Well at least another 3 weeks in lockdown, we didn’t see that coming did we (eye roll). Although (and fingers crossed) it seems that we’ve passed the peak, as it appears daily death rates are falling. But what does the future hold? Will there be a new normal? Surely there has to be, at least until a vaccine is developed. And even when one is, it would be lovely if we could say goodbye to introductory handshakes and weird air kisses with people we’ve just met all together, please. It’s going to be weird though isn’t it, when Rona pisses off and this all becomes a thing of the past. Nighttime economies thriving again, kids playing in parks and being able to go to the supermarket without having to follow a one-way system at least 2 metres behind the person in front. Until then we should all stay strong and keep doing what we’re doing to save lives and protect the NHS.
House Move
Well, we did it. We finally moved house. Last Friday we said goodbye to the house we had called home for the last 7 1/2 years and said hello to the new ESLT HQ. Moving day itself went smoother than we had anticipated in the current climate. The movers did all the hard work while we took our hour’s exercise before driving over to the new house and having a car picnic in the driveway as we waited for the money to be transferred, the builders to release the keys and the moving vans to turn up. Once everything was unpacked and we had thoroughly disinfected everything, it was time to start unpacking.
Obviously, we wanted everything to be as seamless as possible for the girls. Therefore, we concentrated on their bedroom first and ensured we stuck to our usual routine of tea, bath and bed. They are great sleepers. However, we were worried that their new surroundings may throw them. It didn’t. The excitement of the day had taken its toll and they were out like lights and slept for a solid 11 hours. They are loving the space to run around both inside and outside. Although Mini ESLT seems quite dubious about walking/running on the grass. Fingers cross the more she does it, the more she’ll love it.
Needless to say, the weekend has gone by in a blur and we are still living in cardboard city. Luckily we seem to have found all of the essentials (barring my teabags!!!!) therefore are functioning quite well. As packing with two small children around your ankles was difficult, so is unpacking. Especially as Mr ESLT also went back to work yesterday. But we’re on lockdown and I don’t need to be anywhere so I guess it will take as long as it takes.
Back To ‘School’
If you are in the same position where you have to homeschool (through the pandemic not as a life choice), seriously how hard is it? It has certainly made me realise that in no way, shape or form could I ever be a teacher. I simply do not have the patience. For some people it’s their vocation, for me, it’s my living nightmare. Mini ESLT is too little for formal work, it’s all very much colours, shapes, numbers etc. However, Junior ESLT did get sent a work pack home with her before lockdown began. We are trying our best to work through it. We gave her a couple of weeks ‘off’ for the Easter holidays. However, yesterday we were back at it, for the whole of 5 minutes.
Junior ESLT has a very short attention span and craves attention. More so than the majority of small schoolies. This is because of her chaotic life before she came to live with us last year. It also means that she (we think) gets things wrong on purpose for one of us to sit with her and go through it at least a million times. Whereas reports from school state she works great on her own and is achieving everything she should be for the class she is in. This, of course, makes life incredibly difficult when you also have a hyper toddler running around too.
We will keep trying with her and mix up her activities daily. And fingers crossed as we become more settled in our new home the routine will naturally fall into place and something in her pack will pique her interest and hold it for a while. If you have any educational activities in your arsenal for foundation stage kids, please feel free (I’m begging you) to share!
Entertaining The Kids
So, we have managed to order a printer (finally). It was a tough choice, especially as a number are out of stock. It seems everyone has had the same idea. Fingers crossed it is going to arrive in the next couple of days then I am hitting Twinkl hard. I am going to print out all the colouring sheets and games I can find. Although, looking at the weather forecast, we are in for some sunshine for the next week or so. Therefore, in between schoolwork, I aim to kick (obviously not literally) the kids into the garden. They have a lot of outdoor toys and now we have a garden big enough to have them all out at once, there’s no reason for them to get bored out there. Mr ESLT also finishes work for a week on Thursday so fingers crossed we can all play outside together, enjoy the weather and even have a cheeky BBQ at the weekend.
What We’ve Been Watching
Absolutely nothing! In between packing and unpacking, we simply haven’t had the time. We’ve been up at 6 am and asleep by 10 pm every day for the past week. When we moved in the Sky dish wasn’t aligned properly (it was pointing in the wrong direction, 2 and 1/2 feet lower than it needed to be), so we only had that sorted out yesterday. Plus we do not have access to the internet yet. This means Sky on Demand, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ on any of the TVs in the house are all out of the question too.
Working from Home
- Drunk Drivers Abroad – Stay Safe on Holiday
- Around The World In 80 Films
- 5 Things To Do As Soon As You Come Back From Travelling
- Travel Photography Tips (For Ultimate Beginners)
I am also putting the finishing touches to ‘6 Tips To Help You Work From Home During Lockdown’ which I hope to publish tomorrow. It may help if you are trying to keep several plates spinning at the moment.
How Are You Doing?
How are you coping during lockdown? Has boredom set in? Are you anxious? Do you have the support you need to get through this? Please remember if you are struggling there are services and groups out there who can help. Each local authority should have a community hub set up who can offer help and assistance if it is needed. Also, community groups are active throughout the country. I run the Twitter account for our (even though I no longer live there) community mutual aid group. Since it was created just over 4 weeks ago, its members have helped nearly 700 people. There is no need to struggle, there are people out there who are able and willing to do things to make your life easier.
Looking after your mental health during these times is just as important as looking after your physical health. Check out the Every Mind Matters website from the NHS which offers a lot of advice and guidance which may help.
Remember, we’re all in this together!
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