Coming into week 8 and I wasn’t feeling terribly positive. THE statement was made by BoJo last night which basically doesn’t change much (good) but does hint that it could soon and I for one am not happy about it. Sending 5 year olds back to school? Really… But they are 5, how will they socially distance themselves and sending year six back because they need to make a transition to high school… Frankly I am pleased neither of my big two are in those years, reception, one or six and even if they were they would not be going back to school until I was certain that there was no threat of them being unsafe. It has irked me, it’s a political thing for the Conservative government, a financial and political endeavour and they, as always, have their own best interest at heart – I don’t believe they care much for the NHS with all their lip service having been just that and neither do I feel they care much about the people. As long as their wallets are in order then that’s all that matters – well not at my families expense it’s not and I will stand firm and do what’s best for us!
I simply am agog that teachers are being bashed and called lazy – if only the people saying this really knew how hard they are working, how they also put their lives on the line every day and how they absolutely want things back to normal. Right now teachers are either working from home organising their children’s lessons while looking after their own families or they are in school on the front line looking after key worker children and those who are vulnerable while ALSO looking after the on line learning of the children at home. I am furious that the government are putting some parents between a rock and a hard place and I am so pleased that i am not there and don’t have to make a decision to work therefore needing the children to go to school. It is unsafe to do so and I am frightened enough that Jonny has to go in! It is terrible, terrible and the worst I have felt about this the whole way through. Shame on anyone who voted for a Tory government and I hope people stand up to be counted and for them to change tack. Sending children back to school now is the wrong thing to do, yes the economy has to start running but wait until September when things may have changed and time will have helped to give clarity on what is safe in a school environment and what is not.
Anyway, aside from that and onto our week – despite the depressing start from the Prime Minister’s guidance on Sunday giving our Monday a grey colour, it also came with cooler temperatures and rain as if in mourning and sympathy. We have done our best, as always, to keep busy and occupied. No birthdays or bank holidays to take our mind off things and we have had to just get back to our new normal of schooling (HARD) and being as healthy as we can (no wine for me) and still getting outdoors to exercise! We had a tough beginning and there were ups and downs but by the end of the week with the sun starting to poke through and some big jobs in the house tackled (Raffie’s drawers and the windows cleaned – by me) I feel happier with the sunshine poking through again – I have my eyes on a 10ft pool for the garden, something to look forward to!
Home school on Monday is always the hardest, they smiled at the end but I assure you it didn’t start this way. I think this is absolutely the toughest element for Jimmy (and for us). It’s gonna work for some kids but not others I guess but we will persevere!By contrast to her brother Florence races through, rarely misses a beat and her work is exemplary, does more than is asked of her and is very happy to do so. She would prefer school but she gets on with this arrangement well!And raffie is most definitely the most hard done by – though he doesn’t know it. There is a lot of Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly and fobbing him off. I feel guilty about this and wish we could be normal for many reasons but the biggest is so that he can get back to all the lovely things we do together!More learning to count using the Hula Hoop method!And with Daddy’s (hand made by Mummy) counting stick (less tasty)!Which is working wonders for Jimmy’s times tables learning!It actually is a wonder how much he is learning from this method and it’s really turned us all round a corner – well done teacher daddy!I’ve been painting more pots for my sunshine project – it’s to say water the rainbow with the storm and see the sunshine grow!School has been good at times – like her daddy Florence is a natural teacher!Jimmy got an antipersonnel mine for his birthday from Grandad and Grusie – it’s a lot of fun!We’ve been loading it with flour – I had some gluten free stuff in the cupboard saved from Florence’s party so we are sacrificing it as ammo!Jimmy organised a sleepover in his bedroom for him and Raffie. They had great fun although Raffie didn’t stay the night!He did stay watching Horrid Henry with Jimmy for AGES though!They really do get on with each other now that Raffie is a bit older and it’s such a lovely relationship to watch!More home schooling which awful as it is I am very happy to be doing rather than sending them back into school to be guinea pigs!In the end they will be gaining so much from this and though it’s not always the best for any of us, Raffie included, we are lucky to have this time we would otherwise never have had!My diligent girl even did her work when she felt poorly one day!Midway through this week the poor thing had a terrible tummy ache and felt unable to eat or do much.We went to the Dr which was amazing. Knock on the back door she said and we did and then she appeared with her own mask pointing us to get ours and to sanitise. I couldn’t have felt safer truth be told!Turns out she’s a bit dehydrated but no water infection as i had thought might be the case. Her tummy is tender where the appendix is though so we were told to keep an eye on that, we will! The boys looked after her and they all snuggled up together in the afternoon on her bed on the sofa!These two!I danced about in the rain for Instagram – you know me!LOVE it when Raffie wears Jimmy’s hand me downs – this was such a fave of Jim’s and he didn’t even stop wearing it THAT long ago! The slogan is from The Goonies, my fave!Another family walk and by Thursday the sun was beginning to show promise of returning. The forecast says next week – come on sun!And then there was the day I did Bird’s Eye Chicken Dippers, McCain French Fries and brought out the big guns with some hidden away in the car McDonald’s sweet and sour sauces!Suddenly my strange hoadring of the sauce every time we go paid off!Oh they all laugh at me for this but I knew… I felt it coming! The lockdown was inevitable and they gave me extra on my last visit so I popped them in the middle bit of my car for a rainy day!A bit of a low ebb day was made all the better with smiles and all it took was the sauce!And I’ve two more in the bank for another day too!We always feel more energised when it’s sunny and bright and we love the family walks!We are absolutely making fun in this situation because what else can we do?!We played in the long grass – goodness knows what was under there, best not thought about!Think this one will be Florence’s album cover!Raffie did some more fantastic scooting, he goes SO fast!This one has had a tough time this week – the thought of school not opening and the thought of it opening and not being how it should be both not sitting well for her, for any of us!I’m just glad I don’t have to send this one anywhere any time soon! Look at him in Jimmy’s old ‘The Goonies’ T.Short which is one of my favourite films and also in Jimmy’s holiday cap!We went for another big bike ride out to Ketteringham then had a walk in the woods – this one might be our family’s album cover!Where Jimmy climbed in a tree – of course!These three!We all had to pass down jumpers as Raffie was cold – loved seeing Jimmy in my Billabong hoodie which I have had since I was 18!I was in good company on my Daily zstar column today, look who’s sat next to me, oh hi Louis! Sunday saw proper sunshine again and it felt like summer!We went on the most tremendous walk!Well, Raffie scooted!And Jimmy biked!Which of course meant Jonny and I carried scooters and pushed bikes for lots of it!And it was slow going, especially with this one at times but on a sunny day, who cares how long it takes to get from A to B?!I wore my new skirt!This one discovered his hands on hip Instagram pose!and got to live his best life with both his big sister adoring him!And his big brother teaching him all his monkeyish ways!We also had Florence’s skateboard with us!Or was it a boat, according to Raffie it was and there was a shark chasing it – so amazing to watch him playing imaginative games!A beautiful day!Finished with pizza making! And the family quiz!
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