Liam was still poorly this morning so we were an adult down. Which is never a good ratio. However, we started well. For about the first 15 minutes of Joe Wicks.

And then Micah joined us.

And things went rapidly downhill. Suddenly my gym buddies had turned into gym equipment and Micah was practicing his long jump using them. Joe Wicks promises we can come out of lockdown stronger and fitter than before. He does mean that’s possible when you only complete 2 minutes of a 30 minute workout every day, yes?

Don’t be fooled by these lovely photos. The morning did not go smoothly. He wasn’t keen on patterns. He likes to go off trend. Why should it go pink/blue/pink/blue when you could randomly throw in yellow/red just because you want to? I thought building the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s fruit from Lego would be fun. He thought it was more fun to break it up and build a really big tower. But Maddie enjoyed the fruit building more than her maths game, so at least someone was entertained? Toby seemed inspired to do a mocktail making maths activity. This involved pouring Fanta, coke, apple juice and squash in a glass and drinking it. He claims it was to learn proportions. In that case my Disoronno and coke is purely to keep my mathematical brain alive and well.

I wasn’t in a happy place this morning. Even Alexa wouldn’t listen to me any more. But threatening her with no pudding has about as much impact as it does on my offspring. The kids wouldn’t play ball. My husband’s poorly. I couldn’t even listen to the music I wanted. Theo had a meltdown because Maddie moved the tuff tray across the garden. Then she stood and screamed because he sat in the spot she wanted to sit in.

And I thought about having a pity party and crying about how rubbish it all is, and then in that moment when I was hanging out the washing my friend rang me. Because she’d thought about me before her coffee, which is seriously significant. And I felt seen. By her and by the other lovely people who messaged today, and by my mother in law who sent a food parcel with treats in. But mostly by God.

Because even if no one knew what was going on here and what kind of day I was having, He knew. And He put me on someone else’s mind. And even if no one had rung, and there were no food parcels, He is here, in the ugly moments, as well as the good.

The other day I read someone on an online forum say that being isolation had made them realise that they had no real friends. When they thought about who they could ring they couldn’t think of anyone. And I felt really really sad when I read it, that there is anyone who feels like that. I felt loved today, and it reminded me to stop making this about me, and to keep looking outwards at who I can love.

And these ones of mine need a lot of love. So after lunch we chilled. We snuggled and watched a film.

And then we made Oobleck which is super weird and really fun for sensory loving people and makes a lot of mess for something that only provided about 15 minutes entertainment.

So then I pulled out all the stops and went for the paddling pool. And it was brilliant and also caused mayhem. In the form of two children who like splashing and one who hates it. And one small child who kept ignoring my ‘don’t run on the kitchen floor!’ instruction and fell and banged his head. But overall they had the pool and ice creams and even though it wasn’t great all the time and people still made faces at my dinner, and Liam still isn’t well, I have so much to be thankful for.

I don’t want to lose perspective in these days. It’s a challenge for everyone, and for some it’s far far harder than in my little corner. It can be easy to get distracted by the frustrations in my days, but there’s a purpose in what we’re doing, and ultimately I really have nothing to complain about. I have a home where I am safe with people I love, I have kind family and friends. I have more than I need. And I am not ever alone. Because of the giver of all good things. Who is constant and faithful and is there in the storms, and makes rainbow reminders that He will never break a promise.

‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change’. – James 1:17