and Dad live in a little town called Silsbee just north of Beaumont. The drive from Beaumont to Silsbee usually takes about thirty minutes. Yesterday it took four hours.
Mom and Grandma were already headed up to Uncle Wayne's place and Dad was going home to get some sleep and was then going to drive up there too. Dad sounded tired and I know it'll be a long weekend for them. Grandma went into a nursing home recently suffering from dementia and one of her latest delusions is that Dad is trying to kill her. I think it's going to be a very tense weekend at Uncle Wayne's.
Mom had packed photographs and keepsakes in the car, just in case. The latest news is that the hurricane is going to hit hardest at Port Arthur which is about forty miles from Silsbee. Doesn't sound good.
Mom and Grandma were already headed up to Uncle Wayne's place and Dad was going home to get some sleep and was then going to drive up there too. Dad sounded tired and I know it'll be a long weekend for them. Grandma went into a nursing home recently suffering from dementia and one of her latest delusions is that Dad is trying to kill her. I think it's going to be a very tense weekend at Uncle Wayne's.
Mom had packed photographs and keepsakes in the car, just in case. The latest news is that the hurricane is going to hit hardest at Port Arthur which is about forty miles from Silsbee. Doesn't sound good.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Hurricane Rita
I never see the news. Our TV seems to constantly be on CBeebies or Boomerang so if you'd like the latest on Ms Hoolie and PC Plum's budding romance or the details of the latest Duck Dodgers episode, I'm your woman. Outside of that and life in our little bubble I don't know much. So it was a surprise this morning when J asked with some concern if I had spoken to Mom and Dad this week. I had no idea that a hurricane was coming their way.
After a bit of research and a look at Nikki's blog I've learned that Mom and Dad are evacuating this morning and moving North to my Aunt & Uncle's place. Jon and Dyllin are going up to Dallas to stay with friends. It all sounds very scary. I'm going to call Mom and Dad this morning (their time obviously) and just check in. According to weather.com this is a Category 5 hurricane which means it's a big one.
After a bit of research and a look at Nikki's blog I've learned that Mom and Dad are evacuating this morning and moving North to my Aunt & Uncle's place. Jon and Dyllin are going up to Dallas to stay with friends. It all sounds very scary. I'm going to call Mom and Dad this morning (their time obviously) and just check in. According to weather.com this is a Category 5 hurricane which means it's a big one.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Moving stuff - blah, blah, blah
Well, still haven't exchanged contracts but they think today may be The Day. I've heard that before so I'm not getting my hopes up. It does look like the moving date will be put off at least a week. Not great, but not the end of the world either. I'll just be glad to get there. At the moment it feels as if we're living between Chislehurst and Blackheath. Our house is here but Toby's school and most of our weekends are spent there.
We've started preparing for the move which makes it feel more real. Like it's really going to happen. This weekend we cleared out the bookshelves, toys and CDs and took a bunch of boxes to the charity shop. We've still got the attic, cupboard under the stairs and the garden shed to do as well as things like throwing out old toiletries and cleaning out Toby's arts & crafts cupboard. Anyone need a double-bed frame? Two wardrobes? What about a lawnmower? We've got a lot of stuff we need to get rid of before the move.y
We've started preparing for the move which makes it feel more real. Like it's really going to happen. This weekend we cleared out the bookshelves, toys and CDs and took a bunch of boxes to the charity shop. We've still got the attic, cupboard under the stairs and the garden shed to do as well as things like throwing out old toiletries and cleaning out Toby's arts & crafts cupboard. Anyone need a double-bed frame? Two wardrobes? What about a lawnmower? We've got a lot of stuff we need to get rid of before the move.y
Friday, September 16, 2005
Holy moly, I'm tired
J is in Cambridge at the moment. He went up yesterday with work and Tobes and I were going to join him and exploit his expense account but things seemed to be conspiring against us. First the car broke down, then I remembered that I have to be back in time for my maternity portrait on Saturday morning (so no long weekend) and I forgot that Tobes has school until 5.00 which would mean a fairly late drive up. So Tobes and I stayed home.
That was fine except that I really hate it when J's away when I'm pregnant. I just feel so vulnerable and, though I know the chance is very slim, I always worry about going into labour and J not being here. I would hate for him to miss it but even more than that I would be terrified to go through it alone. So I laid in bed and watched Britney & Kevin Chaotic, a show about Marc Quinn's sculpure in Trafalgar Square, Newlyweds and some other entertaining crap on VH1. Finally turned the light off around 1am then Tobes woke up at 4am with a nightmare.
Tobes said he dreamt that J was crying really loudly on the stairs because he was going to miss Toby so much. Talk about being freaked out. I live in constant fear that something is going to happen to Tobes or J if they're out of my sight for a second. I hadn't spoken to J since about 8.00pm and I knew he was going out to dinner so I immediately felt sick and thought the worst. Tobes was quite upset so we called J and woke him up just after 4.00 so that Tobes could talk to him. All was fine, thank goodness.
I couldn't get Toby back to sleep until 5.30 and then he was awake for the day by 7.30. It's been a long, cranky day for both of us and I foresee a very early night. I've got my maternity portrait in the morning and I don't want to look exhausted. I think I'm definitely going to do a Demi and go nude for at least a few of the pics so I need to get up early enough for a thorough body scrub and moisturise. I've never seen myself naked in a photograph before. It's going to be very strange. Surprisingly, I don't feel the least bit concerned about being nude in front of the photographer. He did our family portrait about 18 months ago and he's a professional. I'm sure he's seen it all before.
That was fine except that I really hate it when J's away when I'm pregnant. I just feel so vulnerable and, though I know the chance is very slim, I always worry about going into labour and J not being here. I would hate for him to miss it but even more than that I would be terrified to go through it alone. So I laid in bed and watched Britney & Kevin Chaotic, a show about Marc Quinn's sculpure in Trafalgar Square, Newlyweds and some other entertaining crap on VH1. Finally turned the light off around 1am then Tobes woke up at 4am with a nightmare.
Tobes said he dreamt that J was crying really loudly on the stairs because he was going to miss Toby so much. Talk about being freaked out. I live in constant fear that something is going to happen to Tobes or J if they're out of my sight for a second. I hadn't spoken to J since about 8.00pm and I knew he was going out to dinner so I immediately felt sick and thought the worst. Tobes was quite upset so we called J and woke him up just after 4.00 so that Tobes could talk to him. All was fine, thank goodness.
I couldn't get Toby back to sleep until 5.30 and then he was awake for the day by 7.30. It's been a long, cranky day for both of us and I foresee a very early night. I've got my maternity portrait in the morning and I don't want to look exhausted. I think I'm definitely going to do a Demi and go nude for at least a few of the pics so I need to get up early enough for a thorough body scrub and moisturise. I've never seen myself naked in a photograph before. It's going to be very strange. Surprisingly, I don't feel the least bit concerned about being nude in front of the photographer. He did our family portrait about 18 months ago and he's a professional. I'm sure he's seen it all before.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Mostly good news
Saw the consultant today about Toby's heart and it was good news for the most part. T0by does have what they call an ASD - atrial septial defect - but they think that it will probably close on it's own in time. We've been told to carry on as usual, no special care or treatment, and the doctor will look at it again in two years.
The slight concern is that Toby's condition isn't the usual single hole, he has lots of very small holes. The doctor described it like a pepper shaker. Luckily, there isn't a great deal of blood flowing between the chambers. It's when one chamber is overworked by the overflow that damage is done to the heart. If it doesn't resolve itself in a couple of years it means that Tobes would need to have a slightly more complicated procedure than the one used for a single hole. The doctor did say that more than likely it'll sort itself out and we shouldn't worry about the possibility of surgery. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
So, all in all, not bad news. Even if the condition was never detected, and apparently that is often the case, it wouldn't cause any damage until Tobes was middle-aged so leaving it for a couple of years won't hurt him. Now, we just need to do our best to carry on as usual.
The slight concern is that Toby's condition isn't the usual single hole, he has lots of very small holes. The doctor described it like a pepper shaker. Luckily, there isn't a great deal of blood flowing between the chambers. It's when one chamber is overworked by the overflow that damage is done to the heart. If it doesn't resolve itself in a couple of years it means that Tobes would need to have a slightly more complicated procedure than the one used for a single hole. The doctor did say that more than likely it'll sort itself out and we shouldn't worry about the possibility of surgery. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
So, all in all, not bad news. Even if the condition was never detected, and apparently that is often the case, it wouldn't cause any damage until Tobes was middle-aged so leaving it for a couple of years won't hurt him. Now, we just need to do our best to carry on as usual.
Monday, September 12, 2005
The Hythe Imperial
A couple of pics from the hotel. This is the exterior and the Windsor Room where we sat and had tea yesterday. You can see what I mean when I describe it as very Agatha Christie.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Lovely weekend
Just got back from the coast and had a wonderful time. We're already talking about when we can go back. The hotel was great. It was opened in 1880 and is like something right out of Agatha Christie. I kept waiting for Poirot to walk into the restaurant twiddling his mustache. It was very child-friendly too and Tobes is wiped out from the weekend.
We went swimming, Tobes and J played some mini-golf, Tobes and I walked around the garden and orchard, and we all went down to the beach. J and I were also scrubbed and rubbed and I was also covered in mud, wrapped in cellophane and then covered in a blanket that looked like aluminum foil while having my head covered in oil and then massaged. It was heaven though I did for one second wonder what I would do if the fire alarm went off. I was naked, covered in various ungents and wrapped up like the Thanksgiving turkey.
At the beginning of my treatment I did my best to maintain some sense of modesty by keeping the towel over me but soon realised that trying to get me to maneuver around on one of those treatment tables is like trying to get a walrus to turn over on a 2X4. Modesty soon flew out the window. By the end of it the gal was washing the mud off my back in the shower for me. I have no shame.
We finished the weekend with a full afternoon tea in the sitting room at the hotel. It was gorgeous - tea, tiny sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream and four different kinds of cake. So we're back home now, all tired but happy and much less stressed than we were on Saturday morning. Pics to follow soon.
We went swimming, Tobes and J played some mini-golf, Tobes and I walked around the garden and orchard, and we all went down to the beach. J and I were also scrubbed and rubbed and I was also covered in mud, wrapped in cellophane and then covered in a blanket that looked like aluminum foil while having my head covered in oil and then massaged. It was heaven though I did for one second wonder what I would do if the fire alarm went off. I was naked, covered in various ungents and wrapped up like the Thanksgiving turkey.
At the beginning of my treatment I did my best to maintain some sense of modesty by keeping the towel over me but soon realised that trying to get me to maneuver around on one of those treatment tables is like trying to get a walrus to turn over on a 2X4. Modesty soon flew out the window. By the end of it the gal was washing the mud off my back in the shower for me. I have no shame.
We finished the weekend with a full afternoon tea in the sitting room at the hotel. It was gorgeous - tea, tiny sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream and four different kinds of cake. So we're back home now, all tired but happy and much less stressed than we were on Saturday morning. Pics to follow soon.
Friday, September 09, 2005
A day on the Heath
This is an afternoon we spent on the heath in Blackheath trying to fly Toby's shark kite. Toby took the photos of me and J and the one of the church. I wouldn't be too impressed by the photo of the church, he was trying to take a picture of the ice cream van in front of it.
Time for some pics
Toby's first day at school in Blackheath with his Spiderman backpack from Papa and Nana.
Toby's heart
I got all of our private insurance paperwork completed and signed (including paying the fourteen pound fee for our GP's signature), got approval from the insurance company and went to see the GP in order to get a private referral so that we could finally see the cardiologist as soon as possible rather than wait until the end of November.
I had an appointment with a doctor I hadn't seen before. This is the way it works at our surgery. You see whoever is available and there is so much turnover and/or locums working there that you may never see the same doctor twice. If you have a certain GP that you like to see, as I do with pregnancy stuff, then you have to be prepared to wait weeks for an appointment. I didn't want to wait weeks so I took the first person available.
The new doctor is either new to the profession or new to NHS work because he took his time, didn't look totally exhausted, listened to and answered my questions, expressed real interest in Toby's case and didn't seem the least bit jaded. Amazing. He was also obviously a miracle worker because with one phone call he got us an appointment for TUESDAY... ON NHS!! So we won't have to pay the deductible on the private policy and Tobes gets to see the top cardiologist. I am astonished. God bless Dr Kalil.
I had an appointment with a doctor I hadn't seen before. This is the way it works at our surgery. You see whoever is available and there is so much turnover and/or locums working there that you may never see the same doctor twice. If you have a certain GP that you like to see, as I do with pregnancy stuff, then you have to be prepared to wait weeks for an appointment. I didn't want to wait weeks so I took the first person available.
The new doctor is either new to the profession or new to NHS work because he took his time, didn't look totally exhausted, listened to and answered my questions, expressed real interest in Toby's case and didn't seem the least bit jaded. Amazing. He was also obviously a miracle worker because with one phone call he got us an appointment for TUESDAY... ON NHS!! So we won't have to pay the deductible on the private policy and Tobes gets to see the top cardiologist. I am astonished. God bless Dr Kalil.
Time to get away
The house stuff has calmed down. Our buyers have decided to proceed with the sale of their flat and sort out the freehold afterwards. It's a private sale and they know their buyers well so it should all work out. Not my problem, so I don't really care unless it affects our part of the chain but it looks like that's not going to happen after all. Thank goodness.
But, after all of J's trips, the stress of the buying and selling property, potty training, Tobes starting a new school, my back problems, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseam, we've decided that we need to get away. We're off to the seaside this weekend. Nothing as busy as Brighton though. We're going to stay in a spa hotel in Hythe and just relax. I've got a prenatal body treatment booked and J has a full body massage. We're going to have a picnic in the grounds, do some swimming, eat a ton of room service and just have some good family time. I can't wait.
But, after all of J's trips, the stress of the buying and selling property, potty training, Tobes starting a new school, my back problems, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseam, we've decided that we need to get away. We're off to the seaside this weekend. Nothing as busy as Brighton though. We're going to stay in a spa hotel in Hythe and just relax. I've got a prenatal body treatment booked and J has a full body massage. We're going to have a picnic in the grounds, do some swimming, eat a ton of room service and just have some good family time. I can't wait.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Are my brains coming out of my ears yet?
Very tough day. After having a great day at school yesterday Tobes had a difficult one today. When I went to pick him up he was in the garden at recess. His teacher, Ms Suki, said that he had weed himself earlier and was quite upset but had been fine once he calmed down. Just as I was going to go downstairs to the garden I heard the unmistakable sound of my child crying his heart out.
Tobes had fallen on the playground and when the teacher picked him up he had an accident all over himself and the teacher's skirt. He was embarrassed and he was calling my name. The poor little thing was absolutely distraught. I calmed him down and comforted him and we went off to get cleaned up. As we were changing his clothes he told me, in between hiccups of tears, that he was so sad and that he had been calling for me. I swear I almost burst into tears myself.
Once we were in the car with the Gruffalo song playing he was fine, just wrung out from the day.
When we got home I had a message from our estate agent. We were supposed to exchange contracts last week but there's been a delay on the part of our buyers. They've been trying to purchase the freehold of their flat for their own sale and it's all being held up. The delay will be at least a week but probably more like two! I can't bloody believe it. After all the fuss they made about us changing the moving date and now they're delaying it all even further. The agent even asked if we wanted to put the house back on the market!! I think my head is going to explode.
There's normally three weeks in between exchange and the moving date. I have to speak to the solicitor tomorrow to see if that can be condensed down into one week if necessary. That is, if they get their freehold sorted out in time. I think our sellers will be fine with a delay. When we visited the flat she was saying that their house wasn't going to be ready until mid-October so they were going to have to stay with family or in a serviced flat for a couple of weeks if we closed at the end of this month. Her due date is approaching fast so they might be very happy to stay put for a bit longer.
Of course, my due date is approaching fairly swiftly too and if things are delayed by a couple of weeks we would be about two weeks away from the birth when we moved in. We'd have to cut back on our decorating plans and just make do for longer. Not the end of the world but, frankly, a real pain in the ass.
I think it's a very good thing that I picked up that message after the agent's office had already closed. I would've been down there in a heartbeat and I'm sure I would've embarrassed myself but I could just blame it on the hormones. Do you think a jury would convict me? Hopefully a good night's sleep will make things clearer and calmer in the morning.
Tobes had fallen on the playground and when the teacher picked him up he had an accident all over himself and the teacher's skirt. He was embarrassed and he was calling my name. The poor little thing was absolutely distraught. I calmed him down and comforted him and we went off to get cleaned up. As we were changing his clothes he told me, in between hiccups of tears, that he was so sad and that he had been calling for me. I swear I almost burst into tears myself.
Once we were in the car with the Gruffalo song playing he was fine, just wrung out from the day.
When we got home I had a message from our estate agent. We were supposed to exchange contracts last week but there's been a delay on the part of our buyers. They've been trying to purchase the freehold of their flat for their own sale and it's all being held up. The delay will be at least a week but probably more like two! I can't bloody believe it. After all the fuss they made about us changing the moving date and now they're delaying it all even further. The agent even asked if we wanted to put the house back on the market!! I think my head is going to explode.
There's normally three weeks in between exchange and the moving date. I have to speak to the solicitor tomorrow to see if that can be condensed down into one week if necessary. That is, if they get their freehold sorted out in time. I think our sellers will be fine with a delay. When we visited the flat she was saying that their house wasn't going to be ready until mid-October so they were going to have to stay with family or in a serviced flat for a couple of weeks if we closed at the end of this month. Her due date is approaching fast so they might be very happy to stay put for a bit longer.
Of course, my due date is approaching fairly swiftly too and if things are delayed by a couple of weeks we would be about two weeks away from the birth when we moved in. We'd have to cut back on our decorating plans and just make do for longer. Not the end of the world but, frankly, a real pain in the ass.
I think it's a very good thing that I picked up that message after the agent's office had already closed. I would've been down there in a heartbeat and I'm sure I would've embarrassed myself but I could just blame it on the hormones. Do you think a jury would convict me? Hopefully a good night's sleep will make things clearer and calmer in the morning.
First day of school
Tobes started his new school yesterday and he did really well. We drove into Blackheath and I sat in a coffee shop and read my book, which was really nice, just in case they needed me to go back if Tobes got upset. Ha ha ha. He was fine and didn't want to leave at the end of the day.
He's been dry for about three days now but still no poos in the potty or toilet. I'm going to back off about this for a week or so and then we can discuss it again. He has so much going on in his little life. I don't want to add unecessary pressure. He usually poops before we've changed his nighttime nappy so it's not a problem yet.
One thing that did happen yesterday is that I broke one of my parenting rules and let Toby wee outside. Actually in the car park. It's not unusual to see parents allowing their children to wee against a curb or in the gutter here, both boys and girls. I once saw a lady on a busy shopping street hold her daughter's legs apart over a grate so that she could wee into it. Not really something I feel totally comfortable with but now that I have a potty-training child of my own I do have greater sympathy.
So yesterday we were in the car, pulling out of the carpark for the twenty minute drive home when Toby announced with some urgency that he needed to wee. I could've tried to run into one of the restaurants but that would've taken time and I wasn't sure that Tobes would make it. The carpark was a tiny one, tucked down an alley in Blackheath and no one was around so... there were a few more dead ants in that carpark when we left than when we arrived.
Not the first time I've broken one of my rules and probably not the last. In fact, when I think about it my whole approach to parenting seems to be breaking rules that I've set for myself.
For example:
The baby will have nothing but breast milk for the first four months. At least. - Tobes had his first taste of formula when he was less than 48 hours old and one of the nurses at the hospital recommended a 'supplementary' bottle. I jumped on that bottle like a duck on a junebug. Breastfeeding was totally out the window within three weeks.
The baby will sleep in a crib in our room for the first six months and then in a room of his own. - Tobes slept exclusively in our bed for almost two years and still ends up in bed with us by the early hours most mornings.
The baby will eat nothing but homemade organic purees. - I think I made three purees for Tobes and he hated all of them. His diet consisted of jars almost from the beginning but, in my defense, most of them were organic.
The baby will not have sugar until he is at least a year old. - We shared an ice lolly when Tobes was about six months old and there's been no looking back.
Oh well, as long as Tobes is fairly clean, well-fed, well-rested and most of all, well-loved I guess all the rest is just the details.
He's been dry for about three days now but still no poos in the potty or toilet. I'm going to back off about this for a week or so and then we can discuss it again. He has so much going on in his little life. I don't want to add unecessary pressure. He usually poops before we've changed his nighttime nappy so it's not a problem yet.
One thing that did happen yesterday is that I broke one of my parenting rules and let Toby wee outside. Actually in the car park. It's not unusual to see parents allowing their children to wee against a curb or in the gutter here, both boys and girls. I once saw a lady on a busy shopping street hold her daughter's legs apart over a grate so that she could wee into it. Not really something I feel totally comfortable with but now that I have a potty-training child of my own I do have greater sympathy.
So yesterday we were in the car, pulling out of the carpark for the twenty minute drive home when Toby announced with some urgency that he needed to wee. I could've tried to run into one of the restaurants but that would've taken time and I wasn't sure that Tobes would make it. The carpark was a tiny one, tucked down an alley in Blackheath and no one was around so... there were a few more dead ants in that carpark when we left than when we arrived.
Not the first time I've broken one of my rules and probably not the last. In fact, when I think about it my whole approach to parenting seems to be breaking rules that I've set for myself.
For example:
The baby will have nothing but breast milk for the first four months. At least. - Tobes had his first taste of formula when he was less than 48 hours old and one of the nurses at the hospital recommended a 'supplementary' bottle. I jumped on that bottle like a duck on a junebug. Breastfeeding was totally out the window within three weeks.
The baby will sleep in a crib in our room for the first six months and then in a room of his own. - Tobes slept exclusively in our bed for almost two years and still ends up in bed with us by the early hours most mornings.
The baby will eat nothing but homemade organic purees. - I think I made three purees for Tobes and he hated all of them. His diet consisted of jars almost from the beginning but, in my defense, most of them were organic.
The baby will not have sugar until he is at least a year old. - We shared an ice lolly when Tobes was about six months old and there's been no looking back.
Oh well, as long as Tobes is fairly clean, well-fed, well-rested and most of all, well-loved I guess all the rest is just the details.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Correction
Just saw that the US government has decided to accept food and supplies offered by Europe and the shipments are going out now. I wonder why they waited so long.
Katrina
I've been avoiding this topic because it's just so distressing and confusing. We keep getting terrible images of it all. Last night we saw a BBC reporter in a boat going into one of the neighborhoods still under water. He found a family of five children including a tiny baby trapped in a house with their dead mother lying on the bed in the back bedroom. Those poor children looked like zombies. They must've been starving and in a complete state of shock. And that's just one story. There must be hundreds like them still out there.
One of the things that I do want to say is that I've read more than once in the US press criticisms about the lack of help from other countries. As of this writing, all of the aid offered by the UK and a number of European countries, including France, has been turned away by the US government. I don't know if it's from shame or a misplaced sense of pride that they've refused the help. It just doesn't make sense.
The one thing the US government has accepted are the European gas reserves. I find that infuriating. Surely saving lives should be more important than controlling gas prices. I know that Americans need gas but surely we could get through this by conserving what we already have. We should be willingly making changes to free up gas for the rescue crews, not running out in a panic and fillling up every container we own with gas for our own use. The focus right now (and days ago) should be on rescuing, feeding, clothing, and providing medical care where needed for the survivors.
And just to put things in perspective as far as gas prices are concerned, since releasing the reserves here the prices have gone up in Europe too. They're around a pound a litre at many places now. Keep in mind that there are about four litres to an American gallon so that means about four pounds a gallon - $8 a gallon. The cheapest I've seen gas in England is around $5 a gallon but the big difference is that the majority of people don't drive cars with big engines, trucks or SUVs. There's a need to conserve gas and a real concern for the environment.
I really hope that we learn something from this experience. I hope we learn to take care of each other better regardless of race or social level, to make responsible choices regarding the vehicles we drive and that we definitely take a good hard look at our President. I'm not even going to begin my tirade on George Bush. If I start I might not be able to stop.
One of the things that I do want to say is that I've read more than once in the US press criticisms about the lack of help from other countries. As of this writing, all of the aid offered by the UK and a number of European countries, including France, has been turned away by the US government. I don't know if it's from shame or a misplaced sense of pride that they've refused the help. It just doesn't make sense.
The one thing the US government has accepted are the European gas reserves. I find that infuriating. Surely saving lives should be more important than controlling gas prices. I know that Americans need gas but surely we could get through this by conserving what we already have. We should be willingly making changes to free up gas for the rescue crews, not running out in a panic and fillling up every container we own with gas for our own use. The focus right now (and days ago) should be on rescuing, feeding, clothing, and providing medical care where needed for the survivors.
And just to put things in perspective as far as gas prices are concerned, since releasing the reserves here the prices have gone up in Europe too. They're around a pound a litre at many places now. Keep in mind that there are about four litres to an American gallon so that means about four pounds a gallon - $8 a gallon. The cheapest I've seen gas in England is around $5 a gallon but the big difference is that the majority of people don't drive cars with big engines, trucks or SUVs. There's a need to conserve gas and a real concern for the environment.
I really hope that we learn something from this experience. I hope we learn to take care of each other better regardless of race or social level, to make responsible choices regarding the vehicles we drive and that we definitely take a good hard look at our President. I'm not even going to begin my tirade on George Bush. If I start I might not be able to stop.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Very Good Day
J came back from New York today and met me and Toby in Blackheath. We all had lunch with Philippa and then visited the flat to do some measurements. It was good to see the flat again. There were parts that were smaller than J and I had remembered but our room was bigger. We're going to need to buy a few blinds since ours don't fit but I think that it'll all work out fine. The only rooms we're hoping to paint right now are Toby's room and the living room. The others can wait.
Afterwards we visited Toby's school. He was having such a good time that the teacher suggested J and I go get a coffee and come back in an hour. Tobes was more than happy with that plan. We've been a bit housebound lately so he was starving for some playtime with other children. While we were gone Tobes used the loo (yay!) and had a snack with the other kids. He did so well! When we went to pick him up he didn't want to leave.
It's such a huge relief to know that he'll be happy at the school. It definitely makes up for the cost, which was something we hadn't planned on. Preschool here is basically free from three years old except for certain 'private' schools. Unfortunately, all of the free schools were full or horrible so we're going to have to budget for this one but it looks like it'll work out well.
We also spoke to the estate agents and solicitors today. The solicitor is virtually useless so everyone is chasing her to get things done. It looks like we'll now exchange on Monday which will be great. I think everyone in the chain will give a huge sigh of relief when that happens.
So all good. J's back, the flat is great and Toby loves his school. Now we just have to move.
Afterwards we visited Toby's school. He was having such a good time that the teacher suggested J and I go get a coffee and come back in an hour. Tobes was more than happy with that plan. We've been a bit housebound lately so he was starving for some playtime with other children. While we were gone Tobes used the loo (yay!) and had a snack with the other kids. He did so well! When we went to pick him up he didn't want to leave.
It's such a huge relief to know that he'll be happy at the school. It definitely makes up for the cost, which was something we hadn't planned on. Preschool here is basically free from three years old except for certain 'private' schools. Unfortunately, all of the free schools were full or horrible so we're going to have to budget for this one but it looks like it'll work out well.
We also spoke to the estate agents and solicitors today. The solicitor is virtually useless so everyone is chasing her to get things done. It looks like we'll now exchange on Monday which will be great. I think everyone in the chain will give a huge sigh of relief when that happens.
So all good. J's back, the flat is great and Toby loves his school. Now we just have to move.
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