My Proper DFW Diary

Lucy5781

MiL house empty, estate agents taking pictures tomorrow. Initial auctions of items from house, starting with jewellery etc tomorrow as well.

So, with all the stress, DH bought a puppy on Saturday as well. So I've had the bed to myself for four nights now whilst he deals with the puppy at night!

Solicitors are planning on avoiding an interim distribution of liquid assests as the estate is potentially liable for a fair amount of tax so they'd rather that was clarified first so there are suitable funds still available for paying that bill first. There will be cash for the estate items sold coming to DH and BiL in the mean time and the rental income from the two flats in London so whilst we're still a little tight we're ok even though it now looks like main funds will not arrive until January.

Lucy5781

On a different note, weekend before last we ended up having a lightbulb moment where DH asked if there were any real ties keeping my dad and stepmum in the Midlands where they currently live (my dad moved there almost 20 years ago as it was cheap and there's more of his kind of employment up there), following this up with suggesting we offer to help him buy down here if he was amenable to the idea.
We carefully broached the topic with my dad and it became immediately clear that he had hoped to have a similar conversation with us. My brother is now on the south coast, in Dorset so visiting him and his kids is an even longer trek for dad, who is almost 69 now. Living in our town solves multiple issues.
They'd be local to help us with kids, and us to help them in the long term as they get older as well, and seeing my brother and his kids is now potentially an, albeit long, day trip rather than an overnighter at minimum with a stop at ours on the way.

So, come spring, we're aming to go jointly into something local for them. They're the only parents/grandparents for our kids that we've got left, will be much happier having them here!

Lucy5781

Lucy5781 said:

Gotta love the irony, all that time with extra cash flow, and now, when it's tight again, my glasses prescription has changed for the first time in several years. Need to update two pairs of glasses and have months of contact lenses that were never used to maybe try and find a new home for. Only upside here is I don't drive so I can still use my current glasses without breaking the law!

Right now I've just ordered one new pair of glasses. I'd like to re-lense the better condition frames I still have but that means not getting the half price on the whole package that I get with my contact lense subscription so I'll wait until more money arrives in the new year before sorting that. In the mean time, £215 glasses cost me £107.50 instead and will be arriving in less than a week. The newer perscription contacts will come on the next delivery. I've been wearing them more due to face mask requirements recently than I have for years!

Lucy5781

New glasses, thank f**k, hadn't realised until recently just how bad my vision had gotten, turns out one eye is now worse than the other (always previously the same) so that was making things even worse, felt headachey every day for months now.

We had an offer on the smaller house up north yesterday so fingers crossed that progresses well. Bigger house in London is on the market now it's empty, viewings booked for the 31st.

Slow but moving.

Lucy5781

Offer withdrawn on the little house up north. Multiple viewings booked for the London one today but not heard anything. Turns out the house next door on one side and two doors down on the other side are both on the market as well! so no. 2, 6 and 8 ....
Next batch of jewellery etc was due to go to auction on Thursday, but that's now when second lockdown starts so, that's up in the air. Hoping probate isn't affected....

Lucy5781

Cheques arrived last week with the profits from the first two weeks of sales at the auctions, not a small amount either. Husband's cleared anything he had on his credit card and his overdraft ready to request to get mortgages on the rental properties once probate is granted. He may need to 'borrow' about £15k from his brother to clear that much off our mortgage to qualify for the buy to let mortgages but long run is the sales of the other two houses will clear our mortgage fully anyway so it's temporary.

We're covered for Christmas which is nice obviously.

We're starting DD on a third morning per week at preschool from next week and a fourth morning from January. I need the time mentally and to start trying to pass a driving test and get a part time job plus she's more than ready for the extra input, mentally and socially. All of the other activities I used to take her to have gone. No Toddlers, no stay and play, no Tiny Movers or Creation Station.... She's 2.5yrs and there's nothing for her to do outside of the house (even when not in lockdown) so, getting her in for additonal time at preschool seems the best option and we can now afford it. 

Ideally, by September next year, I'll be working so she'll get 30hrs free at nursery whilst DS starts Primary school so they'll both be in 9am-3pm five days a week.

Though we won't be short of money in the future, I'd like to be earning/doing something for myself. I'm now 4.5yrs since actively working (prior to maternity leave with DS).

Lucy5781

So, another auction lot sold today, £3k hammer price.
More importantly though, solicitors have received notice of grant of probate.
Things are shifting.
I've applied for a job and have another to consider going for as well so, we'll see what happens there.

Lucy5781

Solicitors have supplied break down of cash assets as now requested from closing accounts.
Still no idea if any distribution is happening this side of Christmas or not. 
£2.5k from the last auction sale came as a cheque today, again 50/50 between hubby and BiL.
Still no reply from two jobs applied for in November....

Lucy5781

Any interim distribution now obvisouly in 2021.
One of the jobs at least responded with a 'thanks but no thanks', though it did ask that I consider applying for anything else they post which I take as a positive, they can't put that on every response surely?
My bills are up to date, Child Benefit due in two days. Hubby's paid DD's preschool fees so fingers crossed they remain open...
Hubby and I have both felt very low, anxious, frustrated and tired this last two weeks, jumping to Tier 4 and Christmas changes etc on top of this family situation have been harsh. No problems with us, just so intense. He had made it back up to bed at nights (rather than the couch next to the the crate) recently but NYE fireworks totally set 5mth old puppy's insecurities off again so, have effectively had the bed to myself over two months. Seriously, he's been up here overnight about five times since mid October.

Lucy5781

So, nursery & preschool only open to keyworker and vulnerable children. They intend to review this for the 18th but not convinced they'll change their minds. They did however confirm that as this was their choice to close, governement didn't enforce closures in early years settings, they will roll the already paid sessions for DD over into whenever they get to go back in.