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!

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!

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!!!

The joys of Motherhood

My 18-year-old cousin asked me yesterday what it was like to be a Mum!

Surprising both her and myself, I hesitated before I answered. My answer should have been "Motherhood...It's fantastic! Amazing! I love every minute of it!"

The real answer?

I have never been so tired, stressed, happy, sad, anxious, scared, overjoyed, in awe, thankful, (I could go on) in my life.

It's a mixture of emotions.

It's a rollercoaster ride.

It's the hardest thing I have ever done!

Even harder than teaching a class of 34 Year 6 pupils? Definitely! You can send a class of kids home at 3 o'clock!!

Never have I cried so much.

Never have I laughed so much.

Never have I worried so much.

I worry that he's not getting enough sleep. I worry that he's sleeping too much.

I worry that he's hungry. I worry that he's overfed.

I am desperate for him to start crawl. And yet I dread the day he does!

But, yes, even after all that, it is wonderful! And I have so much to thank God for. I wouldn't change it for the world!

I am so blessed!

Living in the past!

Can someone please tell me how to change the time and date on this thing? I posted a blog yesterday (monday 3rd December) but it says I wrote it on Tuesday 20th November.

Am I on a different time zone to everyone else?

Is the room I am sitting in some kind of time machine?

Please help!

People are so rude!

Alan, Samuel and I took a trip down south this weekend to meet up with Dawn. She usually comes to visit us in Aberdeen between the October half term and Christmas, but she couldn't this year as we're not there...duh! So we decided to meet halfway, in Huntingdon (when I say halfway, it isn't really...we had to drive a bit furtherthan Dawn!)

It was a short and sweet meeting. We met at lunchtime on Saturday and left mid-afternoon on Sunday, but it was fantastic to catch up and for Samuel to see his Aunty Dawn. He changes so much every day that, even when Mum and Dad haven't seen him for a few days, they notice a big difference in him, so I am sure Dawn saw a massive change in him!

On Sunday, we decided to go into Cambridge, mainly because the weather was minging and we knew we could just go from coffee shop to coffee shop if we needed to (I'm turning into Grandma Watson!) We took the Park and Ride into Cambridge (Samuel's first bus trip...very exciting!) On the way back, we were in the queue to get on the bus (typical, we were at the front, but the bus stopped at the other end so we ended up at the back!) when there was a commotion in front of us. Basically, there had been a misunderstanding in which the bus driver had asked the people at the front to wait until the people had got off the bus but his hand gesture suggested that they should proceed! The mother and daughter who were at the front of the queue were apparantly very rude (I didn't hear what was said) and the bus driver asked them to leave his bus. Then followed a 5 minute slanging match between the driver and the women while everyone else quietly got onto the bus. One poor fellow, who obviously felt sorry for the bus driver, went over and said that he would back the bus driver up, as this lady wanted his name to report him to his manager. This innocent man then received a load of lip from the woman as he shrank back into his seat.

Why do people of today think that they have all these rights? The procedure of letting people off the bus before other people get on is obviously something that all the bus drivers do, and most of the public obey. But something in these two women told them that they didn't have to wait. They had the right to be on that bus and, even if it meant creating a commotion, they would let everyone know that they had been badly treated.

I left Cambridge feeling quite upset. I don't like ill-feeling, whether I know the people involved or not. People don't seem to have respect for each other any more. And I'm beginning to think they I am in the minority of people who think that we should respect each other, and that we should be courteous!

The frightening thing is that generations are becoming more and more ill-mannered, and they are passing this disrespectful attitude down to their children, and their grandchildren. When is it going to stop?

Is there anyone alive out there?

Now, I have an excuse. I was without a computer for 2 weeks and I am trying to refurbish a house!

But where is everyone else? Is there anyone else blogging at the moment or am I just talking to myself (it wouldn't be the first time!)

Or perhaps everyone is now just on facebook and I am living in yesterday.

I have signed up for facebook, but I don't get it.

Some people seem to spend hours on there. But what are they doing?

I just like looking at photos of other people. However, if you're on facebook, you will notice I haven't put my picture on yet. I am waiting for find a nice one, especially as some old school friends have requested my as their friend, so I want to look amazing. The problem is that I can't find a photo that shows me looking amazing! I might be waiting a long time!!!

Anyway...I went to see a certain Songster brigade with mum and dad on Sunday night. They were pretty good, but they sang 2 songs together, and I almost had to leave the room. 'You are the light' and 'My strength alone'.

I miss Aberdeen Citadel!!!

In all other aspects of my life, I am happy. I love my new house, I have an amazing husband and son, I am living close to my family and lots of friends nearby. But I miss going to Aberdeen. I miss the songsters, I miss (certain) people, I miss Cell group, I miss the friendliness and welcome. People say it shouldn't matter where you worship. They are right! But it doesn't stop me missing them!

The most boring blog in the world!

It's such a long time since I blogged I don't actually know what to blog about. So much has happened in the last month or so, but I am going to make this short and sweet.

We have moved into our new home, and it's definitely "home". It feels as though we have been here for years! There is a lot to do to make it ours, but it will be fab once it's all done.

It's fantastic being around our family and friends again. I was caught complaining last week that I was too busy! I wasn't actually complaining! It's great to have so much to do.

I haven't thought much about Aberdeen since we left. The one thing I do miss is the Army! There are a select group of people who I would have liked to pack into a box and shipped them down to Middlesbrough with us! But that's not possible, and there's always a compromise somewhere. No doubt I will catch up with them soon.

I have just read this blog back, and realised how boring it is! I'm sorry. I'm not going to delete and start again. I will just change the title!

I have confidence! (at last!!!)

Having written an uninspiring post 10 minutes ago, I have decided to write another one!

I was thinking about being so busy here, and why I am so busy!

I guess when we lived in Aberdeen, I worked for 3 and a half years and went to the Army on a Sunday, so was busy 6 days out of 7. Then, when I suddenly stopped working, and Samuel arrived, I guess I just accepted that that was my life and I met up with the people I had met through work and the Army when they were free. Yes, I made some new friends through the baby groups, but I wasn't very proactive in those friendships. We met once a week for coffee, and that was it! If I didn't have anything to do, that was that, and Samuel and I either stayed at home or went for a walk on our own. It never crossed my mind to ring anyone.

Since moving back to Middlesbrough, though, I seemed to have developed a new-found confidence I never knew I had. I am not particulary shy, but I'm not very good in social situations. I can't start conversations easily, or continue them when someone starts talking to me. I'm not ignorant or stuck up(which I think I can come across as being) I'm just not very good at interacting with other people, unless I know them really well!

Last Sunday, I took Samuel to the nearest Corps. Alan didn't come with me. (He was trying to fix our house alarm.) I went on my own. I wouldn't have done that 5 years ago. In fact, Alan had to come with me the first time I went to Aberdeen. I wouldn't go on my own.

Last Wednesday, I took Samuel to the local mother and toddlers group. We didn't know anyone there, but I thought it would be a good chance to meet new people. For the first half hour, no one spoke to us apart from the lady running it. After a while, Sam started smiling at a group of women over the other side of the room, so I picked him up and went to join them. I definitely wouldn't have done that 5 years ago! Turns out, this group was lovely and I am meeting them again this week.

This morning, I took Samuel to the Health Visitor for a weigh-in. I was told by the Health Centre to wait for a Health Visitor to get in touch with me. Well, I have been waiting 4 weeks now for someone to call. They haven't, so I took it upon myself to take him to get him weighed anyway. How bolchy is that!!

I find myself doing things I never thought I would. And, without being too big-headed, I am quite proud of myself.

However, I ask myself, would I do this if I didn't have Samuel to hide behind? A lot of the time, I use him in situations to speak to people and get invited to things. People come and speak to Samuel, which allows me to start a conversation with them (usually about him), but then that develops into something else. I took him to mother and toddlers to meet new people hoping that, when he is older, I will still be in touch with them.

Perhaps I'm not as confident as I thought I was!

The Worst Place To Live

It's official...we have moved to The Worst Place To Live In Britain...according to someone on the telly! I wonder how accurate these surveys actually are. It's true that there is a lot of crime in the centre of town, that there are people who are jobless, homeless, penniless, etc, etc, etc. There are also plenty of thugs about who have decided to spoil this area for the rest of us. Instead of labelling Middlesbrough as such a horrible place, though, why isn't something done about it?

I get really annoyed at some of the stories in the news. I was listening to the radio last week and heard that vicars have been advised not to wear their dog collars in public when not on official duty to prevent being attacked. Apparantly vicars are being attacked on trains, in supermarkets, on the street, etc. So, some bright spark has decided that the victim is at fault, and that he/she should stop aggravating the thugs by wearing the one thing that identifies them as a religious figure.

I watched a TV programme the other night in which a man had been "egged" in his car and stopped some passing policemen. Did the policemen immediately follow the accused? No, the victim was arrested for being too loud, angry and abusive! Of course the man was upset and a little hopping mad, but he certainly wasn't a threat.

A few days later, I was reading an item in the newspaper about a woman walking her dog in a park when some teenagers fired a pellet gun at her. She reported it to the police, who advised she walk her dog somewhere else to prevent being attacked in the future. Again, the victim is to blame!

Is it just me, or is this country going mad? Why aren't the attackers/thugs/morons/whatever you want to call them being moved on/warned/arrested/jailed. Who decided that the ordinary bloke-next-door-type of person was in the wrong? Who decided that the thugs should be given the right to rule the country? When is someone going to realise that, if something isn't done about these kind of matters, this country isn't going to be a safe place to live at all? If I want to sit on a train, I should be able to wear whatever I like, safe in the knowledge that, if someone did approach me, I could call the police and something would be done about it. I should be able to walk through a park, down the road, around town and know that the streets were being kept safe. What is happening?

The Long Journey Down

I don't know how many times we have driven from Aberdeen to Teesside and back again in the last 4 years, but it's definitely more than I can count on 1 hand.

Our journey on Friday, though, as we left our house for the last time, was definitely the worst.

WE eventually left at 11.15am. Ten minutes down the road, we had a phone call from the estate agents asking us to collect something, so we turned back. By then, it was Samuel's lunchtime, so we decided to feed him, and have a sandwich ourselves. We set off for a second time at 12.30pm. Driving through Aberdeen was horrendous! There was so much traffic. Then, before we had even reached Dundee, we were stuck in roadworks. We took a wrong turning in Edinburgh (how many times have we driven that way?), and all this before we had even left Scotland! There was more to come.

Needless to say, during the journey, I asked myself several times, were we doing the right thing?

God answered my question late on Saturday afternoon when I couldn't get Samuel to sleep, and had a million and one things to do before he went to bed. My mother- and father-in-law offered to take him out for a walk. I had 35 minutes to myself, to get on with other jobs!

This is why we have moved back to Teesside! Thank God for Grandparents!!!

All hail to the Cadburys Wispa!

Yippee!! It's back!!

It tastes the same, it looks the same, it is the same!

Cadburys Wispa is the best!!!

For your convenience...

What is it with these self check-outs at supermarkets?

Aren't they there for your convenience, so you can pay more quickly.

Not so!

I went to visit a friend this morning who hasn't been well for a few weeks, so hasn't been to the Army for a while, and I wanted to see her before we move.

I figured it would take about 45 minutes to get there, so I left at 9.15 to get there at 10. On the way, though, I decided I should get her some flowers, so I stopped off at a supermarket.

There were only 2 checkouts open, and both had long queues with full trolleys, so I thought I would try the self checkout. I scanned my flowers, and it says 'This item needs assistance. Please wait for a member of staff'. So I waited, and waited...there was no one around apart from the 2 girls on the checkout.

Nearly 10 minutes went by before someone came to help.

I think I'll just stand in the queue next time.

Lasting Impressions

People say that first impressions are really important, but I think last impressions mean just as much.

I have just attended my last Sunday meeting as a soldier of my Corps.

Following the meeting, so many people came to me, wishing us well, in their caring, friendly, Christian way.

Other people, entered the hall in their usual, stoney-faced, bless-me-if-you-dare kind-of attitude, and left the hall in the same way, without even a second glance towards me and my family.

It made me wonder what lasting impression I will leave on the Corps.

Hopefully it will be the former and not the latter.

But it makes you think, you never know who is watching you, taking in your actions and analysing your every move.

I hope that I portray the kind of person that God wants me to be, and not the mood that I wake up in on a Sunday morning!

An Ode To A Friend

There are people who you meet throughout your life who become your friends.

Some of those friendships are based on your circumstances…studying together at school, having a child the same age, working together, having a similar interest. When your circumstances change, often those friendships break down. It’s happened to me so many times before. I have lost friends through marriage, moving area, changing jobs.

I have no doubt that, when I move away from Aberdeen, a lot of the friendships I have made will fizzle out. It happened when I went to University. It happened when I left University. It happened when I moved to Aberdeen.

Other friendships, though, are for life.

There are only a small handful of people in my life I consider to be real, lifelong friends.

Someone who will laugh with me, and sometimes at me! But who will also be there when I fall, when I need a shoulder to cry on, when life isn’t going quite my way, when I’m angry, when I’m desperate!

Someone who will pop round for a cup of tea, even if that means travelling miles out of their way, just to spend an hour with me.

Someone who will go that extra step, just to see that I’m “ok”.

Someone I can be at ease with, no airs and graces…just takes me for who I am!

These kinds of friendships are hard to find and should never be taken for granted.

Moving away from Aberdeen means that I am leaving behind some very special, unique people with whom I have very special, unique friendships. And I am going to miss them so much!

This “ode” is particularly for Pam. A true friend, who takes me for who I am, who has been there and supported me through so much, who has let me have a moan, but also have a laugh, and who has supplied me with so many cups of tea and slices of cheesecake that I’ve lost count!

Thank you for being a real, lifelong friend.

My Night Out!

After trying on about 4 different outfits, I finally found something to wear. I managed to squeeze into a pair of old black trousers and found a black top in the back of my wardrobe that I wore on my first date with Alan (I've GOT to go on a shopping spree soon...we have now been married over 4 years!) As luck would have it, I was completely overdressed as the other girls were in their jeans. Well, at least I made an effort, and I don't get out much!

I spent a fantastic evening with two girls I have been working closely with for 4 years. We went for a meal in a lovely restaurant and spent a few hours catching up on each other's news, gossiping about school/colleagues (in a nice way, of course) and generally having a good laugh! As I said, I have worked with Nicola and Debra for 4 years, but we know and treat each other like old friends. We know we can say anything, insult each other, divulge top-secrets, and it will kept between the 3 of us. You don't often find friendships like that, and I am really going to miss them! Top girls!!!

This afternoon, I was invited to a tea party with the children I had been working with at school before I went on maternity leave. I had been working as a Special Needs teacher in the booster base for a year and a half. I don't really think the children understood what was going on as, despite one of the other teachers explaining the reason we were having a party (as in, I was moving away), one little boy asked "When are you coming back to work with us!" Then, another boy got upset because I was leaving. He went back to his classroom to draw me a picture and, on the back, he had written; "See you when you come back!" Er no, I'm not coming back! That's the point!

We spent the rest of the day packing. Our house is even more chaotic than it was this time last week! You daren't lay anything down, otherwise it gets packed.

In fact, I haven't seen Samuel for a while................

What to Wear?!

The farewell parties have begun...very sad!! I cna't believe how quickly the time is going.

I am going out for a meal in precisely 3 hours and 5 minutes.

I have just realised I have nothing to wear.

My pre-pregnancy clothes (other than my slouchy combat trousers and baggy t-shirts) are either a wee bit on the tight side, or have been put into the I-can't-wear-that-after-having-a-baby pile.

I can't just 'pop into town', we don't have a clothing section at our brand new Tesco (whoopee!) and Dawn doesn't live just round the corner (your dress is washed, ironed and ready for departure...thanks!)

What's a girl to do?

On the plus side, I have just had my hair cut...so perhaps no one will notice when I go out in my track suit bottoms!!!

Competitive parents

Why do some parents insist on competing over who has the most intelligent/good-looking/ talented/funniest/sweet natured child?

And it starts so young!

I was asked today if my son had started crawling yet! He's 6 months old!! Apparantly, her bundle of joy was walking at 8 months.

Does that make me and my son inferior to her and her offspring?

Another Mum proudly announced that she started weaning her child at 6 weeks, and why hadn't I started sooner?

Why can't people just enjoy their babies and stop trying to make them grow up so fast? Don't children grow up too quickly anyway?

Where is my....?

Ok, so most of upstairs is packed into boxes, ready for our move.

The loft is empty, the guest beds have been dismantled, all my teaching stuff is packed away, the walking/camping gear has gone. Everything has been itemised, boxes are numbered, etc, etc.

So, why, when you realise you have packed something you need, you can't find it, and the box marked 'Nic's teaching resources' actually contains fiction books?

Anyway, we are now surrounded by several open, half empty boxes and the vital item is nowhere to be found!

On reflection, do I really need it after all?

Oh my goodness...I'm a blogger!!!

Well, I have finally succumbed!!

Every morning, I check everyone else's blog, and have a moan when they haven't been updated, so I thought I would have a go as well.

Prepare to be bored................