Snapshot

For my own interest, here is a list of the words a certain 22 month old can say, sign or otherwise communicate.

coat
hat
shoes
socks
trousers

bath
bed
door
keys

bagpuss
bee
bee (meaning any insect)
bear
bird
bunny
cat
chicken
cow
dog
donkey
duck
elephant
frog
horse
lion
mole
monkey
owl
penguin
(polar) bear
rabbit
sheep
spider
sooty

belly button
ears
eyes
fingers
head
heart
knees
nose
toes
tummy

bubble
cuddle
done
go
gone
kiss
listen
more
one more (book)
ready
steady
stop

baby
Cordelia
daddy
Emily
George
grandma
grandpa
lady
Magda
man
Mia
mommy
nanny
people

apple
banana
cake
cheese
custard
fruit
juice
milk
potato
pudding
rice krispies
strawberry
toast
yogurt
weetabix

hallo ("arrow")
phone
goodbye

aeroplane
bus
bicycle
car
lorry
tractor
train

down
down here
down there
here
out
there
up

light
dark

wee wee
poo poo

boogie
book
dance
music
lullaby

drum
shake

excuse me
please

park
slide


Given that that is almost certainly not a full list, its a shame he spends most of his time going 'ugh, ugh, ugh, wa-wa-wa-wa'. But not sure he is dealing well with Daddy being out all the time fixing up the new house.

in praise of the NHS

I'm sure there's plenty to be said against the NHS, but when you need an ambulance because your child can't breathe and it turns up with efficient and pleasant staff minutes later, there's a lot to be said for not having to worry about whether you can pay for this emergency care or not. 'Rip off Britain' it might be, but the NHS is still a jewel in its crown. Stopping here before I get drawn into politics. Plus then I might get to sleep some.

simply the beth buys a house - day 3

On which we discover more reasons why the estate agent blurb 'like a new build' meant less 'really well finished' and more 'thrown together'. At least the structure itself (an ex-council house from 1950) isn't thrown together.

simply the beth buys a house - day 2

in which I have a 'good' idea, and take the toddler curtain shopping, having been up much of the night with said [ill] child, and end up frustrated with the pace of walking in Cambridge, with a frustrated boy (at being confined to pushchair), and not so much as looking at fabrics, but somehow purchasing a soft, furry animal. The husband said: '"Oh, and we have a cow..." will go down in texting history.' Net gain: one cow. Progress on house front: less impressive.

simply the beth buys a house - day 1

So, this is property ownership. Of course, it doesn't feel like it, as I'm typing this from the rental place where I'll be living for another month yet, but we start paying in earnest today. I'm glad to say that the turf that was supposed to have been laid has been, even if it is merely resting on top of recently mown of thistles. The garden was a big reason why I bought the house so I was very unhappy when even yesterday afternoon, the garden was nought but a thistle jungle. The boy went off to water the turf 3 hours ago....I'm beginning to wonder where he is (the new place is about 5 minutes cycle away). Not much more to report: except that the estate agent thought I was off my rocker when she understood I was going to change the locks. Apparently, she had never considered the possibility that there could be n number of keys out there, and that changing the locks might be a good idea. And this when I was handed 3 keys for the back door, 3 keys for the French windows, and 2 keys for the front door.

It's done, but it doesn't feel real

That is to say we have bought a house. Or at least we have given away all the money we had, and now owe a lot of money to the bank, and have a smaller box to move into, which is, sort of, ours. Trying to turn the negative energy and general feeling of doom into positive, "I-can-do-this"-ness.