Sashybo - Back Again

sashybo

Hi Beanie, yes I'm glad I finally got back on, kept checking and my postcode just didn't exist for them for years!

It has been a horrible wet day all day and now the wind is kicking in a bit as well. 😒 

Managed to hoover upstairs, put dry washing away and did another two washes - one hung up and the other chucked in the TD. I only managed to clean the en-suite bathroom as DD woke up from her nap so will try and do the main bathroom tomorrow. I did manage to chuck old some old make up that was lurking in my en-suite when I was cleaning and changed the toothbrush heads as well. 

Also moved my sweet pea seedlings into a pot, only have 6 so far. I have some lobelia and dianthus seedlings appearing but not much else. My seed potatoes should be delivered in the next week or two. 👏 

Made the sweet and sour chicken for dinner so that was good and DS was happy, he loves the pineapple. He went to bed really well again for his daddy and is obviously enjoying his new room.

DD is getting on great sitting in the highchair with the support cushion. She loves being up high enough to see us all when we're eating dinner but sometimes she gets tired from holding her head up. She managed to sit in it for the whole time we were eating tonight though and was enjoying looking at DS's old ring stacking toy as it plays a wee tune and has a light too. 😊 DS stole it as soon as he'd finished eating though. 🙄 

DH is on lates tomorrow so that will be my first bedtime doing both kids for the first time in ages. Hopefully I can get DS settled with a bit of bedtime tv downstairs or in the bath whilst I get DD to sleep - she usually goes down quite quickly but not always.

I have some of the ready made pastry left over in the fridge so might just make some jam tarts tomorrow to use it up. DS would be delighted!

VelvetFreak

Sounds like you had a productive day
Sorry you are stuck in a bit of a financial pickle at the moment. Darn maternity leave. Makes me want to go on a feminist rant but nevermind I hope you can get things sorted soon. 

sashybo

Thanks Velvet. Yeah the statutory maternity pay is pretty dire, it's roughly half of my usual wage so quite a drop! When I was on mat leave with DS I went from a full time wage to SMP and it was less than a third of my usual wage which was a real shocker. It's not as bad this time as I'm job share but still 50% less than I'm used to bringing in. I suppose that at least it's better than nothing though.

We have had a spendy few months with the garage conversion and DS's new room so we just have to stop spending on things that aren't necessary and get out of the "we work hard and deserve it" mentality, closely followed by "we're too tired to cook, let's get a takeaway" attitude. 👀 

So far today DH has put a washing of DD's stuff on and I've stripped the bed so have the sheets to go in the wash next. Also hoping to clean the bathroom and put clean sheets onto the bed before DH leaves for work later. 

Need to decide what I'm making for dinner for DS and I later and hopefully make some jam tarts with DS (if he'll stay still long enough to help). 

Also need to remember to phone and cancel my car insurance renewal. The price they gave me is actually lower than last year's but I already have a new policy which is even cheaper. Hate having to phone up as always have to sit on hold for ages just for a 2 minute conversation.

sashybo

So the jam tarts still haven't been made - hoping to do it tomorrow. I did manage to cancel my car insurance and was only on hold for about 30 seconds so obviously 10ish on a Monday morning is a good time to call. 🤣 

I took DS to my aunt's house yesterday along with mum and he had a great time playing with my cousin's twin boys. He was accompanying them to the toilet and was fascinated by them using it themselves. 😂 I don't think it will be long before he wants to start using the toilet himself. I'm looking forward to it but also a bit worried as have never toilet trained before so will be winging it a bit. DH just seems to think I'll know what to do in every child raising situation where we're like Well !!!!!! do we do now? 🤷‍♀️ 

DS was exhausted after his day out and fell asleep on the couch at 5pm. 😱 I couldn't get him to wake up and after half an hour I just decided to strip him and put his pjs on. Of course he woke up then but was grumpy as anything. Managed to eventually get him to eat his dinner but bedtime was a nightmare as he just wanted to carry on. I didn't help by accidentally starting a game with him when I pretended that his giant stuffed monkey had bitten my hand. 🤣 He then kept putting his hand up to its mouth and saying "Ouch!"then moving my hand there and wanting me to say it too. 👀 

Luckily DD went to sleep very easily and was good as gold because it took nearly 2 hours to get DS to calm down enough to get into his bed. He kept getting up and sitting at the baby gate across his door (to stop him escaping/falling down the stairs/roaming the house in the dead of night etc) with his face pushed up against the bars as though he was in jail. He even poured his cup of water all over his bed so I had to change the sheets and everything, thank god for waterproof mattress protectors. 

So I was a bit stressed last night and feeling desperate for some time to myself!

Today I've started a new routine with DD of putting her into her big cot upstairs (DS's old one) for her naps. DS keeps disturbing her when she's napping downstairs with his shouting/crashing about or getting in her face, stroking her head a bit too vigorously and shouting "SHHH! BABY SLEEPING!"at top volume. 🤦‍♀️ 

With DS I always had to sit and hold him whilst he napped, probably up until he was 18 months plus, as if I put him down he would wake up straight away. DD isn't so fussed unless she's not feeling great. She'll sometimes sleep longer if she contact naps but not always. Anyway I thought it might also be a good way for her to get used to being in the big cot in a new room as well. She stirred a bit when I put her down but then had a big stretch enjoying the space and went back to sleep. 😀 

In money news, a window cleaning company were going round the doors earlier looking for new customers. I said yes as it's £8 p/m for all windows and doors and first clean is free as well. DH always tells them no if he answers the door and says to me that he'll clean the windows himself. 👀 I think the windows have been cleaned annually since we moved in, so maybe 5 times (maybe). I've been desperate for a window cleaner for ages but DH kept beating me to the door. 🤣 

So DH was a bit grumpy when I told him about it and moaned that we'll still have to do the insides of the windows anyway and did I find out exactly when they're coming to clean the windows because we'll have to leave the side gate open for them to get round the back. Blah blah blah. 🙄 I said I'm sure they'll chap the door when they need round the back and one of us is generally always in anyway. Once they've done it a few times I'm sure we'll know the days they come round each month. He also said well how are they going to be paid? I said well cash probably and got a reply along the lines of well I won't be paying them. 🙄 🙄 Aye alright, he's got his knickers in a twist about it anyway. 

I also agreed to it so it's one less thing for DH to do, he doesn't have the time so it doesn't get done! Don't ask me why he was being so tight about it, it's not that much money compared to the time it would take him and I just want clean windows. 😭 😆 

Sun_Addict

Mr SA used to be the same about window cleaners, I think our windows went for years without being cleaned before he finally admitted he was never going to get round to it.  Now we have a window cleaner come once a month.

sashybo

😂 SA why are men so odd about their windows being washed. 🤷‍♀️ Much easier to pay someone to do it if they don't have time, at least this way it will actually get done!

I did eventually make those jam tarts with the leftover shortcrust pastry but used too much jam so they were very messy. Still tasted nice though.

Haven't been out much due to a combination of the weather, DH being back at work and DS being wild if I take him out with DD in tow as well. I'll have to go on a hunt for baby milk for DD at some point this week. 😱 Still have a full box but will probably open it in the next few days so want to have at least two in the house.

Fingers crossed that the panic buyers haven't wiped it out locally. DH managed to get toilet roll ok last week but for some reason the chocolate aisle had been cleaned out?! My friend was telling me today that the fresh meat had been totally wiped out in Mr L the other day as well. I had luckily stocked up on nappies recently so should be fine for a while for them.

My DH has been saying it's like a ghost town in our town and the two big cities he works between so looks like a lot of people are working from home or self-isolating already. DH unfortunately can't drive trains from home though so no choice of that for him.

I had to put off seeing my mum as she had potentially been exposed to the virus through her work. ☹️ She's ok though so far, it's a bit worrying as she has bad asthma and will continually be potentially exposed working as a nurse. 😔 We should be able to see her in the next day or so though. I'm glad that the virus isn't classed as dangerous to young children as well as I would be doubly worried in that case for the kids and my mum.

DH's parents are in their 70s so they are pretty much looking at self isolating soon just in case. FIL has asthma as well as a few other health problems but MIL is pretty healthy so hopefully self isolating will keep them safe enough.

Looks like my niece's 5th birthday party next week is probably going to have to be cancelled. The company my brother's gf booked it through said they can no longer do the bouncy castle and the Disney princesses won't be able to touch/hug or generally go near the kids. Luckily my niece didn't know about the party as it was a surprise but what a shame that it will probably be cancelled. 😔 

Had my friends from work up today for dinner, will probably be the last time I see them for a while due to all this carry on as they are in their 60s. One is my friend who broke her wrist so she's still off work with that anyway and might be a good thing for her atm as she's so unlucky she'd be the one to catch the virus.

Made chicken tikka masala curry, spiced rice, naan bread and Bombay potatoes for dinner. Obviously all made at different stages throughout the day as it's difficult to get much done at once with 2 young kids in the house. DD was refusing to sleep in her cot for her afternoon nap and just wanted to be held, so she had a shorter nap than she really needed as I had to get on with dinner. Hopefully she'll make up for it tomorrow.

My sister is going to visit on Wednesday and cut my hair and possibly give DS a trim if he'll stay still for long enough!

DH has managed to sell a couple more things online so he gave me £200 to pay off the new CC debt for the O/D. 👏 He's also slowly working through the boxes of stuff from the garage and finding storage/places for it or selling what he no longer needs/doesn't have room for in the converted room. 

beanielou

I love your updates. 

They are so newsy 😃

VelvetFreak

I also love Sashy's updates
I live in fear that there will be a chocolate shortage so I have stocked up.

VelvetFreak

Oops, double post.

beanielou

VelvetFreak said:

I also love Sashy's updates
I live in fear that there will be a chocolate shortage so I have stocked up.

I have stocked up on curly wurlys 😍