Mami Rhedeg

Today, Tuesday 30 June, marks the 100th day of COVID-19 lockdown for us in Wales. 100 days when all the plans went out the window...  Life in a global pandemic is definitely different. We can't just pop to my Mam's for the day or overnight. There's been no real socialising of any kind, for any of us. We've become dependent on screens and the internet to see and speak to our family.  The things we've missed so far include my daughter's birthday party, my Mam meeting her 3rd grandchild, meeting my niece who lives in London, staying overnight at Gran and Gramps' new house. My big little girl has missed her family. The trips to the park, the walks with Grandparents, the sneaky treats they would have given her. My big little girl is now counting down the days. Hoping that nothing goes wrong. Hoping that 107 days since lockdown started, and 125 days since she last got to see her Grandmother, she finally gets to see her. To be in the same room.  Wales, as a country...

For nearly half my life now, I've had two Dads. My Dad, and my StepDad. I love both my dads. They are both special to me, in different ways. Both protective. Both there when needed. My eldest lg, at 7, is now in the same boat. She loves them both. They are both special to her. But, it is also more difficult for her.  I know she's struggled sometimes. The most important thing is that she knows that they both love her too. That they both care about her.  Sometimes, what we need to do is make sure that she knows she's safe. That she  can talk to her Dad if she wants to when  she's at ours. That she has one life, not 2 separate ones. That, actually, we've all got her back.  This year, my lg has spent today with her Dad (as she did last year too). So my youngest has spent the day with us, with her Dad, and my Dad (my StepDad is too far away under the lockdown restrictions for us to meet up today).   I always send two cards on Fathers' Day, and this year, my...

OK, so, I haven't exactly been keeping up with writing recently. Lockdown arrived with a bang, and since then, I've juggled home teaching my 7yo and a newborn.  Having a baby in a global pandemic is interesting to say the least. None of the stuff we look forward to is happening... No groups, no coffees, no meeting and making new friends. But, overall, it has actually been relaxing. The only schedule we've had to keep was our own. The 7yo, is a different beast. She has missed her routine. But she also knows why it's not there (the Newsround obsession). Since restrictions were lifted a bit, she has loved being able to sit in the garden at her grandparents, pick their strawberries (not just ours), meet cousins for a walk. But there is a long way to go before we are anywhere near able to let our children have the old freedoms to disappear together and play unsupervised. Social distancing is hard, especially when you're 7 and excited to see people. Most of her (and our) ...