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Last Sunday evening, we watched the Prime Minister deliver a live address on the BBC, outlining his plan to ease lockdown in England. I thought he delivered the address well -- he is a far better speaker than Trump -- but the content was a little muddled and vague in places.

It took reading several news articles to piece together more precisely what the plan to ease lockdown actually is. In a nutshell:

  • Those who can't work from home should now return to work, albeit without using public transportation. This started on Monday. 
  • As of yesterday, there is no time limit now on outdoor activities. Basically we can sunbathe without breaking the law. We are also able to take trips to national parks and beaches, and to play sports such as golf and tennis (but only with family members and with social distancing measures in place). 
  • As of 1 June, if the virus continues to slow, students in pre-K, kindergarten and fifth grade may return to school. Some shops may also re-open.  
  • If the virus continues to retreat, some restaurants and cafes with outdoor space, places of worship, and cinemas (with proper social distancing measures) may open in July. 

The PM also dropped the "Stay at home" slogan and replaced it with the weird and vague "Stay alert" message. No one likes this and no one quite knows what it means. 

So that's it. What does this mean for us? Not a whole lot. We were hoping Emma might go back to school on June 1, but that won't be the case. We are hoping she may go back in mid to late June, if the June 1 opening is successful. 

Horseback riding may start back up for her. This would be fantastic. But we will have to pay for private lessons since she can't ride with people who aren't members of her immediate family. 

The best news is that we can now take car trips further afield.  This weekend we may head to the Cotswolds, which is about two hours away. We would bring our own lunch, take a walk, and drive back. It's a lot of driving for one day, but we are pretty desperate to go somewhere different. 

In other news, here is a photo of Emma with an octagram that she drew and colored. This was a small art project for her unit on the Islamic Golden Age. She and I are both enjoying this unit, although I feel that it could be much richer and more comprehensive. I am doing my best to supplement the school's assignments with some of my own. 




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