She's Baaaaaaccccccckkkkkk.......

Sorry for the extended break there. It was unexpected, but necessary.

As you know, things have been a little crazy around CasaS for the past year and a half or so.

The craziness and change continue apace, and I think I just got to a point where I needed to retreat into my shell and do nothing but play mindless internet games, crochet, read and vegetate to get my feet back under me.

The biggest new change in my life started last Monday. After more than a week of begging and pleading, we decided to grant the McKid her wish and let her start attending the afterschool program at her charter school. She wanted kids to play with, and I don't really blame her. She's an only child, highly social, and our neighborhood is not filled with kids playing in the yards. And she lives in a place with no other kiddos.

So starting last Monday, she goes to the afterschool program. They have a designated homework time each afternoon, and we're monitoring her homework to make sure it's getting done completely and well.

She loved it last week. She loves having "two recesses" and people to play with. We told her that she had to do it for a month, and then we would see how she was liking it and how she was doing with her school work. Then we'll make the decision going forward.

So far I'd say it's working.

But it was a change that I found more difficult than she did! For seven years, McKid has been a daily fixture at my house. Now, I find myself confronted with stepping into more of a grandparent role. I pick her up two days a week while her mom goes to school. The other days of the week? Well, I'm going to have to actually DO those projects I've been putting off because I "didn't have time" because of watching McKid.

It will all be good in the long run. I think children benefit from having grandparents--and we'll be able to be more, oh, I don't know, FUN than we were when we were functioning more in a parental role so much. I hope it will be good for ALL of us. Mom, Kid, MamaT, PapaC.....

But the transition is not so fun for this Mama.

I'll get used to it. Heck, I'll probably even LOVE it, once I'm over the hump.

I never was reallyindispensable, and I shouldn't have been. But there's obviously an ugly tendency in myself to try to make myself so. I'm trying to root that out.

But like most ugly weeds, it has a deep and tough root.

And it's a fight.

Anyway, it's all good. It's just all different. Again.