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    Day 5

    March 31, 2020

    Today was a great day.

    We all slept in, and after breakfast we went for a walk. Yes, folks, I got out of the house. We had to drive to our local park (my knee injury is exacerbated by slopes and stairs, and there is nothing but slopes and stairs where I live).

    The sun is shining, and many people are out exercising. Everyone maintains their distance. I love this particular walk at the best of times, but today it feels like a wonderful treat; and at the same time it makes me feel normal. It does me good to see other people out and about, looking fine and healthy; a reminder that life goes on despite the lockdown.

    When we get home we start ‘school’ work. Master D is working on his writing, so he gets a couple of fun worksheets, while Miss E writes stories. They colour in pictures for over an hour. Despite it being the school holidays, we are very lightly doing school, just for structure and to keep us occupied!

    I eat my lunch outside, and do a bit of pruning in the garden. My knee isn’t any better today but it certainly doesn’t feel any worse from this morning’s walk.

    I catch up with my family on Zoom, and have a laugh as we complete our limerick challenge. While I am chatting, my children play outside, and set up “The Flower Cafe”, complete with food and drink menus, and a children’s play area with colouring pages. Their creativity boosts my spirits.

    The waitress takes my order
    My meal: two gluten-free cakes and an ice-cream float
    I am a good girl at the cafe, and get to colour in

    After trying to extort real money out of us (to give to the Guide Dogs, Miss E is a philanthropist at heart), she settles on LEAFPOS, but still charges me $19 Leafbucks for my cake and drink. That kid is going places.

    I notice this in my garden

    We end our day of school by listening to stories on National Radio. and Master D starts designing a mini golf course. A great day.

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    Day 4

    March 29, 2020

    I wake up at 5:15am with nightmares. Minutes later, so does Master D. He goes back to sleep.

    I give up at 6am, and go downstairs. I read the Bible (God directs me to the book of Jeremiah, very apt indeed). I make pancakes for the rest of the family. I join my online prayer group. They also are still not sleeping well.

    My son’s two great loves, Lego and Pokemon. The Lego machine shoots waffles, apparently.

    Rev G runs his first online service. It is well attended, even by friends and family who are all over NZ. Unfortunately for me, my connection is dreadful, so I give up. But not before I hear one of the people praying start to cry. Everyone is overwhelmed with emotion right now.

    The children do Cosmic Yoga on YouTube, which is a delight. It keeps them moving for over 30 minutes. The rain is even worse today, and I’m grateful for these shows.

    I catch the 1pm news and am devastated to hear of New Zealand’s first COVID-19 death. We know more will follow in the days to come. It reinforces the need to stay home to keep others safe.

    I catch up with my family. My parents are jubilant. They received their online shopping order. My mum says it actually brought back happy memories from childhood, when everything used to be delivered to her mother on a Friday – groceries, meat, milk. Friday was an exciting day.

    My brother is already planning what he will do when we get out of lockdown. The first thing I want to do is go to see our family.

    We help the children with a string art craft. Again, my son amazes me with his ability to focus and he really gets into it.

    The weather clears and they go off for a walk with Rev G. I get out into our garden. We have a ‘forest walk’ that runs parallel with the main entrance. It is thickly planted with native trees, and I stand there, feeling the weak sunlight on my face. I feel calm and content.

    Today was a much better day.

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    Day 3

    March 28, 2020

    Today brought cold and rain. The sombre weather matched the mood in our house.

    Rain, rain, go away

    The children sleep in until 8am, which is pretty much unheard of. I put it down to the mental load of having to process all this scary virus stuff.

    Master 5 has meltdown after meltdown all day, leaving everyone else’s nerves frazzled.

    There are bright spots – Cosmic Yoga, building marble races, making brownies. Rev G has introduced the children to the old Roadrunner cartoons, and my son says it’s his new favourite, favourite, favourite show. They help clean the house with little complaining.

    The children get their kindness mail: today’s challenge is to come up with a new joke. Rev G and I write silly Limericks for my family’s weekly challenge. I do like how this forced isolation is fostering old-fashioned creativity.

    The children turn the tables on us – it says ‘Your kindness mission’

    The rain stops long enough for Rev G and kids to walk around the block, and for me to get outside and breathe in some fresh air. I keep looking at the garden, which needs working on. Only one adult is capable of doing it, and he is flat-tack with work right now.

    Today I am grateful that we have all we need. Many poor souls queued in the rain today to get groceries. The limits on items for sale mean those with big households must shop daily, or almost daily.

    My knee has improved after two days of rest, I am hoping it continues to improve as Rev G has to work again from tomorrow. It’s awfully hard to parent from the couch that I am resting on, and I feel bad for the extra jobs he has to do.

    I google the weather forecast, and pray for better weather. We could all do with more time outside.

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    Day 2

    March 27, 2020

    I stay up until the wee hours of the morning to secure a grocery delivery slot for my parents. Slots fill up so fast that this is the only way to get one – when a new day rolls over. You cannot get a time slot for at least a week.

    I watch Avengers Endgame with bleary eyes, and try not to cry when the supermarket website crashes just after midnight. I don’t give up. I watch a bit more of the movie, and after about half an hour the website is up and running again. Fortunately I am able to retrieve the order, and I discover they have added more time slots that are closer than a week away. I am able to get my parents a delivery for Saturday.

    When we get up we discover that our kindness mail is going well. Today’s mission is to do something kind for Daddy. The children set the table for breakfast and get Rev G his breakfast cereal. They have collaborated and given US a kindness mission – we have to sing a song to their Oma. Rev G and I decide to sing ‘You’ll never walk alone”.

    I sleep in a bit. My knee has stopped improving, and is usually aching and hard to walk on by the end of the day. Rev G and I decide that resting up must be my focus so that I can eventually go out for walks. My own mental health is starting to suffer a bit – I haven’t left the house since well before the lockdown. I get teary when I think about not being able to go for walks. The tears are simply what lack of sleep does to me, so I also prioritise some early nights.

    My knee injury is exacerbated by slopes and stairs. We have about 50 steps just to get into our house from the street, and then about 15 stairs to get to the second storey of the house. So, you can see my problem.

    I do my daily Christian devotional and tai chi outside in the sunshine. The weather is not as nice, and rain is forecast for several days. I get outside as much as I can, but it’s not easy because of all the steps on our property.

    My lunch view, sitting at my front door. The road is all the way down at the gap in the trees. You can’t see all the steps in this photo, but there are a lot. This is typical for homes in hilly Wellington.

    Rev G theoretically has today off, which is why I am able to rest my knee so much. Even so, he has several phone calls with parishioners, providing tech support so they will be able to be part of an online service this weekend. I give thanks that prior to this job, he worked in IT. Helping people participate in shared online worship may be the most important ministry he does throughout lockdown.

    The children are pretty good for the morning, and my daughter makes me a fruit salad, unprompted. In the afternoon my son gets really tired and scratchy, but is distracted by making under-the-sea dioramas with his dad.

    Fruit salad, courtesy of Miss E

    Craft time. I am grateful for our new house which has a conservatory. We use it as a kids craft room, to hang washing, and to grow seedlings. Anyway, I am grateful for this space!

    I get really annoyed at all the Facebook vigilantes on my local FB page. “OMG, a jogger just ran past me too closely!!!!”, “I just saw two ladies walking together!”, “There are people shopping at the supermarket! Stay home!”, “Why is no one wearing masks outside?”.

    I wish I was exaggerating, but I guess this is just an example of how panic stops our rational brain from working.

    You are not going to catch COVID-19 from a jogger whizzing past you, although that jogger should have tried to give you more room. Those two ladies probably live together; not everyone has traditional family units. People are allowed to get groceries. There is no reason to wear a mask unless you have symptoms – and if you do you should be staying at home.

    Today all four of us are tired and cranky. We watch another silly movie after dinner. Once the kids are in bed Rev G and I start coming up with plans for fun things to do with the kids (we are going all out for April Fool’s Day, for example) and projects that need to be done (like gardening, rearranging the garage etc).

    We come up with a plan for the next day which includes chores, crafts, baking and exercise. I think these daily and weekly plans will help us get through. We don’t have to follow them to the letter, but having ideas at the ready takes the pressure off our mental load.

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  • Uncategorized

    Lock Down: Day One

    March 27, 2020

    I sleep badly again, falling asleep way after midnight.

    I do, however, manage to get up for home group prayers. It’s lovely. There are several children clad in PJ’s, and they bring light to my day. It feels good to gather with other believers. Some of them are essential workers, some are married to essential workers. Some are juggling working from home with kids.

    I feel better when someone says they aren’t sleeping either. Another reminder that I am not alone in this.

    I spend more time in prayer, listening to Pray as You Go while exercising outside. I listen to Christian radio station, Rhema daily anyway, but find it even more comforting in these times. Unlike other stations with wall-to-wall doom and gloom, Rhema are talking about COVID-19 but not revelling in the drama of it. Instead they are repeatedly reminding their listeners of God’s promises.

    They play Lauren Daigle’s song ‘Look Up Child”, and it has new meaning today:

    Where are You now
    When darkness seems to win
    Where are You now
    When the world is crumbling


    Oh, I, I
    I hear You say
    I hear You say


    Look up child
    Look up child


    Where are You now (Where are You?)
    When all I feel is doubt
    Where are You now
    When I can’t figure it out


    Oh, I, I
    I hear You say
    I hear You say


    Look up child
    Look up child
    Look up child
    Look up child
    Look up…


    You’re not threatened by the war
    You’re not shaken by the storm
    I know You’re in control
    Even in our suffering
    Even when it can’t be seen
    I know You’re in control


    Oh, I, I
    I hear You say
    I hear You say


    Look up child
    Look up child
    Look up child
    I hear You say, You say, You say
    Look up child
    I hear You say, You say, You say (Look up, look up, look up, look up)
    Look up child
    I hear You say, You say, You say
    Look up child
    I hear You say, You say, You say (Look up, look up, look up, look up)
    Look up child
    I hear You say, You say, You say
    I hear You, I hear You calling my name, oh
    Look up child
    I hear You say, You say, You say (Look up, look up)
    Look up child
    Look up child
    Look up

    I spend more time going to the Lord in prayer.

    I usually have lunch with Joyce Meyer (via her radio show), and a line from her stands out, “Focus on what you CAN do, not what you can’t do”.

    The children and I have fun making obstacle courses for the local children going out on bear hunts. We see several neighbours. We chat briefly at a distance (across the street) from each other. We are all eager for a smile and a wave.

    In the afternoon I am tired and let the kids watch too much TV, although Master D does spend a lot of it doing puzzles.

    We have to venture out in the car – Rev G and I have flu jabs that were scheduled before the lockdown. The appointments were made together. We have to all go, we can’t leave the children at home! We get stares from people on the street who are walking or going to the supermarket. I’d like a sign that says “We are following orders, honestly!”

    It was nice to get outside, even if just for a few minutes at the medical centre. There are lot of people out – all of whom are following physical distance orders. Oh the internet, there’s outrage at people flauting the rules. Obviously I haven’t been everywhere, but I suspect it’s like the panic-buying reporting. If you see story after story, then it must be everywhere, right? Don’t believe it folks.

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    Level 3: Day 3

    March 26, 2020

    I miss my home group prayers again, due to poor sleep. But it’s a beautiful day outside again, a blessing. For the first time in several days, I feel peaceful. Knowing the panic-buying is calming down has calmed me down. We have everything we need to get through.

    I listen to my favourite Christian meditation app, Pray As You Go, while I do Tai Chi in the garden. Feeling the sun on my skin, I wonder why I haven’t done this before, but being outside has never felt so precious. I pray.

    I make the most of being in the garden, and we spend quite a bit of the morning outside. Rev G is pounced upon when he emerges for a break – a Daddy’s work is never done.

    Master D decides to make cards for his buddies in Pleasant Point, which unleashes a creative frenzy in both children.

    I hit upon a fun idea to give the children something to look forward to and to help them focus on others: kindness mail. We have this garish, musical mailbox.

    It is the sort of toy I despise, so mine didn’t have this as toddlers. But we have several babies and toddlers in our social circle in Wellington – which we didn’t have in Pleasant Point. I decided to get a few toddler-friendly toys to stash away from young visitors, as my children will suddenly find that the toy someone else is clutching is their ‘favourite’. Toys they don’t own are the answer! (Yes, I let them play with it.)

    Anyway, each morning my children will get kindness mail, with a new mission of doing something kind. I slip the first note inside, and they are very excited by the idea when they find it.

    After lunch I text my MiL about how well the children are playing together.

    Famous last words.

    Master D has several meltdowns. To make matters worse, his sister gets something cool in the mail, and he doesn’t. It is all too much, and all the feelings come out.

    Like many children, when my son is stressed, his fuse becomes shorter than usual, and it comes out in all manner of bad behaviour – mostly tantrums. I give him lots of cuddles. I throw out screen-free plans and let the children blob in front of the telly, until Rev G finishes work and can take them out for a walk.

    We let them talk about how they are feeling, over dinner. Miss E breaks my heart. “It’s terrifying, I’m so scared”.

    I imagine how scared and bewildered I would have been if this had happened to me when I was seven. I too, would have been terrified that my parents and grandparents might die.

    We put on a silly kid’s movie, eat chips and snuggle on the couch. The movie is hilarious and is just what I needed.

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  • Family,  Uncategorized

    Movie review: Peter Rabbit (2018)

    May 8, 2018

    Peter Rabbit [DVD]
    image credit
    Apparently two big-shot reviewers here in New Zealand hated the recent release of Peter Rabbit (now in cinemas).  I haven’t read these reviews, but I strongly suspect these reviewers are a) old men; b) white and c) are very similar to Mr McGregor, the curmudgeonly, rabbit-killing fiend of the book and movie.

    Peter Rabbit rocks!

    I loved it just as much as my children, and was snorting into my popcorn from start to finish.  My 3-year old who is always on the move only got antsy with 10 minutes to go, which earned him a lifetime achievement award.  My 5-year old is still going on about the movie, three weeks later.

    This incarnation of the much-loved tale of Peter Rabbit takes it fully into the 21st Century.  If you’re a die-hard fan of Beatrix Potter, you might want to give the movie a miss; kind of like if you prefer real Winne-the-Pooh over Disney Pooh.  In no way does this version of Peter – or any of the other characters – resemble the original.  If you’re not a purist, then simply enjoy the ride.

    Peter (voiced by James Corden, who I’m ashamed to say I didn’t recognise, have turned in my movie buff card), his sisters Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, along with cousin Benjamin spend their days trying to nick vegetables out of Mr McGregor’s incredible, immaculate garden.  NZ’s own Sam Neil is almost unrecognisable as the grizzled, apoplectic gardener who wages war on the rabbits.  His artist neighbour, Bea (played by Aussie Rose Byrne) has looked after the rabbits since they were orphaned at the hands of McGregor, and gives them free range of her impossibly quaint cottage.  Where she manages to live quite well despite creating truly terrible art and not seeming to have any other form of income…I digress.

    (SPOILER) Mr McGregor suffers a fatal heart-attack during a daring raid by Peter.  Peter and his animal mates move into to McGregor’s house and stuff their faces with all that delicious veg.  Cue party time!

    McGregor’s uptight nephew Thomas, played by Domhnall Gleeson (you may remember him from Harry Potter), inherits his uncle’s property.  Thomas works at Harrods, making sure that everything is perfect with a capital P.  Upon learning that his uncle’s house might be worth a bit of coin, he decides to go and see it, with the view of selling it.  Thomas finds the house overrun with animals, and Peter finds him a challenging adversary.  The two go head-to-head to get rid of each other, something made a little more complicated by Thomas falling for the lovely Bea.

    There’s loads of slapstick comedy – especially by Domhnall Gleeson – and the humour is pitched both at kids and adults.  It’s a little bit cheeky in places (it is rated PG), but nothing outright rude.  There are explosions, and yes, people trying to kill the cute bunnies, but my two highly sensitive kids, saw it for what it was – a funny plot device.  They weren’t scared one jot.

    Peter Rabbit is a great family film, two thumbs up.

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