Warm and snugly under the blanket. I slept like a brick last night and woke up at 6:30am with out any problems. Zelda joined us at around 6:45 and I read her a story. She had placed a book under my pillow for me to read to her when we were awake.
Morning rituals as normal with the added addition of binoculars worn by Zelda all the way to school. She saw pink birds, black birds and larger than life buildings. Before we knew it we were at school and saying good by.
Coffee at the university with the hubby and then off to get my hair perked up a bit. Toni and Guy are expensive. Must find a cheaper hairdresser in Newcastle. I must say though it looks very good!
After school cafe club at the church. Zelda played games with her friends while I chatted with my friends.
We got a ride home which was excellent and had more time to snuggle and eat dinner before getting into the bath, which is where Zelda is now. Sounds of mermaid barbie versus rainbow ponies are in the background. Now all I need is to convince her to let me wash her hair!
6:14 and I am off to battle the mermaid, the pony and Zelda!
xx
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Wednesday
A year passed and a new one began.
For me, I became one year older.
Not so for the young man I saw this morning at 9:30 am.
I spent the day working with young full of life children.
I am alive,
He, is not.
This Birthday Present, will be one that lasts
until it disappears.
I will enjoy it,
respect it,
honor it,
fill it,
love it.
For me, I became one year older.
Not so for the young man I saw this morning at 9:30 am.
I spent the day working with young full of life children.
I am alive,
He, is not.
This Birthday Present, will be one that lasts
until it disappears.
I will enjoy it,
respect it,
honor it,
fill it,
love it.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Tuesday
...is it morning? This seems to be our new alarm system, delivered by Zelda at very early hours of the morning. Today it was 6:17am. The radio alarm did not go off, so luckily the Zelda alarm did or we would have over slept.
The sky was full of pink and white cotton candy floss, wrapped around ancient buildings, and woven between the winter trees. We walked and ran through our landscape to Zeldas school. I was once again, amazed by my environment, and astonished that after five months living here, I am still caught off guard by the beauty of the place. It makes feel alive. I physically get high off it. I can feel the adrenaline going through my body and experience the changes in myself over the period of time that I am out walking. I am considering jogging again. The combination of exercise and landscape are a perfect pair.
Zelda and I played in the park before she went into the school yard. I played with her on her school exercise course. She held my hand and then just a finger as she hopped from one log to the next until she did it all on her own. I left her happily playing with her friends and set off to run my errands.
The afternoon was routine and we played in the park again after school. Zelda has lots of lovely friends and she really enjoys running around. I love watching her interact. She is becoming more and more gutsy as the days go by.
Once home we snuggled on the couch, she ate her supper and we did the night time routine. I read her stories, told her stories in the dark, sang to her and tickled her back. Sleep finally took her away and away I went.
Time check a soup simmering downstairs for our dinner. A lovely daughter a sleep and dreaming in her bed. A wonderful husband hard at work and a perfect day comes to an end.
The sky was full of pink and white cotton candy floss, wrapped around ancient buildings, and woven between the winter trees. We walked and ran through our landscape to Zeldas school. I was once again, amazed by my environment, and astonished that after five months living here, I am still caught off guard by the beauty of the place. It makes feel alive. I physically get high off it. I can feel the adrenaline going through my body and experience the changes in myself over the period of time that I am out walking. I am considering jogging again. The combination of exercise and landscape are a perfect pair.
Zelda and I played in the park before she went into the school yard. I played with her on her school exercise course. She held my hand and then just a finger as she hopped from one log to the next until she did it all on her own. I left her happily playing with her friends and set off to run my errands.
The afternoon was routine and we played in the park again after school. Zelda has lots of lovely friends and she really enjoys running around. I love watching her interact. She is becoming more and more gutsy as the days go by.
Once home we snuggled on the couch, she ate her supper and we did the night time routine. I read her stories, told her stories in the dark, sang to her and tickled her back. Sleep finally took her away and away I went.
Time check a soup simmering downstairs for our dinner. A lovely daughter a sleep and dreaming in her bed. A wonderful husband hard at work and a perfect day comes to an end.
Monday, 24 January 2011
Monday
I was not angry, my feet led me in a trance like state as I climbed up her loft ladder and dropped into her single bed. Startled awake by a face peering at me at 2:30 am by a wide awake Zelda led to my not getting back to my bed until around 4:30 am. I am not sure when she fell back to sleep. She was reading books and I could hear her talking to herself for what seemed like a long time. When I went to make her bed later in the morning I found stacks of books under the covers. She is almost 5. What will she be like when she is 8?
Despite the no sleep, we managed to follow our routine flawlessly. We made it to school on time and had a pleasant walk/run there together.
No coffee at the university as it was Monday. I ran my errands and got home earlier. I walked into the house and heard the familiar beeping sound of the answer machine. I played it. It was from the realtor. I refused to run and call back, instead I took my time and unpacked the groceries and went to the bathroom, then I called.
The owner upped our offer by 5K. I asked for him to meet us half way.
2:30 rolled around and it was time to go to get Zelda. We played in the park and had a lovely walk back home. Again, the familiar beeping greeted me as I entered the house. I gulped and played the message. I was to call back. I called back. Offer accepted!!!!!
Unlike in France, buying a house in the UK is much trickier. Apparently you can get what is called Gazumped by another offer. Also, there are things called forward chains, and that means that if the seller does not have a house secured yet to stay in, you have to wait until his deal goes through. If it doesn't then you have to wait to settle, or worse, sometimes you don't get the house in the end and have to start your search all over again. Apparently, there is no chain, and the seller can move into the house he is buying asap.
I am so excited. Our first house. Three floors of rooms to clean, but heh,who cares, they will all be mine!
I am excited to change the house to make our imprint on it. This link will give you an idea of how I want to open up the kitchen area to the dining area which flows into the living area as the owner already opened up the two rooms.
http://www.housetohome.co.uk/generic/printgallery/id/1441
This is the winter/summer deck
This is the bath- toilet in separate room
Garden, but only the grassy part. To the side is another decked area and path leading to the forest.
small bedroom, we will turn it into a studio for doing art etc...
Front bedroom-will become office/spare bedroom/music room
Back facing bedroom-Zeldas room- Has beautiful forest and country side vista
Lounge with fireplace
Dining area connected to lounge. Wall on left will be opened up to create open plan living/dining cooking area with access to outside deck.
Current kitchen but to be changed! :)
We will also carry out a loft conversion with a en suite bathroom for ourselves.
Time check-7:46-Zelda fast a sleep, and hopefully staying that way. Hubby on way home. Me, happy as a lark and can't wait to live amongst the forest animals, have BBQ's, and watch Zelda grow up in our new home!
Despite the no sleep, we managed to follow our routine flawlessly. We made it to school on time and had a pleasant walk/run there together.
No coffee at the university as it was Monday. I ran my errands and got home earlier. I walked into the house and heard the familiar beeping sound of the answer machine. I played it. It was from the realtor. I refused to run and call back, instead I took my time and unpacked the groceries and went to the bathroom, then I called.
The owner upped our offer by 5K. I asked for him to meet us half way.
2:30 rolled around and it was time to go to get Zelda. We played in the park and had a lovely walk back home. Again, the familiar beeping greeted me as I entered the house. I gulped and played the message. I was to call back. I called back. Offer accepted!!!!!
Unlike in France, buying a house in the UK is much trickier. Apparently you can get what is called Gazumped by another offer. Also, there are things called forward chains, and that means that if the seller does not have a house secured yet to stay in, you have to wait until his deal goes through. If it doesn't then you have to wait to settle, or worse, sometimes you don't get the house in the end and have to start your search all over again. Apparently, there is no chain, and the seller can move into the house he is buying asap.
I am so excited. Our first house. Three floors of rooms to clean, but heh,who cares, they will all be mine!
I am excited to change the house to make our imprint on it. This link will give you an idea of how I want to open up the kitchen area to the dining area which flows into the living area as the owner already opened up the two rooms.
http://www.housetohome.co.uk/generic/printgallery/id/1441
This is the winter/summer deck
Garden, but only the grassy part. To the side is another decked area and path leading to the forest.
small bedroom, we will turn it into a studio for doing art etc...
We will also carry out a loft conversion with a en suite bathroom for ourselves.
Time check-7:46-Zelda fast a sleep, and hopefully staying that way. Hubby on way home. Me, happy as a lark and can't wait to live amongst the forest animals, have BBQ's, and watch Zelda grow up in our new home!
Sunday, 23 January 2011
The Weekend
Why are weekends not the same as holidays and if holidays fall on weekends is it still just a weekend or a holiday weekend? Friday does not count as part of the weekend as it is a school day, yet school holidays fall on weekdays which are also school days when one is not on holiday. My daughter wants more holidays, or perhaps just longer weekends, don't we all!
Friday was a great day which ended in an even more perfect night. The day itself went along as usual with morning routines, school drop off, coffee with the husband, house work and job searches.
The afternoon brought with it a very nice plumber who could not help us with the leak in the house, but he was very friendly and did not mind that I called him out to the house to find that what I had described to him was described incorrectly, thus the problem was one he could not deal with. The groceries were then delivered by en even friendlier guy, and I did not know whether it would be appropriate to meow after he called me "pet" on his departure.
Friday is Zeldas late night at school. On my way to pick her up I ran into two friends within the span of 4 minutes. While getting Zelda ready to depart, one of her friends was also leaving so they waited for us to get ready and we shared the walk. On the way down the street another friend yelled to me from across the road and we had an air wave encounter. When I got home, I felt really high spirited. After less than 5 months, I am able to walk around and feel as though I have a real life here. One with relationships, activities, inspiration and hope. I am part of a community, a neighborhood and a city.
Putting Zelda to bed was a loving and moving experience. She wanted to go to sleep on her own, but not before giving me big hugs and kisses and saying I love you mommy I heart you, goodnight. I hope her willingness to fall asleep on her own continues, and it couldn't be more perfect a way to put your child to bed than to have those words spoken.
Saturday we woke up early as we were headed to the house we wanted to buy. We met the builder there and spent a good hour walking around the house and making plans. Zelda loved the house, her room and the fact that there are a family of barn owls living in the backyard trees. Even more impressive was the playground that we could walk to straight out from our wooden gate in the back and through a short cut through the fields. No roads involved.
The strangest part about the house is that after I had looked at it on my own, I could not find my favorite hat. I was sure I had seen it in the house in the hall, but when I looked for it, it was no where to be found. I looked for a few days and gave up. When we all went to see the house on Saturday, I walked into the hall and there on the radiator mantle was my hat! I guess I did see it in my hall after all?? If that's not saying something, then the next fact is. I knew there was a French woman who lived across the road, but in fact it is a French family with two twin girls only a couple years older than Zelda and it is not across the road, but next door! The have lived in America as well for many years. In all the houses in all of Durham, we have found the one French family right next door to the one we fell in love with. Zelda can now continue her language learning like a bilingual child.
An offer was made, and now we are waiting til next week to see if he will accept it. It depends on what he has to pay for the property he is buying. Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed!
Today was a lovely Sunday filled with our usual Sunday habits; snuggling and lounging in bed as a threesome, big breakfast in the living room, ballet, dinner all together and games and books and bath. I have three home decorating magazines to peruse for ideas while relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine.
Everything has been just the way I like it. Perfect.
Friday was a great day which ended in an even more perfect night. The day itself went along as usual with morning routines, school drop off, coffee with the husband, house work and job searches.
The afternoon brought with it a very nice plumber who could not help us with the leak in the house, but he was very friendly and did not mind that I called him out to the house to find that what I had described to him was described incorrectly, thus the problem was one he could not deal with. The groceries were then delivered by en even friendlier guy, and I did not know whether it would be appropriate to meow after he called me "pet" on his departure.
Friday is Zeldas late night at school. On my way to pick her up I ran into two friends within the span of 4 minutes. While getting Zelda ready to depart, one of her friends was also leaving so they waited for us to get ready and we shared the walk. On the way down the street another friend yelled to me from across the road and we had an air wave encounter. When I got home, I felt really high spirited. After less than 5 months, I am able to walk around and feel as though I have a real life here. One with relationships, activities, inspiration and hope. I am part of a community, a neighborhood and a city.
Putting Zelda to bed was a loving and moving experience. She wanted to go to sleep on her own, but not before giving me big hugs and kisses and saying I love you mommy I heart you, goodnight. I hope her willingness to fall asleep on her own continues, and it couldn't be more perfect a way to put your child to bed than to have those words spoken.
Saturday we woke up early as we were headed to the house we wanted to buy. We met the builder there and spent a good hour walking around the house and making plans. Zelda loved the house, her room and the fact that there are a family of barn owls living in the backyard trees. Even more impressive was the playground that we could walk to straight out from our wooden gate in the back and through a short cut through the fields. No roads involved.
The strangest part about the house is that after I had looked at it on my own, I could not find my favorite hat. I was sure I had seen it in the house in the hall, but when I looked for it, it was no where to be found. I looked for a few days and gave up. When we all went to see the house on Saturday, I walked into the hall and there on the radiator mantle was my hat! I guess I did see it in my hall after all?? If that's not saying something, then the next fact is. I knew there was a French woman who lived across the road, but in fact it is a French family with two twin girls only a couple years older than Zelda and it is not across the road, but next door! The have lived in America as well for many years. In all the houses in all of Durham, we have found the one French family right next door to the one we fell in love with. Zelda can now continue her language learning like a bilingual child.
An offer was made, and now we are waiting til next week to see if he will accept it. It depends on what he has to pay for the property he is buying. Fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed!
Today was a lovely Sunday filled with our usual Sunday habits; snuggling and lounging in bed as a threesome, big breakfast in the living room, ballet, dinner all together and games and books and bath. I have three home decorating magazines to peruse for ideas while relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine.
Everything has been just the way I like it. Perfect.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Thursday ( and wednesday)
If you do not seek you will not find. If you sit around and let the grass grow under your feet, soon you will be covered in lawn clippings. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the septic tank. It is green where I stand right now and growing greener.
I feel special. I feel as though I have something inside to offer the outside world that no one else has. This in fact may not be true, but that does not matter to me. What matters is that I feel it. Because I feel it, I can act and do things that I would not if I did not feel this way. Yesterday I took a stab in the dark. It worked.
The woman who is the head of Access and Learning for the Durham Museums and I are meeting next Friday. I never met her. She never met me. I did not even have her name. All I knew was that she was a mom at Zeldas school. I played detective and researched who it could be. Checking names against the school list directory against museum web page info. Making phone calls to the museum and dropping hints about children to check if I had the right person. I did. I wrote her an email. She immediately wrote me back. Voila, opportunities at its best. Couldn't be more perfect.
Today, we went to see the house again. My husband and I felt the same way. We loved it. We can see ourselves living there til we grow old, and when we do, right around the corner is a hospice, so we would not have to go far! We can see raising Zelda there. She can grow up in this house. She will have a loving environment. Woods in the backyard, barn owls and deer. Quiet and calm. A real neighborhood with a playground and fields around the corner. It is idyllic. We will make an offer on Saturday and hope it is accepted.
The weather has been glorious. Cool and sunny. The light, orange and yellow and pink. I walk into town in the morning and see Turners all around me. I am floored. The light in the Med is beautiful too, but it holds only feelings of burning and fire, whilst the the northern light is moody, introspective and thought provoking.
These past two days have been very good days and I am pleased. One might say they have been perfect.
I feel special. I feel as though I have something inside to offer the outside world that no one else has. This in fact may not be true, but that does not matter to me. What matters is that I feel it. Because I feel it, I can act and do things that I would not if I did not feel this way. Yesterday I took a stab in the dark. It worked.
The woman who is the head of Access and Learning for the Durham Museums and I are meeting next Friday. I never met her. She never met me. I did not even have her name. All I knew was that she was a mom at Zeldas school. I played detective and researched who it could be. Checking names against the school list directory against museum web page info. Making phone calls to the museum and dropping hints about children to check if I had the right person. I did. I wrote her an email. She immediately wrote me back. Voila, opportunities at its best. Couldn't be more perfect.
Today, we went to see the house again. My husband and I felt the same way. We loved it. We can see ourselves living there til we grow old, and when we do, right around the corner is a hospice, so we would not have to go far! We can see raising Zelda there. She can grow up in this house. She will have a loving environment. Woods in the backyard, barn owls and deer. Quiet and calm. A real neighborhood with a playground and fields around the corner. It is idyllic. We will make an offer on Saturday and hope it is accepted.
The weather has been glorious. Cool and sunny. The light, orange and yellow and pink. I walk into town in the morning and see Turners all around me. I am floored. The light in the Med is beautiful too, but it holds only feelings of burning and fire, whilst the the northern light is moody, introspective and thought provoking.
These past two days have been very good days and I am pleased. One might say they have been perfect.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Tuesday
I like to move it move it..repeat
6am wake up by the BBC followed by several gulps of coffee and then a jump in the shower. I was informed it was going to to be a warm and sunny 9 degrees today...so I put on a new jeans smock style dress, leggings and boots and was ready to go on my go sees.
The zebra got Zelda dressed and I made lunch for my husband and a breakfast to go of bagels and banana to take to the park for Zelda and I. We all walked into town together and reached the park around 8:30am. The hard frost ruined my picnic plans, but we ate standing up and then decided to go to the school yard as soon as we could.
Zelda played with her friends while I had another real estate conversation with some of the moms. It seems everyone is looking to buy and sell right now. I found out that one of the moms grew up on the street that I was going to see a house on today. There are three other families at the school who live on this street currently. I was saving my excitement for the visit.
Does size matter? I made a list of the requirements versus the sacrifices for buying a house. Size used to matter, but I think location and quiet and outside space now matter more. I saw two homes. One big and one not as big. The big one was big, needed work and although it had a nice garden, and bordered some wooded golf course area, you could still hear the road. For that special serenade the price was very high. Across the road, in the same development, but further in and facing a wood, with river below it was the second house. It was smaller. It had a gorgeous backyard, decked terrace with wooden roof, wonderful vista from windows and it was quiet. It also has the potential for a loft addition, giving us a master bedroom en suite, making the house larger and spacious and lovely. For this smallness the price was also small. I Think I have been converted. It's not size that matters but what you do with it!
The rest of the afternoon has been devoted to planning.Where I will knock out a wall and make an open plan kitchen living dining area that leads to the terrace. The new loft with bath and then dreaming of us outside listening to animals, oh did I mention there are deer in the backyard wood?
I walked back from the visits and then into town to do some food shopping. Came home and did chores.
Two thirty arrived and I went back into town to get zelda. We went to the park for a half hour and then walked back with a friend and her mom part of the way. As we were walking and talking she asked me what it was that I do. I told her and she then told me her good friend is the head of Learning for Durham Museums. She is one of the moms at the school. She continued to say how they always look for volunteers and then assign them projects that fit what they want to do, followed by her saying she will give me an introduction and her email to get in touch. The best part is that it is right next to Durham Cathedral! That could not be more perfect.
A bumpy evening ensued with Zelda and I arguing. We made up and I am not the worst mother in the world anymore. I am the best. Whew! I read her stories and snuggled her. I left her still awake so she could put her self to sleep. She is changing and growing up little by little, but it seems big. This is where size does matter.
Time check-7:53pm. Think I will sit in front of the fire and read a book, enjoy the silence and wait for the hubby to come home.
6am wake up by the BBC followed by several gulps of coffee and then a jump in the shower. I was informed it was going to to be a warm and sunny 9 degrees today...so I put on a new jeans smock style dress, leggings and boots and was ready to go on my go sees.
The zebra got Zelda dressed and I made lunch for my husband and a breakfast to go of bagels and banana to take to the park for Zelda and I. We all walked into town together and reached the park around 8:30am. The hard frost ruined my picnic plans, but we ate standing up and then decided to go to the school yard as soon as we could.
Zelda played with her friends while I had another real estate conversation with some of the moms. It seems everyone is looking to buy and sell right now. I found out that one of the moms grew up on the street that I was going to see a house on today. There are three other families at the school who live on this street currently. I was saving my excitement for the visit.
Does size matter? I made a list of the requirements versus the sacrifices for buying a house. Size used to matter, but I think location and quiet and outside space now matter more. I saw two homes. One big and one not as big. The big one was big, needed work and although it had a nice garden, and bordered some wooded golf course area, you could still hear the road. For that special serenade the price was very high. Across the road, in the same development, but further in and facing a wood, with river below it was the second house. It was smaller. It had a gorgeous backyard, decked terrace with wooden roof, wonderful vista from windows and it was quiet. It also has the potential for a loft addition, giving us a master bedroom en suite, making the house larger and spacious and lovely. For this smallness the price was also small. I Think I have been converted. It's not size that matters but what you do with it!
The rest of the afternoon has been devoted to planning.Where I will knock out a wall and make an open plan kitchen living dining area that leads to the terrace. The new loft with bath and then dreaming of us outside listening to animals, oh did I mention there are deer in the backyard wood?
I walked back from the visits and then into town to do some food shopping. Came home and did chores.
Two thirty arrived and I went back into town to get zelda. We went to the park for a half hour and then walked back with a friend and her mom part of the way. As we were walking and talking she asked me what it was that I do. I told her and she then told me her good friend is the head of Learning for Durham Museums. She is one of the moms at the school. She continued to say how they always look for volunteers and then assign them projects that fit what they want to do, followed by her saying she will give me an introduction and her email to get in touch. The best part is that it is right next to Durham Cathedral! That could not be more perfect.
A bumpy evening ensued with Zelda and I arguing. We made up and I am not the worst mother in the world anymore. I am the best. Whew! I read her stories and snuggled her. I left her still awake so she could put her self to sleep. She is changing and growing up little by little, but it seems big. This is where size does matter.
Time check-7:53pm. Think I will sit in front of the fire and read a book, enjoy the silence and wait for the hubby to come home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)