Virtual Reality

So we are a week into Lockdown in this household, and the schedule has been losely on point. There have been fun family moments of PE, first thing in the morning, with The Body Coach. Even more entertaining, has been our own family live FaceBook streaming our version of the workout. (Thank you to all have tuned in and commented). 

There have been moments where we have all read a book (or scanned Social Media but the kids don't need to know that), there have been educational moments, and fights over computer screens, with arguments such as, "my education is more important than his", there have been Victory Royales (a win on Fortnite), as well as Playstation bans. 

There have been days we just couldn't be bothered, and days we've watched a lot of Barbie Dreamhouse. Some moments have been filled with laughter; the fun joyous kind, and the slightly insane kind, as well as some high level stress moments, and some tears. The kids have quickly learned that if they say, "I think it's for the benefit of my emotional health", I'm more likely to agree to their request. 

I've had a fair few emails from the CEOs of 'every shop I've ever been to', and watched the close of some favourite eateries, as well as the sad realisation that some businesses might not make it back, but I'm hoping the Government's finacial help, gives some hope. 

Social Media has been a mixture of sad news, unflattering FaceTime photos, scary stuff, amusing memes, encouragements from Head Teachers and actual HomeSchool mums, to take it easy and enjoy the kids. There's always some negativity on Social Media, but also so much community spirit bursting forth too. There's been Zoom meetings, NHS clapping, slighty stressed mums, one anothering, church streaming, and helpful links of things to do and see, and a vast amount of things to virtually connect with. 

I thought I'd mention some of these here; a look into what's on offer. Bigger companies like Twinkl have put out a lot of free resources to help school kids from Early Years to KS4, with SEN help too. (A lot of these are printable, which doesn't serve everyone). There are live animal cameras to watch at various zoos, and some celebrities playing their part. Steve Backshall is doing Live Facebook Q&As, weekdays at 9:30am. David Walliams is reading his own books at 11am, cleverly called Elevensies. You can even let Carol Voderman take the stress out of teaching Maths. Countdown all over again.

You can listen to stories at Audible Stories, you can go to the theatre from the comfort of your sofa. You can virtually tour the Louvre, and other museums. (Although I'm pretty sure watching Night at the Museum, is just as factual). There's plenty more virtual tours you can take here. Later we are getting on a virtual ride at Disney You can also bake with Martha Collinson, with things you find in your cupboard, hopefully not too random a selection of food. (See my latest blog involving a tin of Cock A Leekie). Maybe do the baking after the rollercoaster, just in case Virtual Reality is really as good as the real ride! You can also learn British Sign Language; an excellent language to learn, which will result in more people feeling included and understood. That's never a bad thing.

I thought I'd also share some of the smaller, lesser known resources too. I have the pleasure of knowing a few teachers and creative types, who are giving their services at this strange time. Author Dave Atheral, is reading through a chapter of his book NOT PAT, with a question at the end. Mr Field is doing some on line maths teaching, via Loom. Another teacher has a wonderfully creative Instagram account; Cool Classroom. 

My Papercut Forrest is also doing some beautiful things with paper, while Button & Blue is teaching us to knit! Gem's Wholesome kitchen is a great place to find Veggie and Vegan cooking videos. Emma Stone Johnson is making free cards for NHS members. Kimbalu is a fun singing monkey who would love to entertain your little ones, as are the guys at Little Notes. (Fun and singing, not monkeys). You can join with Glass dance  on their Facebook live teaching videos. If you want some Biblical content, you can watch the adorable Bible Sisters, as they tell Bible stories with their toys. You can check out Emmanuel Kids, The Little Worship Company and Baby Devotions. 

There are of course, far more things to access, far and wide, as well as local and home-made. What a blessing technology is to us. 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows". James 1v17

A Moment in Time

Well, we find ourselves in a 'Moment in Time', which of course all moments are, but this one seems pretty significant. We're in the midst of a Pandemic. Something the history pages will look back on. A time of uncertainty for us all.

I've sent three of my kids off to school, for the last two days of this term, and maybe even the next?! Ive got one downstairs doing home school-work, as his year group was understaffed to be able to teach him this week. I've got one in bed, presently just grateful it's not his usual 6:15am early wake up call. And I've got a disappointed sixteen year old who has gone into school, disheartened that he wont sit his GCSEs, and quite likely that there will be no 'end of school, shirt signing' for him and his friends, no chance for a proper end to his schooling life, and unsure what the future holds for college. 

Yesterday I went to Asda, and Instagrammed my amusing take on it all. I get the sudden rush on pasta and loo roll, (maybe not to the extent that some have taken). But there were no toothbrushes. I didn't see that one coming. There was also no whiskey. It felt enough like Christmas, that I wondered if I should pop a bottle of Baileys in the trolley. But I didn't. I was in there for bread, milk and cereal, of which I was allowed two of. There was one tin of Cock-a-Leekie soup! Firstly, what is that, and secondly, we're panic buying Cock-a-Leekie soup now?! I left it kindly for someone else!

There's been quite the anger from some, seeing the panic buying. It's rather selfish in some ways, and there is enough food to go around, they just cant get it re-stocked quick enough. But I also understand people's desire to make sure their family and friends are looked after. I got a box of decaffinated teabags for my sister in law, because there's no way she would get through this without tea. I already had bought tea for myself, as there was only Earl Grey left and that's just like drinking perfume! So have I added to the demand?! There are lengths people go to, to protect their own. It puts the whole Seria refuge crisis in a little perspective. If we're panic buying in a Pandemic to look after our own, surely we can understand why someone would put their whole family on a boat or in a van, in an actual war?! 

I'm not so sure when people were buying their extra pasta, they were hoping the elderly would go without. And I'm encouraged that the supermarkets have started letting the elderly and those who care for the vulnerable in earlier than the rest of us. That's the right thing to do. I'm also loving the community spirit at work, people looking out for those local to them, especailly those who may be self-isolating, whatsapp groups and Facebbok pages opening up to one another. There seems to be a renewed sense of looking after the poorer in society, the more frail, the less able. There seems to be a less hurried way of doing life in the midst of it all, chatting to people, asking people how they are doing, social distancing but not social isolating. It's a time of coming together, of one anothering. 

I watched the Prime Minister's speech yesterday with one of my kids, who has a lot of questions about it all, and there aren't many answers to give him. It was a bit like you see in the films of old, people gathered around the screen, waiting for answers and information. Then at dinner I explained as fully as I could, with the different ages represented, what was happening....and the effects on people's health, the effects on people's jobs and money, and housing, the effects on our wonderful NHS, the fact that we probably shouldn't see Nanny and Grandad for a little while, the effects on education, the effects on church, the effects on Foodbanks and the poor, and children who wont be geting free school meals, the effects on GCSEs, the effects on why daddy is super busy at the moment, the effects on the shops, and socialising, the effects of a Lockdown, the effects of worry and anxiety on people, and so on. 

I explained too that disappointment would be largely spread; weddings cancelled, postponed, hurridly brought forward, flights and trips and holidays of a lifetime cancelled, family occasions and celebrations halted. It was a bit of a bleak chats at points, and they were asked to share their questions.

One asked if there was any more Pesto Pasta left. Ah the irony of this was not missed on me. The littlest one asked, 'what's a virus?' And then got very sad that she wont see her teacher for a while. (Her teacher is her favourite human, closely followed by the bin man). Another child asked how it would affect playing out with his friends, can kids get it? Will we know anyone who dies from it? How is it passed on? Why are we washing our hands? Are  Nanny and grandad ok? Why will we have to do school work? What if one of us gets it? What will happen to church? 

I did my best to answer some questions... where I could. And I got to tell them a wonderful answer my friend gave her daughter. Her daughter came in and asked, 'What's the latest news?' And my friend profoundly answered, 'Well, Jesus is still on the throne. He loves us very much and He is still, and always will be good'. I reminded them of the hope we have in Jesus in the midst of this; that the biggest thing we've ever had to face is actually the forgiveness of our sin, and that Jesus dealt with that at the cross. I reminded them that there will be an eternity with Jesus, where there will be no pain, no shame, no tears, not death, no illness and no viruses. And that whislt we're living through this bit of history, our hope in Him doesn't change. He's always been and always will be. He cares for us the same way He's always cared. He loves people and continues to want them to find their way back to Him.

Surely this newfound community spirit, this looking after of one another, this 'if you can be anything, be kind' mentality, this selfless serving of others, this taking care of the poor and vulnerable, is how God intended us to love one another...how He first loved us

We prayed, as a family after dinner, one by one, thanking God for something, because we know that thankfulness is a weapon against disappointment. We prayed against getting the virus. And we submitted our worries, our concenrs and our disappointments to God also, knowing that He's not surprised by what He sees. He's not wobbled by it all. In a time of uncertainty, He remains very sure, very certain indeed.


We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near;
people tell of your wonderful deeds.

You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.
When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.

Psalm 75v1-3

“I (Jesus) have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16v33

Keep Calm and Take a Nap

Yesterday, I napped. It was a delightful thing. I got back into bed at 9:25am, and woke up at 1:15pm. For the first hour, I just thought about all the things. You know, everything. All the mum stuff. All the household stuff. All the To-Dos I keep not doing. Like a Dot-To-Dot, but without numbers, trying to piece them altogether to make a vague picture. 

I refused to let myself scroll on Insta or Facebook, knowing that would be a waste of this precious nap time. It was one of those naps that I felt I had waited 16years for. I remember napping with my first baby, all those years ago. He'd feed and then fall asleep, I'd feed then fall asleep. Job done. And he was a good sleeper; he still had a sleep after school every day and even at senior school in the first two weeks, they phoned me to say he was asleep. 

When I had my second son, there were wonderful moments when I managed to get them both down for a nap at the same time. Oh so precious. That's some of the best mumming out there, if it can be achieved. (I never had that guilt bit where I would frantically use the time to catch up on the housework. I'm sure the husband would have loved it if I had), but instead I would get under a duvet, just to rest a little. To breath a little. To be me for a few minutes. To not give out for a while. I needed recharging as their recharge was even faster and more superior.

Then I had the third; a ball of energy. He always needed less sleep. He was the kid who from age 2 and a half, til about 9 or 10 didn't even stay in his room at bedtime. I remember people saying he'd grow out of it in a few weeks, but it took about 7 years. We just let him fall asleep on the landing in the end, and we put him to bed when we went to bed. 

The fourth one I remember he'd fall asleep all cuddled up on me, with the tv on, so I had to make sure I'd had a wee, with the remote control nearby, and good neck support. It's like mum Ninja training which you don't think about with your first. But we'd normally get disturbed by the nursery run. 3hr nursery slots do not leave much time for activities which tire them out well enough to fit in the nap well enough. I don't seem to remember five and six, and their napping abilities, which is a slight concern as they're the newest ones, but somewhere in there, I started childminding and nap schedules were up to Ofsted standards but at varying times. And I think Ofsted frown upon 'on the job napping'.

So, this nap was beautiful. 3 hours of silent duvet wrapping, with no school or nursery runs, with the phone on silent incase the school rang to tell me one of them had broken their glasses or forgotten a PE kit, or knocked heads with another kid. Nothing I needed to be woken for. And I awoke to some verses on Instagram about rest, because I obviously invited the world into my nap time.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Matthew 11v28

Obviously the wonderful thing about napping in the day, is the physical rest and restoring of energy, as well as how ridiculously sneaky it feels. But I love this verse, because as well as physical rest, I believe it is talking about spiritual rest, emotional rest, mental rest, and soul rest. In my recent vlog, I mention about having time with Emmanuel (God with us), in the midst of the busy! There are plently of people, most people in fact, who can't just nuzzle down into a duvet for a few hours, but we can still take a moment to come to God, our Heavenly Father, and cast all our worries onto Him, share our burdens with Him, stop and breath for a few minutes and allow Him to bring rest to our souls.

If you're a mum of a little one, I do hope you don't have to wait a decade for a daytime nap! But soul refreshing can be yours right now. If you've got a few minutes, watch this worship video and breathe in His love and His presence, and actively cast your burdens onto Him. He who cares for you, more than you even care for your little ones.