Project 365 2021 Week 1 Day 1-9 and we are now in another lockdown and back to school and work from home.
Friday 1st January – Day 1
New Years Day.
We had some drama with my uncle yesterday and he ended up in A&E in Kent but thankfully he was released and saw in the new year in an ambulance taking him home.
We spent the day at home vegging out. Roast Duck for dinner is our family tradition.
Saturday 2nd January – Day 2
The OH had an issue with his van which needed looking at urgently and involved a drive out of town to fix, so whilst he was driving around the country, my son and I went for our first walk of the new year. I don’t believe we should be going far from home for our walks at the moment so we just walked around our estate.
Sunday 3rd January – Day 3
Time to take all the Christmas decorations and down along with the tree.
Monday 4th January – Day 4
My son had an inset day so he spent time with his Dad whilst I was at work.
Berry the Elf had delivered a miniature Christmas Tree which he’d decorated. We decided that we’d plant this one in a larger pot in the garden when I got home, so we can bring it in again next Christmas.
We got everything ready for my son to go back to school tomorrow and then the news came that there would be a government announcement about the massive rise in Coronavirus numbers. 8 pm and we learned that schools are closed until at least February half-term and that we are in a proper lockdown like the one right at the start of this mess from tomorrow. This news has massive implications for OH’s business and for my ability to work outside of the house.
Tuesday 5th January – Day 5
We had a message from school telling us that online live learning would start tomorrow much to my son’s delight. Then we learned that his teacher would also be changing for this period so he’d only have lessons with year 6 children and not year 5’s too as normal. He was less happy. He doesn’t like change.
I hadn’t heard anything from my boss so I bundled my son in the car and drove down to work to sort out the situation. The OH can’t be around to supervise home school and try to keep his business afloat so I have no option but to be at home instead. My hours have been halved without any partial furlough this time around, but at least the stress of juggling work and schoolwork will be less. Who needs to pay the bills anyway? I got some work done once we got back and we will just have to see what I can get done in the timeframe going forward.
I told my son that we would be going for a daily short walk, he wasn’t too impressed and it was flipping freezing, but it’s a start.
Wednesday 6th January – Day 6
The first day of school at home and thankfully it’s my day off so I could be on hand to get my son through today without too many bumps. We have a full timetable provided by the school along with work that is expected to be completed each day. Some is to be submitted on, my son isn’t keen at all on timed tasks, some he needs to write in an exercise book and some are live lessons. I want to try and print out as least work for him as possible and get him to work from a screen where possible to try and save on printer ink and extra paper.
He’s doing ok, but generally, I need to sit with him to get things done and make him concentrate. Thankfully at least he has English comprehension to do before my work start time, so I can guide him through that every day. He hates it. Maths will coincide with my start time for work, but he seems happier with that generally and needs less input from me (famous last words). His topic work starts after I finish and hopefully we can work our way through his live English lessons if he’s struggling – he doesn’t enjoy English work at all – less is more. Not like his mother, clearly.
There’s definitely less traffic thundering along the main road our garden backs on to, which hopefully means more people are following the rules this time around. Stay home please!
Chances of me getting my tax return done this week – zero.
SATS are cancelled! Brilliant news in this household and one less ordeal for my son to be put through.
Thursday 7th January – Day 7
Brewster joined in with school at home, obviously learning about Mars is very exciting. After I’d finished my work I joined in with the art activity my son had to complete for his project work.
We went for a walk to post some letters but it was minus two and bitterly cold so we didn’t go far at all.
Our local Coronavirus Vaccination Centre opened today, it’s literally just up the road from us and will be covering all of the surgeries in our town. There is a glimmer of light at the end of a very dark tunnel. The numbers locally are getting really rather alarming.
Friday 8th January – Day 8
It snowed. Not exactly enough to make a snowman but it made my son smile when we woke up.
We had a call from school to check on how my son is doing and whether we need any support. We’ll be getting a call or email every week to check in with us. I’ve been really impressed with the school at home set up. It’s even more organised than last month and very full on, work has to be submitted every day and the live lessons are definitely helping keep him on track.
Saturday 9th January – Day 9
My son’s normal teacher dropped off a learning resources pack for my son. Our teaching staff are wonderful and are giving up their weekend family time to drop supplies round to all of their class children. It was lovely to actually properly speak to his teacher for the first time since last July.
Went to complete my tax return after spending the morning pulling all my data together only to discover that there’s a big problem with the PAYE data that my boss has entered. I can’t proceed until she replies to me, so that’ll be Monday I guess. Then I guess I’ll be spending hours on hold to the Tax Office to sort it all out. Not ideal at all.
What a worry about your uncle. I hope all is OK now.
There is so much change when it comes to our kids and their schooling. I hope your son is getting used to it. My youngest seems to be doing so much work on the computer at the moment. We are saving the printer ink too. That is great news about the SATS being cancelled for your son. At least that is one less thing to worry about.
Hooray for your snow! We’ve had none lie here. x
Yes it’s a big relief that he won’t have to do them
That’s a big worry about your uncle, hope he’s better now. Our homeschooling is more structured this time, better organised, and with two Zoom sessions each day. I was also pleased that SATS were cancelled, one less thing to worry about this year. And yes, the snow was not very impressive locally. I was envious of seeing pictures of proper snow on Insta. Hope you have your taxes sorted out, it doesn’t sound like fun. Sorry to hear about your husband’s business. So many businesses are struggling now, it’s worrying. We still have our Christmas tree, at least until the 14th, which is the “old-style” new year in Russia.
It’s such an uncertain time for all isn’t it
What a pain about your PAYE. there’s always something that makes it harder to complete. Glad the home schooling is working out better so far. Sounds like school are doing a good job. We’ve not had our books dropped off yet but expecting them at some point.
Thankfully it’s not quite the issue I first feared but a pain I’ve not been able to sort it out in peace and quiet
I am not looking forward to doing my tax return and home schooling too. I am so jealous you got snow, we have had none. Sorry to hear you have had to cut your hours at work, it is a nightmare trying to fit it all in, isn’t it
I think we can only loosely describe it as snow really 😀
I’m glad your uncle is OK. I have had an aunt and an uncle in hospital over the Christmas period. I hope your husband’s work is OK. I think there are some people that have no clue how this virus is impacting people. Darren has to deliver in London and he says their are people everywhere. Keep safe #365
It’s such a worrying time to have anyone needing to be at a hospital isn’t it. Hope your relatives are ok too x
Hi…lockdowns aren’t easy, I know, Hope it gets lifted soon. 2020/2021 is the year of online schooling isnt it ?
I can see us still being home In April, but time will tell
Sorry to hear that your uncle ended up in A&E, hope that he is okay. We’re sticking to the roads around our house for walks too. Juggling work and home-schooling is hard. I’m sorry that your hours have been halved without being partially furloughed though, and that the problem with the PAYE data has made sorting out your tax return more complicated. Lovely to get a little bit of snow though, even if it wasn’t enough to build a snowman. #project365
He’s ok thanks, could have been much worse.
Hope your uncle is ok…must have been a worry!
We have pretty much been staying home but keep saying we should go out for daily walks! Had enough now.
Hope your problem with PAYE is sorted soon.
It’s hard to get motivated to walk around a housing estate but I must try harder to make sure we do it daily.
So glad your uncle is okay must have been difficult. Great idea on a daily walk, I would like to say we have been doing the same but I struggle to motivate everyone out of the house. Not good that you had to go down and speak to your employer you think they would have made the effort to contact you! We have a similar homeschooling battle English and Comprehension are not loved, But great news on the SATS
My son certainly isn’t as bothered as I am about going for a walk, but I keep battling. I’m so relieved we don’t have the added pressure of SATS.
Oh dear re the tax return. I did ours back in June, yes I know super organised, however I made an error and now owe money whoops. Good to read you have some sort of routine going with the school work, you appear to be on top of it all, regardless of whether the boy does it or not lol. Phew to the SATS that must take the edge off things a lot?
You’re just too organised. Hopefully, I’m getting mine done this weekend if I get some peace! It’s just good to know that he hasn’t got that added pressure and can just concentrate on what’s really important (and for the teachers too I would imagine.)
I’m happy for the schools that SATs are cancelled but as an exam invigilator I am disappointed that it will be another year without work for me and wanted my eldest to experience SATs to see what levels he is working at. The lockdown announcement was such a surprise to us all especially as it was so late: as a teaching assistant we could have made better use of our inset day preparing online resources if we’d known! #project365
It’s a shame it was so late but I’m just glad we hadn’t had to go in for one day before it happened.
It’s hard juggling it all isn’t it, especially when the announcement came in so quickly! My youngest needs a lot more supervision to make sure he is keeping on task too, but fortunately my 13 year old gets stuck in with the work. I am hoping the boys school starts live lessons soon it might make it a bit easier for my youngest.
We had a dry run when his class had to self isolate in December so at least we knew what was coming. But it’s exhausting getting him to actually do the work whether it’s a live lesson or not here.
Awww no! When you find the time to do it and then there are problems! Hope you got your tax return sorted out in the end! Check out Brewster joining in with the home schooling too!
I have to applaud your choice of roast dinner… I have not had roast duck in so long, think it’s time for that to be rectified! I remember the relief of no SATs last year, I had been umming and ahhing over whether Liv should sit them or not anyway, fortunately she didn’t need those results. Part of me didn’t want her primary school having her results and hard work either… but that’s a story for another day. Hope you are getting on well with all the juggling, certainly not easy. Hope your Uncle is ok too! Sim x
I love roast duck, should eat it more really