I got a call on Monday that will most certainly change my child's life in some big capacity. She was accepted for open enrollment to the school system in the city where my in-law's live.
This open enrollment opportunity dates back to the packets of information that I sent out on February 1. I sent open enrollment packets out to three schools. By the end of June, we received a denial from our first choice school. They didn't have the room for K and I knew that. It didn't hurt to try. A few weeks ago, we got a denial from our 3rd choice school. We weren't real jazzed about that school for a few different reasons. They seemed a lil snarky about open enrollment and frankly, it is an area much, much further over our financial level and basically K would end up being the poor kid. Since it was already August, I figured by this point that school #2 was toast because we hadn't heard anything and -- IT'S AUGUST!
So the call comes through. I try to track K down. Now, I can most normally catch that child at some point, but my MIL and K went swimming. I tried K's cell. No luck. I tried MIL's cell. No luck. I tried my FIL's cell. No luck. I tried the house phone. Finally, my FIL answered, but said that they were out swimming.
UGH!
K asked for a family meeting. We needed to hash out some details about the transfer that would make her feel good. We assured her that the same drop off/pick up schedule would still apply as before. I would be able to take part in SOME PTA activities at this school, so she'd still see me around. We also said that if she/we chose to make this switch-- this is it. This will be her forever school and we will not transfer her out to another one. After all of these things, she decided that she did want to go there.
A perk but not a deciding factor? No uniforms!
We released her to make the information public. She told some friends from elementary school. She would have been moving on to the big, scary middle school with them. We did discuss that though she is moving and it is joyous and there were many, many concerns we had about the middle school, these friends are still attending there and we want to be a lil low level so not to dog on their school. She handled it well.
We mamas were talking last night and it hit me that the one could probably use the pants I had purchased for K. I bought them secondhand, so there was no way I could return them and K assured me that there would be no way she would wear them. (Can't blame her.) I was running through the house last night at 10 PM gathering uniform pieces to give off. M asked, "What are you doing?" "GIVING UNIFORMS AWAY!" I warned her that almost all was hanging on the basement lines and have a basement smell, but all are clean. She can use them this year or next, but we were able to pass polos, pants, sweaters and shorts on to someone who could use them.
I don't believe K will ever wear khaki pants or polo shirts again. Well, not unless a job requires them.
So that leads me to today's adventures. I will, for the first time, be able to take my daughter school clothes shopping. We're kind of excited. We have a few stores to hit to return new shirts we bought and while we're there, we can look at fun clothes!
Aside from the clothes thing and that not being a factor into changing schools, we're taking K from a school system that is suffering into an excellent rated school system. There are so many opportunities that will be made available to her. She's going to try to get involved with orchestra and she's looking forward to getting details about swim team. Academically they are so much stronger and we had major safety concerns about K at the other school.
We prayed. We prayed that God would do his will. We told K that this is how God answered our prayer. I told her that we still need to pray. She's concerned about being the new kid. I told her I get it, but we'll get through it.
Changes. My baby is growing up.
