greent's mfw journey

Karmacat

Popped in to check how things are, since I'd seen you on other threads - I'm betting you're mad busy, I'm really hoping all's well.

greent

Wow! So much has changed in the 4 weeks since I last posted!!!! (understatement, or what?! )

It was my birthday 4 weeks ago (well, 4 weeks tomorrow) - my big present from DH was a long weekend in NY over Easter..... argh!! That's obviously been cancelled, but the hotel in London and the hol co want to just give us a voucher valid for 12 months) - so we're seeing if travel insce will pay out instead. 

Work was very busy in the run up to school closures - I covered lots of lessons due to lots of teachers isolating. Good pay at end of April as a result - but obv no exam invigilating/ cover work after that (have asked about furloughing but fear I am being ignored....) DH has a 20% pay cut coming for 3 months (starting point) so that's a pain But it could be worse!  

We are still liable for both of the rents on the student accom - private landlords, so no chance of letting them out of contract early. And DS2's school bus (would still run for any key worker children)  Have also paid out for DS2's DofE, DS3's residential and DS3's leavers' do (last 3 total around £600) Argh!!

DS3 will be going to a school approx. 1 mile from our house - we shall see how he gets on. I know lots of people like this school, but I'm not overly fussed. Still, I know lots of the staff

Have both students back now - collected DD a week early (almost 2 weeks ago) but she has left lots of her stuff at her flat (doh! - not clothes, but all the kitchenware, bedding, food, printer, some furniture etc) Collected DS1 (well DH did both collections) last Sunday (again a week early) - have had him quarantined in his room until this lunchtime - no one was ill in his student house, we just wanted to make sure for a few days at this end (he hadn't been out of his house in over a week, so fingers crossed he should be ok!) Smaller 2 have schoolwork to do (DS2 has heaps! - still working on week 1 and it's almost the nd of Wk2!)

DH is working from home (1 emergency trip into office to collect new laptop when his died - but he counts as a keyworker, so it was an acceptable trip) - silly hours and I'm sure more time is spent in virtual meetings than getting any actual work done!!

Other than that it's life sort-of as normal, I guess. Shopping with a family of 6 means more than once a week due to restrictions on items (mainly milk!) but have tied it into a walk or something else (eg: blood donation trip) and keeping it as infrequently as poss.

Hope everyone stays safe and well

xx

Suffolk_lass

It's good to see you posting greent, I wondered if all is well. Well done for getting your brood home and around you. Our DS is a key worker but hardly getting any work as his is a zero hours "flexible" arrangement. It only flexes one way at the moment and he needs help for April after taking home less than £350 for March. And he can't be furloughed because they might still need him. Aargh!

Karmacat

So glad to hear all's well with you and yours, greent, and yes, with six of you home now, restrictions must be difficult.  And you still managed to give blood!  You're a miracle worker

chumpy45

Lovely to hear you have all your children back in the nest, I am very envious.  It's difficult with the uni house situation isn't it.  DS3 is still at uni and working furiously to finish his dissertation.. He is with one other room mate who luckily has a car and is doing all the shopping as DS3 has asthma and can't go out.  We are also having to send extra support money as his job on campus has been withdrawn due the current environment.  Sounds like you are still keeping busy despite the loss of invigilating duties.  Best wishes to you all and stay safe x

brizzlegirl

Stay well greent, hope it all stays relatively sane for you x

greent

ooof - and 2 weeks have flown by!! 

Still have schoolwork being done here (by DS2, at least) Lovely weather over Bank Hol meant that the garage had a thorough clean out (everything out, sorted/ cleaned and then put back) and we now have lots of space! Also have a growing (neat, labelled with Gift Aid donor details already) pile in there for CS when they reopen DH has discovered that he has waaaay too many tools and tool boxes - but we have decided not to get rid of any (having got rid of some basic sets a few years ago) but will set the kids up with basic tool boxes (set of screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, metal tape measure etc) when they eventually move out - although that could be years and years away!!   Still need to truly sort the garage loft - that's just had a basic tidy and some easy things removed (old business files which have been shredded and some old bedding set aside for use as dust sheets which has gone to NHS scrubs bags appeal, a too-small bike given away at the bottom of the drive) - the mice were very active everywhere! Had to throw some things which had been trashed by them and wash everything else! Only found 1 body, though..... we're sure there are more in the loft part

DH is going stir crazy with lockdown - at least we live by the canal, so walks are quite pleasant. He misses interacting with people at work, though (whereas I miss a quiet and peaceful house!!!  ) Kids are generally coping well. DS1's girlfriend is still at uni - she's now doing some volunteering with ST John's Ambulance there, so has no plans for coming back (not that they could see each other even if she went home, despite it being in the same county!) DD's boyf is under strict lockdown from his parents - he had a heart operation as a newborn, so they consider him high risk (no probs since and the issue was essentially because he was 3 months prem, so things hadn't fully formed) It's a good job tech is so good nowadays! Imagine this in the days of dial up/ no skype/ no mobiles.....!  

I've already started my 2020 tax return - I haven't done them for years (accountant did as part of package)  so thought I'd have a look. I still need some info to arrive (awaiting 1 x P60 and interest details from banks) and to finalise the BTL expenses, but it was good to have a look at what's required and remind myself. Also need to do DH's - although his is slightly simpler than mine. Going forward for the current year I need to change the %age we each own of the BTL, as he will be paying crazy tax otherwise - and as I will be a non-taxpayer it makes sense to have un-equal ownership (would change it all to me if we had no mtge - but sadly that is nowhere near the case!!)


We should have been at Gatwick right now, having just landed back from our weekend in NYork… sigh.... haven't actually missed it, though (having only found out about it just over a month ago - as soon as I was kind of getting used to the idea it became a non-starter) and then a gig tonight (would have been SO tired!!!) Having hassles getting refunds on things, though - which is a pain  

Other than that, life is just ticking along. It's DS1's 20th birthday tomorrow - which will be quite a quiet affair! Will pop to supermarket later for a cake (and milk, veg, bacon, crisps etc... I promise not just the cake!) - still essentially doing 1 x 'big' shop and 1 x small shop/ week(ish - maybe every 8 days) - which I don't think is too bad, and I'm not sure we can massively change that - although I understand that most restrictions on items are now getting lifted - yippee!!  We normally go to Nand0s for birthday dinners (everyone will eat there) so it looks like a fakeaway version will be the case this year! 

greent

DS1's 20th bday today - obviously he's only seeing us... he's unwrapped his presents and currently (from the sound of it!) playing An1mal Cr0ssing on the Sw1tch..... He has requested a fakeaway Nand0s, so chicken is out defrosting so I can then marinade it for a few hours - we have corn on the cob and rice to spice and fries to peri-salt, halloumi to add to the 'burgers' and broccoli and mange tout for the greens (mainly for me!), coleslaw, and lots of fluffy rolls and flatbreads, so it should all be fine - although dessert options are Easter eggs, choc bday cake or triple choc muffins.... somewhat limited!   I'm marinading lots of chicken so people can eat it tomorrow/ day after too - easy food

Bright and sunny - but rather chilly here. Am just about to hang washing on the line (had to wait for people to wake up to get some of it!) but I'm not sure I'm doing much else in the garden today! One water butt sprung a leak, so we're down to only 1 (large) one - and that's empty - we've not had any of the rain I keep reading about on others diaries - it's all parched here. I've resorted to emptying the washing up water into a bucket and using that in the garden to cut down on tap water usage - such a waste to use just tap water when other stuff is perfectly fine plus it saves the odd penny or two, I guess  

Moneyfordreams

Happy birthday DS1 

apple_muncher

Happy birthday to ds1. The food sounds wonderful!