Updates

Thank you all so much for all the kind comments you have left. We are now connected to the internet and today is my morning off so I have time to write a new entry!

I wish I had pictures to show you of our house, but I am still waiting for T's mum to email us the "before" pictures we took on her camera and we still need to take some "after" photos - I promise to do this asap!

The flat is so lovely - it is a third floor flat (in a modern build of three floors) and so light and airy. I spent the day after my last post cleaning the whole flat (cupboards and all) and carrying boxes full of books and clothes up 3 flights of stairs (after having helped get the sofa and tables up the day previous and knowing I'd have more to bring up over the weekend!) I must say that by Sunday I felt like I could barely move and getting the energy to walk to my work to learn the route and time how long it took was a bit of a stretch!

We are still waiting to collect T's bookcase so that we can finally empty the boxes full of books and we also need to figure out how to put the wardrobe together in the bedroom so we can finish sorting out the suitcases and bags of clothes. Then all we need is a bed frame so we aren't sleeping on a mattress on the floor and a few little bits that are not essentials but niceties and our home will be complete.

I cannot believe we have only been here 2 weeks and I started a new job 4 days after we moved in. I have settled into my new role so well I feel like I have been there far longer. I work 41 hours (10 hours per day - one hour of which is unpaid lunch) and then a half day. I am also working an extra 7 hours this Saturday at the creche in the local shopping centre and am currently staying after work on Mondays to train in tiny talk. I have to say working 8am-8:30pm on a Monday was not the easiest of things - I was dead to the world by 8:30pm the following day as it caught up with me hehe - but the training is so much fun and we are already teaching the "tweenies" (1-2 year olds) several signs, such as "more", "please/thank you", "milk", "food", "cake" and "raisins".

Yesterday I had them all dancing to music on the carpet area in the morning and we had physical play in the afternoon, which consisted of a ball pool and lots of trying to throw and catch and us adults trying to learn how to juggle - it was such fun! We have our own kitchen area in the "tweenie" room which means that the chef sends up the food he's cooked and we get to dish it out and sit with the children in our own routine and it works so much better than food being dished up by a chef who doesn't know each child's eating habits.

I'm in the 2-3 year old room this afternoon and pre-school tomorrow - unlike my old nursery where I hated being in other rooms because nobody spoke to you, I actually enjoy seeing how the other rooms work at this nursery. Last time I was in pre-school we took the kids to the local play park in the morning and then I spent the afternoon making treasure for their pirate treasure box with them. The nursery is very committed to learning and play through art and we even painted a tractor and some animals with the 1-2 year olds the other day. I have become known already as someone who is good at creative drawing and displays, although my deputy room leader has told me I am not to help anybody else's room (lol).

We have a good laugh, and although I am extremely tired at the end of each day, I wake up happy to go to work. I actually had a horrid morning off last Friday and going to work was the highlight of my day!! It helps that when I come home, the sun is usually shining, the route over the river is beautiful and I come home to find dinner on the table :o)

I must go now as I have loads of post for previous tenants to redirect and some laundry to do and I want to clean the bathroom and start sorting out a few more boxes whilst I have some time free. But I do promise to post pictures as soon as I have some available to post.

Have a wonderful day
Amanda xx