Guys.. we did it… I mean… we still have to be cautious and there will probably be more rules of sorts to come… but last week I worked for the first time since May and Melbourne is opening back up and it feels weird and wonderful and my brain feels like it is running on over drive just to keep up with it all. So I thought what better time to celebrate all that I did manage to do during lock down… and give you the winter list update…

June

June was an excellent month for listing for both Isaac and I, it’s amazing what you can achieve with just a whiff of freedom. Melbourne’s first lockdown ended and we learnt how to interact with people cautiously and we even had a little getaway, which now as we leave lockdown again for the second time, I am more thankful for than ever before. But while we were away on our winter beach getaway (no. 31 completed: 20/06) we managed to cross off heaps… we used the hiking backpack for the third time (no. 48 completed: 23/06) and while we were at it realised that a good walk in the bush is not only good for us physically but mentally. Watching Isaac explore is also really nice. These little winter hikes knocked a couple of other things off the list too… in that we did a hike (no. 88 completed 08/06), I found an excellent app to help me find and do some more (thanks All Trails) and one of our little hikes was in Foster, which is a town I had never been to before which meant we crossed off number 73 (completed: 23/06) at the same time. Also while we were away we attempted a family bike ride (no. 26 completed: 26/06) which was cut short because my bike handles inverted and my breaks seemed determined to performs some strange wailing opera. Isaac also crossed some impressive things off his list while we were away. Number 25, say goodbye to his num nums (his dummies) which was actually accidental (completed: 20/06). He slept in a big kids bed down at the beach and we just didn’t give him one… he didn’t ask and that was that… I think I was more upset about it than he was. He started using his balance bike (no. 06 completed: 26/06), and he ‘tried’ a new instrument (no. 14 completed: 26/06) it was actually just some imaginary bagpipes, but he came up with it all by himself so I thought it was impressive enough to count.

But June wasn’t just all outdoor listing fun, I also went through Isaac’s clothes (no. 22 completed: 02/06) and cleaned out all the ones he has grown out of… I think annually isn’t enough for this while he is still growing so fast… I need to get better at just doing this all the time… but having it on the list is worth it to make sure they get a proper cleanout at least occasionally.

Isaac and I also attended our only school concert for the year, of course like everything else in 2020 this was online which meant that Isaac could play along (no. 52 completed: 11/06).

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July

We were extra thankful for our June getaway when July saw the return of Lockdown with even tighter rules than the first. Just before the new lockdown started though we made Isaac’s transition out of the cot official with a single bed (no.23 completed: 03/07), complete with a doona cover covered in vegetables! I am not sure I am coping with the fact that he isn’t a little baby any more, but his transition into a pre-schooler comes with its own perks. We get to see a bit more of his wit now that he has words to accompany his humour and we can exploring the world, in general, continues to get more fun. Dave and I also managed to sneak in a brunch date before we entered stage 4 (no. 44 completed: 07/07).

Stage 4 lockdown not only saw the need for masks everywhere giving me a chance to get the sewing machine out (no. 75, completed: 13/07) but also a reduction in our shopping capacity as our travel bubble was reduced to 5km and so we had to be fairly creative in order to not go stir crazy at home. But where there is a will, there is a way… so I attended an online version finders keepers market (no. 8 completed: 20/07) and got myself some super cute galah earrings to add to my growing collection of bird earrings.

Oh and I made some little banoffee pies which were a bit cute… so there you go… a busy month, not quite as adventurous as June, but still successful, especially when you consider the adjusting that life also required.

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August

With our travel and interactions limited… it’s not surprising that August was a much quieter month list wise, but we did cross off some big things all the same… I made a pav (no.70 completed: 29/08) and it was delicious and I faced my fears and took Isaac on a walk by myself in the rain with our masks on, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but at the time it was huge, an adventure even (no. 19, completed: 24/08) my anxiety around getting sick, interacting with people and just generally being out in the world was at an all-time high, so forcing myself to go for a walk… with Isaac… was a big win for me.

The other thing we did this month was also a big one, it was something we had planned to do much earlier in the year… but well you know… but we found a new obstetrician (no. 01 completed: 17/08) who is willing to take us on with all our history and gave us a bit of hope that maybe one day will be able to expand our family without it being quite so dramatic.

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So there you go… that was winter… bring on some Sunshine and Freedom