greent's mfw journey

greent

First proper day of the hols (although DS3's internal clock is still on term time) and we've had a do-nothing-much kinda day. Have let the 2 smalls loose with lego/ tablets and made up games involving goodness -knows-what - but they've seemed happy enough. Both of them did something yesterday (DS3 went to classmates' bday party and DS2 the cinema with OH) so I didn't feel compelled to *have* to do something today I've cleaned our bathroom and the downstairs loo, baked a batch of rolls, done 2 loads of washing (mainly line dried :T) sorted out a few books for passing on/ CS, gone through lots of paperwork and recycled/ burned heaps and filed stuff from the last couple of months, online banking and paid some bills (boo!) and identified a couple of items for fleabay. When smalls are in bed I shall try to summon up enough enthusiasm to do a bit of the last part of charity paperwork (my goal is to get it all sorted by this weekend, doing some every night) I also need to do some ironing - there's a box set I've been watching on tv which I can iron along to (Imposters)

It's the first day of OH's contract extension - which means he *should* be working from home today - but the project is super busy again, so off he went this morning. He's likely to be back Thurs night (Weds night if he can, but unlikely) Still - it's more money

DD is away for another week (firstly at bf's house and then they are staying the weekend at 'their' flat) and DS1 is currently out with friends (and away from 7.30 Weds morning until 5th Aug) so it's very quiet here with just me and the smalls They are just beginning to get tetchy with each other, so I think it's time for some intervention before bed...!
x

Karmacat

Amazing times, greent! Clearing your own space because you're finishing off the charity work sounds especially wonderful, frankly

greent wrote: »

Last day at primary for DS2 yesterday - did do a post but no idea where it's gone - emotional day for him. He is the only one going to his new school (high performing grammar in next town) - most are going to the local comp (nothing against comps, but I've worked in this one and would not want my child going there...... - and it's improved over the past decade) He's academically very bright - was working at/ beyond Y6 level in maths & English when in Y4 - but emotionally very young, although has always been quite stoic about dealing with situations. (he's not a special snowflake - I'm NOT one of those parents! ) It's going to be a massive change for him - as is going to secondary school for any 11yo, really - he just won't have anyone he knows there to share it with. Am sure he'll be fine come Oct half term, though.

How far away is it, greent? From what I've seen of my nephew and niece, the only problem with the very long travel that they had was that making friends was delayed a bit, and when it *did* happen, it was all about chauffeuring by parents. Mind you, very close friendship groups - my nephew's best man was at that school

Getting the charity stuff sorted has also inspired me to re-visit paperwork here - I think the huge amount of charity stuff overwhelmed me and put me off sorting the rest out (I also need OH to do his - he has boxes/ shelves/ drawers full of the stuff - most of which he never touches....) and I'm looking forward to doing ours (it's not too bad - I have to keep on top of a lot of personal and business stuff for HMRC anyway)

The more you do, the more you want to do, and the easier it gets :j win-win

Have been awake since before 6 (first day of the hols... what's that all about?!) - am sure I'll crash by 10pm tonight as a result! :rotfl:

Yep :rotfl:

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apple_muncher

How's the midden?

(Gotta love that word!)

CathT

greent wrote: »

Whoop! Just booked flights and a villa for Oct half term
x

That's what sleep deprivation does to you. You'll be looking forward to your holiday when everyone else has been on theirs.

greent

Karmacat wrote: »

Amazing times, greent! Clearing your own space because you're finishing off the charity work sounds especially wonderful, frankly

It's a definite knock-on effect - and very 'lighten-ing'

How far away is it, greent? From what I've seen of my nephew and niece, the only problem with the very long travel that they had was that making friends was delayed a bit, and when it *did* happen, it was all about chauffeuring by parents. Mind you, very close friendship groups - my nephew's best man was at that school

2 (short) motorway junctions - about half an hour's drive. The school bus leaves from about a mile(and a tiny bit) from here at 7.50 in the morning. It'll just be a change for all of us to get used to.

The local boys' grammar (where DS1 goes and I invigilate) is 10-15 mins drive (depending upon traffic). His 2 best friends from there live either side of the county - and neither near to us (the closest being 30 mins away, the other around 45mins) so I know that going to the local one doesn't necessarily mean your friends will be close (although where DS2 will be going has a LOT of out-of-county students!)

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apple_muncher wrote: »

How's the midden?

(Gotta love that word!)

Less midden-like than it was! Bathrooms are sparkling and kitchen is reasonable

CathT wrote: »

That's what sleep deprivation does to you. You'll be looking forward to your holiday when everyone else has been on theirs.

I like Oct holidays - we've usually gone away then - less hot weather (most of us have a tendency to burn...)


I've finished the charity stuff now, other than reconciling the latest bank statement (in the post) and handing it all over and transferring the PC files. It's all filed, labelled, cross-referenced.... Now my time is mine - for family time :j

DS1 has gone away on army cadet camp today - I dropped him off at the pick up point at 7.30 this morning - back in 10 days. I am going to take the opportunity to give his room a thorough vacuum and polish I have already retrieved several odd socks, a damp towel, a crushed school jumper and a pair of PJs from the floor!

Karmacat

Wow, interesting about the location of schools and their students - it would be the same wherever he was, obviously.

Loving the idea of your October holiday - one of the things I loved when I was a student was going away for September, just as it was starting to cool down a little bit, I just can't take the heat.

I did my Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award in parallel with an ATC camp - from what I saw, ATC is like a permanent DofE setup - or like the Scouts with more exercise. Great stuff

michelle09

I was lucky enough to live close enough to the grammar school to walk (about 15 minutes on foot) but loads of my friends got a bus that took 30 to an hour or so and they didn't seem to struggle with it too much. They just had to get up quite a bit earlier than I did! Hope your son does well.

Hooray for an October holiday, I think it's nice to have something to look forward to after the summer.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

Morning GreenT, great to hear that the charity stuff is done and you have time, in the future, to spend as you choose.

Hope you have a fab summer with the smalls. Weather is a little dodgy but seems to be on the up.

Miss Tilly has gone away with Army Cadets as adult staff this year - loving it and full of 'inside' stories to tell the Tilly clan when she returns :rotfl:

Very best wishes Tilly xxx

greent

This is DS1's last year as a cadet on camp, Tilly - he's now the most senior cadet in his platoon - had never thought about him going as adult staff after that - fab idea

DS2 should be fine, michelle - thanks - although he will struggle getting up a full 45 mins before his previous 'get up' time! :rotfl:


Well a new month is here We paid the sub acct 03 off the BTL mtge last month and now to tackle the big one (sub acct 01 - sub acct 03 is tiny, but its end date is 5 years beyond 02, so it makes sense to tackle 01) We can also now see the balances online - which is more of an incentive to send small payments to it (sent £20 yesterday - which was the result of OH's account 'round ups' (done automatically) at £16.83 then being rounded up again ) Am not going to throw larger sums from 'our' money at present until kitchen is done and dusted. Plus we've put most of Oct hol on 0% CC - but plan on clearing that in one fell swoop in Nov (we could clear it now but I prefer to have the balance on 0% and the funds earn a few pennies interest in the meantime )

I have set myself a target to make £150 (net) from fleabay/ faceb00k/ Z1ffit sales this month - listed a few items yesterday to start the ball rolling, but no watchers yet. I have a huge pile of sets of toys from when DS3 had a clear out earlier this year - some still have boxes, so am hoping a good amount of them go (although I won't benefit from any funds - most will go to DS3, with some to DS2 and DS1 - the family room will greatly benefit from the additional space!) I have a heap of boxes and bubble wrap (thanks to Tesc0 and A1di fruit areas!:D) ready in the garage - so some space will be achieved there, too. I just need to motivate myself to list it......!:p:p Ooh yes - forgot to say - I won some Roald Dahl goodies on the Mrkipling site - DD has bagged the cushion and teatowel for her flat, but that still leaves me another item for fleabaying and 2 perfect for a Xmas present :T :money:

We have now decided not to go for the new kitchen until Jan. Whilst it would be lovely to have it for Xmas, OH's contract finishes on 15th Dec and a new one is unlikely (although nit impossible) to start in Jan - which means we can take out the existing kitchen ourselves and possibly even take up the floor tiles - saving a few £. I would also prefer him to be around for the inevitable queries/ snags - he is much better at dealing with such issues in a calm fashion than I am! It also means no last minute things in the rush for Xmas (I had the gas range connected on Xmas Eve last time we had a new kitchen - and I was hosting Xmas! and we didn't have a kitchen sink plumbed in until mid-late Jan (thank heavens for dishwashers!) as we were awaiting a shipment of granite from Italy which was delayed (two week shutdown over Xmas/ New Year)) My aim then is that it is essentially finished for my birthday (early March) and totally finished for Easter.:easter_ba

Right - must make a picnic lunch now - smalls and myself are off out for a couple of hours with friends to a local playpark to burn off some energy
x

greent

Soo.... have been playing with figures, trying to see how to pay off the 'big' BTL mtge (60k) within the timeframe (just over 5years) (the remaining c 5k has another 5 years to run after that) Very rough calculations mean finding approx. £500/ mth from our own money for the period (have assumed rent covers interest, insurance, ground rent, small amount of maintenance p.a. and £5k +( - will rise as interest falls and possibly rent increases) per year capital) This isn't going to happen easily - and certainly not whilst we are funding kitchen and OH's car still has finance on it. BUT from this time next year we should be able to attack it in a much harder fashion. For now it will have c £400 (min) per month from rent and small op of current account round-ups. Once kitchen is done it can have 'extra' funds (surveys (not that I ever do any nowadays!), fleabay, cashback payouts etc) Then once OH's car is finished we can pay £500/ mth to it (plus the extras) Am figuring out that any shortfall will be made up along the way somehow! - no specific plan, but am sure we'll get there!

Tomorrow morning OH and I are going away - returning Sat evening. DD will be here with DS2 & DS3 (and my car) She can collect DS1 Sat lunchtime. I have no idea where we are going/ what we are doing - it's a total surprise:eek::eek::eek:. Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I: a - am not good with surprises, b - am a bit of a control freak and c - don't like being organised by others..... All I know about it is I have to take swimwear and that I need comfy clothing and smart casual clothing (so no dressy frocks required!) It's a lovely gesture......

With that in mind, I need to do some ironing and vacuuming now - best get moving!
xx