Not wanting to fall at the first hurdle, I dragged my ass out of bed at a reasonable time; PE with Joe was streaming at 9AM and I knew Sonn would be up way before. We got dressed, I thought twice about bothering with make-up, but even treated myself to some lippy! It sounds artificial, but I love the routine, it’s meaningful and helps kick-start the morning. Followed by coffee no.1 .
There will be few rules while were spending time together at home, but I’m going for a no-TV-during-the-day approach (Sonn’s attention span can be bloody awful so I don’t want too many distractions getting in the way of the calm vibe). So 8:45 - TV OFF!
I was kind of looking forward to this morning workout, having not been able to get out running over the last year has taken it’s toll, I went from running half marathons, to 13 hour shifts and pregnancy… to isolation! So I hoped this Joe dude would bridge the gap, and burn off some of Sonn’s energy along the way. Knowing that thousands of people were tuned in for the same reason was quite a cool feeling, the workout was knackering and we laughed a hell of a lot, roll on tomorrow and I CAN’T WAIT for Brandon’s turn later in the week!
Taking it slow with this routine is proving key to making it work, not only have I got an eight year old bounding around the place, theres also a 3 month bubba needing a lot of love. It’s not always going to work and we’ll just have to get by. Luckily, this morning, she was pretty happy watching us sliding around the floorboards trying to share a yoga-mat.
Following up the fun with some spellings and a diary entry, that’s what it’s all about for me, a record of this crazy time, and something tangible to look back on. Designing a front cover for his home learning book and trying out some new stamp pens was a hit, you couldve heard a pin drop in the silence of concentration AND I managed to drag it out til lunch, whilst tricking the bubb into having a nap at the same time. Winner.
Now, where did I leave my coffee?
The proposition of keeping kids cooped up for any period of time is daunting, space (and mess!) is an issue for many. Were lucky to have a good garden to escape into,and as the first day of spring has just passed, all we really need is a bit of warmth and we’re good to go! Having spent the weekend gardening, I feel really positive about getting outdoors. To ease us into the season, I had something hands-on planned for the afternoon; planting sunflowers!
As with most ideas I’ll be experimenting with in the upcoming weeks, the resources will be limited; recycled, or found-objects from the arty cupboard at home. Before the virus really started to hit, I did make a trip to Wilko and bought some cheap packets of seeds- Sunflowers are an all-rounder, and they are something we can return to and watch grow for the duration of the home-school period (however long it will last)! Along with a bag of compost from Poundland (you’re welcome), I also raided the garden for existing pots, all shapes and sizes, lets call them botanical bric-a-brac…
I harnessed Ivy so I could move around fairly hands-free, but I tried to let Sonn do most of the work so he felt really involved in the process. Being outside means mess isn’t really an issue, we just got stuck in and had a right laugh - Covid 19 well and truly out-of-sight-out-of-mind.
Adding an extra bit of fun; we labelled the pots with our names, and aim to track their progress with a bit of friendly competition. These little flags we’re out together with cocktail sticks and post-its! Getting extra keen, we also planted some chilli’s, mint, aster and daisies - all that’s left is a bit of photosynthesis and bob’s your uncle!
To end to ‘school-day’ we came indoors, and did a bit of computer research (good old Google). I let Sonn guide the session, and we looked up sunflower growth and images of other plants which brought us close enough to 3 o’clock that we were happy to chill out, and eat digestives for a bit. I don’t plan on writing a blog each day, but this is a great start to my (hopefully) longlasting record and keeps my own mind and photographic eye ticking, plus, if it offers anyone else an idea or two then that’s a bonus.
If anyone has any ideas or resources for future fun- get in touch! #missmum
*Search THE BODY COACH TV on Youtube for PE with Joe. Streamed LIVE each morning from 9AM.