Countdown to Christmas 2021 (thread 1): Here we go again!

[ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy]

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Before I nod off in a food / booze coma, here is our new thread!

We've had a lovely, chilled, day building Lego. I should probably eat more cheese to really finish the day in style though. 🧀🧀🧀

Coloured!

Where are they from, I neeeeeeed them?!

Oh I have ones similar to that. Mine are white but I'm not a fan of coloured lights sorry you can kind of see them here through my voiles (we have massive windows and are one of the first houses on the road that you face as you drive in so have to have them unfortunately!)

They had coloured lights like that Fluffy at The Range.

Definitely coloured.

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It's day 4,076,457 in the Fluffy house and the housemates are getting restless. It's even reaching 'must sort the Lego' levels of tedium.

It's meant to be dry today. Wooooo! The washing is already out, so fingers crossed (monsoon again tomorrow).

I'll have to keep an eye on The Range then. Nothing to be bought this month, however, as we're decorating the kids' rooms, so that's taken up the spare cash. Boooo!

fluffy I read your update out aloud to DH in my finest Geordie 😂😂 today, I might be going through my fabric and thread stash...

Crazy pic attached of our conservatory with warm whites on the tree/around the windows. I love the way the light reflects and bounces of all the glass and the roof. I nearly bought some multi coloured ones, but as I use the warm whites instead of needing a lamp in the dining room, decided not to. I really wanted some of the stars for the living room window (like Wreck has) but suspect there would be a battle of wills between me and Charlie and he'd probably try to break/pull/nibble them a bit like he's done with the net curtain

Where the buggery is everyone today?! 🤔🤔

Good question. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry home schooling takes up most of my time and energy at the moment! How is everyone?

Morning. Everyone has vanished!!! I am ok Most, a bit fed up of all this shiz to be honest and exhausted from work with everyone else struggling with it as well. Only three shifts left at this job now though.

Not long to go why! It is so hard at the moment isn't it. I always find Jan and Feb hard but this year is much worse.

My work is really busy and not much else happening in my life so I can't find anything to post about. Feeling bleurgh about it all at the moment. My car insurance cash back still hasn't tracked but you have to wait 7 days before you can raise a ticket. The house insurance one has now tracked twice fluffy like yours obviously one will be declined.

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Ahhhh, hello!

Most, our home schooling involves plenty of Lego-building and Switch-playing! They're doing work, but also doing their own thing too. We're considering actually doing proper home schooling and taking them out of school, so we're kind of hybrid-schooling right now!

January is always a long, dark, month. This is making it worse. Why can probably tell us that the nation's mental health is on the floor, given her job.

3 more shifts, Why. Woooo!

Yes it is so challenging to have stuff to talk about isn't it wreck! When I contact family to catch up we run out of anything to talk about after 10 mins, only so much you can talk about when all you are doing is going for a daily walk

Plenty of play time here too fluffy. The main thing I am struggling with is phonics as DS just isn't getting it. He is however amazing at maths. Doesn't help that I am having to teach the phonics in a language I haven't spoken since I was 16!

Jan is so long and dark but there are little rays of hope now. I noticed that it doesn't get dark until after 5 now and spring bulbs are popping up all over the place :)

Homeschooling has been a nightmare. Ds is only in reception so he doesn't know how to read or write. We've just been doing basic maths and phonetics. I'm so exhausted though.

Same Nero, DS is so in reception. What I find exhausting is they can't do any of it without huge amounts of support at that age.

DS still needs loads of chivvying / encouragement and he's Y2. DD is far more independent (generally) in Y3.

I don't envy you the Welsh part, Most!

I hate January at the best of times Most.

Fluffy mental health needs are horrendous and the last few weeks it has deteriorated again. Not sure alot will come back from this. Nobody will be well enough to have jobs even if there were any.

And at the end of all this the waiting lists for mental health support will be even longer than they already were :(

I can feel myself slipping; it's bloody tough on all of us right now. I think the first lockdown was bearable as the weather was amazing. This one coincides with a time of year that's already a struggle. It's no wonder we're all finding it tough going.

We are still running almost normally Most, there are not so many waiting lists other than for some of the more in depth work. There are just alot requiring some support.

That's good why about the waiting lists.

I agree fluffy that the weather made a big difference last time.

I've had more than one person cry down the phone to me this week it's really tough on the elderly too.

That's heartbreaking wreck. It sounds awful but I am so glad my DGM died before all this as she was so sociable and this would have destroyed her.

On a positive note in one month I have managed to build up £23 worth of nectar points :)

The last few weeks Wreck (probably since the last lock down) most of my calls end up with people crying down the phone at me. It is heart breaking.