Life seems busier than ever right now! I thought this lockdown thing was supposed to slow down everyone’s lives.
This four day week started with a couple of days with the eldest two here and home schooling them. Day one was fine as I was organised and had a whole plan of things for them to do. By day two I was flagging somewhat and it was all a lot more freestyle. Fitting in a million and one school governor things around their “lessons” proved to be rather trickier. Today they’ve been at their Dad’s and I’m still not sure I’ve managed to get much on my to do list complete as again I’ve been tied up in loads of governor things that need doing. We’ve managed to approve a school budget this week and get on with other time critical things that need doing but the to do list still seems to be growing. Teams has been brilliant for meaning that we can do online meetings at a moment’s notice and it’s been so much easier than just trying to do a conference call or everything via email. I’m hoping all this will calm down next week, but that depends on getting a few things sorted first. Fingers crossed we can.
I’m desperately trying to be more productive with my time at home. At the end of last week I managed to make a sun hat for the youngest with some fat quarters that I had hanging around and using a free online pattern (full post on that soon) and I have also planned a project from a book I already have to use some more fat quarters for a gift for a friend who is expecting a baby very soon. Tonight I’ve gone a step further and actually ordered a sewing patten to make something Harry Potter themed for the eldest’s tenth birthday in June. I fear this might be quite a sewing challenge, but I’ve got to stop putting off challenges like this and crack on and do things instead. I’m scared though! I’ll share the pattern just as soon as it arrives.
Today has also marked me finally getting. paint brush out and painting a wall inside the house. In the two years that we’ve lived here we’ve done far too little DIY and I’m determined to change this. It may only have been a small wall that I painted today, but at least I feel that a start has been made. Now to make sure that I paint another wall tomorrow and keep the momentum up on this.
I also made myself get out of the house properly today and go for a long walk. So many days I just find myself so busy at home that we never get round to it. I need to change that too. I make sure I get fresh air every day in the garden, but I need to push myself a bit more on the exercise front. Especially seeing as I’ve been baking rather a lot lately. I’ve a lovely new biscuit recipe to share soon too.
We’ve been playing a lot more board games here recently too. With a couple of podcasting friends we’ve set up a regular online games session and have so far managed Monopoly, Ratrace and also Careers – the latter of which is possibly one of my favourite vintage games right now. We’ve also mastered how to make these work via Skype – and again I’ll have a blog post up on Penny Plays soon telling you how we do it. Lockdown has seen us teach the kids how to play Ticket to Ride and they are both absolutely loving it. When they’re here a game before bedtime has become a bit of a ritual. They’ve also been busy teaching me how to play Labyrinth which I am loving. It’s sat there on our games shelf for years and for some strange reason hasn’t been played until now.
Tonight we’ve been told that lockdown has been extended for another three weeks. It’s going to be hard work, but actually I’m ok about that. I’m kind of in the rhythm of it all now and there are certain things about lockdown that I don’t mind. Only shopping once a week is doing our bank balance good and I certainly don’t miss the hours I usually spend in the car each day for school runs etc. I miss my friends and being able to take the kids places, but now that we can’t go out anywhere other than a walk it has removed some of that pressure about feeling that we have to do something productive with the kids every weekend that they’re here. That bit of life has definitely slowed down.
It’s also interesting to note that food shopping, and in particular food availability, seems to be getting back to normal too. Supermarkets are increasing their opening hours and I’ve noticed that Sainsburys have reintroduced all their extra Nectar points offers, suggesting that product ranges have returned somewhat. It may only be a small step towards “normality” but it’s a welcome one.
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