These last few weeks have been among the hardest I’ve gone through since we’ve been here, and it’s not really even connected to emigration or being in a new’ish place. Rather, it’s been a bit of lockdown fatigue as there’s been a curfew and closed restaurants, museums. non-essential shops (unless you make an appointment) and aftercare. As much as I love a good Van Gogh, dinner out and going through Lush smelling everything, it’s been the lack of aftercare that has probably hit us the most. It has meant that since school started again in the middle of February (after having been closed for almost two months), our day has halted around 2pm to tend to an energetic toddler who wants crafts, snacks and to share interesting info every five minutes. It felt like there was never respite, and afternoons were spent juggling, bribing and entertaining, while catching up with work and chores at night.
There was also a week that school was closed because of all the Covid cases and both the kids were exposed so needed testing, and that was for sure my bleakest week – worrying about the kids’ health (fortunately they were negative) and panicked that we would be infected (maybe I worry more than the average person).
I’ve been keeping up the Dutch lessons, trying to run and exercise regularly and try to maintain some “sanity” in a life that feels so restricted and where sunshine has been sporadic (I’m not complaining about lockdown or the weather – rather I’m saying that they haven’t helped).
I have longed for the “normal” and for a break from the mundane. Heck, I’ve even missed my nighttime walks on a Tuesday night checking what the neighbourhood has discarded for the bulk disposal collections the morning after (think sofas, golf clubs, chairs and tables). I have missed that “freedom” of not having loos to clean or laundry to fold, and I have longed for a date with my husband or a week or longer holiday. It doesn’t mean that I’m unhappy or regret our choices, but rather that we’ve had a challenging time.
Things are feeling so much better. Rebecca is happily back at aftercare. Last week I went to school to give some new parents a little tour after the school day (class mom duties) and I was worried when Rebecca saw me she wouldn’t want to go to aftercare and would insist on coming home with me. She literally looked at me, said she didn’t want to come into the school with me, and then promptly turned her back and fled to aftercare without saying goodbye to me. So, it seems that she’s just as happy with the setup as we are.
This week, shops open (with limited numbers allowed) and terrace/outdoor restaurants open until 6pm. I’m so excited for some safe normality.
On the weekend, we rented a car and headed to see some tulips. We drove past the most spectacular colourful fields, and I’m sorry I don’t have pics to show it all off, but hopefully next year Keukenhof will be open or Andrew and I can cycle in the area and stop to take pics and smell the roses (tulips).
Have a great rest of month!
