Our Home update

Two years ago we started thinking of moving because we wanted another baby and our little two bed Victorian terrace was a bit too small.

It all went rather quick, our house sold within a week and we needed to get a move on. The house we saw on the Internet was an instant love affair for us both (hubby had spotted it about a month before we decided to take the plunge). In the end we only viewed four houses because we both knew we liked our potential new house the best.

It was a little rough around the edges and needed a new kitchen and bathroom as both are in dire condition and not been changed for at least 20 years (when a kitchen man came to quote he said our kitchen had been a 'new' design at least 27 years ago).

We had managed to get ourselves a mortgage after having a shop around and so it was all systems go. At the time we decided we could manage the work slowly and surely, starting with decorating the children's rooms and then ours. 

I love my big girls bedroom, if I was little I'd love a room like it, it's so vibrant and fun. Her only requirements were 'pink' and lots of toys so I managed to fulfil that brief. 

The boy got more of a classic nursery look and when he's older and we get a clear idea of his loves we will redecorate.  His room is only tiny so it's not too much bother to decorate again (but I haven't told the hubby that yet!).

Our room still needs work and the decorating has commenced but it's slow work and having taken all the old wallpaper off we are in the process of painting all the woodwork. New wallpaper needs to go up and the other walls painted and I've then got to fill this lovely bay window.

At the moment my dream kitchen will have to wait and we are thinking of attempting to do the bathroom instead. This also will take a lot of work as we have a separate loo and bathroom at the moment and need to knock them into one room.

The thing I like most about our house is its location. We live down a small and quiet close where all the neighbours have lived here for years. It's a real old fashioned neighbourhood where every one says hello and I'm hoping we get to stay here for years.

* This is a collaborative post

Realisations on being a mother of two

As I muddle through this double trouble phase I've started a little list of observations which I'm sure will grow as my children do.

Alone time

When I used to moan about having no time to myself with just one small person, I must of been slightly deranged. I had bundles of down time and its only now I look back fondly and wish I had that much time. Alone time now is something that doesn't happen, ever!

The squabbling starts early

Seriously I thought this was something that older kids did but my two are already at it at 9 months and 3 years old. The whines of 'he's got my toy', 'no don't touch that' screeched in his direction as he lunges with a twinkle in his eye at her most treasured belongings and when she cuddles him a bit too tightly or tries to hold his hand, he lets her know it's not acceptable in a series of moans and high pitched screechy noises.

Sleep deprivation

When you have one child, you feel bad on a broken nights sleep, when you think of having a second child you think to yourself "oh it wasn't that bad, we'll manage" the romanticism is strong. That is until you have a second child and it's so god damn terrible that you feel broken by the time you get out of bed the next day. The old 'rest when your baby does' doesn't take into account that the moment the baby eventually goes to sleep, the toddler is revving up and wants to do stickers, painting, play doh, running up and down the garden. Literally think of the most energetic thing to do when you feel like your eyeballs may fall out and that I guarantee is what your toddler chooses to do.

No cup of coffee will ever be big enough again

Never will you get enough coffee again (especially not a hot cup). Enough said

They tag team on no sleep

I try to catch them conferring during the day to see which one is going to wake up first and then who is going to finish the job of trying to break me. They either wake up an hour apart throughout the night or one wakes up in the middle of the night whilst the other catches up on sleep and then the nicely rested one will give you a hellish 5am wake up.

Toys

These things multiple over night I'm sure, they ooze out of the toy box and sometimes you find a toy that you had no recollection of buying or seeing ever before. The front room resembles a soft play centre and all I do is pick toys up, sweep them away with my foot or gingerly pick my way through them whilst carrying a child. The small fiddly bits...don't even get me started on bits that can easily choke or get sucked up by the Hoover!

Lists & things to do

I love a good list, it's one of my joys in life to make lists. Now my 'to do' list is longer and longer each day, there aren't even hours in the days to complete a third of what needs doing as I'm usually too busy picking up toys!

Washing

Seriously, one child generates enough washing to keep a full time laundry in business but two kids!!! They seem to manage to get grubby, smear food over themselves and the carpet just by sitting still. My children are the slightly crumpled looking ones and ironing isn't something I will ever relish and I just don't bother with now.

Good days, Bad days

When you have a bad day it gets really bad, they both scream and cry throughout the day and generally make you watch the clock for either daddy's return or when its socially acceptable to crack open a bottle of something to drown yourself in. On the flip side, it's the good days that are a real danger as you feel slightly invincible, both children are smiling and having fun together and will be compliant, when you are out they are the model children. It's on these days that my hormones rear up and say "see the lack of sleep isn't that bad, you have such good little people....isn't it time you had another?"