April Amigos Accounting Achievements and Adaptability

[Wolfcub]

New Fred for old friends and new

Dsis said the same snuggly she teaches primary.

It’s impossible to do. She has 28 I think in her class and the ideas which have been thrown around here are half kids in the morning half the other to reduce kids contact with each other.

She feels that the teachers have been forgotten. Shop workers have masks etc. Teachers here are being told to go back to work to help the community. She’s at more risk than others because of the amount of people she works with.

www.itv.com/news/channel/2020-05-04/sark-school-reopens/

The smallest of the Channel Islands is opening it’s school

We have the same debate constantly snuggly and em. The lack of staff due to shielding/sickness will make for a rather difficult time whilst implementing things too. We better get some proper notice...

Whenever I read about schools going back, I have palpitations. Especially the news reports that suggest all primarily aged will even though logic says that’s won’t work!

It’s ridiculous dsis said it feels as though they’ve just been thrown under the bus. Apparently we need schools to go back to provide “childcare” (she’s raging at this!) so the workforce can go back and kickstart the economy.

I’m longing for nursery to go back but don’t see that happening for a while. I’ve said to work I can’t come back into the office full time unless I have childcare sorted (as it’s likely that dhs office will go back as soon as mine does).

There’s talk of split teams and work from home occasional days etc. Which will be good.

Hey all, sorry I’ve not had time to keep up much. It’s been really busy with work and juggling DC and in the evenings I’m pooped. We’ve had a rough weekend, DS is coping less well as time goes on and so we are all walking on eggshells. There’s a lot of meltdowns and DD is finding it very stressful too and her confidence is crumbling. I also have no idea how they will reopen schools but by god, I desperately want them too! DS misses it so much.

Food costs are still ridiculous. Same here Snuggly, we can’t really store all the fresh stuff, definitely not for more than a week. I’ve got to pop out today for cereal and fruit.

Has anyone been watching the Kirstie craft programme? I’ve been watching it on my iPad while cooking.... it’s a bit cheesy but quite cheering. Most of the projects can be done with stuff around the house. I haven’t had time to try any but I definitely fancy making a piñata for DD’s birthday next month. Also fancy tie-dyeing some t-shirts with the DC, though DD is currently refusing to wear anything that is not covered in small flowers. Must be small ones. Ditsy floral is not so much my style so unfortunately not many of her clothes meet her exacting requirements 🙄

Hi all. Sea really sorry the little ones are struggling so much :(

I really don’t understand how schools will manage either. I will send DD1 back though, no question, although she is coping admirably and bonding even more with the others, which is lovely to see, she’s definitely struggling with missing her school friends and I think it would cause a lot of issues if we kept her home. That said, I am fairly confident we did have CV already so that side doesn’t worry me so much. She can walk to school so no transport worries, and she already knows we will be very strict on showering and changing immediately after school etc. She also knows it may only be part time or it may close again depending what happens.

Not sure about nursery - I am enjoying her much more at the moment as I’m less stressed, and she’s loving having everyone with her all the time (too much TV though!) and is talking constantly. But also, we don’t actually need the childcare for work so if they keep limiting their service I wouldn’t send her as others need it more. Definitely harder to manage home ed with her around though! We have to keep giving her “work” to do and woe betide us if it doesn’t look the same as what DS is doing 🙄😂

I’m really fighting the urge for a big online order ATM! Stuff for the Caglets mostly, home ed books etc. I haven’t bought myself much except I’ve joined an online book club so got the book for that.

Just had a video call with work re coming back. The plan is that if we want to come back we can once they know what the guidance is.

One person per pod of desks maybe.

We also don’t have to go in. And can opt to stay home if we have vulnerable people in our homes or if we just don’t feel safe enough coming in. So that’s good.

sea I’m worried about the logistics of working in a school (although DP and I are lucky as we have offices), but desperate to send my own DC back as they need it.

We are currently painting egg boxes.. with paint I bought about 5 years ago but had managed never to be desperate/bored enough to open. We’ve then got to assemble DD2s into a caterpillar 😬 I am not a crafty person 🤞

I've started thinking about this contact tracing app now. Let's say you get a message saying you have been in contact with someone and have to self isolate for 2 weeks. Ok that's probably manageable, wfh etc but what if it keeps happening. For some, like dh who wfh a lot anyway that's fine but if all my classes are back at school how do I teach them from home? There aren't enough teachers for this to work. Likewise any other job where you need to be in the actual workplace e.g. hairdresser, hcpc, builder, librarian etc. It's going to be harder to manage with people in and out of work all the time than if everyone is just at home, surely?? We can't stay at home forever though so I'm not sure what the solution is. Sorry I am really rambling today!

I haven't read back but I want to sympathise on the expensive shopping. This week I have a £200 ocado order (for two weeks and replacing lots of storecupboard stuff like spices which we are using at a huge rate) a £50 beer order (which I admit is not essential) and a £20 veg box.

It's such a Catch-22 isn't it? I think that schools will be phasing back in sooner rather than later but who knows what this will look like? What I'm worried about is what will happen if my time in school doesn't match up with my children's? We could all end up in on different days!

I'm finding the adjustment to one weekly shop really interesting. I'm starting to think about things that will run out mid-week so we have bread in the freezer and long-life milk. I've also started to buy two blocks of cheese a week - can't believe how much we get through! Fruit does run out but we eke it out with tinned, frozen and dried. And as much as my children complain they've had to get used to a carrot being as good a snack as an apple 😂. I've always meal planned but am finding it easier to check on if things need switching around as ingredients need using up as I've got time now I'm not out all day eg I've made a Caldo verde today as I found that the new bag of spinach had got pressed against the back of the fridge and got a bit of frost bite. We were going to have bolignaise from the freezer but that will keep.

I feel like I'm getting less creative as time goes on and I've packed our paints away love (like you, they're getting on a bit now!), kids seem happiest playing anyway 🤷‍♀️

snuggly I’m lucky in that I can wfh. But even wfh it’s going to be a nightmare. I also think that unless everyone gets the app then it’ll be completely pointless.

Dd for example doesn’t have a smart phone. So he can’t get the app.

There’s talk here about making the vaccination mandatory. That frightens me.

I'm worried about that too Madden. At the moment dh and I are muddling through together with work and the dcs but he couldn't work and manage them on his own if we were all in school/nursery on different days!

I got English asparagus today. It is my absolute favourite vegetable and I will only buy English in season because it is such a lovely treat. We had it for tea and it was delicious

Afternoon everyone
Have been to look after Bob & Mum, there was a bit of a panic on because he's had a notice that his car tax hasn't been paid & he had a warning notice for a fine if it isn't paid . I would have done it online for him but his daughter has been there looking for it, not for Bob btw but because she wants to use his car . Which l wasn't very happy about because Mum went up there to keep her safe but there is nothing l can do about it . Mum & Bob are so hopeless regarding their safety and this virus they can't see anything wrong in Bob's Dd going there
Not just that but she lives with a whole crowd of ppl all coming and going. Ask her to get him a tub of his usual coffee from Sainsburys though & the answer is, well there is no answer just silence
Seems as if they are just like my family , does nothing and expects everything
Glad you are finding the ONS link useful , it was a real eye opener for me and off the back of it l have been shopping to Aldi today YAY!
Wolf I so sympathise with you re the cost of shopping , l can't believe how much has gone on the shopping . However after shopping in Aldi's today they seem to have kept their prices quite well at least in the things l buy . I think the other shops may be raking it in because they have a monopoly on the deliveries. Tesco especially l have noticed increasing the prices.
Girlie sometimes needs must
Love l got 2 bags of SR from Aldi 45p a bag , think it may be on the way back on the shelves hopefully
Unescorted hope your Dad feels much better soon
Snugly l have my doubts re the App too , it's all up in the air really and l don't trust any of them , Scientists or Politicians l don't Even trust WHO.

Food is a fortune. My cheap shop was £80. Got a c&c for Thursday and it's already over £100 but a chunk is mils too.

I want mine to go back. Too much screen time too little friend time. .

I'm lucky I can wfh.

Sorry you are struggling sea. Keep popping by though.

Hey guys!

I'm feeling so fed up today, need to shake it off. Just feel like all these days are passing us by and we can't make the most of them at all.

Work is on and off right now, no idea how it's going to pan out going forward, there are around 1400 staff in our open plan office, with everyone squeezed in like sardines, 99.5% are currently wfh. I don't mind going in right now as I can drive in and it takes roughly the same amount of time it would on the tube, but in normal circumstances it could take hours, I'm very nervous about using public transport too.

we have some building work happening which is good in one respect but annoying in another, it means that we can't really go downstairs as that's where they are based. Plus the dust is unreal.

Urgh sorry for the moan, coming to terms with the fact that 'normal' is going to be completely different from what we are used to is tricky. Just reading all the messages about schools going back is worrying, some students (looking at you ds2) just don't have the motivation to work at a good standard without being in a classroom. Plus they really need the support of teachers/tutors being right there with them in person.

I'm also spending tons on food, ds2 has decided he's on a high protein diet and is eating more than the rest of the family combined.

Hope the rest of you are in a better mood that I am currently in

It's ok to feel like that Camden. We all have down days.

Not really Camden 😬 I've felt tired and pissed off all day and all my colleagues at work were the same!!

I had a mini meltdown Ystd evening over something fairly minor, dd was very good and got me a drink and suggested we take the dog out for a walk which helped.

It's the not knowing when it's going to end that drives me nuts. I'm desperate for schools to reopen as is dd, who doesn't even like school they much 😁 I'm debating sending her in one day a week as a child of a key worker soon.

I honestly think we're all going to have to start going back to some semblance of normality soon, CV is here and won't be going anywhere and a vaccine could be years away....

Unescorted hope your dad recovers soon and glad he was able to fly

Camden definitely ok to feel like that

I have real mixed feelings about schools reopening. Ds really needs it. I need it so I don't strangle him but I cannot see how it can be done safely.

We've been having lots of conversations today about how office life will work. The lift situation is sounding like it'll be impossible to work out reasonably and safely and lots of debate about how we protect those who may be more at risk but who aren't in the govts shielding group

Girlie I'd have done the same, I sort of wish I could do that with ds as it would be good for his mental health too

Lifts are a bizarre one and something I’d not considered before. In my office we’re second floor. And I usually take the stairs anyway as smokey nc smokerson uses the lift and it stinks!!! But I can’t see how you could safely do it.

So many things that we previously took for granted are now so complicated to think about!

Spent £45 on food shopping today.

Sorry unescorted. Gws ddad

Nsd today. You would think that would be most days but alas no.

I want the schools to go back as soon as it is safe to do so as ds2 needs the structure of school to learn and the support of teachers too. Realistically it might not be safe for a very long time and I suppose adjustments will need to be made to make it doable. I can see masks being mandatory and they won’t be able to do that until they secure enough masks for HCPs.

Lifts and the like will be being addressed in most hospitals as the staff will still be using them... unfortunately I don’t have any answers as my ward is on the ground floor.

It’s very difficult to see a safe way out 😨