Hi friends,

Happy New 2021 Year!

I hope you are all keeping well and had a good festive season.

For the first time since my kids were born, we celebrated Christmas and New Year without my side of the family as they are living abroad and because of the pandemic could not travel.

It is scary to think that my kids are living through this and are getting used to the sight of masks, sanitizing their hands everywhere they go, and social distancing.

My youngest started playing games where a virus is chasing him…as that is scarier than monsters.

A bit of reflection on the last year it was both a good and not so good year. It started well enough, but as of March corona virus came to Ireland and resulted in first of many lockdown. Government decided to close all schools and my company allowed those who could to work from home.

Our Childminder, herself being at risk decided not to mind our kids for that period. I completely understood why, but had to mind my kids and work full time until September. That was very tough, both physically and mentally and Even though I was not traveling 115km to work there and back, I was shattered.

September brought a bit of normality with kids going back to school and our Childminder minding them during the day again. I started breathing easier. I was still able to work from home, which was great as finally could get some me time first thing in the morning and go for a walk with our doggie Ava.

In November, my hubby started a new position within his company and started working Monday to Friday. Most of the days he was able to pick kids up from Childminder’s and I gained another hour for myself in the evenings to start working on my hobbies.

I did have to go on site every couple of weeks to do testing or support testing, but towards the end of the year was ‘loaned’ to another group to support product launches. Which meant that I could work completely from home from November to now.

One big development this year is that we finally started to fix out our 1970s home, bringing it back to modern age. All three of our bedrooms that we use now have fresh paint, new furniture where needed and wooden floors. All of the windows and doors were changed for triple glazed and the house got insulation pumped in into exterior walls. The plan for next year is to upgrade our bathroom, upgrade our guest room and do exterior of the house.

There is a lot of talk about COVID vaccines going around, and it is finally here in Ireland, with vulnerable elderly and frontline workers getting it first. Will we be getting it when it is available? Absolutely, all three of us apart from my youngest son (as he has suspected asthma) will be vaccinated when it will be our turn. Once we know that it is safe to give to asthmatics, he will be given it as Well.

Why? Because we want normality back, we want our kids to have a future without masks and restrictions, to see the world and to be able to see their family abroad.

So here is hoping, this 2021 year will bring us freedom that we once enjoyed. I do not want it to be better than any other year, but rather I want it to be as good as others were.

Keep well my friends.