Soooooo

We went to the South last week and tried to look around some houses and see how Bean was with Grandma - seeing as she would be looking after him so much if we moved down. I took some work and aimed to get a lot of reading done while I had some help with Bean...

Did it work? Did it 'eck! I know, I know. The houses are really pricey, and though we can afford it it is a big decision. And they fly out of the door within hours! Hours! So we would have to make a special trip or two down there in early Jan to get viewings and snap one up for ourselves - with petrol costing what it does these days that's £150 a pop! And on top of that we have a baby and people are not keen to rent to peeps with a young baby so we are finding out :0( Harrumph! But I do understand - If I had a property to rent I don't know that I would want a baby, even though I know how careful we are with ours! You can't be sure that other people wouldn't let their toddler draw on the walls etc etc. And THEN there is the fact that Grandma just is not good with Bean. She tries which is lovely but they just don't gel yet. I can't say too much but we would also want alternative childcare like a childminder - which of course we could also organise up here... So I couldn't work much during the trip because I had to go to Bean a lot, he would get upset if I left the room basically. Grandma couldn't divert him or cheer him up sooooo...

New plan then! We are starting, as of tomorrow, to try again with looking after him between us. DB says he feels dreadful about the predicament I am in and really wants to help. It is only for a few months, I just need HELP! So tomorrow I am meant to have the whole day (which actually translates until about 3pm as we have to go away again for the night for my sister's b'day celebrations. Eek) and then I am working next week to have about 20 hours I think. I have no work for my Sup to see on Tuesday tho. I don't know what to do about that at all. I am going to try and duck out of the meeting but have to think about how to do it. I will be honest but can't be too honest or I'll be in all sorts of trouble, and as yet I really don't think I am in such dire straits that I need to suspend. I have talked with DB and said I will suspend if something isn't sorted out, hence the new commitment to him cutting his hours so I can work. I really do want some official childcare help though because I just don't trust DB not to have to work. Not his fault, is just he works for himself and has to work for his clients! He just has to, he is the main breadwinner.

We'll see how tomorrow goes. While we were away I managed to start re-reading my methodology and theory notes and am feeling much more confident about how to go about analysing my research. I also have all of my interviews translated now bar one. Excellent! And I have my athens login sorted out so I can access journals again. All positive stuff. It just really is so pathetically small though in the face of the mountain I have to climb. I hope to get some good hours in tomorrow though. We shall see...

Oh, and I have a personal goal - I really want a holiday so we have decided to aim for a two week trip to croatia in June to celebrate my handing in my first draft. Am very excited about it and so am super keen to get my head down and resist faffing.

x J