Years and years ago when I was a kid my Mum used to buy and write in a yearly Dairy Diary. I don’t think she kept it up all of the time but I found one when I was a teenager which was dated 1990.

Inside it my Mum had written a bit about how she felt when the Gulf war had started. At the time she and my Dad were still married, they had 4 children and 1 on the way and life was very different compared to how it was when I came across the diary years later.

There wasn’t much there but I remember finding it fascinating and it obviously worked its way into my bones somewhere because 18 years later it’s still a vivid memory – and my memory is atrocious for the main part. Of course we can all search the internet for the Gulf war now. The facts are easy to find. But I loved that little peek into what my Mum was thinking and feeling about it all.

Fast forward many more years and now we find ourselves living through something that I don’t think any of us expected. An event which, I think, will become something we talk about for a long time after it ends. Moose writes a little diary once a week and I thought I would too.

Week one

It’s hard to believe that it was only 1 week ago that Boris made the announcement that we were not to leave our homes unless we absolutely needed to. Some supermarkets have began to enforce a 1 person from each household rule. Last week the shelves were stripped bare of items like pasta, loo roll and hand soap. This week it’s better. I wouldn’t say that everything is available but with these new stricter measures, it’s definitely better.

I popped to Marks & Spencer (because the queue to get into big Tesco was soo long) and managed to get some fresh fruit and veg and sausages. No bloody way was I spending £1.50 on a pack of spaghetti though. I usually pay 20p a pack from Aldi. My Mum is considered vulnerable so she isn’t supposed to leave the house at all. I picked her up some ready meals and fruit. Cost of food is worrying me. I’ve seen some local shops put their prices up since all of this started and of course everyone goes for the cheaper stuff first so you end up paying more for less.

Now that the entrance to Aldi has been restricted and stock levels are going back up I will try again. Certainly not going to our local Nisa which, frankly, is like playing a really shit game of Pac-Man as I try to avoid people in it’s narrow aisles.

I put a ban on our children going into shops over a week ago because it seemed like common sense and today they have made it a rule. No kids unless it cannot be avoided. I think that shops need to step up their home deliveries to make this work. I was number 149000 in the queue on the Ocado website the other day..

Getting out

Aside from food shopping (which I have been trying to keep to a minimum) I have been leaving the house only for my 1 lot of daily exercise which is currently allowed. So I have been walking Fudge the Beagle once a day and then Bess has. Fudge is 14 years old and is used to 1 walk a day. Poor dog just looks really confused but seems pretty happy with the arrangement!  I take Mason out on his scooter when he starts to show signs of going a bit stir crazy. For the most part he is happy enough in the garden. Thank fuck we have a garden.

The kids

All schools have been closed to all but the children of key workers and vulnerable children who need to be there.

Bess

Bess has been trying to get on with her school work in her bedroom. I feel a bit conflicted about this. Maybe I should be making her sit down here with us so we can police it a bit. On the other hand she has never done anything to make me think that she won’t be trying her best. She knows it’s important and I think it’s good for her to be able to chat to her mates while she works. She might not see them in person for quite some time.

Col

I haven’t seen Col for weeks. He moved out a little while ago and we had a silly argument a few weeks before all of this started. Because he lives elsewhere the rules are that he is not allowed to come here. We are chatting on social media and he seems like he’s Ok. He works nights at a supermarket. I hate that this puts him at risk. Thankful though that he can work and has money during all of this.  I miss him a lot.

Moose

Moose seems to be enjoying being at home. I have been trying to do some schoolwork with him. We’ve got really into starting the day by doing PE with Joe Wicks (like the rest of the nation just now) and his teacher has been really supportive. He has work set on the class page online and I’ve been playing games with him too.

I must admit that we have had days where he has been quiet and really not in the mood and on those days I have let it slide. There is too much going on to be battling with him over phonics. I hate phonics too. A favourite this week has been watching Countdown. I pause the screen after the letters have been picked and he has to write down as many words as he can. He loves it! I used to play this with Bess and she loved it too.

Me and MrG

G was furloughed on Friday. A lot of the country has been. The government will pay up to 80% of his wages and his work isn’t currently considered essential so he is at home for the foreseeable future. On the upside this means that he suddenly has time to do a lot of the odd jobs around the house. Unfortunately though, non food shops have had to shut too. We can order stuff online but I must admit I have been wiping parcels down with diluted bleach just in case. It feels weird and maybe a bit OTT to be doing this.

I’m OK. Working from home means I am used to being here most of the time. I try to limit how much of the news I look at each day. It was starting to really get me down. Not so much the actual news but trying to sort the reliable sources from the utter shite posted by some people. I do like to listen or watch the governments daily broadcast updates. Ask me again in a week and I might feel differently.