The end is near

We're in September - and that means trying on Joy's school stuff to see what very small percentage still fits, dusting off lunch boxes, and naming everything.

Beacuse we're on the count down to school, and that means a very very long summer is almost over. The kids are fed up with each other, and frankly I'm fed up with them!

School will re-instate the normality into their lives, that has been lacking as Robin has been out of work. We've all been at the mercy of the job hunt, having to sacrifice holiday plans along the way. We're all fed up, and going a bit crazy with cabin fever.

Needless to say - when a job does come along, do not be surprised if we take off on a long overdue holiday, one is very much overdue.

I hope others have had a good summer.

The great slate disaster

Our house is coming on slowly - of course improvements have been pretty much on hold in the summer holidays - but - we did pencil in some of the work on our bathroom which was completed a week ago.

Due to our circumstances still being rather unclear we scaled back our plans and decided to do the most pressing bits in the bathroom and have deferred the rest for a bit. The old bath is now gone!! (hooray hooray hooray!!!!) and moved, the new power shower is happily in situ and we've replaced the tiles.

In order to keep cost down we carefully selected the products we were going to use, Deva was the place where we sourced taps and shower valve at a fraction of the price of most we've seen. We used a local Plumbing shop for the bath, and went to Topps tiles for our tiles... sadly they had the oversized white tiles at a good price but not enough of small mosaic style slate tiles we'd rather set our hearts on for a border. (our one treat for the bathroom)

So we found and bought them at Homebase for £25.

Argh if only we hadn't!

We were away for a couple of days while the work was done, and returned to a half and half bathroom - half was gorgeous, the other still needs work. The kids have been constantly asking for baths now they can have them.

Within a day or so we started to notice an odd colour bleeding from one of the mosaic tiles, a sort of rust colourd trail began to appear down the grout and new white tile beneath it. Of course I wiped it away, but it came back - and still is. It's stained our brand new tile and the grout around it.

We were pretty cross, there had been no indication on the packaging that these tiles required any special treatment. So I went back to Homebase to get some sealer or something to stop it. I was passed from one inept assistant to another, on number 5 I was informed yes, they needed sealing and no, they didn't sell it!!!! I was feeling pretty steamed by this point, no offer of apology, assistance or compensation was mentioned. So they are going to get a written complaint with a picture of our ruined tiles, and I expect some sort of compensation.

Today Robin has finally found some of this mysterious sealer, it's cost us £20, and no doubt we'll have to pay to swap out the stained tiles. I do wish we'd opted for other tiles now, it would have been cheaper, and far less fuss and upset.

The great hotel experiment

We've not been able to take a proper family holiday this year - but one thing we have done is a bit of and experiment with staying (as a family) in a hotel. We've been trying to figure out to visit family and friends and not have the time pressure of facing long drives there and back on the same day - we thought we'd give Travelodge a whirl.

Our reasons for that choice in particular were that they are cheap, provide a family room and tend to be situated close to the people we are trying to visit.

With much trepidation we booked in at the end of May in Brighton for a visit to family down there.
At the end of the day we said goodbyes and checked in to the central Brighton Travelodge. Whilst the room was large, there was no escaping all four of us being in the one room. Sadly the shower was not working but they compensated us rather nicely with free breakfasts!

It was an interesting experience - the kids did take rather a long time to settle due to the unfamiliar surroundings and general high spirits, but we had expected that. The thing that was not great was that it was stifling hot in the room, and the air that was gained by opening a window also meant the noise level was far too high (Being on a very busy thoughrofare) As a result, we slept, but not all that well. But we did enjoy seeing more of family on the second day.

We have since used Travelodge twice more, and I think we have found that whilst we can do it, it is not a particularly relaxing experience. Probably good for the odd night here or there - but there has to be a better way! (probably at three or four more times the cost though)

Star Wars - the big question for a new generation.....

Joy, my daughter, just turned eight.

She has been expressing a lot of interest in Star Wars of late..... And I've been thinking about this, whereas someone my age started our 'education' with 'A New Hope' - where does our next generation begin, at the original beginning or with the new prequels???

I can see this may stir up a whole can of worms - I see merit to starting with the classics, because that is what they are. But it may be confusing to then jump back and meet mini-not-yet-of-the-dark-side-Anakin?

So, I've left it to Robin. You'll have to ask him which film they are starting with.

I've not actually posted anything in ages! So, an update.

Anyone who has regularly visited this blog in the past have probably been a little bemused by the lack of posts for over a month now. It's not that nothing has been happening, quite the reverse actually. We've found ourselves dealing with birth, death, job hunting and all sorts.

I think I'll begin with the happiest thing to happen lately, yesterday we gained a brand new niece, Scarlet Lily Mayfield (Sarah and Antony please feel free to correct spellings there) I gather she took her own sweet time coming, Sarah, you have my heartfelt sympathy for that, but we are thrilled she is with us safe and sound... We plan to zoom down to Brighton this week if possible to meet her.

In contrast, almost two weeks ago we lost my Gran. And so my family and I have been sorting through the feelings that go along with that, and last Friday we went to Aberystwyth to say our goodbyes. She will be missed, but leaves behind a great family - I was looking around at the funeral at my cousins, aunts and uncles and thinking that if it had not been for her, many of us would not have even existed! (and I think we're a nice bunch too)

Intermingled, we've had the highs and lows of jobhunting for Robin, at one point he'd virtually got 2 jobs, but in a matter of hours one literally ceased to exist and the other just did not come off. It's a bit like being on a roller-coaster, and not knowing how long the ride is going to be!

To add a little more interest, it is the school holidays, and the kids have been underfoot throughout all of this. We're also fast approaching Joy's 8th birthday (and Robin's birthday is on Thursday too) and she is now really needing her own space - something that poor Elias just does not get. A hasty retreat to her room seems to be the trend just now, and the early birthday gift of a stereo (CD player) is getting a lot of use already.

We have also been planning and then having to re-assess work on the house - we've scaled back the work for now and expect the bath/tiles/shower replacement to begin next week. (walls will remain where they are just now - when Robin gets a job, then maybe they'll go) Oh I can't wait to not have to shower on a duckboard, and keep having tiles fall off the walls - the kids have been great but they are both looking forward to having baths again, Robin too.

All in all, it's been hard to finish a thought. Let along grab the time to blog.

We hope to enjoy the two birthday's coming up, maybe there'll be photos to share by the weekend.........