Today is Toby's 5th birthday. I thought I would be freaking out but I feel remarkably calm. Perhaps that's because the fact that my baby boy is five years old hasn't completely sunk in yet. I remember his birth like it was yesterday and all day today I've been thinking about what I was doing at the same time five years ago.
You can read Toby's birth story here and if you're really interested that website includes my first pregnancy journal too.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Still in one piece...
... but only just. Came home with a splitting headache after our day out. I'm sure it wasn't helped by the fact that my breakfast consisted of chocolate palmiers. Not the best start to an active day. We did have a nice time at the museum but keeping up with the children while taking calls from the estate agent was hard work.
Our initial feedback on the first five viewings has been - two think the kitchen is too small, one is very interested and two haven't gotten back to the agent yet. We had another viewing today and have one tomorrow and another on Wednesday. I'm really hoping that by Friday we've at least had a nibble.
Our initial feedback on the first five viewings has been - two think the kitchen is too small, one is very interested and two haven't gotten back to the agent yet. We had another viewing today and have one tomorrow and another on Wednesday. I'm really hoping that by Friday we've at least had a nibble.
House for sale
There must be something in the air. Mom and Dad moved last week. They bought a house in Lufkin and have returned to the place where it all began. We're in the throes of buying and selling and Jason's parents put their house on the market on Friday. Anyone interested in a lovely house in Cambridgshire with a beautiful English garden should check it out. It's a 4-bed house between 250,000 and 300,000 in Sawtry.
Jason is back at work today and the children and I are going to the Museum in Docklands. We're packing a picnic lunch and going with Toby's friend Max, his mum, brother and baby sister. That's right. Rachel and I will have five children between us. Should be interesting. Hope I make it home in one piece.
Jason is back at work today and the children and I are going to the Museum in Docklands. We're packing a picnic lunch and going with Toby's friend Max, his mum, brother and baby sister. That's right. Rachel and I will have five children between us. Should be interesting. Hope I make it home in one piece.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Haircut and flat for sale
Got a major haircut this morning. Now, before anyone starts freaking out (Mom) I've just cut off all of my damaged, hormone-ravaged pregnancy hair and will grow it out again into something that is hopefully much more healthy. At the moment I like to think I'm channelling my inner French girl or maybe Cleopatra or Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface...
And the flat is officially on the market. We've had five viewings so far and are hopefully going to have an offer this week. Keep your fingers crossed. The Kellerton Road house has been taken off the market for a week to give us a chance to get under offer and then hopefully everything will proceed quickly. I'll let you know when the spec ends up on the agent's website so you can have a nose around. I know I would want to check out your house if you were selling! We just signed the contract though and the five viewings so far have come from them ringing around. We have two more scheduled early this week and hopefully lots more once the spec comes out. Someone must want to buy this flat!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
One of those days that make you happy to be you
Lovely day. Dropped Tobes off at holiday club, went to see the Hereford Gardens house then headed to Costa. The whole gang was there - Philippa and Little Joe, Marija, Marion, the Book Lady, The Smoker, Lily and her parents, etc, etc. Our little coffee clache, as Marion says.
Afterwards I came home and did some laundry (the dryer was fixed on Tuesday, hurray!) then picked Tobes up and went to his friend Finn's house for lunch. I really like Finn's mum, Jo, and we had a lovely lunch. Finn has a little sister Amelia who is almost three and all of the children played very well together. Jo and I ended up being monsters chasing Spiderman, a princess, a red Power Ranger and Rosie around the garden. Lovely afternoon.
We came home to have the flat valued by another agent and then had breakfast for dinner (bacon, toast, eggs and beans). Now if I can get the children to sleep at a decent time I might just manage to have a bit of quiet time tonight. I'm not getting my hopes up though.
Afterwards I came home and did some laundry (the dryer was fixed on Tuesday, hurray!) then picked Tobes up and went to his friend Finn's house for lunch. I really like Finn's mum, Jo, and we had a lovely lunch. Finn has a little sister Amelia who is almost three and all of the children played very well together. Jo and I ended up being monsters chasing Spiderman, a princess, a red Power Ranger and Rosie around the garden. Lovely afternoon.
We came home to have the flat valued by another agent and then had breakfast for dinner (bacon, toast, eggs and beans). Now if I can get the children to sleep at a decent time I might just manage to have a bit of quiet time tonight. I'm not getting my hopes up though.
And we're off..
Saw the house in Hereford Gardens this morning. Beautiful ground floor though smaller rooms than Kellerton Road. The finish of the house is amazing - original wood floors, gorgeous kitchen extension, lovely kitchen, etc, etc but it's that bit further from the village, that much smaller overall. Definitely a no. It has shown me that Kellerton Road is the house for us and given me some ideas for improvements though.
So I've got another agent coming to value the flat today and then hopefully we can choose with whom to list the flat. The owners of Kellerton Road have another viewing on Saturday (fingers crossed we don't get gazumped) but they will stop viewings after that for a period of time so that we can sell our place. Hopefully we'll sell quickly and it will all move smoothly. Our place is in a very popular location and we've done a lot of improvements so we're cautiously optimistic. I can't believe this is all happening while J is on the other side of the world!
OK, off to look at potterybarn.com for some decorating ideas. The children are going to share a room so I'm looking for things that would both like. I'm thinking red and white ticking fabric, white walls, big blackboard... ohhhh, I'm in my element now!
So I've got another agent coming to value the flat today and then hopefully we can choose with whom to list the flat. The owners of Kellerton Road have another viewing on Saturday (fingers crossed we don't get gazumped) but they will stop viewings after that for a period of time so that we can sell our place. Hopefully we'll sell quickly and it will all move smoothly. Our place is in a very popular location and we've done a lot of improvements so we're cautiously optimistic. I can't believe this is all happening while J is on the other side of the world!
OK, off to look at potterybarn.com for some decorating ideas. The children are going to share a room so I'm looking for things that would both like. I'm thinking red and white ticking fabric, white walls, big blackboard... ohhhh, I'm in my element now!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Now I'm really shitting myself
They accepted our offer. Holy. Crap.
So now we just have to get our place sold. I had one valuation today and I've got another coming tomorrow. Hopefully in the next few days we can choose an agent and get the flat on the market.
At the moment my greater concern is getting Rosie to sleep. Tobes passed out about an hour ago but Rosie is holding out and is now running around the living room full of energy. They've been a real handful today. I've probably been distracted with all the house stuff and found it harder to cope too. Taking care of the children is a piece of cake... as long as you don't try to do anything else at the same time. Buying a house and selling the flat definitely qualifies as "anything else".
Gotta get this girl to bed before I lose my mind. Really need some quiet thinking alone time tonight.
So now we just have to get our place sold. I had one valuation today and I've got another coming tomorrow. Hopefully in the next few days we can choose an agent and get the flat on the market.
At the moment my greater concern is getting Rosie to sleep. Tobes passed out about an hour ago but Rosie is holding out and is now running around the living room full of energy. They've been a real handful today. I've probably been distracted with all the house stuff and found it harder to cope too. Taking care of the children is a piece of cake... as long as you don't try to do anything else at the same time. Buying a house and selling the flat definitely qualifies as "anything else".
Gotta get this girl to bed before I lose my mind. Really need some quiet thinking alone time tonight.
Oh man
We weren't even thinking about moving. Just kind of kicking the idea around a bit. Now I've found another house I want to go and look at. It's in the same area as the first one, costs less and has more space. It's here. Very grand and we would definitely need to redecorate and pare it down a bit! Check out the formal dining room in the IPX videotours at the bottom of the page.
Well, the sellers came back to us about the house. They've asked that we raise our offer a bit (well, of course they did) but J and I have decided to stick with it. We love the house but we're in no rush to move so we're going to play hardball and risk it.
It's listed with another agent here and there are some different photos including the main bathroom.
Having our place valued this morning. Can't wait to see what they have to say!
It's listed with another agent here and there are some different photos including the main bathroom.
Having our place valued this morning. Can't wait to see what they have to say!
Monday, July 23, 2007
My head is spinning!
OK, last week a house on our street came onto the market. We're in a flat made by knocking two houses together and then turning each floor into one big flat. Hard to imagine but cleverly done. We decided to view the house just to see if it was worth the price to stay close to the village. At the same time I booked a viewing for a house in Lee Green which is the other neighborhood we're considering. It's a bit further from the village, though still walking distance to St Margaret's and it's very near Manor House Gardens. Plus it seems that half of Toby's class live in the neighborhood which would be great for the children.
The day before the viewing the agent called to say sorry but the Quentin Road house had accepted an offer of the full asking price and been taken off the market. We decided to go ahead and see the house in Lee Green just out of interest... I loved it! It's an Edwardian terraced house with a loft conversion. Five bedrooms (though two are quite small), a bathroom and a shower room. It also has a garden which Toby loved and a summer house. They've kept lots of the original features including fireplaces in all of the original rooms and an old freestanding claw-foot tub in the main bathroom. I've already been thinking of wall colours.
So, I went to the estate agent and made an offer this morning. It's a low offer but the house does need some renovation and updating. They're coming to value our flat tomorrow and then we'll see... J is in Sydney and Tokyo this week. I can already hear the stories in the future "I went on a one week business trip and Katherine sold the flat and bought a house while I was away!"
In other news, Toby has suddenly had a growth spurt. Jeans that fit him last week are now too short and he's gone up a shoe size. We had to go out to Bluewater yesterday and get some new Geox (it's what all the five year old boys are wearing apparently) and we got Rosie a potty. I really wanted the pink Princess potty but Rosie wanted the one with a lion on it. Ah well, I like a girl that knows her own mind so we got the lion potty. Last night I stripped Rosie for her bath and asked if she wanted to sit on the potty and try to do a wee. She said "No". I decided to respect her wishes, not wanting to start any negative associations with the potty, etc, etc. Then when I turned my back to turn off the taps she picked up her potty and wee'd on the floor. Not quite right but hopefully we'll get there.
This week Toby is at the church holiday club each morning. We arrived this morning to find most of his friends there and Tobes was thrilled. It's funny how involved we're becoming with the church now that Tobes is going to a church school. J and I are such heathens but I even made it into the parish newsletter last month working on the school summer fair. I have nothing against religion and I do think it's important to have all the information. I'm just lacking in that most important element of faith. I would feel too hypocritical calling myself a christian when I don't really believe but, saying that, the Church of England is a lovely, liberal, very laid back religion (created so that Henry VIII could grant himself a divorce!) and it has a nice community attached to it which is wonderful for the children.
The day before the viewing the agent called to say sorry but the Quentin Road house had accepted an offer of the full asking price and been taken off the market. We decided to go ahead and see the house in Lee Green just out of interest... I loved it! It's an Edwardian terraced house with a loft conversion. Five bedrooms (though two are quite small), a bathroom and a shower room. It also has a garden which Toby loved and a summer house. They've kept lots of the original features including fireplaces in all of the original rooms and an old freestanding claw-foot tub in the main bathroom. I've already been thinking of wall colours.
So, I went to the estate agent and made an offer this morning. It's a low offer but the house does need some renovation and updating. They're coming to value our flat tomorrow and then we'll see... J is in Sydney and Tokyo this week. I can already hear the stories in the future "I went on a one week business trip and Katherine sold the flat and bought a house while I was away!"
In other news, Toby has suddenly had a growth spurt. Jeans that fit him last week are now too short and he's gone up a shoe size. We had to go out to Bluewater yesterday and get some new Geox (it's what all the five year old boys are wearing apparently) and we got Rosie a potty. I really wanted the pink Princess potty but Rosie wanted the one with a lion on it. Ah well, I like a girl that knows her own mind so we got the lion potty. Last night I stripped Rosie for her bath and asked if she wanted to sit on the potty and try to do a wee. She said "No". I decided to respect her wishes, not wanting to start any negative associations with the potty, etc, etc. Then when I turned my back to turn off the taps she picked up her potty and wee'd on the floor. Not quite right but hopefully we'll get there.
This week Toby is at the church holiday club each morning. We arrived this morning to find most of his friends there and Tobes was thrilled. It's funny how involved we're becoming with the church now that Tobes is going to a church school. J and I are such heathens but I even made it into the parish newsletter last month working on the school summer fair. I have nothing against religion and I do think it's important to have all the information. I'm just lacking in that most important element of faith. I would feel too hypocritical calling myself a christian when I don't really believe but, saying that, the Church of England is a lovely, liberal, very laid back religion (created so that Henry VIII could grant himself a divorce!) and it has a nice community attached to it which is wonderful for the children.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
I've heard boys and girls are different but...
I didn't start potty training Toby until right after his third birthday. He had had a potty for a while but wasn't interested in using it and, being pregnant with Rosie at the time, I was in no mood to push things along. Once I explained it all to Toby and got serious about the whole process things moved fairly smoothly though it's only in the last few weeks that he's stopped wearing a Pull-Up in bed. The final straw was when Toby realised that none of his friends at school wear Pull-Ups anymore. After that he was determined to get rid of them, though judging by the number of accidents we've had I'm not totally convinced that he's ready.
Well, Rosie is now 20 months old. Tonight I undressed her and put her in the bath. After a few seconds she started hopping up and down asking me to put her nappy back on. I assumed she needed to wee or poo and tried to convince her to sit on the toilet but she was having none of that. I ran and got a fresh nappy and as soon as it was on she squatted down and did a big wee and poop! Amazing. I can't believe she not only has the awareness of when she needs to go but also the ability to hold it even for a short period of time. Next stop, the potty shop! I'm thinking something pink and flowery or maybe polka dots.
Oh my, what am I going to do when we don't have nappies in the house anymore! My babies are growing up.
Well, Rosie is now 20 months old. Tonight I undressed her and put her in the bath. After a few seconds she started hopping up and down asking me to put her nappy back on. I assumed she needed to wee or poo and tried to convince her to sit on the toilet but she was having none of that. I ran and got a fresh nappy and as soon as it was on she squatted down and did a big wee and poop! Amazing. I can't believe she not only has the awareness of when she needs to go but also the ability to hold it even for a short period of time. Next stop, the potty shop! I'm thinking something pink and flowery or maybe polka dots.
Oh my, what am I going to do when we don't have nappies in the house anymore! My babies are growing up.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
More than I can say
The last few days have been hectic. We had the school BBQ on Friday (which was lovely) then Toby had a friend's birthday party and we had his birthday party on Sunday (which was manic and exhausting but a huge success), a chance to catch my breath on Monday and then the school trip to the seaside yesterday. Whew! Still too tired to go into detail but here are some pics.
Here's Toby and his friend Edward at the school BBQ. It's photos like this that will make me weep when Tobes is about 40.
Toby and Edward again.
Red Power Ranger
Pink Power Ranger
The birthday feast
The birthday cake arrives.
The boys of summer: Toby, Max and Edward at the seaside.
Here's Toby and his friend Edward at the school BBQ. It's photos like this that will make me weep when Tobes is about 40.
Toby and Edward again.
Red Power Ranger
Pink Power Ranger
The birthday feast
The birthday cake arrives.
The boys of summer: Toby, Max and Edward at the seaside.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Our clothes dryer just died. God, it is definitely 'one of those days' today. But, the sun has come out and we're about to head off to the school summer barbecue. I made a tomato, mozzarella and basil salad with some olive oil and a lovely herby salt I bought at Borough Market.
My goal for the day is to get the kids asleep by 8.00 and curl up with Midsomer Murders at 8.30. Ah, simple pleasures.
My goal for the day is to get the kids asleep by 8.00 and curl up with Midsomer Murders at 8.30. Ah, simple pleasures.
Another downer day today. Just little frustrations mostly. Couldn't get J a hair appointment, the grocery delivery was messed up which means I'll have to go to the grocery store myself, our cleaner Karen rang to ask if she could come today so I've been trying to tidy the flat while stuffing 40 Power Ranger favour bags for the party on Sunday and put together a salad for the school BBQ tonight. It all sounds small when I type it but the cumulative effect is draining.
I think there's something wrong with me. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he recommended some blood tests. I'm just so tired ALL THE TIME. Like, really exhausted put my head down and sleep instantly tired. I was anemic when I was a teenager and I'm wondering if that's happening again. I had a funny dizzy spell one night when I was out with Nikki and that's finally made me go to the doctor. I'm hoping it's something than can be fixed easily. I'm too exhausted for some long course of treatment.
I think there's something wrong with me. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and he recommended some blood tests. I'm just so tired ALL THE TIME. Like, really exhausted put my head down and sleep instantly tired. I was anemic when I was a teenager and I'm wondering if that's happening again. I had a funny dizzy spell one night when I was out with Nikki and that's finally made me go to the doctor. I'm hoping it's something than can be fixed easily. I'm too exhausted for some long course of treatment.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Homesickness and trick boobies
One of those days today that England does so well. Not sunny, not really cold, not really hot, not really raining. Just grey and damp enough to make everything feel clammy. These days make me homesick for some Texas sun, iced tea, loud voices, bright colours and big smiles.
So, what does a girl do when she's down? Go shopping, of course! I dragged my sad, tired bones out to Bluewater and bought some things I don't really need. Like a new handbag and one of those new YSL nail polish pens. Well, the sparkly nails do lift my mood a bit but the bag is still on trial.
I also bought something that I've been thinking about for a while (any guys reading this should stop now or risk embarrassment)- some of those silicon bra inserts that look like raw chicken fillets. Since Rosie arrived I've noticed a change in my chest region and thought the chicken fillets might pad things out from time to time. I tried them on when Rosie and I got home and then forgot about them because they warm up against the skin and are actually very comfortable. I remembered that I was wearing them when I was laying down with the children at bedtime. Toby seems to have an obsession with my breasts at the moment and wants to squeeze them 'because they're really soft and squishy'. I explained that breasts are private like willies and bottoms and said that if he didn't leave mine alone I would have to take them off and put them away. Of course he didn't leave them alone so I reached into my shirt and whipped out the fillets. Toby laughed so hard I seriously thought he was going to wet the bed and Rosie took one look and said "Yuck!". When Toby finally calmed down he made me promise to show J my "trick boobies" at breakfast tomorrow. Ah yes, another little story for Toby's future therapist.
So, what does a girl do when she's down? Go shopping, of course! I dragged my sad, tired bones out to Bluewater and bought some things I don't really need. Like a new handbag and one of those new YSL nail polish pens. Well, the sparkly nails do lift my mood a bit but the bag is still on trial.
I also bought something that I've been thinking about for a while (any guys reading this should stop now or risk embarrassment)- some of those silicon bra inserts that look like raw chicken fillets. Since Rosie arrived I've noticed a change in my chest region and thought the chicken fillets might pad things out from time to time. I tried them on when Rosie and I got home and then forgot about them because they warm up against the skin and are actually very comfortable. I remembered that I was wearing them when I was laying down with the children at bedtime. Toby seems to have an obsession with my breasts at the moment and wants to squeeze them 'because they're really soft and squishy'. I explained that breasts are private like willies and bottoms and said that if he didn't leave mine alone I would have to take them off and put them away. Of course he didn't leave them alone so I reached into my shirt and whipped out the fillets. Toby laughed so hard I seriously thought he was going to wet the bed and Rosie took one look and said "Yuck!". When Toby finally calmed down he made me promise to show J my "trick boobies" at breakfast tomorrow. Ah yes, another little story for Toby's future therapist.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Taken today
A couple of photos taken today at the Hayward Gallery. Finally got the camera all set up and hope to have all the Prague pics loaded soon. Downloaded 138 photos today so it's going to take a little time to sort and label them. Just wanted to post these so Mom and Dad can see that Nikki really is alive and well.
Catching my breath
Nikki is in town today doing some sightseeing and going to a show tonight so I'm home catching up on things here. You know, exciting stuff like laundry. It's been great having Nik here again. It seems so normal. In fact, the night before Nikki arrived Toby was talking about all the things he wanted to do while she was here and I had to remind him that she was just visiting for a week. Then Tobes got really upset because he had assumed that Nikki would be here for the whole summer like last year. His main concern was that Nikki meet his new friends and see his school and we've done that plus we're seeing Nikki in San Diego in March so Toby is happy.
Of course, we've been shopping and going and doing but normal life has continued too. Toby has sports day at school on Friday and we're all going to watch and have a picnic lunch with him. Nikki leaves on Thursday so at least we have something to look forward to afterwards. This morning I was talking to one of the mums at school and discovered that her husband is from Texas, Fort Worth, and was actually at UT Austin the same time I was there! Such a small world. She seems really nice and her daughter is coming to Toby's party so I'm hoping we can chat then. English girls are so hard to befriend. It takes ages but I'm willing to put in the time because when you do make a friend here it's forever.
And J is in Beijing this week. He's speaking at a conference and gets back Thursday night. Very busy week for all of us. And now I need to go make dinner and will hopefully download all of our photos tonight. I finally got a new camera but I haven't set it all up to download yet. Can't wait until the kids are down and the house is quiet. Soooo busy!
Of course, we've been shopping and going and doing but normal life has continued too. Toby has sports day at school on Friday and we're all going to watch and have a picnic lunch with him. Nikki leaves on Thursday so at least we have something to look forward to afterwards. This morning I was talking to one of the mums at school and discovered that her husband is from Texas, Fort Worth, and was actually at UT Austin the same time I was there! Such a small world. She seems really nice and her daughter is coming to Toby's party so I'm hoping we can chat then. English girls are so hard to befriend. It takes ages but I'm willing to put in the time because when you do make a friend here it's forever.
And J is in Beijing this week. He's speaking at a conference and gets back Thursday night. Very busy week for all of us. And now I need to go make dinner and will hopefully download all of our photos tonight. I finally got a new camera but I haven't set it all up to download yet. Can't wait until the kids are down and the house is quiet. Soooo busy!
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