Coronavirus Pandemic Family Diary Week 4

4 weeks of this...I'll be honest, it feels like a lot longer. We've been technically on the school Easter holidays but we have pretty much kept to the same routine we've been following, except we took the long weekend off which was lovely!

Home schooling is going well, if a little repetitive. We try to mix it up a little to keep it interesting, we did study Kandinsky today which made an interesting change. I'm trying to be quite relaxed about it all, and focus on keeping up maths and english, and everything else will follow. Little Boy's reading is coming on so so well with the one on one attention so that's a bonus. Miss J as always is difficult to keep motivated!

Since I last wrote Boris Johnson contracted coronavirus and spent days in intensive care. Luckily he is recovering now but I think it hit home that anyone can be taken down by this awful virus. We've been particularly worried this week as my eldest still isn't well and we've had to make doctor and hospital visits. It feels like if we end up catching Covid-19 anyway then the whole isolation period has been pointless. I also am worried about her catching it when she is unwell to begin with so it's an added stress.

We had to call the out of hours doctor after she developed a temperature in addition to her current symptoms (nausea, fatigue and stomach pain). Even though she didn't have a cough they still had to treat her like she potentially had Covid-19 because of the temperature. We had to go to a hospital to see the GP where we were told to wait in the car until our appointment time when a GP in protective gear would come out to assess her in the car. If necessary she would be brought into a room in the hospital which was cleaned between patients. It was very frightening really, especially as we knew that she didn't have Covid-19 and didn't want her exposed to the virus if other people there had it.

She was sent over to the main hospital and luckily just put onto a paediatric ward and not a Covid-19 ward. All the staff were still wearing protective gear and you had to have your temperature taken on the way in and be labelled with a sticker with it on. Because the hospital is under so much pressure and isn't working as it usually is getting the tests done that she needs has proved difficult but we are back at the hospital next week for more blood tests and scans. Visiting the pharmacy for her medication was an experience in itself.

I'm still baking a lot...and eating a lot! I've decided that to try to combat this low feeling I've found starting to creep in by exercising a lot more. I'm going to start doing yoga and I've done a kettlebell workout this evening. I try to run a little in the mornings when I take the children out, but I'm just not feeling running at the moment for some reason.

One thing I'm really enjoying is finding the time to read. I've finished two books and it's such a joy to be able to read again. I've also loved watching a bit more TV - I really enjoyed Jesus Christ Superstar on The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel and this evening I'm watching Jane Eyre on the National Theatre's YouTube channel. It seems like a great opportunity to see shows like this which I wouldn't normally be able to go to see. I have just ordered three more books to be delivered from a local bookshop so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into those!

After 4 weeks of basically buying nothing but food I have had to buy a few bits and bobs. I bought some new skincare as my rosacea has really flared up (stress no doubt!). I went for a day time moisturiser from La Roche Posay as well as some CC cream. I also went for a skin boost oil and a night moisturiser from Tropic. I'm loving them all so far which is great! It was an expensive splurge but by not going out at all I have saved so much money!

I have also done an online order for some clothes for Baby N as he has had a bit of a growth spurt and needs a new wardrobe! We are onto 18-24 month clothes now (he is 15 months) and I'm sad about it because it's the last of the 'baby' clothes before I'm shopping in the kids section for him. I can't believe that time has gone so quickly with him and that we'll never have a little baby again!

We are told that the current lockdown will continue for at least another 3 weeks which is difficult to fathom. I fear though that we are getting used to all of this. The children know to stop now if they come across someone on our morning exercise walk. I'm really anxious if I have to go out or if someone comes too close to us. I'm feeling suppressed and oppressed and it's not a nice way to feel. I can't imagine how life will be in the future and if things will ever get back to normal again.

I hope you are all doing ok, hang on in there, make lots of cake, eat good food, do some yoga and some deep breathing exercises - we've been following the Wim Hoff method to strengthen our lungs. Don't be afraid to leave a comment to say hi or come and follow me on Instagram and say hi over there, I'm there every day!

We make a YouTube video of our Easter Sunday if you want to watch it. We actually had a lovely Easter, very chilled obviously but that was nice in it's own way.