Expatriate Bitching Living

T went back to school this morning after 8 days absence with chicken pox. He was not impressed when I left, crying and screaming. Several other class members off with the pox too.

Funny thing was we arrived at school and I realised I didn't have his lunch bag, yet knew I'd made it up and left it on the step by the door with all the other bags. So how come I hadn't loaded it? Anyhow manage to sort something out for him thanks to other mums. Got home thinking the lunch bag would be sitting on the stairs where I'd left it, but no.....strange, okay maybe I'd left it in the kitchen? No....stranger. Rang W to ask if he'd seen/moved it before he left - no.

I then looked in the drawers I have by the front door - there it is back in its usual place... Either I'm going mad (possible in current circumstances), we have a ghost, or a little boy on his way down this morning moved it? I'm trying to pretend its not me and I'm mad.

Just noticed Carol has disappeared from my friends and I know I didn't remove her. Lady in Scotland with 3 children, bunnies and chickens. Anyone know?

I don't believe it - the most beautiful weather all weekend and where am I? Stuck in the house. Between son with chickenpox and my damned allergy to tree pollen I can't go out and enjoy it!!!!

Hope all have enjoyed the lovely weather where ever they are or where ever its been.

My poor little boy - he's utterly miserable this morning with his chickenpox. He didn't sleep well last night and has been awake since 4 and is feeling really low. He had his morning bath which usually helps him to feel better but I had to get him out and then he was standing sobbing as put his itchy cream on him.

Bless, my heart broke for him. If I could take it away for him I would.

I'm hoping the spots will still stop coming tomorrow 5 days on from first ones and then he'll quickly recover.

Supposed to be house hunting today, 2 to see, but I think W will have to go on his own, its not fair to take T.

I have to write that I knew LOM was a class show, but it topped itself towards the end of the programme last night.

Sam speaks with one of his 70s colleagues, who tells him he met a nurse whilst he was recovering from his gunshot wounds and describes her physical attributes (breasts and bum) to Tyler. Tyler replies "She sounds enigmatic" and his colleague responds, "No, she's from Barnsley".

What is it about Barnsley lasses' that you know exactly what he means and why did W fall about laughing (as apparently I'm from Barnsley).

Can't wait for the DVD to come out now! But I liked the idea muted in the Sunday Times, about having the 70's cops transplanted to the 2007 cop shop....mayhem, politically incorrect oh joy!

Well after 8 weeks of being in the company of other little people with Chicken Pox or waterpokken, my son has finally displayed evidence of having it.....pity he couldnt' have displayed before I drove hime for 45 mins to school this morning and then had him stand and itch in class, only to have the supply teacher say she would prefer he wasn't here, the deputy head say it was up to the class teacher and me to say well rather than you phone me in half an hour to come and get him, I'll take him now and save myself 2 more journeys.

Hes in good mood, no temperature, not sick....yet I'm full of cold and the one who could have done with a lie in this morning.

Just had to cancel going out tonight with girl friends for a meal to say goodbye to a good friend who is off to Conneticut USA for 2 years (bit jealous as she's gotten out). I'll miss her and I didn't even know where I will be when she is back in Holland at Xmas - here or gone myself?

Its becoming more obvious to me that I don't want to stay here but he's got the job that pays the bills and he won't have that if we go back.....so feeling very stuck.

Today my little man T rode his bike without his stabiliser for the first time. He's 4 and 4 months! W and I don't think either of us were riding our bikes until we were 6 or 7, I'll admit I might even have been 8 or 9.

We took the stabiliser/ training wheels off about a month ago and he wasn't interested, preferred his loop fiets - walking bike - its a small bike without pedals that children ride here to get their balance. But we kept getting him to have a go for a short time in the past couple of weekends whilst there has been no rain. He just wasn't happy that we would let go, yet we could see he had his balance. Well today in the park he got it. Down hill no bother at speed, using brakes is a slight issue - still happy to use newish shoes as braking system (!!!!!). Going up hill requires more work and he's not bothered about that at present!

So today a better day allround. We even saw 3 houses today that are so much better than some of the other properties we've seen recently that we've seriously considered them all....maybe an offer on one of them might happen... need to sleep on it and revisit.

No Miss H today and guess who didn't make any upset, fuss, incident etc? Its definitely his teacher he has an issue with. He was in such a nice mood when I picked him up.

Get to not drive to school for 3 whole days now!!! Yippeee! Got a school Easter Egg hunt on Monday morning then back to school Tuesday! Really generous with holidays here!

No Miss H today and guess who didn't make any upset, fuss, incident etc? Its definitely his teacher he has an issue with. He was in such a nice mood when I picked him up.

Get to not drive to school for 3 whole days now!!! Yippeee! Got a school Easter Egg hunt on Monday morning then back to school Tuesday! Really generous with holidays here!

Seen 3 houses today - that makes 12 in total in the past 3 weeks. Its so depressing and so bloody time consuming.

Here it seems as though your ground floor is updated, modern, well decorated, but the further out of public view you go ie upstairs to bedrooms or up to the third floor common here - you go back 20 years on each floor.

I mean who today really has lino on the floor in their bedrooms? Perhaps with kids rooms, but master bedroom?

Why do people wish to charge you an absolute sin for you to deal with their DIY mishaps, lack of planning permission and just fxing bad taste?

I just want to cry at spending a stupid amount of money on a house I don't even want to live in, will have to live in, put up with it and try to get to getting someone to come out and spend a huge amount of time hanging around drinking my coffee whilst they are supposed to be rectifying, rebuilding, redecorating and re doing someone elses' mess. Yes a project with profit would be great but thats not what I want here it too much work in another language. If it was a house in UK, I'd be fine and probably excited at the prospect and challenge of it, but here - I have too much else I want to do to waste my time and energy (and get frustrated at more so than in UK) on.

Saw a lovely house, modern needs nothing doing but its not going to be any easier to get to his school from so defeats the whole object of it.......DAMN.

I think W is beginning to get my point of view on this....he's working out costs of buying, tax for buying plus what looks like additional renovations/ building work that majority of houses we look at require.....think reality may be helping him to redefine where we are at.....Please god if you are listening make his wallet squeeze itself so tight......it cannot be opened