At last, April is over and we are through yet another month of lockdown. I suspect that we will have at least another three weeks if not more being stuck inside, though it’s all for our own safety and therefore I must not moan… (moan moan moan).
Despite being stuck within the same four walls, we’ve made the most of our time together – here are a few of the things which I have #LikedandLoved throughout April.
Paul Turned Thirty-Something
Though we tend to celebrate birthdays by enjoying trips and treats out and about, this year we were forced to celebrate Paul’s birthday in ‘sitting room style’ aka – we had yet another day in lockdown. I made the man a cake and having planned ahead, I’d ordered plenty of presents for my husband to open though they were mostly wrapped in Christmas paper but what the heck – it did the job!
Tarot Card Treats
Having relit my love for reading tarot a few months back, I’ve since collected quite a few decks of both tarot and oracle cards, including ‘The Everyday Witch Tarot’, ‘The StarChild Tarot’, ‘The Starseed Oracle’, the ‘Work Your Light Oracle’, the ‘Moonology Oracle’ and ‘The Muse Tarot’.
All my decks are now neatly displayed on my desk and whilst I would love to tell you that my collection is complete, it’s far from that. Given that I’m obsessed with art and the cards themselves, I see this being a lifelong love which will no doubt result in my husband having to fit further shelves in the study.
HomeSchooling
Homeschooling seems to be going really well, though I guess I am at an advantage being a trained teacher but still – it’s that kids that make it all count. We have a set timetable and a daily routine which we each stick to and it seems to work really well.
Though they miss their family and friends, both J & E are working their socks off and seem to be loving learning at home. I’m well aware that it’s not the same as being at school but I’m trying my hardest to keep them happy, entertained, and well-educated.
The Lighthouse Award
As a result of her hard work, E was recently awarded ‘The Lighthouse Award’ – a weekly award that goes out to school pupils for their efforts and progress. Given that the kids had worked so hard, we decided to cheat a little and rather than creating a lighthouse from Lego, loo rolls or whatever else, we went for a stroll on the shore and carried out some camera trickery… the results of which saved us further effort and looked pretty effective!
The Easter Egg Hunt
Each year Paul puts together an elaborate easter-egg hunt for the children. Each year the hunt seems to get larger, longer, and even more elaborate thanks to Paul’s efforts.
Although we were in lockdown, this year was no exception as the kids were presented with a four-page map, an easter bucket each and after an hour or two had finally found all the eggs from around the house. They had so much fun, it was such a delight to see!
Spring Sunshine
Though we have wet weather and grey skies as I type this post, we’ve enjoyed over four weeks of glorious spring sunshine. I cannot express how grateful I have been for the good weather as the kids were able to play outside (in the confines of our garden of course) and to enjoy their daily dog walk without getting wet.
Colour Hunt
It’s been all about the rainbows since the lockdown began, though we’ve created rainbows last month which are now stuck in our window we decided to continue our efforts by carrying out a colour hunt.
Each day the children were given a large white sheet to place on the carpet which they were then asked to fill with as many objects of a particular colour as possible. Each day we would photograph the objects and once the rainbow was complete, we collated the images together to create a ‘rainbow hunt collage’.
Love From Led Zep
As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, my Father isn’t too well at present and so to cheer him along, I decided to put together a collection of video messages from his family and friends wishing him well.
Midway through creating said video, I had the sudden idea to contact his idol – Robert Plant (the lead singer from Led Zeppelin) to see whether he would be willing to send something supportive. If I’m honest, I wasn’t expecting a reply but low and behold twenty-four hours later I was sent exactly that – a personal video message for my Dad from the legend that is Robert Plant!
To say it brought a smile to my Dad’s face is an understatement. I am so so grateful to Rob and to all of his family and friends that so kindly sent me their messages which made such a difference to Dad.
Clapping For Our Carers
I’m a sentimental sod at the best of times but in the current climate, my emotions are all over the place. Each Thursday our household continues to clap for our carers and the NHS; we bang pans, we blow whistles and we give thanks to all those that are working on the frontline battling this damned virus head-on. It’s so lovely to see and to hear all our neighbours and the town in which we live banging, clanging, whistling and clapping for the National Health Service – god knows where we would be without them.
Coffee Breaks
Nevermind handwash, bogroll, or pasta – coffee has become a personal pandemic daily essential. Paul and I quite often ‘down tools’, click the kettle on, and have a coffee break. It gives us time to talk and to take five which is exactly what we need right now.
Thanks again for reading my blog and I hope that you enjoyed reading what I #LikedAndLoved in April and are staying safe, happy, and healthy.
If you fancy sharing some of your own #LikedAndLoved points from the month then why not join in either through your own blog post or by leaving a comment below, I would love to hear what you #LikedAndLoved this month!
