Well, it’s been three week’s nearly since we moved to Norfolk from the bright lights of London and we’re finally starting to feel a bit more at home. The unpacking is nearly (but not quite) done and we’re getting to grips with the decorating and long list of things that need doing in the new house.

People keep telling me they’re small things but to me they seem huge with knocks and scrapes that need amending everywhere and I just feel like I want it all done now, I’m not very good at slowly, slowly! At least I have now, or rather my Mum has now, got the kitchen floor clean. It was absolutely filthy and the grouting was a major pain in the bum as it must have been years and years of the previous owner just swilling all the dirt about the floor and letting it settle in all the grooves in between each tile. Shudder! Thanks to my Mum I now feel like it’s clean enough to walk about in bare feet which makes me much more relaxed.

The children are doing really well at school and nursery and couldn’t have been made to feel more welcome. F has been offered play dates (accepted immediately and with thanks) right, left and centre and J has also been asked to tea at a little pal’s house from nursery. He has taken to it like a duck to water but still talks every day of his Miss Lovely from his old school. He misses her and a couple of his friends terribly but doesn’t seem to associate the new school with the fact he won’t be going back to the old one. He’s happy as Larry and was delighted when we went back to London for the blog last week and popped into say hello to everyone at the old school.

I’m not sure I want to take F back just yet because although she is enjoying school, has made friends and is very happy there, she is also quite tearful at times and feeling home sick. I think a visit this early on for her would set her back too much as she does cry in the evenings and says she wants to go home. It’s very hard for her as it is for me because she understands that we won’t ever be going back to that old life. If I find it sad then she must be ten times worse.

We’re going to make a video message for her old class next week and show them around our village and new school. She definitely wants to keep in contact and I think we will go back for the summer fayre. She misses lots of people but a few very special ones in particular so I’m super pleased that this weekend we have friends from the Stone coming to stay in Norfolk!

I haven’t told F as I want it to be a massive surprise. They’re not friends from school but ones she has known all her life as my friend Carly who I met at antenatal classes is one and my friend Lucy who we met when F was 5 weeks old at baby group is the other. Their children went to different schools to Florence but we stayed great friends and now they’re coming to Norfolk extending all of our friendships even further! I am hoping it will show F that she will still stay in contact with the really important people from school too.

We’re hoping for LOTS of London visitors soon!

So, here’s some of my favourite photos from the last few weeks of our old life in the country – a new life for both F and J of course!

Well, that’s it from us for now. I shall be back in my London not once but twice next week after our weekend with our London friends. What with also seeing one of my oldest and dearest friends from Norfolk this week, where we picked up as we left 6 months ago, I am starting to really see the benefits of living in Norfolk while London is just a short journey away. Plus also, we bought some new bits for the house (retail therapy) and my new fridge is the size my London kitchen was. You think I’m exaggerating but seriously… So not!

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