Rain, rain and more rain began our week but somehow our moods have not been reflective. I really am a firm believer in trying to make the best of a situation and of course a bit of rain is the same and no problem if you embrace it. Continued walks in the soggy fields and fun paved our way as we made it to better weather – hopefully now things are looking a little brighter we can get back to what we love best and that’s pool and bar days!
Jonny has been home again this week which is amazing. Of course he has been doing his college work but we haven’t had to worry about him being out of the house and interacting with people we don’t know. I know that sounds a bit strange but I am more worried than normal and feeling very anxious for some reason. The protests to stand up for black lives mattering, such an important campaign, have worried me terribly as so many people have been marching all in one space as if there has been no pandemic at all. I know others think the protests are more important and I understand why but I feel we have so many ways of making our voices heard without marching in the streets and we have been adapting life to being at home for weeks now so we should have found a way around that too.
So… For now we are as we are and next week Jonny may be in school more which is not ideal but perhaps has to be. I don’t feel as glum about the home schooling on my own as I did but I am worried for his and our safety. We just have to stay our usual positive selves I guess and we will try.
Beginning with a cold Monday there was nothing for it other than tea and croissants to start the week. Raffie calls a cup of tea ‘ POT of TEAAAAAAA’!And Florence and I did a 17 mile round trip on our bikes dropping eggs to Jonny’,s Mum and sister and to my Mum. We always deliver eggs from the local farm – not sure why but it’s become a thing!Great exercising but pretty exhausting, especially if you’re only a tiny ten!When we got back to our village we saw our boys off out for a short walk so we joined them on bikes and they hitched a ride!Tuesday was dry! Hooray! We went for a walk around the Roman ruins at Caistor St Edmunds which was very interesting and has a beautiful landscape!The boys spent a good part of the walk being dragged as they clung on to Jonny’s legs!They were very impressed with swans in the river and fiends have told us they swim here so we will have to give that a go too on a sunny day!Do you like butter Raffie?! Oh he does, he’s a Knowles!We were so lucky that we got to see the shepherds and the sheep dog herding their flock!We tried to take a family picture by some of the ruins!We got there in the end!And we finished the loop walk up at the church having a look at the war memorial – In the village of Caistor St Edmunds 8 men from only 32 households in the village never returned home after World War One!Wednesday was a walk at Whitlingham!Where we played at being ducks!As you can see, it was a pretty nippy day which was a shamew as it was Granny’s birthday and we wanted the sun to shine for her. We did a drive by to wave happy birthday on our way home!Cold weather didn’t deter a paddle!Thursday was cold and wet and we literally couldn’t be bothered to do much at all. No walk or anything! Raffie discovered that he can climb INSIDE his toy box!Jimmy turned a corner with home learning (fir now) – he finally realised that if he just gets on with it and does it then it’s all over with! He loved being done by 10am and so did I!He was then free to play Fortnite for as long as he liked as a treat – Raffie wanted to play to and didn’t realise that a disconnected controller meant he wasn’t actually interfering with the game! He played for ages with Jimmy!Florence made the teas!And after they got ready for bed there was a bit more gaming – we rarely have a lazy day, even in lockdown but one won’t hurt!Friday was another cool day with rain bursts and not really making us feel like we want to go outside. I did ride a few miles to meet a friend for a distanced chat and then when I got home I rather uncharacteristically got the Play-Doh out. I hate Play-Doh!It really seemed like a good idea and the boys had fun but the mess!Let’s just say that I am NOT a messy play mum!And that will be their fill of Play-Doh for another 6 months. It’s gets EVERYWHERE and I’m not even sure they enjoyed it that much. The activity lasted about 10 minutes before they got bored and then an hour of cleaning up and days of finding bits of PLay-Doh all over the house. As you can see, I’m not quite recovered from the Play-Doh ten minutes!While the boys made a mess downstairs Florence made one upstairs with paints – I really have to be less bum twitchy about mess but… Outdoor activities these are, outdoor! Come on sunshine!The sun did come out in the afternoon promising more for the weekend. We got out for a skate and a ride and a bit of fresh air!I can’t believe that before lockdown this boy couldn’t ride a bike he’s just amazing on it now!Saturday was the return of the sun – whoo hoo! It was also the first day bubbles were allowed to be created. Anyone who lives alone or single parents with children under 18 can now bubble up with one other household for non distanced get togethers and even sleepovers! We went to my Mum’s for a picnic in the garden!And they hugged her. Jimmy said on the way home that it was the best day of lockdown as he got to hug Gram!We picnicked!Gram made Raffie his “cooking” (pasta)!And sunbathed!And water played!LOVE THEM!Weeeeeeee!Raffie even tried this for the first time – it’s the most spidery outside loo no one ever uses but he wanted to so he did!Us lot! BUBBLING!And i the evening I had a distanced meet in a poppy field with one of my oldest friend Lucie!Sunday morning Florence and I left the house in time to get to the beach for 7am so that she could have a surf before anyone else got on the beach!First surf since lockdown, since the beginning of the year and of the season!She was pretty chuffed!Worked hard!Did a shaving under an hour in the water and the waves were excellent!And she came out of the water very happy!It was all worth the early morning start to our Sunday and we were back home in time to get on with our day with everyone else!A socially distanced picnic with Jonny’s family came in the afternoon!Followed by a dip in the river!
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What experiences!