Well that was a weird six weeks...

School is back in session, I am back at work, and...

We sold our house!!!

Well, technically we haven't sold it yet. We are waiting on our solicitors, and theirs, to finish up the paperwork. But we have moved out of 48 Fleetgate and into a nice (albeit much smaller) house just a few streets down on Finkle Lane.

So here's what happened:

Sarah and Hannah loved the house, they made an offer, it was a bit low so we met them half way. They agreed, and we formally accepted their offer. Then a survey was done and we had to reduce the price as their mortgage company demanded a cash retainer from them because of some issues. Not a huge deal--the house IS really freaking old. Annoying, but they were fair about it. We agreed to a completion date, and started looking for a house to rent. We found a house, got that all squared away, then started packing for our move. I got chicken pox (that's right, BLOOMING CHICKEN POX) and didn't feel up to doing much packing. The Mundays came and helped. The Tillings came and helped. Noelle's husband Richard came and helped. The missionaries helped a bit, as well. My visiting teacher and mother-in-law helped me pack up the kitchen. The Mundays helped again, including feeding us dinner when we were too tired to move. Martin worked through it all, putting in 10 hour days on a building site and 5 hour nights moving house. The kids were annoying. My asthma flared up. We finally got all moved out on the seventh of September. The solicitors still haven't completed.

ARGH!!!

I am a bit of an emotional wreck/giant ball of stress. We are in the new house, but there is no storage there and we have a lot of stuff. Granted, I am planning on getting rid of a great deal of it. But for the time being, we are shuffling around it. That first night I crawled over the boxes into our bed and cried myself to sleep, miserable that we were in this tiny house while our beautiful old (HUGE) house stood empty just a few streets away. I love that house. So many happy memories were made there. And now that it's completely empty and clean, I can see just what a great house it really is. I can't stand messes, and the new place will be one for a while until we get some storage sorted out. It feels cramped and messy, and I just want to go home. But we are doing this, and it will be worth it in the long run.

Our plan is to stay in England until around June. Then we will move back to the U.S., find jobs, get settled, and have a little bit of a summer break before the kids start school. We are hoping to buy a house, something that we can fix up like we did here. We are making a decent profit on the sale over here, so it should work out pretty well.

So there you have it--our last six weeks. Pretty mental, huh? So much for relaxing days with plenty of bike rides and picnics and swimming. Instead it was non-stop stress and paralysis, and packing, and denial, and graft. Oh, and a few lie ins as well.

This is just the first step in our journey back to Utah, and while it is incredibly stressful, it is also what we've wanted for over 5 years now. We're excited!

News!

Not on the house, unfortunately, but almost as good. Martin has a job!!!

He starts on Monday and will be on a six month contract (through a temp agency) working at a school. Those are the only details I know (plus his hourly wage, but it would be uncouth to disclose that and I am all about being "couth"). I am super proud. He is nervous. We are both relieved.

Today is my last day of work until September, and Martin's first paycheck should come in just after my last one. Thank goodness!

Time to celebrate!

A second viewing...

The nicest little couple came to look at our house yesterday. One of them I have actually met before--she is a PCSO who works with Lewis. They have pets and hope to have children, and they loved our house. The size, the quirkiness, the enclosed garden, the lot.

They have scheduled a second viewing for tomorrow, and I am kind of nervous about it now. Not that they won't want the house, mind you. I've gotten used to that. I am slightly nervous that they WILL want the house, and that they will make an offer that we are happy with. Because even though the job situation isn't great right now, socially we are having a lot of fun!

Staying in England is looking a little bit appealing right now. We have great friends, a great ward, our kids are settled and thriving in school, and we are comfortable. To be honest, I have always had commitment issues. But when I DO commit, I find it very hard to let go. And I don't want everything to change. What if things get worse?

And yet, what if things get better?

Dad, do you remember that time you took us to the casino in Wendover to show us how gambling "never pays"? You put a dollar in a poker slot machine and won $20. Then you blushed and said, "That NEVER happens, girls." Well, good news. The lesson, though it didn't exactly go to plan, seriously stuck. I don't like to play the odds. Ever!

But for all that, if we DO sell the house in the next six weeks, I will be thrilled about it. I miss my family so much. All of you! It will just be terrifying to leap back into the unknown. I am getting too old for all this nonsense. Too old to start over again!

Ok, my angst filled rant is finished. I'm inventing problems that don't even exist yet. And really, my anxiety isn't that big of a problem. I can always just have my doctor up my dosage of Prozac and crack on. And even if we sold the house tomorrow, we would still have to wait at least six months before we could move. Deep, cleansing breaths. I need to do some yoga!

On another note, I had a girls' night out yesterday. It was weird. We all went out to a pub in Hull together whilst Martin stayed at home with the kids, and we had a GREAT time on our way there. We were belting out power ballads at the top of our lungs and headbanging to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Then we got there, and ran into one of the girls' ex-boyfriend's new girlfriends. The one he cheated on her with. Also, the other girl I went with has recently decided to split up with her husband. So there was major drama all night long. Though I still had fun, I went home VERY grateful for my marriage to my wonderful husband. Seriously, how did I get so stinking lucky? Heaven knows I didn't deserve him when I met him, and most days I still don't. But he's still in love with me after all these years, and I am still crazy in love with him, too.

Tomorrow is my last day of work before the kids' summer holidays. It's going to be nice to have six weeks off with the kiddies. Martin has a couple of irons in the fire, so to speak, and he's still picking up barrow joinery jobs. I think we're all looking forward to warm days filled with bike rides, trips to the park to play football, swimming, picnics, and plenty of time at friends' houses. I know Martin and I are looking forward to not doing a school run every day! There is absolutely no dread this year for the long break. I know my kids, and I know they can entertain themselves. Well, Edith can, anyway. I am glad we'll have some time off together. We're all a bit burnt out right now, and it will be great to relax the routines and have a little fun.

I may not post for a bit though, since I hardly ever go on the computer at home and I can't post from my phone. I'll try though, and there will be plenty of pictures on Facebook and Instagram.

See, just typing about summer has made me relax and stop worrying about the possible move. Oh wait, now I am thinking about it again. Anxiety is back.

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalala...

Drama...

So yeah, Phil, the guy who took over Stables and fired Martin, has given up on running a business. He's let the restaurant revert back to the original owners. They, in turn, have sold it to someone else. Probably for less money, since Phil essentially ran it into the ground and drove off all the regular customers when he sacked Martin. THAT happened!

The new owners know Martin. And they've asked him if he wants his old job back.

Tempting? Maybe for him!

Gratifying? Oh, ab-so-freaking-lutely!

Martin's mood has really lifted since that conversation happened. And, combined with Winteringham Fields wanting to hire him full time, he is feeling downright buoyant. But my husband knows me well, and has told them that he is finishing his training and getting work as a joiner, or his wife will kill him.

Martin has got some work experience arranged with one of the local builders (church connections are awesome). He's not asked for a job--just the chance for some hands on, unpaid experience. He starts on Monday. And if it should turn into a real job, so much the better. He's caught up to the other guys on his joinery course now, too. So he's only at college two days a week instead of four. That means we have one day a week to ourselves again, and it's GREAT!

I'm going to try and get some pictures posted on here soon. If only my windows phone supported mobile blogging! I got some great pictures on the Easter holiday. We didn't do much, but we DID have a great time. England is starting to get gorgeous again, like it does every spring. I love this country more than words can express in April, May and June!

Happy drugs have officially kicked in, and life is plodding on at a nice pace now. Not enjoying the side effects of the drugs, but loving not being a big ball of rage and paranoia. And happy that my husband is feeling confident again.

I sure do love that man!

Drama queen...

Big surprise, that would be my darling Edith.

Both children took part in the annual Scunthorpe Speech and Drama Festival last week. They did verse speaking, and I was very proud of both of them. Dylan flubbed a tiny little bit (he started saying the poem before he announced the title and author) but he did just great. Edith was a superstar. She stomped her way up to the podium, got settled in, did the poem (including a funny little voice for part of it), smiled, and flounced back to her seat like she owned the joint. And she did. she took first place in her group. We went to the trophy round on Saturday afternoon, where her very supportive family came to watch, and she did very well. Alas, no trophy. But she was completely adorable. Especially the way she lounged in her chair with her legs crossed like a bored little super model.

So there you have it, mom. An update. Dylan won his round and went to the trophy showcase two years ago. It was just Edith's turn this time.

Things are plodding along in merry ol' England right now. Martin is still doing really well on his college course. He is loving working weekends at Winteringham Fields, too. They are happy with him and would like him to work there full time. Guess what I said to that! But it's been really good for his confidence to have them ask. I think he'll probably pick up a few shifts there, even after he gets a "real" job as a joiner. Just because he is passionate about fine dining. The weirdo!

Dylan has started a parkour/gymnastic fitness club after school on a Friday. He learned to do a forward roll last week, and has been jumping onto walls all over the place. He's really enjoying that. He's also had his tablet taken away for sneaking it into his bed on no-tech day last week. He'll be getting it back on Thursday, and he is really looking forward to that!

Edith, as mentioned above, is my little drama queen. She is looking forward to her birthday in just two weeks' time. We are planning a birthday shopping trip for her--just the two of us. No smelly boys! I still haven't bought her any gifts, but she is really quite easy to shop for. Anything super girly and beauty related, and she's a happy girl!

As for mom. Well, how long have we got? I think the stress of our current situation coupled with the extra shifts this week (my boss is on holiday and I am working all week to cover her) has tipped me over the edge of "ok" with my mental health. I had a really bad weekend, and the week hasn't been much better so far. I think it's going to be back on the happy pills for me. I've been feeling that mounting sense of dread again, and some mild paranoia. Snappish with the kids and Martin, as well. I am tired ALL the time--even when I just slept nine hours and haven't even got out of bed yet. Oh, and did I mention that I pretty much hate myself right now? I feel bad that I will be resorting to pills again, but this is no way to live. I mean, I was bawling my eyes out listening to Pink Floyd on my drive to church, for crying out loud!

(In my defense, it WAS to "Comfortably Numb," which is one of the best songs ever written, IMHO).

We had an offer on the house a few weeks back now. We could have sold it. How crazy is that? We talked about it for what seemed like hours, and decided that the offer was too low. We aren't desperate to sell. We need to make a good profit on the house so that our move back to Utah is (relatively) easy and comfortable, with plenty of start-up capital. So we will wait. And we've had another viewer who is very interested. She just has concerns about the burnt out house next door and is doing research into it before she decides whether to make an offer or not.

I thought I would be more excited when someone made an offer on our place. Instead, I was weirdly sad. Most of my married life has been spent there. My kids were babies there. We've invested so much time and energy on that house. When we finally do sell it to someone else, it will feel almost losing a part of myself.

Still worth it, though!

HUGE January update...

So Christmas was good. Hard work, but still good. Only a few minor meltdowns, and major family drama avoided. Good food, great gifts, lovely family time. And, best of all, no anger management issues for me during the whole of the Christmas break from school. Still, Martin and I were both glad to see them back at Castledyke yesterday!

New Year's Eve was a non-event. Kids were in bed by half past seven, Martin was at work, and I stayed up and watched Dexter on Netflix. Accidentally stayed up until midnight, because I was really into the episode I was watching. Martin got home right before midnight, we had a weird interaction, then kissed, and I went to bed. He stayed up and ate dinner/watched sports. Because we are so romantic and that's the way we roll.

A bit of bad news this morning. Martin has been let go at Stables. We've kind of been expecting it since the new guy bought the business late last year, but it's still stressful and demoralizing. Martin only found out about an hour and a half ago, but he is already job hunting. It could end up being a good thing though, since his hours were horrible and he was kind of looking around anyway. This could be the final push that gets him into a job where we can actually have a social life. We never see anybody!!!

So yeah, other than that, things are good. I have recommitted myself to the gym and am back in full swing there (hey, I'll now be able to work out in the evenings if I want to. AWESOME!). Just finished off week three of the couch to 5K app, and it feels great whilst at the same time kicking my butt. I have already started to notice that I have way more energy. I'm going to do some research into weight training programs--maybe see if there are some good personal trainer apps so I can maximize my efforts at the gym. And maybe Martin and I can start cycling together in the mornings. Hmm...

The kids are growing and thriving. Edith seems to have shot up about 4 inches in the last month, I swear. And her hair is getting really long now. She loves it! Martin wants her to get another pixie cut. She is becoming a really good reader, and is a social animal. She loves playing with her friends, and I think she might be an artistic child. Yay! Dylan is still super smart, of course. He's starting to get really into football, and enjoys collecting Match Attax cards (I hate them!). He's excited to be back at school with all his friends, and has a new teacher. A MAN!

My part time job is going well. Still love the people I work with, and feel really blessed to have this job. Especially now! The house still isn't sold (but Martin is hoping to get some work done on it now that he'll have more free time). Martin is jobless but optimistic. So all in all, we're in a decent place for the start of 2015.

One thing--Dylan is going to be turning eight this year. You know what that means--BAPTISM! We were hoping that we'd be living back in the U.S. by then, but it's not looking likely now. So if any family members would like to come over for his baptism, start saving your pennies now. We'll probably have the baptism on his actual birthday, the 29th of August. Just a heads up.

So there you have it, a Gilbert family update. Keep you posted with the job situation. And now that I'm back at work, expect weekly updates here!

Kisses to all.

Milestone...

I remember what a huge deal it was when Dylan got his first tooth. It seems like only yesterday.

Well, this afternoon he lost his first tooth. We were having some lunch when he told me it was loose, and twenty minutes later (as we walked around Matalan looking at church shirts) it was in his hand.

I have to say, there was considerably less drama with him losing it than there was when the first one came in!

Though it pains me to say this, I ALMOST wish I could stop the clock and keep my babies just a little bit longer. They are practically disappearing right before my eyes.

Tooth fairy duty tonight. This is almost as much fun as his first Christmas.

Makeup...

I have been thinking about makeup lately. More specifically, how the makeup trends change over the years.

Does anybody remember that line from "My Girl" when Jamie Lee Curtis's character is teaching the main character how to apply makeup? She says "You can never have too much blue eyeshadow!" I remember how it made me giggle, because I started wearing makeup in the 90's.

Funny, how you can always tell a 90's picture by the makeup. Because it was nothing special at the time, really. You went for nude colours on your eyes and cheeks, and VERY dark lipstick. That's just how everybody's face was, and it didn't seem like a makeup trend at all. Just a sensible way of applying the stuff. But now, that style of makeup sticks out like a sore thumb. Just as much as the blue eyeshadow of the 70's or the bubblegum pink lipstick and racing stripe blush of the 80's.

And now? Well, I'm too old now to be totally clued in to makeup trends. I guess only time will tell what the defining look of the Noughties and the teens will be. But I'm pretty sure one day we'll be able to look at photos and go "Man, look at that makeup. SO 2005!"

Deep and intellectual, huh? Pop culture is important, too!

In other exciting BLOG news, we are trying to plan a trip back to Utah for this summer. Any dates we should know about so we can try to accommodate?

Proud mama bear...

For those of you who HAVEN'T seen the video on Facebook, Edith learned to ride her bike with no training wheels last weekend.

That girl is so fearless! I told her she might not get it on her first try, and that was just fine. Then we took her out, she got on her bike, Martin supported her just a little bit, and away she went. First time out of the gate.

She'll be turning five on Tuesday, and she's getting a new bike for her birthday. She is so very grown up. Where have the past five years gone?

Dylan's teachers were on strike yesterday, so he and Martin had a little father/son bonding day. They bought Edith's birthday present, had lunch together, and went to the cinema. I had a PB&J sandwich, watched The Goodwife on Netflix, and had my "ladies' cancer screening" at the doctor's office. Who do you reckon had the better day? You're right. It was me!

Dylan loves his dad so much. They both do, really, but Dylan idolizes Martin. He was so content with all the attention that he'd received all day long that he was as good as gold when it came time for bed. I love that!

Oh, and I got Edith those new school shoes. She loves them.

An Achievement...

Not mine, but Dylan's. He is now riding his bike with no training wheels. Pretty amazing, considering he only got that bike a few months ago. We didn't really encourage bike riding for him when he was younger because he wasn't very coordinated. Couple that with his bleeding disorder, and it was just a recipe for disaster. But he was finally ready this summer.

Dylan gets really down on himself when he can't do things straight away. He is very smart, and expects to do new things with ease. And he's so sensitive that he cries when he's disappointed. So teaching him to ride a bike was frustrating for me and Martin. It took so much patience and loving encouragement, which is really hard to give when your six year old is crying like a baby over NOTHING!

I wasn't there the first time he rode on his own. I was at my yoga class. But I saw the video, which was brilliant. And he is so proud of himself.

Seeing my children grow and develop is everything I dreamed it would be. So many aspects of motherhood are not, but this one meets all of my expectations! To catch a brief glimpse of their full potential, well, there are no words to describe the absolute wonder of it...

Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur...

We have a new kitten. He's called Sid Vicious, and he is SO adorable.

After Patches died, we were all so sad. He was such a wonderful cat, and it took months to get over him. But the kids and I were finally ready to welcome a new cat to the house.

We picked Sid up and brought him home on Friday, and he's fitting in just fine. He's a fluffy little ball of black and white fur. He's incredibly playful, but very affectionate and cuddly for a tiny kitten. He's also very smart--found the litter box on the first try and is learning how to climb up on all the furniture. He's going to be a welcome addition to the family.

The kids are a little bit scared of him.

It's kind of funny :)

Shhh, don't tell!

After nearly two years of almost constant exhaustion, I finally have my energy back. So what is my secret, you ask? A little pill, taken every night after dinner, called fluoxetine.

Yes, that's generic brand Prozac.

I have seriously been struggling with nearly debilitating exhaustion for that long. Combined with the most horrific mood swings and explosions of anger I've ever experienced (and I've even been on fertility drugs!), life has really been difficult. For everyone in the family!

For some reason, I never put the two symptoms together in my mind. It wasn't until the whole situation with the neighbors that I cottoned on to the fact that I was actually pretty depressed and needed to seek professional help. So thanks, J., for bringing that to my attention. I started taking the fluoxetine about 10 days ago.

A few nights ago, I realized that the medication was starting to work. I'd spent the night mostly alone, and it wasn't a particularly easy night. Edith was difficult at bedtime, as she has been for about 6 weeks now, and I just watched a few programs on telly by myself. But as I walked to the bathroom to start my skin and dental cleansing regimen, I realized something. I was content. Like, properly content. For the first time in longer than I care to admit. And apparently, I won't even feel the full benefit of it for 4-6 weeks.

So how do I feel about going on anti-depressants?

Worried.

Embarrassed.

Ashamed.

Relieved.

Obviously, there can be some pretty nasty side-effects from going on SSRI's. It's a concern. I've already experienced two days of horrific side effects that I'll not go into on a public forum. But I should only be on the meds for a maximum of about 5 months, and so far, the benefits outweigh the risks.

I'll be combining the medication with some form of talking therapy, as well. I have a mental health counsellor named Will, who I really like because he is a) super nice and b) Scottish, so he says things like "lassie" and "can'ny." And he's helping me realize that needing a little bit of help is nothing to be embarrassed about. We've only met once, but he pointed out a lot of things to me that I'd not realized before.

Mostly, he made me see that my life IS actually pretty stressful, even though I am a full-time mommy and housewife. The way he described my life to me was a bit of a revelation. And it's not so much stress in the stereotypical sense of the word. More isolation and powerlessness. And I am a control freak, so being helpless IS stressful.

I guess the feelings of shame about my depression and needing the medication stem from a belief that I actually have it much better than so many other people. I feel like I ought to be able to cope with my life, and that my failure to do so is a major character flaw. I'm so privileged to have my life, and not being happy with it seems like self-indulgent nonsense. But what it all comes down to, in the end, is a chemical imbalance and/or deficiency in my brain. And if medication corrects that deficiency, then why shouldn't I take it?

The relief is by far the most overwhelming emotion I am experiencing right now. I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I can start to trust myself with my children again. I feel emotionally stable for the first time in years. I feel like I can breathe.

And I feel like getting out of bed in the morning again, which feels like nothing short of a miracle.

A message for all my Utah friends and family...

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a two-year-old in the house...

Edith has finally realized that she is two, and should therefore be acting "terrible."

Boy, when this child makes up her mind about something she doesn't do it by half. Overnight she has turned into a screaming, tantrum-throwing little harridan! We have spent so much of the past two days (and nights, as well) butting heads that I no longer even want to look at her, let alone allow her to sit on my lap or have a cuddle.

The "fun" reached it's peak at 3:30 this morning, when she woke up and started screaming that she wanted to go downstairs. After an unfruitful attempt to get her to go back to sleep, I took her downstairs and deposited her with very little ceremony on the sofa in the dark. I then informed her that the rest of the family were going to sleep (she having rudely awakened all of us) and that she should tell me when she was ready to go back to bed.

10 minutes of screaming later, she told me she wanted to go back to bed.

We didn't hear a peep out of her for the rest of the night. Not until Dylan woke her up at about 7:30am, at which point she promptly started moaning and whining again, and pretty much hasn't stopped all day.

I still remember nearly every moment of my labor with Dylan and Edith both, but I had rather mercifully blocked out how awful the terrible twos can be. This kind of seals the deal--I do not want to have to do this again with another child. I am done.

Now I just hope that Edith is as well!

Goodbye, Patches...

We rewarded Dylan's very good behavior at school lately with a trip to the cinema to watch "Puss In Boots," and had a wonderful time. But when we got home, disaster struck.

Patches ran in front of a car just as we were getting the kids out. He died almost instantly.

Martin put his body behind the retaining wall of the house next door so we could get the kids in the house and decide how to deal with the situation. We decided that it would be best to just tell them the truth, and boy was it difficult!

Edith was pretty oblivious, but Dylan was heartbroken. We took them out to see his body and stroke him one last time (there was no blood). Then we buried him out back, said what we would miss about him, and said a prayer. Dylan was sobbing the whole time, and he didn't stop until we put him to bed.

We'll all miss our little cat.

Teaser...

We might have some good news in a few weeks' time.

It's not that we are selling our house.  Just wanted to throw that out there so nobody got their hopes up.  I can't go into detail right now, but I'll keep you posted.  I'll just say that we got an encouraging phone call yesterday and we'll know more later.

It's a busy week.  Tomorrow afternoon and evening are going to be especially interesting, with the kids being given their dinner and put to bed by Alice, our favorite babysitter.  It's the first time a non-family member has done the job, and it'll be interesting to see how it goes.  We're having to get creative with car usage and kid juggling as well.  It's just a small taste of things to come.  I don't know how my parents managed to juggle the schedules of 6 kids.  They must have had access to a time machine years before CERN announced that time travel IS (theoretically) possible.  Must have been the old blue Dodge Caravan.

Hey Velecia, do you remember the time Angie opened the van door at 7-11, it squeaked really loudly, you got embarrassed, and then you punched her?  How unsympathetic were we about your teen-aged angst?

Good times!

Gym update:  In the past 15 days, I have been to the gym 13 times.  Feeling, um, good?  No, actually.  Mostly just tired, but in a completely self-righteous, albeit sweaty, way!

So yeah, Castledyke Chat today, book club tomorrow, Martin in Manchester on Thursday, swimming with Edith and cinema with Emma on Friday, Barton Christmas Fair on Saturday, my Relief Society lesson and a late Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.  No time to get bored this week :)

I peeked...

I finally had a look at what the surgeon did to my foot on Tuesday, and no wonder it hurts!  He didn't just slice it open and root around for the glass--he removed a chunk of my foot about the size of the tip of my pinkie.  There's a hole in my foot that's probably half an inch deep.

OUCHIE!

The good news is that I am pain medication free and planning on taking the kids out today.  We've been a bit bored for the past 8 days and since I'm drug free now I can drive.  Probably.

I've also got talk and a lesson to give in church tomorrow.  No rest for the wicked, right?

Dylan learned about Diwali at school last week, and they had a party to celebrate Diwali and breaking up for half-term yesterday.  The kids were asked to bring sweet snacks to share with their classmates, so Dylan and Edith helped me make Snickerdoodles.  They did the adding and mixing, I did the measuring and the baking once they were in bed.  They love helping me bake.  Edith loves all cooking, and she is becoming a very good kitchen helper.

Edith also slept with no pull-up on last night.  Dry at night--she is officially completely potty trained.

Where is their childhood going?

It's official...

I am now a legal permanent resident of the United Kingdom!

We got the paperwork on Monday.

Martin has already started harassing me about getting a job.

A sound financial decision...

Things that are wrong with our car and cost of fixing them:

2 new tires:                          £100
Front end suspension:          £250 (inc. parts and labor)
Blowing exhaust:                  £100 (estimated)
Wing mirror:                        £25
Brakes:                               £125 (estimated)
Climate control fan switch:  £50 (estimated)
Road Tax:                          £105
MOT test:                           £35
Ignition repairing:  Not a clue!  Just started having problems last week.

Grand total:  £790 (plus the cost of fixing the ignition, whatever that would be)

Total cost of new car which we just bought:  £800

This includes the tax until September.  The MOT is good until February 2012.  The new car is 4 years newer than the one we currently drive, will cost about £40 less per year to insure, is in a lower tax bracket, and gets better mpg. than the Nissan we are currently driving.  The bodywork has a few bumps and scratches, but it is in much better shape than the old one.

Plus, it is a Seat Leon.  I have wanted one of these cars for about 4 years now. 

We'll be picking it up from Heanor first thing Wednesday morning, and leaving the Nissan with a scrap dealer in Nottingham.  I can hardly wait to start driving this new car. 

Of course, the most sound financial decision of all would be to do without a car entirely, which is very feasible for us.  Martin walks to work, we live super close to a Tesco, Dylan's school takes less than 5 minutes to walk to.  But we have that 35 mile round trip journey to church every Sunday.  The church isn't on a direct bus route so we would have to change buses twice, and leave home 2 hours early and church 30 minutes early every week.  AND would cost us about £15 a week to do it.

The best decision for our finances isn't necessarily the best decision for our family.

And, well, it's a really pretty car.

Holiday: Part 3 (or boredom, anxiety, panic and relief)...

We got an early start on Thursday because we had to clean the holiday cottage before we left.  Christine and I cleaned up while Martin loaded the car.  Then it was a greasy full English fry-up at the truck stop and the open road.

We took the scenic way home, which was absolutely beautiful.  Unfortunately, it was a bit TOO scenic.  I had my Britishness test scheduled in Sheffield at 1:30pm, and was supposed to meet Noelle (she was taking it as well) at Meadowhall at 12:30pm.  I did a bit of studying on the way there, but started to get more anxious as it got later and later.  At 12:25pm I sent her a text to let her know that I was running late.  I asked her for the postcode of the testing centre as we had Laurie and Christine's sat-nav for the trip, I programmed it in, and we weren't going to arrive there until 1:47pm. 

This is when panic ensued.

Martin drove like the wind.  Seriously, he was SPEEDY!  Then the battery in the sat-nav (btw, that's GPS for all you Yanks out there) started to die and we were in the middle of Sheffield with no idea where we were going.  Every time we had to stop at a red light, I had a mini panic attack!  Noelle was texting me updates, including what the building looked like, where to go once inside the building, how many people were ahead of her in line to pay and register, etc.  Those texts were a God-send!

I finally bolted up the stairs to the testing centre at 1:37pm, just as Noelle (the last in line) stood up to take her seat.  I got registered, and even had the chance to use the toilets (been holding it for the last 45 minutes, no time to stop!) before the test began.

All that stress, and it only took me 6 minutes to complete the 25 questions on the test.  I was the second one done--Noelle beat me by about a minute.  We waited for our results, and both of us had passed.  Good news--I didn't waste all that time and the £35!

I had been so worried that we weren't going to make it to the testing centre that I didn't even feel nervous about the test itself.

Some of the questions that I remember from the test were:

What percentage of the UK's population live in England?

What are the two main purposes of the United Nations?

What percentage of children in the UK attend a private school?

By what percentage has the population in the UK grown since 1971?

Does the UK have an international football team?

Just to name a few, of course.  They didn't tell you how many questions you had missed afterwards--you either passed or failed.  I think I might have missed as many as 4, but think I only missed probably 2.  It was easy-peasy lemon squeezy!

Met up with the family at a pub where they were just getting finished with lunch, drove back to Lincolnshire, dropped Christine off at her house, came home, fixed dinner, got the kids in bed, then collapsed.

Holidays are hard work!