So here we are, week 4 in isolation having just enjoyed a quiet Easter with the family. I’m learning a lot about myself including what perhaps my days before lockdown really consisted of. Basically, I spent much time in coffee shops, visited lots of non-essential businesses on a daily basis and touched my face – a lot! I’ve also learned just what a bad hand washer I was and as a result, my kids were equally bad at handwashing. Who would have thought I could get such a basic life skill so very wrong!

I’ve also realised that time may not have been the problem. I still have a to-do list as long as my arm and am still incredibly proud of myself when I manage to complete a menial task of said list. However, I do love life without a routine. Turn everything upside down and I’m at my happiest and most organised.

Easter was chaotic but great fun. Along with an egg hunt, cake making and chocolate eating the kids joined an online art competition. Ella hates drawing. She always has. This is largely to do with her dysgraphia and dyslexia which makes writing and drawing painful, time consuming and really tiring. Her hand muscles are pretty weak and she has to concentrate so hard that she just gets exhausted.

She does however love to paint so off to the easel she went with her paint pallet and brushes in tow. Ariya and Connor also came up with wonderful creations. Ariya loves to draw and Connor is in a different league when it comes to drawing – clearly the artistic talent doesn’t come from me or Chas.

I submitted the works of art and waited two days for the results. To be honest, I completely forgot so when a friend told me Ella had won I was delighted! I ran downstairs to tell her and she was as excited as only Ella knows how to be. There was jumping and hugs and flapping and squeals of delight…

Then she turned to run and tell others, tripped over Simba (our dog) fell over and almost cut her ear off. Typical Begley celebration!!!

Luckily she was still in one piece so I headed off to find out what she’d won. Then I saw the message. Ella’s cat called Esther had won first place. It was actually a bunny. Sitting on an egg. With the word Easter (spelt incorrectly) in the corner.

Hey ho – artistic license and all that! She had won and she never wins anything artistic. Woohoo big boost for her confidence and a new painting for her door. I’m sure there’ll be plenty more cats called Esther coming my way over the next few days.

For more stories about time in lockdown, click here and here