Last week was my birthday! Last night I was putting away my birthday presents and, as I had received some money in the way of cheques, writing out my paying in slip. This got me thinking.
In 2006, on my 27th birthday, I remember someone asking what I wanted for my birthday. I couldn't think of anything, but suggested they gave me money or gift vouchers and I would go and buy myself some clothes. However, I seem to remember saying I needed to lose half a stone first, so would go on a shopping spree once I had lost the pounds (in weight that is).
last year, on my 28th birthday, again I was asked by the same person what I wanted for my birthday. I gave the same response but, as I was 7 months pregnant, suggested I go shopping for clothes once the baby has been born and I was back to my desired weight.
So, that was my 29th birthday last week. What did I ask for...money and gift vouchers. This time saying I would go shopping once I had lost a stone!!!
So, there we have it, 3 years of birthday money (and Christmas money) gone unspent because in that time I haven't reached my goal.
True, I am not putting that much effort into losing the weight (I've just eaten a bag of revels). Should I start putting in the effort, or just accept that this is the size I am!?
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
A new look!
I've had my hair cut.
I'm not sure about it.
I went into a new salon (as in I've never been before), one of the fashionable, young, trendy hairdressers. I asked for a bob with a fringe.
That's what I've got...kind of!
If I had Dawn's blog skills (cheers Dawn) I might have put a picture on here.
I'm not sure about it (the hair cut, that is)
It's a bit too "hip" for me!
I've never been fashionable in my life. Now I am, I'm not sure I like it.
Hmmmm! How long does it take for hair to grow????
I'm not sure about it.
I went into a new salon (as in I've never been before), one of the fashionable, young, trendy hairdressers. I asked for a bob with a fringe.
That's what I've got...kind of!
If I had Dawn's blog skills (cheers Dawn) I might have put a picture on here.
I'm not sure about it (the hair cut, that is)
It's a bit too "hip" for me!
I've never been fashionable in my life. Now I am, I'm not sure I like it.
Hmmmm! How long does it take for hair to grow????
Coincidences?
Someone forwarded me an email today...it was one I have before about 9/11 in which some of those people that should have been in the building at the time of the attack where actually elsewhere, ie. taking their child to kindergarten, getting doughnuts, stopping for a plaster to cover a blister, and how these things weren't just coincidence, but it was God.
The email then went onto say how you might think of someone you haven't seen for a while, and then hear from them out of the blue, or you are looking for an opportunity that suddenly shows itself. None of these are coincidences. It's all God.
As I watched the slideshow, I had a strange feeling!
A couple of weeks ago, as the new term approached and I knew I had to start thinking about going back to work, I spoke to someone about childcare. The person had offered although, when we actually sat down and talked about it, it wasn't as straightforward as I would have liked. However, I let them know I was thinking about going back to work, if they would like to look after Samuel.
The very same day, I had a text message from an old colleague at the school where I used to work. She told me about a job, Mondays and Tuesdays in a Y2 class. Although I wasn't looking forward to going back to work, I knew that this was ideal...2 days a week, in a school with which I was familiar, and with people I knew. I also thought...what a coincidence! Arranging childcare and hearing about a job on the same day!
After speaking to my husband, though, we decided that Samuel was too young for me to go back to work just yet and we are in a fortunate position where I can stay at home with him. So we decided to leave it for a while and wait until Samuel's a bit older.
A fantastic decision on my part as I love being at home with Samuel every day.
However, I can't help but wonder now, have I passed up one of God's opportunities? Or was it that God was in my decision not to go back to work? How do you know? I know it feels right staying at home at the moment...but is that my decision or God's? I just don't know!
The email then went onto say how you might think of someone you haven't seen for a while, and then hear from them out of the blue, or you are looking for an opportunity that suddenly shows itself. None of these are coincidences. It's all God.
As I watched the slideshow, I had a strange feeling!
A couple of weeks ago, as the new term approached and I knew I had to start thinking about going back to work, I spoke to someone about childcare. The person had offered although, when we actually sat down and talked about it, it wasn't as straightforward as I would have liked. However, I let them know I was thinking about going back to work, if they would like to look after Samuel.
The very same day, I had a text message from an old colleague at the school where I used to work. She told me about a job, Mondays and Tuesdays in a Y2 class. Although I wasn't looking forward to going back to work, I knew that this was ideal...2 days a week, in a school with which I was familiar, and with people I knew. I also thought...what a coincidence! Arranging childcare and hearing about a job on the same day!
After speaking to my husband, though, we decided that Samuel was too young for me to go back to work just yet and we are in a fortunate position where I can stay at home with him. So we decided to leave it for a while and wait until Samuel's a bit older.
A fantastic decision on my part as I love being at home with Samuel every day.
However, I can't help but wonder now, have I passed up one of God's opportunities? Or was it that God was in my decision not to go back to work? How do you know? I know it feels right staying at home at the moment...but is that my decision or God's? I just don't know!
Friday, 11 January 2008
Zombie-fied
Why is it that, between the ages of 16 and 24 (ish), I could stay up until the early hours of the morning, whether it be out with friends, watching tv, finishing coursework, and I wasn't affected by it and yet, now, at the tender age of 28 (29 in 17 days), I am utterly exhausted!
To cut a long story short, by 1.45am this morning, not 1 of the 3 inhabitants of our humble abode had been asleep! The cause...teeth! Samuel's teeth to be exact! We have waited for weeks for his top front teeth to come through. One arrived, with quite a lot of discomfort, on Sunday afternoon (Hip, hip hooray!) and I don't think the other one is too far behind!
Today, I sent a text to an old friend who has a baby of a similar age. She suggested AShton and Parsons teething powder. Any of you Mums heard of it and, if so, why has no one told me about it before!
Does it work?
It's hard to tell but, put it this way, this is the first night in over a week that Samuel has gone to sleep of his own accord!
Fingers, toes, hands, arm, legs, feet, crossed that he stays that way!
To cut a long story short, by 1.45am this morning, not 1 of the 3 inhabitants of our humble abode had been asleep! The cause...teeth! Samuel's teeth to be exact! We have waited for weeks for his top front teeth to come through. One arrived, with quite a lot of discomfort, on Sunday afternoon (Hip, hip hooray!) and I don't think the other one is too far behind!
Today, I sent a text to an old friend who has a baby of a similar age. She suggested AShton and Parsons teething powder. Any of you Mums heard of it and, if so, why has no one told me about it before!
Does it work?
It's hard to tell but, put it this way, this is the first night in over a week that Samuel has gone to sleep of his own accord!
Fingers, toes, hands, arm, legs, feet, crossed that he stays that way!
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
House Update
We have been in our new home for about two months now, so I thought I would give an update on the restoration!
Despite viewing the house a couple of times before we moved in, I don’t think Alan and I appreciated the extent to which we would have to restore the house to get it the way we want it!
We spent a day before the removal men came cleaning the house, and are we glad we did. I don’t think the house had seen a duster or a hoover for at least 7 years (the amount of time the previous owners lived here), and that’s no exaggeration. The place was filthy! It took my in-laws a whole day to get the kitchen rid of any grease. Even the curtain rails were black! We had someone here cleaning the carpets and the water at the end of the day was like gravy. Yuk!
Work on the house started pretty much straight away. We have had that many doors replaced/hung that I have lost count. Firstly, we (that’s the Royal ‘we’) replaced the glass-panelled down into the lounge with a normal wooden door. After having 2 sets of glass panelled doors in Aberdeen, I decided to get rid of it straight away. Then we arranged for a company to come and change 2 sets of patio doors and the side door as the old ones were a bit flimsy. The biggest job was a door from the house into the integral garage. At first I thought this was a bit indulgent (is that a word) but it’s actually really handy. My recycling no longer sits at the back door for days, waiting to go into the relevant boxes and, when Alan disappears, I don’t need to go outside to find him! The builders who put the door in, though, were a bit useless when it came to actually hanging the door, so Alan and his dad finished it off in the end!
We have replaced the saloon-style swing doors into the kitchen and utility room with ordinary wooden doors, and the door into the downstairs bedroom has been moved so that the room is now square instead of having a pointless corridor! (I realise that none of this makes sense unless you have actually seen the house!)
The next ‘door’ job is happening on Saturday when we are having a door-sized hole knocked through from the dining room into the study. You currently need to go through the bedroom to get into the study, which is a bit of a pain, so I came up with the bright idea of having a door (some ideas should be kept inside your head, I have come to realise!) Then we can block up the door from the bedroom into the study, and all the downstairs rooms with be accessible from the hall/dining room.
Other than that, we have had a new fence round the perimeter of the house, all the electrics sorted (I have never been in a building where there are so many switches that don’t do anything!), blinds fitted, shelves put into cupboards, oh, and another door to make an understairs cupboard where there was once just a hole!
We had 4 huge bags of gravel delivered this morning (they should have arrived yesterday but they were sitting on the drive of number 2 instead of our house, number 20!) to replace the tiny bit of lawn at the front of the house, and we collected our new sink and toilet for the downstairs toilet this afternoon as well.
Our original estimation to get the house decorated, etc, was 6 months! That was then increased to a year, and is now 18 months. By now, we were going to have a new kitchen and at least 1 room decorated. I am quite glad on the kitchen front as we have changed our minds that many times that I wouldn’t have been happy with it.
Perhaps, if I ever work out how to do it, I could put some before and after photos on here as we do each room. We’ll see!
I’m sure it will be lovely…when it’s all finished!
Despite viewing the house a couple of times before we moved in, I don’t think Alan and I appreciated the extent to which we would have to restore the house to get it the way we want it!
We spent a day before the removal men came cleaning the house, and are we glad we did. I don’t think the house had seen a duster or a hoover for at least 7 years (the amount of time the previous owners lived here), and that’s no exaggeration. The place was filthy! It took my in-laws a whole day to get the kitchen rid of any grease. Even the curtain rails were black! We had someone here cleaning the carpets and the water at the end of the day was like gravy. Yuk!
Work on the house started pretty much straight away. We have had that many doors replaced/hung that I have lost count. Firstly, we (that’s the Royal ‘we’) replaced the glass-panelled down into the lounge with a normal wooden door. After having 2 sets of glass panelled doors in Aberdeen, I decided to get rid of it straight away. Then we arranged for a company to come and change 2 sets of patio doors and the side door as the old ones were a bit flimsy. The biggest job was a door from the house into the integral garage. At first I thought this was a bit indulgent (is that a word) but it’s actually really handy. My recycling no longer sits at the back door for days, waiting to go into the relevant boxes and, when Alan disappears, I don’t need to go outside to find him! The builders who put the door in, though, were a bit useless when it came to actually hanging the door, so Alan and his dad finished it off in the end!
We have replaced the saloon-style swing doors into the kitchen and utility room with ordinary wooden doors, and the door into the downstairs bedroom has been moved so that the room is now square instead of having a pointless corridor! (I realise that none of this makes sense unless you have actually seen the house!)
The next ‘door’ job is happening on Saturday when we are having a door-sized hole knocked through from the dining room into the study. You currently need to go through the bedroom to get into the study, which is a bit of a pain, so I came up with the bright idea of having a door (some ideas should be kept inside your head, I have come to realise!) Then we can block up the door from the bedroom into the study, and all the downstairs rooms with be accessible from the hall/dining room.
Other than that, we have had a new fence round the perimeter of the house, all the electrics sorted (I have never been in a building where there are so many switches that don’t do anything!), blinds fitted, shelves put into cupboards, oh, and another door to make an understairs cupboard where there was once just a hole!
We had 4 huge bags of gravel delivered this morning (they should have arrived yesterday but they were sitting on the drive of number 2 instead of our house, number 20!) to replace the tiny bit of lawn at the front of the house, and we collected our new sink and toilet for the downstairs toilet this afternoon as well.
Our original estimation to get the house decorated, etc, was 6 months! That was then increased to a year, and is now 18 months. By now, we were going to have a new kitchen and at least 1 room decorated. I am quite glad on the kitchen front as we have changed our minds that many times that I wouldn’t have been happy with it.
Perhaps, if I ever work out how to do it, I could put some before and after photos on here as we do each room. We’ll see!
I’m sure it will be lovely…when it’s all finished!
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Big Brother is watching you!
How sad am I?
I just decided to google myself! I was quite taken aback about how much information was shown on google when I typed in my name, and it's all from my blog page! It showed my full name, birthday, where I live, how many children I have, what I do for a living, etc, etc. I have decided to delete my profile! I don't mind people reading my blog, but I'm not sure I want every Tom, Dick and harry reading my personal details! It might be worth googling yourself to see what it brings up!
I just decided to google myself! I was quite taken aback about how much information was shown on google when I typed in my name, and it's all from my blog page! It showed my full name, birthday, where I live, how many children I have, what I do for a living, etc, etc. I have decided to delete my profile! I don't mind people reading my blog, but I'm not sure I want every Tom, Dick and harry reading my personal details! It might be worth googling yourself to see what it brings up!
The Incredible Hulk (That's me, by the way!)
I am not usually one to have a moan (quiet, Dawn!) but I think I have reason to today.
Yesterday morning I woke up with a tingling feeling in my toes. My guess...chilblains! My own stupid fault for a) wearing 2 pairs of socks and b) for putting my cold feet on the hot radiator!
Later in the day (approximately 4.30pm, as I was about the feed Samuel) I had to remove my socks as they were irritating me around my ankles. I noticed a few red blotched but thought nothing of it.
Two hours later, I notice a small rash on my leg!
By the time Alan had arrived home from his trip to London at 10pm, I was (literally) covered from head to toe with a horrendous, red, angry-looking rash. Not very attractive.
Alan and I then spent an hour debating whether to call NHS24, ring for an ambulance, or just got to bed. We chose the latter!
I spent a very restless, uncomfortable night, waking at 3am for a jolly good scratch.
When I turned the lights on at 7.30 this morning, I realised I am now one big rash. It starts on my scalp (I can't see it, but I can certainly feel the little monkey), right down my face, neck, chest, arms, back, stomach, legs, feet, toes...it's even on the soles of my feet!
The culprit?
A course of antibiotics, that were, supposedly, to make me better.
I am now left looking like a giant beetroot and I know that the only cure is to sit in a cold room with absolute nothing on...but my father-in-law is in the next room and I don't think he's quite ready to meet his Maker yet!
I daren't leave the house, Samuel keeps looking at me as if I'm some kind of monster, and I have a Christmas party to go to in a few days...Help!!!
Yesterday morning I woke up with a tingling feeling in my toes. My guess...chilblains! My own stupid fault for a) wearing 2 pairs of socks and b) for putting my cold feet on the hot radiator!
Later in the day (approximately 4.30pm, as I was about the feed Samuel) I had to remove my socks as they were irritating me around my ankles. I noticed a few red blotched but thought nothing of it.
Two hours later, I notice a small rash on my leg!
By the time Alan had arrived home from his trip to London at 10pm, I was (literally) covered from head to toe with a horrendous, red, angry-looking rash. Not very attractive.
Alan and I then spent an hour debating whether to call NHS24, ring for an ambulance, or just got to bed. We chose the latter!
I spent a very restless, uncomfortable night, waking at 3am for a jolly good scratch.
When I turned the lights on at 7.30 this morning, I realised I am now one big rash. It starts on my scalp (I can't see it, but I can certainly feel the little monkey), right down my face, neck, chest, arms, back, stomach, legs, feet, toes...it's even on the soles of my feet!
The culprit?
A course of antibiotics, that were, supposedly, to make me better.
I am now left looking like a giant beetroot and I know that the only cure is to sit in a cold room with absolute nothing on...but my father-in-law is in the next room and I don't think he's quite ready to meet his Maker yet!
I daren't leave the house, Samuel keeps looking at me as if I'm some kind of monster, and I have a Christmas party to go to in a few days...Help!!!
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