Read, play, sleep
My first day of annual leave! Ah, the thrill of that, it's finally here! No, I have not spent the morning making to do lists or planning what I've got to do (although they're in my head but I keep ignoring them). Didn't even go for a run, although I was planning to. Instead, I joined Emma on her dance class, then sorted out Legos with Ariana and Dan.
I need to focus on not setting expectations for the next week. In my head, lists are building up, plans, tasks, increasing my awareness of all the shit piling up over the last 2 months, all that needs done. If I get any of that done, fine! If not, fine! Now that I've written it, it's like a pact with myself.
The main thing we need to catch up on is spending more quality time and playing with the girls. There's been a bit of planning on that side, and a camping night in the garden is in the cards, some Star Wars folded flyers, star gazing, and other 'whatever makes them happy' activities. Yesterday I cycled with Ariana and we stopped by the river to have a break and a drink and she was such a happy little girl, chatting cheerfully and I realised once again how important it is to keep that connection.
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I blinked twice aaaand....
My last day of annual leave! This was a much needed and well deserved break from all the madness from the last 11 (or 12?) weeks. Not worrying about work and home school makes a massive difference. In a very unusual manner, I decided to not check my work email at all this time. I always had a little sneak peak into what's going on at work, even while being on maternity or holidays, but this time I just needed a complete break. That makes me a bit nervous about returning to hundreds of emails and who knows what issues, but I'll worry about that tomorrow.
The weather has been fabulous and we spent most of the time in the garden. The girls have been really happy and many times actually preferred playing together the two of them. Which allowed me and Dan to have some time for gardening, chatting, reading. I have been quite rubbish with reading over the last months, but last week I read more than usually. One of my reads has been Anne Frank's diary, which for some reason never got to read so far. It's been a strange experience, as she describes their life in ISOLATION, but a completely different kind of isolation, living in fear each day for 2 years. Made me feel so lucky about our kind of isolation. Also made me think about what's in a teenager girl's mind, I remember quite well my feelings towards my parents at that age, and I made a mental note to remember this in a few years when I'll have a teenage daughter who may find me extremely annoying at times.
Another book I've read was Sally Rooney's Normal people - as I heard a lot about the series. It's the sort of story that potentially touches some strings for everyone, and one might easily identify with certain parts of one of the characters. I particularly enjoyed the chemistry and connection part between the two of them, as I always felt it's a huge deal to have people in your life who you can connect that well on all levels and feel comfortable with. People who you can be yourself with, who know how you feel, who are easy to open up to, who you can count.
I also read Lennon by David Foenkinos, which portraits John Lennon's life with all the details I had no idea about. How easy we judge without knowing. How people judged Lennon, how much hatred has been targeted towards Yoko, and how at a much lower level that happens to normal people.
Next read is getting a bit more serious - it's Harari's Homo Deus, but have also started reading Michelle Obama's Becoming (not sure why I am not as into that book as I expected to be). I have never been a read more than one book at a time kind of person, and I've always admired Ariana who is the most avid reader I've ever known and can easily handle several books at once. But lately I've enjoyed having the option to read parts of different books according to my mood.
We have tried to entertain the girls over half term as much as possible or as much as they let us. The fact that we've organised the Lego pieces in small drawers (by colours or by shape for the smaller pieces) lead to the girls being extremely busy building some of the lego sets. And they loved being able to easily find the pieces - well, Ariana did, because Emma was just creatively building very impressive things. The weather being fantastic helped a lot, we had a lot of water play with water guns and balloons and the paddling pool outside. However, the highlight of the week had been camping in the garden. They loved it, but obviously went to sleep very late, then Emma woke up quite often, then the cat started fiddling with the tent and then fell asleep next to it and started snoring. Then the birds starting chirping at 3.30am, so basically there was very little sleep for me, luckily had my Kindle in there and could read. Then I got up and went for an early run. Anyway, nobody said making memories has to be easy.
Apart from not sleeping on camping night, I do feel like I managed to catch up on my sleep a bit. I even had a few cheeky lie ins, which really helped. Taking things easy, not rushing anywhere, having a 'anything goes' attitude, all this still feels new. Our life had been so busy before the lockdown, we were literally running around to fit everything in, to take the girls to their activities, facing traffic. Now the most we do is start Zoom or get to the Rec for Ariana's tennis on time, and it's all so relaxing, so easy, so different.
Don't think Ariana will go back to school until September. I had a conversation with her and she's ok with it. I too came to terms with the idea that we're all most likely staying home up until September. Emma will not be returning to the nurser either, at least night while her grandma's still here. Also most likely cancelling our summer holiday. It is hard to accept these things, but once you're determined to do so and embracing your limitations as human and your lack of control, it gets easier. It's all ok, we are so lucky to be where we are, laughing together, spending time together, connecting, annoying each other at times, but then making fun of it all.
I blinked twice aaaand....
My last day of annual leave! This was a much needed and well deserved break from all the madness from the last 11 (or 12?) weeks. Not worrying about work and home school makes a massive difference. In a very unusual manner, I decided to not check my work email at all this time. I always had a little sneak peak into what's going on at work, even while being on maternity or holidays, but this time I just needed a complete break. That makes me a bit nervous about returning to hundreds of emails and who knows what issues, but I'll worry about that tomorrow.
The weather has been fabulous and we spent most of the time in the garden. The girls have been really happy and many times actually preferred playing together the two of them. Which allowed me and Dan to have some time for gardening, chatting, reading. I have been quite rubbish with reading over the last months, but last week I read more than usually. One of my reads has been Anne Frank's diary, which for some reason never got to read so far. It's been a strange experience, as she describes their life in ISOLATION, but a completely different kind of isolation, living in fear each day for 2 years. Made me feel so lucky about our kind of isolation. Also made me think about what's in a teenager girl's mind, I remember quite well my feelings towards my parents at that age, and I made a mental note to remember this in a few years when I'll have a teenage daughter who may find me extremely annoying at times.
Another book I've read was Sally Rooney's Normal people - as I heard a lot about the series. It's the sort of story that potentially touches some strings for everyone, and one might easily identify with certain parts of one of the characters. I particularly enjoyed the chemistry and connection part between the two of them, as I always felt it's a huge deal to have people in your life who you can connect that well on all levels and feel comfortable with. People who you can be yourself with, who know how you feel, who are easy to open up to, who you can count.
I also read Lennon by David Foenkinos, which portraits John Lennon's life with all the details I had no idea about. How easy we judge without knowing. How people judged Lennon, how much hatred has been targeted towards Yoko, and how at a much lower level that happens to normal people.
Next read is getting a bit more serious - it's Harari's Homo Deus, but have also started reading Michelle Obama's Becoming (not sure why I am not as into that book as I expected to be). I have never been a read more than one book at a time kind of person, and I've always admired Ariana who is the most avid reader I've ever known and can easily handle several books at once. But lately I've enjoyed having the option to read parts of different books according to my mood.
We have tried to entertain the girls over half term as much as possible or as much as they let us. The fact that we've organised the Lego pieces in small drawers (by colours or by shape for the smaller pieces) lead to the girls being extremely busy building some of the lego sets. And they loved being able to easily find the pieces - well, Ariana did, because Emma was just creatively building very impressive things. The weather being fantastic helped a lot, we had a lot of water play with water guns and balloons and the paddling pool outside. However, the highlight of the week had been camping in the garden. They loved it, but obviously went to sleep very late, then Emma woke up quite often, then the cat started fiddling with the tent and then fell asleep next to it and started snoring. Then the birds starting chirping at 3.30am, so basically there was very little sleep for me, luckily had my Kindle in there and could read. Then I got up and went for an early run. Anyway, nobody said making memories has to be easy.
Apart from not sleeping on camping night, I do feel like I managed to catch up on my sleep a bit. I even had a few cheeky lie ins, which really helped. Taking things easy, not rushing anywhere, having a 'anything goes' attitude, all this still feels new. Our life had been so busy before the lockdown, we were literally running around to fit everything in, to take the girls to their activities, facing traffic. Now the most we do is start Zoom or get to the Rec for Ariana's tennis on time, and it's all so relaxing, so easy, so different.
Don't think Ariana will go back to school until September. I had a conversation with her and she's ok with it. I too came to terms with the idea that we're all most likely staying home up until September. Emma will not be returning to the nurser either, at least night while her grandma's still here. Also most likely cancelling our summer holiday. It is hard to accept these things, but once you're determined to do so and embracing your limitations as human and your lack of control, it gets easier. It's all ok, we are so lucky to be where we are, laughing together, spending time together, connecting, annoying each other at times, but then making fun of it all.
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