It was the night before Christmas…No not really, but it really feels as exciting! One more sleep until the return to school for all three of the happy little people.          The schools have systems, policies and an infinite amount of hand sanitiser. The...

         At the point of writing this last blog, it has been 19 weeks since the beginning of lockdown. Whilst we are allowed more freedom, there are still many restrictions in place and life as we once knew it is no more. The economy has re-opened and we are able to...

         Mondays are the hardest day of the week, that shift from the weekend to the frustration of not being able to do things without three happy little people in tow. Not to mention the guilt from not really having the energy or interest to home school anymore....

         What is the opposite of a manic Monday? I actually miss the morning rush, I didn’t realise how much it motivated me. Needing to be at the school gates by a certain time then having the space and time to do whatever needing doing. But you’re up and dressed,...

         I have written this blog daily since the 18th of March, that’s 85 daily accounts of my personal experience of living through this pandemic with three happy little people. With the weight of life itself, the home schooling, the uncertainty of how things will...

         Last night’s bedtime behaviour was appalling, I’m referring to the happy little people not Husband or Cat. So, all of them are without any iPad or Playstation time today. They’ve woken up and remembered, consequently have the hump but are very lively. The...

         I am downstairs and I can hear Husband talking to Twin One in the bathroom upstairs. He is giving her advice on how to brush her teeth and clean her mouth afterwards. I love hearing these kind of conversations, Husband talks to her with patience and I know...

         Last night I had a zoom call with three of my oldest friends. We are all experiencing this situation very differently. It is interesting how we each have our own challenges and benefits. I haven’t done many zoom calls, despite it being the most popular way to...

         We are now at week twelve of this lockdown, there have been shifts recently, including an announcement of all year groups returning to school by the 15th June. My initial instinct of this is that it is too soon. I feel we need to observe and monitor the...

         I get up to do my online yoga class, the kids moan throughout and completely ruin the last ten minutes which are all about meditation. Very grateful the class teacher mutes those of us taking part, as she didn’t hear me shouting at the girls in frustration. I...

         Have hit a lockdown flat. No specific reason and I don’t think I am alone with this feeling of nothingness, but that’s what it is. I’m bored of the repetitiveness of the days and weekends, it’s hard to always find the extraordinary in the ordinary.         ...

         Feel determined to get the girls back on track with schoolwork of some form. Tell them that they are going to read to me and send them off to find a book. At this point I realise that actually they could really do with a book refresh as a lot of what they...

         I didn’t sleep well last night, consequently I wake later than I normally would and I’m on the sofa. So, no morning space for me and straight in to the demands of the happy little people. I’m groggy and I ache, but it’s self-inflicted from exercise yesterday....

         I went for another run this morning, pushed myself to go a little further and for longer. Felt good to be moving and my mind was thankful too. I came back home and pushed my luck by doing the pre-recorded online Pilates class. I buy four a month for £25, by...

         Child One is on my case to go to our local park and collect a Pokemon. It’s 7:30am, I’m not really fully awake, but weigh it up and agree he can on the basis he comes straight back. We agree a time I’d expect him back by and that he is to ring me if he ends...

         It’s the first of the month and the beginning of week eleven of this new way of living. I’m up purposely before the happy little people but ironically it’s 8:15am before any of them join me. Oh, the irony. Why can’t do this on a weekend??? They are always up...

         Sunday begins with my yoga tribe, it’s such a nice way to start the day. The Twins are on the sofa behind me playing a game called ‘Adopt me’. I don’t really understand it, but it evokes many emotions and squabbling, which I do my best to social distance...

         I didn’t set an alarm today, so had a lie in of sorts. The only downside to this is that, when I do open my eyes, I am immediately met with demands from the happy little people and I feel resentful as I am not fully awake. The happy little people have been up...

         I’m up first again, I come downstairs for a cup of tea and find Cat at the back door. He’s yawning, he’s been out all night partying again. Heads straight to the food bowl, like a tramp on chips. I know what this means, for the rest of the day he’ll be asleep...

         Getting up earlier in the morning is definitely helping, it also helps that it is half term. The happy little people play Minecraft together after breakfast and it’s all relatively peaceful, for a while, or until a device runs out of battery. Unfortunately, I...

         My garden backs onto a lane and there are quite a few trees, including a large oak tree, which is always very busy. There are always squirrels chasing each other and shagging pigeons. Occasionally in the early evening, we hear an owl. The birds are very vocal...

         This week is half term, however Child One is behind a bit on his school work so we’ve (he & I) have agreed that he does one school lesson a day for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. I remind him that under normal school circumstances he...

         It’s a bank holiday but not as we necessarily know it. Weekends such as these would normally involve some form of social activity with friends or family. The weather is not normally as lovely as it is for this bank holiday! I take advantage of Husband not...

         I prefer getting up earlier in the mornings, it seems to suit me better, I am less grumpy… at least in the mornings. Sunday there is a yoga class, which I log onto and do. The girls are happy watching the TV over my head whilst I roll about and do a downward...

         The weather seems to have turned, the temperature has dropped and there is a wind. It’s not a consistent wind, it’s one of those winds that seem to rev up and then blow and catch you out. It’s an annoying wind. The Twins are attempting to play in the garden...

         Getting up earlier and giving myself longer to wake up is working and I am finding I am not as grumpy in the mornings. Quite often I manage to creep downstairs and get one cup of tea in before the happy little people get up. Child One is always awake first,...

         The home schooling is flailing, but in fairness it is the last week before half term and in my experience of working within a school setting, it’s normal that children and staff tend to be non-productive in this week. Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking...

         The heating engineer and the sun appears this morning. It’s a really warm day already so the happy little people and myself are in shorts with sun cream on ready to head out. I haven’t worn shorts as an adult; I cautiously purchased a pair last summer with...

         I purposely went to bed early last night in an attempt to tackle the all consuming fatigue I feel. By 9pm I was in bed reading and 9:30 light out. Awake from 2am, proper awake, no being able to go back to sleep awake. Annoyingly awake. So I went downstairs,...

         This lockdown has exceeded the six week summer holidays, I can’t believe we are on week nine and I’m still functioning, of sorts. When I think of it in relation to the school summer break it reminds  me why I feel so drained. I have discovered that the...

         I set an alarm for this morning so I can partake in an online yoga class. After many years of searching I have finally found a lovely yoga teacher who suits me. Back in 2004 I lived elsewhere, had come out of a long-term unhealthy relationship but was doing...

         I need to go over to both my Mum and my sister today, I have things to collect and drop. They are both shielding for health reasons. I stay in my Mum’s garden and she talks to me through the open back door. We chat about gardening, which is nice and she...

         I’ve made it to another Friday! It’s felt like a long week, but I feel happier today than I have earlier in the week. I think part of my happiness is due to the fact Husband only works till around 1pm on a Friday and tends to help with the happy little people...

         During this lockdown I have had it confirmed to me that I am really not a morning person. There is still an issue with our heating and for some reason it doesn’t work in the evening or through the night. The weather temperature has dropped so I am going to...

         Still feeling sad and tearful and I still don’t really know why. Thankful that Child One is so easy going and gets on with his school work with minimal fuss. The Twins are becoming harder to engage and I am becoming so depleted I try less to engage them. At...

         I am miserable today and I can’t even specify why. In attempt to not be miserable I shower, dress and apply make up. Clearly this was just an invitation to cry, which I do, not really sure why but I’ve cried away the make up which I’ve applied for the first...

         Today has a strange feel, the media very much hyped the possibility of a change in the lockdown terms and I think people were anticipating more freedom or at least a clear instruction of a forward plan. At the beginning of lockdown on the 23rd of March it was...

         It’s starting to get to me, not having the time and space to re-set my home. In pre-pandemic times I would blitz the house, not necessarily weekly but periodically. When it gets to the point it’s starting to make me twitch, like now. When your feet come away...

         Today is Saturday and following last Saturday’s success of only doing what I want to do, I start the day with the same thought. I am keen to progress in the front garden, so I make a cup of tea and eat a pain au chocolate while I think about a plan. I eat the...

         Weirdly today is a bank holiday, which means Husband is not working and I am not woken by an alarm or with the sense of impending doom at the prospect of trying to home school the happy little people. I wake naturally, quite early and find downstairs empty so...

         Last night Husband and I watched Save Me Too, we ended up binge watching the whole series which meant I stayed up way too late. I get really excited by good TV, especially scripts and individual performances, it’s my geek side. There are two series of this...

         The online food shop cut off is today so I am brain frazzled trying to ensure I have everything I need on order. However although the cut off is today, the delivery is not until Friday and I will need to fill a gap on food between now and then, which means a...

         Even Just Dance is being moaned about for PE, so like yesterday we head out for a long scoot as the equivalent. The happy little people enjoy this. We are lucky where we live, a long time ago and when I was a child, our town put in a lot of cycle paths which...

         Ahhh Monday welcomes me back to my no financial payment job, though I have to admit I feel slightly less resentful having had a selfish self-care weekend. I try to enforce the start of school, though I have recognised I am the worst person for sabotaging the...

         Following on from yesterday’s success, I have re-named today Self-Centred Sunday. On my agenda is a small amount of ironing, because it means I have clothes for next week. It’s not very much to be fair and I’m finding in spite of a wardrobe full of clothes I...

         Today I wake up and have a revelation. What if I don’t spend the day fretting about how dirty the house is, the sheer volume of washing and all the things I think that need doing? What if instead I just do things that I want to do? I notice that all other...

         Last night I made a point of making sure I was in bed earlier as I am finding I am going to bed much later just to savour a small window of time on my own. The days feel really long and I miss myself, so have been trying out Husbands coping strategy of...

         I opened my eyes at 8:45 to a cup of tea being placed by my bedside. This is such a rare event, a bit like unicorn poo, and I have one of those Hugh Grant, Four Wedding moments when he realises the alarm hasn’t gone off. School starts in fifteen minutes and...

         I think I’ve hit a bit of a lockdown burn out. I am so fed up of feeling so tired. I am finding I am staying up later than I normally would just to get a bit of time on my own without someone not needing me for something. But then I struggle to get up and get...

         Day two of new routine and Just Dance goes on. The only issue is that it’s a two-player game and of course there are three happy little people. Twin One isn’t the most flexible of characters and doesn’t like to lose or not choose the song to dance to, so you...

         This is week six, if it were the school summer break the end would be in sight, but currently there isn’t an end in sight for lockdown yet. I don’t know, but I think we could only be half-way through. I am hoping I am wrong, but I don’t see an easy way out of...

         I am monitoring Cat like a hawk. Last night there was masses of dramatic cat wailing out the front of the house. When Husband and I investigated we caught sight of Cat rolling around the pavement with another feline and this was not an act of love. There was...

         The weekends are noticeably slower. The happy little people have got the hang of looking after themselves on a Saturday and Sunday morning, so Husband and I are left to sleep, or at least doze after the initial moment of being woken to some dispute or...

         Another disturbed night, not my own doing this time, but that of Twin Two who decided to come and poke me at 4am for a cuddle. It’s hard not to feel resentful at being disturbed through the night when I give the happy little people the majority of my...

         Growing up we always had cats. I am not sure exactly when it started but some time during childhood my Dad started writing to me from one of the cats. If I went on a school trip (and in my time, there were no mobile phones) parents were able to post a letter...

         The weather is lovely at the moment, and it does make this whole situation more bearable. I take the happy little people out this morning. I give them each an empty egg box and tell them they need to collect the colours of the rainbow. We head into the woods...

         Following the disaster of yesterday I am keen to not re-create the same. However I’ve not really slept as our heating refused to work again and I cannot sleep very well cold. I ended up reading my book most of the night, I enjoyed the book but am now feeling...

         Yesterday I received an email from Child One’s school, reminding us of the fact that Monday is the start of the School Summer Term and that work will be assigned online and expected to be completed. Child One has login’s for school, and I haven’t taken much...

         Online shopping is causing me mass stress. I now have three dates booked in, but this just adds to the pressure of putting stuff in the basket to hold the slot and remembering to edit and tweak stuff in the basket, otherwise I will only end up with a bottle...

         I woke up without being poked, no one needing to be sick, and Cat not attacking my leg in order to be fed. A glorious 9:30am and no early hours disturbance or visits to Cat. What a difference sleep makes! Sadly the serenity of this did not last for too long,...

         The happy little people are living their best lives. They have free reign on the technology and TV. And an abundance of Easter Chocolate to consume, they are not even bothering to get dressed. It is Easter holidays but they are supposedly coming to an end and...

         I miss actual human to human contact. I know I have this from the Happy Little People (sometimes too much!), which is lovely, and I recognise that many people would love the distraction that a child brings. In fairness I think I would love the distraction...

         I am asleep but sense the presence of another in the room, and it’s not the Husband snoring, it’s an additional presence. I wear industrial, professional, amazing ear plugs that block out the Husband’s snoring but still enable me to hear my morning alarm or...

         Last night I went to have a shower and found that there was no hot water. I also discovered that the radiators were cold and there was a flashing light of doom on the boiler. I summoned Husband to investigate who reluctantly pulled himself away from...

         Another disturbed night sleep wise, no obvious reason why, but nevertheless I’m on the sofa with my kindle and a very humpy Cat. If cats could eye roll, I think this one is doing it at me every time I appear in the early hours. I am woken by two of the happy...

         The Easter bunny does deliver, thankfully. I love that our happy little people believe he is real, along with father Christmas, the pesky Elf, Eric and the tooth fairies, Trevor, Tess and Tarquin. Thankfully they’ve not noticed that the handwritten notes all...

         Yin and Yang is all about opposing energies, the good with the bad and providing a balance. Think I found the Yin and Yang of isolation parenting today.          Weekend vibes and Husband on hand to parent alongside so, as everyone appears to be in a...

         Good Friday is off to a good start in our house. I’m not woken by an alarm, or children, instead I am left for the first time in a while to wake naturally. What a difference that makes, not just the fact I haven’t had an early hours party with Cat but it...

         Yesterday’s activities, whilst partly successful, felt quite stressful. From the chaos that took place I learnt; The happy little people have no patience. I have no patience when the happy little people have no patience. The happy little people don’t enjoy...

           I have nights where I just don’t sleep great and wake in the early hours. Sometimes I can get back to sleep, other times I have to get up and have a cup of tea and read for a bit. This has been going on for a number of years, I can’t find a specific cause,...

         More animal scripts follow, what have I started? They all take turns using the computer to type it out; we now have about five scripts waiting for production. It seems they like to write the script, laughing out loud at their own jokes, but don’t really have...

         I am really struggling with the lack of time to re-fuel myself. Some nights, even though we put the happy little people to bed, they can take a long time to settle. Like last night, they were all still awake at 9:45pm. With an absence of school, they are just...

         After dropping food shopping to my mum, I stopped two doors down at a friend’s who had very kindly set up some gardening stuff for me and left it on the drive. A whole load of prepped pots for seeds, tools, spare compost and a bug hotel. This will provide a...

       Joe Wicks has a lot to answer for. I made so much effort on the pesky Spiderman lunges I can’t get up and down the stairs without pain. Child One is also complaining, but he does have skinny little legs so could do with building up a bit of muscle! No...

         I feel on edge and jittery and I can’t really tell you specifically why. It’s like a nervous energy, I think it’s probably the exercise as ironically I am doing more since lockdown that I have done in years! We do Joe Wicks again because it’s Friday, but we...

         We have a clock, which has the day, date number and month, which you have to press a button to change. The Twins have the job of pressing the buttons, some mornings this runs smoothly, other days it sparks an almighty explosion of ‘yeah but’s’ and wailings....

       The caterpillars are about double their size already! Must remember to check the instructions as to how long they stay in this pot. There are five and they are rapidly growing and moving about, it’s fascinating. And they are currently quarantined to a pot, not...

         Last night I needed to go to the supermarket to get some shopping for my mum. She is classed as vulnerable and is self isolating solo. I don’t like going to the supermarket in these times, but there is no possibility of a delivery slot because they are...

         Start as you mean to go on, right? We all did Joe Wicks this morning, as in his PE lesson. I had then set up some schoolwork for the children. Child One logged onto his school website and was able to do some of the work set by staff. The twins have worksheets...

       It is strange for me to be at home on a Sunday because for the past two years I have worked in a charity shop. I love my Sunday job; I have lovely volunteers and a fab local community who regularly pop in. There is nowhere nicer to be on a Sunday and Husband...

         Oh, post, how I love thee! Thank goodness we can still get post. I did an SOS for some garden seeds which arrived from a friend, a little birthday money online shop from Hush, and 4 x caterpillars! This little lot cheered me right up. Last week felt like a...

         I am currently hiding in my bedroom pretending that I have a job and that I am very important and must be left alone to work. Husband finished work at one pm today, so I have left him with the children to claim some sanity! Postman arrived first thing with a...

         It’s not really going well in our house, there is no harmony amongst the children, Husband and I are both pretty stressed but not on the same page and there really is no routine. Husband’s focus is income and therefore is working long hours, my focus is how...

         It’s not even been a week and I am exhausted and have no idea what day it is. Husband is still working long hours from Child One’s bedroom and I am feeling the weight of fulltime parenting. He currently doesn’t really take a lunch break or get dressed, but in...

         I came downstairs this morning and found the girls already up, Twin One still has her gloves on but she’s helped herself to a black Sharpee pen and put black marks on them, so they are the same as Goofy’s.          At 9am we are in front of the TV, like most...

         I woke at 3:26am with a panic attack and sense of impending doom. I don’t think this related to the fact it’s my 44th birthday but more to what is evolving in the world. I got up and went downstairs, the cat was sleeping on the sofa and opened one eye when I...

         Mother’s Day, I was given breakfast in bed which has never happened in ten years of Mother’s Day. Children were really pleased to have been involved, and handed me paper cards. It’s all a bit surreal to be honest, knowing that I will only see my own Mother...

         Saturday’s are always a little more flexible in our house and tend to be a bit of a home day anyway. So the no structure, getting dressed or remembering to put make up on is reassuringly normal. We are pretty much on semi lockdown here, partly for my own...

         My resilience bucket is pretty empty at the moment. Over the past seven days I have had various things to deal with that have caused me great anxiety and the Coronavirus has re-triggered my lifelong relationship with my health anxiety. I know that everyone is...

Schools are due to close on Friday 20th March but having experienced an almighty anxiety attack yesterday in the school I work in and feeling like everything is spinning out of control at a rate of knots, I decided to keep my three happy little people off from today I...