Eat, sleep and repeat...

Lockdown is so hugely important for ours and the rest of societies well being and health. I have to confess that it is starting to get to me a bit. A combination of feeling penned in, frustration, worry and fear is starting to catch up with me a little bit. I'm finding it hard not to be in 'keep myself busy' mode. I'm especially worried in the context of being a parent and keeping the girls safe. I'm not really sleeping, not really settling down and struggling to take this opportunity to rest. I'm also finding it monotonous too and feel I'm loosing my freedom a bit. I know it is necessary and I have absolutely no just cause to complain. We have what we need, we have a beautiful place to live in, we have each other and we have space. I just can't help the way I feel at the moment and am desperately trying to change my mindset. So I have filled my days with gardening projects, work from home and some visits to homes, long dog walks and generally pacing up and down. Some fun things into the bargain as well. Mine and Anna's football challenge is progressing with new games such as 'football golf' being designed and played. I'm making a slight comeback and currently trailing 41-33 as it stands! We did manage to sort out our lockdown haircut situation with some free clippers coming our way. My hair was expertly cut by Anna and Amy. I was slightly worried as they had a heated debate and argument mid way through in trying to decide what to do with my awkward hair! To say I was slightly petrified was an understatement! I must pull myself together as we have many more weeks and months of this life changing situation to work through yet and I need to stay strong. I will do my best and try not to let my fears rule my head and my heart. Take one day at a time, enjoy this time of peace and quiet with Amy and the girls and push on through.....

The struggle is real...

Lockdown has been extended for another three weeks and well into May. This is the right thing for the government to do in order to keep us all as safe as possible, I fully expect it to continue to at least the end of May. Some days it really isn't that bad, especially if you have the beautiful Norfolk sunshine to enjoy. Its a strange world and space to be in at the moment. There are moments when you forget relaxing in the garden and then you remember the silent threat out there. I know we don't have access to all the usual things we usually have such as going out for meals, coffee, shopping, cinema and the beach for example, but we have so much around us in the house, the garden and dog walking (not been as fit in years). This really helps reduce the stress and tension. Unless you are Anna! We truly never quite know which Anna we are going to get in lockdown - full of hormones, frustrations, irrational responses, a bit of boredom and you get quite a stroppy combination! Thank heavens the house is big! On other days we are treated to a helpful, caring and relaxed young lady with slightly dodgy lockdown hair. Don't mention her hair at the moment, it's a touchy subject and without a cut is not quite her desired style at present. Never mind she's safe and that's all that matters. P.S Still trying to get Lucy out of her bedroom this week! No word of a lie, she's experiencing a sloth like few days and she's nailing it! 

Out of lockdown is emerging a fine young lady....

My thought of the week can only be 'all that matters is keeping Amy and the girls safe'. Lockdown is having such a profound effect on us all. I can't sleep at all and have turned into a gardening machine. I feel a little unsettled with everything going on. Amy has turned into a crochet, chocolate eating, box set watching cooking goddess. Anna fluctuates from great to spend time with, my kick about buddy (loosing 17-13 at the moment) and very interesting to handle mood swings. Lucy on the other hand seems to have calmed down from initial stress and agitation about not being at school and out and about. She is growing up before my eyes slowly into a woman. In the last ten days there is something new about her, she walks differently, she carries herself differently and it often feels like I'm talking to my grown up daughter. A lovely glimpse into the future. Everybody else in the house is suffering with bad lockdown hair, Anna and I desperately need a cut, I'm thinking about buying some clippers and shaving it all off, Amy has turned into Monica from friends and Lucy has the most beautiful hair she's had in years! P.S Mrs Hammond a seriously delicious Easter Sunday lunch and lovely to eat it outside x

You couldn't make this up...

It's not a hard thing to do stay in isolation as a family with all this space, fresh air in the garden and loads of dog walking. Having sampled some of the front line in the fight against Coronavirus in my visits to care homes in the last week, what we are going through is nothing compared to those nurses, doctors and carers caring for thousands in overstretched wards and hospitals. It can be frustrating and you suffer from cabin fever at times. It's scary being out there and I'm not afraid to admit it. My work puts me at risk and I am petrified of bringing the virus home. A simple shopping trip could change your life and that of those around you. I am being as careful as I can be. Its day nine and the rest of the family is doing good; with everyone settled into a routine and relaxing, getting work done, on the odd occasion helping in the house (kids I stress on the odd occasion!) It is hard being told to stay put, take away all your freedoms to move around, it's the right thing to do and we will do our bit, as well as Amy and I through our jobs if needed. We will be doing this for months, its hard but we continue to see the positives. I continue to eat healthily and have lost 21lbs!! I must say in the face of my 'snacking' family on lockdown, it's proving quite a challenge and still holding my own, just about!!! It's April fools day and the day takes on a different significance. No need for pranks today, you couldn't make this all up if you tried and we continue to live in strange and frightening times. All I need is that we all stay safe as a family, contribute where we can and get through this. If that means stuck in together for a sustained period of time, then so be it. If it saves my families life, then that is all the matters xx 

Still hanging in there after day five of isolation...

So the country has gone into lockdown five days ago. We are now only allowed to leave our houses for very specific reasons to go food shopping, collect meds, exercise once a day and then go to work for only essential jobs. Anybody going out must practice 'social distancing' which is two metres apart from each other and no social contact or physical interaction with each other at all. When 2020 arrived I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be writing something like this today. We are coping fairly well with this as a family and I am proud of the girls in regards to their response. This is really not easy for them to understand and in essence completely interrupts their childhood. We could be doing this for months and months yet. We are all trying to keep busy with the girls doing allocated school work, Amy cooking us wonderful and lovely meals, I am working from home and bringing in what money I can and just taking it day by day. I'm scared out of my wits in visiting a care home and what I could bring back into the house, but my help is needed. There is a breather and some space in the size of our house, the garden and a daily dog walk (poor Meg is exhausted every evening and fast asleep!!). We are so truly lucky and blessed. Norfolk has been showing us its real beauty this week, like Mother Nature knows nothing about what is going on. Sheer beauty in the madness. New decisions and difficult decisions come every day. Its like someone threw away the parental and life manual without leaving further instructions! It is at times very frightening fighting an invisible threat and I worry about Amy, Joan and the girls every day. We have to keep following advice, doing the right things and keep going with a positive attitude and nature. I am loving that life has slowed down a bit though if I am honest. My morning coffee under the shack to reflect in peace and quiet is very important to me. Some good things do come out of a pandemic!! Need to work on the fact that Anna is currently tonking me in the daily cross bar and other challenges we have going on. Opening up a 7-3 lead. I'm just luring you into a false sense of security Wiggle x

Never going to see days like this again....

I'm going to keep smiling. I'm going to stay focused and positive for my family. The pandemic that is the Coronavirus is here and is going to stay for several months. If being a parent wasn't hard enough, things just got ten times more challenging! These are days and events we are likely not to see again in our lifetime and they are unprecedented. The challenges just keep coming in - worry about risk of infection and I am now very vulnerable, worry about Amy, the kids and Joan, real economic struggle, loss of income and keeping a roof over all our heads in the coming months. The madness and chaos with getting food and supplies, the real lack of community and attitude in some people is astonishing and the coming days, weeks and months are going to be tough. I can't help but see the positive's out of all of this - life is going to slow down, we will all get some well earned rest, all be it in the background of real worry and stress. I hope this will change family life a bit as we are all forced to spend some more time with each other, rather than the treadmill of life we've been on for years. This is the type of situation where I come into my own. This is what I'm good at and guiding people out of crisis. The responsibility I feel as a father and a husband is my greatest belief. This is my time to shine and excel. Whatever the challenges that come in the coming months we face as a family, I am determined to make sure I fulfil my commitment to  my girls in keeping them as safe and as stress free as possible. It is my duty based and drawn from my love of my family, the easiest decision I will ever make. The hard decisions are already coming in - taking the girls out of school today, cancelling our holiday so we can use the money to survive, banning cuddles and affection. More will come and we will get through this as a family. I can't help thinking as each day goes by what Auntie Joan would have made of all of this. I think her community spirit, which was second to none, would have kicked in and the help she would have given others would have been amazing. It was what she did all her life. I will channel her spirit and tenacity. Let's take it one day at a time and come out better people, changing society and how we help each other. I think this few months will change us all, including me and my family...

They only went and left me behind!

Illness, work and a busy life have restricted my recent blogging opportunities, but I am back and on it! Within our house the spread of the 'Coranna' virus, a severe and savage cold originating from Anna bringing this back from school, went through some of the family, resulting in myself and Mrs Hammond being taken out of action for over a week. Unfortunately for me, this meant I sadly missed out on our family trip to London, staying at home quietly dying on the sofa with dignity and without complaint. This was category 'A' man flu. To say I was gutted was an understatement. The itinerary of museums and the London Eye with my girls really did appeal. Can't be helped and I've enjoyed looking at the photos. The swag generated from feeling sorry for me and guilt that everybody brought home for me was amazing! I have now built and am proudly displaying a Lego 'Friends Central Perk café, a giant Lego box and other souvenirs from the trip I never quite made it too. We will have to organise something else soon and I look forward to spending some quality time with my girls soon once again. Just really frustrating, its hard in our busy lives to find this time, and I don't want to miss out again xx