Guns and Vamp Toenails, And Other Factors To Consider When Moving

Heyyyyy! It's me! Sorry to be so quiet but it's been busy. Everything is new and different, and learning the new systems, rules, pin numbers, account numbers, phone numbers, names, and so on has my brain a-spinnin'. Everything needs an online thingy. Everything has to be replied to by mail TODAY. Going out shopping is a huge adventure: Where oh where is the milk? Why is it not next to the cheese? Why did we buy the biggest bottle of "Vanish" and why are these bags so heavy? What does Chas need to know to do the Grammar School Test? When is it? Will we find a decent place to live this week? Why are these cheesy nachos so awful? Why do the Child Benefit people want me to send ORIGINALS of certificates, and should I be nervous?

So that's a tiny bit of what's going on with me. It's all good, and working out, and I have plenty of loved ones who answer my questions over and over again, patiently, and will come with me flat-hunting. Whatever I don't know, someone else does. And! The people in offices, government or otherwise, are truly helpful: I asked for "Ummm, a pack of First-Aid stamps" yesterday and the teller smiled sweetly and said "That'll be First-Class stamps, a pack of six or would you rather twelve?" Everyone seems willing to slow down to my pace, even with a long line of customers behind or my children playing "Snap" noisily on the floor at the bank.

While I am spinning around, trying to get all of my t's crossed and my i's dotted, the boys have been having a wonderful time with aunts, uncles, friends and cousins. Myles has an air rifle, and the boys have turned out to be really good shots. Terrifying, though. No apple is safe.

It's SO GOOD to be with my sister. First of all, she's got this handbag like Hermione's Little Beaded Handbag from Book Seven: It expands to fit Everything You Could Ever Need for emergencies, entertaining boys, snacking, first aid, and keeping warm. And, we do girly things: Yesterday, after running around in the New Town doing chore-y things, we went to Ailis' flat, parked the boys in front of video games, and gave ourselves a pedicure and polish in VAMP RED! We have been waving our toes about since then. Hopefully we'll have a few more weeks of summer so that we can show off the Vamp Toenails, but perhaps I should wear SHOES tomorrow when I go flat-hunting with Charlotte, or prospective landlords will think I'm going to run a brothel? Alas.

My uncle Pat has been wonderful with the boys, which I should have totally expected: he had five of his own, after all, so he knows more about what boys need than I do! The boys have been finding crates of Lego from years gone by, and one entire room is now "The Lego Room"... why it has ended up that the NICEST guest bedroom is the Lego room while I have put myself into one of the smallest rooms, I don't know. It's one of those things. You throw your bags into the first room on the left and after that, moving becomes too much of an effort to bother. Plus, my little room is cozy. We have spread ourselves throughout the house, and are eating our way through the chest freezer - so far, we don't seem to have made a dent in the food but that's probably because we keep running to the shops for more strawberries and cream!

Sam is hoping that you will share your cake recipes with him, on the boys' blog. Hop on over there and we'll do some baking this weekend! Keep 'em simple, k? Strawberries and chocolate get extra points!

Love,

Nan.