Ooh, it’s been a bit quiet on here recently, hasn’t it? Sorry about that! My blogging mojo is lying fairly dormant at the moment because I’ve been so busy trying to get everything sorted out in our new house. I don’t even want to think about how much time I’ve spent on hold to utility companies and filling in change of address forms in the last fortnight…

We’re still making good progress though! We’ve found a nursery just along the road that is absolutely lovely, so hopefully DorkySon will be starting to do a couple of mornings there in the next few weeks. It’ll be great for him to get back around other kids again and doing some fun activities – much as though we love each other, and have been trying to get out and do something interesting like go to the park every day (see above!) the hours have been passing quite slowly with just the two of us.

I’ve also been discovering the seemingly endless joys of online grocery shopping. We got a fruit and veg box and some organic eggs and meat delivered from Abel and Cole last Friday, which was absolutely brilliant. We also had a delivery of tasty American goodies from Lupe Pintos (crucial stuff like Hersheys syrup and jalapeno slices), and after discovering that Ocado sell Irn Bru, even in Hertfordshire, I think I’m going to be placing pretty regular orders with them too.

I can’t get over how much warmer it is down here, even though we’re only a few hundred miles further south. I haven’t worn a jacket since I got here, and at least half the time I’ve been able to wander round in short sleeves (leading one of our elderly neighbours to comment that I must have moved from Scotland since every time he sees me I seem to be half naked). Sigh. It seems that we are destined to attract bizarre and slightly rude people wherever we are. We definitely need to invest in some wellies though – the playgrounds are all lovely but they’re complete mudbaths.

Anyway, we are all doing grand. DorkyDad’s job is enjoying his new job (although the commute is taking a while to get used to – especially on those days when there are delays!). We are missing some of our Edinburgh buddies (and indeed our American, Canadian and Australia buddies!), but feeling happier and more at home every day. The various ways of keeping in touch – email, text, Facebook, Skype – all make the miles seem a lot shorter.

We got the spare room sorted over the weekend, in preparation for a visit from DorkyGranny, and we’ve found a new dining room table to replace the one that wouldn’t fit through the door. Now we just need some shelves to store DorkySon’s trucks, and a bookcase for the living room, and we’re sorted!

Normally at this time of year we’d been in the States for Thanksgiving, but with DorkyDad starting his new job that hasn’t been possible this year. We’re looking forward to ‘christening’ the new table with a big family Thanksgiving meal in a couple of weeks. There will be turkey. There will be pie. And there will be a very long list of things that we’re thankful for.