Friday, September 18, 2020

Filling in the gaps...

So there was a little bit of a jump between my 'Dam good day' on August 20th to 'Fathers Day 2020' on September 6th, and today is September the 18th so I thought I would quickly fill in the gaps.

Now let me see...

Remote Learning...

Our weekdays have been spent mostly doing remote learning with the boys.

Depite the funny face, and the fingers up in the background (cheeky shits), there has really only been one or two days that can be put in the 'this sucks balls' basket.

Even though we haven't been working to proper school time schedule, nor following the time table of subjects as they would be doing at school, the boys have managed to 'pretty much' stay on top of their work. I actually believe that during this time they have probably achieved and learnt more than they would have at school; Ace more so than Jazz as he doesn't get the one on one, someone sitting beside him the whole day helping and encouraging (like Mark and I have done), support at school.




Today is the last day of term 3 (18/9/20)...let the two weeks of school holidays begin!

As the restrictions have eased for Covid-19 in the regional areas, they are due to go back to onsite learning for Term 4 (date to be confirmed). You would think we would all be jumping for joy hey, but no! Although they miss their friends and crave the social aspect, both the boys would quite happily do another term of remote learning. Us too, although them going back to school will give me more study time! If it wasn't for the fact that Ace will be doing VCAL next year, we would have seriously contemplated moving into homeschooling. Oh well, at least having the remote learning aspect, we can say we did it, and loved it!

Uni Study...

I take Tuesdays off from being a 'teacher', to be a 'student'.


My day looks a bit like this - minus the boring household chores, eating and elimination stuff!

8.00am - 10.00am - Botany lecture (via zoom)

Quick break

10.30am - 12.30pm - Herbal Manufacturing lecture (via zoom)

Lunch time - wander the garden and get some fresh air!

2.00pm - 5.00pm - Materia Medica lecture (via zoom)

Break

6.00pm - until I simply cannot do any more!

Hahaha despite THAT face, I actually really enjoy the whole day.


I'm loving the subjects, and foraging (wildcrafting) in my own garden is ultra awesome! Do you like my fancy plant pressing setup LOL!?!

I will be honest with you, it is full on!!! I am trying really hard not to stress over it, but...

Stuff all really...

So, other than those two things, plus the normal day to day stuff like household chores, physio exercises and the odd walk out in nature (the last two are ones which I need to ensure happens more often, I've been a bit slack), as we have been in lockdown due to the Covid-19 restrictions there really isn't a great deal to share, as we've done stuff all really!

New Specks...

On August 26th, Ace and I went and got our eyes checked.  Wasn't that an interesting experience when wearing a mask that fogs up the optometry lenses - FAK!



Ace didn't require a prescription just yet but I did, and so on the 3rd of September I picked up my new 'reading only' specks!


Ace picked them out for me :)  Not fancy CK's or anything but for $45.00 (throught the VAS), I'm not complaining!

Over did it...


So after spending the day before fathers day, and also fathers day out in the garden (c'mon the weather was absolutely glorious), on Monday 7th September, I ended up paying for it!

When the f@&% will I learn that just because I can doesn't mean I should! Actually, I think the pain I felt was the icing on the cake.


Needless to say that the other half of the backyard and the front yard remains looking shabby!

Food glorious food...

I ended up getting another box of both Hello Fresh and Dinnerly so dinners have been one less thing for us to think about. As per last time, Hello Fresh wins hands down for taste.

Pictured below is pork tacos with pickled onion and crushed peanuts.


Dinnerly however, is much more affordable...this time around the meals have been a little nicer.

Picture below is Haloumi San Choy Bay with crushed cashews.


I love that Mark and the boys have been working together on Tuesday nights to make dinner!

What else...

Like I said earlier there really isn't a great deal to share. Oh wait...so as of yesterday (17/9/20) regional victoria moved steps on the road out and so that means we are now free to leave home 'just because'. It also means that elective surgery reopened AND...

Hospital booked...

As I was category 2 (within 90 days), I was one of the first to be offered a spot, which is - Friday 2nd October. Yep, in two weeks time, 15 days I will be having a Hysterecomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy! Goodbye cervical cancer cells!




What was I saying before about trying not to stress about uni stuff...eeeekkk, maybe I should drop out before concensus, BUT I have already done so much it just seems like a waste of time. I might just get the doc to fill in some forms so I can get an extension...that should work? Hmmmm, I will think it over! They said I should expect to be in hospital for about 4 days. Which means that if the boys do go back to school for start of term 4 on the 5th October I won't be home. And if they do a staggered start and they don't go back straight away I wont be able to do remote learning with them...so many thought racing in my head. It's okay, I will sort it all out!

Anyway, depite all the racing thoughts I'm glad it is happening sooner rather than later. Not only because of the trouble I've been having but also because it means that I can rest and recover and get back on my feet enough to be okay for the next foob op, which should be at the end of the year or early 2021. Oh, and hopefully in between the two, the lapband operation can happen.

So much for getting back to work anytime soon though. Not that I'm ultra keen to be in such close proximity with people with the whole covid-19 thing. Money would be good though...

Covid-19...

Well since its been mentioned a few times I thought I would share a bit more about it.

I personally have really enjoyed the lockdown phase! I love how the world has slowed down allowing me to catch my breath and just take time to get back on my feet.


Vader reminding me to take time to smell the roses...camillias!

And Simba reminding me to take time to bask in the glory of the sunlight!


It has also given us a heap of quality family time together, which is always a blessing.

The worst part for us has been not physically being able to see those we love...family, friends!

Actually, because metro is still in lockdown I still can't visit Mum!

Funniest thing though, I sent her a message today saying "I miss you". Her response, "Why? I'm not dead"!

Hahahaha trust her to put it into perspective!


She's right though, we talk every night on the phone, text throughtout the day and have a family video call once a week. How blessed we are to have modern technology...imagine if we were in lockdown without that stuff - now 'that' would be hard!

Anyway, I think that's it...so much for a quick gap filling post LOL!

I will leave you with another pic of my furbabies.


Look how much they have grown! WOW!

I will try and pop up another post before heading into hospital, and ofcourse will keep you updated also. Thanks heaps for reading my ramblings all the way to the end.

Monday, September 14, 2020

Fathers Day 2020

Sunday September 6th, 2020

Happy Fathers Day to all Dads (and Mums who take on Dads role) but especially to... 

❤ My Dad Chris who I miss everyday. 

❤ My Step Dad Geoff. 

❤ My Father in law Les. 

❤ My mate Glenn for giving me the most cherished gift ever; Ace and Jazz.

❤ My sweet man Mark, for not only loving me, but for also loving our boys and being their constant. 

And last but not least... 

❤ My Mum Kathy who often wore both hats.



Fathers Day 2020 started with a much needed sleep in, followed by gift giving.

Ofcourse once opened, the boys had to check it out properly!


It is a Dremel tool and kit - something my sweet man had been wishing for!

As we have done every other day during these crazy times, we sat and watched Dan's breaking news before heading out into the backyard.



How glorious the sunshine was! It felt great being out in the fresh air, pottering about in our garden.

I love that we were able to get our salad and vegetable patches ready for some new seeds/seedlings.

Our silverbeet self seeded and so we have more growing...yummy!


One lonely lettuce LOL, celery, leeks and springs onions!


Once pottered out, we spent a little bit of time enjoying the fire...

Before heading in to have Dads choice of dinner (KFC ofcourse) and watch a family movie - Sonic 2, very random!

It was a wonderful day spent together, which is the best gift of all (even if I do say so myself), but I am sure my sweetman would agree!