Lockdown 2.0, Day 99

  I was awake for about 3 hours in the middle of the night last night - not sure why, just awake and tired but not able to get to sleep. So most of today was a bit foggy... I had a good morning, all the kids were up reasonably early and we talked and did things in the garden and around the house, Caitlin did some crochet, Amelie played Among Us and SIMS. I had a phone call from a friend, then a Zoom counselling appointment which was extremely helpful. It was great using my new computer too, the camera is better, and the sound, and the internet connection... Afterwards I did some work on my course and tried to do some proofreading for the 2 magazines I volunteer for - had technical difficulties with both so will try again tomorrow. I played a game on my phone for a while and had a nap.

I went for a walk once I was up, I could see dark clouds coming (it was warm today but cloudy) and wanted to walk before the storm if it came. Half way around the property the rain started - I had worn a rain jacket so only my legs got wet and I don't mind walking in the rain. It was pretty heavy, though there was no storm. I was exhausted when I got home, played on my phone again for a while and then had a bath. Tony played chess with Liam and Amelie, then went to get takeaway pizza and pasta for dinner. I ate my pasta in the bath, it was very cool.

I did a brief amount of tidying up then headed to bed where I'll do a bit of work then probably watch Netflix for a little while before hopefully falling asleep early.

Numbers were in single figures today, things feel a little more hopeful.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 30

I didn't even look at the numbers today - I'm having a week or so off reading the news, feels like a break would be good for my mental and emotional health. The only news I heard today is that the school I did Yrs 11 and 12 at (in Newcastle) has also closed due to a positive case.

I felt a lot better again today, could pretty much operate as normal. I had a few rests after doing stuff in the garden or around the house, and I couldn't walk as fast as I usually do on my walk with Caitlin, but otherwise felt great. I'm just about ready to start doing pull-ups again. Well, not doing them as such, but working towards doing a pull-up. 

Amelie and I played Guess Who this morning, and Caitlin and I had a go of it later as well. Liam bought Skyrim on his computer last night so we had lots of chats about how it was to play on the different platform and how much he was enjoying it. He and Caitlin played Call of Duty and Halo for a while. Amelie spent a lot of time on the trampoline and talking to a friend on the phone. I hung out in my room for a while doing number puzzles, very relaxing, then I wrote a poem and posted it on my Facebook page - the first time I've shared a poem with others since I was in primary school I think - scary and exciting. Tony came home late for a Friday because he chopped wood at work before heading home - he'll pick it up in the trailer after work next Friday, rather than making a special trip on the weekend like he usually does. He brought home takeaway pizza and had picked up the mail - which included my first tea subscription box from T2 - I have been SO looking forward to it. I got French Earl Grey, Apricot Jam Rooibos, a sleepy time tea and a Darjeeling. They all smell so great and I'm drinking (and loving) the apricot one right now. Earlier in the evening I had a zoom call with an old friend - I haven't seen her in years (we live on opposite sides of Melbourne and are both busy with kids and life, and have talked about catching up and just not managed it) - it was SO SO wonderful to talk to her and we're planning to do it again soon. We had a beer together and filled each other in on big family news and just enjoyed hanging out.

Here's my poem:

Lockdown Days

Lockdown.

Each day much

The same

As the one before.

'What day is

It, anyway?'

The same activities

To pass the time.

Check the numbers,

Play a game.

Look at Facebook,

Hang the clothes.

Watch a movie,

Go for a walk.

A long walk.

Take as much time

As we can.

Then suddenly -

It's evening!

Where did the day go?

What about all

The very important
Things

I was going to do?

 

Oh well.

They'll be there

To do tomorrow.

Or the next day.

Or the one after that.

As the days pass

Quickly and slowly

And begin

To blend

Into one.

 

 

Annie-Lou Regan 7/8/2020

Lockdown 2.0, Day 16

A good day today. 300 cases which is trending in the right direction. Caitlin and I got our test results back and we are both negative - thought that would be the case but it’s still a huge relief.

I was up early (before 6) which is my favourite way to start the day. I spent the morning on the computer and doing the dishes, working on the yard, chatting with the kids. Caitlin did some more sewing (she’s making a giraffe). Amelie was feeling out of sorts, she Skyped with a friend then Liam and her friend’s brothers joined in and they all played Werewolf.

I made a picnic lunch for myself (after feeding the kids) and went across the creek to my favourite spot where I sat and drank tea and read my book and ate my food. It was a wonderfully relaxing way to spend an hour. I took lots of photos too. I nearly let the neighbour next to the back of the property - she just waved to me from a distance.

I did some work on my photos then had a beer with Tony while he got the pizza oven going, and we sat outside near the fire, while Amelie jumped on the trampoline in the dark. After dinner Liam, Caitlin and I watched Point Break (I’m on a bit of a Keanu binge) - it was WAY more violent than I remembered- there were bits of it I couldn’t watch. We enjoyed most of it though and I’m glad the kids have seen it. More Gilmore Girls afterwards and Caitlin brushed them straightened my hair - it made for a late night but so relaxing that it was worth it.

Movie, chickens and swimming

I've been waking up earlyish again lately - between 6 and 7 usually - and I've been going outside and watering my plants, then going for my walk. I hadn't been walking much over the past couple of months and it's wonderful to be doing it again. Going that early too I often get to see the sunrise or close to it, and see the early morning clouds reflected in the dam. There are often kangaroos still up on the dam wall at that time, and the ducks are just waking up. It's a great start to the day and I think it's helping my energy levels and my anxiety overall. (I've had a few anxiety attacks this week and the walking definitely helps me keep things in perspective).

Millie woke up not long after I got back from my walk yesterday, and she sat on my lap while I checked email etc and she played on the iPad. Then we moved onto the couch together which was more comfortable. She was looking at something to do with the moon in one of her games and asked what it was called when it was a certain shape, so we looked up moon phases and chatted about how it changes, what it's called, why we can see what we can. The other two kids eventually wandered out, and we all curled up on the couch and watched 'The Princess and the Frog'. I was feeling very sleepy and dozed in the musical sequences, and managed to watch most of the rest of the movie. A very relaxing way to spend the morning.

Caitlin had commented that our little chick was getting 'so big' after she didn't see it for 3 days when she was away on horse camp. I thought she was imagining it - the chick still looked tiny. However when I went to check on the broody hens yesterday and discovered 2 more brand new chicks I could see what she means - the new chicks are TINY and the older one has grown quite a lot. I love how excited we all feel whenever new chicks are born, even though we've had it happen quite a number of times. They are so incredibly cute and tiny and we all love watching them. We really enjoy watching them grow up too, discovering what colouring they are going to have, and whether they are a hen or a rooster - Caitlin and I discovered yesterday that the 4 month old chick which we were sure was a hen is actually not - he was practising his crowing so looks like he was not the bird that laid the tiny egg we found the other day.

Being Friday, Tony was home around 2pm which is always lovely. He played Terraria with the kids for a while, then he and I played Donkey with Millie. Tony had a nap while I played Go Fish with Millie. I had a lie down myself (still feeling sleepy) and the kids played Test Match and did some drawing. Caitlin was very keen to go for a swim and it was quite a hot day so when I got up we rushed around and headed back down to Healesville outdoor pool. (At first I felt like it was too much effort, and felt that we'd planned to have a day at home so we should stick to that. Then I realised there was really no reason for us not to go, part of having a sparkly, joy filled life is to take opportunities when they come up, so it was ok to change our plans and do something that one of us really wanted to do. I'm so glad I chose the joyous option and not the default option.) Tony came with us too. Millie and I played around in the shallow end of the big pool, she practiced swimming out to me from the steps, and was also a dolphin who loved to eat catfish and I was the human supplying her with the catfish. The other 2 kids found some friends - two boys who had been in the Chicken Little play with Caitlin last October - and played with them and bit tyre tube up in the deep end. Tony and I each spent a bit of time with the big kids and a bit with Millie, then Millie put her backpack on and came up the deep end with all of us. We stayed until closing time (6pm) (we'd gone quite late), then bought pizza and went to the Train Park to eat it. It was a lot cooler by this stage and sitting outside felt lovely (apart from the wasp who wanted to share our dinner). After eating the kids and I walked the labyrinth, trying a few different techniques, then played Hide and Seek and then 40-40.

Back at home people played Terraria, I looked up some Terraria information for LiAM, Caitlin played minecraft and looked up dresses on the internet, Tony and I put away the camper trailer, we watched the cricket (quite exciting, Australia won in the last over) and the tennis then wound down and made our way to bed.