Week 9

Wow, we are clocking up the weeks aren't we?

This week is the week before half term and boy do we know it - Tom and I seem to have short fuses.  If he doesn't understand something he gets really annoyed with me when I try to show him where he has gone wrong and how to get it right.  We certainly need a week off!

The week after next, schools are supposed to be opening to Year 6, Year 1 and Reception.  We got some emails from the headteacher and Yr 6 teacher explaining what they are up to.  Basically they are going to open up for Year 6 only.  They will split them into 2 groups of 10.  One group go in Monday and Tuesday, they then do a deep clean and the other group go in Thursday and Friday.  They will only use the Year 6 classroom - no front doors etc etc.  I have faith in Mrs Colledge - she won't open unless she is sure.  I belong to a FB group chat: prior to the letter most were no way am I sending my child in, after the letter more were willing to send them in.  Most children want to go, it is the parents putting up barriers.  Tom can't wait to go, Matt is keen to send him, I was more on the fence, but I think I trust the school and the other families in Tom's class.  Tom does need social interaction with other children, he is turning into an old man, and if he doesn't have any social interaction with other children between now and September, he will be overwhelmed by QES!  If the infection rate goes up nationally or locally they won't open.  Who knows what the right answer is?  Only hindsight will tell us.

Think our locale is pretty much free of Covid now (there have been 5 deaths here), but the Drs said that there have been no new cases of Covid for a while.  Our problem now is the infection being brought in from outside but I am pretty sure the other families in Tom's class, just like us will keep as far away from the big groups of people visiting the the area as they can.  I think there is more risk for high school, because the big groups of people meeting up here tend to be older teenagers and 20 somethings upwards.  I've not seen big groups of people with small children.  Oh hum we will see.  I saw something today on the BBC website saying that there will be a national decision on 28th May.  Then I'm figuring North Yorkshire will make a decision and if both of those are positive, it is then down to the head teachers.  I don't think it is right putting responsibility on the head teachers - you just know that if it goes wrong they will be hung out to dry as the government will blame them, although we don't have to send them if we don't want to.  You do wonder how on earth it will work in September - how are Year 7 going to be inducted into high school if high school isn't functioning properly?  They certainly can't start on-line, they at least need to meet their teachers, and get an idea of what high school is about.

Education surely has to change now?  Lots of people are saying that although our kids aren't getting the academics they would normally, they are learning lots of other very valuable skills to put them in good stead for the future.  I think they are (on the whole) right.  Tom certainly has lots of new skills now, luckily he isn'

Making shortbread

t interested in computer games, or the telly that much, so pretty much everything we do is off-line, analogue and engaging.  Sometimes I get cranky as I spend so much time with him: I teach him, I do playtime with him, I do mindfulness with him, I barely have a minute away from him during the school day which is a bit intense, sometimes, I sneak upstairs after the 'school day' just to have a half hour of quiet to myself - invaluable some days.  I know now I couldn't be a teacher (think I knew that anyway!)

So this week Tom was on fractions in maths (great - he could do most of it by himself) and in English his challenge was to research a person who inspires him with the view to writing a biography.  He chose Ben Stokes (of course) and was very happy on the computer looking him up.  We found the email address for his agent so he has sent him an email too.

Making a roux for cheese sauce

In mindfulness he has done a lot of cooking: flapjacks, shortbread and macaroni cheese.  He has been making his way through my 1970s 'Learn to Cook' Ladybird book - very nostalgic for me!  He is great in the kitchen now with cakes and biscuits etc - he does it all by himself, just needs help with hot things and holding heavy bowls etc.

Beautiful British Dinner

I'm trying to move him on to meals now as it would be very handy to have him make tea every once in a while.  It was his idea to make macaroni cheese.  He assumed it was just pasta with melted cheese on it, think he was quite shocked at the process of making a roux etc.  He wasn't happy putting mustard in it, but he was pleased with the end result - not sure he'll want to make it again for a while though!  Think I'll get him to make spag bol next.

The weather has been quite up and down this week - we had a really hot sunny day on Wednesday, Monday and Tuesday it rained, Thursday it was ok and Friday it was very windy.  We have done some walks and bike rides.  We got in the car and headed to Feizor to see the bluebells now we are allowed to drive for exercise.  However, it was overcast so although the bluebells were out, it wasn't as picturesque as it could have been.  I have taken a puff on the inhaler before exercise and it has helped big time.  I'm hoping my lungs maybe a little inflamed and will calm down now rather than long term asthma.  Matt went up Ingleborough with John and Sierra on Wednesday (very hot) keeping a good 2 meters distance between him and them.  He came back very happy - think the company did him good - he did say that there were big groups of people doing it together with no social distancing though!

Top of Ingleborough

Saturday it was still windy so we had a quiet morning.  Tom and Matt worked on the model railway - they are putting in a second level (very exciting) whilst I filled in a huge questionnaire from the NHS about my mental health during the pandemic (linked to being on a trial for something via blood donation).  I really like listening to them working together on these projects, as you know none of us are natural DIYers, so these things don't come naturally, but they work together nicely trying to work out how to put things together - Tom has always enjoyed being helpful.  I then went downstairs and started the daunting task of sorting out the bookshelves in the lounge.  When we moved in, we stuffed books and albums on them.  They haven't changed much in the 7 years we have been there (except there was plenty of dust on them), so I took everything off, dusted it all, got rid of half of the stuff and put the rest back in rough order.  I only did one, and it looked so so so much better.  This of course means I have to do the other one now!

Weir at Austwick

Sunday - it was still horrible, so we had another slow morning.  I cut Tom's hair again - I wanted to tidy up my first attempt, which I managed for the sides and back, but I'm still not happy with his fringe, I can't work out how to get it to look vaguely ok?!  I think it is too top heavy now, but I don't want to mess it up any further.  Oh hum.  I attacked the second book case and got rid of loads more books, found a whole load of class photos from IPS, such a shame Tom won't have a Year 6 one, pretty impossible to do one when everyone has to be 2 meters away from everyone else!

We spent the afternoon watching Hugo - a lovely film set in 1920s Paris - loosely based around Georges Méliès and his fantastical early films, it is a wonderful film - watch it if you haven't seen it.  After that finished we headed round to see Lauren - it was her birthday, so we had a socially distanced chat and exchange of presents.  We then headed back home, I did pork chops for tea (hummmm - love pork chop teas) and afterwards, Tom and Matt headed out for a bike ride whilst I waited in for Sainsburys.  They arrived 4 minutes after Tom and Matt left, and I finished putting things away about a minute before they got back - a good use of time I guess!