22 Foxhole East

Baileys_Babe

We have always home educated our children, we are going to have to make a lot of changes. Virtually all the Home Ed groups have ceased and it is only a matter of time until the last few do.

OH is working from home, which is novel as he is usually away 2 or 3 nights a week. We are going to put a structure in  place for education, exercise, leisure, time to our selves etc

I don't how much work schools are going to set nor how much input most parents would be in a position to give. Home educating can be very intense. 

If you can keep the education fun you all benefit.

If you would like any ideas let me know.

kerri_gt

I wfh normally but all this is proving very distracting for no real reason as my day to day life has not changed - my job goes on as usual (for the time being). The only really stressful part has been getting toilet roll for DM (which I did manage to do). Had planned to go out running this weekend, with a friend, at a safe distance apart (she's faster than me anyway so not really an issue   ) but the thought of being told to stay in bugs me. I also think of how it must have been in the war, esp for people in hiding in fear of their lives (most of us even if we get Covid-19 will be ok) with a very real prospect that if they were found, they'd be shot (at best, or sent to the gas chambers  ) 
I would quite like some hand gel but I am not paying stupid internet prices to people profiteering, I had a small bottle which I happened to have, of which I decanted some into a pot for me and gave the rest to DM. 
Have plenty of stock in, no need to go near the shops - might be some inventive meals but hey, that's life. 
Now I've been told not to go to the pub ...and I hardly ever do...I really really want to go!

f0xh0les

So glad I am not the only contrary Mary.  I think it is worse that a posh rich man(w )hore is telling me what to do.

Cornish_mum

Hi Foxholes we are self isolating too; I have some CV19 symptoms as does one of my students.  It’s pretty rotten, we are running out of fresh food and can’t get a delivery... I actually cried when we got a “how can we help note” through the door.   Hopefully they can bring us veg for the kids.  I have been classified as a vulnerable person too so it’s a 12 week lockdown for our family on top of this weeks self isolation.   But luckily we will keep our incomes - uni just emailed to confirm even if we have to reduce our hours we will get paid. 

Cornish_mum

The uni asked for our key workers today (I work in London) they are definitely preparing for a full lockdown in the capital. 

f0xh0les

After all the conference calls online, and the Ireland conference being cancelled, and the two London interviews being cancelled today, dh is suddenly very happy, and he has decided to get on with his book proposal that he has been wanting to do, but had too much work on.  There are silver linings to be found in every cloud, it seems. 

I am looking forward to a good nights sleep on the sofa without having to sleep with my head under the duvet listening to coughing.  Dh has decided he wants to get tested.  He can't get tested.  I  suggested he book a remote appointment with the gp, in case he needs antibiotics for a chest infection. His cough is getting worse and he has had it for nearly 4 weeks. It is not normal.  I am worried about him.  He thinks I am a nut  (he is not wrong, just wrong about this)

My book pile is now down to about 4 feet high!  That should do me for a while.

The weather forecast is dry, but getting colder.

Imagine being flooded out, then getting temp accommodation, then getting the virus, and having your kids off school for months on end and not being able to work.  It is a recipe for mental health and relationship implosion.  The police have said they expect a rise in domestic homicide cases due to economic stress and self isolation.  It does not bear thinking about.

f0xh0les

Cornish mum - so sorry to hear that.  Try and stay positive.  I can tell you the things in the supermarkets that are easiest to get are fresh fruit and veg!!  It is all the long life stuff and frozen stuff that people are hoarding.  I got bookface messages from the local market saying 'we are open, we are still here, we are full of food', but it means going into the centre of town.    There is no way you can totally isolate for 12 weeks. Not when most of the major supermarkets are working on delivery slots starting  8th April onwards and half the stuff online is currently out of stock so you cant bung it in your virtual trolley anyway.  7 days is doable, fair enough, but don't  beat yourself up about having to go out maybe once a week after your 7 days is up.  Just go later on in the evening, when it is less busy, or use the smaller more expensive local greengrocers.   Some  of the veg box suppliers round by us are offering £15 veg boxes - quite a lot of stuff in there though, have you thought of that maybe? Bookface is going to be your friend in this one.  One of our corner shops that is masquerading as a deli is offering free delivery on veg boxes and is taking telephone orders for their goods while this lasts.   What really annoyed me when I was looking into maybe getting a home delivery from Mr M's and Mr T's - is that they will not take back any rejected /substituted items on the doorstep, so if they gave me a non-vegan alternative I would not be able to refuse it. S0d that!  Having said that, I managed less than 72 hours before I had to run out to the shops, but I went at a time I thought would be quiet, was in and out in less than 15 minutes and used gel 3 times while I was out.  But I feel much more relaxed now that I have cash in the house, a full tank of petrol, bread flour and broccoli.

This level of panic buying cannot continue long term. Blimey, do you think we will end up with ration cards?

My foodbank  even offered me a parcel if I got stuck! Bless 'em all.

kerri_gt

Cornish_mum Can you get an Able & Cole delivery at all? Not sure what their slots are like or if you've already looked into that.

Cornish_mum

Thanks all; that’s really nice to hear! local garden centre and Deli will be setting up deliveries next week for the things we need, so hopefully it’s just a short-term  blip. 

We can survive what we have it’s just upsetting the kids especially the little one. People are panic buying the wrong stuff! It’s the top-up shop stuff you need if you have to self isolate not loads of TP!!  Hope DH gets better soon that cough sounds nasty. I only had a fever and felt flu-ey. In the olden days it would have been 2 paracetamol and get on with it situation. 

f0xh0les

What does the coronavirus mean for me?

Income -remains the same - DH working from home -

Mortgage - remains the same, we can afford it

Bills - remain the same, we can afford it, the heating timer will go off in the next few weeks anyway, although dh will be hitting the (one hour) heating button all the flippin' time.  Will also reduce the use of the dryer.

Emergency Fund - currently 20k (ish)

Kids - as long as there is wi-fi they are happy chaps - coughing happy chaps though.  Luckily they are mostly in their usual self-imposed-isolation-situations (bedrooms).

Me - I don't get to leave the house until Tuesday at the earliest.  Not getting any sleep, dh has coughed another rib out - he was sitting next to me at the dinner table and I heard the 'pop' while he was coughing.  So that makes 2 gone.  He coughed all night. He is quite frightened, a bit confused, tired, and tight chested.

Food - we have run out of salad stuff, but have lots in for chineses, so we are  going to be having an aubergine chinese, tofu chinese,  asparagus in black bean, and we had just stocked up on seitan flour (vital wheat gluten).  My pantry is looking a bit bare though. A bit bare is kind of what normal people consider a well stocked cupboard, but my dried chickpeas have gone, I have half a jar of red lentils left, half a jar of soup mix etc.  I hope I will be able to restock next week. I have planned out my route of which shops to hit and when.  It is like planning a bankjob. 

We have lost a slate on the roof, and now I have a yellow stain the size of a side plate on my nice white ceiling on the landing.  There is no rain forecast for the next 7 days or so (I checked)  but I do not want oddbods in my house right now and it would not be sensible to possibly infect someone self employed at this this time.

Not feeling cheery this morning, probably because my has hayfever kicked in, so my chest feels like it has been sandblasted, and some people are on the tv and radio whining on about how their 10-11 year old girls have to miss their 'prom' at school and they have already bought the dress and booked their nails to be done.  It rotten that the kids won't get to take their exams, but they can sit them in 9/12 months instead, just like if they had been really ill.   We are making this up as we go along. It is not the end of the world. 

Maybe it is because French A level made me read La Peste over and over again (is it still on the curriculum along with Boule de Suif??) and we did Eyam plague village in History and English.  Suddenly the weird bits of my education have kicked in. 

But not being able to go out, and get the food for my family is starting to get to me.  That is my job. Making sure everyone has everything they want and need.   Plus dh is home and so I cannot move furniture about the place or go on any major tidying sessions as he gets antsy and fears I will tidy himself away permanently. 

Anyway, I really cannot do another night like last night.  I am out of our bedroom now until he is better.  I am going to go and find out how to get him a remote dr's appointment.  I think he  may need a bit of extra help.