Trying not to loose our Christmas sparkle...

The latest lockdown is upon us, the new variant of Covid-19 is reeking havoc in East Anglia, the girls school is closed and the world of not going out is back as a fixture of family life until at least mid February. The girls have completed their first week of remote learning, Mrs Hammond is zoom teaching and I can already see the frustrations setting in. It's so very hard for teenagers to not wish or want for something vastly different in their lives other than this. A new year has asked them to dig deep and find more resilience. I know they can. I know that by spring there will be an emerging different picture that will begin to restore some 'normal' childhood opportunities. As sad as I am about this loss, having to work out in homes where the new variant is causing so much worry, ill health and sadly people passing away, I am glad that everyone in my house can't go anywhere. This lost time can be caught up. Other opportunities will be around the corner. New friendships, new adventures and one day hugs from friends. Dig deep my lovely family. Keep your Christmas sparkle and carry it into the shit show that is the start of this year with optimism and positivity xx   

New year and the rising of the sun...

As we usher in a new year as a family, I am filled with sadness and continue the push on in the pandemic with the focus of keeping everyone safe. Wave two is hitting really hard now, deaths are rising and we remain in tier four. The decision has been made that the girls will home school for the first couple of weeks of term and I'm so very pleased about this. There is hope on the horizon though, as I am the first Hammond to have my vaccine tomorrow, I pray and hope my family follow me soon after. Last year was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, fear, anxiety and stress. I do have hope though. I finished the year personally with pride as I completed my mammoth bike ride in aid of Macmillan and in memory of my foster parents. I am so proud having raised over a £1000, well beyond my wildest dreams. I'm still hurting to be honest days later! Doing something such as that felt like completely the right thing to do to celebrate and remember what is so important about family. I will find more resilience, keep going and try to stay positive for my girls. I am finding it hard and dreading going back to work again into an environment that carries so much risk. The sun is rising, things will change for the better in the coming months and my greatest hope is the return to some kind of normality for my family. One day at a time, this is the goal. May 2021 bring light and positive experiences for my children moving forwards with less fear, opportunity and start to rebuild a positive future for them both. This is my belief and one I hold onto that in six months a different family life will be well and truly emerging xxx

A slightly strange one...

This year's festive day was slightly odd. On the eve of Norfolk going into tier four of restrictions, which basically means a lock down and nobody can come in and out of the county. We took the deliberate and sad choice not to see wider family, simply for their safety. We did, however have a lovely quiet family day with swag galore, a beautiful lunch, a bracing morning dog walk, world wide family zoom call with the Sullivan clan and when the kids had had enough of us, Mrs Hammond and I indulged in a bit of 'Die Hard'. An obvious Christmas film classic! 😆 Christmas came upon me so quickly with working right up till late on the day before, under quite stressful circumstances. I tried my best to make it a good day for my tribe and keep a smile up, but found in a bit hard at times not to cover my sadness. Covid continues to dominate our lives and have such an impact and I'm still finding it hard not to be on high alert at all times. The burden and worry of keeping everyone safe feels very heavy these days. I remain, and say it once again, so proud of the girls and their resilience in the midst of all of this. Everyone in the Hammond house seems to find it easier to relax and I'm definitely playing catch up! I've not settled down today at all, choosing to clean the house. I'm hoping a bit of time with Amy and the girls will calm my head down. One can only hope. In this year of years, it is still so important to keep 'normal' things going for the girls and Christmas is most definitely one of those things. We spoilt them rotten. It does warm my heart to give gifts in abundance. So Merry Christmas to my girls and here's to a brighter 2021 xxx

The big man is nearly here!

With national restrictions increasing and the addition of a new tier four for certain areas with high rates of infection, thankfully not Norfolk, the world is so desperately trying to dampen our family Christmas spirits. We have a house full of food, hopefully Mrs Hammond will be wrapping the presents in the coming days as I am truly inept at this, we have each other, we are well and that will do me. I am pushing hard to get over the finish line and get work wound up by the end of Christmas Eve, then some quiet time with my family is most definitely needed. Anna and I have already started the Christmas game of monopoly; the pandemic may not change our mood but this might!! 😆 Family time will mean the world to me. I'm really struggling now, so very much with lack of sleep, no real break to speak of this year apart from a few days in August and if I can persuade my children to spend time with me, it would be gratefully received over the holidays x

Survived another weekend of single parenting (or more importantly the kids did!)

With Amy away this weekend for her course, I was left in charge of the household for three whole days! What could possibly go wrong?!? The kids would be well supported and have a stable diet of course! It was a manic few days as parent, shopper, lift giver, football dad, artistic director (all be it a temporary position in Mrs Hammond's absence) in getting all the decorations up. I achieved all and more, even squeezing in a couple of films with Anna, breaking down and spending three hours stuck in the car with Wiggle and got to witness a heroic penalty save. Lucy caught up with an old friend and you could see the positive impact it had on her. Its been months since they got together and friendships are even more important at this time. The house is feeling festive, the girls are opening their Harry Potter and Marvel pop calendars with excitement and I think I nailed this weekend. Apart from one thing, I could not prevent Anna sneezing in her mask with hilarious results whilst out and about!. Lucy and I did have quite a titter. Mrs Hammond is home, we missed her and normal service and the way of things is resumed, with me reverting back to clearing up after everybody! Only seventeen more sleeps till Santa comes, unless he's self isolating and then.....😄

Pushing on towards festive times early...

On Thursday we move out of lockdown again as a nation and Norfolk becomes a tier two county with several restrictions in place. This year has been such a strange one, so we are going for it and getting all festive early. Tree purchased on Sunday and will go up this week, way ahead of when we usually do. I am in charge of decorations as Amy away on her course this week! 😝A time to make new traditions. What the next month will bring for the family Hammond is anyone's guess. With some restrictions lifted for the Christmas period, I think a dog walk invitation with Granny and Grandpa will be about it. I think it is so important for Amy especially to see her wider family if possible, although I remain so very worried that I could pose them a risk due to my work. All presents bought, the girls are in for a very special surprise tomorrow with amazing advent calendars. Why not, if ever there was a year more important to spoil your kids, this is it! We push on as December looms fast and say goodbye with a forceful wave to the most unprecedented of years indeed. I am looking forward to a quiet family Christmas though, very much so 😊

So we calmly go back into lockdown...

So on Thursday this week the Government decided that the whole of England should once again go back into lockdown in order to stem the tide of wave two of the Covid-19 pandemic. A bit different from last time with changes such as schools open. This is expected to last for a month. We can only leave our house for work, school, exercise, essential shopping or medical attention and support. It's going to be a tough month and could easily be extended. So we are now hunkered down in fortress Hammond, well supplied, safe, well and trying to reduce risk in everything we do. It's just another twist in our family life in this strange year. Christmas could be quite isolated and without the opportunity to see family and friends. I am starting to worry again as the rate of infections rise in the community and deaths. This year is asking me to continue to work hard and seem to stay on a heightened level of alert to protect my family. At the moment I can's seem to wind down. I will do everything I can to be a good husband and father to keep everyone safe and that's all the matters in the context of what 2020 is throwing at us. Amy, Joan and the girls all seem good. Anna is already kicking my arse in Lockdown footy challenge number two! Damn girl, even with a slight back injury after she fell down the stairs she beats me!!!