Lockdown Week 7 (Wed)

WEDNESDAY

This morning I start making a list. 

The husband looks nervous; he’s not keen on my lists, as it usually means some sort of change is imminent. Either that, or he’ll be asked to do DIY.

Six and a half weeks have passed, and I haven’t really accomplished anything NEW. Determined to find positives in the current situation, I decide that we should each make an effort to achieve at least one thing during lockdown that we wouldn’t under normal circumstances. 

Satchmo and Bertie-Wooster have already made a valiant start with their new diet regime, though I’m not sure they’re embracing the idea. They look appalled when no-one slips them treats at mealtimes any more.

I decide the children should try growing vegetables, to experience the satisfaction of reaping what they’ve sown themselves. I anticipate some resistance to this, not least the eight-year-old’s declaration from an early age that all vegetables are ‘gross’. This has been a daily battle since he was 18 months old; I’m still waiting for him to see things my way.

I send out a message on the neighbourhood WhatsApp, asking whether anyone has a few vegetable seeds they can spare. I have an ulterior motive for this: I noticed last night that the boy called Dom’s parents have now joined the WhatsApp group. 

This means I can do a bit of casual snooping about the 15-year-old’s love life, under the guise of growing veg. Excellent parenting.