The beginning of the end of lockdown?

We’ve been in lockdown for 6 weeks. The lockdown has just been extended for yet another 2 weeks, until May 9th, but the kids have been granted permission to leave the house for the first time in 6 weeks! Starting Sunday, they will be a to go outside for 1 hour, within 1 km of our home, for play. They must be accompanied by an adult (poor us, we will have to go outside to play with them). They will be allowed on the beach (first time for any of us in 6 weeks). They must keep proper social distance. Masks are optional, but encouraged (I guess they realize keeping masks on kids might be challenging).

The curve has flattened in Spain, both in number of cases and deaths, but I am surprised it hasn’t dropped more with are very strict quarantine. The numbers are especially good in Axarquía, the smaller region we live in and Andalucía in general. When the state of alarm ends, the lockdown can start to be lifted in different regions. Andalucía is hoping to be one of the first to have restrictions lifted. When they do start lifting the lockdown, it will be a very slow and cautious process. Currently, they are talking about not opening Spain to tourism (which includes hotels and restaurants) until the end of 2020. We are not sure when flights, other than repatriation flights to the U.K., will resume. We are hoping to have a better idea mid-May so we can start making a plan to come home.

One hopeful sign that our lockdown may be loosened is that the town has returned to fixing up the beaches. Torre Del Mar is very proud of their beaches and takes extremely good care of them (you can tell the difference when you go to other beaches in the area). Normally, workers are out daily, picking up debris and garbage, raking the sand, smoothing and watering the sand trail, sweeping the sidewalks to the beach, washing the boardwalk, painting railings and beach soccer goals, etc. When the lockdown started, all of that work stopped and the beach was empty except for the birds. Debris collected along the beach, the beach trail was washed away. Green spaces became overgrown and choked with weeds and long grass. This week we saw workers out; mowing grass along the board walk, cleaning up debris, shaping the sand trail that crosses the mouth of the Rio Seco.

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For now the police have continued to be very strict and have constantly patrolled and staged roadblocks.

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It’s funny how you can get used to this new “normal.” The kids really aren’t too unhappy. Oliver oscillates between saying, “I’m actually pretty happy,” and “I really want to go back to school and see my friends.” I think they are happy for a less pressured schedule. Oliver seems most worried about not being able to see all of the places we planned to see in April, June and July. He’s already asking to come back next year to see the things we’ll miss (finances and this virus may make a return trip something that won’t happen for a long time). Leo just seems content (he’s really a home body).

The boys’ schools are getting more comfortable with distance learning. Leo’s teachers finally got on Google Classroom. The initial upload of a month of work was kind of a pain, but it is much easier than searching through emails and WhatsApp texts to find all of the assignments. All of Oliver’s teachers but one are using Google Classroom (one insists on using Aula Virtual, so Oliver has to make sure to remember to look at two platforms).

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They have added online tests and even virtual classes.

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It doesn’t always work smoothly. For example, one time when Oliver logged in to complete a biology test the teacher had uploaded an editable copy of the test, so as soon as the students tried to complete the test, they started making changes. In a few minutes the teacher locked down the test and told the students that they would try again the next day. It was kind of funny once Oliver got over the initial upset of thinking he was doing something wrong and wouldn’t get a chance to even try to do the test.

Oliver says he kind of likes having everything online:

“Everything is clear.” In school nothing was given on a handout. They were given all the information orally and Oliver would take notes. He didn’t always get everything down in his notes and sometimes forgot things later. Online, everything is there in print, and he can go back at any time to check.

“I know when everything is due.” Again, online, all due dates are there and easily located.

“I can ask teachers a question.“ Oliver says that in school, students were not encouraged to ask questions. There was no time between classes to stay behind to ask a teacher and no office hours. Online, there is a comment space for every teacher and for the most part they respond to any questions.

“I don’t have to deal with the naughty kids.” Oliver constantly complained about disruptive kids In his classes. As class president, it was a regular job of his to take kids to the office for an “aparte” (in-school suspension).

“The teachers don’t yell at me.” This was a regular complaint when he was at school. The teachers would yell at the class for a variety of reasons. Oliver thinks the teachers are much nicer online because whatever they say is in print, and he can show his parents what they say.

Leo also prefers online school over regular school, because he doesn’t have to listen to the teacher lecture him.

Besides school work, we fill our days with a variety of activities.

The boys are learning to cook more.

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The boys have joined me in the garage.

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One funny aspect of lockdown is that the kids really haven’t worn shoes in 6 weeks. If they join me in the shared garage they do need to wash their feet however.

And somehow we continue to dream up new ways to keep the boys active.

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Easter provided us with lots of activities.

Dyeing the eggs.

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Filling the cascarones.

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Finding the eggs.

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And smashing the eggs.

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Zoom and FaceTime continue to help us connect with home.

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Hopefully after this latest extension of the lockdown, the number of cases will continue to decrease, the restrictions will start to loosen, Spain will start to reopen and we can start figuring out how to get home.