Penny Blogs - Page 4 of 14 - An insight into the things in life that make me smile

Penny’s Corona Diary – Monday 13th April 2020

April 13, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

Today I not only left the house, but I actually drove a car and left the town in which I live!

Before someone calls the police, I was doing so under conditions permitted under lockdown. In my case going to collect my kids from their Dad’s where they had spent the Easter weekend. It felt so strange though. A journey that I often do three times a day and yet today the roads felt a little unusual. Just driving a car felt a little strange after three weeks of not being behind the wheel. It’s strange how something you used to do without thinking can quickly become alien.

Today is probably the first day since getting ill that I’ve felt anything like normal again. And it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s been lovey to actually have a clear enough head to sit down and spend a couple of hours going through some school governor emails and getting my head around the end of year financial return and also our budget for next year. It’s not exactly how we were expecting it to look when we started on it. Back then we weren’t expecting our kids to be sent home and the school to be turned into a childcare facility for key worker children. It’s staggering really just how fast things have changed.

It’s been nice having a couple of days to properly recover without the eldest two kids here. I’ve missed them like mad, especially since my eldest has been here for nearly three weeks without a break, but I also needed a bit of time to get well again, and I hope I have now managed to do that. With it having been Easter it was also nice to set them up a little egg hunt in the garden for when they returned. At the end of the day they are kids and it’s lovely to see them back being kids again, rather than being their teacher or answering all their questions about what they’ve heard on the news.

It was also lovely to have them here again this evening and to sit down with them to play a board game before bed. Over the last week they’ve both really got into Ticket to Ride and it’s great fun to play together – even if they did both manage to beat me tonight! I’m hoping that now I feel better we can make board games a regular part of our time at home together. Fingers crossed.

Weirdly, I’m also looking forward to getting back to home-schooling with them tomorrow. On Friday I had a phone version of my son’s parent-teacher consultation and after a few days off I feel ready to tackle the education side of things head on again. I’ve even had chance to get all organised and have their timetable for the day ready and everything printed out. If only I could be this organised every day!

Penny’s Corona Diary – Sunday 12th April 2020

April 12, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

I’ve been rather quiet on here and there’s a very good reason for my silence. Tonsillitis. Because, you know, getting a nasty bout of something whilst there is a pandemic on is a great thing to do.

The last week has therefore seen me laid low with a fever that had me hallucinating for four nights in a row and tonsils that became so big, inflamed and infected that I couldn’t even drink a cup of tea because it hurt so much. Yep – I was that ill that I couldn’t drink tea! For anyone who knows me you’ll realise just how serious this must have been.

The good news is that I’ve turned a corner and am now feeling so, so much better. The NHS 111 online service was fantastic when I finally decided I was ill enough to warrant speaking to someone. I filled in the form and it suggested that I needed to see a GP the same day. As it was a Saturday I was asked if I wanted a call back. I clicked yes and was told that a nurse would call me within 6 hours. Absolutely fine I though. After all, the NHS were a tad busy with far more serious matters. Just three minutes later my phone rang and I found myself talking to a nurse from the local 111 hub. After confirming my identity and me describing the problem she had prescribed some antibiotics and we then spent just as long deceasing which pharmacy it was best to have them sent to. An amazing service at the best of times, but in the current situation incredible.

So the last week has really been spent with trying to get better.

In-between all that I’ve been busy homeschooling and finding out that my eldest two’s Dad could actually have the kids for a while as it turns out that his definition of “self-isolating” was infact a bit selective on whether he was prepared to expose himself to anything his kids might be carrying or that his girlfriend might be carrying… Say no more.

I’ve also mastered playing board games via Skype with friends (expect some Penny Plays posts about that very soon), caught up with some of my WI friends for cocoa one night, watched rather a lot of Waterloo Road and also finally got the sewing machine out again.

In terms of the bigger picture here in the UK. The last 12 days have also seen the Prime Minister in intensive care with COVID-19, the death rate rise to nearly 1,000 death a day and the NHS do some utterly amazing things to support everyone who needs it. New hospitals have appeared in conference and exhibition centres, food supplies seem to be almost back to normal and people seem to have survived one of the nicest Easter weekends weather-wise in years without everyone breaking the lockdown conditions. Personally I’ve not been further than a walk around neighbouring streets in over three weeks, and actually I’m finding I quite like being so local.

As I’ve got better we’ve started some jobs around the house that we’ve been meaning to do for ages, and it feel lovely to finally see some progress being made. There’s lots more to do, but a start has at last been made.

In amongst all this madness my husband has also managed to start a new job. His new employer sent him a laptop ready for his first day and he’s seen t quite a bit of time since then doing online inductions and training, as well as meeting various new colleagues via Skype. All quite strange really, but a relief that he indeed has a job in these uncertain times, and also that he has a boss that actually seems to care about his employees. A nice change to the last job he was in!

So now, I just want to look forwards to things after the Easter weekend. To get things back to “normal”. Well, normal for lockdown and not hallucinating every night!

Penny’s Corona Diary – 31st March 2020

March 31, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

The last six days have disappeared in a blur. Each evening I’ve sat down and tried to write this diary and failed miserably. I’ve just been too tired, or simply too busy.

This home schooling lark is taking up a considerable amount of my time and patience. I know that the schools are not expecting miracles with a year 2 and a year 5 child in the house, but sadly it seems that my children’s normal teachers are so wonderful that they’ve set the bar extremely high! Today is the first day that the 9 year old hasn’t had a melt down when I’ve suggested that we didn’t need a formal paper timetable for the day. Each evening I’ve been printing worksheets like mad and spending spare moments marking them and researching the million and one “useful sites” that I’m being bombarded with on all social media platforms and the numerous WhatsApp groups that have sprung up.

We’ve found some great things over the last week. Joe Wicks’ morning PE lessons are fab, if a little too energetic for my kids’ liking. Twinkle is simply magical in terms of all the worksheets and plans that you can download. I also really enjoyed a life history lesson that we did last week from the Western Approaches Museum in Liverpool.

Today my 7 year old took part in an online History of Railways talk that an academic from the University of York was doing. At just 30 minutes he managed to fit in numerous interesting facts whilst making it accessible to a young train loving audience.

It hasn’t all been school here though. My daughter Cub pack started with an online Zoom Cub meeting last Wednesday evening and then, seeing as she was supposed to be on Cub camp last weekend, they ended up doing an online Virtual Cub Camp from Friday evening through to Sunday morning. With four Zoom sessions for all Cubs over the weekend there were also numerous activities for them to join in with. We had bridge building, campfire making, map reading skills, survival skills and even a Harry Potter online Escape Room. She made a den in her bedroom (from her little sister’s Wendy house) and slept in that for the weekend – meaning that she even qualifies for “nights away” under modified Scouting rules. It was epic, if a tad exhausting for those of us facilitating it all. A brilliant way of keeping the Cub Pack all together though and making the children still feel involved.

As for me… Well, last night I finally managed to catch up with some of my WI friends online. I’m honestly struggling to find the time to do things for me though. I’m yet to read anything and my crochet has sat abandoned too. With everyone in the house all day every day the amount of housework increases exponentially and there are still the the jobs like ensuring everyone is fed and has clean clothes to take care of. I see people online talking about having time to bake bread, watch box sets and take up new hobbies and I think they must be living in a lockdown parallel world to the one I’m in. Just having the kids at home 24/7 for over a week now is taking up pretty much every waking hour. The fact that the youngest in the family has been teething badly (and so not slept properly for the last 4 nights) just adds to how tired I’m feeling. What I wouldn’t give right now for a couple of hours of peace in front of the TV with a cuppa and my crochet and knowing that I’m on top of the housework. Add trying to work and earn money into the mix and I’m finding it all pretty overwhelming.

Anyway – tomorrow is another day. And I’m really hoping that I might finally get some proper time for myself. I made a real effort on Sunday afternoon and whilst the youngest was napping I handed the older two their tablets and sat down with a jigsaw. I’m just slightly regretting my choice. All the tube lines are now complete, but the white background is proving to be more challenging than relaxing!

Penny’s Corona Diary – Wednesday 25th March

March 25, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

Three days of home schooling under my belt and I’m utterly exhausted. So much to write about, including some brilliant resources I’ve found online, but just too tired to write about them right now. We’ve made boats, made pencil pots, done maths and English workbooks, online PE classes, virtual history classes and even a virtual Cubs meeting. This weekend we’re even going to be taking part in a virtual Cub Camp. The mind boggles slightly, but I’m pinning my hopes on a sew on badge for my efforts. Surely I at least deserve that?

We had a worry that we might be coming down with the dreaded virus, but after just 24 hours of a bit of coughing and the shivers it’s vanished. Was that it? Was it something else? Who knows at the moment.

My head is full of stuff that I want to get out, but for now I need to sit down infant of some mindless TV and enjoy a couple of biscuits. Although, right now I feel a bit guilty about doing that. It’s like that period before Christmas when you’re not sure if you’re allowed to eat anything or if everything needs to be saved. Just in case.

Penny’s Corona Diary – Monday 23rd March 2020

March 23, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

A short and sweet update today.

Day one of home schooling survived. But I’m going to have to lower my kids’ expectations of their new teacher significantly as I can’t sustain this for months! More on what I have found to keep them amused another day.

Also today – the realisation that I need to find a way to get the toddler fresh air and sunshine every day. The older two can be sent out into the garden for a bit. It’s not so simple with her as she’ll just try and eat the soil and climb the dangerous steps to the patio area. I need to think a bit more about how to achieve this two ensure she doesn’t just have months stuck inside.

And finally lockdown. Good. Too many idiots were thinking the social distancing rules didn’t apply to them. Too many people treated the weekend like a sunny Bank Holiday. Too many bosses (my husband’s included) who think that their work is “critical” when in actual fact they need to get off their high horse and accept that it’s not. Yes, this is all going to hurt many businesses, mine included, but in this case we don’t really have much choice. It’s just a shame that people were incapable of following the social distancing rules and so it’s had to come to this.

The key thing now is going to be surviving lockdown. How to keep everyone sane, still pay bills and also make sure everyone has enough to eat. Balancing educating the kids with keeping them in a safe, loving home. Balancing work with everything that needs to be done when you have a house full of kids 24/7. I don’t think I’m going to have time to be bored, that’s for sure. I just hope lockdown does what it needs to do to keep people safe and not to overwhelm the NHS.

Penny’s Corona Diary – Sunday 22 March 2020

March 22, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

If I’m honest I feel too tired to write properly tonight.

Today was Mother’s Day and I was really hoping to carve out a bit of “me time” today so that I could recharge my batteries a bit for the week ahead. No such luck. I did get a gorgeously cute card from my youngest though, a brilliant picture my eldest made at Brownies and some yummy chocolates from my son, plus a letter thanking me for tidying his bedroom! The important stuff.

My kids seem to think that I can seamlessly step into their teachers’ shoes at 9am tomorrow. Somehow I’m going to wake an expect in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (Years 2 and 5, if you’re interested) and that in-between all the other million and one things I have to do running a house of 5 people I will have designed a whole singing and dancing curriculum that will engage them from 9am to 3.15pm. I fear they’re going to be disappointed.

In the one hour today that I got between breaking up fights and cooking meals (errr – isn’t today the ONE day off the year when I’m not supposed to be doing that?) I managed to knock up a very rough timetable for tomorrow. I scoured the various resources that are being shared madly on both class’ WhatsApp groups and printed loads of worksheets from Twinkl and various other sites. I designed a worksheet on bridge design as my son keeps telling me that he is desperate to learn about this and I made a quick list of educational TV programmes that we might be able to base some of our learning on over the next couple of weeks at least.

I know the school don’t expect me to suddenly magic up a PGCE and an intimate knowledge of the National Curriculum, but my kids do. And to be honest I’m more scared of letting them down than their teachers.

I had so many other things I wanted to achieve though today and seem to have failed at all of them. Knowing we’re going to be at home and needing some fresh air I hoped to get the lawn cut. No chance. There were things I wanted out of the loft to keep the toddler amused whilst I deal with the older two tomorrow. They’re still in the loft. There’s a pile of ironing that needs doing and in just a weekend my laundry basket is overwhelmed again. The kids also seem to be eating me out of house and home already. Ideally I’d find the time to do some baking as well so that I could top up the snack supplies that way, but time is the thing I’m lacking right now.

I also wanted to get the desk we have assembled and in my son’s room before tomorrow, but we can’t find all the bolts to put it together. That means he’s going to have to work at the kitchen table instead, which is where I was planning to squeeze in a bit of work myself. Ho hum.

Oh, and to top it all off, tomorrow is the day that Royal Mail increase all their prices. So with my work hat on I have 200 listings on eBay that I need to go through and alter the P&P charges on before midnight. Because, you know I’m just sat here at 10pm on a Sunday evening twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do to fill an evening.

Seriously though – I need to take a bit of down time right now, or else I fear burnout pretty soon.

There were a few nice bits of today. I managed our first family FaceTime session with my mum, sister, brother in law and nephew to celebrate mothers day. I’m not sure we’re technically savvy enough to run a family pub quiz online yet, but at least we got to talk to each other. It was also nice to see that my mum’s local pub are offering to deliver meals to people in her village. 12 weeks is a long time for her to be sat at home so at least she can enjoy a meal cooked by someone else every so often.

There is also one thing that I’m looking forward to tomorrow. The BBC have brought forward their launch of a new adaptation of Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers. It’s described as Downton for kids and to be honest, having seen the trailer I can’t wait. I just need to persuade the nine year old to watch it with me, rather than rushing ahead and bingeing it all straight away on her table!