Surviving C19 Lockdown

I was determined to use this time we have found ourselves with as the opportunity to have lots of lovely extra family time. When lockdown was first announced I had visions of a daily walk together, all 3 of us linking arms and chatting and laughing together as the wind rippled through our hair and the fresh air made our cheeks (already aching from laughter) red and tingly. My mind pictured me helping Mia with her school work, sitting down together from 9am until 3pm, and working through it happily, learning together and enjoying each other's company. I assumed this could be fitted in around my own work, telephone calls and Zoom meetings, with an hour's break for a home cooked healthy lunch eaten in the garden together, perhaps followed by a ball game, before returning to our desks. The house and garden would naturally be spotless, as with all this extra time, how could they be anything else? Once the day's work had been completed, the 3 of us would sit down for a tasty meal...

Is it really Saturday? I wasn't sure when I woke up. Loosing track of days fast and it is only week 1.... I often work weekends, which is fine, as I love (not "loved" - I will be back!) my job, and I am so lucky that what I do doesn't feel like work. But I also love (and really appreciate) a weekend off to spend time with Mia, and go out to lovely places. Usually on these Saturdays I wake up with butterflies in my stomach, excited about the 2 days ahead. But today I awoke with the same sense of dread and worry that I have woken up with for the past few weeks, and more so in recent days. Dread for the situation the world is in, and worry for the UK, who are really only just starting on this journey. However, a Saturday off work is still a Saturday off work, and I am trying to normalise this shit as much as I can, so to mark the occasion I stayed in my pjs until 10am. I also treated myself to wearing make up on this special day, which I haven't done since Tuesday,...

So today I tackled my usually most hated job of the week. Cleaning the guinea pigs out. Normally this fills me with dread, it’s a big hutch with, after a week, lots of shit in it. In past weeks I do the dreaded clean out as soon as Mia is out the door to school, rushing round, trying to get it done before I set off for my days jobs. Today, however, was different. I rocked up to the hutch at an unheard of 9.40am. The sun was shining and I took my time, instead of rushing round like a crazed person to fit it in before work. I even shouted Mia out in to the garden and we held and stroked the guinea pigs for ages before putting them in to their lovely clean run for the day. I smiled as I picked the poo out from under my nails and realised, that actually, it’s not such a horrible job after all.... (ask me again on a busy work day when it’s pissing it down with rain and my opinion may have reverted back). Another good job done today was sweeping up the Autumn leaves up from the garden. Don...