Living in suburbia

A quick post about our move last month which got lost in the draft folder.

The move was an absolute nightmare, the three of us were ill and my plans to clear the flat in one weekend didn't bear fruit. So there is still a massive amount to move next weekend as well as a big clean up of the flat. The sofas wouldn't fit, the landlord is away on a family emergency, we had to saw through a padlock on the side gate and even with babygates up I'm in constant fear of C falling down the stairs. For the next two weeks it's a three hour trip to take C to his old nursery before going onto work and coming home with him in a jampacked commuter train is no fun.

However the little joys of moving out to the suburbs are a balm to my exhausted body and frazzled brain.

The garden is a major plus point. Mum bought us some plants and C a little red watering can. Mum-in-law bought me a pink watering can and a broom. C and I spend our evenings watering the plants and admiring the one strawberry which in just two days is turning from white to pink.

Chatting to neighbours is lovely, there's a friendly older couple nextdoor who have a grandson C's age in Singapore and the lady nextdoor but one welcomed me to the 'garden club', all three gardens have low walls so it's rude not to chat and all three of us have names beginning with M.

Walking to the station is pleasant, I love being nosy and looking at everyone's well tended gardens and the few people we see early in the morning will often say hello.

So we're pleased to be in but exhausted.

Commuting with the boy

Sorry for the lack of posts, the past month has been busy busy busy! We've finally got through it and I now have two(ish) weeks off work, first to settle the boy in his new nursery and then we're going to the seaside for a week.

But the last three weeks have been exhausting, mainly because at the start or end of each day we've been doing 3 hour commutes with the boy to go from our new house to London Bridge, from London Bridge to his nursery and then back into London Bridge to go to work. Leaving at 6am and getting home at 7pm was not fun, but that is over now and I am enjoying a Sunday evening with a cold beer and the patio door open.

The boy was an absolute star, he loved going on the trains and we could bribe him with 'wriggly worms' (fruit strings) to help keep him happy and to have a 'quiet voice' on the train. Most of the trains were so early that we got seats easily, but the 2nd evening train was a nightmare, full on commuter cattle trucks, with me often having to hold the boy, squashed by those around us. We would usually get given a seat, but only 3-4 stations along when people had started to get off and there was room to get anywhere near the seats.

Here's a montage of the boy being good on our commutes in (I hardly took any photos on the way home, it was just too busy and stressful!)

However, watering the garden in the evening during this current heat wave was a lovely way to relax, and C really enjoyed filling his little red can up and helping Mama.

His last day at 'old nursery' was sad, everyone got hugs and kisses, he got given toys by his favourite two carers and we've promised to visit soon. He understands that he's left and doesn't seem too worried, but we will see what happens when it sinks in that he won't be seeing his old friends every day.