Friday 10th April- Thursday 16th April

I am playing a little bit of catch up here (as, come on was completely expected-I’ve never been known for my consistency on my blog, however hard I try). 
So here’s our Family photo diary of all the things we did to keep busy and positive during week 4 of our Lockdown.

As the sun has been so wonderful (I mean its keeping us going right now I am sure of it) its been great to change the environment for some of P’s toys.  He has such an imagination and will make up story after story with his characters.  Its great to see him get lost in his own little world.  Just wish his older brother could do the same. LB has always needed a bit more attention but its really showing at the minute.

P has always been a character but he is honestly thriving being at home with all of us.  He is so thoughtful, thinking of his brother first, sharing everything and loving on everyone hard. He’s also a complete nutter and so damn loud but man is he keeping us going right now. I was concerned a little that he would miss seeing all his new preschool friends etc but apart from a few mentions he honestly seems perfectly happy in our bubble.

LB however will always sneak away onto his kindle to play games or watch something.  If its too quiet and he hasn’t asked you to watch something he’s doing or to play with him you are guaranteed to find him like this.  He’s actually started playing games on his kindle while talking to friends on facetime about them.  I mean he’s 7 not 12.

The little moments that I catch them doing something together just melts my heart. 
LB has started to get to the point where he thinks his little brother is cramping his style I’m sure and would prefer to be around Daddy, but sometimes you get some really beautiful moments and during lockdown they have been happening more often and that’s just amazing.  I hope it continues.

B has started making bacon and cheese turnovers at the weekends and man are they tasty. A little naughty treat as well as sneaking the kids Easter eggs of an evening. 
They got so many they’ll never know!

The sunshine has done wonders for our moods and being able to get the paddling pool out and let the kids go crazy has been great.  I love their happy faces.  Also hoping the sunshine will sort out P’s eczema I mean if he’ll ever stop scratching.

I bought new pasta bowls with some birthday money and I now want to eat every meal in them, they are so bright and really make me smile. Its the little things.

EASTER! I must admit we’ve never really been one for celebrating Easter.  They get eggs from family but we don’t buy them any, as otherwise they get too many.  Mean Parents! I always see how my friends make such an effort with egg hunts and Easter baskets etc and I get that twinge of guilt. Most years we do a few Easter hunts at friends and family but we just don’t really go all out at home.  This year I saw what others were doing on Instagram and between my friends and I felt a bit bad, so I found some old plastic eggs from last year and hid some of their eggs that family bought them in them around the garden at the last minute.  Well of course they absolutely loved it and spent all morning taking it in turns to hide them.  P then asked daily for a week to do another Easter egg hunt. A friend also did a virtual one so the boys had to work out the clues. It was so lovely to watch their excitement.

P has really started to rummage around the toys to find things he wants to play with, whereas LB doesn’t. However he’ll happily join in if what P’s chosen interests him-he then usually completely takes over and it causes a bust up!
There is a definite love hate relationship here.
It’s really been nice to see them get creative though.  Be it with paints or playdoh, lego or story telling.   Their imaginations are certainly going wild.

We’ve been trying to get out for a walk, scoot or cycle in our village and local woods.  Once out everyone loves it but it can often be a battle to get the boys out.  LB is a real home bird and he’s the worst for being totally happy to stay at home.  He runs around the garden, does his Joe Wicks PE every morning and rides his bike across the road, but any further than that and the answer is almost always no.

When daddy got the old bike pod out this was LB’s idea of heaven for a trip out the house, the lazy moo. Unfortunately though it ended up breaking and busting Daddy’s bike which meant a really lovely afternoon ended in a Daddy sized temper tantrum alongside LB’s pretty generous moans!

Nothing like coming home to sort a big old BBQ out to cheer everyone up though!

Also this week I went to give blood.  I reached my 5th donation last time (would have been more if my veins weren’t so damn difficult to find) and it’s something I want to carry on with.  Having a few friends and my sister who have needed blood desperately at some point and are now unable to give blood, I want to do my best to donate for as long as possible. Considering the current situation it was a really calm afternoon though very different to normal with social distancing in place and all the nurses wearing masks and PPE.  I am really glad I went and now know its been used to help someone who needs it.