High after the Low

"That doorbell is INSANE!", proclaimed the chap from Virgin who came to sort my cables out this week. He was the owner of a rather impressive bedhead full of sun-bleached surfer-style hair and the typical dazed/confused look that so many beach bums have in this town. But he snapped out of it when he rang the bell.

The doorbell is the original Victorian one that came with the house. It jingles merrily whenever anyone comes to the front door, it's cool. The Virgin bloke was pretty impressed it seemed.

Yes the bell. Our bell. We live on the other side of the bell which of course means WE ARE IN! We have moved. Hopefully not moving again now for a very long time.

My dad worked out that the Husband and I have moved seven times in ten years. It has been insane, a bit like our door bell.

The last year has been a complete rollercoaster ride, right from when our landlord in Berkshire suddenly announced he was selling the house last autumn. We have had a crazy time of it, it has to be said, and the last few months have been stressful. But, things are calming down. And we feel happy. Very happy.

The move itself was horrendous. But then these things are never pleasant!

We planned to move ourselves but decided that was just adding to the stress so booked a local firm who had great reviews on Check A Trade.

Hmmmmm. On the day we moved (my birthday...oh the glamour), we were expecting the lorry at 7.30am. We waited and waited and were then told three removal men had phoned in sick (one had our lorry) so they were waiting for another van to get through its MOT before it could move us. Oh the joy.

I spy the Blanket of Glory! Look, no mattress protection. Tut tut men.

So things started late, a couple of things got damaged (which they are dealing with) and things didn't finish until 8.30pm. ON MY BIRTHDAY. Grrrr. But then we all scoffed fish and chips and then I opened lots of gorgeous presents and cards and we put the children to bed and cracked open a bottle of Champagne and breathed a deep sigh of relief that we were in.

Gifts galore!

Getting cosy with the Husband

The vibes feel right too. There was something about this house that we loved right back when we first viewed it last October. It waited for us all this time. It was meant to be!

It's in a great location, school for the Princess is a ten minutes walk and its round the corner from the Prince's pre-school and the first school which he starts next year. It just all feels right.

It's not right beside the sea, but I figured you can't have it all. We are only a seven minute drive to the beach and I would much rather have an easier school run on balance. We nearly bought a 1930s semi much closer to the sea but I realised how much hassle the school run would be and I feel we've made the right decision. This house also suits us better. It's only an extra ten minute walk to the sea from where we rented. So fear not, I shall still be updating you all on the shenanigans of fit kitesurfers.

The neighbours are lovely too (and anyone who knows me personally know we had bad luck with neighbours a few years back so this was a welcome relief). They came round the other night with wine, homemade biscuits and a card. And she's invited me over for a coffee tomorrow which I am looking forward to.

It's still chaos here at the moment but we have unpacked a lot of boxes and my headache is clearing. We still have one room piled up with boxes and "stuff" which is worrying as we always have major clearouts every time we move, but we will slowly plough through it.

This house will be a project, it needs decorating throughout but we are going to take our time and do it slowly, getting a feel for each room as we go.

We have already done the Princess's room. The Husband and the Father in Law decorated it two days before we moved in. It was dark terracotta mottled wallpaper with a dark green border - nice. It's now pretty pink with Laura Ashley wallpaper and she loves it. She gets a brand new cream carpet in the next few weeks too. One room done already! Check.

In between moving and unpacking, I've taken myself off to chill out in the cherry tree shops.

The manager of Scope kindly let me hang out behind the scenes for a bit and I picked up these beauties for 50p each. I also came away with an application form to volunteer in the shop, but I shall put it on the backburner until we are sorted.

My brother in law and his wife sent me some lovely flowers for my birthday so that was a gorgeous surprise.

And then I came across these M&S Pastel range mugs from Scope this week. I got all four for £2!

The chintzy crockery above the mugs came from Oxfam last year. 

Note to self, must strip that wallpaper!

The children are settling in well and we are all sleeping like logs. Here they are playing on their go-cart (or "Oat Car" according to the Prince) which the lovely next door neighbours at our rental property gave us when we moved last week.

The Husband worked on Saturday and we knew it would be a fine day so the children and I spent plenty of time on the beach, fully aware that we would be stuck indoors on Sunday which is when I broke the back of the unpacking.

9.30am on Saturday

A rest after a mental week

And so that is me updated. It's time to go - I have more boxes to unpack before nipping to pick up the Princess from choir.