A new start

I’m starting to feel a little bit sick. Tomorrow is Beth’s first day at her new school. Now that we are in and she is starting I’m just going to talk about it as her school rather than by it’s name. For any new readers, Beth has been at mainstream school all through her primary years and for the most part (thanks to an amazing school) it has been wonderful. For secondary school I realised that I had the option for a special school and I found one that I love. Beth has had several transition days which mainly have been very successful. She is going to find it hard though, going from having a one on one aide to having smaller classes with no aides. I know in my heart it’s what she needs, if she is to become independant in any way she needs to step up to the plate and conform, to do things for herself. I know she’ll hate it at first though and I have to brace myself for the mornings of her trying to make herself sick because she’s trying to get out of going to school. I’ll want to take her in my arms and tell her that she doesn’t have to go back there, that she can stay at home with me and I’ll home school her, that Mummy will protect her from things that she doesn’t like but that’s not real life and it’s not what she needs. And she’s not going to like it!

I’m also dreading driving an hour twice a day to take her and pick her up from school. We saw another special school that we are zoned for which means that we qualify for the bus. I didn’t like the school as much and she would have been on the bus for over three hours a day. I could have even gotten a full time job. My gut told me not to send her there though, it’s on a busy main road and they don’t shut the gates in the daytime. I couldn’t just push that to the back of my mind. You do what you have to do as a parent and as much as I hate driving, Beth’s school is the best place for her so that’s where she shall go. I just have to suck it up.

Anyway, the holidays have been lovely. I think it’s the first time in the last seven years that I have said this – I enjoyed the school holidays! Paul was home for a lot of it, we headed down to my friend Catriona’s house last week in Inverloch for boogie boarding (yes I tried it and loved it),  walks on the beach with the dogs, canoeing (not me) and an attempt at sailing in Paul’s wee new boat. It’s been lovely, we’ve had all day playdates at Bec’s house, lots of pyjama days watching My Name is Earl episodes and lots of visits to the new house which is under construction. I’m ready for them to go back to school but I haven’t gone too crazy. I can safely say (amazingly) that after six weeks of school holidays I still love my kids!

Now to end with a couple of Beth funnies. Or more like Beth rudies which I find funny anyway. She’s been watching various clips on you tube and has obviously picked up some bad language. Not so bad that she must be banned, it’s more the manner in which she says them. For example if she wants her breakfast she might come out and say “Where’s my Goddam breakfast?!” She’s been saying this quite a bit, luckily with a cheeky grin on her face to show that she knows she shouldn’t and she’s just trying it on!

Another is that we were having a swim at my sister Deb’s house on Sunday as it was a stinker of a day. We took Minka the Wonderdog with us to meet my niece Ali’s new puppy Tala. They were playing around (this was before the both jumped in the pool and I got a mouthful of wet dog – yum) and Ali said to Beth “Look Beth, they love each other.” Beth’s reply, “Why, are they lesbians?” I don’t know whether Ali was more shocked that Beth said it or that she knew what it meant!

Lastly – sorry this ones a bit gross, you might want to miss it – all three kids and I were in my bed last night watching the Big Bang Theory. Bridie had come in last and pushed in between Bill and I who were trying to have a cuddle. Bill complained “It’s all squishy!” Beth, quick as a wink, said “What is, the poo up your back?” I don’t know why she thought of it but as we are a toilet humour type of family we all cracked up, including her! She’s such a cheeky bugger!