A Mother's Ramblings

It's nearly my birthday, and I've been joking that I'll spend the day hanging out with my family, playing games, watching TV, reading and eating a home-cooked meal, just like every other day in lockdown. The thing is, I'm actually quite excited about experiencing my birthday under lockdown. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, right? I want to make the most of it. I want to do something special, something that I will always be able to look back on and say "Oh yes! The year I turned 41 was amazing, do you remember the fun we had celebrating whilst in lockdown?!"

Flyfour and I were talking about small changes we will be making to our lifestyle once the lockdown is lifted. How we are going to try not to rely on Takeaways so often, how we are going to try to go shopping once every couple of weeks, how we are going to keep the snack cupboard stocked with snacks, how we are going to allow ourselves to drink the sodas we want to, or the flavoured water or the "expensive" brand of squash and if we carry on as we have been whilst in lockdown all whilst spending less money too! With that in mind, here is what we are doing for our main meals this week.

It's already midway through April, and as I'm writing this the UK Government have just said that our lockdown will be extended for another three weeks. I know it is hard, but I am so grateful to people who are following the rules because it means that people like my Mum and my in-laws are kept safe and honestly that is the most important thing to me right now. Our meal plans for the week are based upon what we have in the freezer, fridge and cupboard although I do need to go out to get Fishfingers as I had a sudden craving for them and I blame my Mum as she reminded me of them!

Before the lockdown was put in place, Flyfour and I would fairly often go for walks in our local neighbourhood or at one of the local Supermarkets. We'd always ask the children if they wanted to come with us, but normally they'd have an excuse as to why they couldn't come and if I'm being honest we didn't mind that they didn't come because we'd spend the time talking together about everything and anything and if we were at the Supermarket buying snacks for us to share. And then the lockdown happened.

So, I felt a bit hungry as I had eaten breakfast several hours before this story takes place and I did the normal thing, I went downstairs to get a snack. I was hanging out in my bedroom doing some secret crafting for Dan Jon's birthday and just enjoying everything being quiet because the children were awake and up, but not really doing anything out of their rooms, which is fine because technically it is the Easter break and all they need to worry about each day is getting up and having some fun. To find a snack, I first I stood in front of the open fridge and freezer, there was nothing but frozen vegetables and leftovers and whilst the Lamb hotpot was nice, this wasn't a lamb hotpot snack kind of moment. So, I went to the pantry, where the "good" snacks live. I ignored Dan Jon's Cherry Bakewells which he doesn't actually know about because I haven't shared the fact that they are his with him just yet. Look, they are my favourite too and I might want to ha...

I have no idea if I would have been asked to speak at our Easter Sunday Sacrament service this year. I'd like to think I  would  have been asked (and not just because I was reminding my ward leaders to check with our Stake leaders about moving our traditional monthly fast so it wouldn't coincide with Easter Sunday or because I have complained rather loudly when in previous years the talks didn't focus on the Saviour on this important day) as I have a lot that I would like to say. As I can't say it in person, however, I'll share it here.

You will probably notice that this week's meals are a little heavy on the potatoes. That's because we have a huge bag of them and really need to use them up before they go soft, sprout or whatever else it is that potatoes do when they aren't eaten quickly enough. Still, everyone in the house loves potatoes and Top Ender and I are loving the peeling crisps that I'm making whenever I peel potatoes! Anyway, here is our potato-based diet meal plan! 

It's Good Friday and almost as if I had planned it, the sun is out and it is shaping up to be a beautiful day. I'm sitting in the garden after having had a lazy morning, eg one where I only got up in the last hour and have completed the small amount of work for the school I'm employed at that I can do from home. It's very hard to be a Receptionist and greet people unless you are actually on the Reception desk to greet people you know! I am listening to an orchestra of Birdsong, punctuated by the odd rumble of a train on the tracks nearby, the low murmur of conversation from my neighbours and the purr of Mario, who has curled up on the garden table next to my laptop and is enjoying sunning himself. It's peaceful. It's sunny. It's everything someone would want a bank holiday to be.

I've been thinking of this period of social distancing as a bit like a Hibernation rather than a metamorphosis. We are all staying home, (well those of us who are socially responsible and when we aren't working that is), we all seem to be taking stock and looking to see what is important to us and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is eating and sleeping a lot more. See, hibernation. There have been several posts on various social media sites with people saying that now that they have oodles of time that they have realised that their work-life balance was out of whack and that they were going to ensure that when life got back to "normal" that they weren't going to live the same lifestyle again. I'm so pleased that people are being able to see positives to this, that they are seeing what is important to them and that they can take steps to make important things a priority in their lives. For me the things that are important are Family, Community, Faith, ...

Isn't it funny, I've had all this "extra" time at home and so far all I've managed to do is sort out the drawers which once held oodles of craft items (now I have a drawer of art things, a drawer of sewing things, a drawer of paper things and a drawer of knitting projects), learn a bit of sign language and eat a lot of biscuits that Flyfour keeps making. So this is what we're eating this week, other than the biscuits of course.