Thursday 11th June 2020
It’s been a week since Holly went back to school and I’m really pleased (and relieved) to say that she is loving it. It feels like we’ve moved onto a new chapter. We’ve had to establish a new routine, and the change has done us all good. I have to admit setting that alarm on the first morning was tough, but we’ve quickly got back into it and because Andy doesn’t have to go anywhere but the spare room its not crazy.
Holly and I set off to walk to school and Alice sometimes joins us. Alice has been enjoying the early morning walk before home school. When we get back, she has 10 minutes downtime while I get everything ready for her schooling. Then we start at 9am. When I had them both at home, it was hard work. They would both need my help at the same time, and if I took my eye of Holly then she would sneak off to do a jigsaw. Alice would get annoyed that I was helping Holly more than her, which wasn’t the case, but she naturally needed more help than Alice. There would be the squabbling between them and all of this has gone.
Alice knows she has my full attention and whilst occasionally she hasn’t wanted to do her school work. There has been a lot less resistance to doing it. The house seems calmer in the mornings and I’m not asking Andy to help out. We generally finish school work in time for lunch. Then either Alice and I will go out for some exercise or Andy will take Alice out on her bike. The weather hasn’t been great the last few days and this really makes a difference to how we’re all feeling. Then before we know it, its time to pick up Holly.
Holly runs across the playground into my arms and its the best feeling. We walk home together and I try and find out what they’ve been doing. Which normally means she tells me about lunch!! The girls then have a couple of hours to play together or we do an activity all together. Holly is loving being back at school with her friends. She knows that Alice is at home doing school work, so doesn’t feel like she is missing out. Plus we save the fun things for when she gets home.
Its such a relief to know we made the right decision for us as a family. I’ve been really impressed with how the school are running things and knowing that Holly is back to being taught by a teacher, is amazing. Its really hard to teach the younger ones, they just want to play all the time.
The government has also said that the children from the year groups that are still at home, may not go back until September now. We’re waiting to find out what this will mean for Alice. I will be really sad for her, if she doesn’t get to go back before the summer because she really needs the structure that school brings.
Last weekend the weather was really mixed and on Saturday we went to a local woods and I took a flask of hot chocolate and the girls loved it. We got a little bit lost at one point, which meant we ended up on a longer walk than we had planned. But it was good fun. We found a rope swing that my friend had told me about, and the girls had great fun.
I’ve reached a stage where I seem to have lost all enthusiasm for everything. I can’t be bothered to do anything and just feel really flat. Its my birthday next week and back in March I honestly thought this would be over by now. Knowing that its not, and no sign of it ending anytime soon, I think its affecting me.
I know from speaking to my friends, that they are feeling very similar, which is comforting to know that it seems to be normal to feel this way. We’ve been in lockdown for a long time now and every day just feels the same.
I’m hoping the weather forecast for next week is right, and the sun will be back for my birthday. Whilst it won’t be the same this year, I don’t normally do anything for it anyway, as long as I have my girls and Andy with me that is all that matters. Plus a cake!!
