Skip to main content

Sunny days

As we stare down the barrel of a second national lockdown I'm not ashamed to report that I'm feeling pretty angry about the whole thing. So much for 'world beating test and trace' systems and the ability to get super granular with the way in which we respond to coronavirus. I get the fact that nationally we are seeing rates of infection and (apparently) hospital numbers rising, but the data says that in our neck of the woods we have 3(3!) cases per 100,000 people and so I cannot see why we should have to lockdown in the same way that Bolton needs to when their rates are at 190! The average for England is 16 so surely we aren't at a point where we need to take the same approach everywhere?

Part of the reason I'm ranting so much is that after 2 weeks back at school I'm finally getting my Izzy back again. She has thrived with the social interactions school gives her and (although she complains about it) has loved being back. Instead of the morose, withdrawn girl she had become at home, she is now back to being full of chat and laughter, with something to say on everything. This is of course somewhat to Glenn's disadvantage as we can't shut her up at the dinner table, but I think that's a positive even if he thinks she's ruining his peace!

The weather has returned to being warm and sunny, although the
mornings feel somewhat autumnal and the nights draw in so much earlier. I have definitely been feeling the fact that the last 9 months have been completely relentless and so I've been trying to actively slow down a bit and not beat myself up for not doing anywhere near the amount of running that I managed last year - what a difference a year and circumstances can make! Of course I'm walking so much more than I used to and I'm still doing all my yoga, but there's neither the time or the energy in many days to also get some running miles under my belt. I keep reminding myself that what matters is that I'm moving, rather than I'm moving fast. Both this weekend and last I have made a conscious decision on Sunday to just enjoy the sunshine and space and not try and cram so much in. 

On that note, today has been a real treat. Yesterday Abi had a bit of a moment and said that I never take her anywhere (?!) and so I said that she could choose something to do today given Izzy and Glenn were going to the bike track so that Izzy could get some practice in. I'm very proud to say that initially she wanted to go a NT property, but that was a non-starter because of course in these Covid times all spontaneity has left the building and we would have had to book that last week to get a place. Instead we decided to go to Chilbolton Cow Common which she had been due to go to with Mia a while ago but for various reasons they didn't make it. CCC is a nature reserve near Stockbridge, in the Test Valley and it turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. We had the most beautiful walk along the river and around the lakes, sat on the banks and chatted and then headed off to Stockbridge for tea and cake. We then did a bit of a magical mystery tour home (at least I set off in the right direction!), arriving home in good time to still have the afternoon pottering in the garden. It's been a lovely day and just what I needed before another busy week at work. Abi and I had a lovely walk, Izzy had a blast at the track with proud Dad watching - everyone is happy.

So here's hoping that the government don't decide to do anything too stupid, and that whatever they do they don't mess with the kids being at school. They have suffered enough and as Abi said "this isn't their disease and so why can't they just get on with their life in as normal a fashion as possible?" I agree. 






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome Albert James!

So this week has been full of new things - Jess and Chris have welcomed Albert James Wilkinson Rayner to the family, a tad early but all doing well apparently (and so cute!!), I started my new job, Abi has her new shed and Dad got sorted on a phone that wasn't invented before the kids were born!! I always knew this week was going to be full on and it certainly has been. The first thing I had to do was try and sort out my diary which had been filled from dawn to dusk by my predecessor with meetings. I decided to set out as I mean to go on and immediately took out those that started before 9am. While I can get into  the office for 8am , it's a pain and requires me to be on the 6:30am train which is just a bit much every day (stating the obvious). I then made it clear that we don't need to be joined at the hip for the next 4 weeks which is a sensitive process - even though he is retiring it's hard to let go and he is understandably keen that the team are looked after. ...

Diary management!

This part of the summer is definitely typified by me trying to remember who is supposed to be where and when. Abi likes to be off doing something with someone while Izzy is happier to know she's close to home and so for the last week they've gone their separate ways. Abi has been down in Somerset making the most of Ben and Laurie being about. From what I can tell she's having a lovely time. Apart from the covert phone call one evening to tell me she was 'starving'  (Mum was cooking for the hordes and so it had been delayed), I've barely heard from her. The few calls I have had have very quickly ended in "can I go now" like I'm making her speak to me! Today she switches from Mum and Dads to a night or two with Kerrie - not sure who is more excited! Izzy didn't want to be away for that long so she opted not to go. She's very conscious that Abi and Laurie are joined at the hip when together and Ben has his own things he wants to do so she ...

All about Izzy

This weekend has mainly been about Izzy, mostly because Abi has been off riding again and so we've hardly seen her. This has its pros and cons - on the one hand Izzy gets lots of attention and the choice of what to do. On the other she misses Abi and when big sister arrives home we have the inevitable few hours of resettling which seems to involve tears as a matter of course. I did have a moment of despair this evening when I looked across to the table just before Sunday dinner - normally a happy time - to see both of them, heads on arms, holding back tears. Luckily a bit of food and a game of 20 questions to share what everybody had enjoyed about their weekend and we kind of managed to get back on track by dessert. When asked what she wanted to do, Izzy immediately shouted "Jo Jo" so my task was to sort out a visit with Jo, the boys and Ellie. No matter how much time passes they still love to see each other and the first task is always the same. Edward and Izzy have t...