Diary of a family in quarantine #6

With the slight easing of pandemic restrictions by the State Government, Lisa and Tim McLure of Smiths Beach – in this week’s lockdown diary – say they “feel a foot in each camp”.
“Oh we are free, but are we?” asks Mum Lisa.
Having finally found a lockdown routine, daughter Evie, in grade one at Cowes Primary, is now due to go back to school in a week, while Angus, in grade four will stay home for another few weeks.
Here is Lisa’s update:

“Kids have been so resilient during this whole lockdown and I don’t’ think we give them the credit they’re due.
We think about the fact we’re not coping and we get cross with them because they’re acting up, but we’re also acting up, getting cranky and drinking.

These little humans of ours have their own little battles in their heads. They are safe at home but the world has changed, which they kind of understand and kind of don’t. We were all watching a movie the other night and Evie said ‘oh this must be before lockdown because they’re all together’.

Because Angus is older he’s been keeping up with mates on the internet, but Evie has struggled a bit keeping in contact with friends and has been a bit lonely. She says she’s missed seeing them face to face and got a bit teary. So it was Evie’s birthday last week and because she’s had a hard time during lockdown we decided to get her a kitten.

She’s wanted a kitten since she was born and has badgered Tim for one every year. I’m keen, but Tim isn’t a fan. He ended up agreeing but said as long as it was a rag doll cat because they behave like dogs, cruisy and cuddly.

We have Audrey, our Hungarian Vizsla, and I went on the breed Facebook page asking if they get along with cats, despite the fact they’re a hunting dog, and I was inundated with photos of dogs and cats cuddling.

I drove to Kilcunda to pick up the kitten and it was so weird driving off the island because I hadn’t been past Surf Beach for eight weeks. I was ‘oh wow, oh wow, oh wow’, not just seeing the new roundabout at Cape Woolamai, but just driving with the radio on and no kids yelling, it was so relaxing and calm.

The kitten is 10 weeks old and Evie has named him Eric, because it’s like her name. She’s so motherly and caring with him. I heard her at 4.30am talking to him yesterday.

We didn’t have a party for her, of course, and I just asked one mother if she was ok for her child to come over and she said ‘of course’, because we’d been following the lockdown rules. Because we’re now allowed five people over, nanna and aunties also came for a visit for the first time, but no hugs.

Just to see a level of normality back – even though very cautious – was lovely, to see her little heart happy.

I’m nervous about Evie going back to school, not just because of health, but also mentally. She could go back only for the rug to be pulled out from under her again if there’s a second wave. And I also think about the teachers. If some kids don’t go back they’ll have double the workload, so it will be massive for them.

Evie said she didn’t want to go back, but we’ve used a bit of reverse psychology, giving her a new lunchbox to make it special and saying she’ll be one of the older ones in the school. She then said ‘if any of the preps are upset I’ll tell them it’s ok because I’m one of the big kids’.

It will be nice to have Angus to myself for another couple of weeks after that, some one on one time, because his schoolwork is a bit more demanding. Tim is still doing the home schooling on a Thursday, while I go into work at the salon. Customers at the salon have been so gracious and grateful and we just love to pamper people. Just feeling a hint of normality helps.

I’m getting a lot of feedback about doing this diary. A lot of people have responded to my comment last week to get out of your head and into your body.

That motto has continued to work for me. At 4.30pm every day, no matter what the weather, my neighbour – who has a two-year-old and a prep – and I go out for a walk and get everything off our chest and keep it positive.

By the time I get home I don’t feel like a wine. I feel great, happy, the endorphins are flowing.

I’m really proud of our community and how we’ve handled lockdown, everyone taking it seriously and being so supportive.”