Diary of a House: Kahu Finally Moves Out

So Kahu walks out the door and my responsibilities as a mother change. I feel freer with not too much sadness. I've done it before and it's past time for this split to happen.

The weekend is quieter but we gather for a dance at the Wunderbar on Saturday. Restricted numbers-25. And we have to walk back down the main stairs and up again because we can't use the door to go from one room to another. Covid rules are stupid sometimes. New Zealand still has a v cautious approach to separation to prevent wholesale spread. On Sunday I tidy the garage, or take first steps anyway. There's a lot of stuff that's got 'filed' in there that I don't use. The house is quiet once Kahu finally moves out. I rattle round and understand that it's too big for one person. It's built and designed to be a social, welcoming place. So I prepare for house mates: more tidying, putting stuff on Marketplace to sell, taking photos of tidied spaces, reading ads for flatmates....I need the money to finish the house.

Wednesday is bowls, and Thursday I run a branch union meeting and go to volleyball. Feels like my routine is getting out but not going too far from home. The news is all about Covid which we are still fighting to slow the spread of, and Russia invading Ukraine. School is manic and I'm scrambling to deliver new content which is not mine, set up senior courses, do yet more computer work and feeling overwhelmed because I'm never catching up and constantly go by the seat of my pants. Rules change daily and in education they must be adhered to. I'm teaching with the runny nose I inherited from my mother behind a mask, and trying to keep breathing. School is normal but not, as the spectre of Covid looms closer. We're catching up with the world at last.

Russian forces have begun an attack on Ukraine, with reports of troops crossing the border from multiple directions and explosions in several cities -- including the capital Kyiv. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of bloodshed unless Ukrainian forces lay down their arms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is appealing for peace and Ukraine's Ambassador to the United Nations is calling on the UN Security Council to help stop the invasion, saying it's too late to speak about de-escalation.