Back to school

There had to be an end to the wonderful hazy days of confinement with daily routines perhaps repetitive, but yet predictable and bringing stability and comfort to our life.Well, this is now history. We have again four different schedules to follow: the primary schoolers have both 1 distance learning day (different one, obviously), they finish on school days at noon. In pre-school, the classes continue normally, every day, until 15:00. My toddler who returned to Creche is refusing to take her afternoon nap there and the consequences can be guessed: she is a completely exhausted ball of toddler the rest of the day. I am weighing the pros and cons daily: this was supposed to be a breathing time for myself and my husband after three months of 24/7 super parenting! Now it is time to open all my creative projects, continue the to-do lists or simply RELAX. Well, after the first week behind I find all of the before extremely difficult. I feel drained and exhausted, topped with feelings of regret for the poor kids who are themselves trying to adapt to the new normal. So we ended up bickering with my husband on what to do, should we keep the little ones at home or not. Should we keep all of the kids at home and continue in confinement mode and try to find again the balance? I try to keep it cool, breath through, go running, play tennis and practice yoga. I still have difficulties in keeping my focus on where it should be, on the present moment.

Corona - end of confinement

Today, 3rd of June 2020, the National security council met and decided to enter the 3rd and 4th phase of de-confinement. Most restrictions are lifted. Belgian schools start tomorrow, others next week, kids activities, public gatherings (less than 50 people) are accepted, restaurants and cafes will re-open. Concerning individual rights, people can meet with 10 persons beyond the family. According to the press the Covid-19 is under control in Belgium. This was a long list of reasons to celebrate! Freedom after almost 3 months of confinement!

And yet, after a tour among neighbours and friends, feelings are mixed. People are suspicious, after so heavy restrictions, how can they dismantle everything at once? What about the social distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands? People seem unsure whether to dare to put their kids to school (us included: “why risk for the sake of a few weeks?), where to travel and whom to meet? Even if borders open, is it safe to take the plane, should we still stay in quarantine before meeting grand-parents. I made the most difficult decision yesterday not to travel to North this summer, to our greatest disappointment. Given the opening of the schools, the more extensive exposure to other children and families, and the devastating contagion rate here, I cannot take the risk of bringing it to my family. It will be a different summer and hopefully in the fall months we will be able plan another trip.

We will miss this surrealistic, warm spring, which brought hopefully most families together. I will miss our slower paced mornings, long walks and bike rides, plays in the garden and kids joy of novelties, such as sleeping in the tent tonight. We have managed to have time also for ourselves, for the home and garden and for creative projects. I am learning to play piano with my girls, and we finally signed up to the tennis club next door, we have so much fun together playing daily. We started the greenhouse and I have planted plenty of plants and herbs. We witness our baby girl take leaps in development, this week the potty training has taken a new peak! Can’t believe we could soon be pamper-free household!

Really, what I am saying is, I don’t think I am ready to return to any other normal.

Corona - 67 days in confinement - phase 2 in de-confinement

The National Security Council decided to enter phase 2 in the de-confinement since yesterday 18th of May. This means that we are able to ALMOST resume  our life as before: shop in other than grocery stores, go to hair dressers, market and gym. Except that it is not life as before. Wearing a mask is obligatory in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre when going to a store (I finally finished ours!), keeping the security distance and des-infecting hands. Another important change did not take place: the kids school has decided to stay on distance-learning until end of the school year. I am relieved. It would have been impossible to follow the security guidelines in a school of 3000 students. Above all, home-schooling works well. It is hugely demanding for us parents, but I have truly grown to love the lack of logistics and slower pace in our daily life. And to have my family close around me. Even 24/7.

How did this long-waited decision change our family's routines? I think I sense some cabana syndrone, we don't actually have much interest going out although now possible. The girls are on holiday this week. They love our bike rides in the afternoon, but I decided to expand their activities by signing them for tennis in the afternoons. I consider it should be safe: small groups, outdoors, the club has duly set des-infectant liquid in the entry and exit points of the court. First shopping trip? To the crafts store of course, we were out of all essentials. I call our cleaning lady. To my great disappointment, she is not available. So yeasterday I started the 10th time cleaning the house. I am aware my mother has done this for five decades, but we are made of different wood. I would be very happy to outsource this activity and go for a run and yoga instead.

There is talk about the summer holidays. Nothing is certain yet. European internal borders will likely open to save the tourism industry. We were exploring altearnatives with my husband what to do varying from driving all the way, driving half and taking a boat, flying straight  or traveling as the years before taking all possible transports: plains, ferries, trains, car.  At the moment we don't feel safe to go, mostly not to bring the risk of contagion to our parents. The Belgian contagion and death rates are exponentially higher than in the North, we are the risk. Fortunately the kids are not asking yet, so we have some time.

Corona - Confinement day 53 - Gradual de-confinement day 2

The whole weekend, we celebrated the 1st of May by cooking traditional Finnish delicacies. We also celebrated the last day of full confinement here in Belgium. From 4 May, the economy would be allowed to open (selectively) and from 18 May those Belgian schools, which are ready with the security measures, will open their doors. The measures put in place seem  complex: only the certifying classess will re-start with maximum 10 students at time, 1-2 days per week. Wearing a mask will be obligatory in public transport for adults and over 12 year olds. The confort mask is recommended. The social distancing remains in place. Teleworking is still recommended.

The European schools have announced that before 25 May nothing will take place. The parents association made a survey requesting our opinion if we would put our kids to school should it be volunteery. We answered negatively. I cannot imagine a school of 3000 students being able to organise the logistics within the requirements.

The press is considering various post-covid scenarios, ranging from Totalitarian leadership to community led collaborative societies with a common element: high un-employment and increased poverty. As an imminent reaction, people seem less willing to travel in short and medium term.

I wonder our little world and summer holidays. We want to go home. We have explored the alternatives: risks of taking the flights, if it becomes an option, the likely higher price of the tickets, driving ourselves and taking the boat for several nights, avoiding the boat and staying in hotels or even renting a mobile home. The mobile cars necessary for our size family are costly, around 1000 euros per week. It is a considerable budget for a 4-weeks holiday.

It could be, that our holidays will be in Belgium - by choice or obligation. The Belgian beach villages have voiced a concern on over-crowded beaches in the coming summer and intelligent solution - to limit the beaches to local tax payers only. This option has not been much appreciated in the Belgian press.

SO here we are, in front of yet another great challenge to let go of any need to control and plan - because it is not necessarily leading to any desirable outcome - but surrender to what is, in every rolling new moment.

Corona - Confinement day 33

The national security council announced today to (expectedly) prolong the confinement until the 3rd of May. But with a wonderful bonus - the garden shops will open their doors😀 I love the logic! The press is already discussing about the possible re-start of schools in May with progressive opening of bars, restaurants and other activities. All mass festivities will be however cancelled until 31 August included. Distance work should be prioritised until further notice.

 Ouf! I think we would very much appreciate to regain our liberties. What do I miss? Inviting friends over, going out to dinner with my husband. Letting my kids go visit friends. Going to my bakery and chocolate shop, chatting with the pharmacist and florist. Most importantly, buy my summer tickets to go to Finland and Estonia.

At the same time I feel already slightly fearful of the new normal.  To what extend have we changed and will the habits stay?  Will be consume, rush, stress and travel less? Will we keep up with the daily sports routine? Will we remember to cherish all the more the connection and moments with our loved ones? Will we remember to be grateful, everyday, for waking up healthy and safe? I know for sure, I have a list of items I will miss from these hazy days of confinement. I will miss being with my family. All the time. I will miss the slower pace of the days, the slower mornings, later evenings. I will miss the feeling of solidarity and closeness between family, friends and neighbours despite the physical distance. I will miss the silence. The amazing peacefulness outside. And yet, the amazing orchestra from the birds making their spring happen. The emptiness of streets. The clean, fresh air without the car pollution. Our bike rides in the evening with the kids, with safe roads. In honesty, it has been in many ways a dream come true for a country and nature lover as myself. It will be difficult  to move on from this.

Corona - Confinement day 28

My anxiety melt away with the wonderful sunny days of over 20 degrees Celsius. Summer is here! And Easter! And my youngest daughters Birthday tomorrow! It is party time! On the other hand, yesterday I was tempted to play music in the garden, but I felt the gesture suddenly inappropriate. Are we allowed to entertain and feel happy during pandemic? An old Finnish wisdom came to my mind stating “Who has happiness, should hide it carefully”. For the obvious reason not to create jealousy in neighbours. My children are high on happiness. Being together 24/7 has created an unprecedented bonding and their teasing, laughter, giggling is impossible to contain within the walls of our house. We consider this being wonderful, the old lady next door less so. So I should probably save also the music for later. That’s a little sacrifice though, we have had a really fun day today anyways. A chocolate egg hunt, playing in the pool, bike ride and I even managed to squeeze a yoga session in during the nap of little ones. We are preparing for tomorrow’s big day. My eldest had free hands to bake a birthday cake for my youngest, she chose carrot cake. I am so proud of her 😀 I spent 2 hours baking a traditional Finnish savoury pastries, the “Karelian pies” and thanking silently my grandmother whose heritage the receipy was, I felt connected to her. My girls came to the kitchen and helped to create the wrinkles to the pies. The tradition passes on. I feel happy. I don’t feel like hiding it.

Corona - Confinement day 24

For the first time during the confinement, I slept poorly. A few weeks ago we decided with my husband to order our groceries online with home delivery. It seemed the right decision given the contamination risk in the shops and the stressful atmosphere. The disadvantages have started to emerge: for two consecutive weeks we receive 2/3 of our list. Among sold-out items baking flour and toilet paper. No toilet paper whatsoever in all of Carrefour! Above all, we receive only 1/2 kg of apples for the full kg paid. It is not worth a return trip, but my husband thinks somebody is taking their share from between. I complement our shopping by ordering vegetables directly from farm. Even there I receive only 6 eggs for the ordered 12. “To rationalise” explains the guy selling. I wanted to reply to him they should take into account the family size, but in fear of no eggs I accept my 6 eggs gratefully. We are only one month into the confinement and the supply chains are already breaking. I start to wonder what will happen in 6 months, as some sources have estimated the lock-down to continue..Sensitive items will likely include imported fruits, nuts, oils perhaps also medication. We start making a list of essentials. It seems surrealistic. For my husband this is a deja-vu, having lived until young adult under the Soviet regime. Survival and living from scarcity is deep-rooted. He calls his mother for inspiration. She shares her experience of how they got through the worst years. When the flour was nowhere available, she used soaked pasta to make pancakes for the kids. I feel the rising need for self-sufficiency. Green house. We placed the order last week. I call mom for advice for cultivation. She is a pro in self-sufficiency, regardless of the rural northern latitude of my childhood house and garden. Cherry Tomatoes, salads, herbs..We don’t have much space, but it will be a start. It also gives me an empowering feeling that we are anticipating. In the evening, we watch you tube channels on families living off-grid. They are amazing.