Goodbye School Holidays

My pickle then watermelon then daughter, Chynna, who is four and three quarters starts fulltime pre-primary tomorrow.  I'm a teeny tiny bit sad now, but earlier...

When we came to the end of the kindy year last year, I was very sad to think that my first born would soon be heading off to school fulltime and be on her way to being all grown up.  An assortment of thoughts marched through my mind about this... she won't need me anymore, I won't be as important as her teacher, she'll get a bigger sassier attitude, she'll make friends with kids that I'd prefer she wouldn't and God forbid, what will I do with the time!  I know these thoughts sound illogical and perhaps a tad controlling... but I guess (and hope) that this is part and parcel with being a mother.  It's not a subject that gets a lot of press... I think the only person I've ever really spoken to about this parental transition from part time to fulltime education is my sister - a fair while ago now and my friends who have children the same age as Chynna - who look at me like I'm speaking another yǔyán!

But I realise now why they look at me like I'm speaking mandarin ... the holidays are like 3 months long, in the heat of summer and they are bestowed upon my little minx who has been entertained 5 days a fortnight at kindy.  I just can't live up to that... not even close, not in the heat of summer for 3 months.

"Mummy what are we doing today?" grew old after the first week when she started asking me this first thing in the morning, after we had been out somwhere and at 6pm! "Can we do some painting?" "Can invite someone over to play?"  I have to admit I resorted to calling a quick trip of grocery shopping an outing...  it was all I could do to stop myself from going stark raving mad.

It is really hard to entertain a 4 year old and an 18 month old at the same time.  Their needs are so different.  My son is a very tolerant boy. When he's tired he tries his hardest to keep up with Chynna... but it's not long before he's having a quiet sulk on the ground (if I'm lucky), or (more likely) an unoperatic conniption fit.  If it gets to this stage it is clear to everybody that we have long over stayed our welcome. 

It is just so much easier to entertain one child than two.  I can't really take two kiddly winks to the beach or pool by myself, it's near impossible to supervise two kids at a crowded play centre and there is only so many times you can land on a friends doorstep who has a pool or great playset, even though they say, no, don't be silly, it's fine.  Thus some of the things Chynna and I used to do together to fill in the time are no longer suitable for a crowd of three.

I can tell you, I have been looking forward to tomorrow for about 2 months and 2 and a half weeks!  Luckily, Chynna is looking forward to attending pre-primary, otherwise imagine her clinging to the doorframe for dear life, with two hands, and my big foot planted firmly on her butt shoving her through the door way.  Poor little petal, how tired is she going to be with fulltime school... hahaha suck it UP princess! 

There will be no tearing up at 8.45am tomorrow on my behalf!

Uh-hum... moving along.  I remembered something I asked the MS nurse when she paid me a visit the other day.  I was wondering what would happen if I was to stop Mr C abruptly... would I have a relapse because the decoy would no longer be in the game?  She said an unconvincing no - there is nothing in the research to say that stopping copaxone leads to relapses immediately following its cessation.  Is there anything conclusive about this disease?  I should know the answer by now.