1 Mother 2 Another

We had a modest ice storm pass through our
area over the past couple of days, and yesterday everything came to
a halt – schools closed, businesses allowing employees to
work from home, gymnastics and ballet lessons canceled. So of
course, we had to get outside and see for ourselves.


Late morning finally found us bundled up and walking cautiously
across the crunchy grass. Getting dressed for cold weather caused a
bit of a problem: we’d not bought any truly cold weather gear
for Maddie this year, and we’d lent out Cora’s size to
friends traveling northward over Christmas. But we patched together
too-big shoes and too-small boots and made do, and were delighting
in the cool air and beautiful sunny day.

We played around for a while, walking up
and down nearby streets looking for shady patches of sidewalk that
afforded long smooth stretches of ice. Apparently we played loudly
enough in front of Maxum’s house that he came out and joined
us, and he and Maddie quickly ran ahead as I chauffeured a wobbly
Cora down a particularly slippery stretch.


Which is when Maddie was overheard to say, “Listen, Maxum,
I’m working really hard at going pee and poopy in the potty
so I can go to school with you, ok? So don’t worry.”


Yikes.


We’re not quite sure how to break it to Maddie that
she’s not going to Maxum’s school. We want to be honest
with her, but how do we explain the complexities of the decision?
If we tell her we think the other school is better for her,
she’ll wonder why Maxum doesn’t go to the
“better” school. Or she won’t really understand,
and try to figure out why mommy and daddy are keeping her from
being happy by going to school with Maxum. And will she hate the
other school even more, just because it’s not his school?
What are we supposed to do here? I can’t let her choose the
school just on the basis of where her friend goes –
we’re the parents and have to do what we think’s best
for her.


That doesn’t mean telling her is going to be easy.


And for Maxum’s part, his mom is waiting to give him the bad
news until, say, a week before school starts in the fall, just in
case we end up at his school after all.


Procrastination. Hey, that sounds like a good plan.