Tag: COVID-19

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Lockdown Extended

I know it was needed, I know that we are being safe staying at home, BUT it is very sad that this lockdown has happened at the start of the school holidays and will be for the whole duration as well!

We didn’t have grand plans but did think that we might be able to take the kids to the movies, mini-golf, go to a cafe or restaurant with the family and maybe visit some friends. However this never happened, we stayed at home and watched movies, played games and watched the youngest learn to ride his bike without training wheels.

I even have a new car (well secondhand but low km and hardly driven) that I was keen to take the kids out in, however, it has sat in the driveway other than trips to the supermarket to get food for the family. I suppose the lack of outings has saved us money but it would have been nice to have had the experiences, but these will have to wait for later.

As I write this it is the Sunday before school is meant to start again, yes Tuesday is the start of term 3 here in New South Wales and as lockdown has been extended all kids that in the lockdown zones will be learning online.

Hours after the NSW Department of Education announced that schools will be preparing for home learning, they were hit with a cyber attack. Yes, talk about horrible. All the teachers need to access the Google Classroom portal for their school to plan the content for the kids that will be learning from home.

Google Classroom unavailable – Now fixed and ready for term 3

“The timing of this creates considerable challenges for staff as we prepare for the start of Term 3,” she said in a statement. An education department source familiar with the attack said that, in line with security advice, the outage was initially reported as scheduled maintenance.
“Thankfully, our teams have been able to isolate the issues and we are working to reactivate services as soon as possible.” https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-education-department-hit-by-cyber-attack-hours-after-remote-learning-announcement-20210708-p587z7.html)

I just checked with my girls and they are now able to access their Google Classroom. Hopefully, this continues and is all good for the start of term 3. It would have made it so much worse to not be able to access their online learning portal.

Overnight we have had 77 cases, 55 known sources and 22 from unknown sources. We are lucky that where we are there are no infections, however, due to be grouped as Greater Sydney we are still in lockdown too.

I was meant to be at the Fresh Content Awards Night on the 21st of July, however, this has now been postponed till the 8th of September. I’m now worried that if the numbers don’t go down, the event in September might be postponed yet again or may be cancelled. I do hope that the event happens as I am so excited about being nominated and going to the awards night.

We were also set to see a short film the twins were involved in but the screening has been postponed until the lockdown is over. Currently, the organisers don’t want to set a date to cancel it again and are waiting until the lockdown is over. I was very keen to see the finished film and celebrate with everyone, but we will have to wait.

You would have thought that employers would be more compassionate due to lockdowns and also having kids at home. Bayside Council, in Sydney’s south-east, made employees fill out forms stating that they would not be looking after children under the age of 7 years while they are working from home.

Geez, how about really penalising families for having children?

Make it even tougher due to the sanctioned lockdown orders that are out of our control that dictates that everyone needs to stay home and kids are only able to go to school if their parents are essential workers. I would say that being a council worker is not considered essential, and therefore many would indeed have kids at home.

Working from home during the lockdown

The juggle is hard and stressful, but as we are in crisis with the new delta strain I would have thought that Bayside Council would more compassionate to their employee’s needs and help them more.

“A staff member who spoke on the condition of anonymity described the council’s approach as “messy, unfair and unclear”. “It clearly shows an absolute disregard … for the health and wellbeing of employees, their families and the community,” the employee said. (https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-work-space-is-a-work-space-council-banned-staff-supervising-kids-while-working-from-home-20210708-p587vo.html)

Bayside Council said that staff can take annual leave to accommodate this time with kids learning from home. Personally, I think this is a shit offer and a horrible way to support their staff. Some people might not want to take leave or might not have available leave to take. Also what if the extra week lockdown extends for another 2 or more weeks? At this point with the number of infections are increasing, so a longer lockdown is a real possibility.

Lockdown could possibly extend to August and if that happens how much leave will you have to take from your job to accommodate homeschooling? Also how many staff would have to take leave? Will this be focused on the female staff members as they seem to shoulder most of the childcare?

Many are working remotely or not working at all due to being stuck at home while we wait for the numbers to go down. All companies and businesses need to be more supportive of their staff during these times and asking them to sign stupid forms getting them to agree that they will not be the sole caretaker of a child under 7 is bullshit in my book.

Currently, we have been given no choice to have kids at home while we work there too, It is not the employee’s fault for being put in this position and therefore should not have to sign paperwork to prove that they will not be a parent to their child in a time of need.

The below excerpt has been taken from the Grattan Website

“Australian women copped a triple-whammy:

  • they lost more jobs than men – almost 8 per cent at the peak of the crisis, compared to 4 per cent for men;
  • they shouldered more of the increase in unpaid work – including supervising children learning remotely – taking on an extra hour each day more than men, on top of their existing heavier load; and
  • they were less likely to get government support – JobKeeper excluded short-term casuals, who in the hardest-hit industries are mostly women.”

As homeschooling is set to commence on Tuesday I am not really looking forward to it. In 2020 we had about 4 months of homeschooling and it was rather painful as kids were not doing the work they were supposed to, and on top of that, the 4-year-old at the time thought it was playtime and would not let the older kids do their work. Flash forward to 2021, the 4-year-old is now a 5-year-old and in Kindergarten and the twins are now high school kids. It will be so interesting to see what a Kindy kid gets for school work. I do hope that all work well at home to get all their school work done and the arguments are kept to a minimum.

I am also amazed that many are breaching the lockdown orders. There has been a group that celebrated an 18th birthday party, a group of 15 men meeting to have a card game and many that are out in big groups and not following the restrictions.

I feel sad that many are doing the right thing and a small group is ignoring the rules. If we all stay home and the numbers go down, and the lockdown ends!

If you are in the lockdown too, what have you been doing to keep kids and yourself entertained? I spent the day yesterday cleaning the twin’s room, the outcome was good but the time doing it was painful.

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Halloween Restrictions 2020

COVID has thrown a spanner in the works to everyone’s plans this year. We have all suffered lockdowns, not visited loved ones, missed family and friends, and had to cancelled much-awaited plans.

Now we are in October and with Halloween approaching, there are questions around what we can and cannot do if you are trick and treating this 31st of October.

The girls a fews ago dressed up for Halloween.

Check out what you can and cannot do here, it lists all states in Australia.

  • It is advised to keep your celebrations local, so don’t travel to different areas
  • You are not to have lollies in a communal bowl.
  • We have also been told to not have people knock on the front door, to have lolly bags on the front fence, and also have hand sanitiser available.
  • No backyard festivities and if you are decorating just do your front yard.
  • Family groups must stick together, practice social distancing, and should not mingle with others.

A NSW Health spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au that under coronavirus restrictions groups of children trick-or-treating would not be allowed to travel together.

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    This is taken directly from the NSW Health Website:

    COVID-safe tips if you plan to hand out treats

    • If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 over Halloween, stay home, don’t receive Halloween visitors and get tested immediately
    • If you are self-isolating, don’t answer the door to trick-or-treaters
    • Make it a front-yard event, not at the front door of your house. Keep your celebrations outdoors and get creative in decorating the front yard
    • Only hand out individually wrapped treats 
    • Don’t use communal lolly bowls. Consider other ways of distributing treats such as hanging them individually on your fence, front gate or up your driveway
    • Offer hand sanitiser at your front gate or fence
    • You may wish to avoid people knocking on your door by putting up a sign that says “We are home but due to COVID-19, we are distancing. Please take one, Happy Halloween”
    • Remember, you can only have 20 people on your property at one time.

    This year I have decided to not take the kids trick or treating, and sadly to not have any lollies for anyone. I feel like it is too hard with the current restrictions.

    Although we won’t be having things for others, I will do some fun things with the kids in our back garden and of course, create some Jack O Lanterns so we can have fun as a family.

    I will also be looking at games and fun activities the kids can do at home.

    Make sure to check with your state to see what you can and cannot do.

    Whatever you get up to this Halloween, stay safe and have fun.

    Below are some Halloween Posts that might be of interest:

    Special Halloween Discount on Pet Foods only at VetSupply


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    PJ’s and Staying Home the New Normal

    Staying home is great.

    Not having to get out of your PJ’s is even better, you can do this by putting a jacket over your best pyjamas and driving the kids to the kiss and drop so you don’t even have to get out of the car.

    Restrictions are easing and things are slowly getting back to normal, but many are still working from home.

    With over four months of lockdown and not being able to go anywhere, my motivation to go anywhere has been lost.

    I’m happier to stay home, relax, and to work in comfort plus in the warmth of my house from the roaring heater.

     

    Don’t get me wrong I’m drooling over a beach resort holiday so that we can all unwind and destress, maybe then mummy can finally.

    I am also excited to be able to travel to places around Australia soon and eventually for international travel.

    Maybe I’m a person that is really suited to lockdown? With all the services for contactless delivery, remote working, online classes, and concerts and loads more that has become available in the current COVID-19 crises. It is easier to stay home now more than ever.

    Don’t get me wrong, when I’ve been out it has felt amazing, so nice to finally be doing things as we did before the global pandemic.

    Are you like me and find that you would rather stay home lately?

    OR MAYBE IT IS JUST STRESS AND ALL THE CHAOS FROM LOCKDOWN THAT HAS MADE ME SUPER TIRED AND IN NEED OF A REST?

    It also could be the fact that I’ve gotten used to not being able to go places and therefore being home is the place to be.

    Have you realised that you are preferring to stay at home? Or are you keen to race out to the big world and explore?

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    Day 1 to Day 66 of Learning at Home

    Today is officially the last day kids in New South Wales are learning from home. The twins watched their carefully crafted morning breakfast show that the teachers create every morning, however this time it had guest hosts – two students telling us what is on the agenda for work today and that it is the last day of being at home. All children go back to face to face learning full time starting next week on the 25th of May, 2020. (Putting the date in here for historical reference)

    Kids homeschooling due to COVID-19
    Kids homeschooling due to COVID-19

    I’m grateful that our response to the virus has been good and we have low to no infections, so that is a good sign. With restrictions easing and schools opening we are very lucky, many schools in America are set to be closed for the rest of the year and kids are going to be learning from home for the remainder of 2020.

    Insert a HUGE Happy dance and ENORMOUS SQUEALS OF DELIGHT from every parent here.

    Juggling work, kids, learning from home and keeping an active four-year-old entertained has been super difficult to impossible.

    We’ve had arguments, fights, tears and just defiance to do any work. Work that has been completed seems to be more of the fun stuff; art, drawing and the creative components to worksheets. Some maths and other work has been finished but with a lot of arguments and mummy explaining for the billionth time that the work needs to be done. To achieve final completion for a lot of the work I had to sit with both children and help them out, this meant that I could not do what I needed to do and arguments for who I was helping and telling the other child they need to just wait.

    Geez if I had $1 for every time I tell some to wait I would a wealthy woman.

     

    Here are my thoughts of day 1 and we are now coming up to 2 months of being at home. I did think we would be still homeschooling for the rest of term 2 and come back face to face in term 3 so this is a good thing.   I just hope that there are no outbreaks of coronavirus and everyone stays healthy.

    The school still has restrictions, there will be no excursions or incursions, no volunteers, no visitors, no drinking at the bubblers, no assembles and kids told that they need to wash their hands and understand if they are sick not to come to school.

    My wonderful girls doing their online learning at home - They are learning about tsunamis
    My wonderful girls doing their online learning at home – They are learning about tsunamis

    Day 1 of schooling from home 24th March 2020

    I’m doing our bit to keep us and the community safe.

    It is only day 1 of having all 3 kids at home and to put it mildly it was horrible and more like a nightmare conspiracy against mummy.

    Mainly the youngest has been horrible and is acting like he is tired still. He has been hitting out, having tantrums, crying and just being awful. I have spent the majority of my day dealing with arguments, incidents, making sure the little one stays away from the bigger kids to allow them to do their schoolwork and all the fallout.

    I’ve been ready for a lie-down and a G and T from about 12 pm or earlier actually.  I am keen to have a nice drink later and as I am writing this the kids are having a bath, then dinner and then bed – they are going to bed and there will be no arguments…bed is happening soon for all 3.  Do you hear that they really, really need to go to bed!

    This said, we have done some work on Mathletics, art, and drew a pagoda from scratch. I even added to the theme of Pagodas by watching some educational videos on YouTube. Now the kids want to make their own pagodas out of clay but one kid didn’t seal the bag of the clay and therefore our supply is rock hard.

     

     

    The kids have had some outdoor time on the trampoline and helping their brother search for bugs and insects.

    My little boy did do some drawing and art and practised writing his name. The rest of the day he has been collecting his cars, playing and making our day interesting.  Yes, interesting is a nice way to say challenging and difficult.

    I’m not sure that I can handle weeks or even months of this.

    I do know that schools and daycare are still open but with work drying up for us, and limited funds having a kid in childcare wasn’t helping us financially. Plus with the fact that they said that if we could have kids at home we should, our stance was if the twins were home so should our youngest as well.

    How are you all faring with being at home teaching the kids?  I for one am feeling exhausted and over it already and it is only day 1.

    Day 66 – The Final Day of Learning at Home!

    Today is the 22nd of May 2020. It is now the last day of the twins learning from home.

    It has been fraught with mixed emotions. We embraced the changes and did as we were instructed by the school to help the kids continue with their studies, however dealing with two strong-willed children who don’t want to do work is exhausting. Maybe they should have just gone back to school you say, well this was my thought after day 1 but we fought the urge. It was actually hubby that fought it, I could have easily dropped off the twins at school and been happy with that decision.

    I was over it all as I seemed to be the only parent making sure they were working on tasks they should be, worried about assignments due. Hubby and the kids kept on telling me they had plenty of time and then the day before it was due the assignment was done in a rush…and were accompanied by screaming, yelling and attacks at me about “Why am I not helping them do their work!”

    Geez!!! If you hadn’t left it to the last minute and done a bit a day it would be done and not rushed, I kept on saying!

    The teachers went above and beyond to get online content ready in Google Classroom for all the kids. It was very well done and in a short space of time. I also thought it was very easy to navigate and to find what work you are working on and then submit it to the teachers. This ease of use seemed to be lost as the kids decided to not click on all the work that was assigned and do other tasks. I then ask them what are you working on to get told nothing or something that is not school work.

    I have now taken to logging on as the twins to see what school work is due and has been assigned, I print out all needed worksheets, run through the tasks with both kids and get them to work on items that are due soon. I then check on them to make sure they are doing what they should be doing and if they need any help.

    We are a little behind in some work but for my own sanity, I have concentrated on reading, writing, and maths as the main areas. We have worked on some other things that have been assigned, I am hoping that next week the teachers will assist my kids to catch up if they are indeed behind.

    I know I will not miss the crazy that has become our normal due to homeschooling and having all kids at home, and not to mention trying to find some magical free hours that are uninterrupted to get some work done. I’m looking forward to the girls going back to face to face lessons and for their learning to get back to normal.

    It has been nice to sleep in a little, not be in a rush to get anywhere, not have to do lunches (although I still do but not packed ones), and not have to do the school drop off and pick up. This has been one of the more relaxing parts of learning from home.

    I’ve told the kids that we are living through a huge event in history, a global pandemic and the last one was in 1918. The older kids understand the history and what has been happening but the four-year-old is not understanding why we have been at home, and he has only recently started back at pre-kinder.

    We will look back on this time and be amazed at how we survived, adapted and stayed together to be safe and well.

    Although there were many good times I have been hanging for the world to return to normal or at least somewhat normal. I live in a small house, and this means if kids and hubby are home I have no space to do things for me.

    The kids have taken over the living room for their school work and when Alexander is here I need to keep him busy, it has only been this week and last that he started back at care, so today is a reprieve for me to allow me to do a few items of work, and help the twins out with any needed school work.

    Doing some creative arts at home
    Doing some creative arts at home

    Here is a sample day for us while kids are learning from home:

    • Kids and everyone gets up and have breakfast.
    • Drop Alexander off at care, if not at care, I look after him which means he wants to play with his sisters and his sisters decide to play with him instead of doing schoolwork.
    • I ask what they need to work on after they watch the Good morning show from the teachers.
    • They say not much or don’t respond (yes I am invisible and they don’t answer even if I am next to them) so I log on to see what assignments and work is due.
    • I then print out about 5-6 items that are not done or complete.
    • Kids work on one task, then take about million trips to the loo and to the kitchen to get a snack or drink.
    • Ask if the work they started is complete and the answer is either nothing or NO.
    • Go in to see if they need help, they have a fit at me as they can do it on their own, I then mention that they have other work to do and give them another 30mins to finish the task they have already had hours working on.
    • More trips to the bathroom and then the realization that it is now recess and they need to have a break.  Why do they need a break when they have had one every 5 mins!
    • Break Again? I tell them to get back to work and finish their tasks.
    • They have recess and play on the trampoline for what feels like hours to then come in and do the same with other tasks they don’t complete and then more arguments and negotiations about what they are doing and when it will be finished.
    • What! It is lunch now??? Again they need food and of course outdoor time. No work is happening again. Finally, they are back at their desk and doing something, I sit with them to ensure that something gets done and they argue about how it is all too hard and they don’t understand.
    • Now they claim they need to go to the bathroom again and are incredibly thirsty and need a drink or else they might die.
    • Many trips back and forth to the kitchen, bathroom and then work desk, but not a lot of work is happening.
    • The kids are worse than cats, in and out of the house, at least I don’t have to open doors for them.
    • The kids now finally notice it is the end of school time so they bugger off to the garden to spend the rest of the day on the trampoline.
    • I’m not sure what work has been done or finished and really don’t believe any work has been done at all!
    • There were many failed attempts to get kids back in the house to complete schoolwork, but it was a giant relief that the house is finally quiet, mummy has a headache and needs to finally do one piece of work that she has been trying to do all day!
    • Mummy is over it all and wants the kids to just do their job. Why is this such a hard ask????

    I have finally got my desk back as the kids like using my computer for Minecraft and some of their Google Classwork.

    I have looked at many other parents social media during the last two months, and it seems many kids have really enjoyed the remote learning from the school, they got stuck in and just did the work. Pictures that were posted showed kids in the school uniform, kids looking happy and of course many boasting about how their child is loving this time and getting all their work done in record time. I was like this as a kid, without wearing the school uniform at home.

    When I was younger I did correspondence for three months while I lived on a boat travelling the islands of Queensland. I got my school work done in a few days and then swam and played for the rest of the week. I was told that if I didn’t do my work I couldn’t go swimming and as a kid who lived and breathed the beach and the sea this was a deal-breaker, so I did my school work.

    It saddened me that my children didn’t share this drive and idea to get things all done to allow them to do more fun things. I even signed them up to some free stem coding classes and thought that this would be great, Tynker can also help you program things for Minecraft too. See I’m working with their interest in Minecraft.

    Maybe my kids just need to be at school for the routine and discipline of their teachers? Maybe being at school just helps get them into the right mindset?

    Working hard at their school work - I had to coax a smile out of one of them, the other one decided she didn't want to cooperate
    Working hard at their schoolwork – I had to coax a smile out of one of them, the other one decided she didn’t want to cooperate

    As I write this the girls are quietly working away on their classwork, there are still many outstanding tasks but my aim today is to see if we can finish everything that is due. Or at least come close.

    Maybe it has taken us two months to just get into the swing of things….although the kids have decided they had to have an early lunch, maybe this will mean that they will do more without another lunch break?

    One thing that the kids have done more of is to help around the house and to do more cooking. They have cooked us all dinner a few nights a week and have refined their cake baking skills. Have you been baking more? I think it is a natural consequence of being at home more especially when cafes and restaurants were closed.

    It is also the last day of being together at home so I want to take them out for a hot chocolate or something to celebrate and to mark the occasion.

    You know how I said they were quietly working away, well that is no more after all of me showing everyone what to do and where the work was people are claiming they don’t know what to do and where the work is!

    Geeez… another day spent supervising kids with their school work, I’m just grateful this is the last day of this struggle here.

    How have you found the time at home with the kids? Did they enjoy learning from home or did they struggle?

    My girls have said that they prefer school to learning from home, so it is going to be nice for them to go back to where they are better suited. I was a bit worried that they might prefer elements of working from home and it could be a hard transition back. However, with the twins saying they don’t really like remote learning I think the transition will be okay and nothing to be worried about.

    Also, mummy and daddy are super keen for the house to be peaceful and for us to have our time again.

    What are you looking forward to when school goes back full-time next week?

     

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    Birthday Thoughts

    Tomorrow is my birthday. Today is my last day of being 46. I don’t feel 46, and I do wish I wasn’t but the only other fix for that is to not be here at all and I want to live, so being 46 and older is the way it has to go.

    This looks yummy as a treat for my birthday, what do you think?
    This looks yummy as a treat for my birthday, what do you think?

    I have been thinking for a while about the year I’ve had so far, what I’ve accomplished, and also what was on my wish list.

    For many 2020 has been a challenge, mainly from a financial perspective. We had a rough year last year and hoped that this year would allow us to rebuild and to get back on track, however other forces had different ideas about our plans.

    Which has been really horrible and I’ve had moments that I have just sat on the floor and cried and cried about being put in a situation that is out of my control and one that I cannot fix and seems like whatever you do, you cannot help yourself out of it…Yes at times it has really felt like a hopeless situation.

    Firstly our community was trying to recover from the horrible bush fires, then wild storms and floods, and now a global viral pandemic of COVID-19 that has caused economies worldwide to crash, unemployment to skyrocket and lockdowns to be put in place to stop the spread of this horrible illness.

    We have been at home for over two months now and currently, Australia is slowly reducing the restrictions we have been living with for months. Starting next Monday the 25th of May all children in New South Wales go back to face to face lessons. We have had the kids learning from home and it has only been this week the 18th of May and last week on the 11th of May that the girls went to school one day a week, my girl’s day was Monday.

    It has been hard to not have your own space.

    It has been difficult to not be able to do your own thing and to be helping everyone and have no time for you.

    It also has been a very stressful and worrying time. Employment websites have been advertising copious amounts of jobs but they are not employing anyone… or it could be that they are getting so many applications that it appears like no one is getting anywhere at all.

    I did tell you that 2019 wasn’t great either. One thing that happened was hubby had a car accident which meant we had to get a brand new car. This was an expense we were saving for but hadn’t planned to do it at the time in which the accident happened. Then hubby’s contract for work came to an end in November last year, and it is hard to find a job that close to Christmas, then, of course, the bushfires and storms.

    We thought not to worry we will be right come 2020, we will both look for work and get amazing jobs and work super hard to get us back where we want to be this year.

    This is where the universe was laughing at us but told us nothing at the time.  A little heads up would have been good, but knowing what I now know I think it wouldn’t have mattered if we were told in advance.

    COVID-19 then happened and this meant no one was hiring, our savings was nearly empty and we were worried and panicking about how we would survive.

    While hubby was looking for a new contract he was doing some Ubering… yes due to having a new car he could be an Uber driver. This helped a little but due to the tough restrictions put in place due to COVID this work has dried up too.

    He has done odd jobs, mowing, and more to keep money coming in. I have been writing articles and doing a few hours a week as a social media marketer and keeping the blog running.  Plus not to mention having 3 kids home full time until recently, our youngest started back at care last week since his big sisters are going back to school.

    Like many people, we have had to put payments on hold, and many other things. I am not looking forward to paying it all back but grateful we have had assistance to help us at this horrible time.

    I have been applying for any job that I can do and putting my hand up for more work, and of course, staying up late to get things done due to never getting time alone to complete any task. Perils of being a mum with no time alone!

    So with my birthday soon to be here it has made me think…. what do I want, what do I want to achieve and how can I get there?

    It has also made me appreciate life, being well and safe with family.  I have valued seeing my kids grow and learn at home, and have some quality time. No racing off to be somewhere has also been a nice luxury during isolating at home and one that I will miss.

    Although this time with family has been very stressful for a multitude of reasons it has made me grateful that we have all stayed well and we all have a roof over our heads.

    During this time it has made me think of my friends that I wish were still here. One dear friend died five years ago and my other bestie left us two years ago this year. I miss them so much, I do wish they were still here to talk to and in fact, I still chat to them sometimes. My friends were only a year older than I was, so not that old when they left everyone and losing people young is hard (well they were in their forties but I consider this young).

    I did think that if my friends were still here they might have got ill with Covid-19 and this wouldn’t have been good. They had a comprised immune system and would have had to be in isolation but still attend doctors appointments and hospitals….so, therefore, might have had a good chance of contracting the virus, I do want them back so badly but during this crazy time with an illness that threatens you, I am glad they were not here to experience it at all.

    Due to losing my mates, I have been more diligent about my health. I am a mother to three young children and I am very aware that I need to be here to provide for my family in the years to come.

    I know this is meant to be a post about my birthday and my thoughts… it really doesn’t feel much like my birthday, maybe it is just the current climate that has made this so.

    Birthday balloons - I love purples and blues
    Birthday balloons – I love purples and blues

    We still cannot go out to dinner as a family, nearly all the cafes and restaurants are still closed and only doing takeaways. If we did go somewhere there is nowhere to sit and to just be other than a park. It is getting very cold here in the mountains and I really don’t want to be outside in the freezing weather, this for me is not that enjoyable, actually if we all were hundled in a park and it was super cold for me it would be a horrible day. So eating food in the cold on my birthday is not going to happen.

    We cannot go to the movies, however, I would love to do some DIY and clothes shopping but the lack of money at the moment is the issue.  Maybe I can figure out the costs and do a little bit to put a smile on my face when kids are finally at school.

    Being in isolation has made me re-evaluate some work I’ve been planning, think of new ideas, and make plans for this year.

    The one big thing I really want to do is to travel. I want to take the kids overseas to visit America, Disneyland, Japan, Osaka, plus Harry Potter World, Fiji, Singapore, New Zealand, Spain, and Canada.  I know that international travel is probably not happening any time soon and some places are still not doing well due to the pandemic.  I still want to go but only when it is safe to do so.

    Crocs Australia

    Maybe domestic travel will have to do once the borders to the states are all opened. I’m sure a nice family getaway on a Queensland Island Resort would just be perfect right now.

    So back to my birthday wishes and plans for my 47th year on this earth.

    I would like to be able to have more time to do things I like to do, time out, and help around the house.

    Time to plan my empire to hopefully buy my dream house at the beach – yes purchased all with cash from the sales from my amazing work and adventures.

    And not to mention being left to sleep in and not woken at odd hours in the night and early morning – maybe this could be someone else’s job for a while.

    Slowly it is feeling like our world in Australia might be getting back to normal or maybe a new normal and this is something that I am looking forward to.  A chance to build us all up again, save some money, pay off bills, and maybe take the family on a much needed holiday. We all desperately need to go somewhere to just relax, be somewhere to just be, and to be looked after.  Hopefully, soon I can make this a reality.

    Due to my birthday falling in the period of time that many places are still closed our celebrations will be at home. The twins are planning on creating a birthday cake for me and I have explained that I am not cooking dinner tomorrow so this needs to be sorted also.

    Cotton On (AU)

    I’m keen to enjoy the love and cuddles tomorrow and to eat the surprise birthday cake that the kids are planning.  Plus unwrap any birthday presents that I have to open.

    Birthday Cupcakes - Yummy don't they look tasty!
    Birthday Cupcakes – Yummy don’t they look tasty!

    My mum gave me some money to put towards a new haircut which I have been desperate to have. Late last year I was wanting to get a new do at the hairdresser’s but decided to wait as I thought we needed the money, then disaster hit in the new year and hairdressers were closed and then I still had no money. I should have just spent the cash last year and had it done.  Now to find a brilliant place to get pampered and get a new look to make me feel fabulous.

    In all honesty, the one present that would have made me super happy was for my shed/office to be finally completed.

    Yes, dear readers, it has now been over 3 years waiting for this DIY project to be finished and it is still not done!

    The aim of this space is to use it for an office and craft room for me and the blog. I want to bring my sewing machine, materials, craft supplies, and more out there so that I can set up projects and leave them and come back later. Currently, projects don’t happen due to not having any space and needing to pack things up due to kids. It is annoying and not practical to work like this.

    Other plans for the shed is to create my own podcast, have it as a quiet spot to write and to plan, and a spot to finally hang some of my art.  Basically a She Shed.

    Save Up To 50% Off New Arrivals - House Online

    I think when I have a little bit more cash I will hire someone to just finish it off…then it will be done and I can do more work, have a happier workspace, and finally not have to ask someone to do it.

    What have you wanted for your birthday?

    Has it changed this year due to being in isolation?

    Have you spent some time re-evaluating what you want this year?

    P.S. I think hubby and I have done pretty well to be surviving so far, and crossing fingers and toes we will not just be surviving but enjoying the fruits of our hard work soon. We have struggled both to create incomes to provide for the kids and ourselves and are solidering on each day. I am sure everyone is in a similar situation and our story is not unique. I salute all of you for struggling in this hard time and I hope that it all comes to an end soon and things are easier for all.

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    More People Around Due to Restrictions Slowly Lifting

    It is good to see that restrictions are slowly being lifted.

    The twins did a full day at school today.  Both kids finally had face to face lessons for the first time in about six weeks.

    Admittedly it doesn’t feel like it has been a few months it feels like much longer.

    As Robbie Buck on ABC 702 Radio, this morning said, “Parents normally come back from a six week holiday and manage to pack lunches and get sorted for school, however, this six week period feels like twelve years!”

    Yes, Robbie, I agree it really does feel longer than a few short months, and 12 years is about right!

    This Friday it is expected that there will be more restrictions lifted, from Friday they say we can have a gathering of ten people and also with ten people can go to a cafe or restaurant together.

    One thing that I have thought about. All this time not going out and then finally able to go to the cafe, finally be with more than two people. Be in the outdoors with no one moving you on, be at a park, and be legally allowed to be there.

    Taking the kids to school felt weird today and picking them up even more so.  We didn’t go into the school and dropped them at the kiss and drop place outside the school, and when I picked them up I stayed outside and practiced social distancing like we were told to do. Yes, many parents were there but 1.5mtres apart, it wasn’t very sociable but it is a great start.

    Even though we were supposed to be there, I felt naughty.

    I am sure when I finally get the chance to be in a pub or a cafe I will still feel the same.

    I will be sipping a cappuccino and relaxing and then someone leans over and says I am not allowed to be doing what I am doing. Yes, the fear of doing the wrong thing is going to happen. It has been a while and I haven’t been to a cafe for a meal since February or early March…see it has been too long I cannot remember exactly.

    “You are naughty and cannot do that!”

    For the last few weeks I have seen more people and traffic on the roads, and what looks like tourists but I cannot be sure if I am correct that they are tourists….although it looked like they were.

     

    On picking up the twins from school I saw two tourists in the middle of the street taking pictures of the stunning leaves and trees with the autumn colours. This happens regularly and many tourists block people picking up kids and others in their houses when they try and leave. Interesting that the area is bringing in more people now with a few restrictions that have already been lifted.

    I just hope that these people are not infectious or haven’t come into contact with something that is and gives our area a spike in infections.

    I really want this to end and to enjoy the outside world again.

    I really want to have our lives go back to normal or the new normal post-COVID-19.

    To have the ability to earn, to travel, and to live again with my family.

    Have you noticed things are changing around your area? Have you seen more people and traffic?

    Are you like me and will be feeling that you are being naughty when you are able to go to a cafe?

     

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    Schools One Day a Week Starts Tomorrow

    Tomorrow the twins go back to school for their first face to face lessons since March.

    The girls are only going back one day a week so far and their days are Mondays. This, of course, has excited me. I will have some time alone, no noise and of course be able to concentrate for the first time in what has felt like many months, not just a few. Yes, it has felt longer.

    School goes back tomorrow for 1 day a week
    School goes back tomorrow for 1 day a week

    The idea that they are starting to have kids go back to face to face classes is promising and one that I hope continues. The twins have been put in their sporting house and their house’s day to attend school is Monday. The rest of the week will be learning from home, but every Monday means that the kids get to go to school and mummy gets a break!

    I am not sure that they are excited or scared with the prospect of going back. I for one think that getting kids off to school early after not having to be anywhere might be the biggest hurdle we face, as our days are spent waking up at around 9 am and getting our day going with some furious hours of school work, trying to fit in work with a busy four-year-old and two eleven-year-olds that constantly need guidance with their school work.

     

    Since the girls are venturing back to the outside world we thought our youngest needed to go back to his school at daycare too. As with his sisters, his first day back begins tomorrow too, and again mummy and daddy are super happy about the time this will give us to work on projects that can help the family and earn money.

    There has been much talk about when schools will reopen and if it will be for full-time attendance. As far as I know, being a New South Wales school they are being cautious due to the cases that we have had of coronavirus. If all goes well the kids one day might be made to more and then come next term it is said that they should be back to full-time face to face lessons.

    Having kids home constantly home has been draining.

    There have been some wonderful moments, it has been great to see how they are growing and learning but having no break and no way to have downtime wears on you pretty quickly.

    While I’ve been helping the twins with their school work, I’ve had to entertain and play with my four year old. I need to keep him occupied so that it allows the girls to have some quiet time to get work done. It is hard as I cannot be in three different areas and doing different things. I cannot help the girls with the school work, play with Alexander and also do work at the same time. It cannot happen.

    Helping kids learn from home is really a full time job
    Helping kids learn from home is really a full-time job

    I have been one of those parents that have lessened her time frames on iPad and screen time as this has allowed me to get a few things done for work and let the twins do some school work at the same time. Alexander is now very much obsessed with superheroes and is racing around in his undies and super cape while watching his YouTube videos.

    We live in a small house and one project that I was hoping would be complete to help is my office/shed. This would have been ideal if it was complete, as it would allow me to lock myself in a place where my work is my own, I can focus, no noise and be able to leave uncompleted projects on a desk and then come back the next day to finish them off. Soooo now that it is still not done after 3 years of promises I am stuck with a small house and nowhere to go to do work. I have taken to hiding in my bedroom with the laptop but kids inevitable find me and then there are disasters that mummy can only solve.. then no more work gets done!

    I did live in hope that this office space for me would be magically finished by Mother’s Day or my birthday (which is now 10 days away) but the fact that we have been negatively impacted financially due to coronavirus doesn’t allow to spend on building materials for this project currently. Isn’t it always the way, you either have plenty of time to do things and cannot due to no money, or you have plenty of money and no time to do the things you want to do.

    Personally, when I get some money I am going to get it done or pay someone to do it as I am so over waiting for my dream space to finally become a reality.

    When the kids go back to school this week it will allow me to breath a sigh of relief and finally, get onto some projects that I have been desperate to start and some to finally finish.

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    Crazy Trump and His Stupid Cures for Coronavirus

    Don’t listen to this crazy man – he has completely lost it and giving very dangerous advice.

    So today Donald Trump recommended that people inject themselves or drink disinfectants to rid themselves of the Coronavirus. He also said that using UV lights was a good way to treat and cure COVID-19.

    REALLY?

    WTF!

    The President of America is giving his citizens this piece of stupid and harmful advice.

     

    “Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light … supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do, either through the skin or in some other way?” Trump asked.

     

     

    “I see the disinfectant where it knocks [the coronavirus] out in a minute, one minute,” said Trump during the White House’s daily coronavirus briefing. “And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it’d be interesting to check that.”

    I really hope that no one decides this is a good way to kill the virus, if they do this it will kill them!

    It is not the first time Trump has given bad and fatal health advice.

    “An Arizona man died in late March after having ingested chloroquine phosphate — believing it would protect him from becoming infected with the coronavirus. The man’s wife told NBC News that she had watched televised briefings during which Trump talked about the potential benefits of chloroquine.” www.nbcnews.com

     

    And in regards to Trump’s UV Light cure:

    “There has been some research into the effect of ultraviolet light on the coronavirus when it is in the air or on surfaces, but using it to cure an infected person is a completely different, not at all analogous matter.  Depending on how powerful the light is and how long you’re exposed to it, such treatment could burn you, cause cancer, or do absolutely nothing. It will not, however, cure you of COVID-19.” Mashable.com

     

     

    DO NOT DO THIS

    DO NOT INJECT DISINFECTANT

    DO NOT SWALLOW ANYTHING WITH BLEACH OR DISINFECTANT

    IT WILL KILL YOU!

    Trump is not a doctor and obviously not in the right state of mind to give any sane advice.

    I really don’t understand how this man is in power, how is he the president, and how does he still have a good rating (currently it has fallen but still at 43%) when he makes up such horrible and deadly advice.

    Lysol has who is the maker of the disinfectant has said Please don’t drink our cleaning products

    Let’s hope that the American people will see that this man has no interest in caring for his people and is just insane. I hope that he doesn’t re-elected and that the people get a much-needed change that will help everyone.

    Face it, having a leader that tells you to inject yourself with poison is not on, and shouldn’t still be leading the country.

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    Super Mum Hacks to Stay Productive While At Home

    Cancelled plans,

    Kids at home,

    Homeschooling,

    and

    Mum needs to work and be left alone… so how do you balance everything when everyone is at home and YOU never get left alone????

    Here are some super mum hacks that will help you out and ones that are favourites of BigW too.

     

    Maths class 

     

    Schools out for the Easter holidays, but it is still important to establish a routine, not just for working from home, but also for your kids. Keeping the kids educated and entertained during this challenging time is key and reminding them that daily chores are still on the agenda is important. So grab a Dry Erase Board, some Monopoly money and some tasty snacks and get those kiddies working for their maths class – trading chores for treats!  

    After paying for snacks with Monopoly money the kids will be experts in: counting change, knowing if they have enough for a certain snack and how much money they have left.

    If you are after a good way to help kids learn more about Money then Spriggy is helpful to teach kids about financial literacy. My kids love their Spriggy cards and I’m sure you will too!

     

     

    Art class 

    Whether you’re a rookie or a WFH veteran, creating structure and ensuring productivity is important. Setting up space in your home where you exclusively work and commit to working from each day, will make you more productive. So now you have found somewhere quiet, with a door and the least amount of distractions (including mess), grab some tape and large pieces of chalk and get the kid’s creative flares sparked with a DIY art class. 

    Get some great deals on Art & craft supplies for kids

    Keeping kids occupied with art or a creative project will keep them happy and allow you to get some work done too.

    More Creative Ideas For Kids:

     

    English class 

     

    It is important to plan your daily breaks when WFH. With kids needing to be constantly entertained, fed and watered – even Mum needs a break sometimes. Sitting the kids in front of the TV whilst you take some time out never felt so educational (and entertaining) – simply switch on the mute button and chuck on some subtitles. Welcome to Mum’s English class kids!

     

    Physical Education 

     

    While Super Mum’s navigate the new world of isolation and working alongside their kids 24/7, it’s still important to keep moving and remain active. While you may love going for a run or setting up some time for a yoga sesh, watch the kids stay active and learn how to ride a bike, sharing a little #fitspo-lation to other Mum’s these holidays. 

    My kids just love their Vuly Trampoline and have fun Boucin’ Around: A Fun Way to Keep Your Kids Occupied These Holidays

    These are great ways to help you get work done and at the same time entertain and help kids learn.

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    Make Sure You Get Your Flu Shot!

    Last Thursday (Yes the day before Good Friday) all of us but one is got the flu shot. Our youngest is getting his next week as it is a special free clinic for kids under 5.

    So last Monday (30th of March) our little boy fell out of bed and hit his front teeth on the corner of his bed…yep really hard and it has now made some teeth wobbly. At first, it was just a cut lip and sore teeth. I did check and they were not wobbly but he said they were sore. I gave him panadol and thought it would be better soon. A few days later hubby took him to the doctors and to make sure all was okay.

    Get your flu shot - make sure the whole family has one!
    Get your flu shot – make sure the whole family has one!

    The doctor confirmed that one front tooth is wobbly but there is not much we can do. It is still in his mouth and doesn’t look like it will fall out, so at least that is good. We were told to give him panadol and for him to take care….hahaha a four-year-old taking care. Really!

    Ever since he hurt himself he has been bumping, hitting his head and hurting himself. It seems like every time I turn around he has blood coming from his knee, arm, foot, mouth or face. Danger child is keen to really to have a major injury and of course make us go emergency at the hospital. However, due to COVID-19 we are keen to avoid the hospital if we can.

    MUSE HELPS YOU BE CALMER

    While hubby was at the doctor’s with Alexander he told him that he wanted all of us to get the flu shot. Hubby was taken back and said that the flu shot cannot help you if you get COVID-19, but then the doctor said this:

    “If you have had the flu shot and do get COVID-19 they are seeing that people get a milder version of the virus”

    Now we have no idea about this but when a doctor tells you to do this I think you should listen.

    “Protecting yourself and your family from the flu with a vaccination now will help reduce the strain on health resources from COVID-19,” said RACGP president Harry Nespolon. The flu vaccine won’t combat COVID-19, but it will help to reduce the severity and spread of seasonal influenza, which can lower a person’s immunity and make them susceptible to other illnesses.” (abc.net.au)

    The doctor printed out scripts for all of us except Alexander to get the medication for the flu shot. Hubby went to the chemist and sourced the goods and now today we are off to get the needles. It is not the family outing I had planned and while in lockdown and staying at home the only family outing is a doctor visit so maybe I should just be happy with the fact all of us are getting in a car to go somewhere together.

    REGISTER FOR AN AMAZON BABY WISHLIST BOX

     

    Hubby hates needles and fights going to the doctors so for him to embrace what the doctor said was next to amazing. Yep, a doctor told him something and he rushed out to do it. I think it had something to do with the pandemic we are currently facing with coronavirus.

    The twins had never had flu shots before and were a bit worried and nervous, we told them that there is nothing to worry about and all will be fine…its just a needle.

    One of the girls her arm was a bit sore and then a few days later the same for me. Hubby and my other little girl seemed fine, although the girls and I were a little tired with some symptoms of a cold but on the whole okay.

    Now it has been a few days after having the flu shot I must say my arm is better and I am feeling okay rather than under the weather.

    One other bonus of having the flu shot is to ensure that after all this COVID-19 is cleared up that we don’t all end up sick with the terrible flu as well.

    Plus making sure you don’t get sick with the flu means that you might not be susceptible to get COVID-19, for example, if you have a lower immunity due to getting ill and then you get something else on top of the flu.

    It is a horrible time. A time that many are facing uncertainty and one that we are all struggling to hang on until this horrible virus is over or at the very least gone mostly from Australia.


    I have read that some develop antibodies and some people don’t. I am not sure the doctors know why this is not happening for all that have recovered. The common belief is that you will get this sickness again and it will not go away.

    Many around the world are working away on a vaccine and I hope that this happens sooner rather than later.

    So if you can please get the flu shot this year, and make sure the whole family gets it too!

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    Isolation Done Right

    You asked for funny stories and now I’m giving you what you asked for…you might now wish for something different.

    Last week I went shopping with the kids, we bought some essentials and then came straight home. I unpacked the shopping and then got dinner ready. A few days went by and I thought it might be nice to take all three kids to the local oval. They were driving me mad and I thought if they had some exercise and room to run around it might make things easier, and mean that bedtime might happen quickly due to everyone being tired…well I could live in hope.

    So I went looking for my car keys to take my feral bunch to the park. I couldn’t find them. I looked and looked and still no keys.

    I asked my kids to help but their looking skills are not great. They currently walk into a room stand there and stare. Then yell about how it is so hard to look for something and why do they have to help when it’s not even their keys!

    One of the other kids walked into another room and just touched a few things on my desk and then walked away saying…no it’s not there.

    It was all too hard to help mummy so they raced outside to play on the trampoline and to ignore my pleas for help.

    I know it sounds funny but due to not having to be anywhere, no deadlines, no school and so on, I didn’t immediately notice that I had lost my keys.

    Once I figured out they were lost I did a bit of a freakout, but then quickly calmed down. They can’t be outside the house, I got home, locked the car and brought in the shopping. So at the very least, the keys were somewhere in the house and I had no idea where.

    I started wondering where the keys were.

    I looked where I thought I put them and they were nowhere to be found.

    Free Shipping On Vibrators
     

    Part of me thought the youngest had put them in the bin and by the time I had this thought the garbage had already been collected…so if this was indeed true they were gone by now.

    I then started cleaning up parts of the house, making sure to look under the lounge, piles of unfolded clothes, toys and more.

    Still no keys!

    It had been about a week I think, not sure as I am losing days due to not having to be anywhere and staying at home. I still thought they were where I put them originally.

    I had an idea they had fallen off the cabinet where we put the fruit. Yesterday I decided to move the cabinet and finally saw some keys looking at me. I reached and finally had them in my hand, and thank goodness it was my keys. They had been found.

    Insert huge happy dance!

    Now my keys are super safe, I put them up high to make sure that little kids cannot decide to place them anywhere around the house.

    If this had happened at any other point in my life this would have been a huge disaster, however, due to being at home due to COVID-19, it didn’t matter much. Although I wanted to find them to ensure I had them from a safety standpoint. If hubby was out and I was home with the kids and something happened, at least I would have the keys to the car to go somewhere if it was urgent.

    It did get me thinking…if you want people to stay home just take away their keys.

    Simple really, Isolation done right.

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    The World Has Gone Crazy

    The world has gone to shit lately and every night I go to bed hoping that I wake to discover it is a dream. Or at the very least that there has been a miracle discovery and there is a vaccine available and safe for everyone to have.

    Sadly this new world that I thought I might wake to find has not occurred and each day things seem to get worse.  I do fear they will get worse to crazier before they get better.

    I hope we have a cure for COVID-19 Soon - Let's hope we can punch it in the face soon!
    I hope we have a cure for COVID-19 Soon – Let’s hope we can punch it in the face soon!

    There are new restrictions on what you can buy at the shops and that is if the items you did want to get are in stock, and on the shelves. With panic buying, many have been left without and going to multiple shops in the hope to get toilet paper, meat or even other food and essential items.

     


     

    There have been new restrictions on how many people can gather in one place.

    “If your indoor space is 100 metres square, for example, 10 metres by 10 metres, you can only have 25 people in it. If your space is 400 metres square, you can have 100 people in it.

    The rule banning non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 or more people remains in place.” (https://www.abc.net.au)

    I know I am not the only one that feels upset, frustrated and annoyed at the current climate. I do understand that it is not anyone in particular that has done this, but due to a virus that we have never had before. That said, we as a community have already been going through a lot already.

    Not only did we have the bushfires for about six months, evacuations, road closures and constant stress due to checking the Fires Near Me App, then we had an eerie Christmas all still with the bushfires surrounding us.

     

    You might think that is not great but livable (We did live with constant smoke, sirens and more for ages), well it was liveable and we were grateful that we were safe and didn’t lose our home.

    This is not to mention hubby ending his contract in November last year, and spending our savings to survive all with the belief that the new year will bring better opportunities.

    We then had non stop rain for weeks and weeks that caused flooding and damage (thankfully not to our place but has affected many), then now where are in the grips of a pandemic due to COVID-19.

    Both of us were applying like mad for all positions that we can do regardless of travel, however, no one is hiring due to the current health crisis. Many employers are gearing up for remote work if they haven’t done so already, and a couple of the responses from recruiters is that there is an employment freeze until the issue with coronavirus improves.

    If we cannot work how do we pay our bills? How do we pay for our electricity, food, petrol, and more? We like others have children and need to ensure that they are cared for.

    I must say that the banks have been very helpful about putting loans on hold and helping us out and I’m sure that this is happening for many others at the moment. If you are struggling at the moment, make sure to tell the bank and seek help. The bank can put your mortgage or loans on hold due to financial difficulty.

    I feel like I’m living in constant stress and on the edge all the time.  I just want it all to stop and to finally relax, rather than be constantly worried about everything.

    I know we will be fine if we just don’t go anywhere and make sure we are washing our hands and taking care.   We haven’t been overseas and are not going anywhere other than school, daycare, the shops, and our house. The only concern I have is at any of these places we frequent we could potentially come into contact with anyone that could have the virus and this is out of our control.

    Currently, schools and daycare are still open and we are sending the kids but worried. Both hubby and I are using our time to ensure we are earning to provide for our kids. I am fearful that if they do close schools it will make working harder. However, every day they do go to school I am concerned about their health and the families. Staying home might be better to control the worry and the possibility of getting infected. We are all fine currently and wish to stay that way!

    Everywhere we are going I make sure that we are all washing our hands and not touching our faces. I admit this is hard to do with three kids.

    We are well and safe and that is all that I can hope for at the moment.

    However, when the government says just work from home this is all great for people currently employed. If you are like us and have been looking for work since before Christmas how does this help us?

    Our world has changed.

    We are doing jobs for friends this is a win for them and for us. I for one have been lucky to pick up a writing job and one that I feel is very exciting.   I am also working on other business ideas to help contribute to the family and obviously being super creative with meals for the family.

    I must say that if we were flush with cash and we didn’t have this worldwide health crisis our plans were to take the family to Japan this year. I wanted to take the twins to Japan for their 12th birthday instead of a party we would save for a wonderful family experience. The plan was to see Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Osaka, visit Disneyland in Tokyo and see the sights of a different country, experience the culture and food.  However, due to no money and the fact that travelling is dangerous at the moment, we are homebound for the foreseeable future.

    I still want to travel, I’m lusting after a magical getaway on an island that we are all taken care of and safe from everything. Also on this island mummy would be pampered and get served drinks, have a complimentary massage daily and the kids will be looked after with a multitude of fun activities. Doesn’t this sound perfect at the moment?

    If we had money who’s to say that we wouldn’t be stuck in Japan or ill with the virus? Maybe this has saved our family? Its the only way I can look at it at the moment.  We were planning on travelling in September so if we had purchased tickets we would have not been able to travel due to the travel bans. So in a way, it is a win, although I still want to see Japan.

    I keep on seeing events getting cancelled and one that I was desperate to see in April have cancelled again (This was the 2nd attempt to see this show due to the fact that it was cancelled in January this year – I just hope that when they reschedule for the 3rd time I have money available to see them).

    Events are being canceled due to COVID-19
    Events are being cancelled due to COVID-19

    I know that cancelling events is the safest thing to do, but I like many are rather down about it all, as I was very excited and really looking forward to this event. I am sure that you all are having events that you were keen to see and go to cancel, and are upset as well.  I’m not alone in this.

    On the TV the graphs behind the Prime Minster said August 2020 and some reports are saying that we need to be prepared for 18 months of this health crisis. It is also similar to the Spanish Flu in 1918  which was another terrible pandemic that killed a lot of people. And experts have said that we are in another 100 year pandemic with COVID-19.

    The shocking news from the past is that the Spanish flu lasted from “January 1918 through December 1920, it infected 500 million people—about a quarter of the world’s population”

    This is 2 years of dealing with this illness…. geez I hope this doesn’t happen now. If this is correct for our current pandemic it could last until 2022!  Maybe in 2020, we have better health care and scientists working around the clock will come up with a solution to this health disaster.

    Let’s hope that there is a solution soon that helps us be safe from this virus. I don’t think we can deal with this for another 18 months.

    I hope you are all safe and well.

    Here is the Australian Government Department of Health’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

    Let’s hope people don’t go too crazy and the scientists find a solution soon.

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