Lockdown Diaries: Day 4

Spending 24 hours a day in the company of your family is an interesting experience. You learn things about each other that you didn’t know. For example, I’ve learned that my husband – who works from home in real life – has built-in coping skills for this crisis that I don’t. He has routine, he’s used to not seeing anyone else for 8 hours a day and he has a firmly closed office door. This last one is a recent development and one I envy greatly.

In contrast, I am learning new things about my toddler every 5 minutes. I’ve learnt that she will ask for an Easter egg every day at exactly 11.30am. I’ve learnt that her capacity for watching TV is diminishing by 20% each new day of lockdown, a conundrum that strikes creeping fear into my heart. I’ve learnt that every time I sit down at my laptop, she will without fail come up to me and tilt her head back, look deep into my eyes and say, “Mama, can you please pick me up? Please?” Blatant manipulation and the only time she ever says please. I have also learnt that up until yesterday, she didn’t know that you could eat ice.

Her (sipping from a cup of water with ice in): this is so cold!

Me: yes, it has ice in it.

A few minutes pass and out of nowhere, howls of terror pierce the air.

Me: (rushing over) WHAT’S WRONG???

Her: (panicked wailing with tears pouring down her face) MY ICE!!!

Me: WHAT ABOUT YOUR ICE? IS IT STUCK IN YOUR THROAT?

Her: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Me: WHERE IS IT???

Her: MY MOUTH!!

Me: OPEN YOUR MOUTH!!!

Her: (head back, shrieking)

Me: IT’S NOT IN THERE!! Wait…did you swallow it?

Her: YES!!!!!

Me:

Her: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Me: Have you never eaten ice before?

Her: NOOOOOOOOO!

Me: (mini science lesson on how ice is frozen water and we can in fact eat it with no adverse consequences)

Her:

Me:

Her: Can I have another one?