My Sunday Photo || {The Ordinary Moments}

Easter around here

Sunday Easter was yesterday already.

Time is passing faster or slower? I am not certain.

Is it the pressure to keep everything going as normally as possibly for the kids, but with as so much to do and with so little resources, I find myself having almost no time at all. True, I have been writing on my blog more often... But that is also an exercise to keep my anxiety at bay. Focusing on little tasks to keep my mind busy. Focus on what I can manage...

To Easter egg hunt for kids, check!

Bake, check!

Write blog, check!

I prepared our Easter event as usual, a mini egg hunt around the garden. It's for kids such fun to search for the eggs that are hidden away! They run around searching everywhere and enjoy finding the eggs....and mostly eating the chocolate!
I then have to cope with ecstatic  kids for the rest of the Sunday but their happiness is a joy to watch. I hope that these little moments will be with them forever!

I start by placing eggs in really obvious places, we still have a little one that really needs to find some eggs too!

After finishing our egg hunt we had some Easter races! Our oldest was really keen on using the little bunnies to mark a race track! I had no idea that these little bunnies would be so much fun for the kids!

I still haven't finish my Easter embroidery. I started this little embroidery last year, but with everything... It pretty much remains untouched. Maybe some time this year I will manage to finish it! Nevertheless it still added some Easter sweetness to our home this year, and I managed to grab a few Flowers from our garden to add a special and different touch to our Easter Sunday lunch!

 We also had a special dessert Pao de Lo de Ovar. Maybe some time later I will share the recipe, bu today I will only drop the photo! This was lovely dessert and really tasty! Another sugar rush for the rest of the afternoon!

And this was our Easter Sunday!

Pandemia still lurking outside, but yesterday was just us. and I hope everyone enjoyed it!

I hope you enjoyed yours!

xx

Focusing on a new simple homelife with a lurking pandemia outside

Today I will be sharing how we have been dealing with covid19 pandemia and our forced lockdown, but also some activities that I have been having with the kids. This is not only for their enjoyment, but also for my self care. My anxiety has been reaching new levels, and focusing on my family, the kids entertainment has helping me cope a little with it. Everything is quite different, and our plans for Easter have changed dramatically. 

This week would be the first day of our Easter break. This will definitely be a very different Easter. My parents already cancelled their journey, as travelling is still very much prohibited. The kids are more aware that 'germs' and 'virus' are  changing our way of living and our future plans. We most probably wont be going anywhere this Summer. Well, its a wait and see what the Future stores.

Skype and video calls are even more frequent. And we are finding calling everyone that we use to see on a daily base... as we are now we are even video calling little friends from school! This was really nice for the big kid to still be in touch with his best friend. Our school has been quite brilliant with online tools, and making sure that big kid would be connected with work, teachers and friends. We start our morning signing into Dojo and reading what were the teachers work suggestions. We would also see the messages from all staff at school! And every time we posted what we were doing there were always nice and encouraging comments from all the teachers. It was different, and many times big kid asked why  simply not going to school? And then I had to re-explain again about the very dangerous germ that is still outside... And that all the children were now learning at home.

This is quite different, I find myself leaving different scenarios at the same time. The news are simple disastrous, and I often find myself despairing at the lack of preparedness of UK government. And yes, this is so very unhelpful for my mental well being. Don't even get me starting talking about twitter. That's another new level of despair - and I am forcing myself to stay away from there. However, visiting my go-to blogs has been quite relaxing. Its a new found serenity, where everyone is living and showing how they are easily coping with this lock down... Almost feels that this lock down is normal... These are never ending sources for ideas to play with the kids, and enjoy a new found family centred life.

Coping with this weird scenarios is the most difficult thing I had to face until today. Its not only about me, but also about my family. Its about balancing my anxiety, and how I have reached a new heightened stress level, but still having to manage this so that my kids don't get so affected by it. That they don't see it. 

Lets once again refocus. What can I control? What can I manage? 

A basic and simple answer: Our home life... and entertaining and playing with both kidos. We have been  doing a lot of activities in the garden whilst British weather allows it. And... some activities that we have been enjoying:

....Bubbles is a must in the sunshine!

 In these last couple of days playing with bubbles is a favourite pass time for the kids in the garden. And is so helpful as they just run after the bubbles burning a bit of their never ending energy!

Chasing bubbles and blasting bubbles. I would never guess that they would never grow tired of this!

So simple, soap water and this leads to hours of chasing and laughs and screams in the gardens.

Shadow drawing 

This was a play suggestion I got from a local Facebook group. I will be quite honest though, I was enjoying it more than the kids. After a couple of dinosaurs and elephants and the kids grow tired of it.

 ....And birthday parties!
No, we don't have to leave the house, nor have guests. Our little friend the pinguin is turning 1 and we definitely had to celebrate! This is not an outdoor activity, but kept us busy for the whole day. We made decorations, we baked.
We had fun!

I hope I inspired you for some activities!

...How are you coping?

xx

How is the world today?

I don't know if it's just me, or if anybody else feels the same, but it has been difficult for me to keep up with all these crazy world, and how.... Its so very difficult to express... Again I find myself  drowning in fear.

I know that some thoughts result from my anxiety, but its also more than that.

I feel that this world is drowning in chaos and pandemonium. Getting  sense that disregard for your fellow humans near and far is at large. 

I am feeling so scared for the future. For my two little kids future. Years ago, when these little two were far thoughts in my mind I was hopeful for the world. When both were born we were so very happy. So very, very happy and confidant about the world and  their future. 

The past two years slowly eroded my confidence away. And of lately with the latest coronavirus news  and the way that the way these pandemic is progressing,  as the actions that any government and the humanity in general are taking is snipping my last thread of confidence and hope.

I have nowhere to look to find some shred of light.   I am trying to keep my feet grounded and concentrate on the laughs my children share with me. At the same time these same laughs are hurtful because I am afraid that they will be stolen away.  That a virus might stroke too near and embodied  someone we love. And then these scary news that are still far away are right by our door. 

Some scary news are already by our door. They have yet to be perceived by these two little guys, or so we think, but it just takes a few steps into our supermarket to feel that something is different. Mummy why are there so many empty shelves?

Our attention to how well our hands are cleaned. How often we are cleaning them.

Our attention to the way we cough.

Mummy what are you thinking?

My thoughts again are drowning me.

My fear again is rampaging. At the same time I know I have to keep sanity around us and not show any panic. This is starting to be more difficult to me.

I feel that I can't stretch my sanity much further.

I am following with dread the dramatic stories of what is happening in Italy. And now, with yesterday's press conference from our current prime minister I am far from reassured. I am scared as many people that surround me keep saying the same: 'be calm'. And I want to scream 'I am calm'! Do not misinterpret me, to be scared is quite  different from not being calm. I am calm, I am also very afraid. And that is because I profoundly distrust current governments. The beginning of the speech that I listened yesterday  said 'loved ones will be removed from us too soon'. This was quite revealing. Many of us will be gone,  will not survive this disease. I am quite aware of that. Tragic numbers today in Italy show over 1000 deaths. News that many health workers in Italy past away were also quite real revealing the dramatic situation existing in hospitals caring for the current over 10000 sick people. This is  the fight that will soon reach us. And I don't think we are ready. Far from it. The speech yesterday revealed a government that gave up containing Covid-19 and is already embracing a tragedy that I believe that we could fight. The unfairness that the vulnerable ones are who will suffer more enrages me. It shows a very callous government that is counting their demise. What enrages me more is the fact that this could still be avoidable. 

I am surprised that when facing this horrid scenario I am still calm. Yes, I do hope that we all keep calm with this impending struggle. Be serene, be kind. I hope that we can serenely face this together and overcome this pandemic. Maybe that will bring me some hope in the future.

My Sunday Photo || {The Ordinary Moments}