Life on lockdown | our family photojournal

Oct 5, 2020 | FAMILIES | 0 comments

Back in March 2020 I started a photojournal of our life at home, under coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Back then I thought it would help see me through the weeks of uncertainty we had ahead of us. Here we are months later, heading into a winter of continued uncertainty and I am so glad I started this personal project. It’s a reminder that we can get through it. We can, and we will find ways to keep us busy and entertained.

Here’s the unedited diary, as it happened. It’s far longer than I ever anticipated (thanks, Corona), with most recent entries at the top. Scroll riiiighhhhht down for day 1 ↓

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I’m going to venture an understatement… Life’s all a bit higgledy-piggledy and somewhat 😱😫😩😭😧 for everyone right now isn’t it?

I’ve been struggling with the words for this simultaneously surreal, scary and uncertain interval in life.

I’ve doing my best to mute the scaremongering, the worry and the fear, and am making the most of extra family time, PJs til noon, PE with Joe and the growing sense of togetherness and compassion amongst neighbours and local communities. The glorious sunshine contradicts everything that’s going on and I’ve grateful to see spring doing its thing regardless. Thank you spring.

Life was already pretty full-on before Covid19 crashed into our lives like an uninvited heckler wreaking chaos at a wedding, “does anyone here present know of any reason why life cannot continue as normal?”. We were running at full speed and the emergency stop’s caused us all to jiggle about a bit and start to find our new way.

And here we now are. Home. Together. At least we’re able to count ourselves amongst the lucky ones. We have a lovely home, a garden and, thank the technological gods for Skype and WhatsApp video calls for sanity saving catch-ups with family and friends. Nobody within my little family of three is a key worker or on the front line in the health services fighting the virus. All we have to do is #stayhome (and survive homeschooling…). We’re only at the start of this global lockdown challenge and I’m already missing friends and loved ones enormously, but it’s not a lot to ask really is it?

Whilst we’re home I’ve keeping a photo journal, a Lockdown Diary, so that in years to come we can look back on life during the surreal spring of 2020 and see what we did to get us through the days and weeks alone, together.

I’ll be honest, it’s also a tool to help keep me sane. A little sense of normality and routine whilst work, school and everything else has stopped somewhat abruptly.

I’ve forever saying how we all need to take more photos of regular, mundane family life. We’re being gifted three weeks of enforced home time (probably more if we’re facing up to it). There’s no better opportunity to grab pictures of your loved ones than now.

Scroll down for Day 1, Sunday 22 March. Technically we weren’t in formal lockdown until Tuesday 24th after Boris announced it on the Monday evening, but the school’s had shut on Friday 20th and it was clear where we were headed.

I’ll be updating and adding to this blog as the days roll into weeks, and if and when the weeks roll into months, it’ll just mean more and more pictures of how we muddled along together. And of our increasingly dodgy haircuts.

Who else is keeping a photo journal?

Stay safe and well. #stayhome x

// Day 82 //

We’re back. Boy does it feel good to do the school run again.

Return to school in Coronavirus lockdown
School run rules
Coronavirus school rules

// Day 79 //

Today this happened. Oh how we needed those air kisses.

lockdown reunion
lockdown air kisses to grandparents
blowing kisses to grandparents in lockdown

// Day 75 //

Frisbee and hard light.

girl playing frisbee
girl in garden in summer
girl in summer hard light

// Day 71 //

Draw with Rob. And Daddy. If you’ve not yet enjoyed the wonder of Draw With Rob (Biddulph) go check him out. His generosity in sharing his wonderful talent is inspiring and has helped keep us sane on many a locked-in day.

drawing in the garden
Draw with Rob Biddulph in the garden

// Day 66 //

Holiday at home.

supersoaker
girl with bubble machine
paddling pool
girl with icelolly

// Day 65 //

Bubbles, zooming and self portraits.

girl with bubble machine
girl on laptop
Jo Quint self portrait
reflection sunglasses

// Day 60 //
Missing school.

// Day 56 //

Hot chocolate, marshmallows, tending the plants and making Leo The Breadstick Box Bin.

making hot chocolate
watering plants

// Day 55 //

Rope swing fun.

girl and daddy on rope swing

// Day 49 //

Choppy choppy. Bake along Banana Bread with the lovely Sarah, aka The Woman Next Door. Football and shoulder carries.

lockdown banana bread
lockdown banana bread
lockdown banana bread
lockdown banana bread
lockdown banana bread
lockdown banana bread
lockdown banana bread

// Day 45 //

Rolling, rolling, rolling.

roller booting in lockdown
girl rollerbooting past house

// Day 44 //

Rope swings and pottery collection from Amanda at Cre-art-ivity.

// Day 43 //

Sowing seeds of hope from Auntie Kat. x.

planting seeds in lockdown
planting seeds in lockdown

// Day 40 //

1st May 20. Filling the good behaviour marble jar. Counterproductive messy soap craft.

marble jar

// Day 39 //

Shower fun. Batgirl. Never really appreciated just how awesome the light is in our little bathroom. Got a little snap-happy…

girl dressed as batgirl
girl dressed as batgirl
girl dressed as batgirl
girl dressed as batgirl
girl dressed as batgirl
girl dressed as batgirl
batgirl on a scooter

// Day 38 //

#SauconyWorkoutWednesday.

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