Lockdown 2.0, Days 103 & 104

 The last 2 days have been very busy which I didn't really expect - I'm feeling happy and very tired.

Even though we are allowed to travel a little further now and see more people, I wasn't keen on rushing out on the first day, I figured it would be crazy out there with everyone going new places. But then I though about Mum and Dad having been alone so long, and it felt important to see them as soon as possible. I spent the morning doing housework and photo work and proofreading, and had a Telehealth gynaecology appointment as follow up to my hospital trip a few months ago. We decided the best course of action from here was to book me in for a hysteroscopy and a D&C. I rang Mum and arranged to meet at Lillydale Lake - they were very excited at the plan. I went by myself, and we sat in chairs away from everyone else (there were so many cars in the carpark, it made me feel a little anxious - most people were jogging, or walking their dogs, and the grassy areas there are so big that we were able to sit quite a way from any other people. There were no large groups there, people mainly in 2s and 3s). We had some lunch and a snack and a great chat. We were swooped by a bird a few times - we each got hit in the head at least once (Mum about 3 times) so we moved our chairs away from the tree we were near. It didn't hurt us, it was just a bit of a shock each time. It was great to see my parents and a relief to see that Dad is getting around ok, even though he's obviously a bit slower and less robust than he was previously.

I headed home via the post office, and hung out with the kids a bit when a friend rang to say his son really wanted to see Millie and could we meet them at the Yarra Glen park. Amelie was very keen, and I wanted to see his wife who is my very good friend and who also has been unwell this year. So the girls and I went to the park, it wasn't crowded at all which I was relieved about (it was after 5). Great to see my friend in person after so many months and have a chat with her. The kids had a great play, Caitlin talked to us for a while and took one of the kids up to the skate park, and went and got our fish and chips for dinner. It was sunny by this stage (had been grey when I was with Mum and Dad) and not too cold, until the sun went behind the mountain then we headed home.

Back home we ate then went for a quick walk around the dam, I had a bath because I was pretty tired (and cold, there was a pretty icy wind when we were walking)

Today I didn't feel motivated to be very active so spent several hours working on photo stuff, which was quite productive. I had a Zoom meeting with my homeschool group in the afternoon, great as always to talk to my friends, the girls popped in and out to say hello as well. I had a call from Eastern Health - Healesville Hospital is opening it's lists next week for the first time since mid-March, so I was able to be booked in for my procedure next Tuesday morning - really soon and unexpected, but I am happy that it will be done quickly, and I'm very pleased that I don't have to go to Box Hill hospital.

I went to Healesville to do the shopping - the bulk food shop, the greengrocers, Coles, the library, and Aldi, then drove over to Yarra Junction to pick up my milk - now that we can travel 25km I can go and get it myself rather than the farmer bringing it over to Healesville. I enjoyed the drive and it was great to listen to my audio book. I got home and was exhausted - ate the soup I'd put on to cook this morning then had a quiet evening in bed reading and playing games. The girls came in to chat and look at the Peregrine Falcon for a while.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 102

 A big day today.

I slept in until after 8 - very unusual and a good way to pass a couple of hours before waiting for the press conference. Around 10 it was announced that the presser would be at 11, so we had breakfast (Tony cooked pancakes), Caitlin went for a run, and we were ready to watch at 11. I'm quite happy with the changes to restrictions, they are going to make life a bit easier and a bit more varied for us, and there's more changes coming in a week or two. From tomorrow we can travel up to 25km from home, and meet in groups of up to 10 people from 2 households. There's no time limit on how long we can exercise or socialise for. In a week or 2 we'll be able to see 10 people from any number of households, and have 1 family per day in our house. Retail and restaurants will open then too. It feels great to know that we are possibly on our way out of this - as long as numbers stay low (only 2 today). The press conference was stressful at times but I'm always impressed with the Premier and CHO and how well they handle the questions. I was also pleased to hear that Jacinda Adern has won the NZ election in a landslide - she's doing such a good job.

After the press conference I wasn't really sure what to do with myself. I'd been waiting for today for weeks and then felt a big anti-climax - none of the restrictions change today and I had no other real plans for today and not much motivation to do anything. We watched the falcons for a while and chatted. Caitlin and I did some yoga then jumped on the trampoline with Amelie and did some cartwheels. Tony fixed the fan belt in his car then went for a drive to make sure it was ok, the girls went with him and they went to the IGA and to Tony's work. I did the dishes and some work outside, then went for a walk with Luna. She had the lead on but I wasn't holding it, and she took off after some kangaroos - normally with the lead attached she doesn't run off. I finished my walk and didn't see her anywhere, and she wasn't home when I got back.

I suggested Caitlin have a driving lesson and we go and look for her - she normally comes running when she hears the car. WE drove around the property and still didn't see her, and up and down Houghton's Lane. I was really worried that she'd tried to cross the creek or gone into some blackberry bushes and got the lead caught on something (or, like she did last week, tried to go under a fence and got the clip of the lead attached to the wire). Tony was looking by this stage as well, and I suggested he get the Kabota so we could reach some of the off path areas - it was too wet for the car to go near the creek. Liam and Tony came down to look and went over the creek, Caitlin and I thought we heard her barking near the creek crossing, and she rang our neighbours and they went out to have a look as well - still no sign of her. I crossed the creek on foot and Caitlin and I hugged the banks on either side, Tony and Liam went up along the back of the property. I was getting really frantic, thinking she was stuck somewhere and it was getting dark, and I didn't know if we'd find her or if she'd be ok if we did - she's never been away from home that long any other time she's run after kangaroos, so I thought she had to be hurt or stuck. Just as I was getting really worked up, Amelie rang Caitlin to say that Luna had just appeared back at the house. Such a relief.

Back at home we call kind of collapsed into doing comfortable things - the girls watched Brooklyn 9-9, Liam played on the computer, Tony watched the Brownlow Medal and I listened to my audio book. The adrenalin in all of us is fading slowly and I think we'll all sleep well tonight.

Looking forward to seeing my parents this week, and some friends who I haven't been able to see in months - there's a few in my 25km radius, and others who's radius overlaps ours. The kids are figuring out who they can see and when - I think we'll take it pretty slowly, but we're definitely going to start to socialise a bit more over the course of the week.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 100 & 101

 Day 100 of lockdown!!! That feels pretty momentous. We talked about having a day 100 party but no one had any motivation to do anything about it. I celebrated by listening to a gorgeous song written about lockdown and shared on a friend's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thebengsons/videos/724609064791616.

I spent a good chunk of the day proofreading. I was thinking I should get the dishes done before I got started on the proofing, then realised I often put off the things I really want to do by saying 'I'll just do this first' and then run out of energy or get called to something else and miss out on what was important to me. So I proofed first and had a very enjoyable morning in my room reading. I had some lunch and did yoga outside with Caitlin and Amelie. We turned on our mats at one point and one of the chickens had nestled into the ground just behind us - cool to have a chicken join us for yoga. I did some more proofing in the afternoon but was a bit distracted and didn't enjoy it so much. I decided to go in to Healesville to get some more bread from the bakery (my favourite place to get bread) and maybe buy myself a hot drink and go on my Artist's Date for the week. I was delayed a bit by a few things and left much later than I'd planned. One of my delays was my phone slipping out of my hand as I tried to put it in my bag - it fell face down on our cork floor and the glass smashed - not the tempered glass screen protector, it's still fine, but the glass of the phone itself is cracked all over. I was pretty sad and just couldn't seem to pick up from there. The bakery was closed when I got there, so I went to Aldi, bought some cool things from the middle aisles and got some Aldi bread, and a peppermint chocolate milk drink and some chocolate croissants for myself. I drove to one of my walking spots within our 5km and took my food and drink and book and sat for a while. I got distracted easily (and there were lots of mozzies) and the croissants weren't really what I wanted... It was nice to be out by myself though and I stayed for about an hour, listening to my audio book and playing games on my phone for some of the time.

Back home I did the dishes and took Luna for a late walk around the dam. Liam cooked banana bread. Tony had had a huge day at work and had a long evening nap. It became an every man for himself dinner because I was exhausted - I had slept badly again. I watched some Umbrella Academy (I'm loving it more and more with every episode and love the quality of my computer screen) and chatted to the girls for a while before eventually going to sleep.

This morning I woke at 5am so had several hours to myself in the morning. When Amelie woke up she brushed and braided my hair (the first time she's braided). I chatted to the kids and Tony as they emerged, tidied up inside and outside. We spent a lot of time looking at a list of the 10 largest birds of prey, and researching the range of animals that they eat. Our favourite is the Eurasian Eagle Owl. We interspersed that with watching the Peregrine Falcon livestream. In the early afternoon we all played Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition). It was hilarious and very relaxing, and fun to have all 5 of us playing. Tony, Caitlin and Liam went for a run. I did some more tidying then sat and chatted with Caitlin while she crocheted, and we played Kiss, Marry, Kill. The others joined in for a while with that as well. I went for a long, slow walk and listened to my audio book, then did some work on the computer, and played the piano for the first time in ages.

I'm getting ready to head to bed for an early night, and eagerly looking forward to tomorrow - there will be announcements about what is happening with the restrictions. I'm swinging between thinking nothing much will change, and that heaps will be allowed. We had 2 cases yesterday and only 1 today - so things are certainly looking positive for some kind of easing. I'm less antsy about it than I though I would be, but I am very keen to hear what the plan will be going forward from tomorrow.

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 98

 Another good day today. I got a heap of tidying and sorting done, spent lots of time with the kids and Tony and some on my own, and a friend called in to pick up his fruit and veg and we had a great chat. His son also came and he and Liam went for a walk to explore the island. I spoke to Mum (Dad wasn't having a good day, so it was good to spend some time letting her debrief) and another friend. The Tupperware I ordered a few weeks ago arrived, so I'm getting ready to resort my vegetables into my new veggie storers. Caitlin and I popped in to Yarra Glen to get the mail and send some more parcels (Caitlin received 3 things today, a birthday present and some stuff she'd ordered) and got a few things at the IGA.

It was warm today, the warmest day for a while, and very sunny. Sitting outside to chat was really pleasant, although the boys got a bit hot on their walk. Caitlin and I walked late in the day, around 7pm, and it was really lovely - easy to walk in a t-shirt and shorts. Caitlin cooked a vegetarian butter chicken for dinner - it was delicious!!! 

I'm feeling really good although starting to get a bit nervous about what changes might be announced on Sunday and what the consequences of those changes might be. I imagine I'll get more and more antsy as the week draws on - although I'll try to stay positive and not let it impact me too much.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 96 and 97

 I feel the last couple of days have been quite productive, which is not really that usual at the moment. I am exhausted though, I think tomorrow will be a rest day. 

Getting some work done in my room on Sunday seems to have freed me up to do other things around the house, it had really been hanging over me. I did bits and pieces of tidying and cleaning and helping the kids with things in the morning, and knocked over a few more jobs that I'd been wanting to get done. Caitlin and I did yoga and I talked to a couple of friends on the phone (separately). Caitlin baked some banana bread - 1 loaf for us (which didn't last long, it was delicious!) and 1 loaf for our neighbour across the road (we met him a few weeks ago when he came to see if we had any idea where the dogs who were killing his sheep were coming from). I took Luna for a long walk so that she didn't want to go with the girls, who walked over to deliver the banana bread. He was thrilled with the gift and the thought, and the girls were thrilled when he let them go in to the a pen and help feed a week old lamb! He's promised Caitlin some wool when he shears in the summer, and said that we are welcome to walk on his land which backs on to our place - running along the creek. I'm pretty excited about that as it's always looked so enticing! I took the car to meet the girls on their way back and Caitlin had another driving lesson.

We spent a lot of time watching the Peregrine Falcon webcam, the kids played lots of video games and talked to some friends. I had a great phone call with one of my oldest friends (in NSW, whose birthday was last week - always so good to catch up). I went to bed early to do some work and the girls came in to chat after a while, a nice debrief for the end of the day.

Today involved more Falcon watching, some online shopping (new chargers and adapters for my new laptop), and a bit of tidying up and outdoor work. We all headed to Healesville in the afternoon, the kids met with their friend and went for a walk, bought some chais, did a bit of shopping. I had an enjoyable afternoon of shopping, I went to the bakery, the bulk food shop (so happy that we have that in Healesville now!), the greengrocer, Aldi, the library (just to pick up my books from the click and collect table), Coles and the chemist, then picked up my milk. I ran into the kids a few times as we were wandering around which was pretty cool. I also ran into one of the other mums from Guides and we had a quick catch up - very exciting to see anyone I know!

Back home Liam went back online to play games and chat to his friends, Amelie played some SIMS, and Caitlin and I went for our walk. We went down the back and crossed the fence to explore along the creek of our neighbour's land. It was so beautiful, lots of access to the creek, a range of foliage, lots of cool trees to look at (also lots of blackberry bushes to navigate around, Caitlin got scratched a few times). I'm looking forward to exploring there a lot more. I was so exhausted by the time we got home though. I cooked some soup (nice and easy) and watched The Block with Tony, and I'm heading to bed as soon as I can.

It's now mathematically impossible for us to hit our targets for Step 3 before Sunday. It's likely however that some restrictions will be eased - I think this week is going to feel more and more stressful as we wait to find out what will change next week. I just want to be able to see people more easily, and I think that's the direction the changes will take. I hope.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 95

 A quiet day at home for me today - although most days are exactly that, so it's no surprise. Tony and the kids went to work to chop wood, the girls and Luna went for a walk and Liam helped with with wood (and Caitlin was stung by a bee). I spent the time trying to reorganise things in my bedroom - I wanted to clear the built in bedhead behind our bed so I could get into the storage inside it, move the stuff that was in there and fill it with paperwork and memorabilia - stuff that I want to keep but don't need to have regular access to. I made myself a cup of tea, moved the boxes that were on top of the storage area onto my bed, attempted to move some more things so that I had access to behind the bed, and knocked the cup of tea over - it seemed to fall in slow motion, and poured itself over all my library books, into drawers, onto some of my photos - I just wanted to cry and/or give up - but I needed to mop up all the dampness (there was so much of it, it took ages) and once that was done I didn't want to leave all the things all over my bed, so I kept going and managed to get things put away or at least put out of the way, and was pretty happy with what I got done. In the process I also stepped on some glass so it was a less relaxing afternoon than I'd hoped for, but it turned out ok. When the others came home Caitlin and I went through all of my tops, she took some for herself, I moved some on to the giveaway pile, and I reorganised the rest of them into boxes that will act like drawers in my cupboard - it was a very satisfying result.

I went for a walk by myself, down around the back of the property near the island we explored yesterday - I even crossed the little creek just beyond the dam, I felt much more confident today than I did yesterday. I found a balloon on a string caught up in a tree - I really wonder how it got there. I brought it home and put it in the bin, along with some burst balloons that I found on the ground - I don't want them out there for birds to try to eat.

Tony cooked mashed potato and rissoles for tea, very tasty, we ate while watching The Block then I went to my room to do a bit more work on my course. I also spent a fair bit of time playing with my photos throughout the day.

 I've skipped doing yoga the past 2 days, I feel like I'm stiffening up a bit already, I will make it a priority to do some tomorrow.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 87 - 94

 I missed a couple of days writing the blog due to busy evenings, and the longer it went on the harder it was to come back and catch up. I'll give it a go now. I've been feeling good this week, so perhaps feeling positive has meant that I don't feel the need to document quite so much - although the good days are much more interesting to write about than the low days.

Saturday last week was a very relaxing day. Earlier in the week I'd let everyone know I wanted most of the day to myself, I had a book that I wanted to read in one day, because I knew I'd get so involved in it and not want to put it down. I spent most of the day on the couch in the carport, reading my book and it was fabulous (the book was Ironheart, the 2nd book in the Valentine series, a teen paranormal mystery/romance). Our Narbethong friends called in in the afternoon to pick up some food that had been delivered to our place (because they don't deliver over the Spur) - it was so wonderful to see them and have a chat for a while. After they left I went back to my book and finished mid-afternoon, I felt relaxed and happy and grateful that I'd had the opportunity to nurture myself like that.

Sunday I pottered around the house and did some serious research on MacBooks. I talked to a friend and he helped me sort out exactly what I wanted, and on Sunday night I ordered one, finally, after months of research and thinking.

Monday we went to Healesville to do the shopping, Caitlin and Liam met up with their friend and went for a walk, Amelie and I went to Coles, the bulk food shop and Aldi. It was pretty cold and wet but the kids still found interesting places to walk. In the afternoon my friend picked up my new MacBook from JB Hifi and delivered it to my place - SO exciting!!!!! I spent the rest of the day setting it up and playing with it, it's so great and I am so so so happy with it. And so happy that I finally made the decision just to buy it. Having a working keyboard and a laptop that doesn't freeze up every 10 minutes has made everything I've done on it this week so much more efficient and enjoyable.

Tuesday I played on my computer a bunch more, had my Yarra Glen Zoom meeting in the afternoon, popped down to Healesville to get my milk and chatted to my friend when he came to pick up some more food that had been delivered here.In the evening I watched Shaun of the Dead on my new computer - a great screen for watching TV on. And I loved the movie too.

Wednesday I woke up in the best mood I've been in for a good while. I felt excited about the possibilities that the day could bring - vastly different from feeling like the day was just one more day to get through. Caitlin and I went to Yarra Glen to the Post Office and picked up 7 packages! We called in to the Chocolate Factory on the way home to get some beetroot relish (she had it on her Smashed Avo on her birthday and loved it) and drove home the long way. I had a couple of beers and a FaceTime call with a friend in the evening. 

I'd had an iced coffee from the IGA on Wednesday, and I could not get to sleep on Wednesday night. I eventually slept for 2 hours, woke up for a while, slept for another 2 hours then was awake for the day before 6am. I'd wanted to spend a whole day this week working on my photos, so I figured Thursday was a good time to do that seeing as I felt exhausted and lethargic. It was a lot of fun, sitting on the couch and doing a heap of photo organising and posting. 

Friday I planned to do a heap of tidying but it didn't really happen. I'd had another terrible night's sleep - late to fall asleep and awake before 5 this time! I spent a lot of time talking to Caitlin while she crocheted, and doing bits and pieces around the house in between more work on the computer. We went for a walk in the afternoon and I was feeling a bit flat but then we played fun music on my phone, using the lyrics of each song to inspire our choice of the next song, and that really picked me up. Our yoga practice was the last day in a 30 day session, and it was kind of a freestyle session - there was no verbal direction, we could copy what she was doing or do what poses felt right for us. It was a little challenging mentally but a lot of fun and it was cool to see how much we'd learnt in the 30 days. In the evening I watched a couple of episodes of The Long Way Round - Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's motorcycle trip around the world. 

Today I did get a lot more tidying done, as well as more photo work. I did half of the mending - a whole tub's worth of clothes either mended or put in the rag pile (some were just not worth mending). Some of that has been sitting there for many many years, it was so exciting to get it done! Caitlin and I walked to the back of the property and over a creek to a little peninsula of land bordered by Paul's Creek, the tributary that runs across the back fence of our place, and the fence which borders the farm behind us. It is so beautiful over there, and it feels so deserted and far from civilisation. We had to jump across the creek to get there - I thought I'd end up in the water but I made it (with a bit of help from Caitlin). On the way back we crossed another creek, and then went for a swim in the dam - it was cold, but so beautiful to be in the water looking at the clouds and the mountains. This evening Tony is watching the Collingwood v Geelong semi-final and it's not going well for Collingwood.

All week we've been watching the swallows who have a nest above our back door. They have 3 chicks in there and it's been fascinating to watch the parents come and go feeding the chicks - 3 huge beaks appear from the nest and gobble down the food. Yesterday they emerged from the nest and learned to fly - that was even more amazing to watch. They are tiny, and still fluffy underneath, and still have massive yellow, wide beaks. Otherwise they look like their parents. They sit on the ledge above the window and flatten themselves down so they just look like a couple of feathers. Then they jump off and fly away. They aren't great at landing but they got better at it as the day went on.

We've also been watching a live webcam of the peregrine falcons on top of a building in Melbourne https://www.367collinsfalcons.com.au. That has provided hours of entertainment for us this week.

We've gone for walks every day and Caitlin and I have done yoga every day. Amelie jumps on the trampoline and talks to her friends on the phone or Skype, plays the SIMS and Among Us and makes YouTube videos. Liam has been playing a lot of Terraria and talking to his friends on Discord. 

The numbers are low but maybe not low enough. Sitting around the 10 mark and we need them to be below 5. Another week until the next restriction announcement but it's unlikely we'll be fully able to go to Step 3. Maybe some new things will be allowed though.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 86, aka Caitlin's 16th birthday

 Although her 16th birthday wasn't what any of us had imagined when we thought of how she would celebrate turning 16, it was a really lovely day and she enjoyed it.

She woke up around 9 and we hung out with Amelie in the lounge room (Tony was at work) and Liam joined us not long afterwards. I rang the Chocolate Factory and ordered our brunch - there was a tense moment when the lady on the phone said she didn't know if there was a chef there today so they might not be able to do the smashed avo - that was the main thing Caitlin wanted to eat on her birthday so it was a big relief when they said it was all good and they could make it. Liam and I went to Yarra Glen to see if any more parcels had arrived at the post office (they hadn't), then went and picked up the brunch. Caitlin had smashed avocado and poached eggs, I had a ham and cheese croissant, Liam some carrot cake, and Amelie a strawberry tart (with fresh strawberries that we saw them put on just before they gave it to us). The food was all delicious and it was fun hanging out together in the kitchen and eating it.

Caitlin and I played Monopoly Deal for a while, then the others joined us for a round. We checked out the garden and enjoyed the sunshine, Caitlin had several phone calls from friends and family. Tony came home around 2 so we did presents - she got money from Liam to buy earrings with, face masks (the type you put on your skin and peel off) from Amelie, Checkerboard Vans from my sister and mum, and a big stash of yarn from Tony and I. She also received money from some family friends. After presents we had cake - the raspberry chocolate fudge cake she'd made - it was delicious! It was a bit soft and crumbly so rather than cutting slices of it we all got a spoon and ate it from the tin it was in.

Afterwards, Caitlin started to feel restless and wished there was somewhere she could go on her birthday. We had a look at our 5km radius and realised that the Yarra Glen Showground was within our radius, so Liam and Caitlin and I went in there and walked Luna along the river and around the Showground. It was exciting to find a new walking place within our range and to explore somewhere we hadn't been before - I'd walked bits of that path but not all of it and it was quite beautiful (although lots of mozzies. And a big black dog ran straight at me, barking, and scared the crap out of me - he was wanting to play with Luna but I had a moment of real fright). On the way home we drove around the long way and up Long Gully Rd for a bit - it was a gorgeous afternoon, sunny and clear and still, and the views were amazing. It was cool to look at Pauls Range from a few different angles and remember our walk to Toolangi.

Back home and we'd had a deliver of Daniels Donuts which I'd organised the day before. We got 2 packs of 6 and it was a surprise to everyone else, they were all very happy. Caitlin got first pick and we all found something we enjoyed. Tony took the older 2 kids for a ride around the property in the Kabota. I ordered Indian for dinner from Healesville (a family pack plus a paneer masala for Caitlin (and a garlic naan). Tony and Caitlin went and picked it up and it was good food as always. 

After dinner Caitlin had a Zoom call with her friends booked in for 8pm. They had organised to play a drawing game, I sat with her and watched for a while, it looked like a lot of fun. The rest of us went to bed and she stayed up most of the night talking to her friends, she said it felt like a real party, she was very happy with how her day panned out.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 83, 84 and 85

 It's funny how quickly the days pass when I'm feeling content and happy. Last week seems like a distant memory, but this week has flown by and we're almost at the end of it. Caitlin's birthday tomorrow - I'm quite excited. Some of her presents have arrived and we've got lots of yummy food organised so it's going to be a fun day even though she's not able to see any of her friends.

I've kept fairly busy over the past few days (and been too tired to blog in the evenings). Tuesday was my usual shopping day, and this week the kids came with me. Caitlin and Liam went for a walk with Luna and met up with a friend, Amelie shopped with me. It was fun having some company. We ran into the big kids a few times, it was weird to see them out of the context of home, I haven't randomly run into them anywhere for many months now, we're always together! Wednesday I did a fair amount of work in our bedroom, clearing out everything on Tony's side of the room so that he can use the shelves and bookcases there for his stuff, and I can use more of the walk in wardrobe for my photography supplies. It looks good all cleared out, there have been boxes there for a very long time, it was exciting to finally take some action on them. Today Caitlin and I went to Yarra Glen to the post office, picking up a couple of her birthday presents and sending off some more parcels and letters. We browsed the lolly shop and popped into the IGA. 

In between those 'big' activities we've done yoga every day, been for a long walk every day, chatted about all sorts of things, spent a lot of time watching the birds around our house - there are 3 baby Welcome Swallows in the nest above our back door, sitting and watching the parents flit back and forth feeding them is really fun. The kids have played Among Us, Liam has spent a fair amount of time playing Terraria with friends, Caitlin and I have been cooking. This afternoon we watched Enola Holmes which was really really good. 

Numbers have stayed fairly low this week, the average is going down, it's feeling encouraging that restrictions might continue to ease.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 82

We had a disrupted night as the helicopter was flying from 2.30 for an hour or so. I had forgotten how loud it is - it felt like it was coming through the bedroom window as it flew over the house block of vines, and the walls of the house were shaking. Somehow Amelie slept through it all, everyone else was awake for at least some of it.

So a cold start to the morning which turned into an absolutely gorgeous sunny day.I sat outside and did my writing in the morning, and it was beautiful.  Caitlin and I did our yoga in the yard and I felt really hot. I sweated a fair bit doing my yard work. I had several phone calls in the afternoon and sat in the yard while I chatted to a friend then to Mum, and to the car salesman and my mechanic. While I sat there I watched the Welcome Swallows feeding their babies in their nest above our back door, and the Willie Wagtails and Blue Fairy Wrens flit around in the trees, and even a couple of lorikeets made an appearance. I haven't seen a magpie in our yard for a couple of weeks - I think the wind may have destroyed their nests. There's still magpies around the property but none hanging out in our gum or oak trees like they normally do, which is a bit disappointing - for them I guess and also for us, I was looking forward to seeing the babies. I had another phone call with a friend while I had my walk in the later afternoon - it was warm enough to walk just in a t-shirt. Weird that that's going to be below zero again tonight after such a warm day - then we head into much warmer weather for the rest of the week.

Only 5 cases today - the lowest since June 12. Such a relief although numbers are usually lower early in the week because fewer tests are done on the weekend. Everyone - well, most people - seem to be feeling a bit cheered by the potential bringing forward of the next step out of restrictions, we can hang on for another 3 weeks.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 81

 An exciting day today as the next step of easing restrictions were announced. I spent the morning pottering around the house and yard, waiting for the press conference at 12.30, then watched that intently for the next hour and a half or so.

So the changes are - from tomorrow there will be no curfew. Groups of 5 people, from 2 households, can gather in public places. The restriction of only 1 person per household per day, in one outing, going shopping has been lifted. Childcare is open and schools will start to go back after the holidays. Those last 2 don't impact us so much (although the childcare changes might mean we can look after Liam's friend if necessary) and the curfew makes little difference, but the other 2 changes will give us a bit more flexibility, so that's good. We're also on track to have more restrictions lifted in 3 weeks rather than 4 - I feel like I can survive 3 more weeks.

I actually woke up looking forward to the day, it's been over a week since I felt like that. It was cold again but sunny for most of the day. After the press conference I did yoga with Caitlin - it was dry enough to do it outside again today, we had been doing it in the kitchen (the best place to fit both our mats). It's so beautiful sitting or lying and looking at the mountains and the trees and the vines, I love doing our practice in the yard. I attended an online tupperware party in the afternoon, we watched a cooking demonstration and then I had a browse of the catalogue, I'll probably buy a new things. There was still time afterwards to go for a long walk - Caitlin had already been, so I went alone and listened to my audio book. It was a gorgeous time to walk, the new vines look amazing, and I felt very peaceful and at ease. The yoga is making a difference too, my hips are much more flexible and walking feels easier. Luna walked off lead with me for most of the way, then was enticed by the rabbits and took off on her own. She didn't come back quickly so Caitlin had a driving lesson and we went to find her. While we were setting off the helicopter flew in - there's frost forecast for tomorrow morning. After a bit of searching and calling Luna came to us, wet and cold and probably terrified by the helicopter. She's currently curled up in front of the fire trying to dry off. 

I had a new beer tonight - a Bonehead Brewing Choc Vanilla Porter. It was delicious - kind of like drinking an iced chocolate, with a beery texture. Caitlin watched the Block, we ate a delicious roast beef dinner, then Caitlin and I went out to cover her tomato plants before the frost - it is SO cold out there already, a very crisp, clear night. 

Lockdown 2.0, Days 79 and 80

 I'm feeling much better tonight, the last 2 days have been a bit easier than most of the last week. I'm not even sure what's changed, just feeling less lethargic - although still happy spending lots of time taking it easy.

Yesterday I went into Yarra Glen to the post office and the IGA, got myself some fish and chips and sat in the car at the lookout and read my book for a while - it was great to have a bit of time to myself. It was cold and wet and it was really interesting to watch the clouds move in across the mountains.

Today we had a Zoom meeting with my brother, sister and parents to celebrate Dad finishing his chemo. He looked pretty well and it was a fun get together. The kids were all in and out and even though our internet was a bit dodgy it was great to see everyone. We also had a cake for Caitlin's birthday which is coming up - I bought a pavlova case and she decorated it this morning. 

Apart from that we've been for a few walks, done our yoga, tidied up the lounge room, had a few phone calls with friends and family, read books, tried to keep warm (there was snow on the mountains around us in the last day and a half), watched a bit of tv, worked on my photos a bit.

Tomorrow the government is announcing the next steps in the easing of restrictions - it's a bit exciting. I know there won't be much of a change, but even little bits will be a relief. And either way, it feels like it's just a bit closer to the end of restrictions, even if they are a fair way off.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 75. 76. 77 and 78

 I had a massive motivation slump on Monday this week and am still pretty much there - although today I feel better about it - I've been able to embrace the slump and not feel like I SHOULD be getting stuff done or feeling good or anything - I'm accepting of where I am. I have been feeling just generally bored. None of my usual interesting or relaxing activities are appealing much at all. Even going for our walk each day has become kind of dull - today Caitlin and I even ran out of things to say and the walk seemed to take forever. 

It's not all bad though. We're still laughing and chatting and having moments of fun. There's just a bit of a pall of lethargy hanging over us all. Maybe there's some light in sight though - we are supposed to move to Step 2 restrictions on Monday, (our 14 day average is in the 20s!!!) and the word is that maybe a few extra things will be eased. So who knows what next week will bring, it might be a lot brighter than we've been expected. Or even just a tiny bit brighter. Actually even the very slight changes that have been promised will be something - to be able to have 5 people from 2 families together outdoors, means Caitlin and Liam can meet with their friend in Healesville.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 72, 73 & 74

 Another few days with a mixture of busyness and social encounters, and some quiet time. I'm finding that my motivation is very up and down again, and I'm quite tired in the evenings and not feeling like writing. Tonight I feel ok though so I can do a bit of an update.

On Friday Caitlin organised to meet up with a friend who lives in Healesville - we found a road that they could walk along that is within each of our 5km circles. The kids walked ahead and I walked with the other Mum - it was a lovely morning, fairly warm and it's a beautiful place to walk (the same place I went and read my book the week before). We explored around the railway line and the old bridge and looked for wildlife and really enjoyed being with someone different. In the afternoon a friend who works at Tony's work had to drop something off to the vineyard guys, so she and I went for a walk on the property - I hadn't seen her since early in the first lockdown, it was so great to catch up.Tony and the kids went out to his work to chop wood yesterday and to have a walk in a different environment, they had a great time, and I enjoyed the quiet time at home by myself.

In between our social/out of the house excitements, we've done yoga every day, gone for a walk and/or a bike ride (well I haven't ridden anyway, but Liam has (and he saw a snake on the dam wall) and Amelie has been learning to ride her bike). I have done a heap of sorting through stuff in the house and cleared a few areas that had gotten quite congested. I've made a lot of progress on clearing out my wardrobe to make my own work space too. I've done work on my photos, work on my course, played games with the kids (lots of Among Us), had lots of cool conversations with them, spent time with Tony over the weekend, Caitlin and he and I did a heap of work in the yard - we unearthed some of the path to the shed that has been buried in dirt for years, and Tony mowed the rest of the lawn. The weather has been warm, although quite windy today. 

Still a week of this Stage 4 lockdown - sometimes it feels like the end is in sight, sometimes it feels like it's forever until anything will change. Numbers are getting lower each day - only 14 today! I guess we keep plodding along until things change and adjust to whatever happens next.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 69. 70 and 71

 The last few days have been quite busy for lockdown, and actually a little bit social! On Tuesday Liam and I went to Healesville for my to get the groceries and the milk, and met up with friends at Coles. I did my shopping with my friend, then we walked down the street to a couple of specialty stores, and the boys went for a walk down to the river. It was so great to see them and to chat while we shopped/walked. It was the first time Liam had seen his friend (or any of his friends in nearly 10 weeks, and only the 2nd time he's left the property in that time. 

Yesterday Amelie came with Caitlin and I to the post office - as usual Caitlin did the shopping, and Amelie and I went to the park. It was our first time there in over 6 months and it felt really strange. There were more people in Yarra Glen than I'd seen in a while, and there were a few people at the playground but it wasn't overly crowded and people were mainly keeping distance from each other (and all the adults were masked). Amelie's friend walked down and met us at the park - the girls were very happy to see each other again. I chatted to a friend on the phone then sat under a tree and read my book, it was a beautiful afternoon to be out. 

Today was quieter, just spent at home. I had a counselling appointment which was helpful as always. We played Among Us, I tidied quite a bit of the lounge room, Caitlin did a heap of cooking. We've done yoga every day this week, as well as our usual walks of various lengths. A few phone calls to friends, jumping on the trampoline, Caitlin and Liam practicing headstands, games on the computer. Liam and Amelie seem refreshed by their social catch ups, which hopefully will make the next few weeks easier.

Regional Victoria had many of their restrictions lifted today, so my friends outside of Melbourne are feeling pretty happy. They can eat at outdoor venues, go to people's houses, travel around a bit. The numbers in Melbourne are going down (only 28 today!) - and the 14 day average is currently under 50, which is good news.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 68

 A good day today. Numbers were low (only 35!) and I felt happy and relaxed most of the day. Beautiful weather again - and getting warmer. We had the fire on in the morning but let it die out, we did yoga outside in t-shirts and were plenty warm enough. I was a bit sore today from yesterday's yoga session, but today's theme was stretch and it was a much easier practice, I was worried about Amelie at the start of it because she was feeling anxious, by the end I was relaxed and able to be more present for her.

I mainly pottered around today, did some photo work and tidying, chatted with the kids. They watched YouTube and jumped on the trampoline and played Among Us. I had a nap when I felt sleepy - we stayed up late watching La Tour de France last night (until after midnight) because Caitlin and I wanted to watch a mountain descent - it was lovely lying in bed and chatting, looking at Instagram, watching the race - it did mean I was a bit tired today but that was fine, a nap caught me up nicely. Caitlin and I went for a late afternoon walk and explored a part of the property we haven't really been to before - there's always something new to see. Tonight the older kids are on a group call with their friends playing a new online game, Amelie is listening to her audio book, Tony is watching the Collingwood game and I'm about to head to bed to do some work on my course then read my book.

Today would have been the day we came out of Stage 4 if numbers had dropped quickly enough. There are a few concessions to our current Stage, as of today - curfew now starts at 9pm rather than 8, and we're able to have 2 hours of exercise or outdoor recreation, with 1 other person (rather than 1 hour of exercise only). So they are small changes but feel like a step towards opening up and it might make life a tiny bit easier.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 65, 66 and 67

 I've been very up and down emotionally over the past 3 days - although now that I think about it, that could probably be said for any 3 day period during this lockdown. I've felt happy and content and even excited about things, and I've felt anxious, and I've felt lethargic, and cranky, and bored. On the whole though I'm feeling ok. I've rested when I needed to, done nurturing things that I love, spent time with the kids and talking to friends, and when I listen to my body and don't push myself I always recover fairly quickly from the downward swings.

Highlights of the last three days include

- having several beers with a friend over Facetime to celebrate his birthday

- going for a walk down the road I discovered that crosses the railway track (and is just inside our 5km zone)

- 2 hours alone at home - Liam asleep and Tony and the girls having a walk at his work. Can't remember the last time I was alone at home and it was wonderful

- a long evening phonecall with a friend

- doing yoga with the girls each day

- getting all the old clothes sorted, in labelled boxes or in bags to give away, and having more room now to create my own space in my walk-in wardrobe

-watching Umbrella Academy

- reading my book

- doing some work with my photos - more stock on Etsy and taking heaps of photos of new growth on the vines

Amelie is having a tough time at the moment, she is missing her friends so much, and finding it hard to keep occupied at home. She Skypes or calls a couple of friends on most days, and watches YouTube and plays games and jumps on the trampoline, but tears are never far away. I'm keeping her fed with lots of yummy food and we're playing and snuggling together, letting her feel what she's feeling - this is a tough time and I understand where she's coming from.

The virus numbers are staying fairly low, around the 40 mark. They need to keep going lower if we want things to relax in a couple of weeks, but so far the signs are looking good. I'm feeling ok about the extended lockdown at the moment, I'm at peace with not seeing my friends, and just making sure I talk to them or text them a lot, and I know they'll be there when we come out of this. I'm not so worried about the shopping or activities - I just want to see friends when I can.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 64

 I had trouble getting motivated to do anything today. It was cold in the morning but I was still able to sit outside to write which was lovely (it didn't drop low enough for frost overnight so the helicopter didn't go up, although I heard it leave around 7am (it woke me up)). After breakfast I was trying get enthused to do something, Caitlin suggested yoga - I didn't really feel like it but do want to do some every day, so I went outside with the girls and we did another session which was lovely. It was warmer by then and quite pleasant to be out in the sun. I stayed outside afterwards, hanging the washing and working with the compost, then took some photos of the new growth on the oak trees and fruit trees. I felt pretty happy while I was taking photos. I still didn't feel like doing much else so I lay on the trampoline and listened to the end of my audio book (The Wheel of Time (Book 1)). I rang a friend and we chatted for a while, and he helped me sort out some problems I was having with my internet. 

Caitlin and I popped into Yarra Glen to the Post Office and IGA (Caitlin wanted more hair dye). We both got some parcels which was exciting (mine was some thermomix accessories). I did some tidying then rang another friend, said happy birthday to her son, and chatted to her while I worked on cleaning out my cupboard a bit more. After the call I convinced Amelie to look through a couple of boxes of clothes that I'd been keeping for her, she picked out the ones she wants now or kept for when she's a bit bigger, and I was able to put aside about a box's worth that can go to op shop or other people when we're able to do that. The girls were watching YouTube videos while we sorted the clothes - a channel where they combine makeup to make new colours and styles, it was pretty cool. Late in the afternoon the girls and I went for a walk - it was so warm and sunny and a beautiful time to be walking. The girls climbed up on the end posts of a couple of the rows of vines (in some places the end posts are lower - Amelie fell and landed on the wire between the poles, so has some nasty bruising on her side. We kept walking out to Houghtons Lane, then Caitlin got a phone call and kept walking while Amelie and I came back home. I sorted out more clothes and talked on the phone again to the friend I'd spoken to in the morning. Tony cooked a great pasta dish with beans for dinner. After eating Amelie and I went out to look the clear night sky - the International Space Station didn't quite come above the horizon tonight so we missed that, but we did see Jupiter and Saturn, Virgo, Scorpio, and lots of cool stars. Liam and I had a game of Othello - he's getting better but still hasn't won a game against me. Tony and I watched more Tour de France, Caitlin is dying her hair while Facetiming with a friend who is also dying her hair (and I got to say hi to her Mum which was very cool - I love video calls!)

Numbers back in the 50s today, signs are promising.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 62 and 63

 I was exhausted last night after my fortnightly homeschool Zoom meeting and went to bed to read rather than writing my blog - felt a lot better today.

There was a beautiful red sunrise yesterday morning - very different from the clear morning on Monday. The temperature stayed quite warm overnight as well - it was lovely sitting outside on the couch to do my writing.. It was also very windy again, then calmed down later in the day. Really has been some crazy weather lately. The girls did some yoga, I spent time working on my photos. Amelie skyped with a friend. I finally finished the number puzzle I'd been working on! We had 7 people on our Zoom meeting, all the usual people and a couple of others, it was lovely to see everyone. I had planned to go to Healesville to get my milk and do the weekly shopping, but got a text saying that the milk wouldn't be available as the dairy had no power (delivery would be Wednesday instead). It was nice to not have to rush off and instead I was able to go for a walk with the kids (Liam rode his bike). Caitlin cooked nachos for dinner, I did some work on my course then read my book.

I was up early again this morning, got my writing done, had breakfast and got going on the dishes pretty early. I managed to get everything washed - it's been a while since I had everything clean! I did yoga with the girls - such a beautiful sunny morning and very pleasant to be outside doing yoga. Amelie stayed outside lying in the sun, then lying on the trampoline, for quite a while. I enjoyed pottering around outside for a while, then spent a couple of hours tidying up inside. Mid-afternoon I headed down to Healesville- half way there I realised I didn't have my mask so back home to grab that. I did my Aldi shop (it was much busier than it usually is later on a Tuesday afternoon - not sure if it's normally busy at 3pm or if it was because it was Wednesday and the new specials are out) then a quick stop into Coles. I got my milk, and on the way home I explored a road a friend had told me about - it's within our 5km radius and it looks like a great place to ride bikes or go for a walk. Will take the kids back there sometime soon.

At home I went for a walk and talked to a friend on the phone while she walked as well. It was a great chat, will try to do that more often. The afternoon was gorgeous and Luna and I walked to the huge gum tree on Houghtons Lane. Just after I got home I heard a helicopter, fairly close - I quickly looked at the weather forecast and saw that frost is forecast tomorrow, so wondered if the helicopter was coming to us - it soon appeared over the trees near the shed and it obviously was coming in to land. Amelie and Luna and I watched it fly down towards the dam and circle around to land - I love helicopters and am always excited in spring when we have one here to minimise the impact of frost. It might be a noisy night if they have to use it.

The combination of yoga this morning and a long walk this afternoon though has meant my legs are pretty sore tonight - will rest up and try to get to bed early. I did a bit of work on my course and we had leftovers for dinner. I got a bit of piano playing in before Caitlin put the Block on. Liam is playing games online with a couple of friends.

The numbers were very low yesterday (low 40s) but back up in the 70s today. One higher day is not a problem in itself, as long as they go lower most of the time. We've been watching La Tour de France and been amazed that it's going ahead even though France is getting so many cases. Last night they announced that the race director has tested positive, as well as 4 team staff members. It will be interesting (and a bit scary) to see if anyone else is infected, and how that impacts on the Tour.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 61

 Today felt like a very productive day - there seemed to be lots of hours in the day to do things, rather than it suddenly being evening and not knowing where the day had gone. I was in a pretty good mood for most of it - a bit flat this evening, feeling sad about how long it will be until I can see friends again. I know that will happen on and off for the rest of the lockdown, I'm just going with it when it happens and letting myself feel what I feel. Having some yummy food or working with my photos or playing a game helps a bit, I feel content and happier and know that I'll be fine.

I was up early again this morning - not sure if it's because it's getting light earlier or if I've just switched sleep patterns a bit. It was another clear morning, not quite as cold as yesterday. I went for a walk as the sun rose and took some amazing pictures of the sun on the vineyard, the new buds on the vines, and the reflections in the perfectly still dam. I spent some time on the computer, had breakfast then got a heap of dishes washed before anyone else woke up. Amelie and I did some number puzzles (we're both stuck on really difficult puzzles, it's good to have a fresh set of eyes look at them), I uploaded some photos, and tidied up around the house. I spent a bit of time outside and the weather was gorgeous - sunny and calm, and I was plenty warm enough in a t-shirt. Caitlin and Liam went for a bike ride, Caitlin and Amelie did some yoga in the sun, Amelie talked to a friend on the phone. I did some more puzzles, chatted to Tony (he couldn't go to work as Caitlin still didn't have her test results), and did some work on my course. I rang the test results hotline and got Caitlin's results (negative) - they had her phone number wrong which is why she didn't receive a text. Caitlin and I went for a walk mid-afternoon. On the way to the creek we spotted a juvenile tiger snake - it was perfectly still, staring at us (I thought it was dead at first), then it reared back and slithered away. It was gorgeous, quite long and pencil thin. It's the first snake I've seen on the property since we moved here, I was quite excited. It did make us more cautious about where we walked - I've been wading through long grass for a month or so now, and have been thinking that it was getting close to time to stop doing that. I guess that time is now here. We walked across the creek and talked to the cows in the paddock near our back fence. Mum rang to chat about the new plan for easing restrictions. When we got home I rang a friend who'd called while we were walking, and lay on the couch in the carport to chat. It was sunny there and out of the wind which had been steadily increasing through the afternoon. After the phone call I did more course work, and played games on my phone for a while. Back inside (it wasn't quite as warm inside, I wanted to stay out for longer) I did some more tidying up and sorting out of boxes and our filing cabinet. We finally remembered to watch the live stream of the Philip Island Penguin Parade - it was very very cool! After dinner (leftover lasagne) I did some more work with my photos, Caitlin and Liam played Among Us with a bunch of friends online, and Amelie watched YouTube. The wind is ferocious now - such a major change from the still, calm morning.

Oh and only 41 new cases reported today - that's very good news.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 60

 The most important thing about today (even bigger than Fathers Day) was the announcement of the roadmap out of restrictions. I was very keen to see what the plan was, even though I wasn't expecting much to change in the near future. It does seem like a well-considered plan and it is contingent on numbers dropping significantly - I really really do hope that enough people will abide by the guidelines and we can well and truly get the virus suppressed enough so that we can ease restrictions and start to see people again. In the short term nothing really changes for us, we still can't have people over or go outside our 5km zone. In a week though we are allowed to be with one other person in a public place. We realised that our 5km zone overlaps with one of the kids' (and my) friend's 5km zone - so we might be able to meet up with them somewhere in the overlapping part and go for a walk or something. Otherwise, not much will change for us really until the 3rd step around October 26th. Caitlin is disappointed that she won't be able to have anyone here for her 16th birthday, and I'm feeling the pain of not being able to see friends for another 7 weeks - but the plan makes sense and I agree it is the right way to go, slowly and steadily, and really try to get this under control.

We had a busy and fun day despite spending so much time thinking and talking about the roadmap. I was up early (woke at 5.30, which is my favourite time to wake) and had a few hours up by myself, mainly on the computer - I also saw the sunrise on a beautifully clear, crisp morning. Once the others started to get up I had breakfast and started cooking lasagne for Fathers Day lunch - a meat one and a vegie one. Mid morning I cooked bacon and eggs for Tony and made him a coffee, and we took him breakfast in bed and gave him his Fathers Day presents. Liam gave him a bottle cap darts game, and the girls made him a movie trailer about their quest to find him a gift - it was awesome! - and gave him chocolates from the chocolate factory. We all hung about in the bedroom for a while, the kids helped me clear off the top of my cupboard and we sorted through some clothes, all while chatting and hanging out.

I did dishes and finished making the lasagne while watching the press conference, and popping in and out to discuss points with Tony. We ate our lunch around 2 - the lasagnes turned out well. Tony and I went for a walk, he headed back after a while and I continued on a longer one - it was a warmish sunny day (although the wind was a bit cold) and I marvelled at how much the ground has dried out, given how muddy it was not that long ago. Caitlin had another driving lesson in the manual car - she's getting quite good, did her first hill start, and did a 3-point turn on a hill as well. I had a shower then did some work on my photos, Tony played chess with Liam, then watched some football. I chatted to my Dad for a while, he's doing well. We ordered Indian takeaway for dinner which was delicious, and afterwards headed off to do our own things (more photo work for me, online games with friends for Liam, drawing using her new app for Amelie, talking to a friend for Caitlin and football then Tour de France for Tony). Tony and I walked out the front together to put the bins out - it's a clear, still night and we got a great view of all the stars. It was weird being out at the road and no cars coming past - it was significantly less busy than a usual Sunday night (it's the first time since curfew started that I've put the bins out, so I hadn't noticed before). Everyone seems to be in a good mood this evening, and Tony said it was his best Fathers Day.

Another important thing - my COVID test came back negative. Caitlin still doesn't have her result.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 59

 Today was unexpectedly quite interesting and varied - a nice change to most lockdown days. I woke around 7 and after doing some writing went out for a walk - I decided to drive down Houghtons Lane so that I could walk somewhere different without having to walk to the different place, it was nice to have a different view on my walk and explore a new area. I took my camera and got a few good shots too. It was also quite reassuring that my car started with no issues.

I planned to spend the rest of the day pottering around the house. Amelie had had a bad morning so I hung out with her for a while. Liam and I worked on a number puzzle that has me stumped. The kids and I all played Among Us for an hour or so. My earaches have been getting more frequent and Caitlin's throat has been sore for a while, so we decided to have another COVID test just to be sure. The testing facility at Healesville said it was open from 12-3 Mon-Sat so we headed down there (stopping briefly to see the Masked Lapwings and their babies on the way into town - we only saw one baby, he was quite well camouflaged so the others could have been hiding there too). The testing centre was closed when we arrived at 12.30 and remained so while we researched where else we could go. It looked like Knox Westfield was the best option, so we went for the longest drive I've been on in a while! It felt like so far away, but it's just down the road from Caitlin's Cheer gym - so I drive that far several times a week usually. The roads were steady with traffic but not busy - and when we arrived at Knox it was bizarre to see empty carparks - just cars near the supermarket entrances. The testing centre is a drivethrough one here so we stayed in the car and had our tests - mine was the easiest I've had so far, Caitlin's was more uncomfortable. Driving home I was confused a couple of times which was the best way to go but I soon remembered the way I usually go. It was enjoyable being in the car with Caitlin and chatting and listening to music.

At home I did some dishes and some of my outside work, then did some of my course. Caitlin and Tony went for a bike ride (Liam had gone while we were out), then Caitlin helped Amelie with riding her bike. Caitlin then cooked brownies, I played the piano, Amelie played on the trampoline and Liam on his computer. Caitlin went for another walk, and found a baby wombat with it's mother - she rang Wildlife Victoria and they were going to send someone out. We all went down to see it (it was on the edge of Houghton's Lane and so incredibly cute, and definitely alone. It kept falling asleep while we watched it). A volunteer rang and was still a while away and suggested that we take it back to the house, especially as it was nearly dark. Caitlin threw a jumper over it and got her hands on it, but it fought hard and slipped away from her and sprinted into the paddock and was on the far side of the field in less than a minute - there's no way we could have caught it once it went. It was reassuring to see that it didn't seem injured, and it was probably big enough to survive by itself.

While we were waiting for dinner we went outside to see the International Space Station pass over, unfortunately it was too cloudy to see anything. It was cool being out the front in the dark though, all 5 of us, so it didn't really feel like we missed out. We mucked around with torchlight and hiding in the dark, then came in for meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The girls watched YouTube, Liam did some maintenance on his computer, Tony and I watched Umbrella Academy. I didn't end up getting much done around the house at all but I did have a fun day and am feeling good.

The new case numbers are bobbing up and down either side of 100. Numbers of deaths are high - some of them are not recent, they are deaths that were reported to the Federal Govt and those numbers are just coming through. People are still dying though and it's so horrible to hear that each day. Looking forward (I think) to finding out tomorrow what the plan is from here - I don't think anything much will change for a while yet, but I guess it's good that we're at least at a point where we're starting to talk about it.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 56, 57 and 58

 I've spent the last few days oscillating between feeling anxious and feeling really flat. A bit disappointing after feeling so good on Tuesday afternoon, but it is what it is and I have let myself feel whatever I needed to at the time. I haven't felt like writing so I allowed myself some time off, I've focussed on doing things that I love and that feel right, and I knew I'd be back eventually. 2 long phone calls with friends today (one who I hadn't talked to for a couple of years) and a text conversation entirely in haiku with another friend really helped - I laughed a lot (especially at the haikus) and relaxed and am feeling more positive now.

Wednesday morning (seems so long ago!) was pretty good, I got a fair bit down around the house and on the computer, and had a long chat to Mum. Caitlin and I went to the post office and called in at the Chocolate Factory to get some more presents for people. I did some research on what was new car options. In the late afternoon Tony took me to Healesville to pick up my car - I chatted to the mechanics about the type of car I might buy and got some useful information. The know the receptionist at the mechanics and we had a long chat before I headed home. On the way I saw a baby masked Lapwing trying to cross the road and I was worried it might get hit so I stopped - there were 2 parents and 4 babies, and the parents were desperately trying to keep the babies from going on the road. When they were on the road they were too little to easily jump back up the gutter to the safety of the grass, so it was pandemonium. One of the babies got knocked over by the slipstream of a car going past, but after a tumble he got up and ran back to his parents and seemed fine. I'd tried to help herd them off the road, then one of the parents decided I was a threat and came at me, so I left them to it (everyone was back on the grass by then and heading away from the road so I think they were safe). The babies were so cute and their fluffy round bodies were backlit by the sun - I'm so happy that I saw it. 

I went for a late, brisk walk when I got home and saw the full moon rising over the mountains - very cool! I did more car research after dinner and suddenly felt completely overwhelmed and anxious, so I went to bed. I was awake for hours in the night (Winky woke me up to tell me she'd caught a mouse, and I couldn't quieten my mind enough to get back to sleep). After a while I got up and did some tidying in the kitchen, and some writing, and some photography work, then played games on my phone for a bit and eventually settled back into bed and to sleep. I woke later than usual and my anxiety was there but muted, and I kind of fell into a day of feeling bleugh. I was just over the whole lockdown thing, I am missing my friends, I don't think I can handle another week and a half of stage 4 but I have to really, there's no other option, and I don't think Stage 3 will be much different for us anyway... It just all felt too hard and I know the kids are finding it hard too so I was also feeling overwhelmed by their worries about it. I had a good chat with a friend which helped calm me a little. I did some more work on cleaning out the wardrobe in my room, and actually felt like I made some progress. In the afternoon the kids and I played Dixit which was fun - everyone is really emotional so there was lots of laughing and a bit of tears as well. I talked to Mum - Dad had chemo in the morning so it was good to get an update (he's feeling ok, tired, a bit grumpy. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it all but I do like talking to them regularly). I did some of my course and some photo work and headed to bed fairly early.

I slept fitfully so woke up still pretty tired today, although it was nice not to be up for hours. I still felt flat but the anxiety had mainly gone. I caught up on some dishes, chatted to Amelie and Liam, then chatted to a friend on the phone while I weeded the garden. I worked a bit more in the bedroom, then had a wonderful 2 hour chat to an old friend. Caitlin and Liam went for a bike ride and started to help Amelie learn to ride Liam's old bike. Throughout the day I was sending and receiving haikus to a friend and they really made me laugh and helped to ground me. I felt much much better this afternoon and went for a mid-length walk and listened to my audio book. Luna ran off as we rounded the dam, and bailed up the big (BIG!!) male kangaroo over near the creek. I went over to try to distract her but I was pretty scared of him and he looked like he could head for me at any moment. They were at a standoff for a while then he charged her - he had his front claws out and if he'd caught her it would have been nasty. She avoided him then chased him into the dam - I'd already rung Tony and he and Caitlin drove down in the vineyard ute to get her - usually she can be distracted by the car. She reluctantly got in and was a bit sheepish when everyone was angry at her - but once back in the yard she was staring intently at the roos in the vines like she was ready to go again... I cooked dinner and then had a bath and a glass of wine, Tony watched the Collingwood game. I'm feeling pretty relaxed now although I have a headache so looking forward to sleep and a new day tomorrow.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 55

 A busy day today - Tuesday is my shopping day so I get to go out! I always feel pretty tired afterwards though, it's more of an effort than I think it's going to be.

I got a lot done at home this morning, tidying and a bit of cleaning, chatting with the kids. Liam and I talked for ages about some of his games (Fall Guys in particular, he's getting really good). Amelie played outside on the trampoline. I put some soup on to cook - it filled the house with the most delicious smell throughout the day. In the afternoon I sat on the couch in the carport and chatted to a friend on the phone - it's a great place to sit on a sunny afternoon like today. I did some more research on a new car, narrowing it down to a few options - although inspecting a car might be tricky at the moment, I'm not sure how this is going to work. 

I headed down to Healesville to get my milk, chatted to the milk guy about his car, went over to Coles to pick up a few things (which, as always, turned into several things). I did my big shop at Aldi - a few more people there this time, but still not crowded. I really enjoyed my shopping time, I came home feeling really good and really peaceful. 

The girls and I went for a quick walk around the dam - it was much colder than I expected it to be, with a really icy wind blowing. The moon is very close to full and was rising as we walked, it looked pretty spectacular above the dam. Back at home we did more car research, ate our soup and some of us watched the Block. I did some of my course while I watched, and everyone seems to be settling down for an early-ish night.

70 cases today and 4 deaths. A relief to see continuing low numbers.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 54

 A good day today. New cases in the 70s (I remember how horrible it felt the first time we had over 70 new cases in a day - now that number feels like good news). A lot of deaths reported today, but apparently most of them occurred in recent weeks and have taken time to go through the reporting process. I am feeling incredibly sad each day though when I think of the families of those who have died.

I started my day watching the Tour de France highlights with Tony, then had a shower to rinse the dye out of my hair, and I'm very happy with my new purple look. Amelie and Caitlin both spent time brushing and styling my hair today, it was very luxuriant for me. I got bits and pieces of tidying down, talked to Mum and Dad on the phone (so glad I saw them last week), went for a long walk by myself (with Luna), cooked an apple and jam cake. The girls watched more Saddle Club, and some Dan and Phil. We played a bit of Among Us, although I was a bit vague today and didn't do very well. I had sore forearms and couldn't figure out why, then remembered I started trying pull-ups again over the past few days. I'm still a long way off but haven't completely lost my progress, I can pull myself up a tiny bit so hoping to keep working on that every day. I had my new backup drive delivered today so I can finally back up my MacBook and then start using my external drive for my photos. The girls went for a walk in the late afternoon while Tony split some wood. Amelie spent time on the trampoline, Liam played games with friends online. Caitlin cooked dinner and watched The Block, Tony and I watched some game shows on SBS. I'm ending the day watching the Tour de France.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 53

 It was a blustery day again today - mainly sunny although it got quite grey in the late afternoon. Just as the sun set the sky became completely orange, with bursts of sunshine over the vines, and 2 full rainbows in the sky to the east. 

In the morning the kids and I played Among Us, an online game, on our phones - I was reluctant at first but it was really fun and we played several rounds. The kids each tried one of their hot chocolate spoons and were quite happy with the results. I gave Caitlin a manual driving lesson in Dad's car - she got the hang of the clutch pretty quickly and got better at only accelerating as much as she needed to. After lunch Caitlin brushed my hair and then we spent a good part of the afternoon dying it purple - we listened to music and chatted while she put the dye in my hair and it was relaxing and fun. I went for a late afternoon walk and got rained on a tiny bit. A couple of big branches down around the dam. Amelie had a bit of a jump on the trampoline and the other 2 went for a bike ride. Tony watched the Collingwood game, then Caitlin cooked nachos for dinner. I worked on my photos and my course, and the girls watched the Block. I finally got around to making yoghurt (it's been on my to do list for over a week). 

Over 100 cases again today - word is that it's still too high to start talking about rolling the restrictions back. We've still got 2 weeks of Stage 4, at least, so I guess we just keep doing what we're doing... Unless you're flouting the restrictions, then you probably should stop doing that.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 52

 Today was a good day. Pretty relaxing, although I got a lot done. New cases were under 100, woohoo!! It was sunny all day today too so that helped everything to feel cheery as well.

I got a fair bit done around the house, reorganising cupboards, tidying a few areas, dishes, outside work, in between doing number puzzles, chatting with the kids, checking email, doing some of my course etc. I helped Liam with some computer problems and admired the hammock that Amelie has set up under her top bunk - she's spent a lot of the day in there watching YouTube, she's also jumped on the trampoline and done some climbing. All 3 kids were awake and feeling good in the early afternoon, so we did our DIY chocolate spoon making - a whole heap of flavourings that we distributed amongst a heap of little cups, with different types of chocolate to melt and pour over, then stir in and leave the spoon standing. Once they are set, we can pull them out of the cups and stir them into hot milk to have flavoured hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun and it's going to be just as much fun to drink them over the next couple of weeks!

 Tony was chopping wood today with some of the other guys from work, they had a bit of a feast out there as well. He brought a load of wood back mid-afternoon, and Caitlin went with him when he went back to collect more. Luna went along as well and apparently had a great afternoon, running around the bush, getting pats, and getting bits of spare food. I went for a walk in the afternoon while chatting to a friend, then once we finished talking I crossed the creek (it was a bit tricky, it's still a little high) and went and sat for a while in a spot down near the back fence, in a stand of ti-tree. It was gorgeous there, seeing the wind rustle the tops of the trees and the reeds, hearing all the different birds, and feeling a long way from anywhere. I was tired when I got back so lay down and listened to music for a while. We had gnocchi with pork ragu from the restaurant again - SO delicious. Caitlin spent the evening playing an online game with a bunch of her friends, and I did some work on my photos.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 51

 A much quieter day today. I was surprised that there weren't many branches down around our place, one big one and a bunch of little ones - elsewhere there were trees down all over the place and some people didn't have power back yet. We had a calm morning at home, pottering around, doing some puzzles, browsing the internet, I did a bit of my course, chatted to both Mum and Dad on the phone. Caitlin and I went for a walk mid afternoon, it was sunny and actually fairly warm, a nice day to be out. Luna is getting much better at walking off lead and not chasing kangaroos. Amelie played games online with a friend. When Tony got home from work he took me over to Mum and Dad's - with Dad having minor surgery yesterday he's not able to drive at the moment, so he offered me his car while mine is at the mechanic. It was cool to have time in the car chatting with Tony, and exciting to be so far from home - the first time I've been past Yarra Glen in 4 weeks. It was great to see Mum and Dad, they're looking well and we talked for a bit before I took the car. On the way home I bought a Mint Hot Chocolate in Yarra Glen then sat in the car for a while at my favourite spot on Old Healesville Rd and read my book and listened to music. It was a beautiful afternoon and in between reading I really soaked in the view. Great view of the standing water in the fields across from our place, too. I drove home the long way from there and arrived feeling very relaxed after some time on my own. Also felt good driving a manual car, I've missed that. We had a hodge podge of dinner, everyone getting what they felt like eating, then Caitlin and I watched The Bodyguard - I'd never seen it, and was inspired by seeing Lorelai sing 'I Will Always Love You' on Gilmore Girls a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed it and it felt like a comfortable way to end a very up and down kind of week.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 50

 Another eventful lockdown day (or maybe little things now seem adventurous, as a contract to the sameness of most of our usual days). We had a massive wind storm - some rain, but mainly strong, damaging winds, and the power went out. We manage with power outages on a semi-regular basis, but this was just as it was getting dark, most of our phones had little charge which is unusual for us, my car wasn't here so we couldn't use my 2nd battery to charge up things we needed, we'd been just about to cook dinner, I tried to look up the website to see how extensive the outage was but none of our devices would load the site, and it just felt unusually difficult to manage. One positive though is that the water tanks are full after all the rain we've had so we still had water gravity feeding through the taps and we'd be able to flush the toilet. We got camping lights out of the trailer (which was tricky in itself because it was wet and windy while I was rummaging around trying to find them) and our camping stove - a friend had given us one that they'd got 2nd hand, to replace our old stove that was dying, and I hadn't tried it out yet. I couldn't find a hose with it so we disconnected the hose from our old stove and used it, but when we turned the new one on there was gas leaking. It seemed to be missing an O-ring and we tried to replace it with some we had here but they weren't the right size. We thought about going down to Coles to get a new O-ring, then realised it might be easier just to buy dinner, then realised that there was also no power in Healesville. Tony, Liam and Caitlin went for a drive to find food and had to go a bit further than expected - I was a little worried as they didn't get home until after 8, but they found food and got there and back with no trouble. While they were gone the power came back on, I was so grateful for all that that allowed us to do. I was even more grateful when I discovered that Healesville was still out an hour later, and Lilydale still had no power a couple of hours later than that. Very unusual that Tarrawarra gets power back before other places, we're normally last on the list. There were trees down all over the place, and the Black Spur was closed due to trees and a car trapped where the person needed to be rescued by air ambulance - we saw and heard the helicopter go over each way. It reminded me that the little inconveniences we'd had over the past couple of days really weren't that big a deal.

Prior to the storm the day had been fairly quiet, and fun. I pottered around in the morning, the girls watched SIMS videos and The Saddle Club on YouTube, I ordered some things we needed from Office Works, Caitlin and I researched the easiest place to buy cheap yarn so she can keep making her little creatures, Amelie and I did some number puzzles, I had a Zoom appointment with my counsellor, I reset Amelie's Animal Crossing New Leaf game so that she could start from the beginning (she'd bought a pre-owned copy so the save file had someone else's data in it), Caitlin decorated her cupboard with stickers, Liam played Getting Over It, I talked to a friend a couple of times. Caitlin and I went for a walk in the late afternoon - it was already pretty windy and the clouds were very black to the south. We'd had sunshine throughout the day but it was looking more and more ominous as we walked, it was pretty spectacular. We checked out the creek, it's running much lower again now, and walked along the front of the property where we noticed the fields of the Abbey are still covered in water, so we went across the road to get a closer look. It looked pretty cool. At that point, there were dark clouds everywhere and it was starting to rain, but Mt Dandenong was bathed in golden sunlight - that looked even more cool!

Numbers are staying in the low to mid 100s, deaths are continuing to happen every day, although some days now they are in single digits.

Lockdown 2.0, day 49

 A reminder today that even quiet lockdown days can go vastly differently than planned. Caitlin and I headed to the post office today like we do most Wednesday afternoons- left home around 3. We went to the chocolate factory first to buy a few more hot chocs to send to friends, and get a DIY chocolate spoon kit for ourselves, so we can make our own interesting hot chocolate blends. Caitlin had to go in and the buy the items as she was the one who’d be going in to the post office - when she walked in she was the only person in the showroom, which was really strange as normally it’s so crowded!  We went on to the post office and Caitlin sent off all our care packages, then she went to the IGA to get a couple of things. When she got back the car wouldn’t start. I tried to use my jump starter with no luck. I rang Tony and he said he could come and jumpstart us - it was 4.15 so we just had to wait until he finished work at 4.30 then he’d come in. In the meantime Mum has ring and I’d agreed to take Dad to the hospital tomorrow (he’s having a melanoma removed) because she wasn’t allowed in or to hang around, so it was easiest if I took him in and she picked him up.

Tony arrived and the car still wouldn’t start. I called the RACV and they said someone would be there in about an hour. I said Caitlin could go home with tony but she chose to stay with me, which made the waiting easier. She got some hot chips for us to share and then we played games on Snapchat. (I think). A guy we vaguely know came past around 5.45 and offered to try to start the car - still no luck. The RACV guy arrived just before 6 and after trying several things said the battery was fine and he thought it was the starter and I’d have to get towed. We had a very confusing conversation about where I should be towed to but eventually agreed to take it to my mechanic in Healesville. He rang the tow truck and we settled in to wait some more. Caitlin went and got me chips and chocolate from the IGA - after we discovered that my window wouldn’t go back up - the RACV guy had put it down when the door was open, which caused it to come off it’s track (happens occasionally, but not for over 2 years) and itMs impossible to put it up. When the tow truck manager rang I told him what had happened and he said they’d store the car at their depot overnight and drop it at the mechanics in the morning, so the window wasn’t a problem. I rang tony to come and pick us up, and ask if I could use his car to take dad to hospital, then Mum rang to say that she WAS allowed to go in to the hospital tomorrow, so I didn’t need to come. Caitlin ordered burgers and chips for dinner (not from her fish and chip shop, it’s still closed), the tow truck arrived, tony arrived and we transferred all my crap to his car, and we were finally home a bit after 7pm. Exhausted but feeling less frustrated once I was safely home. 

I had a hot bath and didn’t really do anything else all evening, didn’t have the energy. Hoping my car will be fixed easily and quickly, although it doesn’t matter too much at the moment since I rarely go out 

Lockdown 2.0, Day 48

 I woke with a spectacular headache so started the day with a long hot shower and then felt a bit better. I went about my usual morning routine but after working outside for a while I felt exhausted and just needed to sit. I'd promised to make waffles for Amelie, so Liam offered to make them, and I just supervised (he'd never really worked through a recipe on his own before to cook something, he did a great job and the waffles were delicious). I tried to have a nap but was too restless - lying down for a while helped though and I was able to get up and feel a bit more normal. Liam spent more time trying to figure out how to livestream his games and Amelie posted a video to her YouTube channel.

In the afternoon I had my fortnightly Zoom chat with the Yarra Glen Homeschool Group - there were 5 of us today and as usual it was a relaxing and enjoyable chat. As soon as it finished I headed down to Healesville to get our milk - it was incredible to see how much water was on the fields - it was like a lake over around the Maroondah Highway, and in the low areas of the Abbey's property. I popped into Coles (first time since Stage 4 started and it felt crowded and not where I wanted to be) to get a few things that we're low on but can't get at Aldi, then did the rest of our weekly shop at Aldi. I ran into 2 people I knew in there - another mum from Guides, and a good friend from Healesville, who I'd just been talking to on the Zoom chat!

When I got home Caitlin had just made scones (yummy!) and the girls were finishing The Sound of Music. I had a beer and a phone chat with a friend, we ate soup and watched The Block (Amelie watched YouTube and Liam was playing and chatting with a friend on his computer) then I had a long talk to my sister on the phone which was a lovely way to end a fairly social day.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 47

 After a weekend spent mainly sitting on the couch, I woke up (early - 5.20am) this morning with lots of energy and feeling keen to get on with some projects. I did a bit of tidying and organising and made some dents in a couple of areas of the house. I realised that I've been putting off the things I really want to do because they felt like wants rather than the necessary housework - but it's been leading to me not feeling motivated to even the necessary stuff. So today I prioritised those things - namely starting to clean out the walk in cupboard in my room to convert it into a little writing space for myself, and organising the files on my MacBook so that it's working more efficiently and I can work on my photos more easily. I made progress in each area and it felt good.

Liam and I went for a walk in the morning to see the water levels around the property. Everywhere is still very wet (we had 27mL yesterday, as well as 3-10 mLs each day for almost the last week) but there weren't so many rivers around the place. The creek level had dropped a fair bit but it was running fast. We saw ducklings on the dam, swimming away from the shore with their mum as we got closer. So incredibly cute! We had quite a few sunny patches today and it was slightly warmer - I even got the washing dry outside!

I watched Liam play Fall Guys for a while and we chatted about strategy. I had a good talk to a friend. Amelie and Caitlin played games on the House Party app, then Millie spent a good part of the afternoon using it to talk to a friend. They played Pokemon games and she jumped on the trampoline and was so excited to be able to see her friend on her phone rather than just hear her voice. She also started to make some more YouTube videos, and Liam is looking at recording some of his game plays. Caitlin watched YouTube for a while and finished crocheting her next little creature. She and Amelie went for a late afternoon walk then started to watch The Sound of Music. I talked to Mum and Dad on the phone - Dad hasn't felt well enough to talk the last several times I've rung, it was really lovely to chat with him. Tony watched the Collingwood game and the kids watched The Block - I saw bits while I tidied the kitchen and got ready for bed. Liam told me about some of the history of coffee that he'd been learning about - it was fascinating. 

Numbers were low today - only 116! Although 15 deaths. I feel that the new cases will go up a bit again later in the week, hopefully not too much though. It feels maybe slightly possible that we could come out of Stage 4 in another 3 weeks - that would be so great.

Lockdown 2.0, Days 45 and 46

 It's been a very cold, wet weekend - I have never seen so much water at our place, the path at the bottom of the hill is a river and there's puddles of water everywhere that the ground isn't completely flat. Except for a short walk today I basically stayed inside all weekend, let go of any expectations and had a pretty relaxing, warm, fun and quiet time.

Yesterday morning Tony and I actually found ourselves in the kitchen together with time to have a cuppa and we sat and chatted and drank our tea and coffee, it was really really lovely. We created some patterns with a pencil and compass and then coloured them in while we chatted. This inspired me to get out a wooden spiral puzzle that Amelie couldn't really remember playing with - she and Caitlin and I made lots of patterns with it and had a lot of fun. I had a phone call with an old friend from Leeton - we can't remember the last time we talked, but she hasn't met Amelie so it's a very long time since we've seen each other. We knew each other's kids as toddlers, it's so funny to see photos of them now as teens (or older). It was wonderful to catch up. 

The kids and I watched Howls Moving Castle - Caitlin and I had seen it before, the others hadn't and they loved it. Tony was in and out watching bits of it, it was great to be inside and warm and cosy and enjoying a movie together. We ate popcorn, and some the meringues the girls had made the night before. Caitlin and I then watched slideshows of my photos, and experimented with different soundtracks. I planned to have an early night, so headed in to bed to read. The girls came and joined me and we chatted and laughed, and watched the cat chase her tail up on the railing above my cupboard. I went to bed much later than I'd intended but I really enjoyed the time with the kids.

Today was not quite as cold, but only marginally. Liam and I played War (card game) while he waited for Fall Guys to have enough players so he could show me the game. I really enjoyed watching it and had a go myself later on - I am terrible at it but really enjoyed it. Tony made pancakes while I did the dishes and the kids came to eat, so we were all in the kitchen together, it was fun. Caitlin and I went for a walk during a break in the rain, we waded through the river at the bottom of the hill (almost ankle deep) and went to check out the creek - the highest I remember seeing it. We thought about walking down the back of the property but the track was completely underwater and by then it was raining again so we headed home once we got to the far side of the dam. Tony went for a walk a bit later with Caitlin and Liam - Luna ended up on the other side of the creek (they think she fell in) and was too scared to come back over, so Tony went across to get her - an unexpected winter swim for him! I worked on my photos for a while and on a craft project I'm trying - it was frustrating and not working the way I'd like, so I will need to rethink it a bit. The kids watched some Try Guys and Danny Gonzalez on YouTube on the TV - I was enjoying the humour and suggested watching Schitts Creek because I'd heard it was pretty funny. Amelie loved it, the other two weren't sure and I enjoyed it but really didn't laugh much. I don't know if we'll be rushing back to watch it. Amelie spent a lot of the day chatting to a friend on the phone, managed a bit of a play outside in between rain sessions, and went into her room to watch YouTube when Caitlin put The Block on this evening. Caitlin brushed and braided my hair while she watched, then I came to bed early because I'm feeling a bit flat and figure a restful evening will always be helpful.

We had just over 200 new cases today, after a few days of under 200 - I really hope people keep getting tested and keep following the restrictions so that we have an accurate picture of the data and can hopefully start to ease things (just a little) in a few weeks time.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 44

Feeling very tired tonight even though I had a fairly relaxing day. I was up early (it poured rain around 5.30am and I think that woke me up) so had a relaxing morning, did a bit of work outside, came back in and chatted to Liam and Amelie. Liam and I had a long talk about early 20th century Russian history - one of my favourite time periods, with lots of people who really intrigue me. He'd been watching some videos about it so it was interesting to compare stories about what we knew. 

Liam and I then played Othello - he very nearly beat me, I only won by 2 tiles. Closest game I've played in a very long time. He went for a bike ride and I tidied up some more. He bought himself a new computer game (Fall Guy) and spent a lot of the rest of the day exploring that. I did some work on my course and with my photos, chatted briefly to a friend who popped by to drop off some supplies, went for a walk before it got too wet - it was cold and it did sprinkle on me a bit, but I had time for a long, slow walk around most of the property, and talked to Mum on the phone for about half of it. I got the washing off the line when I got back home, and just as I brought it inside we had a sudden heavy downpour that turned to hail. The wind was icy all day and we were very grateful for the fire.

The girls continued watching The Dragon Prince and I made a citrus cheesecake. I had a long hot bath while I read my book and drank some of my caramel brownie tea. Tony stayed back at work for a while organising firewood, and picked up pizza and pasta on his way home, then headed to bed for an early night. I watched the end of Season 3 of The Dragon Prince with the girls - there's obviously another season coming, so we're all looking forward to that.

Numbers are the lowest today they've been since we went to Stage 3. A sense of relief every day as they go down - I really really hope it's because there are fewer new cases, and not that people are just not getting tested.