It’s been quiet in the Jones’ household this week as someone is missing: Alex is spending the week with my parents in Kent, enjoying himself immensely whilst my parents are, no doubt, on their knees with exhaustion!  He may only be 4, but his is the loudest personality in the family and it’s been quiet here without him.  On the upside, it has meant that I’ve got lots ticked off the to-do list and we are (almost) organised and ready for the trip to Germany next week.

I have found us a cute studio in La Hulpe, Belgium as a stopover on the way back which will be our first experience of Airbnb; fingers crossed.  There is a beautiful castle to visit and Nick thought the boys might like a look around Waterloo, although when he mentioned it to the kids, Teddy said he’d prefer Kings Cross on the off chance he could see platform 9 3/4.  Kids today eh?!

The garage conversion is complete.  Nick, in his usual fashion, has done it to such a high standard that the neighbours asked if we were opening up some sort of illegal bedsit business!  It’s not in Nick’s nature to just throw up a wall and hope for the best – if there are right angles to maintain then you can bet they will be square, just as the nails holding the plasterboard to the frame are equally spaced and symmetrical!

Nick was away on business last week and mum came up to give me a hand with the kids whilst I was working; so of course I gave her a paintbrush and a gentle nudge in the direction of the hallway lest she get bored. She has done a fabulous job covering up all the little finger marks and crayon embellishments to the paintwork so once again the place feels clean and fresh.  As soon as we get back from Germany the top priority is to try and find a tenant: Someone who wants to rent a fully furnished family house with only partial access to the garage and who ideally likes the idea of a horticultural challenge, given the neglected space out the back we generously describe as a garden, for approximately 10-11 months – how hard can it be…?

One way or another though, we will be boarding a plane exactly four months from today and hoping that whatever we have forgotten can be sorted out on the road.  As long as we don’t forget the boys, I guess we’ll be okay.