Tag Archives: travelwithkids

0

“Just Keep Swimming”…With A Face Mask- Covid-19 Blog

|

Been Feeling Odd….

I’ve been feeling a little weird(er). Like I went into hibernation (lockdown) in winter, now I am re-emerging and going right back into winter? I know I’ve had a summer as I can tell by the flip flop tan (guaranteed “mum tan”). But definitely feel like we have missed out on summer and it shouldn’t be winter yet?

I also feel like all of a sudden, I have just got back onto that “momlife” hamster wheel at full speed. Went from *nothing to…….me back to work, 5-year-old back to school, 3 year old starting nursery, swimming lessons, karate lessons (they said it would give focus and discipline?), gymnastic lessons, pack lunch’s, school bags, PE kits etc etc. My head is spinning. Maybe I got used to the *nothing.

** by nothing I obviously still mean feeding, caring for, wiping, clothing, education, exercising, cleaning 2 kids, re-clothing, re-feeding (100% easier being at work).

I also feel a little cross at myself. I felt like I learned so much in lockdown, changed for the better. I wasn’t using the car as much, not spending as much money, appreciating what we had, cherishing (sometimes) the family time, enjoying nature and even marvelling how beautiful the green grass was?! Then BOOM, I’ve just gone back to normal again. I’m sad I seem to have lost all of this stuff. I promised myself I wouldn’t get too “busy” again, slow down, live in mud hut, look at more trees…. but low and behold, I don’t sit down until 9pm and feel like I’ve run a marathon each day. Why do I do it??!

I have also realised I haven’t actually left Devon since December?! Surely not?? No wonder I’m feeling odd. Adventures are my oxygen, and I’ve not even manged to set a foot in neighbouring Somerset. Boys managed a little holiday to sunny Stoke….I stayed home and shaved my legs.

Its Feeling Ominous….

I really feel like ITS HAPPENING AGAIN…….and please dear god don’t take me back there. And life is odd now. It’s like kinda normal, but always with a massive elephant in the room. Like we are titering on the edge of something. Everyone is happy to get some normality back, enjoying life again, but almost feels like people are going full pelt, savouring every minute “just in case”. Feels like we are waiting for shit to hit the fan, but then pretending all is ok.

It was all fun a games in the summer, a novelty, but I think a second lockdown during the winter months will be a different story. And now we are wise to what its’ like. We have realised that we are NOT teachers and baking banana bread makes you fat.

Although sort of ready to have just a little break from things such as swimming lessons, packing school bags, making pack lunches and filling out reading logs.

Masks

I am 100% up for wearing a mask if it keeps us from another lockdown (ie: being a teacher again)…..but I’m still not quite getting to grips with the “new normal”. Here are some things I have learnt about mask wearing:

-When you laugh really hard the mask sucks in and out really weirdly and puts you off

-I just can’t seem to communicate like a normal person in a mask? Its bloody hard to talk to people without feeling like a twat

-They accentuated your eyes but also crow’s feet

-You don’t need to wear lipstick/lip gloss anymore

-Don’t eat garlic

-Even though I know they can’t see it, I still smile at people

-Hard to read emotions

-I will continue to forget and try and drink/eat through my mask for the foreseeable future

-The most used phrase in August/ September 2020 is “oh shit, I forgot my mask”

-Makes people and the world more insular/ introverted/ isolated? You can hide

-Don’t be a wise guy and think tying your mask onto your car keys is a good idea. You may end up nearly having to also “wear” your car keys.

-Started to want to get masks to go with outfits? No Katie

-Don’t bother buying your kids cute masks. They will never wear them, (only for one Instagram photo) and they seem to make them very angry.

-Wondering why your masks have stretched? Your kids have been using them as underpants

-Don’t go for a run and then immediately go somewhere that you have to wear a mask. You will look like a raging weirdo

-If you have sunnies, hair down, mask on, hat on….its too much going on

-I don’t like kissing my boy’s goodbye through a mask for school

-Masks on school pick ups make me flustered. Especially when both boys also have “beautiful abstract art work” to bring back and its 27’c and they have had swimming that day

-Now would be a really good time to get braces if you were paranoid about them (although probs can’t get a dentist appointment)

-Make-up rubs off on masks and makes it look like your kids have wiped their bums with it…..hmmmm maybe they did?

-How good is it taking the mask off when you are allowed?! It’s like some kinda blind date when you take the blind fold off to reveal what’s underneath. I flick my hair and pretend I’m with Cilia Black (RIP) on TV. Anyone else????

-Word on the street is that people are getting asked for ID more in masks….I’m still waiting/ hoping

“Mask wearing” when you don’t have to have them on is almost like a trend in itself…what are you……..

The Beard: still hooked onto ears but stretched down underneath your chin

The One-Eared-Pirate: just hanging-free off one ear

The Wrist Band: hooked around your wrist like a Pandora Bracelet

The Nose Peaker:  Just down enough to get your little nose out into the fresh air

The Jungle Headband: just slip it up to your forehead, yep I’ve seen you Rambo

The Improvisor: when you have forgotten your mask all together and you “fashion” something together with what you have.

The Imposter: wearing your kids mask as you’ve forgotton yours…actually this makes you look 10 years younger??!

Christmas!

So, to round up, let’s just call it a day and get Christmas started?? I’m actually feeling rather festive and I’m sure it’s because we just need some really good happy jolly times, and mince pies. I’ve always thought if it was just me and my husband in this pandemic we would just roll with the punches more. But I get so upset about how it’s affecting kids lives. They are missing out on so much and don’t deserve this. It’s just not fair on them. So, Father Christmas will probably be extra generous this year………

0

The Philippines- FINAL PART

|

We arrived back encrusted with puke onto mainland Bohol.

We purely picked the next accommodation because it had a slide (although sure my husband picked it because it was called Mario…..Super Mario???). Weirdest place ever. Was sort of like a building site with random scuba divers walking around? I cant even describe it really! Slide was a hit though, the kids liked the slide too

IMG_2306

It was only one night and it was actually the cleanest place/ insect-less place we had stayed so far. Once we all got bored of the slide, we made an executive decision to go OUT OUT and sack off any type of bedtime routine (kinda been the go since we got to the Philippines). We got a trike down to the “main strip” which was buzzing. Again, I actually felt like I was a (younger) backpacker again, I bought some “tat” (essential holiday jewellery to make me look more travelly) and had a last ditch attempt to let Rich allow me to get some henna and get my hair braided. If anyone has been to Thailand, it was kind of like Koh San Road, but a waaaaaay smaller scale. I LOVED it!

Next morning we had one last swim in the pool. We had remained accident free most of the trip, but on my way to the toilet I FULLY wiped out. Not just a little fall, like a full blown wet jelly fish blubbering around on the floor. Literally couldn’t get up, everytime I tried I just slipped again. Im not sure what the floor was made of. About 4 men ran over to me to try and help the “poor white british wanna be backpacker damsel in distress” wallowing on the floor. Massive cut on my leg, but I told everyone it was a shark attack. Not fall on pissy bog toilet floor.

Flight up to Manila was a breeze with semi well behaved children. Ran them ragged in the airport before so think that helped. Landed into the big smoke of Manilla. Such a change from the little remote island and rickety villages. This was a proper big city. Actually nice to have a change. The people of Manilla seemed totally unaffected by the earthquake a couple days ago, felt rather silly carrying my “evacuation bag” (just like normal bag but with more snacks). I did feel a bit uneasy about staying somewhere so high with a roof top pool after all the videos I had seen on the news with a roof top pool during the earthquake. But I soon got over it when I had a dip.

IMG_2370

Ventured out to a mall that evening, it seemed to be the thing to do?! Then we had the age old crisis of trying to buy nappies and wipes again, not easy in a mall either. Rich went off to try and find some, I stayed with the boys in the “soft play” (sofa department). Arlo announces he needs a poo (you get 5 mins warning before it comes out), so queue me running around shopping mall like a crazy women trying to find a toilet and realising we have lost rich and no phone signal

Toilet found, poo deposited, Filipino sanitary towel bin opened a million times, anti-bac applied, husband found, nappies purchased then back to the hotel for our last night in the Philippines. I cannot describe how much I didn’t want to come home. Arlo mainly enjoyed standing naked in front of our hotel window.

IMG_2387

The flight home was SO much better than the way out. We got the bulk head seats…together….so the boys had their own little play bit down by our feet (obvs still wanted to jog up and down the aisle). We got offered a sky cot for kit, even though he was too big for it really, I forced him into it. To not have a kid on your lap for 14 hours was so much nicer. I even managed to go to the loo a couple times! Sleep was still minimal and Arlo still puked, but Rich and I didn’t want a divorce at the end so it was a success

WE MADE IT!!!!!! Backpacking in a crazy Asian country with 2 children!!! I felt quite proud of our little family. I also realised (well I kinda knew anyway, but this trip had just confirmed it) that THIS is want I wanted to do with our lives. I want to be one of these cool backpacking families that travel the world, giving their kids the best life lessons ever and best memories ever and realise there is a whole world out there to explore. I am going to do everything I can to make this possible, new life goals

And I 100% found it easier than being at home….
1) No housework- your staying in hotels/ beach huts/ home stays and you don’t have to clean woohooooo
2) No cooking- you end up just eating out for all your meals as its so cheap and don’t have cooking facilities anyway
3) No Routine- no school run, no deadlines, no packing school bags, no toddler groups, just your own time all day every day
4) Extra pair of hands-normally at home I’m on my own, whilst travelling I had an extra pair of hands every day
5) High spirits- everyone is generally happier as don’t have the stress of every day lief to argue about
6) Less life shackles-you literally have everything you need in a couple bags. It liberating. Don’t need Tezza the Turtle, toy frying pan and weird one-eyed squeaky fish thing after all.

7) We were happy! It felt easier to be happy without all of the above!

IMG_2393
Arlo still talks about the Philippines now (Uncle Janice and Aunty Jamie, bless him, he gets confused), but mainly about the boat and the plane??!

We have started talking about the next trip…VIETNAM BABY!!! (my husband bought me the Lonely Planet to Vietnam so he must mean it??). We’ve agreed that we will go when Kitt is out of nappies and doesn’t run away so much and Arlo doesn’t want to shit in the sofa section of shopping malls….2020/21???? I will be shaving my head for this trip

I really thought my backpacking days were over, but they really aren’t. They have become VERY different but way better! Its almost like more fulfilling with kids and more exciting and rewarding. Also slightly harder work than drinking your way round Asia when you’re 18 AND there is a hell of a lot more luggage. There are lows, there are highs (way more highs) but travelling with kids is so much fun…in a “travelling with kids” kinda way

The world is your oyster boys….and your mum might just come with you!!!