Easter Holidays

So we are now in official Easter Holidays - we were supposed to be in China for Easter this year, but with everything that was going on, decided best not to book (luckily we didn't have flights)  Ironic thing is that it would probably be safer in China right now than here!  Oh well.

So, we have lost the structure of the school day and are messing around, not really doing much.

In a field with Ingleborough behind

At the weekend we did 2 long walks - a 7 mile one half way up Ingleborough and then around its slopes,  and a 8 mile one.  The 8 mile one was from Ingleton to Bentham to Burton and back to Ingleton again - was a really nice walk - one which would be much better when the pubs are open again.  We hardly saw anyone except when we were almost back in Ingleton where a cyclist was resting up by the style we needed to climb over.  He didn't see us, so we got his attention and politely asked him to move 2 meters away so we could pass through.   We got a load of abuse and then he said we were hypocritical because we weren't 2 meters from each other.  When we pointed out we lived together, he said we were deluded.  I politely said thank you when he did move out of the way and he shouted 'don't you f***ing thank me".  Oh hum, you can't always win, but it was a shame to come across him at the end of a lovely walk.

New profession for me?

I was put to work cutting Matt's hair at the weekend.  I am no hairdresser, never had any interest at all.  Matt bought some clippers and asked me to do his.  He had to show me how to hold the clippers and then I watched a Youtube video and got stuck in.  Luckily Matt has a lot of hair, which means that any mistakes don't show up too much.  I did a half decent job, Matt was happy.  Bit scared of doing Tom who has much finer hair...

So we haven't had a schedule this week, I've just let Tom do what he wanted to do.  Monday it was mainly lego, Tuesday we just pottered around doing not much.  Oh, the teachers posted a wonderful video of themselves dancing during lockdown and sent it to us - brought a smile (and maybe a little tear) to us all!  https://www.facebook.com/Ingletonprimaryschool/videos/148173203288823/

Watering

Wednesday was food day: we can't get any supermarket food deliveries here for love or money, but happily a catering supplier, Cornvale is delivering to private addresses so I ordered meat and veg off them.  I then headed to Booths to get sundries.  They are open to NHS 8 till 9, then vulnerable 9-11 so I went in after lunch.  There was a bit of a queue but it was orderly and good humoured.  No parking charges in the car park and part of it cordoned off for queueing - everyone queued 2 car spaces apart, and then a strict policy of one out, one in.  Probably only about 10 in the supermarket - but even so, it was still very difficult to stay 2 meters away from everyone.  They didn't have everything, but I did ok.  I got tinned tomatoes and soap which disappeared from shop shelves before the lockdown and some plants for the garden so was very happy.  I got a friend some tinned tomatoes and planted it on her doorstep on my way home, never did I think I would be able to bring joy to someone through a tin of tomatoes!!!!

Gardening

Came home, did some gardening, including making up some baskets with the plants I got at Booths - look nice for now, wonder how long before we kill them?!  Oh, as I was weeding behind the front wall of the garden, a bloke went past and did a horrible cough.  He didn't know I was there, but yuck!  I went straight inside and washed my face with soap and water.

Oh I haven't mentioned the weather.  Since Covid 19 took hold in the UK the weather has been amazing,  warm, sunshine, blue skies.  It has been a blessing as it has meant that we can play outside in the garden which helps.  If it had taken hold 3 weeks earlier, we would have had 3 weeks of constant rain which would have been very depressing!

Careful piping

Thursday Tom wanted to bake.  I gave him a heap of baking books to go through and choose a recipe.  He decided on rocky mountain cupcakes.  The recipe looked very dodgy but figured as he had gone to so much trouble to choose something to make to just let him, so he had free reign of the kitchen and I just pottered around so he could ask me questions if he needed to.  The mix was very stiff and dry, not surprising given the recipe but I didn't take over and let him carry on.  He even managed to get them in and out of the oven by himself which was a first.  Then he made up the topping.  They were tasty but they were dry as I thought and a big difficult to eat.  He made 12 of them!  We thought we would give half of them to the ambulance station next door but every time we looked there was no-one at home.  Oh well, the topping was nice and Tom has been ploughing through them - he was very pleased with himself, so I haven't told him they are dry.

We did an evening ride around the lanes and were back in time for the 8pm clap for NHS and Key Workers - it is getting to be more of an event every week - this week the church bells were going as well which was a nice touch (especially as they don't ring very often)

Friday we spent the day doing lego outside.  We spread it all out on the patio and got to work.  We managed to more or less finish 2 models: Car boat ferry and shuttle and are half way through a fire engine and police helicopter.  It is getting easier as the number of pieces reduce.  In the afternoon Rebecca video called Tom and they had a game of Monopoly.  As usual it is the girls that Tom connects with best.  He has also been having regular video chats with another girl, Florrie who is in Year 5, but in the same class as him.  We knew they liked each other, but I didn't realise how much.  It was Florrie's mum who got in touch with me to set it up (she's a TA at the school - the one who dances with the huge horse on the teachers' video.  It is so good for Tom to have these chats as they provide him with chances to giggle and conversation on a level that we can't.  He hasn't missed the boys at all!  We went for another evening bike ride around the lanes.  Wowzers - I am feeling very out of condition - the boys are so much fitter than me - I am always way way behind both of them!

Saturday

Nice place for a rest

Today, the plan was to do a long bike ride.  However, a ⅓ of the way in, I knew I wouldn't be able to do it.  Everywhere you go here is up a hill and not just a rolling hill but a steep hill.  The boys don't seem to notice them but I am huffing and puffing like a broken steam engine trying to get to the top.  Also, I have discovered that I don't think I'm completely over the cold I had in early March which is making it all the more difficult.  Oh hum.  Anyway, I cycled to Clapham and then rode back along the A65 home (the A65 is so quiet at the moment, it means you can cycle on it without the usual worries - I think only about 5 vehicles over took me!)  The boys continued to Austwick, went up another huge hill, down some bridleways to Clapham and then back along the A65.  I did 10 miles, they did 16.  I'm glad I turned back when I did on hearing about their exploits.  They didn't get back until about 1.30.  So by the time we had lunch, the day was almost over.

Sunday

Stepping stones (1st set)

Today I requested a walk, having done 7 bike rides in a row.  We decided upon the quarry walk which we did a couple of weeks ago but the other way round.  When we left the house it was cool, but it quickly heated up, so much so that we actually cut the walk short as Matt didn't have a hat and the sun was strong - he was worried that he would burn which is a very real worry for him.  We then spent the afternoon watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc - figured he was old enough to enjoy it - we were right.  Was nice to have a quiet, relaxing afternoon.

Stepping Stones (2nd set)