No place like Home

Well, happy Monday.

There are 11 days, six hours and 35 minutes until Mommy comes home. And today we begin the first week, since she left, with nothing on the schedule. Swim lessons are over, so there is no built-in excuse to leave the house; no place to go.

I am considering preschool for Sonwun, which begins either this week or next. I got a phone number from one of the mommies at swimming lessons Friday. She tells me it's a good program and that the leader, or supervisor, is a great lady. I will call her today.

I have mixed feelings about preschool. On the plus side, it will give Sonwun a chance to mingle with munchkins his own age. It will give him a chance, as swimming did, to participate in group activities, learn to share, learn to cooperate, learn to get along.

On the down side, I will be putting my boy into "the system" where I do not have complete control over what he does, what he's taught, what he eats and so on. It's a little unnerving. Not that I believe they plan to feed him chocolate frosted sugar bombs, lead him in a rousing version of Hail Satan and then teach him to make fake Gucci purses for the black market. I believe they save all that for Grade 1.

I'm just not sure I'm ready to let go, even if it is for only a couple of half days a week. I'm not sure I'm ready to just drop him off somewhere and leave. This feeling is aggravated by the fact that I'm in a new city and I don't know anyone. I don't know the kids who will be there, I don't know their parents, I don't know the teachers or their backgrounds or anything. It is very, very difficult to entrust my child to this system, based on one recommendation by a woman I've met three times and don't know from Eve.

All that being said, I will be looking into it. I will take him a few times, probably hang out for a while until he settles in and then make my decision. The other option, and the one I'm more comfortable with, is to wait out the two-week pool closure and then put him back in swimming lessons.

But I know my comfort level isn't what's important here. What is important is Sonwun's social development.

Unfortunately, he does not have what I had growing up. I had a safe neighbourhood, complete with a dozen or so kids around my age. My parents were comfortable opening the door in the morning and sending me out, secure in the knowledge that every parent in the neighbourhood knew who I was and would keep an eye on me. They would be there if I got into trouble; they would snitch on me if I did something I wasn't supposed to do.

We don't have that here. I am only just getting to know my neighbours. But I don't KNOW them. I would not be at all comfortable with them welcoming Sonwun into their homes. In fact, I would probably call the cops if they did.

Once again, it's the RCMP lifestyle. Move to a new town every once in a while, try to adjust, make new friends and find a way to make life as normal (whatever that means) as possible for my kids.

Anyway, it's a new day, a new week and, this morning, I have to take Sontoo in for this 18-month vaccinations. At least it's a start and another excuse to get out of the house.

Cheers.