Good morning Tuesday

[Mouse]

I've just got time for a quick 'hello!' before the madness starts!

Today might be my busiest day, but it makes it go so quickly.

Yesterday ended up being a lovely sunny day and we spent all afternoon in the garden. I'm hoping it goes the same way today. It's overcast at the moment so fingers crossed the sun comes out soon. It's amazing how tidy the house stays when we're not in it

So today is the National Day of Reflection when we think about everything that's happened over the last year and about all the people who have died. I suppose it's not only the people who have died from Covid, but those who have died through other treatments being delayed and those who felt it was all just too much for them. But I would also think of all those people who have come forward to help others, of the scientists working hard to develop a vaccine and of all those people who have had to keep working to keep the country running.
As a family we've come through the last year relatively unscathed. One son lost his job, but took the opportunity to enrol at uni, which is something he'd wanted to do for a long time. DH and another son were furloughed, something else we had to be grateful for. The hardest part for the family was with DH's mum being in a care home and no one being able to see her for a long time. She was in hospital a few times and it was very difficult for DH and her grandchildren not being able to visit. Sadly she died last year (not through covid) and, although DH was able to be at the hospital at the end, it was incredibly hard for him knowing she was in hospital, needing him and not really understanding what was going on. For the last 3 months of her life he hardly saw her in person and he still finds that hard.

On a happier note, it's been lovely having everyone on here to share the journey over the last year. I certainly had more confidence opening up again in June, knowing that some of you had worked all the way through the first lockdown with no real issues. Now we need to aim towards a meet up when we can all see each other in real life

Enjoy your days everyone and thank you all for being here over the last year

[Maza]

I agree Mouse, it has been amazing having this forum throughout lockdown.

We have also been relatively unscathed, and actually have cherished the time to slow down after the emotional upheaval of moving house/areas/schools just a few moths before the first lockdown. Recently we've realised it has been tough on DD not being able to join any extra curricular clubs so that she can make friends and get entrenched in our new area. She hasn't had the opportunity to make friends and so that has prolonged her grieving process for her old school and friends. My family have created a family WhatsApp group because of covid and so I have actually had more frivolous communication with them than before lockdown, so that's been nice.

It's terribly sad for your DH and MIL Mouse. Those sorts of situations would have been beyond belief just over a year ago.

Today, I put out some egg 'baubles' and the mug tree. Mindee has loved it. He found it really challenging to hang baubles on it at Christmas, but today he did it quite easily.

I was supposed to be seeing a parent this evening, but I cancelled (various little reasons) and she hasn't yet responded to my email acknowledging that I have cancelled, so I'm really hoping that she doesn't still turn up. The tardy communication was one of the reasons I have decided not to press ahead with the family.

Think we'll pop to the pond shortly and see if we can see frogspawn.

[loocyloo]

Morning!

I couldn't have managed without the forum being here for the past year. Just knowing that (virtual) friends were around and understand what being a childminder is all about really helps. I have a few local cm friends, but only one worked through like I did.

We seem to survived very well ... DH and I have carried on working, DS ... OK, he didn't do his A levels, but he got good results and has started uni ... not exactly the first year experience he ( or we ) was expecting, but he's enjoying it! ( Although, he did have covid 19 last autumn at uni. That was hard, not being able to be there for him, but Uni were great ), DD i feel the sorriest for, as she has had a year of distrupted learning and now no Exams at the end of it ( and she is a strange creature who enjoys exams! ) She's lost all her dance comps and performance opportunities and we still don't know when they will return. And she's also missed so many yr 11 special experiences that she has been looking forward to ( solo singing with school band, music tour to Europe and Disney, school musical .... we're really hoping that some form of prom will go ahead ) on the plus side, with all her dance going online, she has discovered some amazing new teachers/classes and mentors and had fantastic experiences that would not have been possible! ( taking class with New York Ballet etc )
It's been lovely having everyone around, but I'm longing for a return to the time when DH will be away for the weekend, or I can go away, and we can go out and do things in the evening! I just need to be me and have some space!

Sorry to hear about your DH and mil too Mouse. Very hard. We've lost some very dear people to us, and although we didn't see them very often, the fact that we hadn't been able to see them was hard.

It's very cold outside and my boys don't want to do anything! I've got the trains out, and they've got their own track and selection of trains as sharing wasn't going very well! I was full of beans earlier, but my energy has all drained away AND my sd card in my phone has just died along with the last 2 months worth of photos I'm hoping that I'll be able to get some photos back from Facebook, what'sapp etc!

My friends DH had vaccine on Friday and was right as rain, then 'flopped yesterday, so I hope that's it!

Thank you all for being here, and Mouse especially for starting daily threads and would love to meet you all xxxx

[loocyloo]

how hope

I was supposed to be seeing a parent this evening, but I cancelled (various little reasons) and she hasn't yet responded to my email acknowledging that I have cancelled, so I'm really hoping that she doesn't still turn up. The tardy communication was one of the reasons I have decided not to press ahead with the family.

Think we'll pop to the pond shortly and see if we can see frogspawn.

Hope you find some frog spawn. My neighbours pond is full ... but we can't go and see it! Its usually our daily outing around now!!!!

Hope the mum gets back to you. It's frustrating with parents like that. I have had a few! One though, I took on, and she was great once actually 'engaged' with the process of using me! X

[Pixie dust]

Afternoon everyone.....I just want to say I agree with everyone that the forum has been such a support and comfort knowing that you are all out there for a friendly chat when needed. Everyone is always so friendly on here. So a big thank you Mouse for getting the conversations started.

As a family we have been so fortunate that we have all been working throughout the year. My dad was very ill in the summer(nothing to do with covid) which was very difficult as we couldn't visit him but he has come through it all and even though we all struggled with not being able to visit him at the time he actually doesn't remember anything about his period in hospital which is a blessing.

I can't wait to spend some time with my own children who I haven't seen for months which has been the hardest.

Anyway we are now going to head out in to the garden for a little while as the sun is shining after a very cloudy morning.

Holby tonight Mouse hopefully the storyline with Cameron will come to an end as it's been going on a while now !