NST March 2020 Merriment

mothernerd

Made Sunday lunch today. Sliced turkey from mum's freezer (from our festive menu - another pack for next week), parsnips, mushrooms and cabbage from my community shop - they were all on my use up list. Parsnips were roasted in two of the herb and garlic dips DS3 receives with his takeaway pizzas. Broccoli and 3 carrots from the veg box. Gravy was Bisto.

Went out to the shed. Mended the door (hinge coming off), did a stock take (fresh veg) and tidy up, put wild bird seed out on the bird table. Picked up the pieces of the old dining table and put the top pieces onto the base to make a 'potting table'.Small plant pots out (still hoping I can get back out to pot up the small veg plants that came this week - left behind the shed to decontaminate) and a bucket with some garden items.

UPDate Mother of twins DD2 has started coughing so mummy and daddy will be staying home with all 4 darling daughters and the daft dog.

Today I am grateful for good simple food, my bed and reasonable weather (we had clouds but they cleared up).

BadBookkeeper

NSD - 13/15 
Exercise - 2.18 miles
Pay Day on Tuesday & I have £5.47 to carry over made up with that!
Gratitude - Walking thank god it’s still allowed, light nights starting, internet! 

greent

Have been AWOL for around 2.5weeks, I guess. The last 2 weeks of school were very busy - firstly with invigilating and then with doing cover work for all the teachers self isolating. Was very tired at the end of it and the classes were not really receptive to having cover work at the end of the week when they knew school was closing - especially the Y11s! Then last week was just a whirl of activity - I am much busier with everyone here 24/7 (although DS1 has only been brought home from uni today and we are making him isolate in his room for the rest of the week) - so much cleaning/ laundry/ hassle-y food shopping (impossible to get enough for us for the week in a single shopping trip with the limitations on items/ empty shelves) - let alone supervising the schoolwork of DS2 and DS3. DH is wfh mostly (keyworker in security/ defence so has occasionally been into office) but is doing 16 hour days in the home office, adding to the hassle.... plus I've been checking on a few people. However - we are all healthy, live in beautiful countryside and (thanks to DH now having a permanent role) have enough money coming in (I'm obv not working in these summer months due to lack of exams and cover required at schools! ) Was very sad for DS3, though - his end of Y6 was a bit of a damp squib compared to plans (and I've no idea if I'll get the residential monies back or the leavers do money ) and they'll likely miss the transition to Y7.  (was also v sad for the Y11 and Y13 students - their world has massively changed for them) Sadly, neither DD nor DS1 are in uni halls so we will still be paying both their rents for their accom even though they aren't there - and they've had hardly any actual uni time this year with strikes and now this

Anyway, I've no idea how many NSDs (racked them up when at work, though) - will aim to keep track better in April

Hope you are all staying safe and well x

f0xh0les

NSD 20 today, not been out. Spoke to step-gran, cleaned and hoovered 80% of the house. Fed people. Shiny bathrooms.

Yep, I am soooooo bored.  Going to plough on with the 4 non-inspiring books I am half way through.

Might feel better once I can put them all in the c/shop bag and wave goodbrye (well, stick them in my boot for jettison later).

mothernerd

Greent - mummy of twins thought about the year end stuff. Her ten year old was leaving at short notice. When they go back it will be to high school (sorry don't remember all the Ys - you're lucky I'm not saying infants, juniors and big school) and they will be going to several different schools, so may not see some of their friends again*, especially as some had coughs or had already been taken out of school by their parents (her best friends are twins who were born partially deaf/ blind and father is a paramedic and mum also a health worker - not saying his job is more important, but can clearly remember his job title). Mummy of twins went to see the head and suggested some sort of belated end of year celebration be organised when it is safe to do so - head agreed. Perhaps you could suggest it on the school website?

* Not in an apocalyptical sense, just that when they get to big school, there's so much to adjust to, new routines and friends, some problems - and if you don't live close to your friends (and won't be able to see them for several weeks anyway) the next time you see them may be on a night out in your twenties, or at prenatal classes.

F0xh0les - I always finished books, it seemed rude not to do so, when the author had put so much into it and mostly for very little reward. I've always been a voracious reader (started to read my father's library books when I was nine as the 2 book restriction of the children's library meant I ran out of reading material even with 3 visits a week). When I was 8 yo I went to stay with a relative for a fortnight - I read their teenage son's old 'war comics' - they were about 8" x 6" with pictures and lots of 'brave tommies' and 'evil huns' (sorry I'm not a racist at all but as the old films say may contain material and views that were prevalent at the time - one of last week's films showed the social worker visiting 'our best foster mother' and the 8yo foster child rushed to light her cigarette for her (SW not FM). When I lived with my grandmother for a while (she was hospitalised, then stayed with us, then wanted to go home so I went too to do her shopping and make sure she was ok) I read a load of 'Saint' books. A friend had offered them to grandma, she accepted thinking they were Leslie Charteris ones and they turned out to be little 'Lives of the Saints' books.

Nowadays I value my time more. At first it was only occasional books - I remember a whodunnit with such horrible characters that by page 10 I didn't care who the murderer was, I just wanted s/he to get on with it and despatch the loathesome lot of them. I often persevere with books if I can see some merit, I read for escape and amusement (fiction often tells real truths in a way bare facts can't) as well as 'worthy stuff' but if a book is driving me to distraction (I can ignore minor annoyances such as authors who think anyone who can't afford a Cotswold cottage stuffed with antiques is either insignificant or a criminal, as long as there's a story there) I will return it/cs it. Without guilt.

Someone on one of my bookface threads (I joined a few following some of my favourite authors/ series) suggested that people buy books to get through 'the current situation' - if they were good, they would entertain you, if the were bad, you could use them to bridge the TP shortage (binning rather than flushing afterwards of course)

mothernerd

Day 30

I'm sorry it hasn't been as much fun as I'd hoped turtles (I know I've still a day to go but not sure I can turn all the official blundering and dithering around before tomorrow) and I'm not taking all the responsibility (I've grown, not everything that happens is my fault - that's a childhood trauma joke). Incidentally those with a dark sense of humour are of higher tha average intelligence - not boasting, it's just that 'dark' humour is very complex, so some people just won't get it.

So today, we are going to CELEBRATE.

Let's not just be grateful (though gratitude is wonderful) but really really positive about this 'situation' (I don't have problems, I have challenges so this isn't a 'crisis', it's a situation - not minimising the scale of it, it's probably the most challenging situation most of us will face in our lives but we must build hope and a better life from the tragedy and the ruins. I've read a lot of variations on "Things will not go back to normal, because the normal we had is what caused this" recently. Think about the Kitty O'Meara poem, reflect on how you want to live your life in future and then "Be the Change you Want to See in the World" (Ghandi).

So CELEBRATE all the good things. The bits of your new 'life' that you like. Ignore the madness, the selfishness.

Celebrate the health workers putting their lives on the line every day to help the most vulnerable

Celebrate the carers and all who have opened their doors to their children and in some cases their children's friends (someone on the preppers thread had a grand-daughter at uni sharing accomodation with a student nurse. The nurse became ill, the daughter moved in with her bf in uni housing. Nurse was confirmed as having COVID 19, so they have been exposed to the virus. Uni said everyone had to leave by the end of the week, then said 24 hours, finally by midnight - possibly because it is a contained campus with lots of science specialists and would make an excellent emergency hospital. So grandad drove to uni twice in one evening to fetch gdd and then her bf and all their possessions. Grandparents are both at risk but the bf''s mum is extremely high risk. To be blunt if bf goes home before he is cleared for the virus, he would kill his mum). These are the types of issues people are dealing with and MOST of them are DOING the RIGHT thing - sometimes the least worst option.

Celebrate all of us doing our best for our selves, our children, our loved ones and sometimes for strangers (a doctor suffering a mild case of COVID had a text from a neighbour saying she had left hm soup on his doorstep. She had also left two bags of groceries. He nearly cried over kindness of a woman who barely knows him).

Celebrate the falling pollution levels, the beauty of empty and quiet streets.

Celebrate time with your children, celebrate alone time (I am tending to stay in bed/ on the bed until lunchtime as I wouldn't normally come to mum's before then).

Celebrate the bin men, the pharmacies and people who deliver pills, the milk men, the restaurants and other places switching to delivering food/ foodstuffs (some wholesalers are selling direct to the public).

Celebrate the internet (my niece enjoyed 'games night' with a bunch of friends - all in their own separate houses.

Celebrate the opportunities to learn new things, take virtual tours of museums and galleries, spend a night at the ballet, the opera, the theatre.

Celebrate our children who are facing so much change. Celebrate their stoicism as each successive penny drops like a clanging bin lid (showing my age again - that would be an old metal bin lid). The 'new reality' is such a steep learning curve for them. And when they are not stoic and storm off to their rooms (the luxury of a room for each child), let them be for a while, when they emerge hug them, let them know they are loved.

I didn't watch but there was a local man (it came up on the local selling page) doing a virtual disco online complete with 'dad dancing' (just thought he might have been younger than me, but I saw him as middle aged)

Put on Some Music and Dance - if your children shake their heads and 'look' at one another, ignore them. If they join in, so much the better. Dance with a broom, dance with your dog, dance knowing that you are Margot Fonteyn/ Darcy Bussell / Dawn French (utube  the last two together - laughter is the best medicine).

Siebrie

Husband and I rode our bicycles on Saturday, on a 15km round tour in a different direction from the one we usually take.

We (all 4 of us) gave the house a thorough clean on Sunday; it was needed.

I mended about 15 items on Sunday afternoon, which was especially good for dds' leggings-and-tights' situation.

It was bright outside, but a very chilly wind.

Husband went shopping again today, and he found the chocolate! He washed a few of the well-wrapped items in very soapy water, for eating today or tomorrow; the rest he put in the garage, where we will leave them for 3 days before unpacking.

I made pilau rice last night, with a tomato-chicken-peach sauce, and very nice it was, too, with leftovers for another meal. Rice, onion, garlic, bell pepper, worcestershire sauce, sweet soy sauce, stock cubes from my basic pantry, tomato and peach from tins, chicken from frozen.

Dessert was custard (from Bird's custard powder - bbd March 2020; I've had this tin for about 5 years, I think, and it's about 2/3 finished). We had some of the custard with the leftover chocolate cake for elevensies this morning.

I had a very good conversation with husband last night, about how it's very hard for me to work with 2 dds asking for constant attention while doing their homework. Especially eldest needs constant reassurance before she fills in any answer, and is unwilling to do more work than the teacher puts on the list (so: the teacher prescribes the medium math tasks, indicating that you can do the simpler or more difficult tasks if you want to. DD1 refuses to do the simpler tasks, because they are not 'required'; but she needs them, because she has difficulties understanding the medium tasks....). Husband has now agreed to at least sit next to her when she does her typing lessons, as she just gives up if she doesn't succeed at the first go. We've planned a zoom-session with the teacher for her math work.

DD2 had a zoom-session with all her classmates last night; it was soooo funny! All 20 kids present just shouting 'hello!' and each other's names, for 15 minutes

ditty1234

March is hanging in there w very March weather. I'm bust calling students and worrying over unclear marking grading decisions. Our new plan is that every other day is veggie dinner, for us and for the planet. That said the boys are currently going through a piece of cheddar a day! 
Still desperately need yeast! 
MSE I splurged on 10L of diesel on Saturday, just as its so cheap, I really do not need it at the moment. 
Grateful for 10 days in I have no symptoms, as I believe I had some students in the classroom with the virus, also for  everybody keeping their humor and cool, and last but not least somebody replying to a email, even if it's 2 weeks later!

apple_muncher

ditty - I wish I needed fuel, what with it being so cheap! Typical!! But we have a full tank and nowhere to go...

abundant1972

Good afternoon!

Busy weekend -saw the folks and kept Mum occupied for the day to give Dad a break, and luckily weather was nice to go around the garden. Had a bit of a duvet day Sunday - good intentions went out the window lol. 

Another NSD today, although did a top-up shop yesterday. SB had toilet rolls but the freezer section was decimated except for oven chips! I didn't need either haha!!!

Quiet night in