I haven't blogged for ages. My wish that 'Five on the Door' would have five posts per month (in the interests of weird number obsession), has not been achieved.
Why?
Well, there's been a lot going on. We moved just over two months ago now, and I don't think the upheaval of such a big life-change had really set in until very recently. Don't get me wrong, we love the house, don't miss Brighton at all, and life is generally easier. But I think it's only been in recent weeks that I've processed the reality of going through one of those huge events that happens in life. And that perhaps, I need to cut myself some slack.
The move has also coincided with the boy entering the throes of the infamous 'Terrible Twos': it's tough.
Every day brings tantrums, head-banging, sleep issues, food fussiness and general conflict. I love my boy more than I thought was humanly possible, but this bit is hard.
My angel baby has turned into an angry little toddler, riddled with frustration and angst. He definitely has a language delay, and is waiting on a number of referrals to see if there is any other condition behind some of his behaviours. Ironically, of late, he's doing really well with his words, averaging on using one or two new words a day: this is fantastic progress. The tantrums however are something else, and it becomes very difficult to differentiate between what could be a complex issue, and what is simply the 'joys' of toddlerhood.
As parents, it's really hard not to feel like you're failing. We're totally acting as a team, and the husband is wonderfully supportive and hands-on, but I think we sometimes feel like it's just our child that behaves like this. My rational mind tells me that a phase in a child's life doesn't get a well-known and well-used name for itself without some justification, and I hang on to the hope that 'terrible twos' will result in a karmic 'terrific teens', or that at least (as a secondary school teacher) I'll know what I'm dealing with then.
For now, I'm hanging on to that much-loved parental mantra: it's only a phase.
And hopefully the blogging hiatus will only be a phase too!
Monday, 17 June 2013
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
A unique dining experience
A week ago now, I received an invitation from Amy at Interactive Theatre International, to attend the opening night of 'Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience' as part of Brighton's Fringe Festival. Despite my pretensions of being a culture vulture, it is rare that I actually go and see anything as part of Brighton's annual Festival and quirky Fringe Festival.
On Thursday evening of last week, it was with great anticipation that I drove my lovely friend, Becka, and me, to Brighton's Thistle Hotel for an evening of food, entertainment and poor service.
I was a huge fan of the television series 'Fawlty Towers' as a child (although the production is very clear that it is not affiliated to the show in any way - hence the subtle spelling difference), and I was filled with nostalgia at the thought of experiencing some laugh-out-loud comedy treats.
The concept is a unique one: go to an hotel for a three-course meal, which happens to be served by 'Basil', 'Sybil' and 'Manuel', and become part of the inevitable chaos that surrounds them.
The experience starts during the pre-dinner drinks, with a confused Manuel throwing peanuts at guests, clearing the 'glasses' (removing people's specs), and Basil calling out the seating plan, accompanied by suitably acerbic comments - "Are you a magician?" to the man dressed in black shirt and black jeans.
The performance took place in the hotel's restaurant, and literally felt like we were featuring in the show itself. The chef had dropped his false teeth in the (delicious) tomato soup, bread rolls were launched at diners' heads, and I got chased around the room by Manuel and his pet 'rat': I was hysterical.
The characterisation was impressive: Basil had the look and the mannerisms; Manuel, the air of hapless and perpetual confusion; Sybil, the fantastically authentic hair, costume and make-up. For me, it was Sybil who stole the show; she was utterly convincing, with natural comic timing and the 'Sybil laugh' down to a tee.
The food was great, as was the background service from the actual hotel staff, and the experience was completely unique. I don't even think you'd have to be a fan of the original show to appreciate it. It took experiential theatre to a whole new level, and I'd be really interested to see what the company is going to come up with for next year.
Roll on May 2014...
PS. We were guests of 'Interactive Theatre International' but the views are 100% my own: loved it!
On Thursday evening of last week, it was with great anticipation that I drove my lovely friend, Becka, and me, to Brighton's Thistle Hotel for an evening of food, entertainment and poor service.
I was a huge fan of the television series 'Fawlty Towers' as a child (although the production is very clear that it is not affiliated to the show in any way - hence the subtle spelling difference), and I was filled with nostalgia at the thought of experiencing some laugh-out-loud comedy treats.
The concept is a unique one: go to an hotel for a three-course meal, which happens to be served by 'Basil', 'Sybil' and 'Manuel', and become part of the inevitable chaos that surrounds them.
The experience starts during the pre-dinner drinks, with a confused Manuel throwing peanuts at guests, clearing the 'glasses' (removing people's specs), and Basil calling out the seating plan, accompanied by suitably acerbic comments - "Are you a magician?" to the man dressed in black shirt and black jeans.
The performance took place in the hotel's restaurant, and literally felt like we were featuring in the show itself. The chef had dropped his false teeth in the (delicious) tomato soup, bread rolls were launched at diners' heads, and I got chased around the room by Manuel and his pet 'rat': I was hysterical.
The characterisation was impressive: Basil had the look and the mannerisms; Manuel, the air of hapless and perpetual confusion; Sybil, the fantastically authentic hair, costume and make-up. For me, it was Sybil who stole the show; she was utterly convincing, with natural comic timing and the 'Sybil laugh' down to a tee.
The food was great, as was the background service from the actual hotel staff, and the experience was completely unique. I don't even think you'd have to be a fan of the original show to appreciate it. It took experiential theatre to a whole new level, and I'd be really interested to see what the company is going to come up with for next year.
Roll on May 2014...
PS. We were guests of 'Interactive Theatre International' but the views are 100% my own: loved it!
Sunday, 12 May 2013
A birthday stroll
Hello! I'm back. I've hated neglecting the blog recently, but the move, working full-time and our new Internet connection with teething problems, have conspired against me.
Life is different; life is good. We're settled and yet still living with lots of boxes. Life is easier and yet still mentally busy. I've had an enforced absence from the Internet and social networking and I've HATED it.
Now we're on line and the computer is set up in our new study, I promise to be a better blogger. I'm still passionate about it as a concept, and I really want it to go somewhere, but I realise I've got to put the effort in.
Last weekend marked the occasion of my 35th birthday, or #halfwaytoseventy as I renamed it with uncharacteristic pessimism.
I had a big girls' night out planned on Friday in Brighton - a shared event with a very close friend whose birthday is three days before mine. Dexter got tonsillitis. By about 6pm on Friday evening, he had a raging temperature spike and we carted him off to the emergency out of hours doctor. Friday night for me was cancelled.
By Sunday, my actual birthday, he was making a good recovery. It was a gloriously sunny day and all I wanted to do to celebrate was have some quality family time with my lovely boys. So we went for a walk.
We walked through our new village (despite living in a new-build development, I have somewhat grandiose ideas I am now a country bumpkin), round a local park which is home to a lovely country hotel, and ended up at a tea rooms.
It was a proper old-lady afternoon out, and I loved it! We all got a healthy glow from some exposure to actual sunshine, Dexter attempted some 'sheep whispering' and I ate the best ploughman's lunch in the South East. Perfect.
Life is different; life is good. We're settled and yet still living with lots of boxes. Life is easier and yet still mentally busy. I've had an enforced absence from the Internet and social networking and I've HATED it.
Now we're on line and the computer is set up in our new study, I promise to be a better blogger. I'm still passionate about it as a concept, and I really want it to go somewhere, but I realise I've got to put the effort in.
Last weekend marked the occasion of my 35th birthday, or #halfwaytoseventy as I renamed it with uncharacteristic pessimism.
I had a big girls' night out planned on Friday in Brighton - a shared event with a very close friend whose birthday is three days before mine. Dexter got tonsillitis. By about 6pm on Friday evening, he had a raging temperature spike and we carted him off to the emergency out of hours doctor. Friday night for me was cancelled.
By Sunday, my actual birthday, he was making a good recovery. It was a gloriously sunny day and all I wanted to do to celebrate was have some quality family time with my lovely boys. So we went for a walk.
We walked through our new village (despite living in a new-build development, I have somewhat grandiose ideas I am now a country bumpkin), round a local park which is home to a lovely country hotel, and ended up at a tea rooms.
It was a proper old-lady afternoon out, and I loved it! We all got a healthy glow from some exposure to actual sunshine, Dexter attempted some 'sheep whispering' and I ate the best ploughman's lunch in the South East. Perfect.
Monday, 22 April 2013
Ten top tips for a successful house move
Having moved house just a couple of weeks ago, I have finally found the time (and an Internet connection) to, ahem, impart my 'wisdom' on the matter in the form of my top ten tips. I would like to credit my lovely friend, Stella, for some of the advice. Here goes...
1. Attempt to have as much of a clear out as possible before the big day. The husband virtually took up residence at our local tip for several weekends before the big move, getting rid of all manner of unwanted gubbins. Having loft space the whole length of a large Victorian house that houses five properties was more than enough room to store all manner of pointless crap, mainly the boxes of seemingly every appliance ever purchased. Despite such ruthless sorting and binning, we still managed to move a large Weetabix box containing a solitary, stale portion. Listen and learn, people.
2. Budget to pay for a company to move you and pack all of your stuff. Our team of three guys from Britannia was just BRILLIANT: jolly, efficient, professional, I actually felt sad when they left us as they'd felt like part of the moving process and had really looked after us. Sadly, we didn't pay for them to unpack our belongings...
3. Assuming you have followed tip 2 above, these guys are fuelled by a constant supply of tea and coffee - and biscuits. Jaffa Cakes were particularly motivational.
4. Again, if you've followed the advice in number 2, get out of their way! Once you've briefly outlined what's what, leave the house. The husband and I enjoyed a sushi lunch and shopping in Brighton.
5. If you have children, arrange childcare. My parents swept in from Manchester a couple of days before the move and we basically didn't see Dexter until we were in the new house. My lovely, generous friend loaned her flat up the road for them to use as their base. He had a lovely time; we didn't get stressed trying to keep things 'normal' for him.
6. Put your work shoes in your own car. I have only just found my favourite grey, ever-so-comfortable, Clarks brogues, and have been wearing my beaten-up bronze, low heeled Clarks numbers for days.
7. Phone your new district council a number of weeks before you move to arrange for your new bins/recycling crates to be delivered. The kitchen is being taken over by rubbish and we have already had to acquaint ourselves with our new local tip.
8. Always remember that Ikea is never going to be the fun experience you think it will be. Even without a toddler, being in possession of a clear list and the promise of cheap horse, I mean 'hot' dogs, it's a miserable way to spend a day.
9. Accept that you won't be sorted straight away. We still have many many unpacked boxes to contend with and two rooms that are currently unusable, despite it being a brand new house.
10. Buy and move into what will be your 'forever home' and, no matter how straightforward it was, vow to never ever do it again.
Happy home-moving!
1. Attempt to have as much of a clear out as possible before the big day. The husband virtually took up residence at our local tip for several weekends before the big move, getting rid of all manner of unwanted gubbins. Having loft space the whole length of a large Victorian house that houses five properties was more than enough room to store all manner of pointless crap, mainly the boxes of seemingly every appliance ever purchased. Despite such ruthless sorting and binning, we still managed to move a large Weetabix box containing a solitary, stale portion. Listen and learn, people.
2. Budget to pay for a company to move you and pack all of your stuff. Our team of three guys from Britannia was just BRILLIANT: jolly, efficient, professional, I actually felt sad when they left us as they'd felt like part of the moving process and had really looked after us. Sadly, we didn't pay for them to unpack our belongings...
3. Assuming you have followed tip 2 above, these guys are fuelled by a constant supply of tea and coffee - and biscuits. Jaffa Cakes were particularly motivational.
4. Again, if you've followed the advice in number 2, get out of their way! Once you've briefly outlined what's what, leave the house. The husband and I enjoyed a sushi lunch and shopping in Brighton.
5. If you have children, arrange childcare. My parents swept in from Manchester a couple of days before the move and we basically didn't see Dexter until we were in the new house. My lovely, generous friend loaned her flat up the road for them to use as their base. He had a lovely time; we didn't get stressed trying to keep things 'normal' for him.
6. Put your work shoes in your own car. I have only just found my favourite grey, ever-so-comfortable, Clarks brogues, and have been wearing my beaten-up bronze, low heeled Clarks numbers for days.
7. Phone your new district council a number of weeks before you move to arrange for your new bins/recycling crates to be delivered. The kitchen is being taken over by rubbish and we have already had to acquaint ourselves with our new local tip.
8. Always remember that Ikea is never going to be the fun experience you think it will be. Even without a toddler, being in possession of a clear list and the promise of cheap horse, I mean 'hot' dogs, it's a miserable way to spend a day.
9. Accept that you won't be sorted straight away. We still have many many unpacked boxes to contend with and two rooms that are currently unusable, despite it being a brand new house.
10. Buy and move into what will be your 'forever home' and, no matter how straightforward it was, vow to never ever do it again.
Happy home-moving!
Friday, 19 April 2013
Little Learners
In the chaos of moving last week - more of that in another post - I was delighted to receive a lovely parcel (to our new address) from Parragon Books. It contained a sample of their 'Little Learners' range of books for Dexter to have a look at.
According to the marketing spiel:
"Designed in partnership with educational consultants and tested by mums and babies, each book in the range focuses on a different level of child development during children’s most crucial learning stages. From young baby through to toddler, the bright, bold and colourful books encourage education and interactive play between parent and baby, and can be used anytime and anywhere.Education and engagement remain at the heart of every book in the Little Learners series, stimulating a child’s curiosity about life and language – always with a primary focus on fun."
And our verdict? They're lovely! Dexter and I shared 'Incy Wincy Spider', 'This Little Piggy' and 'Hickory Dickory'. The books are a lovely size: perfect for little hands and pleasingly portable for car journeys and taking out and about in cafes and restaurants. I was super-impressed by the quality of the books, especially given the very reasonable retail price of £2.99 - £6.99 - which of course, also makes them ideal as birthday gifts or stocking fillers. Visually, they have a certain Lauren Child-esque charm in the collage effect of the pictures.
Dexter loved the little finger puppet which is attached to the centre of the book and was particularly fond of 'kissing' the piggy and the spider! The books draw on well-known nursery rhyme and fairy story favourites, so the boy also loved the familiarity of the contents.
The slightly larger 'Peek-a-Boo friends' features all of Dexter's favourite animals and a cleverly shaped 'handle', allowing him to carry it to his brand new 'big boy bed' for a bedtime story.
They also look beautiful on the shelf in Dexter's new bedroom; I shall certainly be buying more to add to the collection.
The books were a gift from Parragon for the purpose of this review, but the views are 100% our own: we loved them!
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