Slidin' towards the New Year

We finally closed on the house on Tuesday. Just in time to move Robbie and G/S/N into it yesterday, for the arrival of my mother this morning. Talk about cutting it close!

We’ve moved Kate into G/S/N’s old room, so now she has a true little girl’s room of her own. No more sharing the ‘guest room’.

I can’t believe it is almost Christmas. Of 2005.

I really tried to get on top of the Christmas card thing this year (not sure why I thought I would, given I haven’t for the last 10 or so years) by getting a couple of those make-your-own-card packs of photo-quality paper. We did try to take a Christmas-card-worthy picture last weekend. We’ll try again this weekend and will have to apologise if cards don’t arrive prior to the date.

First attempt - me telling James and Kate to smile, through my teeth.

Second attempt - me telling James to keep looking at the camera. Kate comes up with the most gorgeous smile.

Final attempt last weekend - James and me, trying to salvage the picture....Kate has moved on.

All Mine!

Last weekend we had my little nephew stay with us overnight while his parents were at a wedding.

Kate was all ‘me, me, mine, mine’ all afternoon, taking things from him, claiming his sippy cup as his own, etc. I finally had to give her her first time out when she pitched a fit for no reason (I was so proud of how calm I stayed….”Kate, would you like to go upstairs for a minute to calm down?”).

Monday morning as soon as she got out of bed she spied William’s sock that had fallen onto the floor and said, ”Oh no!”….I responded that, yes William was still here but he wasn’t staying for good…..”Oh no oh no oh no!” – what a poor, put-upon child.

When we were in the kitchen having breakfast, James had William on his lap reading a book. Kate was invited to join in and did so for about 10 seconds. Then she made a grab for it.


Then….James and William were playing with Kate’s little keyboard and Kate of course had to try to wrench it out of James’ hand. James told her that they were using it now and she could have it in a minute….and then of course William lost interest so Kate got the keyboard. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing – she dragged the keyboard across the kitchen floor (terra cotta tiles….clickety clack, clickety clack) and then threw it into the wall!Next thing you know, William says, “Da da”….not for any reason except that that is one of his latest sounds….and Kate’s head whipped around and she gave him such a glare! (this she gets from her Daddy).

F@cking Freezing....and other gripes

What is this country coming to? Our boiler, which we replaced less than two years ago, has broken down no less than four times this year so far. This time the heat and hot water went on Friday early morning. When we called British Gas they said they'd come out Monday, no earlier....when we said that was unacceptable as we have a 21-month-old baby, they said that unless someone was dying they wouldn't be able to come out earlier. This is what we pay for with British Gas Homecare. Like it.

So today they come out to discover the fan has broken. The same fan they fixed two weeks ago, when they were here last. And they can't fix it til tomorrow.

Do they KNOW we have been boiling big pots and pans of water so we can have baths? Or that we have had the gas fire going for three days straight and we huddle around it at all times? Or that my daughter's lips have turned a permanent shade of purple?

AND

AND AND AND!

The f*cking mortgage company (let's just shorten to 'FMC' for ease, shall we?) , who ASSURED us that the letter would go out today and also be faxed to our solicitor in order to speed things along so we could complete by Thursday so we can move everyone out on Friday in order to receive visitors on Saturday, DIDN'T DO IT. Why am I not surprised. We were supposed to complete last week but it got pushed back to this week because the FMC couldn't get their acts together last week and indeed didn't even have the professionalism and courtesy to RESPOND to our mortgage contact OR our solicitor. Now we will have to push til next week because the FMC lies to us once they do respond.

I can't believe this.

I'm going home.

To this:

At least SHE's cute as pie.