Sat/Sun 21-22 March

 This first weekend of lockdown has dragged on a bit, frankly. I thought I'd enjoy the chance to lie in but was wide awake at 6:30 on Saturday morning, my mind busy with thoughts of the wider world. This weekend we heard that it's likely we have at least three more weekends of staying home, and I think that is an optimistic view.

It is good to have the weekend routine feel markedly different to the weekdays. It's helpful for us all to continue to have a sense of 'work days' and 'non-work days.' So, we have had two main approaches to staying sane and at home this weekend!

Number 1: Physical Activity

Manu and I began Saturday morning by joining my sister's husband and daughter (he's a personal trainer) for his Boot Camp workout live on Facebook. It was a great HIIT workout, made even better by Manu proclaiming that she thinks I am the fittest person she knows, even fitter than her PE teacher! Notwithstanding the limitations of her acquaintances, this made my day. Big shout-out to Mark and Eden Joy for helping our Saturday start in such a fun way.

Manu clearly got quite amped up by our joint workout, because she then spent a further hour devising challenges for herself in the backyard. She created a chart, listing challenges from super easy through to 'nearly impossible' and gave herself points for completing them.

Clearly, it always pays to have various bits of kit lying around - the boxing bag (along with gloves three times the size of her hands), weights, a trampoline and a skateboard all made it into her challenge series!

Needing a challenge of our own, Tim and I both decided to complete 5km runs today. Given the fact that we can only take the dogs out for short walks (anything more and we risk a fine from €600-€30k fines, or 4 years imprisonment for a second offence) this was problematic. My solution was an audio book and endless loops around the backyard, up two flights of stairs through the house and back down! It took a while but I made it to 5km. I am starting to dream of a treadmill ...!

Number 2: Celebration

I believe wholeheartedly in the discipline of celebration. That is, choosing to celebrate the small things even when (especially when) it flies in the face of apparent reality. So, as well as celebrating a successful week of homeschool with pizza and a movie on Friday, today offered the perfect celebration opportunity: Mother's Day. Never mind that it is Mother's Day in the UK, not Spain, we embraced it!

The girls painted cards, wrote their sweet messages, and laid on a beautiful pancake brunch. Keziah is absolutely brilliant when it comes to creating these special moments, and never fails to write essays of tiny handwriting that melt your heart! Manu's missives, on the other hand, are unforgettably hilarious:

"So let us not dwell on what we can't do,

but on what we can do."

P.S. It's my quote but it could be different:

"I would if I could but I can't so I won't."

(Also mine.)

We laughed, we danced, we made and ate delicious food, we played games by the open fire. And, just to keep things real, we watched Netflix, separately in our own rooms. Because, you know, needs must ;-)