We are being evicted, some advice please...... the date has arrived......

Careful_with_that_Axe

Sending all wishes for good things your way.
J
x

blue_monkey_2

Morning everyone

RIGHT!! MSE should come with a warning as I have got naff all done over the the last 2 days. Realising that Easter is just a few days away and because I have church tomorrow morning I MUST get on this morning and get some stuff done, eails answered, bills paid, etc... but thought I would check in first and let you know why I might disappear off the face of the earth for a few days!!

I must resist all temptation in looking at the other threads and getting involved in reading those. it is not good for my health, LOL, or the houseowrk and packing!!

I got a new phone coming (business phone, business expense ) £15 a month and £60 cashback. Nice. Free phone as my other is knackered, unlimited texts and 100 minutes, more than enough, but need to stay in contact with my suppliers if we don't have a phone for any reason - don't want to jeapodise the business totally - but I was paying £30 so am happy with that saving. If anyone is interested, go to Quidco, choose Orange and then the new Dolphon 15 plan!! I did spend ages looking for something as some had a free TV which would have been great for the kids room but the whole thing is a rip off as you do pay more for the plans and therefore they are not free. I found a new 'sim only' plan on one site £15 a month and a free TV. Went to buy it and the are charging £219 for the 'Sim' and then £15 a month for the 'plan' - hold on, other sites WITHOUT the free TV are charging just £15 a month for the sim and plan!! Be careful if buying into those deals and check with the network provider how much the plan is to buy from them. I am glad I checked.

Some good news. My little timid cat that I could not get a home for has been offered a new home on a farm!! Perfect for her. It is in one of the villages locally so I will still be able to pop and see her. She has been coming in crying and calling since we got rid of the boy cat - who she was close to but I did not think was that close to but now I have noticed she has some bald patches - not sure if it is stress or fleas - it is hard when they are never around but I've never seen her biting or itching herself when she is here. I've frontlined her and they seem to be clearing a little but want to make sure she goes off with a clean bill of health rather than suffering from something. I'll pop her to the vets if they don't clear before the end of next week. She is never in when the kids are here but I think she misses the boy cat, maybe they used to go around the farm together but whenever I have seen her she has always been on her own. The other person has 4 other farm cats so I am sure that eventually she will settle and it will be perfect for her.

My other cats are doing really well and are up for rehoming, I called into the cat home to ask how they had settled. They even got a trip to the dentist and has a scale and polish!!

2nd April is approaching ever closer, the latest 'Homechoice' list is due out tonight/tomorrow, I am not being too hopeful but I am get excited about looking (sad as that seems, LOL) because you never know what might be on there. There might be something, it's horrible when you get so deflated as there is nothing though. Still, try and stay positive

And that is about it. I am going to get some other bits done and try and resist the temptation to look at the other threads (will keep checking on yours for news though J) but if anyone is interested in meeting up Fairlands Valley for a picnic please PM me. The morning of Friday 4th April would be good for me, the kids have a party in the afternoon so I have to be home by, say, 3pm and the other days of that week they have things planned in the morning so I could do afternoons then. The other week is next week. Eek!! But run some thoughts past me/us and we can meet up with some sandwiches, a few flasks of coffee and some biscuits and have a nice chat. Can anyone think of somewhere warm if it is going to be cold that we can take a picnic? Mummyhol is in Stevenage, I could probably squeeze you in my car Hol if you sit in the back, I only have booster seats so you would need your car seat and I could pop one of mine in the front of the car (something else for them to fight over!!). Let me know what you think or suggest another date on here and we can all send our yes/no's etc... and go from there. Speak soon. xx

blue_monkey_2

OK, I said I would keep away, got lots done today though....

The 'list' came out today and there is just one property on there but we have ummed and arhhed about it. Tonight we went for a drive, figured which one it was and knocked on a neighbours door and asked if it was empty....... she said yes, and I asked if the houses were a fair size and so he invited us into hersfor a look around!! She was lovely andfriendsly so the neighbour was a good start.

Yes, it is enough for us, we have been spoilt by the size of the house we have now (like having an outhouse and garage which I will miss and I confess to that, we will have to get rid of our freezer). There are a few things that will put other people off. First off it is under the flightpath into Stansted.... but where we are now is under the flightpath too so we are used to it s not a problem for us. Second is the garden, it is long - but VERY, VERY overgrown with brambles and trees and it is on a huge slope so it is going to be a lot of work to get it done - my husband thinks he can do it no problem though. Third is that it is quite rural, you do need a car and no garage options. So these are things that will put other people off.... but we have decided to go for it. It is an 11 mile trip from where we are now so it will mean a 15 minute car journey in the mornings to school - so 22 mile round trip, which initially I will have to do 3 times a day but I will go to my mums bf for the afternoon to kill some time and save some petrol money - I don;t do anything at the moment anyway. The kids have been fine about the house move but I mentioned how they would feel if they moved schools and they got a bit upset so I'll just have to pay the petrol costs for now (around £150 a month guess-timate). But yes, feels a bit strange, we went and had a look through windows and that, it is big enough for us, that is the main thing and at least we know, if we are successful, where we are going and what to expect. Oh, and it backs onto acres and acres of open fields..... for now!!

Ryan was very unsettled tonight, I guess I will have to take him as it comes and maybe I was naive to think he was going to accept things so well. he has been aggressive and nasty snce we got back and has jst been having a massive freak out. One step at a time, I'll have to cover the cost of travelling.

Heard about DLA as well, they are writing to my consultant so not a no but not a yes at the moment either.

And hen we came away from the house there was a pair of magpies flying past -1 for sorrow, 2 for joy

jillie1974

sounds like a good house bm. something you can work with.

Wol2

Hi BM

Have a great Easter in case you don;t post...completely understand where you're coming from.

PM me about first week of April.....have car..... not working.(job not car!!)... will travel!!

And....if you need it in the future...well I'm definitely up for the garden challenge...I am proud owner of a petrol bush cutter for my stream!!

Much love
Wol2
xxx

Careful_with_that_Axe

Glad you got lots done and that there is a positve on the horizon. And what a bonus to have nice neighbours. Can make all the difference. I hope it works out well and I'm keeping everything crossed for you.
I wonder if there are car shares amongst Mums in the area for transport to schools? But I'm sure you've already thought of things like that. You have an immense capacity for juggling lots of balls at once!
hugs n stuff
Jx

ampersand

This is happy news bm - what a difference this will make to you all.
The outside/gardening will be good to get stuck into, very cathartic and could be a bonus in activity terms+benefits for Ryan.

I think you could approach LA re: school transport with your special circs.
Have you tried?

Once again - a positive and susbstantial step forward. Well done for accepting and see the potential, as jillie says. I look out on fields, too - it is such a simple good thing to have at hand and on tap.

Your whole tone is transformed - you sound alight and alive. You will sleep peacefully tonight(littlies permitting!) - at least the worry front has taken one big step back. The friendly start with neighbour bodes well, too.

blue_monkey_2

Me again, Axe, I just tired to PM and it wiped out so will try again tomorrow. A, I did forget one thing still and that was the CC+ thing I have still not done it (sorry) so that is on my list to get done.

I just sent an email to the Council to find out wheather we qualify for help to and from school - I have also explained that I would rather take them myself - after I sent themessage I them worried that they might tell me I then live too far from the school and they would not be able to attend. does anyone know 'the rules' I have looked all over the council website and I cannot find a thing that says you must live within x miles. Also, while browsing I have found we qualified for Free School dinners and free school uniforms but last year (I think we might earn just too much this year but not sure) so I have applied to have it back dated to see if I wil get a refund - going into the school tomorrow to fill out the forms. I thought it was just if you get WTC but it isn't, it is also if you get more than then 'Family Rate of £545', which we do so we should qualify. Quite cross for not realising before as it never stated this on the school leaflets, just if you was on Income Support etc... but maybe they'll give me a refund. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.

Well, I am signing off for now. I will let you know more info as I get it. Thank you all so much for your oodles of support, they keep me smiling. Of course, we will have to have a 'gardening' party The more the merrier *ahem* of course. We have been getting excited about gardening machines. Just got to hope we have most 'points' now and the distance from school is not a factor. we shall see.

Happy Easter everyone if I don't get on before then. Don't eat too much [of your kids] chocolate, LOL!! xx

ampersand

Good girl bm - CC+ will make a whopping difference to your qtrly points total and, thus, plenty of treats.
Try pm'g vivatifosi and silvercar(also on mot's Thread). Both are local-ish and have knowledge on this sort of thing - I'm sure they'll be glad to give sound advice or point you in the right direction.
Totally pointless facts from WW tonight.
Eat a 200gm Lindt choc bunny - needs 4 years of brisk walking to 'undo' it.
Next one, to walk off even one M&M, one brisk circuit of a standard football field is necessary.
As for Cadbury's creme eggs, do you really want to spend 21 YEARS on exercise to undo 6?
Some of these 'facts' smelt of MediGoogle - but still.
Upon which cheery note(esp. as I LOATHE the things. Can't understand how anyone can eat them. Stay with the dark, unctuous 70%+ cocoa solids stuff, not sweet. gorgeous. Very Willie Harcourt-Cooze)

silvercar

You called:)

deja vu! Only posted this link on MoT's thread this week.

http://www.hertsdirect.org/scholearn/admissions/schadhtst/

Read the policy and you should be able to work out if you can get transport.

If there is no coach provided on your route, the council will normally offer you a taxi service with driver and escort (both CRB checked).

I have known them to pay petrol money in some circumstances, which would probably cost them less than a taxi service so they may oblige. They only pay for one return journey each day, as they are paying for the child's journey not the parents! They only pay for when the child is at compulsary school age - so no nursery class, but they do pay per child rather than per car.

They won't tell you that you cannot attend a school that is over a certain distance if you already have a place, but they can say they won't provide transport if they consider the journey further than a reasonable distance.