Word of the Week 5/6/2020 Changes #WotW

Changes have featured heavily in our week one way or another.

The change in the weather for a start! Is it September already? Brilliant sunshine at the start and now rainy cold weather!

Because of the changes to the lock down rules we were able to see my parents on Monday 😀 they came over for several socially distanced G&T’s in the garden. It was lovely to have a proper conversation. The kids were really happy to see them too 🙂

I’ve been dealing with several things that will change for Sir when he turns sixteen. This week I received another one. Joy. I’m planning a separate post about that.

Hubby and I were on *holiday* this week, the kids however were *at school* It did mean that Hubby was free to help with the work for a change! He and Madam sat doing computer science homework for quite a while 😀

I had to call the RAC out as the car point blank refused to start. Needed to have the battery changed.

Finally, we’ve been having phone calls and discussions about the kids going back to school from 15th June. Obviously there will be lots of changes that i don’t think Sir will cope with, I don’t know how he’ll manage social distancing, and there will be changes of staff, fellow pupils and learning. Madam would cope much better with that, but it seems that the work she would be doing wouldn’t follow the things she’s been doing at home, and will be whatever the teacher can set. So for the sake of four weeks we’ve decided to keep them at home. However, we will be encouraging both of them to do some extra things such as reading, cooking, helping in the garden etc.

They will be going back in September, by which time I expect everything will change again, but this time they’ll have longer to get used to it and it may be more permanent.

May the weather become more more summer like, and may your cars start first time.

 

Word of the Week 23/5/2020 Communication #WotW

I’ve had lots of communications this week, in the form of letters, phone calls and text messages. All to do with school.

I had a letter from the kids school outlining the arrangements being made for when/if they go back. My two are in High School, neither of them are in the first set of groups going back on 1st June so for the time being they are still home. I exchanged messages with Sir’s teacher, apparently SEN schools have to await further guidance.

Although it’s now half term for my two, the school I work at is open this week and shut next week. I’ve had a phone call from the Head to discuss what will happen when we open on 8th June. I must admit they do seem to have it very well worked out for the kids that will be there. As a dinner lady, I will only be working four days, they are shutting every Friday to give the place a really good clean.

I also have some online courses to do, I think I’ll do those next week whilst my two are “off” and I don’t have to worry about their school work. I have some other admin to catch up with so I can do that too.

More pleasant communications meant I have been catching up with a couple of work colleagues.

Hope you all have a nice half term. Will you be going anywhere? I hear Our Stairs is nice at this time of year 😀

Word of the Week 15/5/2020 Answers #WotW

I have had a lot of questions to ask lately, mainly “WHYYYYYYYYYYY????” and “Don’t they know there’s a pandemic on?!!”

This week I’ve received some answers.

A couple of weeks ago I had a letter telling me that Madam had been referred to podiatry and could I make an appointment for a telephone assessment. Well yes I could but Madam sees the Orthotist so I didn’t really see the point. The lady from podiatry was very nice but she didn’t seem to know why the referral had been made or why I knew nothing about it. Yesterday, three letters came through the post telling me that all the physiotherapy staff have been redeployed due to COVID19 and as a result the orthotics clinic no longer runs, so they sent her to podiatry. In fairness there was also a compliment slip apologising for my not having received the original letter.

Next up I had a letter from the DWP (always a joy) informing me that Sir’s DLA payment had been returned due to the bank details being incorrect. Given that this is the same account it’s always paid into I was puzzled to say the least. It took me two days to contact them. The lady I spoke to was very nice though. I had returned a form to them previously with regard to where his money should be paid until he starts receiving PIP, she thinks someone misread a figure on the account number. I gave her the details and today his money was there.

Then there was the question of whether or not our June holiday to Centerparcs would take place. We didn’t think it would, yesterday we got an email saying it had been cancelled. I filled in a form to re book it and today I received conformation that had been done.

I also found out that I’m back at work *properly* from 8th June, Hubby will be working from home for the foreseeable future, the kids are not going back to school yet and I found out next years school holiday dates.

I have had to fill out a form (another one..) to apply for Sir to get transport to school in September, like so many things it ceases when he turns 16. If he does get it, we have to pay for it. So now I am waiting to see what the answer to our claim is.

Hope you all have a good week. May your queue times on phone calls be short.

Word of the Week 9/5/2020 Starting #WotW

Or not starting.. the car wouldn’t start last weekend, flat battery. Fortunately Hubby has got a battery charger and we managed to get it up and running. I took it out for a drive and when I came to use it again a couple of days later I had no problem starting it. Phew.

My window cleaner is starting his rounds again, all at a safe distance obviously. He was outside, we stayed inside. I put his money in an envelope on top of my blue bin for him to pick up. He uses some long pole system with a brush on so he didn’t even touch the windows. I opened the back gate for him. It was nice to see a little normality.

I planted some more radish seeds, they are starting to sprout, also the basil is showing signs of life.

Madam is starting to miss her school friends, both of them are starting to get bored at home. I’ve heard the schools might go back in June.. who knows.

I’m starting to lose track of the days now.. which is why I’m late with this!

Hope you and yours are all okay x

At Home With Fragile X – Week… erm…. six is it?

Week whatever it is.. I’ve lost count.

Yesterday I discovered the car battery was flat. Hubby has an old battery charger that still works and we managed to get it sufficiently charged that the car would start, then I took it for a run out. Not only did this cause anxiety for me but also for Sir. He didn’t like us being outside monitoring the battery or talking to the people over the road – at a social distance – so he threw his cuddly toy out of the door He’s been doing a lot of that lately, rather than asking us for whatever it is he wants. I think lockdown is getting to him.

Madam is missing her school friends. She is doing very well with her work though and came third on last week’s house point table.

I gave them both a duster this morning and told them to clean their rooms. Kept them entertained for five minutes or so LOL

Stay safe everyone and may your cars all start first time.

Word of the Week 1/5/2020 Flown By #WotW

Friday already?? where has the week gone! in fact where did April go?? I can’t believe it’s May today. I suppose if we have to be in lockdown it might as well pass quickly…

Even though this week has passed quickly in a blur of rain I haven’t really done a lot. Home School, Work, Baking, Laundry.. repeat..

It will be our wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks.. 17 years. 22 years together. Flown by. We decided to start planning a meal for the actual day, since going out is off the menu. That way if I need to get certain ingredients, I have time to obtain them.

So Happy May Day! it’s a time of new beginnings they say, life may well be different once they let us out.

In the meantime, stay safe, stay inside.

At Home With Fragile X – Week Five

The kids really got down to their school work last week, we managed to get all the lessons done. Although they only get one lesson a day, they attend a SEN high school so the physical workload is less and we don’t have any exams to worry about, we have different stresses. For Sir, school is school and home is home, so for him to have actually achieved all he has is quite something. Fortunately most of his lessons are practical, getting him to help with chores, watch videos, things like that.

Madam’s work is more typical high school. Last week she did English, Maths, Science, ICT, Forest School, Citizenship and PHSE. I sent so many photos of her work in!

They both had the same Forest School work so they did that together.

For me, I’ve felt more organised around this schooling business, I’ve also got some “Home” admin done, my car insurance is up for renewal for example.

Hubby is still ensconced in the spare room with a bank of computer monitors. We are lucky he is able to do his job from home and I know there are those shouting “SEE SEE WE CAN WORK FROM HOME!! WHOOPEE!!” It is a good thing. But sometimes, some days you need that barrier. You need that journey home to settle your mind back down, to listen to the drive time show on the radio or stare out of a train window.

Anyway, hope you all had a good week.