Hello and welcome to this weeks update.
We are finding the beginning of the week harder than the end, maybe because it is because the kids feel like it is back to earth with a bump after the weekend off.
Sunday 3rd May
A work day for me. The mood is quite low today. Some of the temps are on their last day. The youngsters are desperate to get back to college as are missing their friends and are fed up with being locked down. The older ones are worried about money and how they are going to get by.
We have been told that we will get some news on lockdown starting to be lifted on Thursday, but I feel it is not going to be easy.
Monday 4th May
Happy Star Wars Day!!
Monday has not started well at all. In fact there was no motivation from Eliza or Sebby to even look at schoolwork and Isaac was in wind up mode.
Definitely not my finest parenting moment as I lost my temper, but stepping away and coming back to it helped. Isaac and Eliza have completed their work, Sebby’s is still a work in progress, but Kian has taken him off to watch Star Wars Clone Wars and given him a bit of a break.
Part of my frustration with Sebby’s work is that he has worked so hard improving his handwriting, but it’s gone downhill, so I asked his teacher where I could buy the handwriting book he uses at school. Thankfully they had a spare one, so we popped to the school office in the afternoon to pick one up and Sebby is very excited about using it again.
Tuesday 5th May
A much better day for schoolwork, thankfully. Sebby’s first task was to draw a picture of Penguin Blue, following the direction of its author Rob Biddulph on YouTube.
He concentrated really hard and was really proud of the end result. In fact, he and Eliza were so taken with art tutorials on YouTube that they spent most of the rest of the day drawing.
All three children got phone calls from their teachers which was nice. When asked what Sebby enjoyed he replied “maths” which seems to be his automatic reply, even though he loved his music and artwork.
We did manage to get outside for a walk at the Sang, which was lovely and quiet as the weather wasn’t that nice.
Sebby has loved having Kian home during lockdown and it is lovely to see their bond, despite the age gap.
I had a bit of a wobbly evening, lots of Eliza and Isaac’s swim friends have been buying pools and bungee systems for their gardens to help keep up with their training. Not only is it not feasible for us as we don’t have room, but we also cannot afford it due to our work situation. After working so hard before lockdown and both kids coming on leaps and bounds, I am now not sure if they even want to go back as they aren’t interested in any of the zoom calls or exercise sessions.
Wednesday 6th May
The sunshine is back and it definitely helps to lift everyone’s mood. We have been clearing out drawers and cupboards and Isaac found a lens for his smartphone, so was playing with his camera in the garden.
I was in work earlier today and found that it is definitely busier in the day time, so my top tip – either shop first thing in the morning, or after 7pm at night.
Thursday 7th May
We have found that the flowers are really starting to blossom now, so Eliza took her flower identification book on today’s walk.
Our walks normally involve some sort of competition or grumble between the kids, but today’s was actually lovely, with no bickering – well until the end anyway!
Isaac tried to recreate his daisy photo on a gorse flower, but sadly it failed. We are not sure if it was because it was too windy or too spiky!
It’s Bank Holiday tomorrow, to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, but with both my husband and I working we decided to have our barbecue a day early.
We have some Blue Tits nesting in the garden and they were very busy coming in and out their box whilst we were eating, so we managed to get some good pictures of them.
No announcement from Boris, apparently it will be on Sunday, but it definitely feels like people are thinking lockdown is over.
Friday 8th May – Bank Holiday
It was Pokemon Go Johto event today the kids were keen to go for a walk. We decided to head to Millhams Mead instead of our usual route and it was lovely exploring somewhere new, as they caught their Pokemon.
We ended up walking over 6 miles and my legs were killing me at work later in the day, but it was fun nonetheless and we have found a new place to walk with different things to see.
Apparently there had been a bit of a party atmosphere at work, with a live singer during the day, but it was quiet evening for me.
Saturday 9th May
I have been catching up with some pre-school work this morning, before heading into Tesco later. The kids have had a relaxed morning playing games with their friends online.
How has your week been?
Love the photos of Sebby and Kian together and the photos of Eliza on her own. I hope the kids will want to go back to their swimming when all of this is over. I’ve never heard of those things to train for swimming in the garden. My kids are just running, walking and doing fitness routines they find online (definitely not Joe Wickes!) to keep their strength up for their return to sport.
I’m still stuck in my box room and nothing has really changed for me. Hope we’re getting closer to the end of lockdown!
Ahh! We are finding the same. Monday’s are always so hard! It’s like the kids forget they have to do their school work to do and it’s always a struggle.
What a great help to get a handwriting book from school. My youngest girls handwriting was suffering so I got her to write letters to a couple of relatives and she made a good effort.
I love the photo of Sebby & Kian together. Such a sweet shot.
Lovely photos x
That’s a great shot of the blue tit. I’ve got a work colleague with 3 kids who swim and I wonder what they’re doing with practising. On tennis N hasn’t done any of the exercises that have been made available, and he’s not used the rebounder much. But anything’s better than nothing. Bit easier with drills and skills than swimming.
I’m missing swimming myself as I usually go three times a week. H is missing his lessons too. Hope next week is a better week for you. I think it goes through phases this lockdown as everyone gets fed up and then comes back up again.
You live in a beautiful part of the country with such lovely walks to be had. I guess every parent is getting frustrated at some point or another with home schooling, especially with both of you working. Great capture of the bird in the box and I’m guessing the gorse was too prickly for Issac’s bubbles, great photo of the daisy
I think we all get short-tempered and frustrated with homeschooling from time to time. It’s tough on everyone, both kids and parents. I was thinking that a small pool or hot tub would have been nice, but it would take over the lawn, and would need a cover, as the birds would poo in it. And they are too pricey. Lovely photo of Sebby and Kian together. Love the Something out of this world t-shirt, very cool.
Our week has been very much the same. That bubble photo by Isaac is absolutely wonderful, he’s very skilled!
I love reading about your week as it makes me realise that I am not the only one struggling with the kids as I have my good days and bad days. I am also worried about my kids catching up with swimming and school lessons. But rest assured after hearing today’s speech I know the lockdown won’t be going on for much longer.
The sunshine is helping so much right? I didn’t even think of things like handwriting- glad the school was able to sort out a book. He looks really good in the Star Wars pic
I like your style. Clearly you have been spending a lot of time outdoors with the family which is always good xx
It’s great that your kids teachers phone them! Schoolwork has been dwindling in this house so need to get them motivated again…which is hard when both myself and hubby work.
love the last pic, the relaxed feet on the cupboard look.
A lot find shopping early the queues are longer.
Great to see you getting out every day, 6 miles is a long walk with young children so well done to them all.
Glad that the home-schooling got better as the week went on and that the children enjoying doing some online art sessions. We tend to be the other way around – enthusiastic at the start of the week and then it tails off as the week goes on. That photo of a bubble on a daisy is beautiful. Love all your photos from your walks – how lovely to have so many beautiful places to explore. #project366
Glad that the home-schooling has started to get better as the week went on. It is not easy. Looks like the children are enjoying doing some online art sessions. The photo of a bubble on a daisy is beautiful. Such lovely places to explore xx
I miss my college friends too. The lockdown has been a bit lenient here in Pakistan but it doesn’t mean the situation has changed. Awww drawing is definitely fun. Lovely pictures and it’s great that Kian and Sebby are bonding. The places where you walk are so beautiful I want to go there!
I really hope the kids want to go back to swimming once this is over. I wonder if there lack of interest in the Zoom calls is because it isn’t the same as being there? My son’s class do a daily Zoom call and he is yet to take part, but is happy to natter away for hours at a time with one or two of his friends.
Glad that things started getting better as the week went on.
Love that picture of the blue tit. We seem to have some starlings that have nested in the neighbours roof and they are soooo noisy!
My three are really struggling to find any motivation, my eldest in particular as the work from school is very uninspiring. Thank goodness they have siblings to keep each other entertained! #project366
We are missing lots of lessons, M is supposed to be doing auditions for dance schools which isn’t happening either. It’s hard isn’t it? Love the bluetit capture
#project365 sorry it’s a late reply.