A new royal start

QueenJess

Grogged said:

I suppose it's good that DD is weaning, but not so good about it being so demanding on you!
We cleared our utility today, so it looks beautiful...
...but we now have 3 boxes of stuff to find a new home for. 😟
Take care, G.

Yikes. I have a fair bit of “pending” items to rehome elsewhere too.

I did blitz the toys in DS’s room. He has far too many (result of being the only grandchild on both sides). I removed the ones he doesn’t play with and I can’t believe the difference it has made. DS didn’t notice I took anything away and is delighted I made space for the things he loves!

it looks so nice in comparison, that I keep going in there to look at it! Now I have a whole box of things on the local buy nothing group to go and another couple of boxes being stored for DD.

QueenJess

DD is still keeping me awake too much at night. It is so much better than last week, but more improvement to be made.

I’m so tired that my eyes hurt all day and I just can’t think straight at all. I don’t seem to do anything either as I haven’t the energy and it feels like I’m just existing time away, which is a bit depressing. Will try and get out this morning with DD to get some variety for her. I feel bad as she’s probably bored not doing anything in the house (apart from school pick up and drop offs that we always walk). Hopefully I can manage a trip to the local fish shop as DS used to love looking at all the pretty coloured fish and it should be very quiet there in the morning.

Having lots of stuff around is stressing me out, so I am continuing a slow declutter. Doing bits and pieces in DD’s room and my room. Still need to get DD’s room cleared for her to be able to sleep in it at some point. Most stuff I would only make £1-3 profit on from eBay and I just don’t have the energy for it, so am just getting rid of it to charity/local buy nothing group at the moment. It’s all very slowly getting better and tidier.

 We started a new mortgage year and DH made a full overpayment. Our deal ends in Feb and the overpayment year then resets again.  The plan is for us to overpay the max between us so that we again owe 50:50 on what’s left on the mortgage. Means I will need to find £4,200, although I want to use the rest of this year to keep topping up my ISA. I may borrow it from my EF and repay it as part of my 2022 plans.

As I would still like to take time off and DH seems surprised by how much we spend when I showed him the budget (it’s all mortgage, electricity, council tax, water etc - as I always manage it he seems to have lost it with regards to how much it costs to live..), I want to throw as much money as I can to pension, house and ISA. Then if I never go back I am hoping my pension would be ok although I would have to be quite frugal, ISA is either more pension or a longer term emergency back up (it’s S&S) and the house will reduce the monthly mortgage cost. Just saving for the freedom to choose really!

 Right, better actually eat breakfast if I want to stare at fish..

Grogged

Hope the fish were suitability stared at and everyone impressed!
Sounds like a difficult time, hopefully it will pass soon.
That's good news on the mortgage payments and on your plans as well.
Take care, G.

savingholmes

Just make sure you check porridge ingredients. Too much salt poisons little ones. You probably know but just checking.

Good luck with your budget plans. It's good to have choices

QueenJess

Grogged said:

Hope the fish were suitability stared at and everyone impressed!

You’d think so wouldn’t you, considering it’s half an hour max and 2 mins away by car, but I failed.

The plan was to go after DD’s morning nap, but she decided not to do that and to be progressively more annoying until eventually falling asleep 2 hours later. Then when she woke up she was hungry for lunch, then I fed myself and then she cried as she was so tired again. When she woke up it was then pretty much time to get DS.

So I utterly failed to leave the house for the shortest and simplest trip out… I thought I could try this morning instead, but DS has given me a horrible sore throat and cold, which appeared yesterday evening and I feel terrible now. I’m so run down and tired that I suspect it’ll take a while to get rid of it ☹️

It sounds pathetic, but this is why I don’t go anywhere as the effort is too much! I still feel guilty though as I know DD would really benefit from doing some different things.

I am slightly hopeful for half term in a couple of weeks as I’ve got DH to take some time off and so hopefully between us we will be able to herd them out the door to do something (weather permitting)….

savingholmes

Mum guilt should be banned. You are doing well. Be kinder to yourself

Grogged

Not surprised you didn't get out.
Agree with SH, guilt tripping should be banned.

themadvix

What SH said. You're doing brilliantly. DD doesn't need fish in her life if you can't get there. Hope you manage to fight the cold off quickly - everything feels so much worse when you're ill. Take care of you!

QueenJess

Thanks everyone. I’ve been sat around the house just feeling sorry for myself all day. Feel terrible and dizzy every time I stand up. DH is on enforced child duty..

At least the one thing I do everyday is make sure I read to DD and she loves it. It’s the only time she’s happy to sit perfectly still and concentrate! She knows when to turn the pages, makes a valiant effort to open flaps and even very carefully considers her books each evening and chooses which one to read. I think DH thought I was a bit mad giving her a choice, but she loves it and takes it very seriously. I just think that it must be so frustrating for her to not be able to move or have any control and so it’s nice she is in control of something. Maybe that’s just because I love to be in control of everything that I sympathise!

Anyway, DH followed my lead and always gives her a choice too. Hopefully she will love books as much as DS does. He’s already read a whole book himself even though the school haven’t even started sending out the books that have words in yet. I just love books so much (I have an actual library in my house, converted from a bedroom) and so I am loving helping him learn to read with the second hand books I sourced for him (they are the same publisher/type as the school ones, but are much less boring!).

I suppose just sat around means I’m not spending any money. I do need to think about half term as it’s nice to do something together. I’ve got as far as thinking, family to come round, maybe DS’s friends to come round, the epic park (we can feed the ducks there as well as the most amazing swings, climbing, slides etc) and a National Trust property. Maybe a bit of cake baking too. That’ll probably fill the week and cheap too.

I will see if DS will be tempted by the new bath stuff I got him now we are very low on bubble bath. He’s a typical boy and so will only get in the bath if he has to or if he can play and make a mess. I got some zero waste child friendly mini bath bombs to turn the water funny colours that arrived last night. Hopefully that’ll appeal!

savingholmes

Home made play dough might be fun too.

Hope you feel better soon. You have to look after you to be able to layer look after you. Well done on DS's reading and your library