I have decided to write a weekly diary of our time through the Coronavirus pandemic. To keep for the future. It’s such an unprecedented time and full of so many mixed feelings and events we have never encountered before it is hard to process it all.
17th June
This evening was lovely. I had my first socially distanced catch up with friends. We were meant to be doing it in a garden, but of course the weather decided not to play ball. Luckily, we recently had our car port roof replaced. You would never have believed a few months ago that meeting friends for a drink in my car port would be a highlight of the week, but it was! We all bought our own chairs and drinks. Then we just sat there chatting and talking and sharing. Talking to someone face to face is so much nicer than through a screen or telephone. I finished the evening on such a high it felt like a taste of the normal world again and it was so good.
18th June
Lots of debate in our house this week about what is safe to do in terms of breaking out of our safe little bubble. Neither of my husband or I have seen our families since February. But we have been nervous with infection and death rates still being high. Although it is legal to have socially distanced meet ups, we have been worried about how we would manage this with a toddler. Also, to be honest we just don’t trust the government and pretty much think they are now prioritising the economy over people’s health. However, people have been able to meet in socially distanced way for 3 weeks now and on top of that on the riots there doesn’t seem to have been a huge spike.
I think it’s fair to say my husband is the more cautious of the two of us and his asthma is more severe too. But after a debate, my parents are going to come over next week. We’re going to put some safe guarding things in place. They are bringing their own chairs, their own food, they will use our downstairs bathroom and we will use the upstairs and I will clean it after they have left. We’re going to see them next week and I’m so looking forward to it.
After our discussions, I decided I needed to get the children out more. I am very grateful for our big garden, but I worked out they have only been out the house four times since lockdown. Which in 14 weeks, is really not a lot at all. We just walked to a local park and while the park is closed, there is a field adjacent to it. They told me it was one of their best days since lockdown, they spent most of the time just running and I could see how happy they were, it was wonderful to see. I am determined to get them outdoors more now, even if it’s just walks.
20th June
The first official day of summer and also the first time we have all been out together as a family since lockdown began. We always used to regularly go on family dog walks, but our dog got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the beginning of the year and hasn’t been well enough to be walked. We just went for a long walk in the woods. Bo started out in his carrier, but we also took a balance bike and I was surprised that he pretty much walked or cycled all the way around. Although he was totally shattered by the end of it! We had such a good time, it was so nice to be out and not confined to our home. I took my camera too and took lots of photos.
I also took Aria out in the morning on her bike to try and build her cycling confidence in the hopes that we can all go out for a family cycle ride.
These little flashes of normality are just wonderful. It makes me even more fearful for a second wave because I just don’t want to go back to a full lockdown again. I so desperately want life to resume to normal once more.
21st June
Today is Father’s Day. We’re playing it pretty low key, as my husband isn’t really into it. The children are making him cards and I have got him a small gift. It’s tricky because at the weekends I often catch up on work that I can’t manage while I’m home schooling the children. I was meant to be making him a cake today, as Tuesday is his birthday. But in the end I just couldn’t manage it. So he ended up making his own cake with Aria. I felt quite guilty until I had them both giggling away in the kitchen. I think it shows that we need to be flexible right now, because life is different and with the children at home all the time it’s a real juggle.
22nd June
Today there is going to be an announcement about reducing of lockdown measures. One of the expectations is that there is a good chance the 2m social distancing rule is going to be reduced. It’s strange, I am on board with things slowly starting to open as long as infection rates continue to slow. But I am really concerned with the reduction from 2m to 1m. Studies have shown that this increases the likelihood of passing on infection. People have already shown that they don’t like wearing masks and that 2m is more like 1m already with some people out and about in the shops. Will 1m seem more realistic to them or will it just mean they won’t bother at all? I guess time will tell. I will wait on the announcement and instead look forward to my husband’s birthday tomorrow.