January is a long month...

The days are ticking along and we’re in that stretch of January where spring and summer feel very far away. Vera is getting on well at nursery, but has been really upset a couple of mornings when I’ve left her. I think it may be linked to the fact that we were off for such a long time over Christmas and then went back for a few days and then she got a bit of a tummy bug and was home for nearly another week. Whereas she loves nursery, her friends and all the activities but some days she says she would rather stay home on the sofa. To be fair, how many of us wouldn’t want that from time to time. We’ve started potty training and it’s going well-ish, a few accidents of course but a lot to learn. Vera loves being a big girl though and wearing pants (trosor). She gets a sticker every time she successfully goes on the loo or on the potty, and they’re adding up on the fridge! I think she’s going through a bit of a development phase, figuring out who she is as a big girl, if that’s makes sense. From time to time she’s quite clingy and wants me all the time. At bed time, we read a lot of stories and gets really upset when I finally leave the room. At other times she’s fiercely independent: wants to choose all her own clothes (and starting to have a penchant for pink… fascinating, but more on that another time) and put on all her own clothes. A big bucket of patience needed on my part, especially if we’re in a hurry to get anywhere. Once she’s asleep in her bed she usually stays there all night, but has started to wander into ours at 5:30-6-ish in the morning. Roots around, makes herself comfortable, usually wakes us up and then when our alarms go off it’s “shhh dada, I need to sleep”! I am conscious though to enjoy every bit of it as time goes very fast! We’re starting to feel really at home here, I love our house, the street and the area. Mark is slowly “de-beigeing” the house and has ripped up the hall carpet, sanded the floor and varnished it so it looks great. I’ve started to get a bit of a social life, which I also greatly enjoy. I have met some really nice Swedish women and we’re starting a book club next week, I’m a member of another group of (slightly older) women who do dinners regularly and next week we’re off for some chocolate tasting! http://www.cocoawonderland.co.uk/. Finally, I have joined the WI! But before you get visions of elderly ladies, homemade cakes and jam and the film the Calendar girls: this is a much younger group, pretty much all my age, with a very varied programme. Last night there was a talk by a female Chief Super Intendant: the most senior female police officer in South Yorkshire. Very interesting to hear what she’s been through in a very male dominated world. The group is called the Seven Hills WI, named after Sheffield's seven hills. Local folklore insists that, like Rome, Sheffield was built "on seven hills The last piece of the jigsaw for me is a new job, as my contract runs out soon. This has proved probably the most difficult. A very different and slow (and low paid!) job market here – very different from the south. I have a few potentials though, so will hopefully have some good news soon! I’m very pleased it’s Friday again, a quiet weekend for us, ahead of a busy couple of weeks. Vera has a party on Sunday, so she’s looking forward to that! Speak soon! PS: Anna – yes the plate is made by Vera. Before Christmas they decorated plates and Christmas Tree decorations at nursery that the parents could buy.