Muted 'Yay'

Our new house! (well, fingers and toes crossed) Hopefully ours by the end of May.

Those twigs on the outside on the house is wisteria. Ahhh I've always wanted a wisteria clad house.

All offers have been agreed. Unless it is falling down, it should go through.

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In our house we have quite a lot of wildlife:

Next door's chicken pops over the fence every day at 8am and stays nearly all day.

And this rat appeared on the bird table! Eekkk ! Luckily only seen once.

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Today, a beautiful thing arrived in the post from Dons.

My camera isn't working very well and no matter how many times I took this picture, it still didn't come out very well. But it's gorgeous, green and pink and blue and red and lovely.

And finally Esther (and finally Cyril)

Amyrillis watch.....

All I can say about this is 'ooh er missus'

Today, Holly invited her boyfriend round!

There's a first for everything. He didn't come in saying 'hello Mrs Spencer, hello Mr Spencer, I'm Ed'. But he DID take his shoes off before he ran upstairs. I think he must have been nervous because he brought his friend round for moral support.

Holly seems to have more friends who are boys than girls. She says it isn't the case but she seems to hang out with boys and it's always boys who call. Maybe boys have more freedom. This morning, a Jonny and an Alfie came by. This afternoon, it's Ed (short for Edmund) and Harvey. All of her friends have interesting names - last week we had Ollie and Ayrden! Don't make me tell you about Ollie and Ayrden. Lovely boys. One of them is super super clever and the other has grade eight in guitar (and is only 12). However, both of them are silly boys who think looking at porn sights on our computer is funny! I wasn't laughing when I checked the computer cookies I can tell you! The next day at school (lucky for me, unlucky for them, I work at their school) I called them over and gave them a very stern telling off coupled with a threat to phone parents/tell the Head of Year. I have never seen two lovely boys look more frightened.

But, on a serious note, parental control - what with this internet, what parent knows what their children are looking at! It's a portal to all sorts. I'm sure Ollie and Ayrden's parents think their lovely little boys are all innocence. Goodness knows what other sites they visit. I often feel guilty when I check Holly's chat logs to see what's been going on in her life. I only do it because she is twelve. Her Head of Year told me to do it, so I do. I do feel guilty actually. When I was young I kept a diary and my mother never ever looked at it (maybe she did?). But chat logs are interactive and all sorts of bullying and stuff can go on. Kids get addicted to it, they worry that they are missing out if they aren't online, monitoring what's going on. We try to keep Holly's MSN time down, but she does spend an inordinate amount of time sitting at the computer. (mind you, so do I!)

(PS: No definite house news yet!)

Stuff

Well, I think this weekend will be quite interesting, house wise at least.

There's been a development!

We discovered that the people in Dubai (with the house for sale) haven't been receiving our emails! So, we've made the offer that's not a million miles from their asking price and they've told us they will reply today.

Now, on top of this there's been another development! I leafleted houses in a street that I like and I had a result! A family have moved out of their house to rented in another town and are looking for a quick sale. This house is interesting! It's a double fronted Victorian house with relatively small rooms (but quite a lot of them), it's in perfect condition, it has a 100' garden with a 'home office' at the end of the garden. And, it's got a swimming pool! The girls are wildly excited at the prospect of having a swimming pool! I must say the thought of hopping into the pool on a hot summer's evening is very tempting........

The other house is bigger - well the rooms are much bigger but it needs quite a lot of work done on it.

Well, Andy is going to view the house either today or Monday (depending on the builder who is currently on site - redecorating the house). The owners are poised to put it on the market but really want to avoid going through an agent (who doesn't?) - so one way or another we'll have something sorted next week!

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Yesterday, on my day off, I had to go into work for a meeting about the school's policy regarding English as an Additional Language. During the meeting I had a moment of happiness. (I haven't had many of those recently). My job has been a bit 'nothingy' up to now, but now it looks like it might be becoming a bit 'somethingy'. I am now going to be responsible (along with two other members of staff) for the EAL policy and putting it into place and possibly becoming the centre for offering the International GCSE in English to foreign students, of which we have more and more in the sixth form.

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So, things are looking up jobwise and housewise - fingers crossed.

HELP

It's been so long since I posted a blog that when I went on blogger today it switched me over to the new blogger. I suspected nothing until I posted my blog and it took me to a completely new template and instead of my name being www.aluceproduction.blogspot.com it had somehow changed the address to www.gardeningpassion.blogspot.com . How has this happened? Who made this new address for me? What shall I do? I have a new post over at my gardeningpassion blog!!!!!!

Advice please.