Secret Garden

[BriansMum]

Hope this works, a shiny new thread girls - come on in .

Ooh, don't need to ask twice re: looking at houses - I'll go and have a look later.

On another note entirely, can you all come and talk me in or out of buying this . I've fallen in love with it. DS has got a big thing about playing shops, cafes etc so considering it for Christmas. We were going to get some duple/playmobil to add to existing sets, but I'm seriously tempted by this instead.

Oh, and I have a 15% off code which is only valid for 10 days hence trying to decide just now...

Leo, I would have loved to buy something like that for Tristan when he was 3 , he'd have adored it. I think your ds would probably get a lot of play from it and probably a good thing to resell later. Other people could buy the crates etc...You have tricked me into talking about that December event in September!!!

Budget, moveable but 450 top if it could produce some income, or 300 for just a house, then maybe we could maybe buy a rental property?and def 4 bedrooms or 3 if we could convert roof space. Ideal Villages - Eggleston(where we are now), Middleton(T and E could walk to school) or Mickleton.

Deb! I do think that it has good versatile play value. It's quite big though, but I guess we could hide it in our almost box room sized understairs cupboard when we got round to putting the house on the Market...

Had a look through houses (on my phone, so only really looked at the pictures. In your house only budget I quite liked the Willows one?

Stitching - you haven't come across as utterly miserable but I could see when you hurt your knee that you were banking on "having a plan" (getting fit) to get you through not having a job, which makes me think you are someone that needs a job IYKWIM. Sorry... Not feeling very articulate this morning. Just spent 90 mins running round for a 9am viewing plus getting ready for nursery, creche and aerobics. In car now post nursery drop off, DD2 asleep. Time to buy coffee.

LOL at the page boys too: yeah if I ever get married I will be front of the queue for 4 page boys, 7 bridesmaids and a Lady Di dress. Have I detailed here our winter wedding marathon yet? We have:
A Hindu wedding
An English blessing of the Hindu one
A Scottish wedding (in Dornoch Leo)
A Jewish wedding
I feel like an extra in a Richard Curtis film

Deb - will contemplate houses later.

Leo, Willows is Ok, but it only has a very small garden for sale with the house, you can rent a larger garden behind but not buy it, if you could buy it , it would be a contender.

Another problem we have is that school transport has changed. where we live now Tristan(and Ethan from September 2012) gets free bus to school as over 3 miles away, in some parts of Eggleston, another school is 0.1 miles nearer so no free transport to boys current school. Mickleton(willows) is less than 3 miles so no free transport.

LaG - wow, hope all the effort was worth it and viewing went well. Can't believe how many weddings you're going to.

Ah, I see Deb - I didn't look at the garden. Saw some more on that list with small gardens - that's a shame. At that kind of price in a rural location I'd want a decent sized garden too. I hope the perfect house for you comes on the market soon!

LG - fingers crossed for the viewings. What a lot of weddings! How will you travel to Dornoch - it's up north I think? I've been to a Jewish wedding before, it was a lovely and quite interesting service. PArt of the service at the start took part in a private room (if I'd known that, me and DH wouldn't have been seen racing across the grounds desperate to get in before the bride ).

Am still contemplating play shop for DS. I need to decide if I'm really thinking of buying it for his benefit or for mine . Though, he did spot it in the GLTC catalogue and said he'd like that and wouldn't need any other toys from Santa.

We're flying to Inverness then hiring a car. It's about another hour after that. The bride grew up 15 miles away but went to school in Edinburgh. My last trip to Scotland was for her 21st, but that was in Edinburgh. I was there for 24 hours and was drunk for most of it. A good night though.

We have been to a Jewish wedding too. DH has 2 v close Jewish friend from uni. The highlight of the last one was my friend (infact the Dornoch bride as it happens) asking for a pork chop off the BBQ. The kosher chef replies "that will be a lamb chop madam"

Not looked at your link to the shop yet. Nor Deb's houses.

at pork chop!

I'm waiting for Stitching to come on and look at my play shop toy link - we always seem to buy the same toys so her opinion could be make or break

Leo - Deb is the nursery teacher so probably more informed than me about the toy shop. However, my first reaction when I saw it was that it is something that will work better on playdates than when it is just you and him. At nursery school they have a real life corner that I think DS1 gets alot out of playing shops with the others there, so for me I wouldn't buy it because a) it works better at nursery and b) it could well become a white elephant in our house much like the toy kitchen. NB: the toy kitchen was hugely popular for about 6 months but less so since then. Also we, like you, have no space.

Bad night here. dS1 as well has DS2 have my bug from last week. One or the other got me out of bed hourly. Just had a sleep so feeling better. Poor DS1 is v sad today. . DS2 fine just being a mildly snotty baby.

Deb - had a look at houses last night. I like 2 of the £450k ones (inevitably): a farm (East Farm) with outbuildings and land or a double fronted house with a barn to convert (in Mickleton). I am assuming though that unless you could get a lower sale price they are both out as you could not afford to do the building works to convert the buildings, so I am no help.

Deb, the houses are all gorgeous - and I think you did the right thing on the terrace with no parking. It is a total pain not being able to park outside your house. It's so frustrating feeling that everyone else is moving on, but I'm sure the right thing will come up - and at least you being in rented means you are in a perfect position to jump as soon as it does. Hugs x

LG, yes, KWYM about needing a plan and tbh, I would far rather be working. However, have heard nothing (despite a chasing phone call on Friday morning) so guessing they've decided to go with someone who can be more flexible. I don't really want to find another CM as DS2 is not the easiest to settle and if it was a disaster it would put me in a really difficult position with work. The boys adore our CM too - it would all be so perfect .

Sorry to hear you had a bad night - hope DS1 hasn't been too taxing today. At least it's a Saturday so you have some back up. How is the house selling going?

Seriously at all the weddings you're going to - if you can't make any of them let me know and I'll go in your place, I love a good wedding .

We have also been to a Jewish wedding which was an incredible experience.Yes, the beginning of the wedding is always in a private room where the bridegroom gets to look under the veil of the bride to check she is the right woman - comes from a biblical story where a bloke ended up marrying the less attractive older sister cos he didn't check under her veil first . . . or something! (Get me with my biblical knowledge ).

Leo, had to at you wanting my opinion on the toy - I think it's fab and have to admit to spending a good few minutes inspecting the playroom to see where I would put it but like LG says I would also worry about it not being used. Having spent out a fair few pennies last Christmas on an easel which is never touched I'm a bit wary of expensive toys now!

Right, being nagged by dh about helping with bedtime so better go .

Ha! I knew you'd like it Stitching

But yes, sadly I think you're all right. You've all brought up concerns about it that I was thinking myself which is probably why I didn't just buy it! It is lovely though. DS does love playing 'cafes' so I think I might get him the till and a couple of bits to go with it so he can still play cafes - I'm keen to encourage that as long as possible because it has breathed new life into his kitchen (which was a bit of a white elephant here too for a while). Actually Stitching, our easel is very handy for playing cafes (menu etc) so maybe you could try and encourage that!

LG - sorry about bug woes in your house. I hope you have a better night and everything is a bit better tomorrow. Did you mention a viewing the other day? How did it go?

I agree re: parking and terraced houses - it's a complete PITA. We had that situation in our last flat and that was pre-DS. It'd be a real faff with children I think.

Where's Gaston and Mudwiggle?

We had a viewing yesterday and one today. No feedback on either yet. I suspect the first couple won't make an offer as they told me what else they were viewing and ours was smallest/cheapest and they have 2 boys so probably need more space. Second one perhaps more positive.

DS1 seemed happier towards bedtime. Miserable child for the previous 24 hours though.

LaG, we've been to see East Farm twice as it's in a lovely position and it does have a small holiday cottage attached already but just like you say we then couldn't afford to do up the barn. There's also a lot to maintain there. They have reduced it from 469 to 450, maybe they'd like to drop another 100?????

stitching did you hear anything about the job and changing days?

Tis me gaston but refuse to be cat in the hat or rapunzel.

Laguerta- how are boys? And any news on more hopeful viewing?

Deb- i liked farm too and noticed a couple of new builds . Are they not in right area? Also agree re parking- I love our house but one draw back is parking. Even leaving aside my aversion re driving (am ok on local journeys now if know not going to have too many parking issues) it's a pain. Oddly I would love residents parking - the issue is on weekdays as it's one of few roads here without it so train travellers , school(we have a station and a school locally) and on match days rugby types (as we are just out of the restricted zone) park here so it's a pain.
Leo- I think nice as that is I would avoid as too big. I may just be sensitive as starting an early think on pre baby tidy to put stuff away etc

Stitching- I still have fingers crossed .

We abandoned bottles on Friday (i know shamefully late) but bottle fairy bringing a gift helped and not a word since - also she ate a lot more breakfast as didn't want morning milk and managed milk in a trainer cup when had no other option. Now like all these things wonder why I left it so long.

gigondas, glad the bottles went away without trouble, those new builds are right next to each other and with only tiny gardens, someone was very greedy, put 2 on a plot and is now bankrupt.

AH ok deb- we have two like that behind us (they are the shonkiest things you have ever seen). Strangely one still unsold after three years.. I still cannot believe they got planning permission.

No house news. Both boys just about fine now, in time for nursery in the morning

Deb if East Farm has been on for a bit it you could always make a low offer. You never know.... What is the market like there? In Hutton Rudby (PILs village) things are dreadful. A neighbour has had a house on for a year without a single viewing. There are just no people moving up the property ladder because the job situation on Teeside is so poor.

LaG - East farm was on the market last year, sold and then the buyers buyers pulled out of the chain, so they took it off the market and put it on again in April this year. I like the location of it and it does have lots of potential long term but the position I like better is Roseberry farm At the moment it is way overpriced but there is some talk of splitting the sale, if we could get it cheap enough we'd get the 2 bed house with a bit of land and extend.Tomorrow we're going to get onto the estate agents and see what's happening with them all.

Hope the meeting threw up something positive. If you bought that one would you carry on renting whilst you put the extension on? Doesn't look like there is much space for all 5 of you in the house as it is. Nothing positive from this weekend's viewings for us.

sorry to hear viewings weren't positive

Farm won't be split and he won't budge on price either so we'll have to wait for something else.

Time to fill in that LLL form Deb

I've just started it, it asked how many houses you've viewed, we have viewed 28 so far

Exciting! Hope you get picked.

Just had the new agent round to do photos. I am getting very fed up of cleaning and tidying. Especially when I went down to the basement that DH said he had tidied up, and nope: laundry on the bed; ironing board still up; rug rolled up from playing trains etc . Then the agent didn't want to photograph down there anyway