Lockdown 2021: Week 7 Half Term Break

 15th - 21st February 2021

This week was half term break. It was rainy all week. We did absolutely nothing and saw no one. On Monday I drew up a cleaning plan for me and Isabella so we deep cleaned a different area of the house each day. Isabella started out well helping on day one and I kept it going until Day 4. Day 5's work still needs doing from two days ago...

The most excitement we had this week was Isabella developing an itchy rash on her legs. She had it lightly before, but we didn't pay it much attention then and it resolved itself pretty quickly the first time. This time however it got much worse, spreading further across her legs, really red and bumpy and very itchy. Eventually we got an anti-histamine from the pharmacy. When after two days on that there was still no improvement we decided to make our first doctor's appointment since Covid started. That's a year now without visiting the doctors! The procedure now is a telephone consultation after I emailed photos of her rash. By this time it had also started spreading across her upper body. The doctor said it's an allergic reaction to something and prescribed 5 days of steroids. Isabella and the cat are now on the same medication! Typical, it started fading before she started taking the steroid tablets, but still taking them to resolve it completely. We're not sure what caused it. Will see if it happens again...

So otherwise nothing further. Went for a walk in the woods this morning as we finally had a dry day. 

Tomorrow we'll get confirmation whether schools might reopen in two weeks time, from 8th March. Isabella isn't missing it yet. At least another two weeks of online/ remote school.

The home office. Next to the ironing which needs doing and the toilet paper.

A muddy puddle walk.

Looking so forward to spring!
Isabella took this picture of some daffodils on our way home from the woods this morning.

Lockdown 2021: Week 6

8th - 14th February 2021

Happy Valentine's Day!

We made each other handmade gifts and cards, took some stuff to the recycling centre which was the furthest from home we've all been in a long time, even if it's just about 15 minutes from our house, and tried to bake Valentine's cookies which didn't turn out as expected but still tasted good.

It's half term holiday this upcoming week, so no school work and no school Teams calls. It's also a year ago that we last went to Germany, the last time we saw family and it was on the way back from that trip that we heard about Covid spreading through Italy.

It's been a pretty cold week, temperatures generally between -3C and 1C all day, all week. This coming week looks like we'll be back to milder temperatures and rain.

Messy art was part of this week's school work.

Isabella has started carrying Tabby around like this.
Luckily he doesn't seem to mind it too much and just hangs until they reach their destination!

We baked bread. Three loaves in three days and made one of them part of school work too!
There's a video on that too on Isabella's Theatre.

And we had lots of snow flurries. At one time we had these picture perfect snowflakes!

Lockdown 2021: Week 5

 1st - 7th February 2021

Another regular lockdown week with school work and my own work. Times tables, plurals and...

making edible slime!
There's a video on her YouTube channel (Isabella's Theatre).

Isabella discovered a proper computer game. She's learning to use the mouse and keyboard.
And best of all, only girl characters! It's a horse game. Boys can play but they'll have to play a girl character.

Saturday was beautifully sunny. We spent time in the garden,

and played hopscotch in our street.

Sunday was freezing cold. We were outside for a bit, Andre actually cleared some gutters, but we were so cold afterwards.
Then Isabella, Tabby and I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since we recently finished the book.

Lockdown 2021: Week 4 - Needle Felting

 25th - 31st January 2021

Our week in pictures:

Monday: What was left of the snow. It was all melted away by the end of Tuesday.

We had some lovely sunshine this week. Tabby was grooming himself here
on the BBQ in the sun, that's the reason for his wild hair look!

Isabella and I painted our nails rainbow colours.

Isabella wanted to learn how to edit a video. She did really well, remaining patient and following
instructions.

School went well this week.

Isabella and Andre had an early morning start one morning in order to get a writing task out of the way.

Isabella requested a disco on Friday evening. The neighbours might have 
found it entertaining too!

We finished all school work by lunch time on Friday and, perfectly timed, a needle felting kit arrived
which Andre ordered. We had already watched some video tutorials so Isabella got right to work. 
The kitten was her first creation.

Isabella made her own video tutorial this evening which we hope to have on her channel by tomorrow.
She's really enjoying this craft!

Lockdown 2021: Week 3 and Snow!

 18th - 24th January

We've had a good, busy successful week. School work keeps us very busy every day. Isabella is however really good when I need to work and is able to work independently when I need her to or to do her calls with her friends and teachers on her own when needed.

School tasks this week included, reading and writing as always, maths this week was measurement (we did fractions the first week), we've done photography, cooking, religion, PE, music, to name a few.

Today we were treated to two hours of quite heavy snow, leaving us with a really good amount to enjoy. You can see a video of our snowy day on Isabella's youtube channel.

Channel link or search YouTube for Isabella's Theatre: click here

Today's snow day video link: click here

We enjoyed some sunshine this week too which was lovely.

Andre pulled Isabella on the sledge behind the bike!

We built an igloo!

All three of us are playing Hay Day!

Lockdown 2021: Week 2

 11th - 17th January 2021

Week 2 of home schooling and Isabella said to me tonight she doesn't want to do school tomorrow. I said well you can stay home if you like! She didn't think it was funny! I asked her how come she's already tired of school at home when she was hoping for it only two weeks ago and she said she's just missing seeing her friends. Well she'll appreciate them once she can see them again at least.

School at home was quite busy. I think I said before she has two regular 30 minute calls on Teams with her class teacher and whole class each day. On Tuesday she also had a 1:1 reading session with a teacher and on Thursday two extra calls for small group maths and literacy. On Thursday we excused ourselves from the last whole class catch up call as we'd not gotten to any of the day's tasks yet by late morning with so many online sessions and she was starting to feel overwhelmed.

Isabella has been very good at times when I've had to work or been on a call myself and kept herself busy quietly with some school work and then quiet play.

This week we've been doing fractions in maths and Tabby and some marshmallows helped us
to work out thirds.

On Friday we wanted to try finish all the remaining tasks for the week, plus I had work to do
and wanted to make sure Isabella can do some work on her own, so I stuck all her activities
with instructions around the kitchen. Inside each cupboard with an activity stuck to it was a
small (edible) reward. It worked well!

The rewards!

Since Isabella isn't getting her (free) school lunches at school at the moment while we're having to stay at home, we have the option of collecting a food box from school every Friday. We didn't collect one during the previous lockdown, but I thought I will this time and see what's inside. This is what we got. Maybe we discover something new Isabella likes. It was her first time trying Angel Delight pudding, but she found it too sweet. Everything else she's approved of. I'd like to try jacket potatoes with her, although she would prefer those potatoes become chips!

Isabella asked to write a weekly dinner menu for us, as she would have at school and she really likes knowing what to expect each day and so will eat more meals with us. Saturday night was curry night and we got take away. Isabella never used to want to try curry, but likes it now.

She's loving this electric mountain bike which Andre has on loan for a couple of weeks to test.

Today was a Barbie day! We had everything Barbie out!

Lockdown 2021: Week 1

 First week of national lockdown 2. 

4 - 10 January 2021

A quick summary since I last blogged: after the first lockdown rules were relaxed we were put I think it was into Tier 2 lockdown, high alert, which meant we could meet up to 6 people outside, even in our own gardens, no meeting indoors, and all shops could open. We then moved to Tier 3, very high alert, where we cold no longer meet in our gardens, but could meet in public places outdoors. We then briefly got moved to a new Tier 4, the 'stay at home' tier, before the whole country was again in national lockdown.

Isabella's school had an inset day last Monday after the Christmas holiday, so no school, and on Monday afternoon her, and other schools were still told they'll be opening. That same evening it was announced all schools will be closed from the following day. Isabella woke up to happy news for her. I woke up extra early to get some of my own work done before moving on to her school work.

During the first no-school lockdown we were only sent work online to do mostly in our own time. This time they're having two 30min online lessons with their teacher plus additional 1:1 sessions for reading. The Teams meetings have been a bit of a struggle with everyone getting used to and frustrated with the technology, and then repeated requests for children to mute and unmute themselves as needed, speaking over each other, poor audio quality, not being able to see the teacher's screen share etc. Still, Isabella has enjoyed being able to see her friends and teachers every day online and everyone is just doing their best.

Here's what we've been up to last week:

Daily afternoon relaxing time with a cat nap and iPad games.

Beautiful winter walks.

Doing school work with the dolls.

Another cat nap.

And another walk.
The days are going to be looking very similar!

Isabella was inspired by a book we read and asked
to sew her own blanket.

It turned out great!

Online school.