Catching COVID

 Despite being super cautious, still wearing masks in public places, not going to many events or activities, I picked up COVID last week at our first homeschool camp for the year. I had decided not to organise a camp earlier in the year because the risk felt too great, but by this stage the kids were in desperate need of a few days away with friends, and I was too. We'd decided it was worth the risk and I stand by that even though I'm disappointed to have caught it. The weird thing is that I don't know who I got it from - no one else admitted to being sick, and no one else has caught it since I did, not any of my kids or the people I was hanging out with. Which is a relief, I was worried it was going to be a super spreader event. I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time - and it shows how contagious this disease is. It's possible I didn't even talk to the person I caught it from, it could have been in the shared bathrooms at the caravan park.

I want to outline how the virus has played out for me, so that I don't forget.

Day 1

Woke up with a bit of a congested chest which worried me slightly, but then also had scratchy throat and eyes and runny nose so assumed it all part of the hayfever I'd been experiencing every morning. I was tired that day and spent hours just sitting and chatting and then curled up and reading, with no motivation even to go to the beach. I stood up after 2 hours reading and my entire body ached and I just wanted to sleep, even though I'd already had a nap before my reading stint. I decided instead to walk into town and see if the walk helped (I thought I might just be sore from an 8km walk the day before, combined with all the sitting around I'd done this day), and to pick up a RAT test while I was there. The walk was slow and I felt like I was getting a cold, feeling gradually worse and worse. When I got back to the caravan park and ducked into the bathrooms to do the test I had a really strong wave of dizziness. 

I did the RAT and glanced at it after about 5 minutes - a very strong second line was already showing. It was a horrible feeling, like a very bad dream, and I sat there for the rest of the 15 minutes trying to figure out what to do next. I ran into Caitlin as I left the bathrooms and we sat out the back working out the logistics - it was too late for me to pack up and go home that night, especially considering how unwell I was feeling, so Caitlin let the others know what had happened and I basically isolated (masked) at my tent for the rest of the evening. I did some tidying up so that pack up would be easier the next morning. My kids and the people we'd spent lots of time with did RATs and everyone else was negative.

Day 2

Felt like I had a nasty cold, and tired really easily. Felt like I had a fever. I was able to pack up with the help of the kids but had to stop and rest quite frequently. Talking and walking at the same time was tiring, as was standing up for too long at once. I had lots of offers of help and felt very supported and blessed to be surrounded by friends. We packed up and I drove home with one friend driving behind me in case things got too hard. It was a long drive, and I was masked so couldn't eat and drink like I normally do when I'm driving, and I didn't stop for a toilet stop so it was a huge relief to make it home! We put the tent up (cos it was wet) and the kids got the essential stuff out of the car and I went to bed. I was very very tired and had started to cough a lot as well - I felt like I had a bad head cold, with a dry cough. Sore sinuses and a runny nose, just very congested.

Day 3

The cough became more phlegmy and more frequent. My head felt a lot clearer, much less stuffy. I had no energy to do anything. Took the kids to get PCRs (Caitlin drove and I just curled up in the front seat and didn't want to move) - all negative. I walked out to the car to get something at one stage and walked too fast, was very puffed out for a while afterwards. Rested all day.

Day 4 

A bit more congested again and cough still happening. No loss of taste though. The breathlessness was worse- a 15 minute phone call had me puffing like I'd just run up a hill. In the night time I had night sweats which were horrible, especially when I got up to try and get some relief and then had breathlessness as well. Rested all day.

Day 5

Cough and congestion a little better, breathlessness much worse. Walking to the kitchen puffed me out. I really only have about 10 minutes of conversation in me and then it gets too tiring. Long sentences were hard work. Conscious of my breathing even if I wasn't doing much. Really smoky outside due to burning off so that didn't help with the breathing and meant I couldn't have the window open. Rested all day.

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 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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 43

 I realised last night that we have completed 6 weeks of lockdown- if we’d stayed on the original Stage 3 plan, today’s the day that restrictions would have eased. Although we have all had our crazy moments this week in particular, I’m impressed that we have got this far and on the whole are pretty happy and mainly getting along. There’s still about 4 weeks left of Stage 4 and who knows what after that, but I’m feeling hopeful and positive about the future.

It was a good day today. Chats with Liam in the morning, a game of Othello with Amelie, work on my photos, number puzzles, watching The Dragon Prince with the girls, sorting out the piles of fabric that have been taking over our lounge room. Liam went for a bike ride, the girls and I went for a long (slow) walk - I’m still sore from my strength training and Caitlin from Cheer training last night. 

At 4.30 we video called with 2 other families for our hot chocolate festival. Liam and 2 of his friends made their hot chocolates and then chatted while they drank them. (We had ordered lots from the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, they came with melts to put in hot milk, couverture choc to melt and pour in, a flavoured marshmallow and a treat of some sort to make it super special. Liam had a wagon wheel slurp, Caitlin a ginger one, mine was Gatytime themed and Amelie’s chicken shaped marshmallows with a sprinkle covered egg. The girls and I made ours and we FaceTimed with the adults.. After a while one of them had to go, and I kept talking to my other friend while we had a glass of wine together.  The hot chocs were a great experience and the conversation was really fun. 

We had a pork ragù for dinner - made by the chef at de Bortoli - it was amazingly good! We kept watching the Dragon Pronce and I started making something with my t-shirt yarn, then did some of my creativity course and have ended the day feeling very happy and content.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 41

 Today was quite a busy day, which is a bit (a lot) of a novelty these days. Although really exhausting - I'm not used to having more than one thing happen in a day, now I'll need several quiet days to recover.

I woke early (5.30) and I love being up at that time of day so I had a cup of tea and did some writing and checked my email and so on. I remembered at some point that I'd thought about doing another Strength Training Class with The Compound this morning - I ummed and ahhed for a while then figured I could put it off forever so I'd be better off just doing it. I booked in and spent the next couple of hours worrying about how hard it was going to be.

It was very hard. I've lost a lot of condition over the past few weeks with the bleeding (which did eventually stop, after 3 weeks) and my sore back. I got quite light headed about 3/4 of the way through the session and had to stop for a while - I need to remember next time to work at my own pace and not try to keep up with everyone else. It was cool at the end to have a quick chat with Clem and let him know how excited we were to watch him on Ninja Warrior.

Caitlin and I watched a movie (Its Kind of a Funny Story) while she crocheted, then a friend popped past to pick up some hot chocolates from the Chocolate Factory - Liam and his friends are going to celebrate the Hot Chocolate Festival via video call seeing as we can't all go together like we usually do. I went to Healesville to pick up my milk, and while I was there I dropped off some more hot chocs to another friend, then did our weekly shop at Aldi. I thought it might be busy at 4.30 in the afternoon but it was reassuringly quiet.

I got home and took Luna for a walk - just a short one, around the dam, because I was pretty tired after my class and the shopping trip. Social interactions are also more tiring than they used to be - even though they are great, even brief, socially distanced interactions. The house smelt great when I got home as I'd put soup on to cook in the morning. Tony brought home some gnocchi he'd ordered from the restaurant at work so we had that with it's accompanying mushroom sauce - delicious! The soup will keep for another day. I was suddenly extremely tired and everything seemed very difficult, so I was very happy to relax on the couch and watch Ninja Warrior - we Facetimed with friends to watch together and it was a fun evening. I went to bed as quickly as I could afterwards and read my book - it was great to leave the evening housework and just rest, I can catch up with all of that tomorrow.

The number of new cases is trending nicely down, although deaths are still fairly steady. The kids (the girls in particular) are getting more and more restless - it's hard to not even be able to take Caitlin with me when we go shopping, she really needs to get out of the house - although this is the first time it's really been bothering her, which is quite impressive. 

Lockdown 2.0, Day 37

 I didn't sleep well (this time I got up and tended the fire, then made some t-shirt yarn.  It was a more interesting way to pass the time than lying in bed trying to get to sleep, and I was pretty relaxed by the time I went back) - but I did feel much better. Today my attitude was much more - well if things are going to be bad in the future, I might as well enjoy the present, spend as much time with the kids as I can, doing things we love, looking after myself and my family - so I got on with being happy in the now, and I had a really good day.

Amelie and I played several rounds of Red 7s - we've played before but she didn't remember it, she really enjoyed it this time. Liam joined us for a while. In the late morning all the kids and I went for a walk. We headed over to Houghtons Lane. It was cloudy but not too cold. My hip was hurting a bit and my back still a little tender, so I turned back soon after we got to the road, and the kids kept going (the girls went all the way to the end, and Amelie climbed the gorgeous big gum tree, Liam came back a bit earlier once he'd had enough). 

A friend rang me in the morning with a computer question then we chatted for a while. After lunch I had a lovely long Facetime call with a a friend who I hadn't talked to in ages - it was great to catch up. Later in the afternoon we had a Zoom call with my sister and her kids - we played cards with my nephew, watched my niece open her birthday present from us, and chatted to my sister for her own birthday. I think I'll try to do that a bit more often. I then had a friend call by the front gate on his way home, to drop off  some groceries that I hadn't been able to get in Healesville or Yarra Glen. Nice to have a brief, in-person contact to round out a very social day by lockdown standards!

Tony brought home lots of parcels from the post office - including some stickers and room decorations that Caitlin had ordered online, a care package for her from a friend, and a big box books from the library for me - very exciting! (Our library is sending out holds to members, and filling the box with other books based on our borrowing history. I got lots of fantasy novels and some historical fiction - most of them books I haven't heard of before so I'm looking forward to exploring them).

We got takeaway pizza and pasta from Yarra Glen and watched more of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm really enjoying it - and it's a fairly easy show to just watch bits of, although the kids tell me it's even better when watched in order. After dinner I had my Friday date with myself - I had a big bowl of ice-cream, Baileys and nutella and read my book in my room for an hour. It was quite blissful.

Lockdown 2.0, Day 31

 Another good day today. I feel like I've settled in to this lockdown and we're all doing things that we want to be doing, as well as having plenty of time to hang out and relax.

We had waffles for breakfast (home=made on our borrowed waffle maker - they were really easy and very yummy). Everyone was up and about by mid-morning which is very unusual. I spent some time outside working in the yard, Amelie jumped on the trampoline, Caitlin played with Luna. The 5 of us did some quizzes on Kahoot, they were fun and funny. Amelie had spent a lot of time creating a quiz about herself, it was very cool. Amelie and I did some monster sudoku puzzles and a few other types. I went for a walk in the early afternoon while I chatted on the phone to another friend who was also walking. It was such a beautiful day - sunny in patches and just a really lovely feel and everywhere I looked made me feel so happy to live here. Liam and Tony went for a bike ride in the morning and Caitlin did the same in the afternoon. Liam and Amelie and I played Monopoly on the X-box - way more fun than I expected. I spent some time uploading photos, making gifts for people, and working on my course. After dinner I turned one of my favourite dresses, which was stretched and had holes in it, into a big ball of t-shirt yarn. It was fun and it's exciting to think of all the things I can make with it now (I've already made a hair tie). Caitlin used a section of it (before it was cut into yarn) to make herself a top - she's doing things with sewing that I would never attempt!