Pandemic life

Why hello covid. What an unwelcome guest you are. 

Our county has been doing pretty well. And the boys school managed a full 19 months without any covid cases amongst the children. This past week however, it’s spreading everywhere! 

After a call from Bug’s best friend’s mum we all had an LFT. That was negative but the next day Alby got spot checked after a boy he sat next to on the bus had a positive LFT. Bug’s LFT stayed negative but he had a slightly raised temperature so was sent home for a PCR test. Next day, positive PCR confirmed to a very bemused child that covid was in his system. And so the fun of daily lateral flow tests for us, hourly hand washing and constant surface wiping has begun. 

We’ve had 4 days in the house now and with school closed for half term preventing any fear of missing out, we’re doing okay. The walls don’t yet feel too claustrophobic - helped by daily dog walks and amazing sunshine. 

The only concern is the big birthday party due to take place the day after social isolation breaks. As we’ve had every day this week, we’ve got a plan A, plan B, plan C and plan D depending on the results of our daily LFTs. My friend (an infectious disease expert) had me reassured we’d by okay but as we now know a good number of double-vaccinated adults in the school getting covid I’m trying to stay pragmatic over optimistic. Keep your fingers crossed for us please!

Meanwhile Bean borrowed my red pen and came back with this picture for me so we might have germs but we also have all the loves …🥰

Imagination flowing with Bean at bathtime

 We like to make up stories. We each take a turn to add a line and see where we get to. 

This evening has seen us meet a clown fish called Jeffrey and his moray eel friend Jonathon swim to a ship wreck against the advice of their parents. In the shipwreck they meet a ghost pirate who shouts “shiver me timbers” (of course) and informs them that he can’t get into the afterlife until he finds his treasure which was left between two hills. They are just about to set off with him when some underwater zombies appear… 

That’s as far as we’ve got. Any help with what happens next welcome 🤣

Dog walk dangers

 Alice goes out with a group of dogs every week for a bit of socialising fun. And after each walk we get sent a batch of photos showing off the crazy antics of her and her friends. The dog walker has a real skill with photography and you can guarantee some ridiculous shots.  Today’s was the silliest yet… 

I’m just going to leave this here. 

Bean’s monster

 Bean has a doodle book which he is very excited about. 

Today he drew his monster which he loves the most. It has blood stained teeth, blood stained claws and blood stained toes. It does not have webbed feet. Doing the eyes as triangles was both clever and scary. Or so he says. 

Looking up

It’s been a weird year. Being stuck inside or limited to our immediate county borders mean it’s been easier than ever to get trapped in our own little, narrow minded views of life until we become a small cog in a tiny echo chamber of sameness. It takes effort to lift our head and seek out a different way of seeing the world. Energy to remember the meaning of true empathy let alone actually demonstrating it. Fear breeds fear until it can get quite claustrophobic. 

On tonight’s dog walk, looking up from my phone to find myself amongst an amazing sunset, I remembered again how vital it is to seek out a different view, to let fresh air blow through us, to take a breath, stop and look outwards. 

Bean’s first wobbly tooth

Ladies and gentlemen, grab your diaries and mark 16 May as a day for celebration as this is the day Bean went from wobbly tooth boy to a gappy 6 year old. 

Turns out, despite claiming it absolutely wasn’t ready to come out, it came out!! Who knew eating a raw carrot would do the trick? Despite there being no tooth fairy myth making in this house he still enjoyed putting his tooth under his pillow and getting a grand £1 in the morning. 

And Bean, being one of the sillier 6 year olds we know, then promptly lost his tooth. Cue parents turning the bed upside down for ten minutes, me offering reassurances whilst M grumbled. Thankfully, for all of us, the tooth was found and is now in a ring box on a shelf he cannot reach (I hope). 

Life moments

An interesting thing happened last week. A friend gave me a bag of her son’s old clothes in case of interest. Her son is in the same year as Bug but a bit taller; even if the clothes aren’t good for him we can store them for Bean. 

Amongst the clothes were a pair of trainers - too big for Bug but as it turns out they fit me perfectly. Finding I’m now at a time in life when I can take 9 year olds’ hardly worn trainers for my own leaves me confused. They are good, comfy trainers in excellent condition. I am the same shoe size as a fairly average year 4. Brilliant! 

 

Back to A&E

A bit of an old post from 19 March

Just as hubby was leaving to collect the boys from school we received a call from an unknown caller. I only answered it in hope it was from the Virgin complaints team who I’ve been trying to get hold of. Turns out it was the matron at school letting us know Bean was with her having cut his head open.  She was quick to say he was okay, but there was a lot of blood so to bring a jumper- both as his shirt was covered in blood and something warm would help as he was in a bit of shock. 

An hour and later I had a message confirming all my boys were booked in at A&E watching Kung Fu Panda whilst waiting for the doctor. 

Bean had been racing cars in the floor in the performance hall, had slipped and banged the top of his head against a bench. Splitting the skin. Lockdown hair meant it was just a mess of bloody, matted hair. But the doctor managed to clean it up, glue the cut back together and by 6pm everyone was back home, shattered but smiling. 

Bug had been in art class at the time of the accident when his teacher told him he had to pack up his things and head to matron as his brother had had an accident. I could fully empathize with shock and worry he felt and had a really warm glow learning that when Hubby turned up, the boys had been sitting on the bed together with Bug reading a magazine to the patient.

I’d honestly thought we’d might make it a few years before returning to A&E, turns out we couldn’t make 12months. 🙄😬 Hubby was impressed that, when checking in, they quickly found all of Bean’s details. I was less impressed that they’ve got us pinned as regular visitors!

Thank you letters will be going into school tomorrow - to Matron for keeping cheerful when faced with a bleeding head at the very end if the week, and for providing a stack of magazines for the boys to take with them. And to Bean’s teacher who was in constant contact through Friday evening to make sure was okay. 

Extra hugs also go to the Hubby who is fast taking the role of super dad. 

If the rest of the weekend is anything to go by, Bean will be spending the coming days touching his head and making everyone near him take a look at the cut on his head. Having managed 4.2k on his bike yesterday and a 6k walk today, I think we can safely say it hasn’t caused any lasting damage. 

Too much lockdown

 You know you’ve been trapped in lockdown for far too long when you start the day dressed up as Batman and the BFG... 

And end it being challenged over WhatsApp by your odd-father for a lockdown-manbun-off...