Covid kicked my ass all day just sapped all my energy I took Billy when I got up and thatcwas an effort, I then removed the remaining skirtings from under the TV but that was me done. Jamie kept me in flu tablets which actually put a spring back into my step for an hour or so but that was it so a sat in front of the TV and watched The Great Escape a classic film and an age since I last watched it.
A buffet tea was prepared by Reagan and Mommy followed by a game of Wii Bowling which nearly killed me but really glad I made the effort, as I write this we are about to start a game of Uno a top New Year’s eve so far with my family!
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If we are getting new flooring in January we obviously need new furniture, right? Well I agree, we actually do because our existing stuff is on its way out, and that is being kind. The chair, two seater sofa and sofa bed were all free second-hand so were worn when we got them and in the last 5+ years they ain’t got any newer lets just say! The rest of the living room needs a bit of TLC so the new floor and sofa doesn’t look out of place so we have decided to decorate too and as we are decorating lets get new light fittings obvs but there is one good thing I get to rewire the TV and hang it…better and with tidier cabling and bit of shelving to boot (definitely gonna need a new tool for that project)
Now as soon as we decided to decorate Jamie goes into full on interior designer mode and started thrusting swatches at me “what about this one or these three together, tell me me which one you prefer?” Now I knew at this point no matter which I chose, it is not going to be the one she chose, so I thought I would say I liked 1 and 3 but not 2…
…Jamie said “OH? I liked 2!”
Un….BELIEVABLE! I went for 1 and 3 because they were more textured and that’s what you ALWAYS go for, the same as you ALWAYS add spices to food that was actually ok before you added shit, tut, so I steered away from the plain blind in the middle and went for the blinds that were plain until shit was added to make the plain that little bit more….!
Jamie, “I thought the middle one was a bit more classy!”
Me, (Inwardly I thought that’s the one I would have gone for but she’s conditioned me) “Oh yeh I agree dead classy, they’d be perfect!”
Jamie, “No you don’t have to agree with me, your opinion matters!”
I’m sure we’ll sort it out 50 50 right down the middle Jamie will pick the colours and I’ll paint them on, sorted?
I jest of course, I can’t wait to have a grow up space again free from toys and kid crap ok maybe the odd bit or two but not too much…
So, Jamie entered the big girl adulting world today at 40 years old and bought a three seater corner sofa, arm chair and foot poof with storage compartment. She was so proud of herself, it’s not something you get to do too often in life but today was her turn.
There’s a lot of concern from Jamie about my symptoms or lack of, but I can’t tell what are symptoms or what are just aches and pains from working hard removing skirting boards in readiness for new flooring? If I am honest I am more achy than I would expect from just doing a bit of DIY I also am a bit sniffly but not that much and I feel overly tired for the amount of work I have done but again not excessively. I spend about 4 hours working today similar to yesterday and took a long hot bath afterwards and once I got downstairs for tea I felt ok no worse than I would normally so symptoms….maybe but nothing much so far?
The project removing the skirtings is going well, I removed the hallway and under the front window which had quite bad damp which I had always believed was due to poor brickie work when the house was built because the damp at the bottom of the stairs was caused by this and cured by my Dad who removed the mortar that had dropped into the cavity breaching the damp course and the damp went away, so when I noticed the same thing happening under the window I assumed I need to clear the cavity under the window. I mentioned this to Karl who straightaway said why not try moving the sofa away from the window to allow more airflow and that got me thinking, the curtains were down to the floor and the sofa is pushed back almost to the window sill. When I removed the skirtings under the window today the wall paper was wet and mouldy but the wall behind it was bone dry confirming to me that Karl was correct the damp is cold moist air trapped behind the curtain condensing when mixing with the warm air of the living room.
Our plan is to have new flooring but also to get rid of the sofa and other furniture and replace them with a corner sofa and an armchair under the window and also get rid of the curtains and replace them with blinds, both these things would naturally cure the damp because there would be air flow all around the window area so we just need to decorate the area and it should be fine, which is a lot better than the upheaval the cavity scenario would have been.
Uncle Karl saves the day again, he’s good’un really!
Our PCR tests came back positive a full house all four of us and it’s all Mommy’s fault, I jest of course it was inevitable no matter who caught it first all of us would get it quite soon after because you can’t isolate in the house it’s impractical. So tonight we got a text message with the results, we knew Mommy and Reagan would be positive and it was no surprise Lincoln and me came back positive too.
My symptoms are possibly a headache but nothing else but I may be a few days behind Mommy who can now no longer taste or smell anything and is tired all the time, the kids are fine Lincoln when told just said ok and went back to playing on XBOX, Reagan has been fine today accepting she has COVID and the headaches have gone. So we’ll see what the next few days bring on the COVID front, and hopefully it won’t impact the living room prep for new flooring?
A picture paints a 1000 words
My Christmas bestest present was a DeWalt cordless multitool which I had asked Santa for specifically to remove the skirting boards and boy did it deliver today, making it so much easier than it would have been without it although it still took a few hours to remove them from the kitchen door to the hall door behind the sofa, once it was done I put all the furniture back and because it was so neat you could not tell I’d removed them unless you looked. Tomorrow I will hopefully be able to remove a lot more but will need to pack the Christmas decs away first before I can start.
Staying healthy is the most important but it really would be great if I can get stuff done and waste the rest of my break feeling ill!
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Yep, why take a lateral flow test when we can have a family trip to the walk in Covid test centre in Winsford and get a PCR test each? Well Reagan tested positive this morning and was worried that she was going to get sick but we explained to her that she was already sick, the headache and lethargy she was feeling were the symptoms and probably the only thing she will endure. Mommy’s taste is disappearing and she is a bit up and down with other symptoms like lethargy and blocked or phlegmy sinuses which is good if that’s all she suffers, we just need to get through this as best we can. Lincoln’s lateral flow was negative when I got back from taking Billy for a walk and there didn’t seem any point me wasting a lateral flow test if we were all off to the walk in test centre to get a PCR done.
I know going to the store to stock up on food was not strictly what I should have done but while I had not tested positive technically I still could according to the rules so I got some supplies and then we all went to get tested. Reagan getting a positive test had the opposite affect on me it sort of took my mojo away and I spent the rest of the day lazing around not doing much really least of all skirting removal.
Apart from eating tea three of us sat and watched Stand by Me while Reagan sat in her room talking to her mates on her new tablet. The film had more grown up content than either Mommy or me remember but he did enjoy the film and it was just what I wanted to end today.
I haven’t mentioned last nights game because it didn’t go well losing 13 – 17 in Las Vegas even thought defensively we played great turning the ball over 3 times but offensively we managed 158 yards total and the lone touchdown came when Bradley Chubb intercepted Derek Carr and got the ball to the one yard line leaving the offense one yard for Devonte Williams to walk it in. The loss means mathematically our season is still alive but realistically we’re done and should be looking towards next season and in my opinion new coaching and hopefully a quarterback but the ownership is also changing in the spring which could complicate things. I am hoping the rumours about Peyton Manning being involved in the new ownership in some capacity because I think he would be good for the organisation. I am #DBFL win or lose!
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They say a picture paints a thousand words and this one sums up most of the day for us, while Mommy is COVID positive we were unable to join the rest of the Forster clan around Nannies for Boxing Day we had a lazy afternoon in front of the TV Reagan was complaining of a headache so she didn’t move either.
Either side of our lazy afternoon Mommy and me went to walk Billy up to the Lime beds although Mommy struggled catching her breath it was good for her to get out and we managed to avoid people so no-one was put in danger.
We also had a couple of hours this evening playing a few games and also got a visit from Uncle Karl who dropped off even more presents as if Reagan and Lincoln hadn’t had enough presents yesterday?
Errr COVID!
I finished the day off watching the Broncos vs Raiders I will let you know how it went tomorrow but as I sit here writing this blog Bradley Chubb just intercepted Derek Carr and then Devonte Williams scored to take a 13-7 lead into halftime.
Another good day and a good way to end Christmas 2021 tomorrow I get started with removing skirting boards ready for flooring!
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Reagan got a Samsung Tablet and was obsessed immediately, Lincoln got a steering wheel for his XBOX and Broncos bob hat both got Hue strip lights amongst many other presents, I went upstairs while Jamie and me were making dinner and this is what I found.
It seems that blue is the most popular colour today it’s soothing and perfect for gaming, amazing?
Christmas day began at 7am as per “the rules” and after getting Grandma on video call the present opening began in earnest, it is a blur when Reagan and Lincoln open presents and when they do it together its full on for 10 minutes and then it’s over, as quick as it begins lol
Without Nannie it wasn’t how we planned but we had dinner and pulled crackers then found charades to be the best fun ever lol while we were sitting at the table and we were all laughing hysterically it was my perfect Christmas moment, to me that is what makes me happy beyond words…it also crossed my mind that we wasted 300 quid on presents when parlour games are where its at?
I did manage to surprise Jamie who thought the chair she picked out for herself, I bought and wrapped was her only present gave her two canvases one of Reagan and one of Lincoln which were bigger than intended but beautiful and I am sure Jamie will make them work the other present was the bird feeder I had worked on the last couple of days and will add the water pump and feature over the next couple of days and position in front of her office window… I think she liked the surprise!
Late afternoon was spent playing Who knows Me Best and Kids Against Maturity until the kids got bored \ fed up with being around us so Mommy and me finished off Ghost that we started watching last night on gas telly adverts and all but it got too late and Santa might have turned up while we sat there watching? Reagan complained of a headache around 9pm and we advised tiredness and a good nights sleep would help so gave her paracetamol and sent her off to bed and we ended the night watching the film King Richard.
Lincoln ended the night flitting between building a lego baby yoda, playing on his phone and Forza on XBOX before bed
All in all a great Christmas Day and good memories made, oh and by the way Reagan smiled at the cuddly toy puppy and admitted she loves the presents she did receive and I actually heard her say “I love you, Mommy!”. Sometimes we worry about the wrong things as parents, our children are resilient and understand more than we think especially Reagan?
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Got woken by Jamie this morning creeping around the bedroom, I thought you were going to the gym, I was but my lateral flow is positive, and just like that the Christmas we planned was gone!
“If I isolate from you 3 you can still go to your Moms on Boxing Day, I just don’t want to stop you seeing your family at Christmas!”
My immediate thought was I have kept you from seeing your family for the last 13 years (bar one) so I have no room to moan about not seeing my family?
So we have all tried to do the right thing for months we wear masks we sanitise our hands we got jabbed jabbed again and boosted but there are so many people not bothering to do some or all of the above and avoiding those is impossible, the other thing is we have to live our lives too, we can’t stop doing the things we love to do. We were looking forward to seeing Nannie tomorrow and then the rest of the family on Boxing Day but so long as we all stay healthy that’s what’s important and that Reagan & Lincoln have a great Christmas is almost as important. We can guarantee the latter but only hope the former happens?
Reagan and Lincoln were so disappointed when we had to tell them that we need to isolate and the realisation that they wouldn’t see Nannie and Boxing day, which they both love and look forward to, wasn’t going to be possible. Reagan went cold on Mommy not wanting to be in the same room as her but warmed back to her throughout the day (well as much as normal anyway) and by the evening they were both excited and wanting to do our traditions Santa snack reindeer food snowman and snowdog santa key prayers and we might of added another earlier A Boy Called Christmas a great film to get you in the mood.
We will have a great Christmas, it won’t be what we planned but it will be a great Forsters Christmas the ‘rona won’t spoil that we won’t let it!
So we are sat here, the kids have just “gone to bed” so he comes quicker, exactly the reasoning me and are kids used 40 odd years ago but we used to actually fall sleep apparently because we were up just after midnight on Christmas morning, lets just say now that I am split here yes go to bed because we need to do Santa but don’t go to sleep too early because I do not want to get up at 3am any day even if I di say earlier in this blog that your enjoyment is second on my priority list because that list will alter pretty fucking quick if I haven’t even gone for my 5am piss before you want me to get out of bed!!!
May do a Santas been blog later depending on the above timeline otherwise Merry Christmas!
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Reagan has become fixated on getting a puppy for Christmas, so much so that it’s all she talks about at times. It worries me that she is not getting a puppy for Christmas or ever really. She will be able to do what she wants one day but at 11 years old Jamie and I have not even given getting a puppy a second of thought we have just allowed her to chatter away dreaming of this puppy. Jamie has bought her a stuffed toy puppy as a “joke” but I am not sure Reagan knows how to take a joke when it’s based on her not getting her own way so we will have to wait and see how Reagan not getting what she wants for Christmas turns out?
I know she has it in her to be excited and grateful for anything she receives but she also has the ability to decide that not getting her own way means no-one should have fun and then you have to fuss her until you win her around. I sit here hoping Christmas day doesn’t descend into that? She has got so much stuff for Christmas I can’t wait for her to open it all because watching everyone open presents is my Christmas!
So tonight she formulated this plan to stay up as long as she possibly can so that she is extra tired tomorrow because she can never sleep on Christmas Eve and off to bed she goes to watch tv and stay up. Hopefully she won’t be able to stay up too late because both her and Lincoln are excited now and no matter how tired they are tomorrow sleep will be difficult lol
reindeer food