« My Last Wednesday at Work (plus: other stuff that is bound to be fascinating) | Main | Last Day » |
|
|
August 28, 2008 Last Thursday (plus, Role Reversal) 
You turned another page! Maybe you don't understand. My post a few days ago said that there is a Monster at the End of this Blog. Every time you turn another page we get one step closer to the monster at the end of this blog. (sigh) This is something I originally wrote up a few weeks ago, but thought would be most appropriately posted now: Andrea: You know, in just a few weeks it will be time for you to go back to school. Frances: [silence] Andrea: And you know what? I'm going to be going back to school too! We're both going to be going to school. Frances: [looks shocked, and sobs] Andrea: What? Sweetheart, what's wrong? What is it? Frances: [clinging to my neck] I want you to be a grown-up! Andrea: Oh sweetiepie. I'm still going to be a grown-up. I'm going to grown-up school. Frances: [sobbing] Andrea: I'm still going to be the Mummy. I'm still going to make the meals and do the housework and all that stuff. I'm still going to take care of you. Frances: [sniffling] Andrea: Nothing is going to change for you really except that I'll be home more, so we'll have more time together to play. OK? But I'm still going to be the Mummy, and you're still going to be the little girl, and I'm still going to take care of you. That seemed to do it. Frances was calmed. Frances is a resilient kid. She weathered a tsunami of changes last summer that would have swept away most adults: her family, her house, her daycare, her friends, all gone in a matter of weeks. But since then more things have changed. Her mom has a boyfriend. Her dad has a girlfriend. Now her mom is going back to school. And how is a little girl supposed to feel? ~~~~~ Fortunately, she has since come around. When we were heading out the other night to buy back-to-school shoes (I tell you, no back-to-school shopping item was anywhere near as exciting to Frances as the SHOES), she said, "Next week, I am going back to school, and you are going back to school! We are going back to school at the same time!" "Yes," I said. "What do you think about that?" "I think it's cool," she said. Thank god. Posted by Andrea at August 28, 2008 9:26 AM under Change Addict EMAIL this entry (comments fields are below this section) Comments It IS cool!! Posted by: LauraJ at August 28, 2008 9:53 AM
I love that sweet girl! And it sounds like you really listened to her fears and addressed them lovingly. Posted by: Liz at August 28, 2008 10:27 AM
As you know, I'm supposed to be going back to work soon(ish). And when talking about it, my oldest daughter, who is all of 8, tells my youngest daughter that she's going to be the one in charge once Mommy's at work. Huh? My kids really think I'd leave them home alone? Somehow we need to work on our communication, I think. And who doesn't love new shoes!?! Good for Frances! (and you). Posted by: Gwen at August 28, 2008 3:39 PM
I'll be proud to call you a fellow student, even though I wish we actuallyy went to the same school. I think you did a great job of talking with Francis about her fears about your going back to school. I wish you the best of luck with your new journey. Posted by: Nickie at August 28, 2008 10:40 PM
Comment |
About Me I'm a type 1 diabetic, witch, feminist, environmentalist, writer, mother, student and print addict in Toronto, Canada. The blog has seen the birth of my daughter, her many medical adventures, my divorce and return to school. The name of the game is upheaval. Subscribe
Change is God (Octavia Butler, Parable Series) "I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him." Booker T. Washington Email Frances! frances AT andreamcdowell DOT com You can email her mother too (that's me):
The Best of Beanie Baby
Recent Entries
Categories Monthly Archives The WHOYCBE Not So Secret Spoilers These links open in a new browser window. Random Writer's Quote You have to write if you're going to be a writer. Because elves won't do the work for you. ~ Neil Gaiman
Dwarfism Resources:
Blogs I'm Reading
Other Mom Sites: Green Family Library
The title of this blog was taken from the short story "The Language of Nna Mmoy" by Ursula le Guin in her collection, Changing Planes. I won't tell you why or how, because I want you to read the story and figure it out for yourself.
|
