Endings and Beginnings

What an interesting month it's been so far. The weather has turned now, so it's definitely the end of fall and an early start to winter. It's the end of one school for Ray and the start of another.

I had taken Ray into school a couple weeks ago and on her school's community notice board were two 'official' looking "why not to inoculate your child against H1N1" sheets. Now, I know that it's a place for parents to put up their info, and if there had been even one "pro" sheet, I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought. But for some reason, I lost it. I resent being told how to raise my kid, the sheets were more fear-mongering than informative.

So I called the local private school and there was one more space open. It's a co-ed school from JK-4, and then it's an all-girls school. There's a large equestrian programme in Grade 4 too, and if we're paying a shwack of money anyway, may as well get French 3 times a week, Japanese, music and IT... We save money on groceries too as she gets two snacks and lunch. True, we have to pay for bus twice a week and after school care twice a week, but work will allow me to truncate my hours as long as I do some work from home and even the odd Fri/Sat night when required.

When Greta starts next year, we will get a 20% discount on her tuition, and it'll save us money from full-time preschool too. And when she starts K the year after, she'll be a returning student and then won't have to pay a new-student enrollment fee.

It's a winning situation all around.

I feel guilty though, leaving a school that Ray really likes, and nice people. But it's similar to Communism - great in theory but lousy in practice. The total parental involvement there was taking up a lot of our free time with the girls, and as it is, our time is limited. At the new school, they welcome parents, but don't demand them.

I also lucked out and was in the right place at the right time to get nearly a full uniform for Ray from someone whose kids don't go there anymore. Winter rain coat, cardigans, jumpers (one will be too small by the spring, but will fit Greta next year easily), some spring shirts, shorts, tights, socks, scarf, gloves and toque. The rest go to the school's Uni-cycler where they get sold at a large discount. The first day (August I think) that they open for next year is the day to go to get the smaller sizes that we'll need for grade 1, and we will be there early for sure!

Ray will know her teacher from church, and her best friend is in the class, as is another girl she dances with. She'll take the bus twice a week with her dance friend and I'll drop her the other three days. She'll be in out of school care twice a week, and I'll have to leave work an hour early the other three days. Sailor will have to find someone to carpool with as driving the Pathfinder full time is quite expensive.

We're waiting on our tax info so we can apply for a bursary. If we get one, that will help our money situation quite nicely as well, and perhaps we can expand the bus and after school care days if they cancel each other out.

On the work front, I've been told to pass a fitness test so they can promote me. I'm now taking many opportunities a day to do pushups on various surfaces.

I need to get promoted and sell Mary Kay each month to keep my kid in school. Ha ha.

Sailor's nearly done his course - mid-December it's over. He'll be back on ship then, and standing at least one duty watch over the holidays. I'm taking from mid-December til the start of January and Sailor is taking from Christmas Eve til the middle of January. I'm supposed to work NYE too. Not my cuppa tea, but I'll get $16/hr for it.

So Ray starts on Tuesday. I have a couple things to pick up from the old school on Monday as well as dropping off some MK to a customer before taking Ray to the preschool for one of her last times in the afternoon.

Tuesday will be a drop-off and some forms to finish at the administration side, not to mention delivering the $2200 deposit. I nearly fell off my chair when I read what it would be.

But worth it for my kid's education.