Groundhog day

Massive kitchen island!

This week was officially Ground Hog day and doesn't it just feel like it right now - every day pretty much the same - get up, walk dogs, eat breakfast, shower, get kids up, sit at computer on endless video meetings, check kids are paying at least some attention to online school, eat lunch, more meetings, more checking on kids, walk Betty, more meetings / checking, walk Bertie, eat, entertain the kids, sleep, repeat. I look forward to the weekend not because there are better things to do, but because I don't have to be on video calls and the kids don't have to persevere with their remote schooling.

I will admit to having a bit of an emotional wobble this week. Between work, online school and lockdown, we also have the house move to add just that extra bit of stress. The blip this week was getting a letter from the mortgage company which said "Dear Mrs Drinkwater, following the valuation of Oakwood Barn unfortunately we are missing a UKFDF and hence we consider the property to be unmortgagable. Would you like to consider an alternative property?" NO I WOULDN'T!! Turns out the letter had been sent in error and the missing form was a relatively simple gap to address, but that took 45 mins on the phone to sort out which wasn't how I wanted to spend the only break in the day I had! Add to that the stress of a couple of tricky work issues, a work diary that has decided it should randomly add and delete meetings at will and the realisation that Izzy hadn't managed to get dressed for 2 days and by Thursday I just wanted to curl up in a ball with a blanket over my head. Luckily a hug from everyone, a run and a large bar of chocolate shared with Abi and the world felt a better place again. 

This weekend has been a tonic. Yesterday we had a trip to the barn and managed to sort out a number of little details, including (actually a massive detail given the size of the kitchen island) the kitchen worktops and decisions on whether to paint the bedrooms or leave a completely white blank canvas. Of course every trip there results in us spending more money and this time it was a decision to extend the patio slabs so that we don't have a grassy area right outside the back door - with 2 dogs that would be a muddy puddle at the first sign of rain. The kitchen has now been rebuilt which gives a real sense of how it will balance the room, the bathrooms are now finished, the 'downstairs toilet' is fitted and the skirting boards are all back in place. The boiler goes in this week, the electrics should be signed off and the block paving will be finished which allows the builders to start the patio - it is all taking shape! 

Yesterday's trip also meant that we needed paint so today we went out again (twice in a week!!), this time to B&Q to buy paint and lampshades - all in all very satisfying. Add to this sorting out my wardrobe, taking out 60 unmatched coat hangers and replacing them with 60 matching wooden ones (ahhhh, the joy of this!) - there is some excitement left in life!

So another week, another set of days blending into one another. The most exciting thing is that Dad gets his first vaccination on Wednesday, and with Liz, Dave and Alex, as well as Nanny Di and Alby having had theirs already it feels like our nearest and dearest now have some protection if the worst were to happen. Mum shouldn't be too far behind and even Glenn should get his by May if the programme continues to be as successful as it has to date. Much as I think the whole pandemic has been massively out of kilter from a overall risk / reward basis, I do acknowledge that I haven't been impacted like some and so its easy for me to think that. Knowing the risk of it harming those I love diminishes every day does feel like we are finally seeing some positive signs.

Another week and its half term - at least some respite in the meetings / kid checks - woo hoo!

So satisfying!