This week it has been confirmed that the kids swimming will be resumed from 26th July, on a limited program of two sessions per week.
With the sessions happening in late afternoon, it means they are going to clash with our working schedules so I am not sure how many they will be able to attend. Unfortunately, we have to pay for them whether they attend or not.
This is also the week where is becomes compulsory to wear a face covering in shops. I have been busy trialling it and have to admit I find them uncomfortable. I use face recognition to unlock my phone when I pay, so need to figure out how to switch that off too as it doesn’t work when wearing a mask.
Here is our week:
Sunday 19th July
Finally the day for my husband’s belated birthday treat – our family kayak to Old Harry Rocks.
Although the weather was a bit drizzly and not the beautiful weather that had been forecast, we had a brilliant day.
This was the first time Callan, Eliza and Sebastian had made the trip and they all thoroughly enjoyed learning all about the local flora and fauna as we paddled along the shoreline.
Sadly Abbey couldn’t join us on the water as she has Lilah, but she met us at home for a family barbecue in the afternoon. It was so nice to have all the kids together after so long.
Monday 20th July
Now the kids have broken up from school, we are back to our daily walks as it gets them out of the house and is a great form of exercise. Abbey and Lilah joined us and as it was such a hot day, we decided on the shady walk from Canford School to Wimborne.
Someone decided that she wanted to see what was going on around her, so Kian stepped up and carried her most of the way round.
The evening was a work day for me and we got the news that it would compulsory for us to wear masks, as well as the customers, from Friday. I have to admit, I am not happy about it as it’s a struggle to understand what customers want , especially when they are wearing thicker fabric masks.
Tuesday 21st July
This morning I tried to catch up with some blog work and reviewed some boredom busting toys we had been sent, which Eliza and Sebby really enjoyed.
Abbey came round with Lilah, so we headed out for another walk, this time to our local sang.
Wednesday 22nd July
I won a voucher for New Forest Wildlife Park at the school raffle, but discovered it expired on 1st July. Thankfully, after a quick phone call to them, they said they would still honour it, so we headed off for our first visit to a tourist attraction since lockdown.
The park specialises in native and past-native wildlife of Britain and otters and owls from around the globe and Eliza was very excited to spot her favourite snowy owls.
It also has a fabulous kids adventure park, with plenty of fun activities to keep the kids amused for the whole day.
To keep visitors safe, they have a new one-way system in place with plenty of hand-sanitiser dotted around the park and the Butterfly House was closed, but their cafe was open and there were also plenty of picnic tables dotted around if you took a picnic, like us.
It is worth staying all day as the animals all come out at different times and we were rewarded by seeing the wolves up close at the end of the day, as they had previously been sleeping in the shade.
On the way home we stopped in Burley, as there is an amazing ice cream shop in the village.
Thursday 23rd July
Today was Kian’s first day back at Splashdown and the start of a new chapter of juggling work with childcare for us. Thankfully it was Abbey to the rescue and the kids enjoyed spending the day with her. Isaac came home with blue hair!!
Kian came home excited and nervous about work. He came home armed with lots of new PPE and lots if information about how Splashdown will be running. Best of all, he got to see his friends, which really cheered him up.
Friday 24th July
My epic fail day!
My husband’s day off, so we decided to have bacon sandwiches for breakfast, only we didn’t have bacon in the house, so I wandered up to my local shop………I forgot my mask, so I had to walk home to pick it up.
In fact, I managed to do this twice. I forgot my mask when I went to work too, although thankfully they had some for the staff to use. I think this is all going to take some getting used to, although thankfully, we only have to wear masks on the shopfloor now, but don’t have to behind the screens which is a relief. The customers were mostly ok with the changes, although there were a few refusals to wear them
It was a long work day for me, but my husband’s day off, so he entertained the kids by making sock puppets.
Saturday 25th July
What has happened to the weather, it’s awful today. I took Kian to work this morning and have spent the day at home, trying to help the kids redeem codes for Roblox toys…….sadly not straightforward as typically they cannot remember their passwords. Luckily they can still play the games!
I hope you work something out with the swimming.
I read about your trip out on the kayaks. It sounds like you had a really lovely day.
The day at the wildlife park sounds like a lot of fun. The wolves look amazing.
My fella went to the shop today and forgot his mask so had to come home and get it. It really is going to take some getting used to. x
What a pain with the swimming. We haven’t heard about ours yet. N probably won’t go back in September unless I can persuade him to do rookie lifeguard and manage the timings as it’s afterwork. But I’m then owed money – so it would be handy if they did some sessions over the summer. I might ask if they can do some privates instead to use up the credit – can’t believe how many lessons they’ve missed out on – with both school and out of school lessons. Hopefully yours gets sorted out.
The wildlife park looks good. We’re starting to book to go to similar places.
It must be nice for Kian to go back to work. How lovely to spend so much time with Abbey and Lilah now. I love that Eliza and Lilah have matching dresses!
It sounds challenging at work with the masks. It’s good that you don’t have to wear them behind screens.
That is disappointing about the swimming. I was feeling quite down yesterday because so many activities are going back, but the things we love – parkrun, half marathons and my son’s athletics competition and training – aren’t back on.
I have had to wear a mask at work for a fair while now. You do get used to it, but I still get the odd moment when I have gone to my office and can take it off then forget to take it back with my until I get back down stair! At least its burning off more calories going back to get it!
I have really missed going to attractions and getting out and about more!
I sympathise with you for wearing the mask at work all day. I wear it in the shops, but as soon as I’m out, I pull it off as I find it so uncomfortable.
The day at the wildlife park sounds lovely.
Lilah’s beaming in the family photo, it’s such a joy to see such a happy baby.
Hope you can sort out the swimming arrangement.
Seems a bit harsh they are making you pay if you can’t attend. They should be a bit lenient.
Oh wow the kayaking looks fun.
We’ve all been very lucky with the weather in the first week of the holidays, although we won’t talk about that today! It’s rubbish here!
It looks like you’ve all had a lovely, family filled week.
I hope wearing the mask becomes easier for you, I am happy to wear mine but I only need to wear it for a short time shopping. You have my sympathies, they are not the most pleasant things to wear.
Have a good week x
The blue hair is awesome. Yes remembering yet another item as you leave the house is going to take a while to get used to especially as I still leave my keys all over the place
Some lovely pictures this week… especially of the kayaking trip! Glad you got to finally enjoy your husband’s belated birthday present!
I’m feeling much better now masks are compulsory – I’ve worn mine all the way through, fortunately not forgotten them yet but certainly need to be making more now to get us through! Sim
What a fun filled week you have had and Lilah looks amazing cute! I am hoping to visit treat – Old Harry Rocks as I have never been there before and it does look like a stunning place to go kayaking
Looks like the kids enjoyed the New Forest Wildlife Park. Let me know how you get on with the masks. They are not compulsory here in Wales in shops, just public transport
The wildlife park looks like so much fun! It looks like you have had a lovely week, such great photos.
It’s nice that you’ve all been able to get out a little bit more now we’re able to. I have a few masks now as I find I have to always keep one in my handbag otherwise I will forget x
What a lovely family you have! It is so nice to do things together and the puppet socks seems a so much fun activity.
I love that you are spending time with the children! I also think the daily walks are a good idea as it gets them out of the house!
The day at the park sounds like a good family day. I recall when we first started having to wear masks, forgetting it at home twice and having to go back. I keep one in the car now.
I’m struggling wearing the masks too. What’s frustrating is that most staff and customers in shops don’t seem to wear them. The adventure park must have been good fun!
The masks actually make me feel safer so I’m happy to wear one when shopping, not that we are going out much at all.
awww you have a such a gorgeous little family there 🙂 beautiful kids!
nice that you’ve all managed to spend more time together doing fun things and not just locked up at home.
I’ve been taking masks with me everywhere for the last couple months anyway so i always keep one in my bag in case i forget the other one!
Oh the wildlife park looks great and I bet the kids were thrilled they could still do the adventure playground. Mich X
sounds like a good week for out and about and thank goodness for older siblings helping out with child minding.
Love how her ice cream matches her t shirt and love her dress in the first family picture.
Glad you finally managed to have your family kayak trip to Old Harry Rocks and had a brilliant time and how lovely that you are able to have all your children together again. That photo of Lilah looking at Kian is just gorgeous. That’s good that the New Forest Wildlife Park was able to honour your voucher and it looks like you had a lovely day out. #project366
The kayaking looks amazing. How great to get the whole family together for such a lovely photo. great that the Wildlife Park honoured the tickets and sounds like they’ve done a great job with social distancing
Lots of family fun and gorgeous pics, so glad you could all get together again! How lovely that they still honoured your voucher for the wildlife park #project366
It’s uncomfortable but essential to wear masks. The trip sounds amazing! Kian and Lilah look adorable together. The trip to the zoo sounds like fun. Woah, the blue hair looks cool. Cute sock puppets. I forgot my passwords alot!
Hope you manage to work out swimming. The birthday treat looks like a lot of fun and lovely to have all the kids together. I forgot my mask the other day when I went to the petrol station. I am sure it will become second nature soon.
Glad you only have to wear the masks on the shop floor – they can be difficult to wear for longer periods of time. I’m always glad to remove mine when I get back to the car after shopping. The family kayak looks fabulous.