1 Mother 2 Another

I’ve been apprehensive about Maddie
starting school back up again this year; as I’ve mentioned
before, last year was hard on her emotionally and I was bracing
myself to witness my happy, sunny girl shrink back into her shell
for another nine months. Now, I know this is only the first week,
and perhaps I’m just looking a bit too hard, but I am
starting to feel hope that she’ll handle this year
better.

Yesterday, for example, I picked Maddie up
at school and walked with her straight to our neighborhood pool
down the street. As we walked, Maddie chatted happily about her day
and what she’d done, when last year she would have been
buried in her Silky and answering questions monosyllabically. We
then spent a fabulous ninety minutes playing together and with
friends who joined us, before heading home for dinner. After
dinner, Maddie and Cora happily played together until bedtime,
getting out board games to do with each other and setting up a
soccer game in the living room. They didn’t fight or argue or
melt down, and at bedtime went agreeably upstairs.


I realize that this is the first week of school, and Maddie is
still relatively unfatigued. But I know that last year such an
easygoing day would not have happened: she’d have been
exhausted after school and we’d have gone straight home
– no play dates during the week – and Maddie would have
spent the rest of the afternoon and evening being fractious and
falling apart easily. She’s stepped it up recently in the big
sister department, working hard to be kind and patient with Cora,
and I think that would’ve collapsed last year.


Am I celebrating too soon? Maybe.


But maybe not.